NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 10 January 2009

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – rest day for CDR Fincke, FE-1 Lonchakov & FE-2 Magnus.

Sandra Magnus’ first activity this morning was to start on the first day of her third (FD60) NUTRITION w/Repository session of collecting blood and urine samples, after last night’s start of her 8-hr fast for today’s blood sampling. [After performing phlebotomy with the help of CDR Fincke, i.e., drawing blood samples (from an arm vein), Sandra’s samples were first allowed to coagulate in the Repository for 20-30 minutes, then spun in the HRF RC (Human Research Facility/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). No thruster activity was allowed during the blood drawing. The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. The NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by supercold MELFI dewars), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.]

Yuri Lonchakov meanwhile performed his part of the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning, focusing on the RS (Russian Segment). ["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 FEs sleep station 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.]

As part of the house cleaning, Yuri conducted regular maintenance inspection & cleaning on fan screens in the FGB (TsV2), DC1 (V3) and SM (VPkhO, VPrK, FS5, FS6 & FS9). The FE-1 also cleaned the pre-filter in the Russian POTOK-150MK (150 micron) air purification subsystem with a vacuum cleaner with narrow nozzle attachment.

The majority of today’s activities by Fincke & Magnus were taken up by sessions of the discretionary VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) program, with Mike starting another extensive run with the SHERE (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment) science program. For this, he –

• Activated the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) from the A31p laptop,
• Powered on the SHERE hardware,
• Accessed the CGBA (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus) to install the SHERE FM (Fluid Module) #45;
• Supported the first SHERE experiment run (Test Point 34);
• Transferred the module with the fluid sample,
• Installed FM #47 for the second experiment run (TP 35);
• Transferred the module with the fluid sample,
• Installed FM #49 for the third experiment run (TP 36);
• Transferred the module with the fluid sample,
• Installed FM #54 for the fourth experiment run (TP 37);
• Removed the FM from the CGBA, followed by SHERE data transfer;
• Turned off the SHERE/CGBA equipment;
• Transferred the data files to the MSG laptop for subsequent downlink, and
• Powered down the MSG.

[Background: Rheology is the study of the deformation and flow of matter under the influence of an applied stress (“preshearing” = rotation) which might be, for example, a shear stress or extensional stress. In practice, rheology is principally concerned with extending the "classical" disciplines of elasticity and (Newtonian) fluid mechanics to materials whose mechanical behavior cannot be described with the classical theories. SHERE is designed to study the effect of preshear (rotation) on the transient evolution of the microstructure and viscoelastic tensile stresses for solutions with long chains of monodisperse dilute polymer molecules in the MSG. Collectively referred to as “Boger fluids,” these polymer solutions have become a popular choice for rheological studies of non-Newtonian fluids and are the non-Newtonian fluid used in this experiment. The SHERE hardware consists of the Rheometer, Camera Arm, Interface Box, Cabling, Keyboard, Tool Box, Fluid Modules, and Stowage Tray.]

For her own VolSci selection, a Phase 2 sampling session with the LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System), Sandy Magnus reviewed an OBT (Onboard Training) brief, then completed sampling/swabbing at five different sites in the COL (Columbus Orbital Module), using the Glucan LAL Cartridges which specifically detect the fungal cell wall molecule “glucan”. [Sample locations were the return grid sensor housing PDM (Port Deck Module) for sample #15, the Cabin Air Diffuser OVH FWD for #16, EDR (European Drawer Rack) for #17, plus #18 & #19 per crew discretion. LOCAD uses small, thumb-sized “microfluidic” cartridges that are read by the experiment reader. The cartridges contain dried extract of horseshoe crab blood cells (LAL/Limulus amebocyte lysate) and colorless dye. LAL tests are used for the detection and quantification of bacterial endotoxins: in the presence of the bacteria, the dried extract reacts strongly to turn the dye a green color. Therefore, the more green dye, the more microorganisms there are in the original sample. Glucans are complex carbohydrate (sugar, D-glucose) macromolecules. The handheld device tests this new analysis technology by sampling for the presence of gram negative bacteria in the sample in about 15 minutes, showing the results on a display screen. Background: Lab-on-a-Chip technology has an ever-expanding range of applications in the biotech industry. Chips are available (or in development) which can also detect yeast, mold, and gram positive bacteria, identify environmental contaminants, and perform quick health diagnostics in medical clinics. The technology has been used to swab the MERs (Mars Exploration Rovers) for planetary protection. With expanded testing on ISS, began by Sunita Williams in March/April last year, this compact technology has broad potential applications in space exploration–from monitoring environmental conditions to monitoring crew health. The current study should prepare for long-duration exploration by demonstrating a system that enables the crew to perform biochemical analysis in space without having to return samples to Earth.]

In the SM (Service Module), FE-1 Lonchakov performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS). [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 performing US condensate processing (transfer from CWC to EDV containers) if condensate is available.]

Sandy completed the regular bi-monthly reboots of the OCA Router and File Server SSC (Station Support Computer) laptops.

At ~7:45am EST, Yuri conducted a telephone conference with the editor of the Russian Cosmos Magazine, answering a number of uplinked questions. [“You had an EVA in late December. This was the fifth space walk for Michael, but you have stepped outside of the station for the first time. Please, tell us about your most memorable experiences.”; “Just curious, how many times did you see the New Year in? What kind of presents did you give one another?”; “Sorry that you don’t have long holidays like others. What have you been doing while all the other citizens were taking time off?”; “Your program includes series of EPO developed by Moscow school students. Please, give us more details. And generally speaking, how important and needed is this type of work?”; “Tell us please, about the PILOT Experiment, which is intended to refresh your vehicle control skills. You even have a special simulator. How do you work with it?”; “Did you see or capture anything interesting on the Earth? How does the Earth look like in winter?”]

At ~9:25am, the crew conducted their regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next weeks "Look-Ahead Plan" (prepared jointly by MCC-Houston and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners) via S-band/audio, reviewing the monthly calendar, upcoming activities, and any concerns about future on-orbit events.

Working off the Russian discretionary “time permitting” suggestions list, the FE-1 conducted another session for Russias Environmental Safety Agency (EKON), making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions on earth using the Nikon D2X with the SIGMA 300-800mm telephoto lens.

A second task item from the Russian discretionary job list for Yuri was a session of the GFI-8 "Uragan" (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the NIKON D2X digital camera to take telephotos. [Uplinked target zones, during several overflights, were Patagonia Ice Field Glaciers and the Falkland Current.]

A voluntary task item on the “job jar” list for CDR Fincke continues to be filling out his first FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire) on the MEC. [On the FFQs, NASA astronauts keep a personalized log of their nutritional intake over time on special MEC software. Recorded are the amounts consumed during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins. The FFQ is performed once a week to estimate nutrient intake from the previous week and to give recommendations to ground specialists that help maintain optimal crew health. Weekly estimation has been verified to be reliable enough that nutrients do not need to be tracked daily.]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Eighteen — Week 11)

3-D SPACE: Complete (1J Stage). Planned: 15A Stage.

ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.

BCAT-3/4 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 3/4): Planned/Reserve.

BIO-4: Complete.

BIOLAB (BLB): On 1/5, the ground team activated the BIOLAB facility and commanded the HM (Handling Mechanism) syringe subsystem. The command was successful and telemetry indicates that the syringe is now unstuck. Now, we can proceed with the next crew activities planned during the next two weeks. On 1/9, the BLB syringe was successfully removed.

CARDIOCOG-2: Complete.

CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): In progress.

CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment): Reserve.

CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Samples returned on 1J.

CSI-3/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): Ongoing.

CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.

CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): Complete.

DomGene (JAXA): On 1/5, an ELT (Experiment Laptop – for the sample monitor during DomeGene experiment) set up was conducted. However, the Ethernet communication between ELT and IPU failed. On 1/8, the connections were checked and the cables changed. However, communication was still missing. Further troubleshooting will be needed next week.

EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): Complete.

EDR (European Drawer Rack): Planned. A smoke detector test was successfully carried out on 1/7.

ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2): Planned.

ENose (Electronic Nose): ENose was moved from UOP back to ER2 on 1/9. Data files saved during operations off of the EXPRESS Rack have been downloaded and will be analyzed in detail next week. The confirmational event done on 12/24/08 shows up strongly and confirms that the ENose is operating nominally.

EPO (Educational Payload Operations): Reserve.

ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.

EuTEF (European Technology Exposure Facility): Science acquisition for DEBIE-2, DOSTEL, EXPOSE, FIPEX, MEDET. On-ground troubleshooting for TRIBOLAB.

FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory): FSL is nominal (but see next item).

GEOFLOW: Run#10, previously planned on 1/5, had to be postponed following an anomaly with one of the FSL power boards, which got resolved only later on that same day, hence prohibiting run#10 execution. GEOFLOW science runs downlink still face high data corruption rate. Ground teams are currently analyzing the cause(s) of this problem in the data transfer chain ISS -> White Sands -> HOSC -> COL-CC -> USOCs. Run#10 was conducted on 1/9. Next science runs will be continued during the next weeks.

HDTV System Test DL (JAXA): Complete.

ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): 43 experiments will have been conducted by the end of this week. At this time, the MMA (Microgravity Measurement Apparatus) is not active. MMA troubleshooting is planned in Week 12. Ice Crystal experiment will continue regardless of the results of MMA troubleshooting.

IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.

InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): In progress.

Integrated Immune: In progress.

KUBIK-FM1/ KUBIK-FM2 Centrifuge/Incubators: Completed.

LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): Reserve.

Marangoni Experiment for ISS in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): In progress.

Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.

MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment): Ongoing.

Moon Photography from ISS (JAXA EPO): Complete.

MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox): Complete.

MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC1 “Pirs”.

MULTIGEN-1: Completed.

NOA-1/-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): Complete.

NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY: In progress.

PADLES (Passive Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): In progress.

PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): Complete.

PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.

SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): Ongoing.

SAMPLE: Complete.

SHERE (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment): “Great job, Mike, on last Saturday’s Voluntary Science runs. We were thrilled with the addition of a fourth run, and we got great science from every test point. The PI team has been studying the data and is learning more about the fluid’s stability limits. The still photo you took of the whole fibre is also very revealing and has gotten the PI team excited. In fact, they may request that more photos be taken for future runs, too. Additionally, the PI team will be at the NASA Glenn TSC for this Saturday’s VolSci (1/10) to watch them live rather than remotely at MIT. SHERE excitement!”

SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): “Mike, thanks for downloading your and Sandy’s Actiwatches and completing your first week of scheduled sleep logging. Your remaining activities include monthly downloads and two more weeks of sleep logging. Any additional sleep logging is above and beyond and greatly appreciated by the PI. Sandy, thanks for completing your first week of sleep logging. Thanks, also, for the information about the Sleep Log errors you encountered on the 12/25 and 12/27. We are still trying to recreate the password issue on the ground. As always, any additional sleep logging is above and beyond and greatly appreciated by the PI.

SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): The current Sun observation window started on 12/26 and ended on 1/8. Some glitches in the SOLAR Sun tracking have been observed at the beginning of the observation window, probably due to current celestial Earth-Sun conditions. SOLSPEC and SOLACES are acquiring science data.

SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): Complete (1J Stage).

SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): Reserve.

Swab (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): Complete.

TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.

ULTRASOUND: Planned.

WAICO #1/#2 (Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels): Complete/Planned (2J/A Stage).

CEO (Crew Earth Observations): “Through 12/30 we have received a total of 7,517 frames of your CEO imagery for review and cataloging. Photos with times corresponding to our CEO target request times are reviewed first and since our last report included: Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat-10 frames – target not acquired-under review; Arkenu – 15 frames – target not acquired – under review; South Tibesti Megafans, Africa – 43 frames – under review; Tenoumer Impact Crater – 31 frames – target acquired – under review; Popocatepetl Volcano – 28 frames – target not acquired – under review; Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes, Egypt – 46 frames – target acquired; and Volcan Colima, Mexico – 30 frames – target acquired – under review. With the holidays behind us and over a month until the next shuttle mission, we hope to provide you better turnaround and more detail about your fine imagery efforts. One of the early December photos of Raven Ridge, Colorado will be published on NASA/GSFC’s Earth Observatory website this weekend. Your crisp, detailed view offers an excellent illustration of this well-exposed example of the geologically famous K-T (or Cretaceous-Tertiary) boundary in the sedimentary rock record. Nice job!”

No CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today. ISS daylight orbit tracks are now almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere where there are fewer CEO targets. Fewer targets, together with variable weather conditions, typically result in sparse daily CEO target opportunities until daylight orbit tracks begin to extend back into the Northern Hemisphere.

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 9/1/08, this database contained 770,668 views of the Earth from space, with 324,812 from the ISS alone).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:42am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 352.7 km
Apogee height — 357.2 km
Perigee height — 348.3 km
Period — 91.59 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006655
Solar Beta Angle — 28.4 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 61 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 58115

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
01/14/09 — ISS reboost w/SM thrusters
02/09/09 — Progress M-01M/31P undocking & deorbit
02/10/09 — Progress 32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress 32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A launch – S6 truss segment
02/14/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A docking
02/24/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A undocking
02/26/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A landing (nominal)
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
03/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S docking (DC1)
04/05/09 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S undocking
04/07/09 — Progress 32P undocking & deorbit
05/12/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
Six-person crew on ISS
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC, last crew rotation
08/XX/09 — Soyuz 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Soyuz
09/XX/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1)
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4
12/XX/11– Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.