ISS Daily Summary Report – 04/18/15

SpaceX (SpX)-6 Ingress/Cargo Transfer: Early this morning the crew opened the hatch and ingressed the Dragon vehicle. They completed vehicle hardware reconfig, unpacked Double Cold Bags (DCBs) and placed them in Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI)-1, Biolab, and MELFI-3 per the Cold Stowage plans. 

Kubik preparation and activation: Cristoforetti configured and performed a checkout of Kubik-5 in support of Cell Shape and Expression. She then installed 6 Nanoparticles and Osteoporosis and 8 Cells Shape and Expression Experiment Containers in KUBIK 5 and started the incubation run.

  • Microgravity and cells: morphotype and phenotype correlation (Cell Shape and Expression) is an Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) payload, sponsored by NASA that aims to provide a reliable experimental model able to highlight the relationships between microgravity, cell shape and gene-expression. Secondary objectives are represented by the possibility to pharmacologically counteract microgravity-induced cell damage by acting at the microenvironmental level. 
  • Nanoparticles Based Countermeasures for Treatment of Microgravity Induced Osteoporosis (Nanoparticles and Osteoporosis) studies how microgravity changes the metabolic environment of bone leading to site-specific alterations in bone remodeling. The purpose of this study is to use strontium containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP-Sr) as a countermeasure to prevent osteoporosis induced by microgravity during space flight. The in vitro biological effect of nHAP-Sr will be evaluated on differentiated human osteoblasts and osteoclasts and during their differentiation process, varying incubation time and dose-dependence in simulated microgravity and during space flight.

Osteocytes and mechano-transduction (Osteo-4): Cristoforetti viewed the Osteo-4 On-Board Training (OBT) video, then configured the Maintenance Work Area (MWA) and Disposable Glovebag prior to performing operations on Tray 1. She removed the three bioreactors from Osteo-4 and stowed them in MELFI.  Each of the trays’ bioreactors will be removed and placed into cold stowage at specified times. The three trays of Osteo-4 are an automated bone cell culture experiment that studies the effects of microgravity on the function of osteocytes, which are the most common cells in bone. These cells reside within the mineralized bone and can sense mechanical forces, or the lack of them, but researchers do not know how. Osteo-4 allows scientists to analyze changes in the physical appearance and genetic expression of mouse bone cells in microgravity.

Study of the Effects of Spaceflight on the Aging of C. elegans (Space Aging): Kelly initiated the Space Aging sample, inserting the experiment into the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) rack in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).  The purpose of the experiment is to study the effects of weightlessness in space flight on the aging of the C. elegans roundworm, a model organism for a range of biological studies. Microgravity causes a number of physiological changes, like heart and bone deconditioning, involving mechanisms that are poorly understood and may affect the rate at which organisms and astronauts age. The Space Aging experiment will grow millimeter-long C. elegans roundworms in microgravity and compare their health and longevity with controlled specimens on Earth.  Videos of the worms on board will be automatically recorded every day in space and transmitted to ground. 

Alterations of C. elegans muscle fibers by microgravity (Nematode Muscle): Kelly began the Nematode Muscle experiment, transferring the samples contained in the starter syringes into the culture bag then transferring the culture bag into the Observation Experiment Unit into CBEF.  The Nematode Muscles experiment investigation seeks to clarify whether C. elegans muscle fibers and cytoskeleton networks are altered in response to microgravity. The investigation also studies whether insulin/IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor -1) signaling is sufficient to account for the alterations using Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) imaging (Figure 2). Wild-type and certain mutants (9 strains) are cultured in both microgravity and 1G centrifuge conditions on board for 4 days starting from each L1 larva. All samples are fixed on board to be analyzed on Earth.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

  • Weekly Housekeeping
  • Cleaning Micropurification Unit (БМП) / SM Atmosphere Revitalization System (СОГС)
  • FGB ЦВ2 Fan Cleaning
  • Inspection of Air Conditioner for moisture / Thermal Mode Control System [СОТР]
  • Vacuum Cleaning MRM1, MRM2, DC1 Dust Filters
  • Crew Quarters (CQ) Door Closing
  • DRAGON – Ingress
  • SpX6 Air Sampling using АК-1М sampler prior to Air Duct Installation  r/g 8541
  • Dragon Hatch Open Photos
  • Dragon Center Stack Transfers
  • DRAG – CTB Retrieval
  • CGBA – Hardware Status Check and Cleaning
  • CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 8358
  • KUB5 – Providing Access
  • Video Camera Assembly (VCA1) Adjustment
  • DRAG – CTB Retrieval
  • PPS – KUBIK 5 Retrieval and Installation
  • DRAG – CTB Retrieval
  • PPS – Hardware Checkout
  • PPS – Temperature Settings
  • DRAGON. Transfer Ops
  • OSTEO4 – Review in preparation for performing the payload activities
  • OSTEO4 – Dragon Transfers
  • PLR – Procedure Review
  • Dragon Cargo Operations Conference
  • KUBIK 5 – Temperature Check and Status Call Down
  • Space Aging (SP) – Insertion into MELFI
  • NANO/CSE – Hardware Setup in KUBIK 6
  • Space Aging (SP) – Sample Preparation
  • Telephone Conference with Rossiyskiy Cosmos Magazine Editor r/g 8570
  • OSTEO4 – Preparation of Maintenance Work Area surface
  • OSTEO4 – Glove Bag Setup
  • NANO/CSE – Hardware Retrieval from KUBIK
  • NEMATODE – Experiment start
  • NATO/CYTO – Sample Insertion into MERLIN
  • OSTEO4 – Removal of Bioreactors
  • Rodent Research (RR) -Insertion into MELFI
  • NANO – Installation of Module-53
  • Rodent Research (RR) –  Crew Conference
  • CONTENT. Experiment Ops / r/g 8549
  • OSTEO4 – Insertion of Bioreactor into MELFI
  • CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 8358

Completed Task List Items

  • None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

  • CUCU deactivation
  • OSTEO-4 activation commanding
  • JEM Cell Biology Exp. Facility file uplink

Three-Day Look Ahead:

  • Sunday, 04/19: Rodents Research transfer, OSTEO4 tray2 ops, OBT Dragon emergency review
  • Monday, 04/20: RR refrigerated centrifuge setup, Nanoparticles/Osteoporosis removal from KUBIK, Nematode Muscles fixation
  • Tuesday, 04/21: OSTEO4 tray ops, RJR surface/air sampling, RR setup/session, Polar to MELFI sample transfer, Fundoscope exam

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

                              Component

Status

Elektron

Off

Vozdukh

Manual

[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)

On

[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)

Off

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab

Operate

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3

Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab

Shutdown

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3

Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)

Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)

Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab

Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3

Full Up