Author Topic: Expedition 68 Thread (Read 167163 times)

ddspaceman · « **Reply #940 on:** 01/09/2023 11:35 pm »

Science-Packed Dragon Cargo Craft Undocks from Station

Mark Garcia Posted on January 9, 2023

After receiving commands from flight controllers on the ground, the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the zenith port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 5:05 p.m. At the time of undocking, the station was flying about 259 miles over the Pacific Ocean.

The Dragon spacecraft successfully departed the space station after arriving at the orbiting laboratory a little over one month ago to deliver about 4,400 pounds of scientific investigations and supplies.

After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 11. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.

Dragon arrived at the space station Nov. 27, following a launch one day prior on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/01/09/science-packed-dragon-cargo-craft-undocks-from-station/

ddspaceman · « **Reply #941 on:** 01/09/2023 11:35 pm »

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1612576058288623641

ddspaceman · « **Reply #942 on:** 01/10/2023 12:10 am »

ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/06/2023

Bill Keeter Posted on January 6, 2023

Payloads:

BioNutrients-2: BioNutrients-2 Production Bags was removed from SABL and placed into cold stowage MELFI-3. BioNutrients demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods. Specially designed storage/growth packets are intermittently activated by astronauts over a five-year period, then frozen and returned to Earth for examination.

JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-24 (J-SSOD-24): Photographs were taken of the satellite deployments. Satellites are deployed. J-SSOD is a mechanism for deploying small satellites. It is designed in accordance with CubeSat design specification (10cm×10cm×10cm). The satellites installed in J-SSOD are transferred from the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo’s airlock to space and are released on orbit. J-SSOD is composed of the Satellite Install Cases, Separation Mechanism, and Electrical Box.

Micro Monitor: Two ambient water samples (100 ml and 250 ml) were collected from the Portable Water Dispenser (PWD) for post-flight analysis. Development of the On-board Monitoring System for Microorganisms in Potable Water on Manned Spacecraft (Micro Monitor) examines a high-performance, real-time system for monitoring spacecraft water systems. It uses an ultraviolet light and a fluorescence detector to measure microbes in the space station’s potable water and compares results with conventional cultivation methods. This monitoring system could be used on future deep space exploration missions.

NanoRacks Science Box: NanoRacks Science Box was removed from EXPRESS Rack 4 Locker 5. NanoRacks-Black (Science) Box is a key part of NanoRacks’ next generation ISS platforms. This new platform is specially designed to provide near-launch payload turnover of autonomous payloads while providing advanced science capabilities for customers, including the use of robotics, new automated MixStix, and NanoLab-style research. Black (Science) Box is a locker-sized platform that accommodates up to 18U of payloads. Technology Demonstrations on OA-5 NanoRacks-Black (Science) Box include NanoRacks-Valley Christian-Microsoft IoT NanoLab, NanoRacks-Edge of Space-Sphero-SPRK, and NanoRacks Automated MixStix.

Veg-05: Plants were checked, watered if necessary, and any detached tomatoes were collected and weighed. The Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) investigation is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space.

Systems:

Columbus Local Area Network (LAN) Switch (CLSW1) MkII and Patch Panel Installation: Today the crew replaced the CLSW1 MkI with the new CLSW1 MkII and installed relevant Patch Panels in the Starboard Endcone Area. The LAN provides the data interconnections of the Data Management System (DMS) nodes. This supports systems, subsystems, and payloads for communication in the Columbus module.

Dragon Zenith Docking System Hatch Seal Inspection & Cleaning: The crew inspected and cleaned the Dragon Docking System Forward Hatch prior to departure to ensure successful Forward Hatch closure and seal as well as avoid liberated Foreign Object Debris (FOD) compromising International Docking Adaptor (IDA) seal surface during undock. SpX-26 is scheduled to remain at the ISS until January 9th before it undocks to return cargo and payloads to the ground.

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT2) Exam: The crew completed routine OCT eye exams. OCT is an imaging technique analogous to ultrasound imaging that uses light instead of sound to capture micrometer-resolution, two- and three-dimensional images of tissue; in this case, the objects of interest are the crewmembers’ eyes. Eye exams are performed regularly on-board to monitor crewmembers’ eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that may be affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Remote Power Controller Module (RPCM) R&R: Ground teams continued R&R operations from yesterday by removing the spare RPCM from the S12B_C slot and installing it into the S11A_A slot. Following this task, the failed RPCM previously in S11A_A was removed from its temporary stowed location at S14B_H and transferred to S12B_C. The S11A_A RPCM failure occurred on December 9th and caused power to be removed from the S1 Lower Outboard External Television Group ((ETVCG). The RPCM is the workhorse of the secondary power distribution system, containing solid-state or electromechanical switches, known as Remote Power Controllers (RPC). RPCs can be remotely commanded to control the flow of power through the distribution network and to the users.

Completed Task List Activities:

HRF-1 Rack Rotate COL1F4

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

MSS RPCM S11A-A Swap with S12B-C [Active]
PCS Reboot [Active]
CCS Monthly File Downlinks
JEMRMS Status Monitoring
Laptop Preparation for OCT2 Exam
ACS Software Thruster Disable

ddspaceman · « **Reply #943 on:** 01/10/2023 05:19 pm »

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1612821676462325761

ddspaceman · « **Reply #944 on:** 01/10/2023 05:41 pm »

Astronauts Relax after Dragon Leaves, Cosmonauts Study Heart Activity in Space

Mark Garcia Posted on January 10, 2023

Four Expedition 68 astronauts are enjoying Tuesday off after spending the weekend packing a U.S. cargo craft and readying it for departure on Monday. The International Space Station’s three cosmonauts spent their day concentrating on cardiac research while servicing a variety of orbital lab systems.

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship is orbiting Earth following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 5:05 p.m. EST on Monday. Dragon will return about 4,400 pounds of station hardware and scientific cargo when it splashes down off the coast of Florida on Wednesday.

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, and Frank Rubio along with Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) completed loading Dragon a couple of hours before it departed on Monday. The quartet worked over the weekend and into Monday carefully preserving and packing sensitive biological and physical research samples inside Dragon for retrieval and analysis in laboratories on Earth. All four flight engineers relaxed throughout Tuesday taking time off for quick medical checks, watering plants, and calling down to family members.

Meanwhile, the orbiting lab’s three Roscosmos cosmonauts stayed busy Tuesday with their standard research and maintenance schedule.

Commander Sergey Prokopyev partnered with Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin and Anna Kikina taking turns attaching electrodes to themselves to measure their heart activity. Just one of numerous heart studies that have taken place on orbit, the investigation explores how living in space long-term affects the cardiovascular system.

Prokopyev also spent some time dismantling navigation components inside the ISS Progress 81 cargo ship. Petelin explored the physics of fluids exposed to vibrations, magnetic fields, and electric fields in microgravity. Kikina worked on orbital plumbing tasks then photographed crew activities on the station.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/01/10/astronauts-relax-after-dragon-leaves-cosmonauts-study-heart-activity-in-space/

ddspaceman · « **Reply #945 on:** 01/10/2023 05:42 pm »

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1612872138519891969

ddspaceman · « **Reply #946 on:** 01/10/2023 06:58 pm »

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1612894697340522497

ddspaceman · « **Reply #947 on:** 01/10/2023 09:46 pm »

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1612912364801888257

ddspaceman · « **Reply #948 on:** 01/11/2023 12:09 am »

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1612951648531320832

ddspaceman · « **Reply #949 on:** 01/11/2023 12:10 am »

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1612951884997828608

ddspaceman · « **Reply #950 on:** 01/11/2023 12:10 am »

https://twitter.com/Astro_Wakata/status/1612952243891998720

ddspaceman · « **Reply #951 on:** 01/11/2023 12:26 am »

ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/09/2023

Bill Keeter Posted on January 9, 2023

SpaceX-26 Undock and Return: Cargo Dragon SpaceX-26 (SpX-26) undocked from the ISS today at 4:05 PM CT to return cargo and payloads to the ground concluding the 43-day mission aboard the ISS. SpX-26 will complete departure phasing throughout the next day, jettison the Trunk for destructive re-entry, deorbit, and then splash down off the coast of Tampa, Florida on Wednesday January 11th.

Payloads:

Food Physiology: Various samples were gathered, processed, and prepared for return to the ground. The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status During Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) experiment is designed to characterize the key effects of an enhanced spaceflight diet on immune function, the gut microbiome, and nutritional status indicators. These factors are interlinked, but diet is the only one that can be easily and meaningfully altered on Earth or during flight. This investigation aims to document the effect of dietary improvements on human physiology and the ability of those improvements to enhance adaptation to spaceflight.

Moderate Temperature Protein Crystal Growth (MTPCG): Following the end of the crystallization period, the MTPCG samples and support hardware were removed from Freezer-Refrigerator Of STirling cycle-2 (FROST2) and prepared for return on SpX-26 for later analysis. JAXA’s MTPCG investigation is designed to grow high quality protein crystals in microgravity. The crystals are returned to Earth to determine protein structures in detail; the structures are used to develop pharmaceutical drugs and to explore the mystery of our lives. The protein samples were launched to the ISS by a cargo resupply vehicle and crystallized at 20°C using the counter-diffusion method.

ISS: Engineering Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Microtissues with Metabolic Regulators in Space to Promote Cardiomyocyte Maturation (Project EAGLE): A subset of the samples was packed for return so the ground can assess the cold stowage transport method. Culturing human cardiomyocytes or heart cells holds potential for disease modelling and drug discovery. In microgravity, cardiac cells can grow into 3D cultures that have better structural maturation compared with 2D cultures grown on Earth. Project EAGLE grows 3D cultures of cardiomyocytes that could provide a better model of heart disease and improve assessment of therapeutic measures.

TangoLab-3: Cubes LMDA_PAR010 and MAGN_GRW07 were removed from their TangoLab facility cards and prepared for return on SpX-26. These experiment cubes look at artificial retina manufacturing and legume nitrogen fixation in microgravity. The TangoLab facility is a reconfigurable general research facility designed for microgravity research and development (R&D) and pilot manufacturing aboard the ISS.

Veg-05: The young plants growing the two Veggie facilities were inspected, watered if necessary, and photographed. The experiment is growing Red Robin dwarf tomatoes for a little over 3 months and will perform multiple harvests of the fruits produced. The Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) investigation is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space.

Systems:

Cargo Dragon Undock Preparation Activities: Prior to departure, the crew relocated Space Station Computer (SSC) 16 and SSC 27 in support of monitoring tools setup for SpX-26 undocking. The crew verified all straps were securely tightened on all visible cargo and completed the final Cargo Dragon Closeout, as well as loading Double Cold Bags into Cargo Dragon. Finally, the crew configured Cargo Dragon for departure, final egress, and Dragon Hatch closure.

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation Activities: In preparation for the upcoming EVA, the crew reviewed the EVA operations plan using the Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software. DOUG is a 3D viewing tool or graphic engine designed by the Virtual Reality Training Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. DOUG produces mission-specific scene configuration databases that are utilized in major simulations throughout NASA centers. The crew also inspected all Safety and Waist Tethers and D-ring Extenders for structural integrity. In addition, the crew performed a Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Powered Hardware Checkout for glove heaters and Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) TV.

Transfer Cargo Dragon Cargo Operations: Today, the crew completed transferring science experiments and cargo from the ISS to the SpX-26 cargo vehicle. SpX-26 undocked this afternoon to return cargo and payloads to the ground.

Completed Task List Activities:

N/A

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

Dragon SSC Reboot
Dragon Configuration for Departure
SDMS Activation
SPS Power Down
ACS Configuration for Dragon Undocking from PMA3

ddspaceman · « **Reply #952 on:** 01/11/2023 04:22 pm »

Dragon Resupply Ship Splashes Down Returning Critical Science

Mark Garcia Posted on January 11, 2023

SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 5:19 a.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 11, off the coast of Tampa, Florida, marking the return of the company’s 26th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried approximately 4,400 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.

Some of the scientific investigations returned by Dragon include:

Deep space radiation protection: A vest designed to protect astronauts from high doses of radiation caused by unpredictable solar particle events is returning to Earth after months of testing. Crew members wore the Astrorad vest while performing daily tasks and provided feedback about how easy it is to put on, how it fits and feels, and the range of motion possible while wearing it. The vest’s developers plan to use that feedback to improve design of the garment, which could provide radiation protection for astronauts on Artemis missions to the Moon.

Air, water, plants: XROOTS used hydroponic (water-based) and aeroponic (air-based) techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media. Researchers collected video and still images to evaluate growth chambers through the plant life cycle from seed germination through maturity. The plant chambers are returning to Earth for additional analysis. Similar techniques could be used to produce crops for future space missions and to enhance cultivation and food security for the benefit of people on Earth.
Bioprospecting in space: Bioprospecting is the process of identifying plants and animals that may contain substances with potential for use as drugs, biochemicals, and more. Previous studies found that space can cause genetic and physiological changes that could result in microbes yielding such materials. Rhodium Microgravity Bioprospecting-1 studied a way to search for these microbes. The science chambers and temperature logger from the investigation are returning to Earth for further examination.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/01/11/dragon-resupply-ship-splashes-down-returning-critical-science/

ddspaceman · « **Reply #953 on:** 01/11/2023 04:22 pm »

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1613175582602182658

ddspaceman · « **Reply #954 on:** 01/11/2023 04:26 pm »

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1613182317857734658

ddspaceman · « **Reply #955 on:** 01/11/2023 04:32 pm »

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceSci/status/1613203367689392129

ddspaceman · « **Reply #956 on:** 01/11/2023 08:53 pm »

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1613248646522507264

ddspaceman · « **Reply #957 on:** 01/12/2023 07:42 pm »

GT: This is Torii (#Waseda University) in charge of the CALET mission. The main purpose of CALET is to explore the origin of those particles, which are still very mysterious, by capturing elementary particles and nuclei that fly from outer space. It has already been about seven years since the observation started in 2015, and checking the observation status and analyzing the data have become daily tasks.
#Inc68JAXA
https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/kibouser/subject/extravehicular/70511.html

https://twitter.com/JAXA_Kiboriyo/status/1613404497694580736

ddspaceman · « **Reply #958 on:** 01/12/2023 07:44 pm »

ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/11/2023

Bill Keeter Posted on January 11, 2023

Payloads:

Confocal Space Microscope (COSMIC): The crew performed the necessary steps to replace the Light Emitting Diode (LED) fluorescent source in the COSMIC facility. The Confocal Space Microscope (Confocal Microscope) is a JAXA facility that provides fluorescence images of biological samples aboard the ISS. Confocal microscopy uses spatial filtering techniques to eliminate out-of-focus light or glare in specimens with thicknesses exceeding the immediate plane of focus. With the Confocal Microscope, data can be obtained on the fundamental nature of cellular and tissue structure and functions in real-time.

Host Pathogen: Saliva samples were collected in support of the Host Pathogen investigation. Spaceflight-Induced Changes in Microbial Virulence and the Impact to the Host Immune Response (Host Pathogen) analyzes the relationship between the increased microbial virulence and reduced human immune function commonly observed during orbital spaceflight. Researchers assess spaceflight-induced changes in immune status by collecting blood and saliva samples from crew members before, during, and after spaceflight and culturing the immune cells with both “normal” bacteria and bacteria grown under spaceflight analogue conditions. Results are intended to support the assessment of clinical risk to astronauts from infectious microbes as well as the development of countermeasures to restore immune function in astronauts.

Veg-05: The young plants growing in the two Veggie facilities were inspected, watered if necessary, and photographed. The experiment is growing Red Robin dwarf tomatoes for a little over 3 months and will perform multiple harvests of the fruits produced. The Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) investigation is the next step in efforts to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space.

Systems:

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation Activities: In preparation for the upcoming 1A ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) Prep EVA scheduled for January 20th, the crew completed a Hard Upper Torso (HUT) Degas as well as an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub. Following this, the crew performed EMU Checkouts, EMU Water Recharge, and EMU Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment (LVCG) Water Fills. Lastly, the crew configured tools prior to EVA and performed a Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) Checkout. The main goal of this EVA is to route cables on two mod kits and install the 1A Mod Kit on the 1A Solar Array Wing (SAW) Mast Canister to prepare these SAWs for future IROSA installations.

Columbus Local Area Network (LAN) Switch (CLSW1) Operations: Today, the crew finalized Patch Panels 1.1 and 1.2 connections in the Starboard Endcone Area and connected the Columbus Ethernet Switch and AstroPi Vis to Patch Panel 1.2. The LAN provides the data interconnections of the Data Management System (DMS) nodes. This supports systems, subsystems, and payloads for communication in the Columbus module.

Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations: Today, the crew continued cargo transfer operations between the ISS and the Cygnus NG-18 cargo vehicle. These operations included offloading crew provisions and hardware from NG-18. NG-18 is planned to remain at the space station until the beginning of March before it departs the ISS for an eventual destructive re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan: Today, the crew performed eye exams using ultrasound equipment. Eye exams are performed regularly on-board to monitor crewmembers’ eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Completed Task List Activities:

N/A

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

HRF2 Signal Analogue Downlink
EMU Data Recorder Operations [Active]
CCS S-band TLM HK1 Preempt [Active]
PRO MSRR Activation Commanding
PAUL Descent Commanding to Payload while on Dragon

ddspaceman · « **Reply #959 on:** 01/12/2023 08:26 pm »

International Space Station Operations, Soyuz Status Update

Leah Cheshier Posted on January 11, 2023

NASA and Roscosmos are adjusting the International Space Station flight plan after completing an investigation into a coolant leak on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the station.

NASA hosted a joint media briefing Wednesday about the Roscosmos-led investigation to update the public on the Soyuz status and the forward strategy.

As a part of the work, Roscosmos engineers determined the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft is not viable for a normal crew return, but is available for crew return in an emergency aboard the space station. The Soyuz MS-22 will be replaced by the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft that will launch to the space station without a crew on Monday, Feb. 20. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin will return to Earth in the replacement Soyuz after spending several additional months on the station.

NASA has been working with Roscosmos throughout the investigation and will continue to work with its Commercial Crew Program and Canadian, Japanese, and European partners to refine upcoming flight dates over the next several weeks. NASA also continues its discussions with SpaceX regarding the possibility of using the Crew-5 spacecraft to return additional crew in the event of a station emergency prior to the arrival of Soyuz MS-23.

Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX are prepared to launch the Crew-6 mission soon after Soyuz MS-23, incorporating the manifest changes previously mentioned. NASA still plans on having a direct handover between the Crew-5 and Crew-6 missions.

On Dec. 14, 2022, ground teams noticed significant leaking of external coolant from the aft portion of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module on the space station. The Soyuz spacecraft carried Prokopyev, Petelin, and Rubio into space after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sept. 21.

Spacesuits, eye scans, and cargo transfers were the dominant activities aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The seven Expedition 68 crew members also had time for space gardening and scientific hardware maintenance.

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, and Frank Rubio joined each other cleaning cooling loops, checking water, and installing batteries inside a pair of Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), also known as spacesuits, throughout the day. Mann later joined Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) readying tools and hardware for an upcoming spacewalk to prepare the space station for its fourth roll-out solar array.

Cassada then spent the afternoon servicing research samples to support a study exploring how to treat bone wounds and conditions both on Earth and in space. Rubio deployed a pair of Human Research Facility laptop computers before watering tomato plants growing for the Veg-05 space botany study. Wakata replaced cables and light devices on the Confocal space microscope that provides fluorescence imagery of biological samples.

All four astronauts also gathered for a short session of eye scans just before lunchtime using the Ultrasound 2 device inside the Columbus laboratory module. The regularly scheduled exams collect images of an astronaut’s cornea, lens, optic nerve, and retina to help doctors understand how living long-term in weightlessness affects the human eye.

Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin worked inside two different Progress space freighters transferring cargo in and out of the vehicles, as well as updating the station’s inventory management system. Prokopyev also worked on life support gear while Petelin checked out optical hardware and interfaces. Flight Engineer Anna Kikina configured and photographed electronics components then deployed radiation detectors throughout the orbiting lab.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft completed its station resupply mission when it parachuted to a splashdown off the coast of Florida at 5:19 a.m. EST today. The uncrewed Dragon returned about 4,400 pounds of lab hardware and scientific cargo for retrieval and analysis by engineers and researchers on Earth.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/01/11/international-space-station-operations-soyuz-status-update/