Metabolic Tracking (MT): The crew set up MT hardware and materials for thawing and inoculation. They then injected the thawed inoculum into multiwell BioCells, which were inserted into the NanoRacks Plate Reader-2. NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 is a laboratory instrument designed to detect biological, chemical or physical events of samples in microtiter plates. The Metabolic Tracking investigation evaluates a rapid, low-cost method for assessing the effects of therapeutic compounds in microgravity. The method contributes to development of custom plans for emergency medical treatment for crew members, using primary tissue samples. This investigation also determines the feasibility of developing improved pharmaceuticals in microgravity using a new method to test the metabolic impacts of drug compounds. This could lead to more effective, less expensive drugs.
Genes in Space-5: For the Genes in Space experiment the crew processed samples in the Miniature Polymerase Chain Reaction (miniPCR), and then transferred the data for downlink. The Genes in Space investigation is a winning student-designed experiment that tests whether the polymerase chain reaction can be used to study DNA alterations onboard the ISS. Spaceflight causes many changes to the human body, including alterations in DNA and a weakened immune system. Understanding whether these two processes are linked is important for safeguarding crew health, but DNA technology that can track these changes is relatively untested in space.
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)-9: The crew performed a final inspection of the eight CASIS PCG-9 sample bags for crystal growth and then inserted the sample bags into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return on the SpaceX-14 vehicle. The Wisconsin Crystal Growing Contest-Wisconsin Space Crystal Mission (CASIS PCG 9) investigation provides student researchers the opportunity to explore crystal growth in the microgravity environment of the ISS. Crystals grown without the influence of gravity have shown to contain fewer imperfections and grow to larger sizes. Middle and high school students compete to grow the most perfect ground-based crystal, as judged by experts in the crystallography field. The students who present the crystals with the fewest imperfections have the opportunity to fly their experiments to the space station.
Mouse Stress Defense: The crew temporarily relocated the Mouse Habitat Cage Units from the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) to the Glove Box to perform maintenance on the cage units. They replaced waste collecting equipment and odor filters. Microgravity provokes cellular mechanical stresses and perturbs cellular signaling, leading to reduction of muscle and bone density. To overcome these stresses, one of the promising strategies is to activate Nrf2, a master regulator of antioxidant pathway. Mouse Stress Defense investigates how Nrf2 contributes to effective prevention of space-originated stresses.
TangoLab-2: The crew removed cubes from a card taken out of the TangoLab-2 facility, placed them in ziploc bags and then put them in a General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER). TangoLab-2 is a reconfigurable general research facilities designed for microgravity research and development and pilot manufacturing aboard the ISS.
Multi-Use Variable-G Platform (MVP): The crew rotated the food chambers in each Drosophila module in the MVP today. MVP is used to conduct research in space with a wide variety of sample types, such as fruit flies, flatworms, plants, fish, cells, protein crystals and many others. It includes 2 internal carousels that simultaneously can produce up to 2 g of artificial gravity. Each carousel hosts 6 separate removable experiment modules on each carousel. Video and still imagery, including microscopy, can be included. The platform provides temperature and humidity controls and monitors and records oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Video Upgrade Equipment (VUE): This morning the crew and ground teams were unsuccessful in an attempt to boot up the MSG VUE from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Flash Drive. The software on the flash drive had been updated following an analysis of the results from troubleshooting performed two days ago. The MSG VUE unit failed on March 1st. A replacement VUE will be flown up on the Orbital ATK-9 (OA-9) vehicle.
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Ultrasounds: Today the crew completed routine eye exams using an Ultrasound machine. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order 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.
Solid State Lighting Assembly (SSLA) Installation: This morning the crew installed a SSLA at the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) 1 Deck Starboard location. Over the weekend, the crew reported the General Lighting Luminaire (GLA) at this location had failed providing the opportunity to upgrade the lighting assembly in this location. The SSLA was designed to replace the GLA in order to improve visual acuity and provide a crew health countermeasure for circadian rhythms. To accomplish these goals, SSLAs are designed to operate in three different modes and provide control over the amount of emitted blue light. Blue light impacts melatonin production in humans and controlling its presence can assist with sleep, alertness and performance.
Water Resource Management (WRM) Condensate Sample Collection: Today the crew collected a condensate sample from the Condensate Sample Port at the Water Recovery System (WSR) 2 Utility Interface Panel (UIP). This procedure captures condensate being collected into the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Waste Tanks and contains the most recently collected condensate. A regularly scheduled activity, that collection is performed multiple times throughout the expedition to verify proper condensate quality and ensure optimum WRM performance.
Dragon Robotic Operations: Yesterday and overnight, ground controllers completed Monday’s deferred robotics tasks to remove the new Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS), brought up on SpX-14, from the Flight Support Equipment (FSE) stowed on the Enhanced ORU Temporary Platform (EOTP). The failed PFCS (commonly referred to as ‘Trippy’ by flight controllers) was then removed from the P6 Long Spacer and the new PFCS was installed in its place. The new PFCS has been powered up and pressures and temperatures are within expected ranges. Tonight, ground operators will install ‘Trippy’ into the FSE, conduct a Mobile Transporter (MT) translation from Worksite (WS)8 to WS6, and Walkoff the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) from the MT to Node 2.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- Plant Gravity Perception/European Modular Cultivation System On-Board Training
- СОЖ maintenance
- Genes in Space MWA Preparation
- VEG-03F Hardware Deactivation
- Download Pille Dosimeter Readings
- First Inspection of Sample Bags for Crystal Growth
- Genes in Space MELFI Sample Retrieve
- Genes in Space Sample Operations
- Mouse Stress Defense Cage Maintenance Familiarization
- Insertion of PCG-9 Hardware into MELFI
- ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2.
- Remove tape from AstroPi Vis camera lens
- MTT/MSC Installation Review
- P/TV RED Dragon Battery Discharge
- Metabolic Tracking Inoculation Preparation
- Genes in Space Payload Message Record
- Water Resource Management (WRM) Condensate Sample Init
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. Operator Assistance in Preparation for the Experiment
- PMM1SD1 General Lighting Luminaire R&R with a Light
- XF305 Camcorder Setup
- Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Filter Case Attach
- Metabolic Tracking MELFI Metabolic Tracking Group Retrieve
- Metabolic Tracking Biocells Inoculation
- Mouse Stress Defense Cage Maintenance for Micro-G 1
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. Closeout Ops (Operator)
- Water Resource Management (WRM) Condensate Sample Terminate
- Rack Retention Net R&R
- IMS Update
- Plant Gravity Perception/European Modular Cultivation System Maintenance Work Area Configuration
- ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE. Hardware Setup and Activation.
- Cold Stowage Double Coldbag Icebrick Stow
- Metabolic Tracking Plate Reader Insertion/Removal
- Metabolic Tracking Session Cleanup
- Photo/TV RED Dragon Battery Discharge Swap 1
- Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
- TV Conference With the participants of the symposium “Biofabrication in Space: New Opportunities for Biological Experiments” (Ku + S-band)
- Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On
- APEX-06 On-Board Training
- Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
- Installation of additional fans to improve thermal conditions of SM Electric Power Supply units 800А.
- FAZOPEREXOD. Prepare.
- Space Automated Bioproduct Lab, CO2 Meter Setup
- APEX-06 Procedure Review#1
- Mouse Stress Defense Cage Cleaning
- Photo/TV RED Dragon Battery Discharge Swap 2
- Food Acceptability Questionnaire – Subject
- Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Deployment Operations
- Genes in Space Sample End
- Replacement of urine receptacle (МП) and filter-insert (Ф-В) in АСУ. [АСУ] Activation after Replacement
- Early Mission Debrief Conference
- Genes in Space Sample Remove
- EarthKAM Node 1 85MM Lens Change- Russian
- Genes in Space MELFI Sample Retrieve
- Genes in Space Sample Operations
- Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus
- Plant Gravity Perception/European Modular Cultivation System Procedure Review
- Control valve and the [СКВ1] heating valve [ВН1] position adjustment.
- Multi-use Variable-g Platform Chamber Rotate
- Grab Sample Container (GSC) Sampling Operations
- Public Affairs Office (PAO) Educational Imagery Recording
- Soyuz 738 IRIDIUM phone charge, setup, start charge
- Recharging Soyuz 738 IRIDIUM Phone – Battery Status Check
- Soyuz 738 IRIDIUM Phone Charge, Terminate Charge
- Recharging ИРИДИУМ Satellite Phone
- Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer and Stow
- Genes in Space Sample End
- TangoLab-2 Card Cube Remove
- ИРИДИУМ Phone Charging – charging control
- ИРИДИУМ Phone Charging – End and Disassembly
- P/TV RED Dragon Battery
- TangoLab-2 Glacier Sample Insertion
- Genes in Space Hardware Stow
- Genes in Space MELFI Insert
Completed Task List Activities
- None
Ground Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- LAB CDRA Activation & N3 CDRA Standby
- SpaceX Robotics Cargo Operations
- Metabolic Tracking Support
Three-Day Look Ahead:
- Thursday, 04/12: Dragon Cargo Ops, EMCS PGP Ops, Metabolic Tracking Ops, APEX06 Petri Ops
- Friday, 04/13: MISSE-FF Transfer Tray Install, GIS Ops, Eye Exams, Mouse Stress Defense Ops, Microbial Tracking 2 Ops, Metabolic Tracking Ops
- Saturday, 04/14: Metabolic Tracking Ops, Crew Off-Duty
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”) |
Off |
|
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab |
Operate |
|
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 |
Standby |
|
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab |
Operate |
|
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 |
Standby |
|
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) |
Process |
|
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) |
Standby |
|
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab |
Full Up |
|
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 |
Off |