NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 3 March 2020 – Robotics Training

Today’s space biology work aboard the International Space Station observed samples swabbed from an astronaut’s skin and bone cells living in media bags.
Other ongoing studies explored space piloting techniques and microgravity’s effects on the orbiting lab’s structure.

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan swabbed his nose, forehead and forearm early Tuesday before stowing the samples in a science freezer. Scientists on the ground will analyze the samples for the Standard Measures study that seeks to understand how humans adapt to spaceflight.

In the afternoon, Morgan joined fellow Expedition 62 Flight Engineer Jessica Meir for more robotics training ahead of the SpaceX Dragon resupply mission due to launch Friday at 11:50 p.m. EST. The duo practiced on a computer the techniques they would use to capture the U.S. space freighter with the Canadarm2. Meir also activated the command panel that sends and receives vehicle telemetry and commands from Dragon as it approaches the station.

NASA TV will begin its live launch broadcast Friday at 11:30 p.m. Dragon’s rendezvous and capture coverage starts Monday at 5:30 a.m. with its robotic capture planned for 7 a.m.

Meir tackled a pair of advanced life sciences studies during the afternoon checking hardware that enables the printing of human tissue and the nourishment of bone cells. First, she tested the operation of the BioFabrication Facility that seeks to overcome the detrimental effects of printing biological structures in Earth’s gravity. Afterward, Meir replenished the media used to support bone cells being observed to gain therapeutic insights into Earth ailments such as osteoporosis.

Roscosmos Commander Oleg Skripochka spent Tuesday morning exploring how to pilot a spacecraft or control a robotic rover under a variety of microgravity conditions. Later, he checked heart research gear before looking at data on the physical stresses that mission events such as spacecraft dockings place on the station.

On-Orbit Status Report

NRCSD (NanoRacks External CubeSat Deployer): The crew performed the removal of NRCD-17 CubeSat deployer from the JEM airlock. The NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer is a stackable, modular, ground loaded launch case. Each NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer accommodates up to eight launch cases are stacked for each JEM Airlock opening. The NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer meets the growing demand to deploy CubeSat format satellites from the International Space Station for a variety of customers.

HISUI (Hyperspectral Imager Suite): The crew performed troubleshooting steps for the HISU Mission Data Recorder by installing the 32G SD card from the PL control Box. The Hyperspectral Imager Suite (HISUI) is a next-generation spaceborne hyperspectral Earth imaging system. The objective of HISUI onboard the International Space Station (ISS) is to obtain the data necessary to begin a full-scale practical application development for hyperspectral remote sensing through manufacturing, and the inflight performance verification of a hyperspectral imager onboard ISS.

OsteoOmics: The crew performed BioCell Media Changeout in BioCell habitat S/N 3. Millions of Americans experience bone loss, which results from disease or the reduced effects of gravity that can occur in bed-ridden patients. OsteoOmics tests whether magnetic levitation accurately simulates the free-fall conditions of microgravity by comparing genetic expression osteoblastic cells, a type of bone cell, levitated in a high-field superconducting magnet with cells flown in low-Earth orbit. This information helps scientists determine the molecular and metabolic changes that take place in magnetic levitation and real microgravity.

MSL SCA-GEDS-German: Ground teams initiated heating commands to the MSL to initiate processing of a Sample Assemblies Cartridge (SCA) in the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) that was previously inserted by the crew on GMT 352 of 2019. Samples will return on SpX-20. Liquid phase sintering is an important means to fabricate net-shape composite materials for applications over a range of industries. The science of liquid phase sintering is about 50 years old, but practice dates from the 1400s when gold was used to bond platinum in Columbia and Ecuador. Today, it is a mainstay in a diversity of fields, such as metal cutting tools, armor piercing projectiles, automotive engine connecting rods, and self-lubricating bearings. Future applications include use of liquid phase sintering as a means to perform in-space fabrication and repair, and for example using lunar regolith to fabricate structures on the moon or using metal powder to fabricate replacement components during extraterrestrial exploration. The MSL SCA-GEDS-German (NASA Sample Cartridge Assembly-Gravitational Effects on Distortion in Sintering) experiment focuses on determining the underlying scientific principles to forecast density, size, shape, and properties for liquid phase sintered bodies over a broad range of compositions in Earth-gravity (1g) and microgravity (?g) conditions.

Systems

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT): The crew spent part of their afternoon participating in a robotics OBT self-study session in preparation for the SpX-20 Dragon arrival later this week. Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) sessions are designed to help the crew maintain their robotics training proficiency. The ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. Dragon launch is currently scheduled for March 7th at 10:49 CT. Capture and berthing is planned for the morning of March 9th, with an ISS/Dragon rendezvous time of ~6:00 am CT.

Completed Task List Activities:
None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
JEMAL Pressurization and Slide Table Extend/Retract
CUCU Checkout
Lab and Node 3 CDRA Operations
Node 2 PTCS Pre-Heat
EPS Max Power Testing
HRF-1 Operations Support
LSG and OsteoOmics Media Change Out Support
CHeCS Commanding/Data Downlink
STP-H6 File Transfer Commanding

Wednesday, 3/4 (GMT 064)
Payloads:
BFF test cassette Installs and Cleaning Syringe swaps and photo (NASA)
Standard Measures saliva, and fecal collects and Blood setup (NASA)
OsteoOmics Media Changeout (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)

Systems:
Robotic Workstation Setup
Hardware gather for Node 2 Nadir Vestibule Outfitting and Dragon Ingress
Dragon Cargo Operations Review
Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Termination
WHC Urine Valve Block R&R

Thursday, 3/5 (GMT 065)
Payloads:
FSL RUBI Swap Review (ESA)
BFF Test Cartridge removal (NASA)
Standard Measures Blood Collect (NASA)
OsteoOmics Media change out (NASA)
Transparent Alloy hardware setup (NASA)

Systems:
Red Eye: Stow items to clear space for the SpX-20 Red Eye Satellite Clamshell
Dragon Cargo Operations Conference
Dragon Offset Grapple OBT

Friday, 3/6 (GMT 066)
Payloads:
Fluid Science Lab- MultiScale Boiling Exp Container removal and stow (ESA)
FSL Soft Matter Dynamics H/W install (ESA)
CBEF Disinfection Condition chk for Space Moss (JAXA)
JEM Water Recovery (JWRS) cable connection (JAXA)
Food Physiology Briefing (NASA)
MELFI Icebrick installs (NASA)
Transparent Alloy Cartridge Install (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
OsteoOmics Media Changeout (NASA)

Systems:
Dragon Rendezvous Operations Review
Lab Robotics Workstation Camera Overlay Calibration
Dragon Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session 2

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

Reminder Standard Measures Cognition Testing
UF-ATMOSFERA. PL Deactivation
Standard Measures Body Sampling Survey
Standard Measures Body Sampling Collection
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Operations
Standard Measures Body Sampling Stow
32G SDHC Card installation for Mission Data Recorder troubleshooting
JEM Airlock Press
UF-ATMOSFERA. Closeout Ops.
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Tension Adjustment
JEM Airlock Leak Check
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Removal from the MPEP
PILOT-T Ops.
Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) Removal JEM Airlock Slide Table Support
Standard Measures Cognition Testing HRF PC1
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Retrieve IP (Internet Protocol) Concatenation Box from NG-13
LSG Work Volume Deploy
Robotics Onboard Training (ROBoT) Session for Dragon
Monthly maintenance of Wide-Band Comm System (???) MDM vent grilles and Lira Equipment Fan (???).
IP (Internet Protocol) Concatenation Box installation in COL
Standard Measures Sample Collection
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Operations
CARDIOVECTOR. CARDIOVECTOR Device Health Check.
OsteoOmics-2 Media Relocate
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
BioFabrication Facility Procedure Review1
Preparing for Troubleshooting FGB Power Supply System and ???? devices.
WHC UVB R&R PRE GATHER
Photo/TV CUCU HD Video Setup
COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Activation
Transparent Alloys Hardware Locate
Current converter fan (???) screen cleaning
Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Initiation
Emergency RS ISS VHF-1 Comm Checkout from USOS
IDENTIFIKATSIYA. Copy ???-? micro-accelerometer data to laptop
COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Crew Command Panel (CCP) Checkout & Stow
Photo/TV CUCU HD Video Deactivation
LSG Primary Crew Restraint Unfold
OsteoOmics-2 Media Change
Private Medical Conference (Ku + S-band)
LSG Primary Crew Restraint Fold
OsteoOmics-2 MELFI Sample Removal
HRF Generic Sample Collection