NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 September 2018 – Preparing for Future Spacewalks

September is gearing up to be a very busy month aboard the International Space Station.
The six Expedition 56 crew members are headlong in the first week of the month switching roles and juggling a wide variety of critical tasks.

Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold of NASA has been swapping roles today as space scientist and spacewalker. The educator-astronaut sequenced RNA today from microbes swabbed from inside the orbital lab’s surfaces. The research is helping scientists understand how life adapts to microgravity providing insights to improve crew health.

Arnold then joined his fellow crew mates, Commander Drew Feustel of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA, at the end of the day for a review of two spacewalks scheduled for Sept. 20 and 26. The trio reviewed robotics maneuvers and other tasks required for the external battery maintenance work on the Port 4 truss structure at the end of the month.

Feustel also trained for his role as the prime robotics controller when he captures JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-7 cargo craft with the Canadarm2 robotic arm on Sept. 14. JAXA’s seventh resupply ship to visit the space station is due to launch Monday at 6:32 p.m. EDT.

From inside the cupola, Feustel will command the Canadarm2 to reach out and grapple the HTV-7 as Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor backs him up next Friday at 7:40 a.m. Gerst and Auñón-Chancellor both joined Feustel for the robotics training today during their afternoon.

On-Orbit Status Report

Airway Monitoring: Today the crew continued the preparatory activities for the GMT 250 Airway Monitoring US Airlock Session. These activities included setting up the camera and hardware required for Airway Monitoring in the US Airlock. The Airway Monitoring investigation aims to determine in detail the pulmonary nitric oxide turnover in weightlessness and in combined weightless, hypobaric and hypoxic environments. It also has a goal of determining the lung diffusion capacity for nitric oxide. With dust particles present in the ISS atmosphere, this investigation studies the occurrence and indicators of airway inflammation in crewmembers, using ultra-sensitive gas analyzers to analyze exhaled air. This will help to identify health impacts and support maintenance of crewmember well-being on future human spaceflight missions, such as to the Moon and Mars, where crewmembers will have to be more self-sufficient in identifying and avoiding such conditions.

BEST: Today the crew prepared the RNA sample and began a 48-hour sequencing run. This was an experiment number three run which uses high quality RNA prepared on the ground and flown on OA-9. This allows direct comparison of data from ISS and the ground. The BEST investigation studies the use of sequencing for identification of unknown microbial organisms living on the ISS, and how humans, plants and microbes adapt to living on the ISS.

Rodent Research-7 Habitat Camera Clean: In today’s activity, the crew performed a camera cleaning for both habitats. The RR-7 investigation examines how the space environment affects the community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of mice (also known as the microbiota). It also looks at microgravity’s effects on multiple physiological systems known to be affected by the microbiota, including the gastrointestinal, immune, metabolic, circadian, and sleep systems. These studies should help explain mechanisms underlying interactions between these systems and the role of the microbiota in these interactions.

High Definition TV-Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Exposed Facility-2 (HDTV-EF2) R&R: Today the crew removed the degraded JEM EF HDTV Camera Unit from the Exposed Facility Unit (EFU) Adapter. A new, replacement camera was subsequently installed on the EFU Adapter in preparation for tomorrow’s JEM Airlock depressurization and Monday’s installation of the HDTV unit. The HDTV-EF2 is a high-definition television camera system, which is used for Earth observation from the International Space Station.

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)-7 Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session and Self Study: The crew tasked with capturing HTV-7 performed On-Board Training (OBT) today via self-study and by using the Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT). ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. Today’s runs allowed the crew to practice a 30-meter approach and two Capture Point (CP) hold runs. After the training session, the crew had a conference with ground specialists where they discussed any final questions or comments related to capture and berthing operations.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: In preparation for the upcoming HTV-7 Battery R&R EVAs, the crew used computer-aided simulations to review EVA procedures via Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) and the Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT). In addition to this training, the crew also reviewed procedures associated with the Extravehicular Activity Mobility Unit (EMU) Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) and completed some additional EVA tool configuration. The first EVA in the pair is scheduled for 20 September while the second planned EVA is scheduled on 26 September.

Public Affairs (PAO) Events: This morning Gerst participated in an European Space Agency (ESA) educational event with Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, during an Awards Ceremony for the “Jugend forscht” (“Youth research”) science contest. Topics discussed include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, experiments being performed on ISS, and how we can protect our planet in the years to come.

Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Operations: Last night, the Robotics Ground Controllers (ROBO) completed the first day of an external video survey of the Columbus module. The European Space Agency (ESA) requested the two-day optical impact survey of the outer surface of the Columbus module with emphasis on the forward-and zenith-facing areas. This status check will verify the status of the Columbus meteoroid and debris protection system (MDPS) and obtain information on the space debris and meteoroid environment of the ISS. MSS performance was nominal. Tonight ROBO will relocate SPDM and the SSRMS will be walked off from MBS1 to Node 2 and positioned for Friday’s HTV offset grapple session.

Completed Task List Activities:
None

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

JEMAL Pressurization and leak check
Solar Array Voltage Maximum Power Test
SSRMS Ops: SPDM relocate, SSRMS Walkoff [Planned overnight]
SSC 2, 12, 16 and BEAM clients Nacho service pack deploy [Planned to be completed overnight]

Two-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 09/07:

Payloads
Airway Monitoring US Airlock session
MSG Setup for Rodent Research-7 Session 2

Systems
HTV Prep: Offset Grapple Training
EVA Prep: Initiate Long Life Battery (LLB) charging
Ultrasound Eye Exams
JEM Airlock Depress and Vent

Saturday, 09/08: PAO Event (German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier), Weekly Housekeeping, Crew Off-Duty

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

Foam removal from COL1A1
JEM Airlock Pressurization
Camcorder setup to capture БД-2 exercise. Video record from the starboard CQ side
Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
Progress 439 (DC1) Rodnik H2O Tank 1 bladder compression
БД-2 Treadmill Test
JEM Airlock Leak Check
Extravehicular Activity Mobility Unit (EMU) Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) On-Board Training
XF305 Camcorder Setup
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
ZBook Client Swap (BEAM – NOD3)
JEM Exposed Facility High Definition TV Camera R&R
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus
Removal of Video Equipment Used to capture БД-2 Exercise and Downlink the file
Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology (BEST) MWA Preparation
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Training Review
Repairs of SM Interior Panel to Install overlay sheets, day 1 (panel 134).
СОЖ maintenance
Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology (BEST) MELFI Sample Retrieve
Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology (BEST) Experiment 3 RNA Run
Repairs of SM Interior Panel to Install overlay sheets, day 1 (panel 134).
Photo TV Airway Monitor A/L Video Setup
AIRMON Setup
JEM Regenerative Heat Exchanger (RHX) Water Wipe
IMS Update
Reboot AstroPi Vis and LimeSDR of the MarconISSta setup
On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (O-OHA) with EarQ Software Setup and Test
Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Cargo Water Container – Iodinated Degas
MCC-H Teardown SSC 1 and SSC 3 cable connection with BRI (after Nacho SW installation)
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
VOZDUKH System Vacuum header check – hardware audit.
Microgravity Science Glovebox Activation
AIRMON Power Off
BCAT Camera Activity
On-board Training (OBT) HTV Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session 1
Rodent Research LAB SD Camcorder Video Setup
Rodent Research Habitat Camera Clean
Symbolic Activity (preparation)
VOZDUKH vacuum header and absorption cartridges temperatures monitoring.
Food Acceptability Questionnaire
ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain Init
URAGAN. Observation and Photography using VSS
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey Subject
Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain Termination
Nacho Load Prep
Treadmill 2 System (T2) Monthly Inspection
Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review
Airways Monitoring Crew Medical Officer Briefing