ISS Daily Summary Report – 6/19/2017

Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) External Payload: Over the weekend, Robotic ground controllers maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) to remove the ROSA payload from the Dragon Trunk and position it at the ROSA Nominal Dynamics Operations position. When at this position, the controllers mated the Orbital Replaceable Unit Tool Changeout Mechanism 2 umbilicals to the ROSA payload, applied power to it and performed the initial ROSA checkouts. They then commanded the ROSA wing to fully deploy and began the planned dynamics experiments. ROSA is a new type of solar panel that is more compact than current rigid panel designs. The ROSA investigation tests deployment and retraction, array shape changes when the Earth blocks the sun, and other physical challenges to determine the array’s strength and durability.

NanoRacks Module 9: The crew activated mixture tubes in support of the NanoRacks-National Center for Earth and Space Science-Casper (NanoRacks-NCESSE-Casper) investigation.  NCESSE supports various schools and student-designed experiments that address challenges of living and working in space. The program is also a key initiative for U.S. science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that strives to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to work on the space program.  The specific investigations supported today include Growth and Development of Fathead Minnows in Microgravity, Does the structure of a fairy shrimp change in microgravity? and Soybean Germination in Microgravity. 

Microbial Tracking-2:  The crew collected body samples in support of the Microbial Tracking-2 investigation.  Microbial Tracking-2 monitors the different types of microbes that are present on ISS over a 1 year period through surface and air sampling.  After the samplings are returned to Earth, a molecular analysis of the RNA and DNA will be conducted to identify the specific microbes that are present on ISS to understand the microbial flora diversity and how it changes over time.

Rodent Research-5 (RR-5) Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for OsteoporosisIn support of upcoming Bone Densitometer measurements for the RR-5 investigation, the crew changed out the Imaging unit on the Bone Densitometer and calibrated the hardware.  The Bone Densitometer device measures the density of minerals in bone. Quantitative measures of bone loss in mice during orbital space flight provide data for the development of countermeasures for human crewmembers, as well as for bone-loss syndromes on Earth.  

Cardiac Stem Cells:  The crew changed out the media in one of the BioCell Habitats.  Cardiac Stem Cells investigates how microgravity affects stem cells and the factors that govern their activity to clarify the role of stem cells in cardiac biology and tissue regeneration.  This investigation also supports research into the possible acceleration of the aging process in microgravity.  

NanoRacks Module-70:  The crew removed NanoRacks Module-70 sample from a General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER) and installed it in the Nanoracks Platform-2 in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).  Module-70 is an educational research project designed to study the effects of radiation damage to synthetic DNA for gene regions that code for a human antibody. The experiment will make copies of the synthetic DNA samples at certain time-points during the mission using a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA will be returned for study of strand break analysis. The experiment is from the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) School of Life Science in Beijing, China. 

Seedling Growth 3: The first of two six-day growth sessions were completed today. The crew removed Experiment Containers from the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS), processed the samples, and stowed them in the Minus Eighty degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return to the ground.  One of the samples could not be processed nominally but was also placed in the MELFI for return.  Seedling Growth-3 is the third part of the Seedling Growth Experiment series, using the plant Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the effects of gravity on the cellular signaling mechanisms of light sensing in plants (phototropism), and to investigate cell growth and proliferation responses to light stimulation under microgravity conditions.

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

  • Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
  • Microbial Tracking-2 Body Sample Collection
  • Microbial Tracking-2 Saliva Sample MELFI Insert
  • Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Configuration Change 1
  • Rodent Research Node 2 Camcorder Video Setup
  • On MCC Go SM Rodnik БВ2 Water Tank Bladder Compression
  • Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
  • Microbial Tracking-2 Body Sample Collection
  • Preventive Maintenance of Sealing Mechanisms of АСП Hatch in the SM and [AСА] Hatch in Progress 436
  • Glacier # Sample Remove
  • Microbial Tracking-2 Body Sample MELFI Insert
  • Unpacking of First Priority and USOS Cargo Items from Progress 436 (SM Aft) and IMS Update
  • Seedling Growth-3 Maintenance Work Area Preparation.
  • Seedling Growth-3 Maintenance Work Area Configuration.
  • Seedling Growth 3 TCU removal
  • Group Combustion Module (GCM)  Gas Bottle Unit Air (GBU) Change
  • NanoRacks Module-70 Removal from Glacier
  • NanoRacks Platform-2 Module-70 Install 2
  • Cardiac Stem Cells SABL Insertion
  • Group Combustion Module (GCM)  Gas Bottle Unit Air (GBU) Leak Check
  • СОЖ maintenance
  • Seedling Growth-3 Camcorder Setup
  • Seedling Growth-3 Run 1 EC Removal from EMCS Rotor B
  • Seedling Growth-3 Sample Processing of ECs from Rotor B Run 1
  • Seedling Growth-3 Sample Processing with FixBox Rotor B Run 1
  • On MCC Go Closeout Operations with SM Rodnik БВ2 Water Tank Bladder Compression
  • BIOPOLYMER. Photography
  • Photography of Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring Unit (БКДО) Position on MRM2 from SM Window #13 (Preparation)
  • Rodent Research Habitat 2 Water Check
  • Seedling Growth-3 Run 1 EC Removal from EMCS Rotor A
  • Seedling Growth-3 Sample Processing of ECs for Rotor A Run1
  • Seedling Growth-3 Sample Processing with FixBox Rotor A Run 1
  • Photography of Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring Unit (БКДО) Position on MRM2 from SM Window #13
  • Photography of Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring Unit (БКДО) Position on MRM2 from SM Window #13. Closeout Operations
  • ИП-1 Sensors Installation Monitoring
  • Seedling Growth-3 Experiment Container Install
  • Cardiac Stem Cells Media Change 1 BioCell Habitat
  • Seedling Growth 3 TCU insertion
  • Seedling Growth-3 Post-Sample Processing Cleanup
  • Increment 50 Plaque Hanging

Completed Task List Items

  • ESA Active Dosimeter Area Monitoring [Completed GMT 168]
  • Extravehicular Activity Extravehicular Mobility Unit Television Install [GMT169]
  • EVA Wire Tie Audit [GMT169]
  • Housekeeping Procedure Print [GMT169]
  • Bogen Arm Repair [GMT169]
  • ESA Active Dosimeter Area Monitoring [GMT169]
  • Extravehicular Activity Extravehicular Mobility Unit Television Install [GMT169]

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

  • Bone Densitometer ORU changeout
  • ROSA Ops

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

  Component

Status

Elektron

On

Vozdukh

Manual

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

Off          

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

On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab

Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3

Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab

Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3

Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)

Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)

Process

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab

Full up

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3

Off

Three-Day Look Ahead:

  • Wednesday, 06/21: CBEF cleaning/Rodent Research ops, NanoRacks Module 52 status check, Microbial air sampling
  • Thursday, 06/22: METEOR hard drive swap, Rodent Research ops, Tangolab Card 1 removal
  • Friday, 06/23: Microbial Tracking 2 ops, StemCell media change, SPHERES Halo run