NASA ISS On-orbit Status 25 March 2013
International Space Station (ISS) Management Center (IMC) Daily Summary Report
Increment 34 Operations – Stage 35-3
03/25/13 4:00 pm Central Daylight Time (CDT)
084/21:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
New Status:
SpaceX-2 Dragon Cargo Transfers and Departure Preparation: Commander (CDR) Chris Hadfield and Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Tom Marshburn loaded five full coldbags and an active GLACIER with returning science samples into the Dragon vehicle forward rack, and at 8:25 am CDT closed the Dragon hatch. Afterwards they configured the Dragon Pressurized Segment for closeout by removing utility jumpers, and installing required hardware needed prior to Dragon Vestibule depressurization and Dragon demate. CDR Hadfield completed Node 2 Nadir Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Installation, which is required for Mission Control Center – Houston (MCC-H) to perform the Node 2 Nadir CBM preparation for Dragon demate. Dragon is scheduled to unberth from the ISS at 6:06 am CDT tomorrow.
Previous Status (3/22/13)
SpaceX-2 Unberth Delay: The SpaceX Dragon vehicle unberth and departure from ISS was scheduled for Monday March 25th but has been deferred due to rough seas predicted at the splash-down location. The new unberth and departure date is Tuesday March 26, 2013.
On-board Training (OBT) for Emergency Response: All 3 crewmembers participated in this training. The crew physically translated through ISS to the appropriate response locations to visualize the use of station equipment and interfaces; practiced procedure execution and associated decision making based on cues provided by the simulator; and practiced communication and coordination with Mission Control Center-Houston (MCC-H) and MCC-Moscow (M) as required for a given emergency scenario.
Crystal Growth of Alloy Semiconductor Under Microgravity (Alloy Semiconductor): Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Marshburn installed the 5 alloy cartridges into the Gradient Heating Furnace (GHF) of the Kobairo rack for the start of the Alloy Semiconductor experiment. He will then conduct the first insulation resistance test. This investigation aims to understand how semiconductor materials grow and crystallize in microgravity by looking at crystal growth factors of a high-quality bulk alloy semiconductor such as (1) solute transport in liquid and (2) the dependence of growth kinetics on surface orientation under microgravity and terrestrial conditions. The materials studied are known to be useful as devices which convert heat into electricity (thermoelectrics).
Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixture 3 (CSLM-3) Experiment: Commander (CDR) Hadfield initiated the vacuum vent start in preparation for the 6th and final run tomorrow of this experiment. Samples will be returned on SpaceX-2. CSLM-3 is a materials science investigation that studies the growth and solidification processes (i.e., coarsening) in lead-tin solid-liquid mixtures that contain a small amount of tin branch-like (dendrite) structures, some of which possess many arms. During sample heating, the growth at the tip of each dendrite continues over time, whereas side branches, behind the tip, develop during constant temperature conditions. By understanding how temperature and time control the growth of such dendrites, researchers hope to develop more efficient and economical means of producing higher quality products derived from the casting of molten metals.
ENERGY Experiment: Marshburn participated in a conference with the Ground in preparation for the start of this experiment next week. A loss in astronauts’ body mass is a systematic observation during space flight. The aim of ENERGY is to measure changes in energy balance during long term space flight; measure adaptations in the components of the Total Energy Expenditure (consumption); and to derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts.
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit (CUCU): In preparation for SpaceX-2 unberth, Hadfield powered up and conducted a checkout of the COTS UHF CUCU and Dragon Crew Command Panel (CCP).
Today’s Planned Tasks
• Reaction self-test [Complete]
• Double Cold Bag (DCB) – packing for return [Complete]
• SM ПСС (Caution & Warning Panel) Test (after breakfast) / Manual Controls [РСУ] [Complete]
• Reboot Laptop RS2(1) / Onboard Computer System (БВС) [Complete]
• Reload Laptop RSS1, RSS2 / r/g 1009 step 1 [Complete]
• Inspect connector СМ-У on МНР-НС behind panel 139 of АСУ [Complete]
• DCB – return equipment transfer [Complete]
• АСУ replacement / r/g 1872 [Complete]
• GLACIER- deinstall and transfer for return [Complete]
• GLACIER- video during equipment transfer [Complete]
• DRAGON. Transfer ops [Complete]
• GLACIER Dragon status check [Complete]
• DRAGON. Transfer ops [Complete]
• Dragon transfer ops tag-up [Complete]
• Dragon Egress in Preparation for Departure [Complete]
• Dragon – HATCH CLOSURE [Complete]
• Dragon Vestibule Configuration for Demate [Complete]
• Preparation for S/W update on RS1, RS2, RS3 r/g 1876 [Complete]
• Procedure review for 800А unit replacement (А75) on FGB r/g 1868 [Complete]
• Node 2 Nadir CBM Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Installation [Complete]
• СОЖ maintenance [Complete]
• Progress 418 transfer ops and IMS updates/ r/g 1534 [Complete]
• ISS- HAM radio pass [Complete]
• MPC Playback Start [Complete]
• Fan B3 screen cleaning in MRM2 / [СОТР] [Complete]
• Reaction self-test
• MPC Playback Stop [Complete]
• Reaction self-test
Task List
• IMS edit
• SSC data gather (FE-6)
• SSC data gather (CDR)
• WHC KTO Replace
• WHC EDV R&R
• Roscosmos Report
• Uragan Photo
• EKON Photo
• IWIS photo
• Journals Nominal Entry (FE-6) [Complete]
• 50P Trash Gather
• ATV Target Search
• CHeCS rack reorg
• CTB 1260 Cleanup
• IFM-caps/plugs sort
• ISS ext survey – JEM
• ISS ext survey – MRM
• P/TV contacts clean
• PCS Battery Changeout
• SSC Yellow Tag Removal
Ground
• Nominal Commanding
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 3/26: SpX-2 Unberth, BCAT, Energy Setup
Wednesday, 3/27: Energy-Day 1, CSLM stow, Reaction
Thursday, 3/28: 34S launch/dock, Energy-Day 2, Reaction
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component
Status
Elektron
Off
Vozdukh
On
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)
On
[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)
Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab
Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3
Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab
Failed
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3
Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)
Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)
Standby
