NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 7 September 2018 – Japanese Resupply Mission Set for Monday

Japan’s seventh cargo mission (HTV-7) to the International Space Station is in the final stages of preparation for launch on Monday at 7:32 p.m. EDT.
Mission controllers are monitoring the weather at the Tanegashima Space Center launch site while the Expedition 56 crew is preparing for its arrival early Friday.

JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-7 is delivering a wide variety of science gear to support new research aboard the orbital lab. The new facilities will enable astronauts to observe physical processes at high temperatures, protein crystal growth and genetic alterations as well as a variety of other important space phenomena.

HTV-7, also known as Kounotori, is also carrying six new lithium-ion batteries that robotics controllers will remove then install on the station’s port 4 truss structure. Astronauts Alexander Gerst, Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold will complete the battery maintenance work over two spacewalks set for Sept. 20 and 26.

Feustel will lead the effort to capture Kounotori when he commands the Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach out and grapple it Friday at 7:40 a.m. He trained today with Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who will back him up in the Cupola, practicing capture techniques on a computer.

All six crew members got together at the end of the day for more eye checks. The sextet from the U.S., Russia and Germany used an ultrasound device, with assistance from doctors on the ground, and scanned each other’s eyes.

On-Orbit Status Report

Airway Monitoring: Today the crew performed the Airway Monitoring US Airlock Session. The science session consists of two different protocols that are performed at both ambient, and reduced (10.2 psi) pressure in the US airlock. These protocols are the low Nitric Oxide (NO) protocol that determines how much NO is exhaled with the respiration, and the high NO protocol which determines how much NO is diffused into the blood. The Airway Monitoring investigation aims to determine in detail the pulmonary nitric oxide turnover in weightlessness and in combined weightless, hypobaric and hypoxic environments as well as 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.

Rodent Research-7 item gather and Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) setup: In today’s activity, the crew performed setup activities in preparation for next week’s science session. These setup activities consisted of the installation of life science filters, floor covering, Velcro strips, mounting brackets, etc. into the MSG. 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.

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Offset Grapple On-Board-Training (OBT) and Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS this morning in support of today’s HTV-7 Offset Grapple training session. During this OBT, the crew maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) for training/familiarization and practiced grappling a Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) in preparation for HTV-7 capture. To provide more realistic training, the Robotics Ground Controllers also simulated an SSRMS failure requiring the crew to practice their emergency procedures. Later tonight, flight controllers will perform MSS diagnostics and checkouts on both the Prime and Redundant SSRMS strings. HTV-7 capture is currently scheduled on Friday, 14 September.

Eye Exams: Today the crew completed Ultrasound eye exams that were deferred from last Thursday due to the anomalous leak in Soyuz 55S. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health as eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Li-Ion Battery Data Logging: Today the crew initiated a charging Autocycle of two EMU Long Life Batteries-2 (LLB-2s) with data logging. Over the course of three days, the Autocycle will capture battery health data and help ground experts understand the charge and discharge capacities of these new and improved LLB-2 batteries. The data will also be used to compare charging system performance between the on-orbit and ground based systems.

Completed Task List Activities:
None

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
JEMAL Depressurization
MSS Power-up and Offset Grapple OBT Support

Two-Day Look Ahead:

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

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

Handover Velocicalc for temporary use on Russian Segment.
ALGOMETRIYA measurement session.
Airway Monitoring Preparation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Rodent Research 7 Mass Measurement Restock Procedure Review
Recharging Soyuz 739 Samsung PC Battery
ISS Crew and ГОГУ (RSA Flight Control Team) Weekly Conference (S-band)
Wireless Compose SD Card Data Deletion
Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup
Measuring air flow in SM using Velocicalc anemometer.
LIOH and PFA Setup
Repairs to SM Interior Panel by installing overlay sheets, day 2.
SREDA-ISS. Charging NIKON Still Camera Battery
Rodent Research Gather
Airway Monitoring – Low NO measurement at low pressure
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Rodent Research LAB SD Camcorder Video Setup
MSG Hardware Setup for RR Mass Measurements
ALGOMETRIYA Pressure Algometry Measurement Ops
On-board Training (OBT) HTV Offset Grapple
Retrieve Velocicalc from Russian Segment and restow.
Joint Station Local Area Network (LAN) (JSL) Network Information for JSL Administration (NINJA) Print
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey Subject
URAGAN. Observation and Photography using VSS
СОЖ Maintenance
JEM Airlock Vent
Health Maintenance System (HMS). Ultrasound Eye Imaging
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Initiate
ALGOMETRIYA Closeout Ops