NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 10 December 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – Crew rest day
At wake-up, CDR Burbank completed his 6th post-sleep session of the Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS) protocol. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]
CDR Burbank, FE-1 Shkaplerov & FE-2 Ivanishin joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). [“Uborka”, usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM (Service Module) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab. Since this was the last scheduled round of Housekeeping for Exp-29, Mike & Satoshi paid special attention to some safeguarding issues to ensure a good configuration in the unlikely event of station decrewing (failure of 28S crew arriving): Flammable materials securely stowed away from UOPs (Utility Outlet Panels), Rack Power Outlets, and Power Strips, no loose items that could become free-floaters during nominal dynamic events, ventilation diffusers clear of stowage, and HEPA filters vacuum-cleaned.]
As part of Uborka house cleaning, Anton & Anatoly completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP) and the BMP Harmful Contaminants Removal System grille in the SM. Before the cleaning, all fan screens were photographed for ground inspection.
Using the two CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen) units #1043 & #1048, Burbank took standard oxygen partial pressure readings in the SM and COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory). [O2 measurements in COL: 22.1% (both instruments), in SM: 22.2% (#1043) & 22.1% (#1048).]
After yesterday transferring remaining water from the Progress 45P (#413) BV2 tank to a newly-built EDV container, Anton Shkaplerov replaced the usual A-R water transfer hose with a T2PrU air line and started the standard bladder compression & leak check of the BV2 water tank to get it ready for urine transfer. [Each of the spherical Rodnik tanks BV1 & BV2 consists of a hard shell with a soft membrane (bladder) composed of elastic fluoroplastic. The bladder is used to expel water from the tank by compressed air pumped into the tank volume surrounding the membrane and is leak-tested before urine transfers, i.e., with empty tanks, the bladders are expanded against the tank walls and checked for hermeticity.]
Anatoly Ivanishin performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]
As today’s chosen VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) activity, Dan Burbank worked in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) on the JAXA MSPR (Multi Purpose Small Payload Rack), setting up the G1 video camcorder to cover his subsequent steps, then performed a checkout of the end-to-end video communication between the ground and the VRU (Video Recording Unit) Channel 1 & Channel 2 via the MSPR MPC (Multi Protocol Converter) and finally closed out and shut down the equipment.
At ~6:30am EST, FE-1 Shkaplerov had his weekly PFC (Private Family Conference), via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop).
At ~8:10am, the three crewmembers held the regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners), via S-band/audio, reviewing upcoming activities and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
At ~10:10am, Ivanishin & Shkaplerov joined for a Russian PAO downlink, extending messages of greetings to three events: (1) to the participants of a celebration dedicated to the 50th anniversary of G. S. Titov’s spaceflight, (2) New Year TV Greetings to RussNeft Oil and Gas Company, and (3) to the participants at the VIIIth Russian National Conference “The First Steps In Science”. [On 12/15, the Cosmonautics Federation of Russia is conducting a celebration gathering of employees and veterans of rocket space industry and space forces, youth and students, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first 24-hour space flight performed by their fellow countryman Gherman Stepanovich Titov, to take place in the Social Culture Center at the Russian Social University.– RussNeft Oil and Gas Co. asked for the crew downlink to wish their employees Happy New Year 2012.– The VIIIth Russian Children Conference “The First Steps in Science ” will take place from 12/21 through 12/ 23 at the Nepetsino Children’s Recreation Facility of the Russian Federation President’s Administration. Children of Russian Federation aged 7 to 14 will take part in this conference. The purpose of such events is to engage children and youth in scientific research and successfully implement main government youth education policy, preserve and replenish state intellectual potential, provide technological security. More than ten thousand middle and high school students, young scientists and specialists from various regions of Russia are participating in these events on annual basis. “…Get motivated by the example of Yuri Alexeyevich, study science, get involved in sports, develop you spiritual side. We’ll be happy to welcome you in our ranks.”]
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), and T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR).
Tasks listed for Shkaplerov & Ivanishin on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” job for today were –
* A ~30-min. run of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with the NIKON D3X digital camera with Sigma AF 300-800mm telelens, aiming for Vulcan Cordon-Kaul, and the glaciers of Patagonia,
* A 10-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining HDV (Z1) camcorder footage of color bloom patterns in the waters of the South-Eastern Pacific, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop,
* A video recording of New Year Greetings to be used in a joint project of Roskosmos TV Studio with Carousel TV Channel for children ages 8 to 12 years, the “It’s Time to go to space!” program, which has a segment where Russian cosmonauts are discussing their work &, answer viewers’ questions (currently they are working on a New Year episode). The footage was then downlinked to TsUP-Moscow.
* Another ~30-min. session for Russia’s EKON Environmental Safety Agency, making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions on Earth using the NIKON D3X camera with the RSK-1 laptop.
GHF Checkout: On 12/1, JAXA ground controllers continued the extensive checkout of the GHF (Gradient Heating Furnace) payload on the Kobairo Rack in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) which began on 12/1 and is continuing for about 14 days.
ISS Reboost Update: A one-burn reboost of the ISS was performed yesterday as planned at 2:50pm EST using the two KD engines of the SM’s ODU (Integrated Propulsion System) for a burn duration of 1m 22s, achieving a Delta-V of 1.33 m/s (planned: 1.3 m/s), increasing mean altitude by 2.36 km (planned: 2.3 km). After the burn, ISS was at 393.1 km mean altitude, with 413.4 km apogee height and 372.8 perigee height. The purpose of the reboost, the 2nd of 2, was to set up proper phasing for 29S launch & rendezvous. This was also the 2nd time the US SIGI (Space Integrated GPS/Inertial Navigation System) accelerometers were used for closed loop guidance of the reboost, and all worked well. The reboost was within 3% of the target burn, i.e., an excellent performance. After the reboost, SM thrusters were again connected to the FGB propellant tanks to handle attitude control and desaturation firings.
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Thirty — Week 12)
2D NANO Template (JAXA): No report.
3D SPACE: Complete.
AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.
ALTEA SHIELD (NASA/ASI): On 12/4 around 19:00, ALTEA stopped transmitting Health & Status data. POIC took the action to start the recovery activity per payload regulation, but the DAU power recycle did not solve the problem. However, a total of ~112 cumulative days of science acquisition was acquired at the last location in the US Lab, so the minimum science requirement of 20 cumulative days of science acquisition was met a long time ago.
AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): All AMS payload and laptop operations are nominal. As of 12/3, AMS has collected data for 9 billion particles.
APEX (Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit) -Cambium: No report.
APEX-TAGES (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System): No report.
Asian Seed 2010 (JAXA): Returned on ULF6.
BCAT-6 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 6): No report. [Colloids are particles as small as a few tens of nanometers (a thousandth of a thousandth of a millimeter) that are suspended in a medium, usually a liquid or a gas. The name “colloid” comes from the Greek word for “glue”, and expresses very important properties of colloids: when small and light enough, particles can be influenced in their behavior by forces of electromagnetic origin, and make them stick together, or repel each other depending on the configuration. Colloids are widely studied in science because the forces between particles can be controlled and tuned and because particles, while being small enough to be influenced by such forces, are big and slow enough to be seen with a relatively simple and inexpensive laboratory instrument like a microscope. This is why colloids are often studied as model for molecular systems (like standard gases or liquids) where molecules, the individual constituents, are much smaller than colloids and cannot be seen with light. As mentioned, forces between colloids can be tuned giving rise to a rich variety of phenomena. One of them is aggregation, which is when particles stick together and tend to form structures. Among the many ways to induce particle aggregation, one allows to do so by controlling the temperature of the solution in which the particles are immersed, thanks to very weak forces called “critical Casimir forces” that have been predicted more than 30 years ago but just partially verified in experiments. The objective of SODI COLLOID is to measure such forces and produce a controlled aggregation of tiny plastic particles. This would allow to shed light on critical Casimir forces and to make a step towards the fabrication of new nanostructured materials with remarkable optical properties for industrial applications.]
BIOLAB (ESA): No report.
BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.
BISPHOSPHONATES: No report.
BXF-Facility (Boiling eXperiment Facility, NASA): No report.
BXF-MABE (Microheater Array Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
BXF-NPBX (Pool Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
CARD (Long Term Microgravity: Model for Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease, ESA): No report.
CARDIOCOG-2: Complete.
CB (JAXA Clean Bench): No report.
CBEF-2 (JAXA Cell Biology Experiment Facility)/SPACE SEED: No report.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): No report.
CERISE (JAXA): No report.
CCF (Capillary Channel Flow, NASA): No report.
CFE-2 (Capillary Flow Experiment 2, NASA): No report.
CFS-A (Colored Fungi in Space-A, ESA): No report.
CSI-5/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #5/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): No report.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), MDCA/Flex: No report.
Commercial (Inc 23&24, JAXA): No report.
Commercial (Inc 25 & 26, JAXA): No report.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): No report.
CsPins (JAXA): No report.
CubeLab: No report.
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DECLIC-ALI (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids & Crystallization-ALICE-like, CNES/NASA): No report.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
DOSIS (Dose Distribution Inside ISS, ESA): No report.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): No report.
EDR (European Drawer Rack, ESA): “Dan, much thanks for reconfiguring the cable of the EDR laptop. We are now in a good configuration for the ROALD-2 experiment coming up on 29S.”
EKE (Endurance Capacity by Gas Exchange and Heart Rate Kinetics During Physical Training, ESA): No report.
ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2): Planned.
EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): No report.
ENose (Electronic Nose): No report.
EPM (European Physiology Module): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Eye in the Sky; Sleep 2): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Sesame Street): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Kids in Micro-G): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Earth/Moon/Mars Demo): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Space Sports): “Dan, thank you for utilizing your weekend to complete the Space Sports demo. The students will be excited to see how you brought their game ideas to life in micro-g. During the design of the games, the students studied Newton’s Laws. The edited video will be sent to the students’ schools and posted on the Spaced Out Sports website.”
EPO LES-2 (ESA): No report.
EPO GREENHOUSE (ESA): No report.
EPO 3-min Video (JAXA): No report.
EPO J-Astro Report (JAXA): No report.
EPO Dewey’s Forest (JAXA): Closed out on 3/15.
EPO Space Clothes (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Hiten (Dance, JAXA): No report.
EPO Lego Bricks (NASA, JAXA): No report.
EPO-5 SpaceBottle (Message in a Bottle, JAXA): No report.
EPO Moon Score (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Try Zero-G (JAXA): No report.
EPO Kibo Kids Tour (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Paper Craft (Origami, JAXA): No report.
EPO Poem (JAXA): No report.
EPO-6 Spiral Top 2 (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Doctor Demo (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Green Tea Preparation (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Ink Ball (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Video (JAXA):
ERB-2 (Erasmus Recording Binocular, ESA): [ERB-2 aims are to develop narrated video material for various PR & educational products & events, including a 3D interior station view.] No report.
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
FACET-2 (JAXA): No report.
FERULATE (JAXA): No report.
FIR/LMM/CVB (Fluids Integrated Rack / Light Microscopy Module / Constrained Vapor Bubble): “Dan: Great job changing out the PACE samples on 12/5 and 12/7. We appreciate you going the “extra mile” to ensure the correct sample was installed on 12/5. We appreciate you trying the different oil dispensing techniques on 12/7. You did a great job with dispensing the oil, and we were able to obtain oil immersion images on that sample. You installed these samples so we can characterize the LMM Microscope in support of ACE (Advanced Colloids Experiment), which is scheduled to begin in 2012.”
Fish Scales (JAXA): Completed on FD7/ULF-4 and returned on STS-132.
FOAM STABILITY (ESA): No report.
FOCUS: No report.
FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory, ESA): On 11/30, FSL encountered an anomaly at the level of the Optical Diagnostic Module (ODM). This issue was resolved on 12/5 by reloading the ODM software. Also, the MVIS data and science images from the past runs were successfully downlinked this week.
FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device, ESA): No report.
GENARA-A (Gravity Regulated Genes in Arabidopsis A/ESA): No report.
GEOFLOW-2 (ESA): No report. [Background: Everybody is familiar with liquids. In an average day we get to use, handle or drink water or other liquids. And everybody knows how fluids (that is liquids and gases) behave: when subjected to a net force, may be pressure, a temperature difference or gravity, they can move freely. Scientists have been studying how fluids move for centuries, and managed to write mathematical formulas that can describe and predict such movements. Unfortunately, these equations are extremely complex and only approximate solutions are known. As a result, our quantitative understanding of fluid movement is just partial. This is especially true for natural phenomena where the forces can be enormous and unpredictable, like in oceans or in the atmosphere. Or the interior of the earth, where rocks are exposed to pressures and temperatures so incredibly high that they slowly move and adapt their shape. That is, over hundreds of years rocks flow just like a very viscous liquid. Scientists try to study such flows but cannot observe them directly due to the fact that they take place deep beneath the surface of our planet. The only way is to have computers simulating those movements starting from the equations, but how to check whether computers are correct? This is what Geoflow II is trying to answer on board the International Space Station. Geoflow II is a miniature planet that has some of its essential ingredients: a fluid can freely move inside a spherical container that rotates, has temperature differences and has a simulated gravity directed towards the centre just like in a real planet. By taking pictures of the fluid movements, scientists are able to understand the essential characteristics of the flows and determine whether computer simulations are correct or whether they need to be refined and improved towards a better understanding of the elusive movements that take place inside our planet.]
HAIR (JAXA): No report.
HDTV System (JAXA): No report.
Hicari (JAXA): We are proceeding with the Gradient Heating Furnace (GHF) checkout. On 12/7, the GHF reached a temperature of 800 degrees Centigrade, then elevated to temperature of 1,370 degrees Centigrade. The GHF checkout will continue until 12/14. After the GHF checkout, we will start the Hicari checkout which we expect to be a duration of 11 days.
Holter ECG (JAXA): No report.
HQPC (JAXA): Was delivered by 34P.
HREP (HICO/Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean & RAIDS/Remote Atmospheric & Ionospheric Detection System/JAXA): HICO has taken 4645 images to-date and the most interesting images from September are included with this status. The most recent HICO images include Puerto Rico, the Red Sea Straits and part of the coast of Australia. RAIDS is collecting secondary Science data including nighttime atmospheric disk photometry, spectra and temperatures. Extreme Ultra Violet airglow spectroscopy and optical contamination studies will also be performed.
HydroTropi (Hydrotropism & Auxin-Inducible Gene Expression in Roots Grown under Microgravity Conditions/JAXA): No report.
ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.
ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): “Dan, after your performance of the ICV Watch/HM2 Download, your ambulatory monitoring data was successfully downlinked to the ground. The data has been verified and the signal quality looked good, so everything is set for your FD30 session next week!”
IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.
INTEGRATED IMMUNE: No report.
InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): No report.
IRIS (Image Reversal in Space, CSA): No report.
ISS Amateur/Ham Radio: No report.
ISSAC (ISS Agricultural Camera, NASA): No report.
IV Gen (Intravenous Fluids Generation): No report.
JOURNALS (Behavioral Issues Associated with Isolation and Confinement, NASA): [Studies conducted on Earth have shown that analyzing the content of journals and diaries is an effective method for identifying the issues that are most important to a person. The method is based on the reasonable assumption that the frequency that an issue or category of issues is mentioned in a journal reflects the importance of that issue or category to the writer. The tone of each entry (positive, negative, or neutral) and phase of the expedition also are variables of interest. Study results will lead to recommendations for the design of equipment, facilities, procedures, and training to help sustain behavioral adjustment and performance during long-duration space expeditions to the ISS, asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Results from this study could help to improve the behavioral performance of people living and working under a variety of conditions here on Earth.]
KID/KUBIK6: No report.
KUBIK 3 (ESA): No report.
LMM/PACE-2 (Light Microscopy Module / Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment): No report.
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): No report.
Marangoni Exp. (JAXA): No report.
Marangoni DSD – Dynamic Surf (JAXA): Payload name was change from Marangoni DSD to Dynamic Surf.
Marangoni UVP (JAXA): No report.
MARES (Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System, ESA/NASA): No report.
Matryoshka-2 (RSA): No report.
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
MDCA/Flex-2: “Dan, nice job replacing the CIR Manifold Bottle on 12/7. You installed a bottle containing a gas mixture that supported FLEX test points for 12/8. The bottle you installed should be the last one in bubble wrap not marked with the correct serial number. Our procedure update to mark the bubble wrap with the correct serial number was in place for all the other bottles that are still on orbit.” Late last week and early this week, CIR/MDCA performed six test points from the science matrix at two different chamber atmospheres. We found the Flammability Boundary for heptane fuel with helium diluted in pre-EVA ambient environments. We are still searching for the Flammability Boundary for methanol fuel, but we ran out of methanol fuel after two test points on 12/5.
MEIS (Marangoni Experiment for ISS) in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): No report.
Microbe-2 (JAXA): Sample returned by ULF6.
Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.
MISSE-8 (Materials ISS Experiment 8): The external payload MISSE-8 is operating nominally but the Communication Interface Board (CIB) has experienced a couple of resets this past week. MISSE-8 is investigating potential correlations of CIB resets to active MISSE-8 experiments and sub-experiments along with the beta angle when these occur. PASCAL has been analyzing the solar cell performance data and sun angle simulations to determine how to proceed with the experiment. The SpaceCube experiment is running code for new radiation hardening by software.
MMA (JAXA/Microgravity Measurement Apparatus): No report.
MPAC/SEED (JAXA): No report.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox-Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment): No report.
MSPR (Multi Purpose Small Payload Rack, JAXA): No report.
MSL (Materials Science Laboratory, ESA): No report.
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC-1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
MYCO 3 (JAXA): On 9/22, Mike and Satoshi completed sample collection.
MyoLab (JAXA): Completed on 4/20.
NANOSKELETON (Production of High Performance Nanomaterials in Microgravity, JAXA): No report.
NEURORAD (JAXA): No report.
NEUROSPAT (ESA/Study of Spatial Cognition, Novelty Processing and Sensorimotor Integration): No report.
NOA-1/-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): Complete.
NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY/ProK: No report.
ODK (Onboard Diagnostic Kit, JAXA): On 10/27, Satoshi completed the Questionnaire as a task list item.
PACE-2 (Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment 2, NASA): (please see under FIR and LMM/PACE-2.
PADIAC (Pathway Different Activators, ESA): No report.
PADLES (JAXA, Area PADLES 6/7; Passive Area Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): No report.
PASSAGES (JAXA): No report.
PCDF-PU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility – Process Unit): No report.
PCG (JAXA, Protein Crystal Growth): Returned on 26S on 9/16.
PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): See PCG.
PLSG (Plant Signaling, NASA/ESA): No report.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
POLCA/GRAVIGEN (ESA): Complete.
Portable PFS: No report.
Pro K: No report.
RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.
RadSilk (JAXA): No report.
Reaction Self Test (RST/Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS): “Dan, thank you for your continued participation in Reaction Self Test!”
Robonaut (NASA): No report.
RYUTAI Rack (JAXA): No report.
SAIBO Rack (JAXA): No report.
SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): “Dan, thanks for your SAMS support during the SODI/DSC Flash Disk exchanges over the past 10 days. It turns out that we have better data now that the SAMS F02 sensor is tightly installed on MSG. Keep up the good work. The science team has been analyzing data from various interesting events, including the ISS SM reboost on 11/30. We’ve included a plot this week that summarizes the effect of the reboost as compared to the ISS program vibration requirements. You will experience another on 12/9 and experience similar effects. Enjoy.”
SAMPLE: Complete.
SCOF (Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, JAXA): No report.
SEDA-AP (Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SHERE II (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment II): No report.
SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device): No report.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): No report.
SMILES (JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SODI/IVIDIL (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in Liquids, ESA): No report.
SODI/COLLOID (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Colloid): No report.
SODI-DSC (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Diffusion & Soret Coefficient, ESA): “Dan, thanks for exchanging the DSC Flash Disk on 12/7. From 11/27 to date, 24 science runs (out of a total of 55 runs) have been performed. The science team has analyzed 20 runs, and unfortunately several runs are impacted by image quality issues to various extents (11 runs are impacted and 7 of them are proposed to be performed again). The sequence of runs for the next coming weeks is now being re-adjusted by the Operations team.
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory, ESA): The Sun Visibility Window #47 ended on 12/6. For SOLSPEC, we performed several daily measurements and nominal calibrations. SolACES was put in warming up mode to protect for optical degradation during the SM reboost test on 11/30, and remained in that condition until 12/4. The next Sun Visibility Window #48 is predicted to start around 12/15.
SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): No report.
Space-DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System): No report.
Space Food (JAXA): No report.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): No report.
SPHINX (SPaceflight of Huvec: an Integrated eXperiment, ESA): No report.
SPICE (Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment): No report.
SPINAL (Spinal Elongation): No report.
SPRINT: No report.
SS-HDTV (Super Sensitivity High Definition Camera, JAXA): No more runs planned on Task List for Satoshi.
STP-H3 (Space Test Program – Houston 3): The external payload MHTEX is currently running in a steady state mode. Canary is analyzing data from previous data takes and plans to collect data from the reboost on 12/9. VADER is continuing lifetime testing of the VEDs at a reduced cycle rate. DISC has taken more images this week and is processing images that were taken in previous weeks.
SWAB (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): No report.
TASTE IN SPACE (ESA): No report.
THERMOLAB (ESA): “Dan, thanks for your first VO2max / THERMOLAB / EKE session completed last week. We got confirmation that the science data is valid!”
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
TREADMILL KINEMATICS: “Dan, thank you very much for completing your first Treadmill Kinematics session!”
TRIPLELUX-B (ESA): No report.
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
UMS (Urine Monitoring System (NASA): No report.
VASCULAR (CSA): “No report.
VCAM (Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Module, NASA): No report.
VESSEL ID System (ESA): Nominal measurements with the NORAIS receiver were performed.
VESSEL IMAGING (ESA): [It is known that the ability of blood vessels to vasoconstrict – the ability of the muscular vessel wall to narrow the diameter of the blood vessel – is impaired during and after a human has been in space. “Vessel Imaging” is using the Ultrasound scanner on board the ISS to take images of the five different blood vessels in the lower abdomen and in the legs to study what changes occur to cause the blood vessels to be less able to vasoconstrict. For each vessel, a 5 second scan is performed to observe the blood vessel during several heart beats, followed by a scan where the ultrasound scan-head is tilted to allow a “cut through the blood vessel wall”. The same scans are also performed before flight, and these pre-flight images are used as the baseline to which the in-flight data is compared with. The images are analyzed to detect any changes in the blood vessel wall properties, such as wall thickness, elasticity or structure, changes in the size of the blood vessel or blood flow (volume) while the crewmember is in orbit.]
VIABLE (eValuatIon And monitoring of microBiofiLms insidE the ISS Payload Touch, NASA): No report.
VO2max (NASA): “Dan, congratulations on completing your first VO2max session! You did great with the calibrations and instrument check! All of your data is on the ground and the PI is completing analysis. Also, thank you for completing as much as you were able to of the consumables kit consolidation.”
VLE (Video Lessons ESA): No report.
WAICO #1/#2 (Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels; ESA): No report.
YEAST B (ESA): No report.
CEO (Crew Earth Observation): Through 12/5, the ground has received 3,818 of ISS CEO frames for review and cataloging. “We are pleased to report your acquisition of imagery with times corresponding to those of our CEO Daily Target Lists for the following targets: Moroni, Comoros – despite clouds over much of the island, good context views of the city were acquired and will be useful to locating it in future requests of more detailed views; Mexico City Aerosol – under evaluation for content and quality; Lake Poopo, Bolivia – a number of good, useful views acquired – seasonal requirements for this target have been met; Mediterranean Middle East Cities at Night – under evaluation for content and quality; and India-Pakistan Border Cities at Night – under evaluation for content and quality. Although most of your frame-count to date has been from automated sessions with short lens settings, the composition, content, and quality of your other imagery is high. We also would like to encourage you to practice more photography using the long lens settings, as many of our future sites will require them. Thanks for your fine start for support of our payload.”
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Washington, D.C. at Night (ISS had a night pass over our nation’s capital of almost 6 million people living in the metro area. Looking nadir on the descending pass across the eastern United States, taking mapping photos of the area and any detailed shots that can be acquired), and Buenos Aires, Argentina (ISS had a morning pass with fair weather expected for this sprawling capital city of nearly 3 million located on the SW shore of the broad estuary of the Rio de la Plata. Trying to get detailed photos of the city).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:36am EST [= epoch])
* Mean altitude – 393.2 km
* Apogee height – 410.2 km
* Perigee height – 376.2 km
* Period — 92.42 min.
* Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
* Eccentricity — 0.0025054
* Solar Beta Angle — 28.2 deg (magnitude increasing)
* Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
* Mean altitude gain in the last 24 hours — 2140 m
* Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 74,844
* Time in orbit (station) — 4768 days
* Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4055 days
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/21/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit — 8:16:15am EST (7:16:15pm Baikonur)
12/23/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S docking (MRM1) — 10:20am EST
————–Six-crew operations—————-
01/24/12 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
01/25/12 — Progress M-14M/46P launch
01/27/12 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
02/07/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon — (target date)
xx/xx/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
03/16/12– Soyuz TMA-22/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov — (Target Date)
04/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2) — (Target Date)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
TBD — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – launch on Proton (under review)
04/24/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
04/25/12 — Progress M-15M/47P launch
04/27/12 — Progress M-15M/47P docking
TBD — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) – docking (under review)
05/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
06/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
06/26/12 — HTV-3 launch (target date)
09/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
09/28/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
11/28/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/19/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
04/02/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
04/04/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/16/13 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/31/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————
