Blogs

LAB Robotics Work Station (RWS) Loss of Communication (LOC):  Shortly after midnight Friday night the C&C Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (MDM) lost comm with the (primary) LAB RWS.  Ground teams performed troubleshooting over the weekend which resulted in 5 failed power cycles, however that was followed by 4 successful power cycles.  Preliminary analysis indicates a possible intermittent hardware …

Spinal Ultrasound Scan Operations:  Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Nyberg with FE-5 Parmitano’s assistance, performed her second of three Spinal Ultrasound Scan sessions for her stay onboard the ISS.  This investigation aims to characterize microgravity-associated spinal alterations during and after spaceflight using in-flight ultrasound. Results from this research will provide data to enhance crew health for long duration …

Node 3 Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Air Selector Valve (ASV) 103 Remove and Replace (R&R):  Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Cassidy performed an R&R of the Node 3 CDRA ASV.  The valve had failed to reach its commanded position (position B) on GMT 214 and 228. Telemetry indicated that the valve had stalled in an intermediate …

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)-4 Departure:  This morning FE-5 Parmitano and FE-6 Nyberg finished closing out the Node 2 vestibule by demating all umbilicals to HTV-4. Meanwhile, FE-3 Cassidy depressurized the vestibule between HTV-4 and Node 2 in preparation for the unberth. Commands were then sent to the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) bolts to unlatch prior …

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Troubleshooting: On Saturday, Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Cassidy and FE-6 Nyberg performed a removal and replacement (R&R) of EMU 3011 condensate water relief valve (item 134) and  associated filter.  Crew then performed an EMU screening test and discovered that the water crossover anomaly was still present.  They then proceeded with the gas …

Early Wednesday morning, at 3:27:20 AM Eastern Time, a piece of an asteroid, about 2 feet in diameter and weighing over 100 pounds, entered Earth’s atmosphere above the Georgia/Tennessee border, just south of Cleveland. The meteor was moving northeast at 56,000 miles per hour, and began to break apart north east of Ocoee, at an …

Ocular Health Ultrasound Eye Imaging:  Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Nyberg and FE-5 Parmitano performed their Flight Day (FD) 90 session of the Ocular ultrasound experiment.  The data gathered in these sessions will be used to identify changes in globe morphology, including flattening of the posterior globe, and document optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), optic nerve sheath …

BioLab Microscope D&C Cassette Troubleshooting:  Following yesterdays successful Part A of the Microscope troubleshooting and initialization, Flight Engineer (FE)-5 Parmitano continued with Part B of the troubleshooting by extracting the BioLab HM drawer, installing a Microscope cassette, verifying the correct fit of the cassette, and close up of the microscope.  The ground subsequently performed a …

Robonaut Operations:  Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Cassidy deployed and attached the Robonaut Taskboard and Robonaut in the U.S. Lab for ground commanded operations. Today the ground performed a checkout of the operating software which involved Robonaut performing large and small arm and finger motions while the ground monitored the generated forces. The purpose of Robonaut is …

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Troubleshooting: Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Cassidy performed a checkout of the Water Separator Screen on EMU serial number 3011. The checkout was terminated early once expected water was observed leaking from behind the helmet pad.  During US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 23, an excessive amount of water accumulated in the back of the …