NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 10 March 2012

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – Crew off duty.

After breakfast, FE-2 Ivanishin performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

As most every Saturday, the six crewmembers joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM. [“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.]

As part of Uborka house cleaning, Anton, Anatoly & Oleg 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).

At ~9:55am EST, CDR Burbank turned on the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and started the Ku-band data flow of video/data recorded during his recent (3/6) CFE-2 (Capillary Flow Experiments 2) payload activities to the ground, with POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) routing the onboard HRDL (High-Rate Data Link). After about 4 hrs, Dan turned MPC routing off again.

Burbank also disconnected the LTL (Low Temperature Loop) jumper on the CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly) in Node-3 in support of its long-term deactivation. [Yesterday, the Node-3 CDRA experienced another ASV-3 (Air Selector Valve) 3 failure, shutting the CDRA down, but the fan did not shut down. Ground controllers were able to command the fan off. The plan is to keep the Node-3 CDRA off until Monday while specialists review the data. Both the USOS Lab CDRA and the RS (Russian Segment) Vozdukh CO2 removal system are operational and continue to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.]

FE-6 Pettit conducted the regular (~weekly) inspection & maintenance, as required, of the CGBA-4 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 4) and CGBA-5 payloads in their ERs (EXPRESS Racks) at Lab O2 & O1, focusing on cleaning the muffler air intakes.

Later, Don reconfigured the WRS (Water Recovery System) for collecting condensate in the WPA WWT (Water Processor Assembly / Waste Water Tank), after the recent IFM (Inflight Maintenance). The WPA with the new CR (Catalytic Reactor) #2 is successfully processing condensate. [Burbank’s inspection of the failed CR (Catalytic Reactor) #1 yesterday identified one leak on a fitting on the catalyst tube. Pictures of the leak were sent down to the ground for analysis. Dan then configured the failed catalytic reactor for stowage. Ground teams will assess whether to fix this unit and leave it on-orbit as a spare, return it to the ground for refurbishment, or dispose of it.]

Anatoly Ivanishin meanwhile handled 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.]

Andre Kuipers filled out his weekly FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), his 8th. [On the FFQs, USOS 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.]

The CDR had another time slot reserved for making entries in his electronic Journal on the personal SSC. [Required are three journaling sessions per week.]

FE-1 & FE-4 conducted their weekly PFCs (Private Family Conferences), via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop), Anton at ~5:00am, Oleg at ~6:45am EST.

The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-5), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2, FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-4, FE-5), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-6), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-1, FE-2). [FE-6 is on the special experimental SPRINT protocol which diverts from the regular 2.5 hrs per day exercise regime and introduces special daily sessions, followed by a USND leg muscle self scan in COL. No exercise is being timelined for Fridays. If any day is not completed, Don picks up where he left off, i.e., he would be finishing out the week with his last day of exercise on his off day.]

Tasks listed for Shkaplerov, Kononenko & 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, focusing on Lipetsk, Volga River delta, Allalin Glacier, and volcanoes San Cristobal Volcano, Stromboli, Mount Etna, Kilauea and Hierro volcano,
. A ~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, and
. More preparation & downlinking of reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb).

WRM Update: A new WRM (Water Recovery Management) “cue card” was uplinked to the crew for their reference, updated with their latest CWC (Contingency Water Container) water audit. [The new card (29-0008N) lists 28 CWCs (368.35 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. Silver technical water (2 CWCs with 64.7 L, for Elektron electrolysis, all containing Wautersia bacteria; 2. Condensate water (5 CWCs with 74.8 L, plus 2 empty bags); 3. Iodinated water (9 CWCs with 80.45 L plus 1 empty bag; also 7 expired bags with 121.8 L); 4. Waste water (1 bag with 6.4 L EMU waste water); and 5. Special fluid (1 CWC with 20.2 L, hose/pump flush). Also one leaky CWC (#1024) with 8.5L). Other CWCs are stowed behind racks and are currently not being tracked due to unchanging contents. Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Thirty/Thirty-One — Week 24).

2D NANO Template (JAXA): The experiment is continuing in Dewar 4 of MELFI-1. The samples are proceeding by arranging peptides slowly on base plates. The samples will be returned on 28S.

3D SPACE: Complete.

AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.

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

ALTEA SHIELD (NASA/ASI): No report.

Amine Swingbed (NASA): “On 3/3, you assessed the feasibility of the Amine Swingbed Control Unit fuse repair and determined that everything needed to perform this activity is on board.”

AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): AMS Payload and Laptop operations are nominal. AMS’s March 2012 high negative beta thermal mitigation plan is in work (positioning the STRRJ at 45*) and through 3/8 has been successful. Thank you to the ISS FCT!

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): Peter Lu has noted that back in October 2011, samples 3 and 5 had phase separated, but the phase boundary was very low-contrast. This means that these samples were very close to the critical point in the phase diagram (above which phase separation is no longer present). Peter doesn’t presently see this happening in the pictures for BCAT-6, sample 5. This means that sample 5 is either phase separating very SLOWLY, or that the lighting has changed. If it is phase separating very slowly, then it is really close to the critical point, which is quite important. Samples 1 and 5 will be looked at again in a week or two for granularity and phase separation. A crystal search will be performed on samples 6 through 10 in a few weeks. [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.

CSAC (Chip-Scale Atomic Clock, SPHERES): 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): No report.

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): No report.

EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (ISS Orbit): No report.

EPO (Educational Payload Operations, ESA): No report.
EPO CONVECTIONS (ESA): “No report.

EPO MISSION X (ESA): No report.

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 Moon Score (JAXA): No report.

EPO Kibo Kids Tour (JAXA): Complete.

EPO Paper Craft (Origami, JAXA): No report.

EPO Poem (JAXA): No report.

EPO-5 SpaceBottle (Message in a Bottle, 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):

EPO-7 Try Zero-G (JAXA): No report.

EPO-8 Space Sakura (JAXA): No report.

EPO-8 Space Musical Instruments (JAXA): No report.

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): No report.

Fish Scales (JAXA): Completed on FD7/ULF-4 and returned on STS-132.

FOAM STABILITY EPO (ESA): No report.

FOCUS: No report.

FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory, ESA): No report.

FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device, ESA): No report.

GENARA-A (Gravity Regulated Genes in Arabidopsis A/ESA): No report.

GEOFLOW-2 (ESA): Another 3 no-rotation runs were completed by 3/7. For two of the runs, all scientific set-points were acquired; for one of them 2 set-points were skipped (2 out of 25 in total). Temperature gradient deviations were not observed for the first two no-rotation runs but were observed for the third one. MVIS data and image data for all runs were downlinked and are under the assessment by the GEOFLOW-2 science team. If everything goes well for the remaining GEOFLOW-2 runs, we will finish GEOFLOW-2 activities by the end of next week! [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): On 3/10-3/23, 14 days operation of ground activity is planned to restart the pre-vacuum for GHF communication trouble shooting. In this case, the automatic power shut down function of Payload Data Handling (PDH) will be disabled to get continuous telemetries before and after when communication error happened. This time, to separate the root cause suspected, the Vacuum Evacuation Equipment (VEE) will not operate.

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 5203 images to date. The most recent HICO images include Albufera Lake near the coast of Spain, part of Australia’s coast and Mt Everest. 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.

HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1, NASA): Happy HRF Anniversary! 3/8 marked the day 11 years ago that we launched HRF rack 1- the first facility class payload rack to be launched to the ISS. It was planned for a 10 year life span, and actually most of the active sub-racks have been retired or replaced. The project, however, continues. HRF was the pathfinder for research on the ISS. It has been a great ride so far, overcoming many obstacles and challenges along the way. We have at least another 8 years on the ISS to continue to seek answers to supporting human exploration on this platform. Lead the way.

HydroTropi (Hydrotropism & Auxin-Inducible Gene Expression in Roots Grown under Microgravity Conditions/JAXA): No report.

ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.

ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): “Dan, Andre, and Don, the ICV team has been looking into your concern about the Holter electrodes being “stale”. We considered your suggested use of salt solution or ultrasound gel to rehydrate the electrodes; however, those will evaporate and hence wouldn’t be useful for the long-term wear that this experiment requires. We also have not tested those methods so are concerned that unforeseen complications might arise. More detailed information to be provided in an upcoming DS. New electrodes will be launching on ATV3 so we can consider switching to those once they arrive if you experience problems. A review of both Dan and Don’s data indicates that the current electrodes are working well once the signal check is passed.”

IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): No report.

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: “Dan, thank you for a successful contact with the Dilworth Elementary School in San Jose, California on 3/5! ISS Ham statistics to date: 40 for Inc 29/3; 14 for the Exp 29 crew (12-Burbank, 2-Shkaplerov), 9 for the Exp 30 crew (3-Kuipers,
5-Pettit, 1-Kononenko), 19 events for 2012, and 708 events for the program!”

ISSAC (ISS Agricultural Camera, NASA): No report.

IV Gen (Intravenous Fluids Generation): No report.

JOURNALS (Behavioral Issues Associated with Isolation and Confinement, NASA): No report. [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): “Thank you Andre, for taking some pictures of MARES and the cable routing configuration! The pictures were downlinked for further investigations of the anomalies during MARES commissioning part #1 on 2/16-2/17 (out-of limit values for the friction in Y-direction and problems on the Ethernet connection between Main Box and MARES). A troubleshooting plan is being worked.”

Matryoshka-2 (RSA): No report.

MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.

MDCA/Flex-2: On 3/5, we performed five successful MDCA/FLEX-2 Fuel Surrogate test points. CIR is continuing to experience communication issues with one of the FCF IPSUs (Image Processing and Storage Unit). On 3/9, we performed more troubleshooting operations. The operations were completed, but the issue was not resolved. Further steps are expected.

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): All MISSE-8 experiments are nominal and the CIB has not reset this week. PASCAL is performing nominal commanding of its solar cells including induced discharge experiments and IV curves. IV curves are plots of the current versus voltage for solar cells and tell a lot about how these are performing. 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. [During microgravity stay, the human body goes through multitude of physiological changes in order to accommodate to the new environment. As the brain is a master organ where major crucial processes take place, it is fundamental to understand how it manages adaptation for living in Space. One of the main purposes of Neurospat (NES) experiment is to focus on how microgravity environment influences cerebral activity of astronauts aboard ISS. For this, the global electrical activity of the brain of the astronaut is measured thanks to electroencephalogram (EEG) technique, while he or she is executing specific tasks through a computer as if it was a kind of videogame. In practice, the astronaut is wearing a specially equipped cap with passive, gel filled electrodes that are in contact with his/her scalp while he or she is performing the specific tasks that we have designed. These are visual-orientation perception and visuo-motor tracking tasks that may be encountered on a daily basis. The tasks allow the study of 5 cognitive processes: Perception, Attention, Memorization, Decision and Action. Besides there are also task-irrelevant images that are showed to the astronaut in order to assess how well he or she processes novel visual stimuli. The electrodes all over the scalp are linked to sensitive amplifiers that allow us to measure small variations of electrical potential between different regions of the scalp. These signals are in turn used to estimate activity in the cerebral cortex related to the task being performed. Also, they serve to identify the mental processes associated with these tasks and to localize in the brain the sources of the underlying neural activity. After analysis of the data we can better understand whether the novel environment of microgravity accompanied by a multitude of stressors may place an increased load on the cognitive capacity of the human brain and whether the sensory signals and motor responses of astronauts are processed and interpreted differently because a new reference frame.]

NightPod (ESA): No report.

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

NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY/ProK: No report.

ODK (Onboard Diagnostic Kit, JAXA): No report.

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): “Dan, since you are performing your second and last PASSAGES session next week, please find background information on the PASSAGES experiment in the separate PASSAGES file.” [PASSAGES is an experiment about the strategies involved in the perception of the world around us. Seeing correctly the world is necessary to success our gestures, our actions, such as catching a ball, stepping an obstacle on the ground or passing through an opened door. In this experiment, we want to know if the strategies involved on Earth continue to be used when the astronaut is in a weightlessness environment for a long period. To investigate this question, the participant sees 3D scenes on the screen of a laptop such as a video game. The scene is a room with an opening which can vary in width. The task of the participant is to decide if yes or no he or she could pass through the aperture without rotating or scrunching the shoulders. The science team uses typical methods from psychophysics and manipulates several factors to highlight the strategies used by the participant. Then, the science team will compare the performances obtained on ground with those obtained onboard.]

PCDF-PU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility – Process Unit): No report.

PCG (JAXA, Protein Crystal Growth): Since 1/28, we are monitoring temperature until the day of the return of 28S.

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: Used for the VO2max/THERMOLAB sessions for Dan, Andre and Don in week #24 (3/1) and #25 (3/6 & 3/7). Refer to THERMOLAB.

Pro K: No report.

RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.

RadSilk (JAXA): No report.

Reaction Self Test (RST/Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS): “Dan, Don and Andre, Thank you for your participation in Reaction Self Test!”

ROALD-2 (Role of Apoptosis in Lymphocyte Depression 2, ESA): No report. [Background: The ROALD-2 experiment studies how the function of T-cells from the immune system are affected by microgravity and spaceflight. T-cells play an important role in controlling the immune systems response to infection. It has previously been shown that the immune response of astronauts can be reduced following spaceflight and it has also been shown that the activation of T-cells in culture is reduced in microgravity. A series of experiments on T-cells and other immune system cells have been previously performed by different scientific teams on Space Shuttle and the ISS over the last 30 years. The data from these individual experiments provides information which together can be used to understand the mechanisms by which gravity or the absence of gravity can affect T-cell function.]

Robonaut (NASA): No report.

RYUTAI Rack (JAXA): No report.

SAIBO Rack (JAXA): No report.

SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): No report.

SAMPLE: Complete.

SCOF (Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, JAXA): No report.

SEDA-AP (Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.

SHD (Space Headaches, ESA): “You completed your 10th weekly questionnaire on 3/2, Andre! ” [Background: The neurologists from Leiden University want to study the question whether the astronauts, while in space, suffer from the headaches. With the help of simple questionnaires the astronauts will register the headache episodes and the eventual accompanying symptoms. The results will hopefully help to characterize the frequency and characteristics of space headache and to develop countermeasure to prevent/minimize headache occurrence during the space flight.]

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.

SLICE (Structure & Liftoff In Combustion Experiment): “As of 3/8, we are roughly 60% through the SLICE and SPICE (i.e., SPLICE) testing. Of the twelve fuel bottles, four are full, two are partially depleted, and six are empty. The flame lifting testing on Monday with 70% methane included 10 tests (i.e., ignitions), not counting those which blew out at ignition, including approximately 50 flow conditions. The fan calibrations continue to be similar from day to day (with the exception of 2/9), so flow degradation has not yet been an issue although the sootiest fuel has been left to last. The remaining testing will include a mix of lifting and smoke point tests, sometimes in the same session, e.g., on 3/12. Next week’s sessions include the third and final bottle of 100% methane and the second and final bottle of 20% ethylene, where both are currently full. A set of example flame images from SLICE as well as a preliminary plot showing example liftoff limits, i.e., the flow conditions where the flame detaches from the burner are attached in the SLICE tabs, linked below.”

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): No report. [Background: Fluids and gases are never at rest. This statement is in apparent contradiction with our experience: when we pour water in a glass and wait until all flows have disappeared and the temperature of the liquid is in equilibrium with that of the room, we see that water appears to be completely at rest. However, if we were able to see the individual molecules of water with a very powerful microscope, we would discover that they are incessantly moving and collide with each other following frantic, random paths even if the liquid appears to be quiescent at naked eye. Scientists are interested in observing and measuring such movements because they reveal important, practical information: how fast does heat propagates in a fluid? How fast do liquid mixtures mix? Such phenomena occur in absence of a macroscopic flow, that is when the fluid appears to be at rest, and are called heat and mass diffusion respectively. While the theoretical prediction of heat and mass diffusion is still quite challenging, its measurement is a standard laboratory practice, but may become extremely difficult or impossible when dealing with mixtures of many liquids, due to the fact that such measurement needs to be carried out when the fluid is quiescent, a condition sometimes impossible to achieve on ground. This is precisely the objective of the SODI DSC experiment carried out on board the International Space Station: the measurement of diffusion in mixtures of liquids. By using very sensitive optical techniques, it will be possible to measure mass diffusion, compare with current theories, and improve our present understanding of how molecules move in liquid mixtures. The results will be used by the large team of scientists involved in the project to try to understand which of the many existing theories for mass diffusion is correctly predicting the experimental behavior.]

SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory, ESA): SOLAR instruments are out of Sun Visibility Window (SVW). SOLAR SOLACES is in heating mode since 2/28 in order to protect the instruments against contaminations. The next SVW (#51) is expected to start on 3/18.

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 report.

STP-H3 (Space Test Program – Houston 3): The MHTEX Capillary Pumped Loop evaporators are currently repriming in preparation for further tests and steady state operations. VADER continues to characterize the performance of the Aerogel blanket attached to the backside of the experiment. Canary is analyzing data from previous data takes. DISC has taken more imagery 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, on 3/2 you performed your 4th THERMOLAB session in conjunction with your VO2max session. Good work! Andre, you did a good job during your 3rd THERMOLAB session as part of the VO2max protocol on 3/6! Don, thank you for your great support during your 3rd THERMOLAB session as part of the VO2max session on 3/7!”

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

TREADMILL KINEMATICS: No report.

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 data acquisition with the NorAIS receiver.

VESSEL IMAGING (ESA): No report. [Background: 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, Don and Andre, great job with your VO2max sessions this week and last! Thank you, Dan, for taking pictures of the syringe hose and reinforcing it with tape. Congratulations Don, we think you have the record for fastest calibrations! Thank you all for providing a status of the breathing gas and calibration gas bottles. We have also been tracking that on the ground and plan for 1 more use before switching to a new breathing gas bottle. We have the data from all of your sessions and the PI has started analysis. Thank you again!”

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.

YOUTUBE SpaceLab: No report.

CEO (Crew Earth Observation): Through 3/4 the ground has received 92,242 of ISS CEO frames for review and cataloguing. “That’s nearly 18,000 frames in the past week. We are now working through this backlog and are pleased to report preliminarily that we have received imagery with times corresponding to our recent CEO target request times: Mount Etna, Sicily – 21 frames in two sessions – target not acquired; Conakry, Guinea – 19 frames – target acquired – under evaluation for content and completion of requirements; Tirane, Albania – 14 frames – target not acquired; Calcutta, India – 27 frames – target not acquired; Ganges River Delta – 27 frames – partial coverage of target area; Dhaka, Bangladesh – 25 frames – target acquired – under evaluation; Delhi, India – 44 frames – target not acquired; Monaco, Monaco – 14 frames – target acquired – too cloudy to meet requirements; Ljubljana, Slovenia – 25 frames – target not acquired; Budapest, Hungary – 42 frames in two sessions – target acquired – under evaluation; Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico – 29 frames in two sessions – 5 spectacular frames with the 1200mm lens – under evaluation; San Salvador, El Salvador – 29 frames – target not acquired; Nassau, Bahamas – 17 frames – target not acquired; Baku, Azerbaijan – 18 frames – target not acquired; Chihuahua & Big Bend Deserts, Rio Grande – 47 frames in two sessions – target acquired – under evaluation; Asmara, Eritrea – 39 frames – target not acquired; Dakar, Senegal – 16 frames – target acquired – under evaluation; and Rome, Italy – 24 frames – target not acquired. We have our work cut out for us to evaluate this imagery but feel confident that a good number of sites will soon be removed from our request list. Thanks for your effort on these. Your strikingly contrasting view of Agricultural Fields, Wadi As-Sirhan Basin, Saudi Arabia was published on the NASA/GSFC Earth Observatory website this past weekend (attached in the CEO tab, linked below). This enormous, complex area of irrigated agriculture in the heart of the Arabian Desert documents the results of 26 years of investment of oil industry revenues make this once barren wasteland a truly fruitful area. Kudos to the crew for this wonderful shot!”

CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Rio-Sao Paulo city lights–night pass (CITIES AT NIGHT. Looking half left towards the coast of Brazil to image the string of cities that make up Brazil’s economic center. Cities of specific science interest for near vertical night imaging include Sao Paulo just left of track, and somewhat inland; this is the biggest light concentration, with its population of 19.9 million in the greater metro area. Shortly thereafter Rio de Janeiro will be just right of track on the coast), Canberra, Australia, city lights–night pass (CITIES AT NIGHT. Night pass over Australia’s capital city, just right of track. The 180 lens for night imaging allows comparison with day images and an estimation of population densities and change with time. Then looking obliquely left for general night views up the coast of New South Wales–this is the far larger population center of Australia of Sydney, Wollongong and neighboring towns), and Aurora Australis–three opportunities (DYNAMIC EVENT. A major coronal mass ejection [CME] from the sun impacted Earth’s magnetic field on March 8th. Looking right for night-pass opportunities for aurora over Antarctica).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:47am EST [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 390.5 km
Apogee height – 402.5 km
Perigee height – 378.5 km
Period — 92.37 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0017681
Solar Beta Angle — -55.4 deg (magnitude peaking)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 153 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 76,263
Time in orbit (station) — 4859 days
Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4146 days

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations—————-
03/11/12 — Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00am
03/23/12 — ATV3 launch (12:34am EDT)
03/28/12 — ATV3 docking (~6:34pm EDT)
04/19/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
04/20/12 — Progress M-15M/47P launch
04/22/12 — Progress M-15M/47P docking
04/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-22/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/S.Revin
05/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
07/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
07/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
07/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking
07/31/12 — Progress M16M/48P launch
08/02/12 — Progress M16M/48P docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
10/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/01/12 — Progress M-17M/49P launch
11/03/12 — Progress M-17M/49P docking
11/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/05/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/07/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
12/26/12 — Progress M-18M/50P launch
12/28/12 — Progress M-18M/50P docking
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————-