Space Stations

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 28 March 2017 – Crew Setup New Specialized Microscope

By Marc Boucher
Status Report
March 30, 2017
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NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 28 March 2017 – Crew Setup New Specialized Microscope
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 28 March 2017 - Crew Setup New Specialized Microscope.
NASA

The crew researched the effects of living in space and set up a specialized microscope for a physics experiment today. Two astronauts are also getting ready for a Thursday spacewalk to continue setting up the International Space Station for commercial crew vehicles.
Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet used a tape measure this morning and measured their arms, legs, hips, waist and chest. Researchers are studying how microgravity impacts body size and shape and are comparing crew measurements before, during and after a space mission.

Whitson later began setting up gear for the ACE-T-1 (Advanced Colloids Experiment Temperature Control-1) physics study. She opened up the Fluids Integrated Rack and reconfigured the Light Microscopy Module to research tiny suspended particles designed by scientists and observe how they form organized structures within water.

Commander Shane Kimbrough is getting ready for another spacewalk on Thursday at 8 a.m. EDT. This time he’ll go outside with Whitson to finish cable connections at the Harmony module where the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) was robotically attached on Sunday. The PMA-3 relocation gets the adapter ready for the new International Docking Adapter-3 set to be delivered on a future cargo mission.

On-Orbit Status Report

Body Measures: Earlier this morning, the 49S subject performed the Body Measures Flight Day (FD) 135 session. With assistance from a trained operator the crew conducted a Body Measures data collection, configuring still cameras and video and collecting the Neutral Body Posture video prior to stowing the equipment. NASA is collecting in-flight anthropometric data (body measurements) to assess the impact of physical body shape and size changes on suit sizing. Still and video imagery is captured and a tape measure is used to measure segmental length, height, depth, and circumference data for all body segments (chest, waist, hip, arms, legs, etc.) from astronauts before, during and after their flight missions.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): The crew performed their FMS sessions this morning on a touchscreen tablet where the crew completes a series of interactive tasks. The investigation studies how fine motor skills are effected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth’s gravity. The goal of FMS is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation, and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.

Advanced Colloids Experiment Temperature Control -1 (ACE-T-1) Module Installation: The crew reconfigured the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Light Microscopy Module (LMM) for the ACE-T-1 experiment. ACE-T-1 studies tiny suspended particles which have been designed by scientists to connect themselves in a specific way to form organized structures in water. The particles that were flown on HTV-6 are cylindrical in shape versus bullet-shaped that the previous ACE-T-1 module investigated. Materials having complex structures and unique properties potentially can be made with additional knowledge of how these particles are joined together and the conditions which control their behaviors. FIR is a complementary fluid physics research facility designed to host investigations in areas such as colloids, gels, bubbles, wetting and capillary action, and phase changes including boiling and cooling.

Environmental Health System (EHS) Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products (CSA-CP) Maintenance: The crew completed this regularly scheduled maintenance to replace the battery packs and zero calibrate all CSA-CPs.

U.S. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #41 Preparations: In preparation for this Thursday’s planned EVA, the crew performed the following:

Configured tools required for the EVA.
Inspected all safety, waist tethers and D-ring extenders for structural integrity.
Installed Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) in EMUs 3006 and 3008.
Configured Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) to receive and display real-time Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) joint angle telemetry from a Portable Computer System (PCS) laptop. Also start and configure DOUG without real-time SSRMS joint angle telemetry.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Virus Definition File Update on Auxiliary Computer System (???) Laptops
Combustion Integrated Rack Alignment Guide Installation
Body Measures Experiment Operations – Subject
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
Recovery of Rheoencephalogram [???] Data Output Device [???] operation
[???1] Electrical circuit continuity check, Preparation
Body Measures Experiment Operations – Operator
Life On The Station Photo and Video
Tropical Cyclone Hardware Closeout
Orthostatic Stability Evaluation with LBNP
Evaluation of Orthostatic Stability with LBNP (assistance)
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
Orthostatic Stability Evaluation with LBNP
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Replacement of ??1, ??2 Dust Filters and Cleaning ?1, B2 Fan Screens in MRM2
Inspect CWC-I attached to UPA SPA
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Node 1 Nadir Hatch latch
KENTAVR fit check
Analysis of SM Atmosphere for Freon Using Freon Leak Analyzer/Detector (???)
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tether Inspection
Replacement of [???] components
Photo TV Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Turnaround [Aborted]
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB)/Metal Oxide (METOX) Installation
Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) Operation Termination
PILOT-T. Preparation for the experiment
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products (CSA-CP) Extended Maintenance
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
Fluids Integrated Rack Doors Open
LMM ACE T1 Configure
Fluids Integrated Rack Doors Close
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Yellow Paint Mitigation
Delta file prep
Photo TV GoPro Setup
PHYSICAL EXERCISE – ??-2
Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Installation and Powered Hardware Checkout
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review
PILOT-T. Closeout Ops

Completed Task List Items
Replace KTO

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Nominal System Commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 03/29: Crew departure prep, Dose Tracker, EVA prep
Thursday, 03/30: EVA #41
Friday, 03/31: Crew departure prep, EVA debrief/cleanup

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Reprocess
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up

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