NASA Space Station Status Report 11 August, 2022 – Healing Wounds

Healing wounds in space and growing crops in low-Earth orbit and beyond were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Expedition 67 crew is also packing a U.S. cargo craft and preparing for a Russian spacewalk next week.

Two-time space station resident Kjell Lindgren of NASA set up hardware during the morning inside the Life Science Glovebox for a biology experiment studying how skin heals in weightlessness. He was joined in the afternoon by fellow astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, both from NASA, and Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) for an experiment procedures review and a conference with the payload developer on the ground. Observations may provide insights improving wound healing techniques for astronauts and Earthlings.

Hines and Watkins began their day drawing their blood samples, spinning them in a centrifuge, then stowing them in a science freezer for later analysis. Hines then inspected seeds and recirculated fluids for the XROOTS botany study growing mizuna greens and radishes to explore agricultural techniques in space. Watkins later worked on orbital plumbing duties inside the Unity module.

Cristoforetti began her day servicing research gear as she downloaded Acoustic Monitor data to a laptop computer then swapped components on a fluorescence imaging microscope. At the end of the day, she continued stowing cargo inside the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship readying it for its return to Earth later this month.

Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev are gearing up for another spacewalk on Aug. 17 to prepare the European robotic arm (ERA) for operations on the station’s Russian segment. The duo has been readying their Russian Orlan spacesuits, spacewalking tools, and the Poisk module’s airlock for next week’s planned six-and-half-hour spacewalk. Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov, who will assist the spacewalkers next week, is also configuring the ERA for the upcoming excursion, which would be this year’s seventh spacewalk.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Cold Atom Lab (CAL): The crew used a Grab Sample Container (GSC) to sample the air around the Cold Atom Lab location. The GSC will be returned to the ground for analysis of the sample. The CAL produces clouds of atoms chilled to about one ten billionth of a degree above absolute zero — much colder than the average temperature of deep space. At these low temperatures, atoms have almost no motion, allowing scientists to study fundamental behaviors and quantum characteristics that are difficult or impossible to probe at higher temperatures. In microgravity, researchers may be able to achieve even colder temperatures than what is possible on the ground, and observe these cold atom clouds for longer periods of time.

ESA Biofilms-2: The ESA Biofilms-2 samples were transferred to MERLIN-4 in preparation for return to the ground. In the Kubik experiment Biofilms-2, three bacteria species (A. radioresistens, Staphylococcus sp. and C. metallidurans) are grown on metal surfaces in a liquid environment at three different gravity levels. The scientific objective is to investigate which metal (stainless steel, copper, and brass), and which metal surface treatment (polished and two different LASER-structured), offers the best anti-bacterial properties on ground, on-orbit and on Mars.

Repository: Urine and blood samples were gathered in support of the Repository investigation. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Biological Specimen Repository (Repository) is a storage bank used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. This repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes, adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions. Samples from ISS, including blood and urine, are collected, processed, and archived during the preflight, in-flight and postflight phases of ISS missions. This investigation archives biosamples for use as a resource for future space flight related research.

XROOTS (eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System): Following the start of the third planting early this week, today the crew performed fluid management, nutrient solution refilling, and seed cartridge wick opening. The wick opening allows the seeds to be assessed for germination and gives them more room to grow during the 30-day growth cycle. The XROOTS investigation uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media.  Video and still images enable evaluation of multiple independent growth chambers for the entire plant life cycle from seed germination through maturity. Results could identify suitable methods to produce crops on a larger scale for future space missions.

Systems:

Water Recovery System Contingency Water Container-Iodine (CWC-I) Fill: The crew transferred water from the Potable Bus into a CWC-I using the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD). Water Process Assembly (WPA) was configured to isolate the Potable Bus upon reaching a target offload. Crew monitors the offload time as a secondary control to protect the CWC-I from over pressurization. Once the crew finished filling the CWC-I, the equipment was torn down and stowed.

On-orbit Hearing Assessment (OOHA): Today, the crew performed an auditory test using the OOHA headset and KUDUwave software. The assessment measures hearing function while crewmembers are exposed to noise and microgravity during long-duration spaceflight.

PrK ISS Wireless Instrumentation System (IWIS) Cable Swap: The USOS and Russian crew swapped two of the cables for the IWIS strain gauges installed in PrK. Strain gauges are permanently attached to the PrK pressure shell and an IWIS RSU (Remote Sensor Unit). Strain data is occasionally collected in addition to the standard acceleration data from triaxial accelerometers.

Transfer Dragon Cargo Operations: The crew continued cargo operations by packing cargo into Cargo Dragon in preparation for SpX-25 undock on Thursday, August 18^th.

Completed Task List Activities:

• None

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

• PRO LSG Facility Activation and Deactivation Commanding
• HRF Rack 2 Rack Power Down Commanding
• Water Recovery System CWC-Iodine Fill Support

Look Ahead Plan

Friday, August 12 (GMT 224)
Payloads:

• Butterfly IQ USND
• Cold Stowage DCB Gather
• ELT2 Cable Connect
• Iceberg Drawer T/S
• HRP/Repository
• J-SSOD-22 Satellite Deploy
• LSG Ops
• Lumina Data Transfer
• POLAR Transfers
• Thermal Amine Scrubber
• XROOTS Plant Photos

Systems:

• T2 SSC Adapter Connection
• Transfer Crew Dragon Cargo Operations
• JEM WIS Environmental Monitor RSU Battery R&R

Saturday, August 13 (GMT 225)
Payloads:

• No utilization activities

Systems:

• Transfer Crew Dragon Cargo Operations

Sunday, August 14 (GMT 226)
Payloads:

• Immunosenescence Gather
• LSG Ops
• PAUL Ops
• MERLIN Remove/Transfer
• PAUL Ops
• POLAR Ops
• XROOTS

Systems:

• Cargo Dragon Mid/Center Closeout

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

• Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer
• Astrobee Off
• COL Payload Laptop EPM VM Activation, Login and Deactivation
• Cold Atom Lab Grab Sample Container Sampling Ops
• ESA Crew Conference with two way Audio and video
• Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE
• Handover of RS iPads and USB to GigE Adapter
• HRF Generic HRF Operations
• In-Flight Maintenance PrK IWIS RSU Cable Swap
• LSG Primary Crew Restraint Fold/Unfold
• LSG UV-C Decontamination System Remove
• LSG Work Volume Deploy/Stow
• MERLIN to MERLIN Sample Transfer
• MSPR Laptop Cable Connection
• On-orbit Hearing Assessment (OOHA) with Kuduwave Software Setup and Test
• [deferred] PL Cntl Box (PLCB) Cable Connection
• [deferred] PL Cntl Box (PLCB) HDD Replacement
• Plant Habitat Facility Drain and Desiccant Insert
• Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in JEM
• Ring-Sheared Drop Cable Check
• Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record
• Transfer Crew Dragon Cargo Operations
• Water Recovery System CWC-Iodine Fill Operations
• XROOTS SEED CARTRIDGE INSPECTION AND WICK OPEN
• XROOTS Water Refill &  Nutrient Solution Fill