Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System (MARES) Functional Checkout: Cristoforetti successfully completed Part 2 of the MARES checkout. She measured, validated, and calibrated different motor profiles of the MARES facility. The MARES hardware consists of an adjustable chair and human restraint system, a pantograph (an articulated arm supporting the chair, used to properly position the …
Crew Checks Science Hardware as Station Raises Orbit
The Expedition 43 crew members worked on science hardware Wednesday. Back on Earth, Russian flight controllers are planning to fire the thrusters of a docked cargo craft to raise the International Space Station’s orbit. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti completed the activation and testing of the new Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES). She also …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 03/17/15
Node 3 Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA): Overnight the Flight Control Specialist’s attempt to repower Node 3 CDRA failed due to both CDRA bed heaters reporting as failed. The ppCO2 levels remain low and preliminary assessment level will remain below limits with no CDRA for a couple days. The team has been able to override …
Evacuation Drills, Science Work and New Crew Launch Preps
Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov practiced emergency procedures Tuesday, preparing the three crew members for the actions they would take in the unlikely event that they must evacuate the International Space Station. Cristoforetti went back to work on the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES). She …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 03/16/15
Biolab Troubleshooting (TripleLux-B): In order to recover smoke detection in the Biolab facility, Cristoforetti successfully Removed and Replaced (R&R) the smoke detector. She also performed an inspection of the Biolab handling mechanism shutter door. Photos were taken for evaluation by ground teams. Ground teams have performed activation steps and verified that Biolab is go for …
March Puzzler
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The March 2015 puzzler is above. Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what part of the world we are looking at, when the image was acquired, what the image shows, and why the scene is interesting. How to answer. Your answer can be a few […]
Module Relocation Work on Station as New Crew Preps for Launch
The three-person Expedition 43 crew with Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov are the sole occupants of the International Space Station right now. They are getting ready for upcoming module relocation work and preparing for upcoming science work. Virts installed a connector cap and a power cable to get the …
ISS Daily Summary Report 03/13/15
Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL) Activation: Virts pressurized and then perform a leak check of the JEMAL. These tasks were performed in advance of operations on March 25 to remove the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) and Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP)/Small Fine Arm Attachment Mechanism (SAM) from the slide table. Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer …
Expedition 43 Trio Rests After Sending Crewmates Home With Science
Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov are resting today after sending their Expedition 42 crewmates back to Earth last night. Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore handed the controls of the International Space Station to Virts in a Change of Command Ceremony Tuesday morning. Wilmore, Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev …
Expedition 42 Returns Home After 167 Days in Space
Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore of NASA, and Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency landed their Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft in Kazakhstan at approximately 10:07 p.m. EDT. Russian recovery teams are helping the crew exit the Soyuz vehicle and adjust to gravity after their stay in space. The trio arrived at …