NASA Space Station Status Report 29 March, 2022 – Change of Command

Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov’s handed over of the space station to NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn earlier today during a change of command ceremony.
Mark Vande Hei, along with Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, will close the hatch to the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft to begin the journey back to Earth later tonight. The Soyuz will undock from the Rassvet module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing Wednesday, March 30, on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan.

Coverage of the crew’s farewells, undocking, and landing will air live on NASA TV, the agency’s website, and the NASA app at the following times (all EDT):

11:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29 – Farewells and hatch closure (at 12 a.m., Wednesday, March 30)
2:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 30 – Undocking (at 3:21 a.m.)
6:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 30 – Deorbit burn and landing (landing at 7:28 a.m. / 5:28 p.m. Kazakhstan time)

Vande Hei and Dubrov launched April 9, 2021, on Soyuz MS-18, and will wrap up a 355-day mission spanning 5,680 orbits of Earth and more than 150 million miles. During the long-duration mission, Vande Hei broke the record for longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, previously held at 340 days. Vande Hei will wrap up his second spaceflight with a total of 523 days in space. Shkaplerov launched on Soyuz MS-19 on Oct. 5, 2021. This was Dubrov’s first flight. Shkaplerov is ending his fourth mission with 708 cumulative days spent in space.

At the time of undocking, Expedition 67 will formally begin aboard the station, with new station Commander Tom Marshburn, NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov.

After landing, the Soyuz MS-19 crew will split up, as per standard crew return practice, with Vande Hei returning to his home in Houston, while the cosmonauts fly back to their training base in Star City, Russia.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Gravitational References for Sensimotor Performance (GRASP): The first of three GRASP sessions in the seated configuration were performed by ISS crew. The purpose of the GRASP investigation is to better understand how the central nervous system (CNS) integrates information from different sensations (e.g. sight or hearing), encoded in different reference frames, in order to coordinate the hand with the visual environment. More specifically, the science team seeks to better understand if, and how, gravity acts as a reference frame for the control of reach-to-grasp.

Plant Habitat-05: Harvested samples were transferred into a Box Module within MELFI cold stowage. Unlocking the Cotton Genome to Precision Genetics (Plant Habitat-05) cultivates several cotton genotypes that differ in their ability to regenerate into whole plants from undifferentiated masses of cells known as a calli. Cotton is highly resistant to the process of plant regeneration, making it difficult to engineer stable, reproductive plants that have specific or enhanced traits such as drought resistance. The investigation could provide a better understanding of this behavior and a pathway to avert this problem.

Universal Intelligent Glass Optics (UNIGLO): The fiber optic cable spool and preform sample were exchanged and the ground initiated a run. UNIGLO tests the effects of microgravity on a glass optics module capable of processing various types of complex glasses. The module uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help adapt materials processing techniques to the microgravity environment and a sensor based on laser-Doppler interferometry to measure the effects of microgravity on processing complex glasses for a variety of applications in space and on Earth.

Veggie Monitoring: Photo documentation was captured of Surface Sampling. Culture-based Environmental Monitoring of Crop-based Space Food Systems (Veggie Monitoring) collects microbial samples from the surface of the station’s Veggie plant production system in conjunction with quarterly Environmental Health System (EHS) sample collection. Longer exploration missions require space-based systems for growth of plants, and this investigation is expected to help establish requirements to protect these systems, plants, and crew from contamination.

Systems:

65S Departure Preparations: Activities were performed to prepare for the departure of the 65S crew, beginning with transfer operations to prepack US items into Soyuz and crew departure preparations activities. The 65 Soyuz is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Wednesday, March 30th at approximately 11:30AM CT.

Regenerative ECLSS Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: Today, the crew set up the recycle tank to drain via the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Fill Drain Valve into a Brine EDV using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Following the setup, the ground performed the tank drain using the UTS. Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, repositioned the fill/drain valve to force fill the recycle tank using UTS, and configured for nominal processing operations. The crew also swapped the EDV in the offload EDV spot of the UTS.

EHS Microbial Air and Surface Sampling: Samples for microbial analysis were taken from the ISS air and surfaces using the Surface Sample Kit (SSK) and Microbial Air Sampler (MAS). These samples will be incubated on media slides and in Petri dishes, giving medical personnel a gauge of microbial growth in the air and on surfaces of the ISS. The EHS monitors the atmosphere for gaseous contaminants from nonmetallic materials off-gassing, combustion products, and propellants, microbial contaminants from crew members and Station activities, water quality, acoustics, and radiation levels.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator Remove and Replace (R&R): Due to several check separator errors and slow startups, the WHC Pump Separator was R&Red. The WHC is a Russian-built system that has been modified to fit within a standard USOS rack. The Pump Separator uses centrifugal force to separate the air and liquid mixture that is drawn into the separator downstream from the Urine Receptacle. The Check Separator light is announced if a separator is flooded, dry, or times out.

External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) Network Control Unit (NCU) R&R: As a corrective action for degraded NCU performance, an NCU R&R was performed in the Lab. The EWIS utilizes spread spectrum RF transmissions to transmit and receive ISS structural acceleration data and commands. The NCU sends data collection commands to various Remote Sensor Units (RSUs) and downloads the collected data from the RSUs to store on the JSL servers.

Completed Task List Activities:

None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

EPS Solar Array Maximum Output Test
Look Ahead Plan

Wednesday, March 30 (GMT 89)
Payloads:

BioLab Isolation filter exchange (ESA)
CALLIOPEO photos and setup (ESA)
FLUIDICS HDD disconnect (ESA)
Food Physiology Fecal processing and MELFI insert (NASA)
GRASP Free sessions (ESA)
JEM microscope cover set and PLT5 closeout (JAXA)
Plant Hab-05 facility clean and flush (NASA)
RETINA session (ESA)
TangoLab CubeSat KENT_SAT01 checkout
VEGGIE Monitoring surface sample collect photos (NASA)
Systems:

EHS PWD Sample Collect/TOCA PWD Sample Analysis
EHS Coliform Water Processing
Crew Departure Prep
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record/Analysis
65S Farewell
65S Undock
EHS Bose Headset Stow
EVA LCVG Packing
EMU Water Sample
EMU Loop Scrub
ACS Nitrogen Manual Valve Open
JEM Common Gas Support Equipment Gas Supply Stop
Review Toilet System BPW for Phase 2 Ops
UTS Backup EDV Swap
WHC to Internal
Toilet System Activation and Checkout
EMU Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination
EMU Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration
Node 3 Toilet Leak Inspection
Toilet Stall Outfitting
PAM Tablet Deploy/Reconnect
EVA Airlock Restow
Thursday, March 31 (GMT 90)
Payloads:

CAL MTL Jumper Lk Check (NASA)
GRASP Stow (ESA)
IGO Sample Exchange (NASA)
ISS HAM COL Powerup (NASA)
Standard Measures Saliva Collect (NASA)
TangoLab 2 Cardcube Replace (NASA)
Systems:

Toilet Acoustic Survey
EVA Airlock Restow
Node 2 Cleanout
Toilet Acoustic Cover Install
SSC Power Chain Build
Crew Handover Conference
EHS – Coliform Water Sample Analysis
SpX-Crew Dragon Review CBT
IMS Conference
COL SSC Relocate
Crew SSC Relocate
METOX Regeneration Initiation
T2 Daily Inspection
Friday, April 1 (GMT 91)
Payloads:

Air Particulate Monitor Status Chk (NASA)
IGO Sample Exchange and GN2 Valve Close (NASA)
Standard Measures Saliva Collect (NASA)
Systems:

Emergency Equipment Gather
Toilet System Pretreat Dose Check
WHC Manual Fill
SODF EMER-1a Update
OBT Dragon Rendezvous Review/Conference
SSC 19 and 22 Swap
T2 Daily Inspection
EVA METOX Initiate & Terminate
Toilet Daily Questionnaire
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Urine Collection Male
JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS) MELFI Item Trash
Veggie Monitoring Reference Material Review
Transfer Operations – Prepack of US items to be loaded into Soyuz
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Surface Sample Kit (SSK) Collection/Incubation
Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 2 Power On
Treadmill 2 Daily Inspection
Food Physiology Fecal Reference Material Review And Sample Collection Hardware Setup
Veggie Monitoring Surface Sample Collection Historical Documentation Photography
Food Physiology Maintenance Work Area Preparation
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
Food Physiology Fecal Sample Processing Hardware Setup
Food Physiology Fecal Sample Collection
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan performed by a Crew Medical Officer (CMO)
Emergency Chip Measurement System (CMS) Hardware Swap
Food Physiology MELFI Sample Insertion 1
Food Physiology Fecal Sample Collection Hardware Stow
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Post Exam
Boot European IP Communication Laptop from alternate HDD
Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap
HRF Post Flight Overview
Waste and Hygiene Compartment to External/Internal
Internal Audio Subsystem (IAS) Crew Quarter (CQ) Audio Cable Configuration
Change of Command (Ku-Band)
Polar to Polar Sample Transfer
GRASP science performance in seated position
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) Kit Sample Collection
Intelligent Glass Optics Sample Exchange
MELFI2 Icebrick Transfer/Gather
Plant Habitat-05 MELFI Insertion
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator R&R
MELFI 2 Ice Brick Insert 1
EWIS NCU (External Wireless Instrumentation System Network Control Unit) Replacement