NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 25 March 2020 – Bartolomeo Science Payload Extracted

Robotic controllers unloaded new research hardware off a U.S. cargo craft today for installation outside the International Space Station.
Inside the orbital lab, the Expedition 62 crew continued exploring microgravity’s impact on a variety of life forms.

The reusable SpaceX Dragon resupply ship today offered the Bartolomeo science payload system for installation on Europe’s Columbus laboratory module. Robotics engineers on the ground commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm to extract Bartolomeo from Dragon’s unpressurized trunk and stage it for installation later. The European research device will enable numerous external science experiments to be conducted and controlled outside the space station.

Botany, biology and physics were the focus of today’s research aboard the orbiting lab. The space science work is helping NASA keep astronauts safe and healthy as it plans missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Flight Engineer Jessica Meir of NASA spent a couple of hours on botany research learning how to cultivate vegetables and fruits in space. She also continued the Vascular Echo study attaching a sensor to her leg that monitored her arteries during a light exercise session.

Afterward, she joined fellow NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan servicing and photographing samples of gut microbes. The study seeks to understand how microgravity enriches and depletes the microbes that affect crew health

The duo also unpacked samples that were exposed to the harsh environment of space outside of the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. Scientists want to understand what happens to materials such as paint, metals and other substances that could make up future spacecraft and habitats experiencing long-term space radiation and differing gravity environments.

Commander Oleg Skripochka updated the station’s inventory system today after unloading and organizing cargo inside the Russian Progress 74 space freighter. The veteran cosmonaut also worked on computers and communications gear before some research on crew dynamics.

The next to crew to launch to the station, Expedition 63, is in Kazakhstan today getting fitted in their Sokol launch and entry and Soyuz MS-16 crew ship seats. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner will lift off April 9 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to begin a 195-day mission on the orbiting lab.

On-Orbit Status Report

EPO AstroPi: The crew inserted the AstroPi Micro SD card into SSC 11 and 19 in order to upgrade AstroPi OS software from Visual cameras to Infrared camera capability on laptops. In the European AstroPi Challenge, students and young people are offered the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on Astro Pi’s – special Raspberry Pi computers aboard the ISS. Students can choose either ‘Life in Space’ or ‘Life on Earth’ as themes for their experiments.

MISSE-13 (Materials International Space Station Experiment-13): The crew removed the 5 returning MSCs from the JEM Airlock and packed them in preparation for return on SpX-20. The Materials International Space Station Experiment-13-NASA (MISSE-13-NASA) continues a series of investigations examining how the harsh environment of space affects new materials and material configurations needed for specific space missions. It includes investigations into the performance and durability in space of polymers, composites, thermal protection systems, photovoltaic technologies and radiation shielding materials. MISSE experiments incorporate lessons learned from previous missions and fly similar materials on multiple missions to determine erosion and degradation trends and help forecast durability.

NanoRacks Module-51: The crew performed a status check #3 on the sub-experiment science sample packets for Module-51. These sub-experiments are the Vitamin-C Flask with syringe, Waxworm flask, Adipic acid and Venom flex plates, Yeast and amylase mixture tubes, and Flask with Flatworms. Inspections of the experiments went well and the hardware was stowed. NanoRacks Mod-51 itself is an aluminum module with a Velcro lid that can accommodate various sub-experiments.

STaARS BioScience-9: The crew removed the STaARS kit (s/n 1012) and placed it into cold stowage. Tapping Microgravity to Enhance Biofuel Production (STaARS BioScience-9) aims to identify novel biological mechanisms using genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) to improve the bio-production of isobutene to an extent that economically competes with petrochemical production processes.

Vascular Echo: The crew took PDOP leg Doppler measurements during a recovery phase from a 1 minute exercise period. Cardiac and Vessel Structure and Function with Long-Duration Space Flight and Recovery (Vascular Echo) examines changes in blood vessels, and the heart, while the crew members are in space, and then follow their recovery on return to Earth. The results could provide insight into potential countermeasures to help maintain crewmember health, and quality of life for everyone.

Rhodium Space Microbiome: The crew inserted Chamber s/n 0007 from the SABL incubator into cold stowage. Genomics Investigation of Human Gut Microbiome to Determine Effects of Microgravity Exposures (Rhodium Space Microbiome) examines the effects of spaceflight on the human gut microbiome, a complex community of numerous bacterial species. Developing a better understanding shifts in microbiome diversity and function and how they affect human health and performance may help protect people on future missions. Recent studies have shown a connection between alterations in the structure and function of the gut microbiome and multiple chronic and acute diseases.

Bartolomeo: The ground robotics team successfully extracted the Bartolomeo external platform from the SpX-20 Dragon trunk. The platform will be transferred and installed on the ram side of the Columbus module. The European external platform Bartolomeo is an enhancement of the ISS European Columbus Module and its infrastructure. Designed to meet user requirements from the commercial and institutional sector, Bartolomeo is a new external payload hosting facility on the ram side of Columbus that is mechanically attached to the ram-facing primary and secondary trunnions, and uses the Columbus Parking Position Interface (PAPOS) for electrical and data interfacing.

Veggie PONDS Validation: The crew installed Ponds Modules S/N 1 through 12, performed a water fill of each module and then powered up and initiated the facility by setting the lighting intervals. Organisms grow differently in space, from single-celled bacteria to plants and humans. Future long-duration space missions will require crew members to grow their own food. Therefore, understanding how plants respond to microgravity and demonstrating the reliable vegetable production on orbit are important steps toward that goal. Veggie PONDS uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the ISS to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens which are to be harvested on-orbit, and consumed, with samples returned to Earth for analysis.

Made In Space – RECYCLER: The crew used a multimeter to check resistance across multiple power pin pairs on the Recycler hardware. This is part of troubleshooting efforts to determine the source of a power short on the unit. The Made in Space – RECYCLER recycles polymer materials into filament that can be used as feedstock for the Made in Space 3D printer on the space station. Crews can use materials and parts that have reached the end of their useful life to create new items using 3D printing. This reduces the weight and mass of supplies that must be brought into space from Earth, an important capability for deep space missions.

Completed Task List Activities:
None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Veggie Ponds Experiment Initiation

Look Ahead Plan
Thursday, 3/26 (GMT 086)
Payloads:
Radi-N2 Detectors (8) retrieved (COL) and H/O to Russian crew (CSA)
Engineered Heart Tissue (EHT) Media change and fixation (NASA)
Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire (NASA)
BFF test print without cells (1 and 2) , and Syringe swap (4) (NASA)
EML Gas Vlv to Close (ESA-Joint)

Systems:
Regen ECLSS Operations
SSC Queso Uplink Support

Friday, 3/27 (GMT 087)
Payloads:
Blood Collection (CSA)
BFF hardware uninstall (NASA)
MVP2 Cell-03 Nutrient tube and waste tube replacement (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
JEM ORU Transfer Interface (JOTI) removal (NASA)

Systems:
Regen ECLSS Operations
SSC Queso Uplink Support
SpX-20 EVA Pre-pack

Saturday, 3/28 (GMT 088)
Crew Off Duty day

Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Reminder Probiotics Fecal Operations
Reminder 2 Vascular Echo Leg Doppler Measurement
Materials ISS Experiment – Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) JEM Video Setup
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE) MTT Removal and Stowage
Activity with Broadband Communication System (???) Video Server (??)
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE) MSC Pack
MISSE-FF MSC Pack
On MCC GOTest of RS2-???2-???-??? Commanding & Data Path
Test of Laptop RS3-???1-???-??? Commanding & Data path.
Bio Analyzer MELFI Retrieve and Trash
Transfer AstroPi Micro SD Card to SSC for AstroPi OS upgrade
???? Configuration for MRM1
[???-?-??] Distiller Recovery
Recycler Resistance Check
Station Support Computer (SSC) 12, 14, & 18 Reboot
STaARS Cryotube Kit MELFI Insertion #5
Veggie Ponds Hardware Gather
Comm reconfig for nominal ops
Nanoracks Module-51 Status 3
Water transfer from SM Rodnik H2O tank 2
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
SPHERES Hardware Consolidation
Functional Check of CDM No.71 cable and CARDIOMED-Central Unit
Veggie Ponds Experiment Initiation
Video Recording of Greetings
Rhodium Space Microbiome US LAB HD Camcorder Video Setup
Rhodium Space Microbiome Historical Documentation Photography
Rhodium Space Microbiome SABL Sample Removal
Tightening of QD Screw Clamps on DC1-Progress 443 Interface
Vascular Echo Leg Doppler PDOP Measurement
Rhodium Space Microbiome MELFI Sample Insertion
Progress 433 packing and IMS updates
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
BioFabrication Facility Procedure Review1
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
Dragon Cargo Transfer
Reminder Portable O2 Monitor (POM) Reading