NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 18 February 2012
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – Crew rest day.
After wakeup this morning, CDR Burbank, FE-5 Kuipers & FE-6 Pettit each completed another post-sleep session of the Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS) protocol, the 29th for Dan, the 23rd for Andre & Don. [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.]
After breakfast, FE-1 Shkaplerov performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.
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. Sample 4 session reached its midpoint on 2/15. [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 two 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.]
After yesterday’s Part 2 of MARES (Muscle Atrophy Resistive Exercise System) Commissioning, FE-5 Kuipers today relocated items removed in preparation of MARES deployment back to their original locations on the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) deck rack front. [This included all bags, the MARES (Dynamometer, MARES EPM HD (European Physiology Module High Definition), WS2 Ethernet cable, Ziploc bag with 3 connector caps and the mainbox.]
Later, Andre performed his 2nd session with the MedOps psychological evaluation experiment WinSCAT (Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows), logging in on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) laptop and going through the psychological evaluation exercise on the PC-based WinSCAT application. [WinSCAT is a monthly time-constrained questionnaire test of cognitive abilities, routinely performed by astronauts aboard the ISS every 30 days before or after the PHS (periodic health status) test or on special CDR’s, crewmembers or flight surgeons request. The test uses cognitive subtests that measure sustained concentration, verbal working memory, attention, short-term memory, spatial processing, and math skills. The five cognitive subtests are Coding Memory – Learning, Continuous Processing Task (CPT), Match to Sample, Mathematics, and Coding Delayed Recall. These WinSCAT subtests are the same as those used during NASA’s long-duration bed rest studies.]
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 BMP Harmful Contaminants Removal System grille in the SM.
Dan Burbank 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.
Shkaplerov completed the standard purging & inerting of the SrPK (air supply tankage) Section 2 of Progress 46P (M-14M) by charging it with N2 (nitrogen). [46P is scheduled for undocking on 4/19.]
Afterwards, Anton & Oleg had ~1 h for inspecting and stowing the Orlan-MK spacesuit equipment used in the EVA-30 on 2/16. [This included the BK-3 oxygen bottles,.LP-9 absorber cartridges, the USZ (ORU) kit with VO separator, FOR-4, BOS-1 & IK filters and UdP drink containers, BK-10 underwear, MAGs, socks, 5PT containers, the ZIP-2M kit with the GP-10KM gloves, and the Orlan-MK suits.]
Anatoly meanwhile performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]
Kononenko terminated the discharge process on the first Orlan 825M3 battery pack and started it on the second pack.
At ~7:45am 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.
At ~9:25am, Burbank & Pettit conducted a phone conference with the PLUTO flight control team, discussing automated SSC (Station Support Computer) client reboots with the OpsLAN specialists.
FE-4 & FE-6 had 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 ~7:00am, Don at ~11:55am 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-1, FE-2, FE-5, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-6, and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-4).
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 (29-0008K) lists 23 CWCs (363.9 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. Silver technical water (4 CWCs with 143.3 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.]
Conjunction Update: Flight controllers continue to monitor a conjunction with Object 29423 (Chinese CZ-4B DEB) with a TCA (Time of Closest Approach) on 2/19 at 4:02pm EST. The conjunction is currently considered of Low Concern. The decision point (Go/NoGo for maneuver data Cyclogram development) is tonight (2/18) at 4:32pm, for a DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver) tomorrow (2/19) at 4:02pm EST, if required.
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Thirty/Thirty-One — Week 22).
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): No report.
AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): AMS Payload and Laptop operations are nominal.
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): Sample 1 (Lynch and Kodger, P&G) – “Don when you used a laser pointer to coax information about the domain size from sample 1, this was a profound discovery, for this sample appears different in microgravity. Ways of comparing the domain size of samples 1 and 2 (discussed in email exchanges between you and Matt Lynch) should help the scientists at P&G decide important product formulation questions that are not possible to examine in 1-g on earth. Sample 4 (Weitz and Lu, Harvard) – Peter Lu has studied the pictures obtained so far and has concluded that this sample has yet to phase separate into colloid rich / colloid poor (model liquid / gas) phases. While it will take more time to know for sure, if this condition persists, this will mean that we have reached or passed the critical point in the phase diagram. If the particles and fluid in this sample were not so well index matched, the sample would look opalescent beyond the critical point; in this case, it may look wispy or cloudy, but in a very low-contrast kind of way. [Colloids are particles as small as a few tens of nanometers (a thousandth of a thousandth of a millimeter) that are suspended in a medium, usually a liquid or a gas. The name “colloid” comes from the Greek word for “glue”, and expresses very important properties of colloids: when small and light enough, particles can be influenced in their behavior by forces of electromagnetic origin, and make them stick together, or repel each other depending on the configuration. Colloids are widely studied in science because the forces between particles can be controlled and tuned and because particles, while being small enough to be influenced by such forces, are big and slow enough to be seen with a relatively simple and inexpensive laboratory instrument like a microscope. This is why colloids are often studied as model for molecular systems (like standard gases or liquids) where molecules, the individual constituents, are much smaller than colloids and cannot be seen with light. As mentioned, forces between colloids can be tuned giving rise to a rich variety of phenomena. One of them is aggregation, which is when particles stick together and tend to form structures. Among the many ways to induce particle aggregation, one allows to do so by controlling the temperature of the solution in which the particles are immersed, thanks to very weak forces called “critical Casimir forces” that have been predicted more than 30 years ago but just partially verified in experiments. The objective of SODI COLLOID is to measure such forces and produce a controlled aggregation of tiny plastic particles. This would allow to shed light on critical Casimir forces and to make a step towards the fabrication of new nanostructured materials with remarkable optical properties for industrial applications.]
BIOLAB (ESA): No report.
BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.
BISPHOSPHONATES: No report.
BXF-Facility (Boiling eXperiment Facility, NASA): No report.
BXF-MABE (Microheater Array Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
BXF-NPBX (Pool Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
CARD (Long Term Microgravity Model for Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease, ESA): No report.
CARDIOCOG-2: Complete.
CB (JAXA Clean Bench): No report.
CBEF-2 (JAXA Cell Biology Experiment Facility)/SPACE SEED: No report.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): No report.
CERISE (JAXA): No report.
CCF (Capillary Channel Flow, NASA): No report.
CFE-2 (Capillary Flow Experiment 2, NASA): No report.
CFS-A (Colored Fungi in Space-A, ESA): No report.
CSI-5/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #5/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): No report.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), MDCA/Flex: No report.
Commercial (Inc 23&24, JAXA): No report.
Commercial (Inc 25 & 26, JAXA): No report.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): No report.
CsPins (JAXA): No report.
CubeLab: No report.
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DECLIC-ALI (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids & Crystallization-ALICE-like, CNES/NASA): No report.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
DOSIS (Dose Distribution Inside ISS, ESA): No report.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): No report.
EDR (European Drawer Rack, ESA): 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): 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): 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 (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (ISS Orbit): “Thank you for completing the ISS Orbit demo. We appreciate your creativity! The video will be edited for use on an upcoming section of the Teaching From Space website (www.nasa.gov/education/tfs) that promotes K-12 STEM topics on the ISS. The intent is for teachers to be able to utilize the videos as complements to classroom lessons. The Space Sports demo previously completed by Dan has been posted to the Spaced Out Sports website http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/spacedoutsports.asp
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): “Don, on 2/10 you completed this educational experiment successfully. The artist professors watching the scene were very satisfied. They very much appreciated your effort to make better sounds because of micro-g. Thank you very much.”
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): GEOFLOW-II science runs resumed on GMT045 after the issues last week with the FSL Video Management Unit (VMU). Some no-rotations runs were performed. A couple of the scientific setpoints were skipped due to the PID control and some thermal gradient deviations were observed, but runs were mostly completed and are continuing. [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 5093 images to-date. The most recent HICO images include several parts of Australia’s coastline, Cape Town, South Africa and the coast near Concepcion, Chile. RAIDS is collecting secondary Science data including nighttime atmospheric disk photometry, spectra and temperatures. Extreme Ultra Violet airglow spectroscopy and optical contamination studies will also be performed.
HydroTropi (Hydrotropism & Auxin-Inducible Gene Expression in Roots Grown under Microgravity Conditions/JAXA): No report.
ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.
ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): “”Dan, a quick look at your Holter data indicated that the data quality was good. Thanks much! All, since your on-orbit durations will now be more standard (i.e., ~6 months), FD135 and R-15 will no longer coincide. This will make sessions at both points far enough apart to be unique, so the number of expected sessions has gone back to five. We didn’t have anything to do with the extension of your stay, but ICV is happy to spend more quality science time with you!”
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, you successfully completed contacts with Kochi Gakuen Kochi Junior High School, Kochi, Japan and the Louisville Astronomical Society in Louisville, Kentucky. Thank you! ISS Ham statistics to date: 32 for Inc 29/30; 11 for the Exp 29 crew (10 for Burbank, 1 for Shkaplerov); 4 for the Exp 30 crew (2 each for Kuipers and Pettit); 10 in 2012; and 700 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): 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 and Don for your great work on the MARES activities. Investigations are on-going at the time of writing related to the Y-guides friction measurements and the Main Box Ethernet connection.”
Matryoshka-2 (RSA): No report.
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
MDCA/Flex-2: “Don: Excellent job installing the MDCA Boot Selector inside the Combustion Chamber on 2/13. For your first on-orbit access of the chamber, you made great time. Also, we found your “portable sleeves” to be very entertaining!” The MDCA Boot Selector causes the MDCA Avionics Package processor to boot in a limited mode that allows us to communicate with it. After the MDCA Boot Selector was installed, we powered up CIR and performed a successful ping test with the MDCA Avionics Package. This successful ping test confirms our speculation that the MDCA boot parameters are corrupted. Next week, we will work with Dan to install the new boot loader onto the MDCA Avionics Package; this new boot loader self-checks for corrupt boot parameters and reloads them if necessary. As a result, it will be transparent if the boot parameters become corrupted again in the future.
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 re-enabled the ReflectArray experiment on 2/14 now that the current Beta angle has lowered temperatures for the Passive Experiment Carrier (PEC) nadir tray. The SEUXSE II experiment was disabled for safety reasons for the EVA on 2/16. SEUXSE II was re-enabled on 2/17. 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 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): 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 & Don, you guys rocked on the NEUROSPAT activities. The EEG set-up went so smoothly! The science team confirmed that they saw really good signals in the real-time TM. We look forward to their assessment on the full data set now that all data have been downlinked and passed on. Thanks Andre also for filling out the questionnaire. We hope to get those down soon too.”” [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): “Thanks, Andre, for keeping up with your weekly questionnaire!” [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 care with the ceramic fibers for the pyrometry calibration of the still photos. That will enable our determination of the soot volume fraction in the flames. In the testing on 2/13, which was with 40% methane (diluted with nitrogen), a total of 6 tests were conducted. This included two pyrometry calibrations and 4 standard tests, where the latter included 30 distinct flow conditions including several where the flame was lifting and partially detached from the burner tube. The microgravity flames have been found to be more stable, i.e., resistant to lifting, than anticipated so future testing will focus on smaller burner tubes, and thus higher jet velocities. We’ve seen significant variation in the fan calibration curves, which is why we requested multiple fan calibrations on 2/13 and 2/17. The two fan calibrations that you conducted on 2/13 were nearly identical, but showed readings that were significantly lower than those on 2/9 and slightly higher than those on 2/6. The existing curves, including pre-launch (in 2008) and during the 2009 SPICE ops, all exhibit a very similar shape but are often offset vertically. Thus far, we don’t yet understand the cause of the variation, or even if the variation is in the flow itself or just the readings. Next week’s testing includes 20% ethylene (diluted with nitrogen) and 100% propane, where the tests are focused on lifting (SLICE) and smoke points (SPICE), respectively.”
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): On 2/14, SOLAR and its instruments and all the involved teams celebrated the 4th birthday of SOLAR operations and measurements. Hurray and may it long continue still! New Sun Visibility Window started on 2/15. SOLSPEC measurements were performed nominally. SOLACES in heating mode.
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): After a few tests, 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): 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 a great second run, Andre and Don. And thanks for operating from the Protocol mode to get our ground reaction force data!”
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): No report.
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 2/12 the ground has received 53,178 of ISS CEO frames for review and cataloguing. “That’s just shy of 10,000 frames in one week! Since our last report we have received no new imagery with times corresponding to those of our recent CEO Daily Target Lists. We continue to make videos of your automated camera sessions and post them on our website and on YouTube where they continue to be hot items. The most popular one to date, that we called: “Up the East Coast of North America” collected 95,510 views in just over a week! Both videos created by us and those created by others from the raw imagery, for a variety of applications, continue to spread rapidly across the web. Your awesome panoramic view of the Southeastern USA at Night was published on the NASA/GSFC Earth Observatory website this past weekend. This single frame is from an automated nighttime session used to produce our most popular video mentioned above. Thank you for this breathtaking perspective of this part of our country as viewed from space at night!”
No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 9:41am EST [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 390.4 km
Apogee height – 404.4 km
Perigee height – 376.5 km
Period — 92.36 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0020634
Solar Beta Angle — 17.0 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 87 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 75,936
Time in orbit (station) — 4838 days
Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4125 days
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations—————-
03/09/12 — ATV3 launch — 5:00pm EST
03/18/12 — ATV3 docking — ~9:31pm EST
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————-
