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ISS Section
Expedition 35 Preview
Expedition 35 Section
Soyuz TMA-07M
Soyuz TMA-08M
Dragon SpX-2
Progress M-17M
Progress M-18M
Progress M-19M
Picture

Picture
*File image* Photo: NASA
Soyuz TMA-08M & three new ISS Residents dock to Station in Record Time

March 29, 2013

The three International Space Station Expedition 35/36 crew members have arrived at the orbiting outpost aboard their Soyuz TMA-08M Spacecraft - reaching the Space Station after the first-of-its-kind four-orbit rendezvous for a manned ISS flight. Soyuz TMA-08M executed a flawless rendezvous profile following its launch at 20:43 UTC on Thursday. The fully automated Rendezvous culminated in the docking of the vehicle at 2:28 UTC on Friday morning, setting a new record for the fastest manned docking for the Space Station Program.

>>>Full Story

ISS Operations, March 27, 2013

Experiments:
  • Reaction Self Test (Hadfield, Marshburn) [RST is performed twice a day, in the morning and after the day's operations are complete, consisting of a short 5-minute simulation using a laptop computer to assess the effect fatigue has on crew members undergoing long-duration space flight.]
  • ENERGY Experiment – Pulmonary Function System Checkouts, Water Intake, Oxygen Uptake Measurements, Standard Breakfast,  Urine Sampling, Diet Logging (Marshburn) [=Astronaut's Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight. ENERGY measures changes in energy balance during long term space flight, adaptations in the components of the Total Energy Expenditure and it will derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts. For the crew members, ENERGY includes a special diet, urine sampling, oxygen uptake measurements and diet logging.]
  • BTKh-26 – KASKAD – Bioreactor Thermostat Setup (Romanenko)
  • ISERV Ops [The SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) was designed to assess an automated data acquisition process. ISERV will further improve Earth Observation techniques in support of environmental management, humanitarian assistance and disaster assessment. The project is managed by NASA and USAID. It operates from the Window Observation Facility in the Destiny Laboratory.]
  • URAGAN - Pre-pack Photo Spectral System (ФСС) Hardware for return and disposal (Romanenko)
  • WinSCAT (Hadfield) [MedOps WINSCAT (Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows) is a computer based psychological evaluation that investigates concentration, verbal working memory, attention, short-term memory, spatial processing, and math skill of humans exposed to microgravity for extended periods of time.]

Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • Ice Brick Insertion into MELFI (Hadfield)
  • Service Module CO Measurements (Romanenko)
  • Inspection & Inventory of Emergency Equipment – Fire Extinguishers, Breathing Apparatuses (Hadfield)
  • Installation of data cable jumpers (Hadfield)
  • Water Transfers (Romanenko)
  • Express Laptop Troubleshooting (Hadfield)
  • IP Airflow Sensor Verification (Romanenko)
  • Standard ARED Maintenance (Hadfield)

Other Activities:

  • Nominal Exercise
  • Psychological Conferences
  • Medical Conferences
  • Progress M-18M Transfer Operations (Romanenko)
  • Crew Conference with Canadian Space Agency (Hadfield)
  • Russian PAO Ops (Romanenko)

ISS Operations, March 26, 2013

Dragon SpX-2 Operations.
  • Vestibule Outfitting - removal of final power jumper & Harmony Hatch Closure
  • Vestibule Depressurization
  • Leak Checks
  • CUCU Power-Up, Crew Command Panel Checkout
  • Unberthing Monitoring
  • SSRMS Checkout
  • Robotics Work Station Setup for Dragon Release and Departure Monitoring
  • Dragon Release 
  • Crew Command Panel, CUCU deactivation
  • Dragon Hardware stowage
>>>SpX-2 Mission Updates for all Details

Experiments:
  • Reaction Self Test (Hadfield, Marshburn) [RST is performed twice a day, in the morning and after the day's operations are complete, consisting of a short 5-minute simulation using a laptop computer to assess the effect fatigue has on crew members undergoing long-duration space flight.]
  • ENERGY Donning Hand Monitor, Water Sample Collection, Pulmonary Function System install (Marsburn) [=Astronaut's Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight. ENERGY measures changes in energy balance during long term space flight, adaptations in the components of the Total Energy Expenditure and it will derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts. For the crew members, ENERGY includes a special diet, urine sampling, oxygen uptake measurements and diet logging.]
  • Seiner & Uragan Earth Observations (Romanenko)
Picture
Photo: SpaceX
Picture
Photo: NASA
Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Russian Laptop Software Upgrades - RS1, RS2 & RS3 Laptops (Romanenko)
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • 800A Unit Replacement in Zarya (Romanenko)
  • Clean-Up of Zarya Interior Panels 116, 316, 241 & 431 (Romanenko)
  • ГЖТ - removal screens 1, 2, 3 in FGB - cleaning (Romanenko)
  • Closing Cupola Window Shutter for overnight heater turnoff test (Hadfield)

Other Activities:
  • HAM Radio Session (Hadfield)
  • PAO Event (Hadfield)
  • Nominal Exercise


Picture
Photo: NASA
Dragon makes safe Splashdown Landing & returns precious ISS Cargo

March 26, 2013

The SpaceX Dragon has departed the International Space Station on Tuesday after a 23-day docked mission to start its trip back to Earth later on Tuesday, carrying precious ISS experiment hardware and science samples back to Earth for post-flight analysis. 

Dragon has made a successful return to Earth on Tuesday following its second operational mission to the International Space Station. After being released from ISS earlier on Tuesday, Dragon performed a short free flight, setting up for its deorbit burn followed by re-entry and a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean at 16:34 UTC. Following its landing, Dragon was reported to be in good condition.

>>>Mission Updates

ISS Operations & SpX-2 Status - March 25, 2013

Dragon SpX-2 Operations: (all Hadfield & Marshburn)
  • Double Cold Bag Packing for return with samples 
  • GLACIER De-Install and Transfer to Dragon for return
  • Final Dragon Transfer Ops
  • Final Stowage Conference (All items loaded as expected)
  • GLACIER Status Check (Power & Temp)
  • Dragon Egress Procedures & final internal Inspection
  • Hatch Closure
  • Vestibule Configuration for Demate, Controller Panel Assemblies Installation (Start Vestibule Outfitting task, leaving the Harmony hatch open and a single power jumper in place overnight)

Experiments:
Reaction Self Test (Hadfield, Marshburn) [RST is performed twice a day, in the morning and after the day's operations are complete, consisting of a short 5-minute simulation using a laptop computer to assess the effect fatigue has on crew members undergoing long-duration space flight.]
   
Picture
Photo: NASA
Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • Air Conditioning Unit Replacement (Romanenko)
  • Russian Laptop Prep for Software Update (Romanenko)
  • MRM2 B3 Fan cleaning (Romanenko)

Other Activities:
  • Progress M-18M Transfer Ops (Romanenko)
  • HAM Radio Session (Marshburn)
  • Nominal Exercise

ISS Operations, March 22, 2013

Picture
Photo: NASA
Picture
Photo: NASA
Picture
Photo: CSA/Chris Hadfield
>>>New SpX-2 Update - Landing delayed to NET March 26

Experiments:
  • Reaction Self Test (Hadfield, Marshburn) [RST is performed twice a day, in the morning and after the day's operations are complete, consisting of a short 5-minute simulation using a laptop computer to assess the effect fatigue has on crew members undergoing long-duration space flight.]
  • Biochemical Urine Test - Urinalysis (Romanenko)
  • Identification – Micro-Accelerometer Data Download (Romanenko) [The Identification Payload records structural dynamics data inside the individual modules of the Russian Segment to provide structural data to improve spacecraft design.]
  • ALLOY Cartridge Installation (Marshburn)
  • CSLM-2 Vacuum Vent Start/Stop (Hadfield) [Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 is a material science investigation that builds on the original CSLM study. It examines the rates of coarsening solid particles that are embedded in a liquid matrix. During the coarsening process, smaller particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles which coarsen (grow). The study examines the mechanism of this process and the rates of coarsening which will help understand processes that are present on Earth, e.g. in turbine blades, dental amalgam fillings, aluminum alloys.]
  • ENERGY Experiment Conference (Marsburn) [=Astronaut's Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight. ENERGY measures changes in energy balance during long term space flight, adaptations in the components of the Total Energy Expenditure and it will derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts. For the crew members, ENERGY includes a special diet, urine sampling, oxygen uptake measurements and diet logging.]
  • CGBA - Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus -  Hardware Stow inside Dragon and Video acquisition (Hadfield) 
  • On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (Hadfield)
  • SHD - Space Headache Questionnaire (All USOS) [Weekly Questionnaire to assess a crew member’s health status.]
  • Food Frequency Questionnaire (Hadfield, Marshburn)

Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • PF1 & PF2 Dust Collector Filter Changeout and B1/B2  Fan Grille Clean-Up inside MRM2 (Romanenko)
  • Routine Maintenance of КН, КВ, and КД Valves in SM Rodnik Tanks (Romanenko)
  • Cleaning of Ventilation Screens on FGB Panels 201, 301, 401 (Romanenko)
  • FGB ЦВ1 Fan Grille Cleaning (Romanenko)
  • MRM2 - BD1&BD2 Air Duct Clean-Up (Romanenko)
  • KOBAIRO Rack Servicing: Gradient Heating Furnace Installation (Marshburn)
Other Activities:
  • Weekly Tagup with Russian Mission Control
  • Weekly Conference with lead Flight Director
  • Dragon Cargo Transfers
  • Dragon Cargo Tagup
  • Crew Medical Officer Proficiency Training (Hadfield) [CMO skills are reviewed and trained at various points in the mission to keep up proficiency and ensure proper responses in critical health situations on board.]
  • CUCU Power-Up and Checkout for Dragon Return
  • Emergency Drill for all Crew Members to maintain crew proficiency in contingencies & tagup with ground specialists
  • Preparation of Reports for the Roscosmos Site (Romanenko)

ISS Operations, March 21, 2013

ISS Reboost:
On Thursday, March 21, 2013, Progress M-17M was used to perform an ISS Reboost Maneuver. The DPO engines were fired at 00:25 UTC for 673 seconds to provide a change in velocity of 1.5m/s in order to raise the Station's mean altitude by 2.6 Kilometers. This reboost was done to set up phasing for the fast-rendezvous of Soyuz TMA-08M next week.

Dragon Ops:
  • Dragon Cargo Transfer Operations (Marshburn, Hadfield)
  • Cargo Ops Tagup (Hadfield)
  • Unberthing and Release Procedures Review (Hadfield, Marshburn)
  • Unberthing/Release On Board Training (Hadfield, Marshburn)
>>>Dragon Return Timeline has been published

Experiments:
  • CSLM-2 Sample Processing Unit Exchange & Payload Activation, Vacuum Vent Start/Stop (Hadfield) [Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 is a material science investigation that builds on the original CSLM study. It examines the rates of coarsening solid particles that are embedded in a liquid matrix. During the coarsening process, smaller particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles which coarsen (grow). The study examines the mechanism of this process and the rates of coarsening which will help understand processes that are present on Earth, e.g. in turbine blades, dental amalgam fillings, aluminum alloys.]
  • BCAT-C1 - Setup and Photography of samples & Installation of Photography Software, Intervalometer Change (Hadfield) [BCAT-C1 = Binary Colloidal Alloy Test C1; “BCAT-C1 will probe three-phase separation kinetics and the competition between phase separation and crystallization in colloid polymer mixtures. This regime remains virtually uncharacterized in any type of material including molecular fluids or complex mixtures. BCAT-C1 takes advantage of a substantial opportunity to fill a gap in the knowledge of these fundamental processes. By examining the kinetics in seven samples of different composition, we intend to show that significant quantitative differences in kinetics occur even though the resulting phases are similar,” the official experiment description notes.]
  • Urinalysis Hardware Setup (Romanenko)
  • Uragan & Seiner Earth Observations (Romanenko)

Maintenance/Service:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • Marangoni Inside: Fluid Physics Experiment Facility Setup - FPEF & Imaging Processing Unit Data Cable Connections  [Continuing in a multi-day task of servicing the MI experiment hardware for upcoming ops.]
  • Water Recovery System Water Sample Analysis (Hadfield)
  • Remove & Replace of Manual Shut Off Valve (РЗК) КВ2 on Zvezda RODNIK Panel (Romanenko)
Picture
Palm Islands & The World, Dubai
Picture
Berlin, Germany
Picture
Cologne, Germany
  • European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) Degas Module Replacement (Marshburn)
  • Preventive Maintenance: Service Module Ventilation System Clean-Up, Group A (Romanenko)
  • Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Data Recording (Hadfield)

Other Activities:
  • TV Session (Romanenko)
  • HAM Radio Session (Marshburn)
  • Nominal Exercise
  • Preparation of Reports for the Roscosmos Site (Romanenko)

ISS Operations, March 20, 2013

Picture
Photo: NASA
Picture
Photo: CSA/ChrisHadfield
Experiments:
  • Amine Swingbed - Hardware collection, Maintenance Work Area Prep & Hardware Assembly and Installation (Hadfield) [Amine Swingbed is a technical demonstration payload providing a new method of Carbon Dioxide Scrubbing.]
  • Matryoshka-R – Lulin-5 radiation data readings (Romanenko) [Matryoshka-R consists of a number of radiation dosimeters that are set up inside the space station to assess radiation exposure of the crew relative to ISS position in its orbit and shielding provided by the modules.]
  • ACE Sample Installation and Video Acquisition (Marshburn) [Continuing operations that started during Expedition 32, the Advanced Colloids Experiment-1 (ACE-1) will be performing a series of microscopic imaging investigations of materials which contain small colloidal particles. These materials have the specific characteristic of remaining evenly dispersed and distributed within the material. Performing these types of experiments aboard the Space Station in Zero Gravity allows scientists to separate the effects induced by Earth’s gravity in order to examine flow characteristics and the evolution and ordering effects within these colloidal materials. Results from this study will be used for a number of applications on Earth. ACE uses a Light Microscopy Module to monitor colloidal activity.]
  • Fluids Integrated Rack Ops (Marshburn)
  • Relaksatsiya Equipment Installation and Parameter Adjustments, UV Storm Emission Observation & Hardware Closeout (Romanenko) [Relaxation is an Earth Observation Experiment that uses the Photospectral Hardware to acquire spectral and photographic imagery of Earth’s surface and atmosphere under ground commanding.]
  • Interactions – Experiment Operations (Romanenko) [‘Vzaimodeistviye’ looks at psychological aspects of long duration space flight during which different cultures come together aboard a Spacecraft such as ISS and seeks to improve crew interactions aboard ISS and with teams on the ground.]
  • CSLM-2 Sample Collection (Hadfield) [Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 is a material science investigation that builds on the original CSLM study. It examines the rates of coarsening solid particles that are embedded in a liquid matrix. During the coarsening process, smaller particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles which coarsen (grow). The study examines the mechanism of this process and the rates of coarsening which will help understand processes that are present on Earth, e.g. in turbine blades, dental amalgam fillings, aluminum alloys.]
  • Uragan & Seiner Earth Observations (Romanenko)

Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • BMP Harmful Impurities Removal System F2 Absorption Cartridge Regeneration (Bake Out) (Romanenko)
  • Service Module CO Measurements (Romanenko)
  • Search and gathering equipment for R&R of manual (РЗК) КВ2 Shutoff Valve КВ2 on RODNIK panel (Romanenko)
  • Marangoni Inside Hardware Servicing: Cassette Installation into the Core, Core Installation, Closeouts (Marshburn) [Continuing in a multi-day task of servicing the MI experiment hardware for upcoming ops.]

Other Activities:
  • HAM Radio Sessions
  • Progress M-18M Cargo Operations & IMS Ops (Romanenko)
  • Medical Conferences
  • Nominal Exercise
  • Preparation of Reports for the Roscosmos Site (Romanenko)

ISS Operations, March 19, 2013

Experiments:
  • CSLM-2 Vacuum Vent Start/Stop (Hadfield) & Line Vent (Marshburn) [Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 is a material science investigation that builds on the original CSLM study. It examines the rates of coarsening solid particles that are embedded in a liquid matrix. During the coarsening process, smaller particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles which coarsen (grow). The study examines the mechanism of this process and the rates of coarsening which will help understand processes that are present on Earth, e.g. in turbine blades, dental amalgam fillings, aluminum alloys.]
  • AMINE - Payload Ops Review (Hadfield)
  • ACE Equipment Gathering (Marshburn) [Continuing operations that started during Expedition 32, the Advanced Colloids Experiment-1 (ACE-1) will be performing a series of microscopic imaging investigations of materials which contain small colloidal particles. These materials have the specific characteristic of remaining evenly dispersed and distributed within the material. Performing these types of experiments aboard the Space Station in Zero Gravity allows scientists to separate the effects induced by Earth’s gravity in order to examine flow characteristics and the evolution and ordering effects within these colloidal materials. Results from this study will be used for a number of applications on Earth. ACE uses a Light Microscopy Module to monitor colloidal activity.]
  • Journal Entries (Marshburn) [Electronic Journals are kept by USOS Crew Members as part of an ongoing NASA Psychological Investigation on psychological aspects of long-duration space flight.]
  • Relaxation Earth Observation Payload Servicing (Romanenko)
  • Uragan & Seiner Earth Observations (Romanenko)

Maintenance/Servicing:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • Inflight Maintenance: Replacement of БУПТ-1М(А406) module АБ6 & Removal of 800А Module
  • АБ 4 (Romanenko)
  • Marangoni Inside: Core Hardware Cleaning (Marshburn) [Continuing in a multi-day task of servicing the MI experiment hardware for upcoming ops.]
  • Tightening of 3B Clamps in the MRM - Zarya Interface (Romanenko)
  • Service Module TV System Checkout in Preparation for Soyuz TMA-08M Docking (Romanenko)
  • IP-1 Airflow Sensor Verification (Romanenko)
  • MELF2 Module Insertion into MELFI (Marshburn)

Other Activities:
  • Dragon SpX-2 Transfers (Marshburn, Hadfield)
  • Dragon Stowage Conference (Hadfield)
  • Video Shoot for National Film Board & Daily Planet (Hadfield)
Picture
Photo: CSA/Chris Hadfield
St. Patrick's Day aboard ISS
Picture
Photo: CSA/Chris Hadfield
Picture
Photo: CSA/Chris Hadfield
A Look inside Soyuz TMA-07M
  • ISS Repressurization with Oxygen from Progress M-1M Tanks (Romanenko) [The Russian Elektron Oxygen Generator is deactivated and the US OGA is in standby]
  • Preparation of Reports for the Roscosmos Site (Romanenko)
  • Medical Conferences
  • Physical Exercise

ISS Operations, March 18, 2013

Experiments:
  • SPRUT-2 Hardware Setup and Body Mass Measurement & Experiment Ops (Romanenko) [SPRUT-2 (Squid-2) is an experiment that looks at the distribution of body fluids in zero-gravity and measures a crew member’s body mass.]
  • Reaction Self Test (Hadfield, Marshburn) [RST is performed twice a day, in the morning and after the day's operations are complete, consisting of a short 5-minute simulation using a laptop computer to assess the effect fatigue has on crew members undergoing long-duration space flight.]
  • Periodic Health Checks (Hadfield, Marshburn) [This test is a routine heath status check crewmembers conduct while on orbit.]
  • Experiment Procedures Review (Marshburn)
  • CSLM-2 Processing Unit Changeout [Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 is a material science investigation that builds on the original CSLM study. It examines the rates of coarsening solid particles that are embedded in a liquid matrix. During the coarsening process, smaller particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles which coarsen (grow). The study examines the mechanism of this process and the rates of coarsening which will help understand processes that are present on Earth, e.g. in turbine blades, dental amalgam fillings, aluminum alloys.]
  • BCAT-C1 - Image Transfer and Camera Setup, Sample Acquisition & Sample 5 Initiation (Hadfield) [BCAT-C1 = Binary Colloidal Alloy Test C1; “BCAT-C1 will probe three-phase separation kinetics and the competition between phase separation and crystallization in colloid polymer mixtures. This regime remains virtually uncharacterized in any type of material including molecular fluids or complex mixtures. BCAT-C1 takes advantage of a substantial opportunity to fill a gap in the knowledge of these fundamental processes. By examining the kinetics in seven samples of different composition, we intend to show that significant quantitative differences in kinetics occur even though the resulting phases are similar,” the official experiment description notes.]
  • Journal Entries (Marshburn) [Electronic Journals are kept by USOS Crew Members as part of an ongoing NASA Psychological Investigation on psychological aspects of long-duration space flight.]
  • Medaka Osteoclast Kit Transfer (Marshburn)

Servicing/Maintenance:
  • Nominal Inspections/Servicing Tasks  (Morning Inspection, Caution & Warning Panel Check, Sozh System Maintenance) (Romanenko)
  • BMP Harmful Impurities Removal System F1 Absorption Cartridge Regeneration (Bake Out) (Romanenko)
  • MSRR-1 Rack PC Replacement & Software Load (Hadfield)
  • Marangoni Inside Hardware Ops (Marshburn) [The Maintenance Work Area was transferred to Kibo to allow Marshburn to assemble the MI body, core, and cassette hardware in preparation for upcoming MI Experiment Ops]
  • ATV Control Panel Removal inside Zvezda (Romanenko)
  • Laptop Anti Virus Update (Romanenko)

Other Activities:
  • TV Session (Romanenko)
  • Progress M-18M Cargo Operations (Romanenko)
  • PAO Event (Marshburn)
  • Nominal Exercise
  • Expedition 35 crew conference

ISS Expedition 35 begins with successful Undocking & Landing of Soyuz TMA-06M and its Crew of Three

March 16, 2013

Picture
*File Image* - Photo: NASA
Soyuz TMA-06M and the three crew members of ISS Expedition 33/34 have successfully completed their mission, returning to Earth on Saturday morning (UTC) with a safe landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan in fairly unpleasant weather conditions.

Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitsky and Soyuz Flight Engineers Evgeny Tarelkinand Kevin Ford undocked from the Poisk Module of ISS at 23:43 UTC on Friday and started a short free flight to set the stage for deorbit and re-entry about 2.5 hours later. 


The Soyuz touched down at about 3:10 UTC on Saturday - marking the completion of a 143-day 16-hour mission for the three crew members.

Their stay aboard ISS was extremely busy as the crew members set a new record for the amount of science conducted on ISS. They also supported ISS maintenance operations and visiting vehicle arrivals and departures.


>>>Full Story
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