Blogs

SpaceX-4 Dragon Cargo Operations:  The crew began cargo operations today by removing the items located in the vehicle’s center stack. An estimated 55 hours of Crew time is required to complete cargo operations in the coming weeks. MICRO 8:  Gerst transferred the Commercial Generic Biologic Apparatus (CGBA), containing Micro-8 Group Activation Packs (GAPs) from Dragon …

SpaceX-4 Dragon Capture, Berth, and Ingress: After a nominal Dragon rendezvous with ISS, the Crew successfully captured Dragon at 5:52am CDT utilizing the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS).  The Dragon capsule was subsequently berthed to the Node 2 Nadir Port at 8:15am CDT. Once berthed, the Crew completed pressurization and outfitting of the Node …

SpaceX-4 Launch:  Weather prevented SpaceX from launching their Falcon 9 Rocket on Saturday from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40.  After a 24 hour scrub, they were able to launch on Sunday at 12:52am CDT. Once in orbit, the spacecraft’s solar arrays were successfully deployed and its Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) bay door was opened.  …

Ocular Health:   Gerst and Wiseman setup ultrasound-2 hardware for use in Gerst’s FD 120 (day 3 of 3) eye ultrasound exam.  The crew configured camera equipment, Ultrasound 2, and performed an echocardiogram with guidance from the Ocular Health ground team.  The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the …

Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) hardware replacement: Wiseman performed Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) rack maintenance and MDCA hardware replacement.  After the CIR doors were opened, the MDCA Chamber Insert assembly (CIA) was removed from the CIR Combustion Chamber and restrained to the MWA Work Surface Area.  The crew replaced two …

NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) Operations:  With Deployers inside the JEMAL, Gerst secured doors of NRCSD Deployers 4 and 8. He then engaged the loading latches and applied tape to prevent further inadvertent deploys. Ocular Health: Gerst conducted his Flight Day 120 Ocular Health vision test and completed a questionnaire. With Wiseman as the operator, the …

FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 Operations:  Gerst removed the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) alignment guides, isolating the rack and allowing ground teams to conduct another FLEX-2 test point via ground commanding. This week’s samples are 100% toluene and a bi-component fuel mixture of 50% heptane and 50% toluene. FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study …

FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 Operations: Gerst removed the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) alignment guides, which isolates the rack and allows ground teams to conduct another FLEX-2 test point via ground commanding. FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner …

Energy: Wiseman and Gerst continued with Day 10 of the Energy investigation.  Gerst continued taking urine samples and eating a special diet for the Energy investigation. Wiseman also collected urine samples as the control subject. Energy measures change in energy balance in crewmembers following long term space flight. Energy also measures adaptations in the components …

38 Soyuz (38S) Undock and Landing: Expedition 40 Commander (CDR) Swanson, Flight Engineer (FE)-1 Skvortsov, and FE-2 Artemyev undocked from the ISS today at 6:01 p.m. CDT and landed in Kazakhstan at 9:23 p.m CDT. The crew’s return completes 167 days in space. 38S undock began Expedition 41 under the command of Maxim Suraev.  Suraev, …