NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 August 2018 – Crew Eye and Vision Tests

The Expedition 56 crew members started off the work week with biomedical studies and human research to understand how living in space impacts their bodies.
The crew conducted eye and vision tests, tried on a specialized exercise t-shirt and researched gene expression and protein crystals.

Five of the six International Space Station residents participated in a series of regularly scheduled eye exams and vision checks today. Each crew member covered an eye and read a standard eye chart to test their visual acuity. Next, Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Commander Drew Feustel scanned their eyes with an ultrasound device to look at the optical nerve and retina. Finally, Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Alexander Gerst used a Tonometer to measure eye pressure.

Arnold started his morning extracting RNA to help researchers decipher the changes in gene expression that take place in microgravity. Feustel photographed protein crystal samples with a microscope to help doctors develop more effective disease-treating drugs on Earth.

Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) worked out today in a custom SpaceTex-2 t-shirt for an exercise study testing its comfort and thermal relief while working out in space. He then moved on to the GRIP study exploring how an astronaut’s cognitive ability adapts when gripping and manipulating objects in space.

On-Orbit Status Report

Moon Imagery: Today the crew took photographs of the full Moon and downlinked them for evaluation on the ground. If a spacecraft loses communication with the ground or with NASA’s Deep Space Network, its crew must navigate just as ancient mariners did, using the moon and stars. The Moon Imagery investigation collects pictures of the moon from the ISS, which are then used to calibrate navigation software to guide the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle in case its transponder-based navigation capability is lost. Crewmembers photograph the moon’s phases during one 29-day cycle, providing images of varying brightness to calibrate Orion’s camera software.

Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL) Operations for the German Space Agency (DLR) Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS): Today the crew depressurized and vented the JEMAL. Later today the JEMAL Slide Table will be extended to the exterior of the ISS and the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) will be used to remove DESIS from the Slide Table and install it on the Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) external facility. The DESIS investigation is expected to verify and enhance commercial space-based hyperspectral (from the visual to near infrared spectrum) imaging capabilities for Earth remote sensing. Requested images are transferred to a hosted cloud that provides user access. DESIS has a number of commercial and humanitarian applications.

Grip: The crew completed the first of three Grip operations in the seated position today. ESA’s Grip investigation tests how the nervous system takes into account the forces due to gravity and inertia when manipulating objects. Results from this investigation may provide insight into potential hazards for astronauts as they manipulate objects in different gravitational environments, support design and control of haptic interfaces to be used in challenging environments such as space, and provide information about motor control that will be useful for the evaluation and rehabilitation of impaired upper limb control in patients with neurological diseases.

BioServe Protein Crystallography (BPC)-1: The crew performed microscope operations today for the BPC-1 investigation. They removed the BPC-1 samples from the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL), made observations, photographed the sample wells with the microscope, and returned the samples to the SABL. BPC-1 seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting protein crystal growth in real time onboard the ISS. Crewmembers add solutions to the hardware, observe the crystals that form and adjust for follow-on experiments. This approach gives scientists the ability to optimize crystal growth in microgravity instead of waiting for samples to return and then launching them again.

WetLab-2 Parra: Today the crew completed a session for the WetLab-2 Parra investigation. WetLab-2 Parra tests a passive method to remove air bubbles from a liquid sample (e.g., extracted ribonucleic acid [RNA]) for dispensing. Excessive air bubbles in the sample chamber introduces noise in the data acquired during SmartCycler analysis.

SpaceTex-2 and Metabolic Space: A crewmember donned Thermolab equipment, a heart rate monitor, and a SpaceTex shirt for ESA’s SpaceTex-2 investigation. He also donned Metabolic Space equipment and completed an exercise session using the Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS). SpaceTex fabrics provide a higher rate of sweat evaporation and a corresponding higher evaporative heat loss compared to conventional cotton fabrics used by astronauts on the ISS. Metabolic Space provides a technology demonstration for a measurement system worn by astronauts that supports cardio-pulmonary diagnosis during physical activities of astronauts living onboard the ISS, while maintaining unrestricted mobility.

Lighting Effects: The crew conducted a Visual Performance Test for the Lighting Effects investigation today. They stowed the hardware in their crew quarters, set the light to the correct mode, turned all other light sources in the crew quarters off, and performed a Numerical Verification Test, followed by a Color Discrimination Test. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.

ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) Airlock Unstow: Today the crew removed hardware from the Airlock that is not needed for the upcoming EVAs or the ESA Airway Monitoring experiment. The ESA Airway Monitoring experiment, planned next week in the US Airlock, uses a special test gas that could damage the MetOx and Contamination Detection Kit necessitating its relocation prior to the experiment. The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)-7 Battery R&R EVAs are currently scheduled on the 20th and 26th of September and preparation activities are on-going.

Nitrogen (N2)/Oxygen(O2) Recharge System (NORS) O2 Transfer Setup and Initiation: Today the crew installed a NORS O2 tank, mated the O2 Fill Hose to the NORS Manifold, and initiated a gas transfer to the High Pressure O2 system. Termination of this recharge, and a subsequent transfer of O2 to the Low Pressure O2 system, will occur later this week

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event: Today Ricky Arnold participated in a live PAO event with Dakota State University (DSU). This event, part of a series of activities centered around the theme Science and Engineering in Zero or Low Gravity Environments, was held in conjunction with students from the Madison Central School District (MCSD) and will serve as a launching point for undergraduate courses at DSU in the Fall 2018 semester.

Completed Task List Activities:
KTO Replace [Completed 238]

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
JEMAL Depress
N3 ITCS Checkout
MSS Operations

Two-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 08/28:

Payloads
DESIS installed on MUSES external facility
ACME Controller replacement
Rodent Research-7 Habitat restock
JEM depressurization and leak check. PMA removal from Airlock Slide Table
Tropical Cyclone set up
Grip operations

Systems
EMU Resize for the September HTV-7 Battery R&R EVA #1
Eye Exams – Fundoscope Ops
EVA Tool Gather, Tool Config, and REBA Battery Charging

Wednesday, 08/29:

Payloads
MSRR Master Controller R&R
BEST 4th experiment session
Payload Control Box installation in Ryutai Rack laptop
TTS survey
SpaceTex2 & Metaspace session
Grip supine session
BCAT camera alignment and focus

Systems
JEM Stowage Consolidation for HTV-7 Mission
Eye Exams – Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Fundoscope Ops
EMU Swap for upcoming EMU Maintenance Activities

Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
Optical Nav Camera Set Up
БМП Ф1 absorption cartridge cycling (start)
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
JEM Airlock Depressurization
Makita drill battery discharge monitoring
Metabolic Space equipment connection and calibration
Wet Lab-2 MWA Preparation
Optical Nav Camera Preparation
Thermolab instrumentation for Spacetex-2
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Science ops setup
Wet Lab-2 MELFI Sample Retrieve
Old KMA-01 mass gauge deinstall prep, new KMA-01 mass gauge install prep.
Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
Metabolic Space instrumentation
Joint Station LAN Switch Location Assessment
CEVIS exercise session for MetabolicSpace and Spacetex-2 experiments
PROFILAKTIKA-2. MO-3 science ops assistance.
PROFILAKTIKA-2. BD-2 session (passive MO-3 test).
Metaspace hardware deinstrumentation and stowage
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Closeout ops.
Thermolab de-instrumentation for Spacetex-2
Optical Nav Camera Operations
Spacetex-2 Nominal Questionnaire filling
Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Hygiene
JEM Airlock Vent
Water Refill Kit Review
SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A
LTE CDT Light SUB
Optical Nav Camera Preparation #2
Water Refill Kit Battery Charge
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
CARDIOMED-ODNT. Verify KARDIOMED connection to BITS 2-12 via [УСМ-1] (ТА 735).
JEM Airlock Vent Confirmation
Binary Colloidal Alloy Test – Battery Changeout
Clean up of Columbus Bays 1, 2 and 3
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Questionnaire
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Test
Binary Colloidal Alloy – Cohesive Sedimentation Camera Check
Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Transfer Initiation
Optical Nav Camera Operations #2
Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Gather
Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Transfer Initiation
BioServe Protein Crystallography Microscope Phase 2 Operations
СОЖ maintenance
PROBOY. Connect [БПАС] cable to [РБС], activate [БПАС]
GRIP Big Picture Words reading
PROBOY. S/w adjustment. Specialist conference
GRIP setup in the SEATED configuration
PROBOY. RSЕ1 ops.
PROBOY. Puncture simulator ops.
Microscope Reposition Post Ops [Aborted]
BD Calibration
Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
Onboard Training (OBT) Robotics On-board Trainer (ROBoT) Setup
Delta file prep
PROBOY. Data copy and downlink
GRIP science performance in seated position
PAO Preparation
SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A
Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config JEM Setup
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – JEM
IDENTIFIKATSIYA. [ИМУ-Ц] measurement data copy to the laptop
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Airlock Unstow
EXPRESS Rack ELC Hard Disk Drive Swap
BD-2 gear position verification Take pictures of BD-2 gear position relative to pullout roller by lifting BD-2 shutter.
EXPRESS Rack 3 Laptop Computer Software Load
MERLIN Dessiccant Swap
Photo/TV Airlock Minicam Swap [Aborted]
Battery Charge Initiation for MetabolicSpace
HMS Tonometry Test Setup
Downlink exercise data via ОСА
HMS Tonometry Test
HMS Tonometry Test Stow
БМП Ф1 absorption cartridge cycling (end)