NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 30 May 2017 – New Crew Members and Dragon Arrival

The International Space Station is preparing this week for the departure of two Expedition 51 crew members and the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon.
Expedition 52 will begin Friday morning when two Expedition 51 crew members depart the station inside the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft. Cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and astronaut Thomas Pesquet will return to Earth and parachute to landing in Kazakhstan after a 196-day mission in space.

NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer along with cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin will continue their stay aboard the orbital complex. Whitson will hand over station command to Yurchikhin the day before the Expedition 51 crew leaves.

Dragon is due to launch Thursday at 5:55 p.m. EDT atop a Falcon 9 rocket for a three-day trip to the space station. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer will command the Canadarm2 to grapple Dragon when it arrives Sunday morning. Afterward, robotics controllers on the ground will remotely install Dragon to the Harmony module.

Dragon is hauling nearly 6,000 pounds of cargo to the station including new science payloads, crew supplies, vehicle hardware, spacewalk equipment and computer gear. Three new experiments are being delivered for installation on the station’s exterior. The external research gear will study flexible solar arrays, the physics of neutron stars and new ways to assist with navigation, agriculture, emergency response and petroleum exploration.

On-Orbit Status Report

Human Research Program (HRP): A 49S crewmember collected Return minus 15 days (R-15) blood and urine samples for Vascular Echo, Biochem Profile, and Marrow investigations as well as air samples for Marrow and ultrasound measurements for Vascular Echo.

The Vascular Echo investigation examines changes in blood vessels and the heart while crew members are in space, then follows their recovery when they return to Earth. The results could provide insight into potential countermeasures to help maintain crewmembers’ health. A new, powerful, relatively easy to use ultrasound system will be used that could provide new opportunities for experimentation aboard the ISS. In the field of telemedicine on Earth, such tele-operated scanners could result in progress in the medical management of persons in remote areas.
The Biochem Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results which scientists can use in their study of the effects of spaceflight on the body.
The Marrow investigation identifies the effect of microgravity on bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on blood cell production in bone marrow.
Group Combustion Module (GCM): The crew exchanged fuel supply syringes and reinstalled the Combustion Chamber back in MSPR Work Volume for continued GCM operations. The Group Combustion investigation tests combustion changes of fuel sprays as flames spread across a cloud of droplets. In the MSPR, fuels are arranged randomly on thin-fiber lattice points and the flame and droplet positions and temperature distribution are measured as the flame spreads. Microgravity blocks convection, which on Earth would quickly disperse the droplets and combustion products before such measurements could be made.

NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) #12: The crew brought the JEM (Japanese Experiment Module) Airlock (JEMAL) Slide Table (ST) into the JEM and remove the NRCSD #12 Quad Deployer from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP). This activity is in preparation for the installation of Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Deployer #7 (J-SSOD #7) installation on the ST planned for June 16, 2017.

Veg-03: The crew completed the final harvest of leaves for crew consumption from Chinese Cabbage growing in the Veggie facility. They also placed VEG-03 plant samples, swabs, and water syringes into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return to the ground and cleaned the Veggie facility. The goal of Veg-03 is to further demonstrate the proof of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and planting pillows. Future long-duration missions into the solar system will require a fresh food supply to supplement crew diets, which entails growing crops in space. Previous investigations focused on improving productivity in controlled environments but the limited quarters of the space shuttle and ISS made it difficult to conduct large-scale crop production tests. Veg-03 expands on previous validation tests of the Veggie hardware to grow cabbage, lettuce and other fresh vegetables. Tests determine which types of microorganisms are present in space-grown cabbage, providing baseline data for future crop-growing efforts. Behavioral health surveys assess the impact of growing plants on crew morale and mood.

On-Board Training (OBT) Health Maintenance System (HMS): FE-2 performed refresher training for the HMS which is a subsystem of Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) that monitors crew health, responds to crew illness and/or injury, and provides preventive health care. These lessons provide a refresher course and cover some of the equipment and procedures that are taught in the Crew Medical Officer (CMO) classes.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Saliva Collection
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval Insertion Operations
HRF Generic Urine Collection
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion Operations
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Double Spin Collection
Checking the Results of Antivirus Scanning on Auxiliary Computer System [???] Laptops and Report to MCC
Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On
HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Double Spin Configuration 2
Transfer from CWC-I into EDV
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
NanoRacks Module 52 Troubleshooting Placeholder
Video Recording of Greetings
HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
Meteor Shutter Open
JPM Fwd Window Shutter Open
Transfer from CWC-I into EDV
EHS TOCA Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Conclude Stow
Crew Medical Officer (CMO) On Board Training (OBT)
R&R of Three Light Units in ??1-7 in MRM1
Soyuz 733 GoPro HERO3 (6 ea.) Charging
HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow
Air Samples Collection with [??-1?] Sampler in the SM and FGB
Vascular Echo Resting Ultrasound Scan 135 Minutes – Subject
Glacier Express Rack Remove
Air Samples Collection for Ammonia with [???] Sampler in the SM
LBNP Training
EXPRESS Rack 6 Locker Removal
ISS Locker Config
MAMS Data Port Swap
MSPR Group Combustion Module (GCM) Component Activation
Prep Time for Return to Earth
Change of Display Settings on RSE-Med and RSE-2 Laptops
RFID Logistics Reader
Vascular Echo CDL Holter Arterial BP Measurement – Subject
CALCIUM. Photography of Bioekologiya Cases, Photographs Processing and Downlink, Preparation for Return to Earth
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Combustion Chamber (CC) Valve 2 Operation
Soyuz 733 GoPro HERO3 (6 ea.) Charging (end)
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Combustion Chamber (CC) GN2 Exhaust part 1 in Leak Permissible experiment
RGN Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config Columbus Setup
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – OCT Exam
EDV (KOV) Filling (Degassing) for Elektron or EDV-SV
Packing of Items for Disposal in Soyuz 733
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Stow
JEM Airlock Press
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Combustion Chamber (CC) GN2 Exhaust part 2 in Leak Permissible experiment
Vascular Echo Exercise PDOP Measurement – Subject
JEM Airlock Leak Check
MAMS Cable Swap
Photo/TV. Checking Camcorder Settings
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Removal from the MPEP
VZAIMODEISTVIYE-2. Experiment Session
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Station Support Computer (SSC) 18 Power On
JPM Window Shutter Close
ZBook Client Transition Conference
Monitoring ??-1 Sensors Installation
Health Maintenance System (HMS) CMO – Fundoscope
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exam – Fundoscope
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope Tear Down and Stow

Completed Task List Items
Veggie 03 Pillow Watering and Photo
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Auto cycle Initiate
Dragon Prepack

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
JEMAL CubeSat Deployer Removal Support

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 05/31: Emergency Roles & Responsibilities review, Rodent Research gather, BEAM ingress, Stem Cell hardware setup
Thursday, 06/01: SpX-11 launch, Rodent Research hardware gather/habitat setup, Change of Command
Friday, 06/02: 49S undock/landing, OBT Dragon vehicle ops, Zbook deploy

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – Off
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 – Standby
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Stop
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off