ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/14/2021

SpaceX-21 Splashdown: Following Tuesday’s successful undock, Dragon splashed down off the coast of Tampa, Florida at 7:27PM CT last night. This completes the mission and cargo has been offloaded.

Payloads

Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM): The crew relocated the APM experiment hardware from Node 3 to the US Lab. This hardware is routinely moved to different locations to allow monitoring of the particulate environment in those areas. Although requirements exist for maximum allowable concentrations of particulate matter, currently no measurement capability verifies whether these requirements are met. The APM demonstrates an instrument for measuring and quantifying the concentration of both small and large particles in spacecraft air. The data can be used to create a map of air quality in terms of particles and shed light on the sources of such particles.

Antimicrobial Coatings: As part of the ongoing experiment, the crew touched each coupon on the placard. The investigation tests an antimicrobial coating on several different materials that represent high-touch surfaces. Some microbes change characteristics in microgravity, which could create new risks to crew health and spacecraft systems as well as creating the possibility of contaminating other planetary bodies. The samples remain in space approximately six months then return to Earth for analysis.

Collapsible Contingency Urinal (CCU) In-Cabin Demonstration: Today’s demonstration enabled ground personnel to observe fluid dynamics of liquid in the CCU. The crew performed multiple fill and drain cycles with varied rates and methods to analyze performance characteristics. An evaluation of the test was completed following the demonstration.

Exposed Facility Unit (EFU) Adapter Hardware Reconfig: In an effort to verify good communication for the EFU adapter, the SOLISS hardware was removed, the JEF HDTV hardware was panned 10 degrees, and good MLI coverage of the hardware was verified. EFU adapters are used as an interface between a JEM external payload location and the various experiment hardware.

Fluids Integrated Rack/Light Microscopy Module/Advanced Colloids Experiment (FIR/LMM/ACE): The crew removed the processed ACE-T11 module and installed the new ACE-TR2 (ellipsoid) module. The investigation designs and assembles complex three-dimensional colloids – small particles suspended within a fluid medium – and controls density and behavior of the particles with temperature. These so-called ‘self-assembled colloidal structures’ are vital to the design of advanced optical materials and the control of particle density and behavior is important for their use in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Microgravity provides insight into the relationships among particle shape, crystal symmetry, density, and other fundamental issues.

Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP): The crew removed and stowed Everroad modules A and D from the MVP facility. The commercially developed, owned and operated Techshot MVP includes 2 internal carousels that simultaneously can produce up to 2 g of artificial gravity. MVP is used to conduct research in space with a wide variety of sample types, such as fruit flies, flatworms, plants, fish, cells, protein crystals and many others.

Solid Combustion Experiment Module (SCEM) Installation: The crew continued work to install the SCEM into the Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) work volume. The SCEM hardware is used for FLARE, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) investigation, which explores the flammability of materials in microgravity. Various solid fuels are burned under different conditions and observed inside a flow tunnel. Microgravity significantly affects combustion phenomena and results are expected to contribute to the improvement of fire safety in space.

Vection: The crew deployed the hardware and performed an experiment session. Vection is made up of 3 tasks that test how orientation perception, motion processing, and depth perception are affected by long duration 0g and return to 1g. The objective of the study is to determine to what extent an astronaut’s ability to visually interpret motion, orientation, and distance may be disrupted in a microgravity environment, and how it may adapt, and how it may be changed upon return to Earth. Multiple experimental time points inflight and upon return to Earth allows for the adaptation and recovery process to be investigated.

Systems

Urine Transfer System (UTS) SD Card Removal and Replacement (R&R): On January 5, the UTS controller lost communication and the heartbeat stopped incrementing. Additionally, the automatic response to WHC stopped working and all urine was directed to the Backup EDV. Initial troubleshooting was unsuccessful and teams recommended replacing the UTS SD card.Following the R&R, the ground received communication and heartbeat from UTS upon power up. Ground teams are completing software configuration prior to taking UTS to nominal operation.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) R&R: The crew completed this routine maintenance to R&R the UR/IF. Following the R&R, the crew cleaned the WHC power supply, reactivated WHC, and performed a leak check to close out the activity.

Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) Operation: The crew terminated the first round of the automated Charge-Discharge-Charge (C-D-C) maintenance cycle on all helmet light batteries, Pistol Grip Tool (PGT) batteries, two Rechargeable EVA Battery Assemblies (REBAs). The crew then initiated a second round of C-D-C maintenance on both REBAs in the BSA via the Battery Charger Assembly (BCA).

Completed Task List Activities:

• VEG03 experiment OBT
• VEGGIE display OBT
• Photo/TV D5 Camera Deploy

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

• Columbus Smoke Detector (SD) ABIT Synchronization
• Powerup UTS
• HRF Rack 1 Rack Power Up Commanding
• JEM Airlock and ACDU-RC Ops
• Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) P16 Pumpdown

Look Ahead Plan

Friday, January 15 (GMT 015)
Payloads:

• Veg-03J plant check

Systems:

• Crew off duty

Saturday, January 16 (GMT 016)
Payloads:

• AC touch

Systems:

• Crew off duty

Sunday, January 17 (GMT 017)
Payloads:

• HRF blood/urine collections, Veg-03J plant check

Systems:

• Crew off duty

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

• Vection Hardware Deployment
• In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Urine Transfer System (UTS) Card R&R
• Airborne Particulate Monitor Data Transfer
• Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
• Vection Experiment Session
• Airborne Particulate Monitor LAB Install
• Rodent Research Access Unit Clean
• VECTION Hardware Teardown
• Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
• ISS Experience Z-Cam Setup on the MWA
• Multi-use Variable-g Platform Module Removal
• ISS Experience SSC 25 USB Connection Troubleshooting
• BRIC LED Hardware Remove
• EXPRESS Rack 7 Locker Relocate
• Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Cold Plate Check
• Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
• In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygeine Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) Remove and Replace
• BRIC LED Hardware Install
• Solid Combustion Experiment Module (SCEM) install to Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Work Volume
• In Flight Maintenance Service and Performance Checkout Unit Gather
• Fluids Integrated Rack Rack Doors Open
• CHEART/BAC Hardware Relocate
• Actiwatch Plus HRF Rack 1 Setup
• Antimicrobial Coatings Touch
• Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
• Collapsible Contingency Urinal In-Cabin Demo
• In Flight Maintenance Airlock Stowage Removal
• JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
• SOLISS Removal from EFU Adapter
• Actiwatch Plus HRF Rack 1 Stow
• Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Terminate
• Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
• JEF HDTV PTU Pan angle change
• JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
• Cryo Chiller Sample Cartridge Removal and Decontamination
• Vection Flash Drive Stow
• Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) Operation Termination
• Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
• Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) Operation Initiation