Launch of the ISS Progress 65 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan occurred at 9:51 a.m. EST (8:51 p.m. Baikonur time). Flight controllers are monitoring the spacecraft at this time and we are standing by for additional updates on Progress 65. The Russian Progress spacecraft is carrying more than 2.6 tons of food, fuel, and …
Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) Operations: Yesterday, Ground Controllers used the SPDM to remove the RELL from the JEMAL Slide Table. A checkout was performed by pointing RELL towards deep space in order to scan a clean environment as a baseline. Today, RELL performed background scans along the Port 1 (P1) truss segment in order …
Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) Operations: On GMT 333, upon powering up the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) for RELL ops, the Dexterous Manipulator Control Software (DMCS) Payload Status showed “Unloaded” for ORU Tool Changeout Mechanism (OTCM) 2 instead of “Secure” which was unexpected since it was captured to …
The Expedition 50 crew is getting ready to receive a shipment of space supplies Saturday after Russia launches the Progress 65 cargo craft Thursday morning. The final space delivery of the year will be Dec. 13 when the Kounotori HTV-6 resupply ship arrives four days after its launch from Tanegashima, Japan. Inside the International Space …
Device for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization High Temperature Insert-Reflight (DECLIC-HTI-R) Installation: Today the crew installed and connected the Electronics Locker and Experiment locker cables for the DECLIC facility, before installing the HTI-R experiment insert. During operations, 400 milliliters of water leaked during the quick disconnect connection, but connecting the cables in reverse …
FLame EXtinguishment (FLEX)-2 Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) Exchange: This morning, the crew was scheduled to perform a Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) MDCA replacement in preparation for the FLEX-2 experiment. The Crew was unable to remove the MDCA Chamber Insert Assembly (CIA) from the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Combustion Chamber. Ground teams will meet …
Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Centrifuge Remove and Replace (R&R): The crew was scheduled to remove the 1G centrifuge from the CBEF and install a new centrifuge. However, the bag with the new centrifuge could not be found. Teams are investigating impacts to downstream science and opportunities to launch replacement hardware. The CBEF is a …
Marrow Air Sampling: The crew performed their first Marrow air sampling collection today. A breath sample and ambient air sample were collected and stowed for return on a later flight. The Marrow investigation looks at the effect of microgravity on the bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has …
Six International Space Station crew members are heading in to the Thanksgiving holiday with human research activities and orbital lab maintenance. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the most experienced crew member in space right now getting ready to spend her third holiday season on orbit. Today, she stowed the tools used for space plumbing work …
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Maintenance: Ground specialists met to discuss the WHC leak that occurred yesterday. Based on review of the imagery the crew took during the cleanup, the ground specialists determined the most likely source of the leak to be a hydroconnector on the Urine Valve Block, but determined that since all of …
