NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 25 September 2019 – New Crew Members Arrive

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, Oleg Skripochka of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Hazzaa Ali Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) docked to the International Space Station at 3:42 p.m. EDT.
The new crew members will be greeted by station commander Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Nick Hague, Andrew Morgan, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov.

During Expedition 61, crew members will install new lithium-ion batteries for two of the station’s solar array power channels through a series of spacewalks. Later in the expedition, spacewalkers are scheduled to upgrade and repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), a key science instrument housed outside the station to study dark matter and the origins of the universe.

.@Astro_Jessica, @Astro_Hazzaa and Oleg Skripochka entered the orbiting lab and joined six of their station crewmates for a joyful crew greeting ceremony today. https://t.co/Oy3oC3MS6m pic.twitter.com/iMzQXpnAS9

— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) September 25, 2019

On-Orbit Status Report

61 Soyuz (61S) Launch/Docking: 61S launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 8:57 AM CT and docked to the ISS at 2:42 PM CT. On board 61S was Oleg Skripochka, Jessica Meir, and Hazzaa Al Mansoori. Al Mansoori is a Space Flight Participant who will be on the ISS until October 3, then returns to Earth onboard 58S. Al Mansoori’s mission is part of the United Arab Emirates Astronaut Program to train and prepare Emirati astronauts to travel to space on various scientific missions. Following docking, all nine crew members will participate in a crew safety briefing.

Food Acceptability survey: The crew completed their Food Acceptability Surveys using the Station Support Computer (SSC) Data Collection Tool. This investigation seeks to determine the impact of repetitive consumption of food currently available from the spaceflight food system. Results will be used in developing strategies to improve food system composition to support crew health and performance on long duration missions.

MatISS 2.5: The crew installed 2 MatISS sample holders at the predefined locations in the Columbus module. The MATISS experiment investigates the antibacterial properties of materials in space for possible application in future spacecraft. MATISS is expected to provide additional insight into the mechanisms of attachment of biofilms in microgravity conditions.

Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle Schools (EarthKAM) Mission 67: The crew removed the 50mm camera lens and installed an 85mm lens. This is a nominal activity typically conducted about halfway through the EarthKAM mission. As of this report, 218 schools representing 20,643 students and 28 countries have signed up to request images (including 108 students from 4 Russian schools). 13,715 image requests have been submitted, 1,187 images have been downlinked, and 638 images have been posted to the web. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the ISS. This enables them to photograph the Earth’s coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique vantage point of space. The EarthKAM team then posts these photographs on the Internet for viewing by the public and participating classrooms around the world.

The ISS Experience: The crew set up the hardware and captured the arrival of 61S and its crewmembers. The ISS Experience creates a virtual reality film documenting daily life aboard the ISS. The 8 to 10 minute videos created from footage taken during the six-month investigation cover different aspects of crew life, execution of science aboard the station, and the international partnerships involved. The ISS Experience uses a Z-CAM V1 Pro Cinematic Virtual Reality (VR) 360-degree camera with nine 190° fisheye lenses.

High Definition Television Camera-Exposed Facility 2 (HDTV-EF2 ) Control Unit Installation: The HDTV-EF2 control unit launched on NG-11 and was installed onto the JEM Airlock slide table today. It will eventually be installed on the Exposed Facility Unit (EFU) Adapter #5 using the JEM Small Fine Arm. HDTV-EF2 has the ability to smoothly track targets on the surface of the Earth, using its camera platform.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: In preparation for upcoming P6 Battery EVAs, the crew performed the following:

Procedure reviews for tool configurations, cautions and warnings, sharp edge briefing, and battery upgrades.
Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) software review. The crew configured DOUG to receive and display real time Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) joint angle telemetry from a PCS laptop as well as without joint angle telemetry.

Completed Task List Activities:
Grip OBT
WHC pre-treat bad quality light inspection

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
61S docking ops
Payloads ground support

Look Ahead:
Thursday, 9/26 (GMT 269)

Payloads:
Functional Immune
NanoRacks Module-86 Experiment Activation
Slime in Space prep
Standard Measures

Systems:
Crew off duty

Friday, 9/27 (GMT 270)

Payloads:
Clean Bench removal from SAIBO
Fluidics
Food Acceptability
GLACIER desiccant swap
HRP blood collection
ISS Experience
Microgravity Crystals
Nanoracks module 9
Nanoracks module 82
Nanoracks module 86
Nanoracks emulsion tube
Slime in Space
Standard Measures

Systems:
Emergency Roles & Responsibilities review
HTV RoBOT OBT

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

Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire
Slime Rechargeable Battery Charge
ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Columbus
JEM Airlock Press
Magnetic 3D-bioprinter. Activation of ТБУ-В incubator No.07 at +4 deg С
Gas Analyzer Activation in Soyuz 742
ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module
Verify cover closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14. Note 12
Food Acceptability Survey
ISS Crew departure preparation
JEM Camera Robot S/N 002 Preparation for JAXA-EPO
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey
Gas Analyzer Activation in Soyuz 746
SSC Network Attached Storage (NAS) Hard Drive (HDD) Reseat
Emergency Equipment prep for Soyuz 744
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
XF305 Camcorder Setup
JEM Airlock Leak Check
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
JEM Exposed Facility High Definition TV Control Equipment R&R part 1
MERLIN Desiccant Swap
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
ISS Experience Inverter Handover to RSOS Crew
PCS Laptop Relocate
ISS Experience (ISSEXP). ISS EXPERIENCE System Setup, Equipment Installation
Slime Rechargeable Battery Charge
PCS Laptop Relocate
ISS Experience Solid State Drive change out
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
EARTHKAM. 85 mm lens change out
USOS Window Shutter Close
HTV Cargo Operations Review
Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review
Preparation for Soyuz 744 Docking
Food Acceptability Survey
HTV Cargo Operations Conference
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey
Comm config for Soyuz docking to SM Aft
Installation of MATISS Sample Holders
Monitoring Soyuz 744 approach to the ISS (SM Aft)
Slime Rechargeable Battery Charge
Slime in Space Review
JEM Exposed Facility High Definition TV Control Equipment R&R part 2
Slime in Space Crew Conference
On MCC Go Activation of mpeg2 multicast, unicast video recording mode
Monitoring Soyuz 744 approach to the ISS (SM Aft)
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Closing Applications and Downlink of MPEG2 Multicast via OCA
On MCC Go Moding ПрК-Soyuz PEV to ELECTR CONTR
Comm reconfig after Soyuz 744 docking
Centerline Berthing Camera System (CBCS) and Vestibule Outfitting Equipment Gather
ISS Experience Russian Segment Setup
ISS Experience (ISSEXP). ISS EXPERIENCE System Setup, Equipment Installation
Centerline Berthing Camera System (CBCS) Installation and Checkout
Review procedure TV coverage Hatch Opening from SM” and “Arrival of Expedition 61/ VC 19
Slime Rechargeable Battery Charge
Hardware Setup in SM for Expedition 61 Arrival / VC 19 TV Coverage from SM
ISS Experience Recording Preparation
ISS Experience Microphone Don
Soyuz – SM Aft Transfer Hatch Opening TV Coverage Expedition 61 / VC 19 Arrival [In work]
ТПК-61S hatches open and PAO-TV-rep. Hatches open [In work]
ISS Experience Microphone Doff
ISS Experience Record Conclude
Handover of the 3rd space suit and gloves for drying in Soyuz 746 [scheduled this evening]
Drying of the 3rd spacesuit in Soyuz 746 [scheduled this evening]
ISS Safety Briefing [scheduled this evening]
SODF EMER-1a and EMER-1c updates [scheduled this evening]
ISS Experience Hardware Relocate [scheduled this evening]
ISS Experience (ISSEXP). ISS EXPERIENCE configuration teardown after video recording [scheduled this evening]
Comm reconfig for nominal ops[scheduled this evening]
Exiting Applications, Deactivation of camcorders and TV monitors [scheduled this evening]
HRF Generic Saliva Collection Setup [scheduled this evening]
ISS Experience Inverter Handover to USOS Crew [scheduled this evening]
ISS Experience (ISSEXP). Inverter handover back to USOS crew [scheduled this evening]
Terminate drying the 3rd space suit, start drying the 3rd pair of gloves (Soyuz 746) [scheduled this evening]
SFP VC familiarization with the RS [scheduled this evening]
USOS Window Shutter Close [scheduled this evening]
Terminate drying the third pair of gloves (Soyuz 746) [scheduled this evening]
Handover of the 3rd space suit and gloves after drying in Soyuz 746 [scheduled this evening]