NASA Space Station Status Report 30 June, 2022 – Exploring Artificial Intelligence

The Expedition 67 crew members tended to plants and explored artificial intelligence aboard the International Space Station today.
The four astronauts and three cosmonauts also split their day configuring a U.S. airlock and investigating how microgravity affects the human body.

NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines worked in the Columbus laboratory module on Thursday afternoon processing radish seeds germinating for the XROOTS space botany study. The investigation uses soilless techniques, such as hydroponics and aeroponics, to nourish and grow plants for producing crops on a larger scale for future space missions.

Hines also joined NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins configuring the NanoRacks Bishop airlock for its first trash disposal task this weekend. The trio prepared the airlock for its depressurization and closed its hatch in the Tranquility module after packing a trash container in Bishop on Wednesday. The container will be jettisoned outside Bishop towards Earth’s atmosphere for a fiery, but safe disposal on Saturday.

Today, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti set up the Microgravity Science Glovebox and serviced components for the Intelligent Glass Optics space physics study. The advanced experiment uses artificial intelligence to adapt Earth-bound manufacturing techniques for the space environment. Results may improve Earth- and space-based technologies such as communications, aerospace, and medicine.

The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts participated in a series of human research experiments today. Commander Oleg Artemyev attached sensors to himself to collect data about his cardiac activity while working in weightlessness. Flight Engineers Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov collected their blood and saliva samples for analysis to understand how the stresses of spaceflight, including radiation exposure and changes in sleep patterns, affect the human immune system.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Actiwatch: The actiwatches were doffed, connected to a USB hub for charging and data management, and then returned to the appropriate crewmembers for donning. The Actiwatch is a waterproof, non-intrusive, sleep-wake activity monitor worn on the wrist of a crewmember and contains a miniature uniaxial accelerometer that produces a signal as the subject moves. The data is stored in non-volatile memory within the Actiwatch until downloaded for analysis.

Dose Distribution Inside the ISS – 3D (DOSIS-3D): The crew performed a routine check of the LEDs on the DOSIS-3D main box. ISS crewmembers are continually exposed to varying levels of radiation which can be harmful to their health. DOSIS-3D uses several active and passive detectors to determine the radiation doses inside the ISS. The goal is to develop a three-dimensional radiation map covering all sections of the ISS.

eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS): A manual fluid recovery and wick opening were performed in support of the second planting in XROOTS. The wick opening allows the seeds to be assessed for germination and gives them more room to grow. Over the next several weeks, the crew will observe and assist with the seed germination and growout of the plants. 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.

Universal Intelligent Glass Optics (UNIGLO): The crew performed a series of steps on six of the original ten sample preforms to recover the ability to pull fiber from them. The preform is a cylindrical rod of raw material from which the fiber is pulled as it’s passed through a ring-shaped furnace. 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.

Wireless Compose-2 (WiCo-2): The crew participated in a Ballistocardiography session while wearing the SmartTex-2 shirt. Ballistocardiography looks at body motion related to the pumping of blood by the heart. A questionnaire was also filled out to give feedback on the session. The main scientific goal of the WiCo-2 investigation is to provide a flexible and adaptable wireless network infrastructure to conduct and execute low-power, low-weight, and wireless experiments on the ISS. For this demonstration, WiCo-2 operates several experiments, including an experiment to examine the impact of the space environment on the cardiovascular system. Additionally, WiCo-2 demonstrates newly developed impulse radio ultra-wide-band (IR-UWB) hardware to enable precise localization applications and to analyze the energy harvesting potential on the ISS.

Systems:

NanoRacks Bishop Airlock (NRAL) Trash Deploy Preparations: Today in preparation for the planned NRAL Trash Deploy planned on Saturday, Crew configured the Node 3 Port (N3P) vestibule for NRAL demate and closed the N3P Hatch. Ground controllers depressurized NRAL and began a 40 hour thermal stabilization period. NRAL is the first-ever commercially owned and operated airlock on the ISS. It provides a variety of capabilities including jettisoning of payloads such as CubeSats, deployment of external payloads, support for small exterior payloads and locker-sized internal payloads, recovery of external on-orbit replaceable units (ORUs), and the ability to move hardware outside in support of extravehicular activities (EVAs) and remove trash from station. It is approximately five times larger than the JEM Airlock so it can accommodate more and larger payloads. NRAL’s capabilities support many different types of scientific investigations.

Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPs) Inspection: Today, the crew completed a PEPs inspection to determine if PEPs are in a good operational condition. The crew inspected various emergency provisions such as the Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFEs), Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBAs), and Extension Hose Tee Kits (EHTKs) at multiple locations throughout the space station. The crew spent several minutes on each item to verify suitability and identify any missing parts or visible damage.

Completed Task List Activities:

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

Dedicated Thruster Fire (DTF) Support
Node 3 Port Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Prep for Demate for NRAL Trash Deploy
NRAL Depressurization Setup Support
JEM Airlock Depressurization and vent
Look Ahead Plan

Friday, July 1 (GMT 182)
Payloads:

BCM ROBoT
CAL Jumper check
CEO payload ops
CIR/SoFIE hardware config
ESA EPO ops
FSL/SMD sample cell inspection
MVP hardware wanted poster
SCEM gas bottle exchange and valve configuration
WORF laptop CLS 14 software load
Systems:

Node 1 and Node 2 Cable Management
1B SAW Blanket Survey
Station Reorganization
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) Launch Enclosure (SLE) Return Preparation
Treadmill 2 System (T2) Monthly Inspection
Saturday, July 2 (GMT 183)
Payloads:

No utilization activities
Systems:

Off Duty Day
Sunday, July 3 (GMT 184)
Payloads:

XROOTS wick open, fluid recover
Systems:

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

Resupply Air Tank Setup and Initiation
Actiwatch Plus HRF Rack 1 Setup, Swap, and Stow
DOSIS Main Box LED Check
Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Inspection
Acoustic Monitor Battery Swap
Acoustic Monitor Setup for Crew Worn Measurements
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
TOCA Sample Data Record
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit Launch Enclosure (SLE) Training
MELFI Sample Transfer to Glacier
ISS EveryWear (EVW) Nutrition Tracking
Node 1 Port Vestibule Barrier Assembly (VBA) Repair
Intelligent Glass Optics Hardware Gather and Review
IGO Sample Repair
Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) Cover Removal and USB Cable Cycling
Node 3 Port Hatch Open, Hatch Seal Inspection, and Close
Pressure Management Device (PMD) Equipment Setup Part 1 & 2 for NRAL Depressurzation
PMD N3 Port MPEV open
NRAL Trash Deployer Closeout
NRAL Vestibule Config and Hatch Closure
Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup and Stow
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in JEM
JAXA Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) Relocation Part1
Recycle Tank Drain Part 1, 2, and 3
Station Support Computer 14 Hard Drive Swap
Station Support Computer 20 Ethernet cable Swap
Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap
Wireless Compose-2 SmartTex-2 Shirt Donning, Experiment Execution, and Doffing
Wireless Compose-2 LED Check, Questionnaire, and SD Card Data Transfer
XROOTS Water Refill, Seed Cartridge Inspection, and Wick Open