Blogs

A trio of new Expedition 42 crew members is in its final preparations before Sunday’s launch and six-hour ride aboard a Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft to the International Space Station. The rocket with the Soyuz capsule attached will roll out to the launch pad Friday morning at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. › Read about live …

Khladon (Freon 218) Venting:  Samokutyaev and Serova performed steps to release pressure in the Russian Segment Air Conditioner System [СКВ] by venting Khladon (Freon 218) overboard.  However, several of the quick disconnects that were actuated during the procedure exhibited leaks. As a result, the Khladon was vented into the cabin instead.  The quantity released was …

Commander Barry Wilmore worked in the Japanese Kibo lab module on the Aniso Tubule botany experiment that studies how roots adapt to gravity. After lunch, Wilmore went back to more hardware replacement work on the Combustion Integrated Rack that he began Tuesday. At the end of the day he configured a maintenance work area for …

Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA):  Wilmore reviewed procedures and gathered hardware and tools for MDCA Hardware Replacement Part 1.  Today’s activity had the crew configure the Fluid Combustion Facility (FCF) MDCA Chamber Insert Assembly (CIA) in support of the Flame Extinguishment Experiment-2 (FLEX-2) Binary-Droplet Array test points.  Crew then removed the MDCA CIA from the …

Commander Barry Wilmore worked throughout the day Tuesday in the Destiny laboratory’s Combustion Integrated Rack replacing hardware that fuels experiments. Afterward, he drained a waste water tank in the Tranquility node then moved on to a Health Maintenance System test. › Read more about the Combustion Integrated Rack Flight Engineer Alexander Samokutyaev replaced a battery …

Salivary Markers:  This morning, Wilmore completed a Salivary Marker questionnaire.  The Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Microgravity on Salivary Markers of Innate Immunity investigation involves the collection of blood, saliva, urine and a health assessment on six subjects pre-, in- and post-flight to determine if spaceflight induced immune system dysregulation increases infection susceptibility or poses …

Commander Barry Wilmore worked throughout Monday to install a 3D printer to get the International Space Station and future crews ready for self-sufficiency. Wilmore will work to calibrate the printer and set up a demonstration of the additive manufacturing technology. › Read about 3D Printing In Zero-G His fellow crew members, Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev …

3D Printing in Zero-G:  Wilmore completed a review of the 3D printing in Zero-G payload overview and procedures in preparation for next week’s scheduled activity.  The 3D printing in Zero–G technology demonstration experiment aims to validate extrusion-based additive manufacturing technology’s ability to function in a micro-gravity environment. Seedling Growth-2 Experiment:  Wilmore performed the second of …

The three orbiting Expedition 42 crew members are wrapping up the work week with science, cargo transfers and maintenance. Meanwhile, another crew is on the ground awaiting its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commander Barry Wilmore worked in the Kibo laboratory checking out the lab module’s robotic arm. He was also in the …

The International Space Station is currently occupied by a trio of Expedition 42 crew members consisting of Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova. They are waiting for three more crew members, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineers Terry Virts and Samantha Cristoforetti, who are counting down to a launch …