ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/20/2021

Payloads

Cardinal Muscle:  A crewmember captured images of Cardinal Muscle BioCell Wells.  Muscle mass diminishes with age on Earth via a condition called sarcopenia, and astronauts experience similar and accelerated loss of muscle mass during spaceflight.  Tissue Engineered Muscle in Microgravity as a Novel Platform to Study Sarcopenia (Cardinal Muscle) evaluates whether engineered human muscle cells cultured in microgravity are a valid model for studying muscle loss.  Because microgravity accelerates the process, a valid tissue model could enable rapid assessment of therapeutics to treat muscle loss.

Cool Flames Investigation with Gases:  A crewmember removed Manifold 2 O2 bottles with a bottle that contains 85% O2 and 15% N2.  Cool diffusion flames were discovered during droplet combustion experiments aboard the ISS in 2012, and this initiated a rapidly growing field of combustion research.  A cool flame is one that burns at about 600 degrees Celsius.  A typical candle is about two times hotter, burning at around 1,400 degrees Celsius.  Most internal combustion engines are designed using computer models that neglect cool flame chemistry, but ignition and flame propagation in engines depend on cool flame chemistry. Cool flame chemistry also has a significant impact on fuel octane and cetane numbers, whose understanding has large economic consequences.

Fiber-optic Active Dosimeter (Lumina):  A crewmember executed the Lumina data transfer and set the parameters via EveryWear application.  Lumina is an active fiber dosimeter that monitors, in real-time, the received radiation dose by exploiting the capacity of optical fibers to darken when exposed to radiation.  The dosimeter provides reliable dose measurements in complex environments such as the ones associated with electrons, protons, gamma-ray or X-ray photons or neutrons.

Plant Habitat-04:  A crewmember removed debris from the Science Carrier/Plant Habitat 04 Facility and took photos from the top of the entire Science Carrier and of each of four quadrants of the Science Carrier.  Microgravity Growth of New Mexico Hatch Green Chile as a Technical Display of Advanced Plant Habitat’s Capabilities (Plant Habitat-04) demonstrates using the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) by growing peppers in space for the first time. An excellent source of Vitamin C, peppers are more difficult to cultivate than many possible space crops because they take longer to germinate, grow, and develop fruit.  The investigation includes microbial analysis to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions in space and assessment of flavor and texture, which vary based on the growth environment and care such as amount of watering.

Systems

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation:  In preparation for the IROSA 4A preparation EVA currently scheduled for August 24th, the crew completed the REBA Hardware Checkout, camera configuration, additional procedure review, Cuff Checklist print, Depress Cue Card update and a procedure conference with the ground.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator R&R:  Today, the crew R&R’d the failed water pump separator in the WHC. Over the past week, the WHC pump separator light has come on three times. The light comes on in a timeframe which indicates a “slow drain” condition. This failure occurred past the hardware life expectancy.

Completed Task List Activities:

  • None

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

  • Mobile Servicing System (MSS) JEM ORU Xfer I/F (JOTI) ORU Extraction
  • JEM A/L Depress
  • ISS Z-CAM Filming
  • TRRJ Lock

Look Ahead Plan

Saturday, August 21 (GMT 233)
Payloads:

  • Astrobee off (NASA)
  • Cardinal Muscle BioCell Fixation (NASA)
  • Repository Urine setup (NASA)

Systems:

  • EVA Prep

Sunday, August 22 (GMT 234)
Payloads:

  • Anti-Atrophy Medium change, fixation and closeout (JAXA)
  • Phospho-Aging inserts (JAXA)
  • Repository Urine and collect and blood setup (NASA)

Systems:

  • None

Monday, August 23 (GMT 235)
Payloads:

  • Cool Flames ACME bottle change (NASA)
  • ISS Experience Z-Camera Cupola ops (NASA)
  • Phospho-Aging inserts (JAXA)
  • Repository Urine and collect and blood setup (NASA)
  • SABL setup and activate and checkout (NASA)

Systems:

  • Equipment Lock Preparations
  • EVA Prep

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

  • HRF Generic Urine Collection Male
  • HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations
  • Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator R&R
  • HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow
  • Combustion Integrated Rack Bottle Gather
  • Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Open
  • Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold Bottle Replacement
  • LUMINA data transfer and parameters setting with EveryWear
  • Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Close
  • Plant Habitat-04 Debris Removal Procedure Review
  • Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Powered Hardware Checkout
  • Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
  • Plant Habitat-04 DEBRIS Hardware Gather
  • Plant Habitat-04 Debris Removal
  • Cold Atom Lab Hard Drive Imagery
  • Urine Transfer System (UTS) Adlink Mini PC Swap
  • Food Acceptability Survey
  • Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config LAB Setup
  • Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cuff Checklist Print
  • Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – Lab
  • Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Depress (DPRS) Cue Card (CC) Update
  • Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
  • Microscope Reposition Preparation
  • Cardinal Muscle Microscopy Ops
  • Photo/TV, checking camcorder settings
  • MELFI 3 Ice Brick Insert 3
  • SpaceX-23 Dragon Rendezvous Review CBT
  • Microscope Hardware Setup via SABL Power
  • Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference
  • LSG Work Volume Deploy
  • Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Stow