53 Progress Docking: 53P was manually docked to the Service Module aft port at 4:30 pm CST. The Progress vehicle launched Monday, November 25 carrying more than 1400 kg of cargo including a spare Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Fluids Control Pump Assembly (FCPA). Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Video Compression And Recording Unit (VCRU) Software …
53P KURS-NA Checkout: 53P performed a rendezvous demo/flyby today. This demonstration was used to check out the new KURS-NA System. During today’s flyby, the closest point of approach was 1.6 km. The KURS-NA System is in development for next-generation Soyuz-MS/Progress-MS to replace the KURS-A antennas since many of the components are no longer produced. Preliminary …
4K Camera Checkout: Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Wakata continued the checkout of JAXA’s 4K camera in the Cupola with remote settings for the camera and automatic shooting. During the checkout Wakata adjusted the angle of view and verified video recording had been performed successfully. However, JAXA teams encountered problems with downlinking the video. Troubleshooting steps are …
Circadian Rhythms: On Friday, Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Wakata was unable to complete his first 36 hour Circadian Rhythms session because of an issue with the Thermolab Control Unit. Ground teams are investigating. 4K Camera Checkout: Wakata continued the checkout of JAXA’s 4K camera in the Cupola with remote setting for the camera and verification of …
Countermeasures System (CMS) Periodic Fitness Evaluation (PFE): Flight Engineer (FE)-5 Mastracchio with assistance from FE-3 Hopkins, performed his PFE today. PFEs monitor crewmembers’ overall fitness levels, to ensure that cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health and performance is satisfactory. The activity consists of performing a graded exercise test on the Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization …
Capillary Flow Experiment (CFE) Interior Corner Flow (ICF)-8 Test: Today, Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Wakata set up and initiated a CFE ICF-8 run. CFE ICF studies capillary flow in interior corners of vessels with various geometries. The ICF-8 vessel has vanes aligned along the vertex of a teardrop shaped cylinder. Liquid shifts from the base of …
Ocular Health (OH) Measurements: Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Hopkins completed a series of activities in support of his flight day 60 session of Ocular Health, the 3rd of his 6 planned sessions. FE-6 Wakata performed the vision, tonometry and blood pressure measurements tests, with ground experts providing remote support, on Hopkins. Researchers believe that the measurement …
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD)-2 Launches: Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Wakata opened the JEM Airlock outer hatch and extended the slide table with the SSOD out to the JEM Exposed Facility (JEF). He released the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) Small Fine Arm (SFA) Attachment Mechanism (SAM) Latching Arm to prepare for …
AnisoTubule Experiment: Today, Flight Engineer (FE)-6 Wakata began activities to support JAXA’s Aniso Tubule experiment. He watered seeds in a sample chamber and then stowed the chamber in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for a five-day preparation for sprouting, simulating the winter season for plants. The Aniso Tubule experiment investigates …
Diapason Experiment: Flight Engineer (FE)-5 Mastracchio set up and powered on the Diapason instrument for the final test run. This experiment studies nano-particle migration and capture achieved by very small thermal gradients. The particle size range allows the monitoring of combustion-generated pollution and the identification of atmospheric contaminants on-board ISS. Ocular Health (OH) Measurements: FE-6 …
