Expedition 68 Thread

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/astro_wakata/status/1607080057431810049

It passed over Japan a little while ago on Christmas night. The area around Tokyo was also very bright and shining. It's a little bit more this year. Let's do our best again this week!

https://twitter.com/astro_wakata/status/1607059041980645377

Hello Cape Town! We flew over the beautiful city earlier today. Merry Christmas to you all!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/tgmetsfan98/status/1606334250785116160

As the ISS program pivots into 2023, it faces a damaged Soyuz spacecraft and the effects of the war in Ukraine.

But it also gets new solar panels and new crew and cargo spacecraft to support humanity's orbiting lab.

By Joseph Navin (@josephanavin):

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/12/iss-2022-roundup/

New spacecraft, new firsts, new hardware – International Space Station wraps up a busy and historic 2022
written by Joseph Navin
December 23, 2022

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1607496330821382144

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/JAXA_Kiboriyo/status/1607571926863708160

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1607721951149129731

[ddspaceman]

GT: Please take a look!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1607676228705865729

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1607864224700682241

[ddspaceman]

GT: You can also see the Subaru Telescope at the top of Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1607864991662628864

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/esa/status/1608085356112498688

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/NASA_Marshall/status/1607869980036456449

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/benefits-2022-book

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1608151284682731520

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1608120779530444801

[ddspaceman]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/20/2022


Bill Keeter Posted on December 20, 2022

Payloads:

Veg-05: The crew checked on the plant pillows, added water as necessary, and performed a wick opening on the plant pillows. The wick opening allows the seeds to be assessed for germination and gives them more room to grow during the 100+ day growth cycle. The Veg-05 investigation is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space. A healthy, nutritious diet is essential for long-duration exploration missions, which means that the typical pre-packaged astronaut diet may need to be supplemented by fresh foods during flight. The Veggie Vegetable Production System (Veggie) has begun testing aboard the ISS to help meet this need, and leafy greens have successfully been grown in spaceflight. The research of Veg-05 expands crop variety to dwarf tomatoes and focuses on the impact of light quality and fertilizer on fruit production, microbial food safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the crew, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space.

Systems:

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation Activities: In preparation for the tomorrow’s 4A ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IRSOA) Install EVA, the crew completed tool configuring, tool audit, EVA battery operations, and equipment lock preparations. The crew then reviewed all detailed procedures and reference packages before finally participating in a conference with ground teams to further discuss final operations, get ahead tasks, and the EVA timeline. During this EVA, the crew will install an IROSA to the 4A power channel on the port truss of the ISS in order to generate more power to the ISS.

Completed Task List Activities:

    None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

    Rollback The IOS On Router NR-ATL-ISO-1
    ESA HOSC MPLS Backbone Maintenance
    WIS Ops – RFID Off
    SPDM Unstow and Stow
    JEMRMS Deactivation
    MT Translation Ops

[ddspaceman]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/21/2022

Bill Keeter Posted on December 21, 2022

USOS 4A ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Install Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Replan: Today’s EVA was cancelled and will be rescheduled for tomorrow December 22nd. This morning, as the crew and ground teams prepared for today’s EVA, updated tracking data on space debris showed a close approach to station. Based on the data and per Flight Rules, the flight control team aborted the EVA and executed a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM). The maneuver used the Roscosmos Progress 81 thrusters to provide an extra measure of distance away from the predicted track of the debris. Thruster firing occurred at 7:42 AM CST. The burn duration was 10 minutes and 21 seconds with a Delta-V of 1.0 m/s. The ISS is now in a nominal configuration.

Payloads:

Plant Habitat: The crew gathered four carbon dioxide bottles, removed the vent valves, and prepared them for return on SpX-26. Plant Habitat will be used to support the Plant Habitat-03 experiment in the near future. Plants exposed to environmental stress, including spaceflight, undergo epigenetic changes that involve adding extra information to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) rather than changing existing information. Epigenetic Adaptation to the Spaceflight Environment – Accumulated Genomic Change Induced by Generations in Space (Plant Habitat-03) assesses whether epigenetic adaptations in one generation of plants grown in space can transfer to the next generation. This investigation could help identify genetic elements that increase the adaptability of plants to spaceflight, a first step toward developing cultivars better suited to provide food, air, and water purification in life support systems on future space missions.

Systems:

Cargo Operations: The crew continued cargo transfer operations between the ISS and both SpX-26 Dragon Cargo Vehicle and the Cygnus NG-18 cargo vehicle. SpX-26 is scheduled to remain at the ISS until early January before it departs the ISS to bring back science payloads and other cargo to Earth while NG-18 is scheduled to remain at the ISS until the end of January before it departs the ISS for an eventual destructive re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Completed Task List Activities:

    WHC-KTO-REPLACE (GMT 354)

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

    EVA ISLE Prep Operations
    PDAM

[ddspaceman]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/22/2022

Bill Keeter Posted on December 22, 2022

USOS 4A ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Install Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Today, Frank Rubio (EV-1) and Josh Cassada (EV-2) conducted USOS EVA #83. The main goal of this EVA was to install and deploy the 4A IROSA to augment power generation for the 4A power channel on the station’s port truss structure. Hatch opening occurred at 7:17 AM CT. The final Phased Elapsed Time (PET) from today’s EVA was 7 hours and 8 minutes and the crew completed the following objectives:

    P4 Cable Routing
    Release FSE Beam
    Release IROSA From FSE
    Install IROSA on P4 4A Mast Canister
    Connect IROSA Electrical Connectors
    Deploy P4 4A IROSA

Payloads:

Veg-05: The crew checked on the germination status of the seeds in the twelve plant pillows and added water as necessary. The experiment is currently on day eight of the 100+ day growth cycle. The Veg-05 investigation is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space. A healthy, nutritious diet is essential for long-duration exploration missions, which means that the typical pre-packaged astronaut diet may need to be supplemented by fresh foods during flight; the Veggie Vegetable Production System (Veggie) has begun testing aboard the ISS to help meet this need, and leafy greens have successfully been grown in spaceflight. The research of Veg-05 expands crop variety to dwarf tomatoes and focuses on the impact of light quality and fertilizer on fruit production, microbial food safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the crew, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space.

Systems:

Robotic Operations in Support of 4A IROSA Install EVA: Today, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) was used in support of USOS EVA #83. The Articulating Portable Foot Restraint (APFR) was attached to the SSRMS and assisted EV-2 with the translation of the IROSA from the Flight Support Equipment (FSE) beam to the mod kit on the station’s 4A port truss structure. The SSRMS is a 7-Degree of Freedom (DOF) robotic manipulator that provides capability for free-flyer capture, payload handling, EVA support, and video surveying.

Completed Task List Activities:

    None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

    EMU Data Recorder Operations
    CCS S-band TLM HK1 Preempt
    EVA EMU ISLE Operations
    HD EMU Camera Operations
    PPS IROSA Safing

[ddspaceman]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/23/2022


Bill KeeterPosted on December 23, 2022

Payloads:

All Solid-State Lithium-ion Battery (AS LiB) and Small PL Multi-purpose Controller-2 (MCU-2): The AS LiB and MCU-2 were installed on the appropriate components on the Exposed Facility Unit-2 (EFU-2) in preparation for return to the external environment. AS LiB is designed to have a broad operating temperature range from -40 ℃ to 120 ℃ and adopts flame-retardant materials that carry only a minimal risk of ignition, smoking, and rupture. These features seek to help reduce the size and weight as well as power usage of equipment to be used under harsh space environment conditions, such as exposure to cosmic vacuum and radiation. 

Causal Analysis of Cardiorespiratory Coupling on the ISS (Cardiobreath): After donning the BioMonitor sensor garment and setting up the appropriate hardware, the crew performed a Cardiobreath experiment session. Astronauts experience changes in their cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems during spaceflight, which can affect their capacity to exercise and to maintain blood pressure when standing after return to Earth. Cardiobreath studies the combined effects of cardiovascular and respiratory adaptations on blood pressure regulation during spaceflight. Results could provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of these adaptations on long-duration missions. In addition, support development of methods for assessing cardiovascular and respiratory effects on blood pressure before and after spaceflight.

Human Research Facility (HRF) Veggie: Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaires were completed by the crew. The Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System investigation is a phased research project that includes Veg-04A, Veg-04B, Veg-05, HRF Veg, and HRF Veggie POMS questionnaires. This work addresses the need for a system to produce healthy, fresh food on future long-duration exploration missions to supplement the standard pre-packaged astronaut diet. HRF Veg uses both psychological surveys and crew evaluations of the flavor and appeal of plants grown for other investigations on the ISS. This focuses on the overall behavioral health benefits to crew members of having various plants and fresh food in space.

Intelligent Space System Interface Flight Qualification Experiment (iSSIFQE, aka Smart One): The Smart One experiment hardware was removed from EFU-2 and prepared for return to the ground. iSSIFQE demonstrates the ability of a standardized robotic connector to transfer significant amounts of power, data, and thermal energy in space over an extended period of time. The iSSI units serve as a connector between two entities, both fixed-to-mobile and mobile-to-mobile, including robotic arms, satellites, and assets on the surface of the Moon. Standardization lowers the cost and increases the reusability and lifetime of space systems.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation-Asymmetric Sawtooth and Cavity-Enhanced Nucleation-Driven Transport (PFMI-ASCENT): The crew exchanged the science ampoules for the ongoing PFMI-ASCENT experiment. PFMI-ASCENT demonstrates a passive cooling system for electronic devices in microgravity using a microstructured surface. When fluids boil over flat heated surfaces in microgravity, vapor bubbles grow larger in size, causing poor heat transfer that can lead to damage of devices. Adding microscopic rachets on the surface may passively enable mobility of vapor bubbles and prevent this damage.

Systems:

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge: The crew recharged the EMU feedwater tanks to satisfy maintenance requirements for on-orbit stowage, using iodinated water from a Contingency Water Container – Iodinated (CWC-I). After the recharge, a small quantity of water was dumped from the feedwater tanks to provide ullage for condensate collection during the next EMU prebreathe. The EMU is the suit that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a crewmember during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA).

Post EVA Tasks: The crew began with deconfiguration of the Airlock (A/L) and prepared EMUs for long term stowage. Following that activity, the crew stowed the Modular Mini WorkStations (MWSs), tethers, and tools that were used for the 3A/4A ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Install EVAs. Finally, the crew participated in an EVA debrief conference with ground teams to discuss the successful completion of US EVA #83 and any questions pertaining to issues that arose during the EVA.

Completed Task List Activities:

    None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

    HD EMU Camera Operations File Transfers
    EMU Data Recorder Operations
    EVA Debrief Conference
    EMU Water Recharge
    JEMAL Depressurization and Vent
    PPS SSU Shunt Test

[ddspaceman]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/27/2022


Bill Keeter Posted on December 27, 2022

   
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Payloads:

NanoRacks Module-89 (Moon Gallery): Module-89 was removed from NanoRacks MainFrame A and stowed. NanoRacks Module-89 houses the Moon Gallery experiment that evaluates the performance of a single-board computer platform with a high-quality camera in the space station’s radiation environment. Photos and videos taken with the camera become part of an art installation known as the Moon Gallery. The camera could be used in future space platforms and science hardware.

NanoRacks Module-9: Designated Mixture Tubes were activated and deactivated per Operations 3 protocol. NanoRacks Module-9 is a module containing a complement of Mixture Tubes. These Mixture Tubes each contain a separate experiment that can be activated and deactivated while in zero-G. Tubes are a low-cost, high-return science opportunity for students to send experiments to ISS and encompass a wide range of science/disciplines. Mixture Tubes are popular with middle and high school science programs and have been used by private company research, technical schools, and individual research.

NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Mission-24 (NRCSD-24): NRCSD-24 deployers were installed on the JEMAL Slide Table (ST). NRCSD-24 Is an external deployer that is installed in the JEM airlock and robotically placed in the deploy configuration using the JEMRMS. NRCSD-24 will be deploying eight different satellites: DanteSat which is a deorbiting drag sail study; TJREVERB, developed by Thomas Jefferson High school will measure the strength of iridium signals; MARIO is a Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator experiment; NUTSat uses an ADS-B receiver to demonstrate and enhance commercial aviation safety technology; LORIS will provide detailed views of the Nova Scotia peninsula and its surrounding shorelines; ORCASat will demonstrate technology to calibrate optical telescopes; SPORT will study the effects of space weather in the upper atmosphere and its effects on communication; PetitSat will study local plasma density enhancements and buoyancy waves in the 380-420 km altitude.

OVOSPACE: OVOSPACE was removed from NanoRacks MainFrame A and stowed. How microgravity influences ovarian cell (Theca and Granulosa) maturation and development is an open question, and a scarcely investigated issue. The Modulation of Granulosa and Theca Cells Activity in Microgravity: Consequences for Human Health and Reproduction (OVOSPACE) investigation studies how the microgravity environment can impair ovary function and the physiological development of living beings. Given the objectives of human colonization of the Moon, this task assumes a critical importance in planning future programs of human settlement in space.

Systems:

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub: The crew performed ionic and particulate filtration (scrubbing) and biocidal maintenance (iodination) of EMUs 3004 and 3013 as well as Airlock (A/L) cooling water loops. Conductivity readings and a water sample were taken from the cooling loop following the 70-minute scrub. Finally, crew terminated, deconfigured, and checked out the EMUs. EMU loop scrubs are required preventative maintenance needed to remove any chemical and biological contaminants from the EMU cooling loop. The EMU is and independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for the crewmember to perform an EVA in Earth orbit.

Toilet Conductivity Monitor Troubleshooting: The crew ran various troubleshooting activities to recover the Toilet Conductivity Monitor with a goal to reach a conductivity reading of at least 46.8 mS/cm as seen on Crew Conductivity Monitor (CCM). Crew first powered on the toilet, then plugged in urine hose, performed concussive tapping, and finally shook the hardware while dosing. In order to address a capability gap for robust, low consumables, low profile human metabolic waste management system for future space exploration vehicles, NASA authorized the development of the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), now known simply as ‘Toilet.’ The toilet troubleshooting was unsuccessful in the end. Teams did not see conductivity sensor readings above the threshold and per the plan; the crew put the toilet into dormancy mode.

Completed Task List Activities:

    None

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

    EMU Data Recorder Operations
    HD EMU Camera Operations File Transfers
    EVA EMU Cooling Loop Scrub Operations
    Regenerative ECLSS OGA Cell Stack Scan

[ddspaceman]

https://twitter.com/csa_asc/status/1608172706242912256

https://twitter.com/VoyagerSH/status/1608237403877134336

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[ddspaceman]