NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 11 February 2012

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

After wakeup this morning (~1:00am EST), FE-2 Ivanishin performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

CDR Burbank completed another post-sleep session of the Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS) protocol, the 28th for him. [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.]

In the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), FE-6 Pettit serviced the running BCAT-6 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-6) by replacing the BCAT-6 battery early in the morning with a fresh one and repeating the replacement about 8 hrs later. [The NIKON D2Xs with EarthKAM software running on an SSC laptop takes automated flash photography controlled by the software, photographing Sample 4 once every two hours for seven days. Crew performs three camera battery changes and a camera check each day. The camera battery changes are scheduled to be performed approximately every 8 hours per Mike Fossum’s recommendation during past BCAT-6 activities.]

CDR Burbank, FE-1 Shkaplerov, FE-2 Ivanishin, FE-4 Kononenko, FE-5 Kuipers & FE-6 Pettit 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) and the Potok Air Purification System pre-filters in SM & FGB.

Dan 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.

Don Pettit started the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) to downlink playback video from the recent for FE5 & FE6 Treadmill Kinematics and Amine Swingbed activities. POIC (Payload Operations Integration Center)/Huntsville routed the on-board HRDL system. About 8 hrs later, Don turned MPC routing off again.

Anatoly Ivanishin completed 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 containers on RP flow regulator.]

Dan filled out his weekly FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), his 11th. [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 (Station Support Computer). [Required are three journaling sessions per week.]

In Node-3, Pettit performed troubleshooting on the PT (Pretreat Tank) of the WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment), to determine the cause for a “Pretreat Bad Quality” indication. [On 2/6, the PT had been replaced with a spare.]

At ~7:35am EST, the six 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.

FE-1, FE-4, FE-5 & FE-6 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), Oleg at ~5:30am, Anton at ~9:05am, Andre at ~10:25am, Don at ~12:00pm EST.

At ~5:20am, Burbank powered up the SM’s amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, & power supply) and at 5:30am conducted a ham radio session with students at Soumuta Elementary School, Kagoshima, Japan.

At ~11:35am, Shkaplerov, Ivanishin & Kononenko supported a Russian PAO TV session, downlinking messages of greetings to the Russian Veterans of Foreign Wars. [On 2/15 (Russia’s Memorial Day), the VIIth Moscow International Festival “Russia’s Soldiers” dedicated to the memory of those Russians who performed their duty abroad, will open in Moscow Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War and military operations are invited to this festival. An exhibition dedicated to the veterans of foreign wars will take place on the same day.]

At ~1:15pm, the Russian crewmembers also joined for downlinking their answers to the questions asked by competitors in the 2nd stage of the international “Ask A Cosmonaut” program conducted by the International Association of Space Activity Participants and GCTC (Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center). [“Dear comrades cosmonauts! I have one question for you. If the six of you are flying together for half a year and then all of a sudden have a quarrel, how can you make peace then? Who is helping you? I wish you never have a quarrel! Thank you for your attention.”; “Since flight duration is increasing, do you consider sending married couples to space? What you think as how it can impact overall psychological climate of the crew and cosmonaut work ability?”; “How long does post-flight rehabilitation last? How often are you allowed to fly to space? Does your body have the same reaction for each flight? Is it possible to get used to the flight in space and g-loads?”; “My classmates and I are proud of you and want to be like you! Please answer this question: What was the most memorable event for you in space? What was the most beautiful place on Earth when you were looking at it from space?”; “What do the cosmonauts do day in and day out in such a small vehicle in huge space? Do you feel like going out? What do you don for a spacewalk between stars?”; “What is the most beautiful phenomenon in space which alone is worthwhile visiting space?”; “How does time fly in space? Does it feel like a dream? What is the speed of a human thought in space?”.]

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, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-6), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-1, FE-2).

New items added to Dan’s, Don’s & Andre’s discretionary “job jar” task list:
* A procedure for using the two-part Epoxy material to repair the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) PIP Switch Lever,
* Tighten and torque-stripe both sets of ARIS (Active Rack Isolation System) Upper Pushrod knurled nuts on the FIR (Fluids Integrated Rack) [these knurled nuts have been known to vibrate loose on the ER-2 ( ExPRESS-2 Rack)],
* Install a new JSL (Joint Station LAN) switch in Node 3, [this hardware replaces an existing powered, but not utilized WAP in Node 3 and allows connection of more devices; even though the new switch will be installed, it will not be incorporated into the JSL for some time.]

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 the volcanoes Marapi & Cordon-Kaul, Uppsala, Viedma, Chico 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 ~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 (29-0008J) lists 23 CWCs (375.4 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. Silver technical water (4 CWCs with 154.8 L, for Elektron electrolysis, all containing Wautersia bacteria, plus 1 empty bag; 2. Condensate water (2 CWCs with 9.8 L, plus 2 empty bags); 3. Iodinated water (6 CWCs with 79.9 L; also 6 expired bags with 104.3 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). 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 21).

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): “Dan, thank you for completing the Amine Swingbed troubleshooting activities on 2/10. [Your troubleshooting] verified that the Amine Swingbed Motor windings were wired in parallel instead of the series configuration that we expected. This wiring was not able to be verified on the ground as the Amine Swingbed was launched prior to the build of the Amine Swingbed Control Unit (ISIS Drawer). The parallel wiring would cause current to the motor to be nearly 4 times what was designed, thus blowing the fuse within the ISIS Drawer. The fuse was confirmed [by you]. While it was anticipated that the blown fuse configuration would result in zero volts at the output of the drive circuit to the swingbed, the gate voltage to the MOSFETS in the drive circuit are fed directly from the 28V power source and do not receive power through the same wiring as the drive circuit. Because of this, there is a voltage that charges the small capacitors in the circuit, producing the millivolt voltage measurement at the J4 connector on the ISIS Drawer.”

AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): AMS Payload and Laptop operations are nominal. “Thank you, Don and Andre, for the outstanding support in the AMS Laptop Hard Drive Change-out on 2/3, which worked great! On 2/6, AMS crossed the 12 Billion threshold for events downlinked and recorded on disks at the AMS European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) POCC. Data analysis is on-going.”

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): “Don: Thanks again for the great run on Tues (2/7). You completed all critical wetting and de-wetting conditions for Quadrant 3 of the CFE-VG1 Vessel. You certainly have gotten comfortable with the operation of this test vessel and were able to get the majority of test points determined to within +/-0.5 deg accuracy! We weren’t sure if you noticed that for certain subcritical wetting points, the fluid first advanced and then receded. This could potentially provide new information on critical interface formation, suggesting that there are different time scales for gap wetting flows versus bulk shift flows.”

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): The EDR Rack was activated on 2/3 to support ERB-2 file downlink.

EKE (Endurance Capacity by Gas Exchange and Heart Rate Kinetics During Physical Training, ESA): Portable PFS / EKE data were recorded as part of the VO2max sessions for Andre on 2/7, for Don on 2/8.

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

EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): No report.

ENose (Electronic Nose): No report.

EPM (European Physiology Module): Activated on 1/26 to support the data transfer re-attempt of the first NEUROSPAT session of Andre Kuipers. Refer to NEUROSPAT entry.

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 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): “Andre, thank you for completing the On Board Training and Windmill activities this week! It is much appreciated! Don, it was wonderful to see you improvise and create new models, as well as change up the talking points to increase the educational value of the lessons. Many thanks from the Teaching From Space Office and the Lego Group for the operations you have already completed and anything that you may perform in the future! Lego Bricks Phase I operations are complete. Thanks to all who contributed!”

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): “On 2/2, Don completed the educational experiment successfully. The artist professors watching the scene were very satisfied. Thank You.”

EPO-8 Space Musical Instruments (JAXA): “Dan performed the experiment on 2/10. Thank you!”

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): FSL file transfer was performed to investigate the Video Management Unit (VMU) issue (2/1). The User Support & Operations Center (USOC) MARS managed to downlink the files of science runs #i89c, #ski89c, #ski17e, #i10 and #i11 performed over the last two weeks. The science team is waiting for these files to confirm GO for FSL VMU harddisk deletion for next week.

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

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

GEOFLOW-2 (ESA): Science runs standing down after FSL VMU issue. In a meeting on 2/7, the GEOFLOW-2 science team reported on their assessment of the image data and MVIS data of the latest runs. A proposal for the way forward and an updated schedule – including the runs to be resumed by Mon, 2/13 – is under review by the science team. [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): No report.

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 5035 images to-date and some of the more interesting images from November 2011 are included with this status. The most recent HICO images include parts of Lake Victoria and the south east coast of Australia. RAIDS is collecting secondary science data including nighttime atmospheric disk photometry, spectra and temperatures. Extreme ultraviolet 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): No report.

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: “Don, your first contact was completed successfully with Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit Nunavut, Canada! About 700 were in attendance including students, local authorities, radio, and television participants. Thank you! ISS Ham statistics: 29 in Inc 29/30; 8 for the Exp 29 crew; 4 for the Exp 30 crew; 7 in 2012; and 697 total 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): “On 2/7 and 2/8, we performed and successfully completed runs #3-27 and #3-28. Many thanks for your cooperation. We fully accomplished extra science success through experiment data collection since starting in mid of September 2011.” [“Marangoni experiment (MEIS-3) has been successfully completed as of 2/8. This experiment started in mid September 2011 and the planned 24 runs + four (4) additional runs were carried out. Sometimes, the liquid bridge trembled due to g-jitters. The intensity of liquid bridge vibration was weak. It might be the result of your great efforts to refrain from generating disturbances during sleep. We fully accomplished an extra science success through experiment data collections. We are able to obtain significant data through 28 experimental runs as below; 1) Onset conditions and mode structures of oscillatory flow for large liquid bridge were precisely determined with a wide variation of parameters (i.e. aspect ratio, volume ratio, Marangoni number). 2) Particle Accumulation Structure (PAS) was successfully observed for the first time. 3) Liquid bridge could be intentionally broken up and hemisphere drops were formed on the disks (see Fig.1). Marangoni convection induced in drops was observed and the conditions for liquid bridge re-formation became clear. In addition, the last experiment was performed during the day time as the first trial in order to investigate the effect of strong g-jitter on liquid bridge vibration. Despite expectations, the liquid bridge did not collapse. However data on a large liquid bridge vibration were obtained. We are grateful for your support and cooperation.”]

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: On 1/19, CIR was unable to establish communication with MDCA preventing us from performing test points. We are currently working on a troubleshooting and recovery plan.

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): MISSE-8 received a overtemp alarm for the Passive Experiment Carrier (PEC) nadir tray and this can be expected during certain Beta periods. The PRO disabled the ReflectArray and SEUXSE II experiments based on a payload regulation for this situation. The PEC temperatures will be monitored and when these are within acceptable range the Principal Investigator will request these experiments be re-enabled. The Communication Interface Board (CIB) has not reset this week and a command strategy is in place to help prevent any resets for the next couple of weeks. PASCAL is performing nominal commanding that produced IV curves of the solar cells. 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): On 2/6, Andre activated the MSPR component to continue the Marangoni experiment via ground commanding.

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): “Andre, since you have your second NEUROSPAT session next week, we thought you might want to get some more information on the experiment.” [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.]

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): No report.

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: Portable PFS data were recorded in support of the VO2max /THERMOLAB sessions for Andre on 2/7 and for Don on 2/8.

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): Dan, on 1/21, you completed the microscope checkout for Clean Bench (CB). Thank you for conducting a part of the task during the Presleep. The CB function checkout was completed yesterday.

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): “Andre, thanks for your continued participation in this experiment. Keep going, this is much appreciated!” ” [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): “Don, thanks for your great job in recovering the video overlay data! It would have been a big loss for both ops and science (for SPICE and BASS in addition to SLICE) to have proceeded without that data. Testing with the 100% methane went well, where our test matrix is only an estimate of what we might accomplish with each bottle. In the 2 runs, we conducted 7 flames and got data for approximately 35 different conditions total – which was about what we had anticipated. Based on my observations, I (Dennis Stocker) voiced up more flow conditions for some flames than I had originally intended where that limits the total number of flames accomplished. We look forward to the next tests where we will press on to 70% methane, beginning with a pyrometry calibration which is needed for determination of the soot volume fraction from the still photos. Meanwhile, we’ll take advantage of this week’s results to plan how to maximize our science return from future tests with the remaining 2 bottles of 100% methane.”

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): No science acquisition since ISS is out of Sun observation period since 2/2. SolACES is in heating mode. SOLSPEC calibration measurements were carried out nominally on 2/9. The next Sun Visibility Window #50 is predicted to start on 2/14.

SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): “Big thanks to you, Dan and Andre, for your great effort to perform your second SOLO activities this week! Andre, special thanks to you for your willingness to perform another 24hrs SOLO urine collection and sticking to the diet for another day! Thanks to your efforts, the science team will receive another set of data which allows to fulfill all the second SOLO session science objectives.”

Space-DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System): No report.

Space Food (JAXA): No report.

SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): “Don, thanks so much for completing the SPHERES satellite upgrade by installing the Expansion Port! We are all excited to open the next chapter of SPHERES research with this new capability!”

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 was restarted the previous week and is now undergoing steady state operations. A Payload Anomaly Report, PAR STP-H3-MECH-1, was opened to document the visible damage to VADER Variable Emissivity Device #3. VADER will continue 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): Andre, thanks for another successful THERMOLAB session on 2/7. The science team already confirmed good data for this THERMOLAB session. Don, you did a good job during your THERMOLAB session on 2/8. The science team already confirmed good data for this THERMOLAB session.

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

TREADMILL KINEMATICS: “Thanks for your 4th Treadmill Kinematics run, Dan. And many thanks for your input on camera positioning for the best FOV!”

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. On 2/1, a table command update was successfully performed.

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, Andre and Don, Great job on your VO2 Max sessions 2/3, 2/7 and 2/8! Ya’ll have quickly become proficient at the calibrations and the team is impressed. The PI has your data and is analyzing. We will relay your results per your request through your surgeon.”

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 2/3 the ground has received 40,950 of ISS CEO frames for review and cataloguing. “Since our last report we have received no new imagery with times corresponding to those of our CEO Daily Target Lists. With the descent of your daylight orbit tracks into the southern hemisphere there are fewer target opportunities available for consideration. Thanks for your prompt downlink of your photos of a fresh eruption of Mount Puyehue, an active Chilean Volcano on 2/3. These were flagged for PAO use the same day. Your handsome view of the Spanish island of Majorca in the western Mediterranean Sea was published on the NASA/GSFC Earth Observatory website this past weekend. Your excellent color photo beautifully documents the largest island of Spain’s Balearic Archipelago, a popular tourist destination. Good job!”

No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:58am EST [= epoch])
. Mean altitude – 391.0 km
. Apogee height – 404.8 km
. Perigee height – 377.1 km
. Period — 92.38 min.
. Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
. Eccentricity — 0.0020459
. Solar Beta Angle — 38.5 deg (magnitude decreasing)
. Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
. Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 58 m
. Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 75,827
. Time in orbit (station) — 4831 days
. Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4118 days

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations—————-
02/14/12 – Russian EVA-30 Dry-run
02/16/12 — Russian EVA-30
03/09/12 — ATV3 launch — (target date)
03/19/12 — ATV3 docking — (target date)
04/19/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
04/20/12 — Progress M-15M/47P launch
04/22/12 — Progress M-15M/47P docking
xx/xx/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon launch
xx/xx/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon berthing
xx/xx/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon unberth
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/K.Volkov (target date)
05/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2) (target date)
————–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————-