Moon Imagery: Today the crew took photographs of the full Moon and downlinked them for evaluation on the ground. If a spacecraft loses communication with the ground or with NASA’s Deep Space Network, its crew must navigate just as ancient mariners did, using the moon and stars. The Moon Imagery investigation collects pictures of the moon from the ISS, which are then used to calibrate navigation software to guide the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle in case its transponder-based navigation capability is lost. Crewmembers photograph the moon’s phases during one 29-day cycle, providing images of varying brightness to calibrate Orion’s camera software.
Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL) Operations for the German Space Agency (DLR) Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS): Today the crew depressurized and vented the JEMAL. Later today the JEMAL Slide Table will be extended to the exterior of the ISS and the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) will be used to remove DESIS from the Slide Table and install it on the Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) external facility. The DESIS investigation is expected to verify and enhance commercial space-based hyperspectral (from the visual to near infrared spectrum) imaging capabilities for Earth remote sensing. Requested images are transferred to a hosted cloud that provides user access. DESIS has a number of commercial and humanitarian applications.
Grip: The crew completed the first of three Grip operations in the seated position today. ESA’s Grip investigation tests how the nervous system takes into account the forces due to gravity and inertia when manipulating objects. Results from this investigation may provide insight into potential hazards for astronauts as they manipulate objects in different gravitational environments, support design and control of haptic interfaces to be used in challenging environments such as space, and provide information about motor control that will be useful for the evaluation and rehabilitation of impaired upper limb control in patients with neurological diseases.
BioServe Protein Crystallography (BPC)-1: The crew performed microscope operations today for the BPC-1 investigation. They removed the BPC-1 samples from the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL), made observations, photographed the sample wells with the microscope, and returned the samples to the SABL. BPC-1 seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting protein crystal growth in real time onboard the ISS. Crewmembers add solutions to the hardware, observe the crystals that form and adjust for follow-on experiments. This approach gives scientists the ability to optimize crystal growth in microgravity instead of waiting for samples to return and then launching them again.
WetLab-2 Parra: Today the crew completed a session for the WetLab-2 Parra investigation. WetLab-2 Parra tests a passive method to remove air bubbles from a liquid sample (e.g., extracted ribonucleic acid [RNA]) for dispensing. Excessive air bubbles in the sample chamber introduces noise in the data acquired during SmartCycler analysis.
SpaceTex-2 and Metabolic Space: A crewmember donned Thermolab equipment, a heart rate monitor, and a SpaceTex shirt for ESA’s SpaceTex-2 investigation. He also donned Metabolic Space equipment and completed an exercise session using the Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS). SpaceTex fabrics provide a higher rate of sweat evaporation and a corresponding higher evaporative heat loss compared to conventional cotton fabrics used by astronauts on the ISS. Metabolic Space provides a technology demonstration for a measurement system worn by astronauts that supports cardio-pulmonary diagnosis during physical activities of astronauts living onboard the ISS, while maintaining unrestricted mobility.
Lighting Effects: The crew conducted a Visual Performance Test for the Lighting Effects investigation today. They stowed the hardware in their crew quarters, set the light to the correct mode, turned all other light sources in the crew quarters off, and performed a Numerical Verification Test, followed by a Color Discrimination Test. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.
ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) Airlock Unstow: Today the crew removed hardware from the Airlock that is not needed for the upcoming EVAs or the ESA Airway Monitoring experiment. The ESA Airway Monitoring experiment, planned next week in the US Airlock, uses a special test gas that could damage the MetOx and Contamination Detection Kit necessitating its relocation prior to the experiment. The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)-7 Battery R&R EVAs are currently scheduled on the 20th and 26th of September and preparation activities are on-going.
Nitrogen (N2)/Oxygen(O2) Recharge System (NORS) O2 Transfer Setup and Initiation: Today the crew installed a NORS O2 tank, mated the O2 Fill Hose to the NORS Manifold, and initiated a gas transfer to the High Pressure O2 system. Termination of this recharge, and a subsequent transfer of O2 to the Low Pressure O2 system, will occur later this week
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event: Today Ricky Arnold participated in a live PAO event with Dakota State University (DSU). This event, part of a series of activities centered around the theme Science and Engineering in Zero or Low Gravity Environments, was held in conjunction with students from the Madison Central School District (MCSD) and will serve as a launching point for undergraduate courses at DSU in the Fall 2018 semester.
Completed Task List Activities:
- KTO Replace [Completed 238]
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- JEMAL Depress
- N3 ITCS Checkout
- MSS Operations
Two-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 08/28:
Payloads
- DESIS installed on MUSES external facility
- ACME Controller replacement
- Rodent Research-7 Habitat restock
- JEM depressurization and leak check. PMA removal from Airlock Slide Table
- Tropical Cyclone set up
- Grip operations
Systems
- EMU Resize for the September HTV-7 Battery R&R EVA #1
- Eye Exams – Fundoscope Ops
- EVA Tool Gather, Tool Config, and REBA Battery Charging
Wednesday, 08/29:
Payloads
- MSRR Master Controller R&R
- BEST 4th experiment session
- Payload Control Box installation in Ryutai Rack laptop
- TTS survey
- SpaceTex2 & Metaspace session
- Grip supine session
- BCAT camera alignment and focus
Systems
- JEM Stowage Consolidation for HTV-7 Mission
- Eye Exams – Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Fundoscope Ops
- EMU Swap for upcoming EMU Maintenance Activities
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
- Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
- Optical Nav Camera Set Up
- БМП Ф1 absorption cartridge cycling (start)
- ISS HAM Service Module Pass
- JEM Airlock Depressurization
- Makita drill battery discharge monitoring
- Metabolic Space equipment connection and calibration
- Wet Lab-2 MWA Preparation
- Optical Nav Camera Preparation
- Thermolab instrumentation for Spacetex-2
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. Science ops setup
- Wet Lab-2 MELFI Sample Retrieve
- Old KMA-01 mass gauge deinstall prep, new KMA-01 mass gauge install prep.
- Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
- Metabolic Space instrumentation
- Joint Station LAN Switch Location Assessment
- CEVIS exercise session for MetabolicSpace and Spacetex-2 experiments
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. MO-3 science ops assistance.
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. BD-2 session (passive MO-3 test).
- Metaspace hardware deinstrumentation and stowage
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. Closeout ops.
- Thermolab de-instrumentation for Spacetex-2
- Optical Nav Camera Operations
- Spacetex-2 Nominal Questionnaire filling
- Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On
- Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
- PROFILAKTIKA-2. Hygiene
- JEM Airlock Vent
- Water Refill Kit Review
- SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A
- LTE CDT Light SUB
- Optical Nav Camera Preparation #2
- Water Refill Kit Battery Charge
- Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
- CARDIOMED-ODNT. Verify KARDIOMED connection to BITS 2-12 via [УСМ-1] (ТА 735).
- JEM Airlock Vent Confirmation
- Binary Colloidal Alloy Test – Battery Changeout
- Clean up of Columbus Bays 1, 2 and 3
- Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Questionnaire
- Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Test
- Binary Colloidal Alloy – Cohesive Sedimentation Camera Check
- Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Transfer Initiation
- Optical Nav Camera Operations #2
- Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
- Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Gather
- Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Transfer Initiation
- BioServe Protein Crystallography Microscope Phase 2 Operations
- СОЖ maintenance
- PROBOY. Connect [БПАС] cable to [РБС], activate [БПАС]
- GRIP Big Picture Words reading
- PROBOY. S/w adjustment. Specialist conference
- GRIP setup in the SEATED configuration
- PROBOY. RSЕ1 ops.
- PROBOY. Puncture simulator ops.
- Microscope Reposition Post Ops [Aborted]
- BD Calibration
- Wet Lab-2 Parra Enhanced Session
- Onboard Training (OBT) Robotics On-board Trainer (ROBoT) Setup
- Delta file prep
- PROBOY. Data copy and downlink
- GRIP science performance in seated position
- PAO Preparation
- SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A
- Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config JEM Setup
- Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – JEM
- IDENTIFIKATSIYA. [ИМУ-Ц] measurement data copy to the laptop
- Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Airlock Unstow
- EXPRESS Rack ELC Hard Disk Drive Swap
- BD-2 gear position verification Take pictures of BD-2 gear position relative to pullout roller by lifting BD-2 shutter.
- EXPRESS Rack 3 Laptop Computer Software Load
- MERLIN Dessiccant Swap
- Photo/TV Airlock Minicam Swap [Aborted]
- Battery Charge Initiation for MetabolicSpace
- HMS Tonometry Test Setup
- Downlink exercise data via ОСА
- HMS Tonometry Test
- HMS Tonometry Test Stow
- БМП Ф1 absorption cartridge cycling (end)