Новости МКС

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2020/03/17/iss-daily-summary-report-3172020/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/17/2020

Engineered Heart Tissue (EHT):

Спойлер

The crew performed steps to troubleshoot noise seen in the data for the EHT habitats. Ground teams report if they can isolate the source of the noise, the can factor it out of the data. A Human iPSC (induced Pluripotent Stem Cell)-based 3D Microphysiological System for Modeling Cardiac Dysfunction in Microgravity (Engineered Heart Tissues) assesses human cardiac function in microgravity. It uses 3D cultured cardiac muscle tissue that mimics the architecture and function of adult human cardiac muscle. A magnet-based sensor placed underneath the tissue culture chamber allows real-time, non-destructive analysis of the functional performance and maturation of the tissues in space, which is compared with those cultured on Earth.

[свернуть]

Fluid Shifts:

Спойлер

The crew performed activities related to the Chibis (lower body negative pressure) portion of the investigation. Some issues were encountered with the Ultrasound video, but the team was able to work around it. Fluid Shifts is a NASA investigation, divided into Dilution Measurements, Baseline Imaging, and Imaging with Chibis. The Chibis hardware is used to perform the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) part of the experiment. The Fluid Shifts experiment investigates the causes for severe and lasting physical changes to astronaut's eyes. Because the headward fluid shift is a hypothesized contributor to these changes, reversing this fluid shift with a LBNP device is being evaluated as a possible intervention. Results from this study may help to develop preventative measures against lasting changes in vision and prevention of eye damage.

[свернуть]

MVP2 (Multi-use Variable-g Platform) Cell-03 fixation:

Спойлер

The crew removed the Emory Modules from MVP-2, took a 7ml sample, injected the sample into a fixation bag, and then inserted Emory Modules back into the MVP-2 facility to continue the Cell-03 investigation. The term 'fixation' refers to preservation of a sample for later analysis. There are several different fixation methods available, depending on the sample targets of interest. MVP2 Cell-03 studies the generation of cardiomyocytes, specialized heart muscle cells, for use in research and clinical applications. Specifically, the team is studying the differentiation of these heart cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), adult cells that have been altered to reinstate characteristics of natural stem cells. Simulated microgravity studies have allowed the team to increase the yield, purity, and survival of cardiomyocytes derived from iPSCs, and true spaceflight conditions are expected to further enhance these effects. Understanding how microgravity improves cardiomyocyte differentiation will enable the team to create clinically relevant heart tissue for use in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery.

[свернуть]

Nanoracks Module-51:

Спойлер

The crew performed the second status check on the sub-investigations contained within the Mod-51 experiment box. These sub experiments are the Vitamin-C Flask with syringe, Waxworm flask, Adipic acid and Venom flex plates, Yeast and amylase mixture tubes, and Flask with Flatworms. Inspections of the experiments went well and the hardware was stowed. Nanoracks Mod-51 itself is an aluminum module with a Velcro lid that can accommodate various sub-experiments.

[свернуть]

Nanoracks Module-72A troubleshooting:

Спойлер

The crew performed steps to attempt recovery of communication with the Nanoracks Mod-72A. The troubleshooting was successful and Module 72A was subsequently powered up and began the transfer of log files. These issues have been on-going for about a week and could be due to a bad or loose USB connection. Module-72A has a Raspberry Pi Zero board and several sensors. This is an educational payload that allows students to code their own software experiments and have them collect data on the ISS.

[свернуть]

OsteoOmics-2 fixation:

Спойлер

The crew attempted to perform the fixation operations on the remaining two OsteoOmics-2 Biocells contained in habitat 3. One of the biocells had a small area of cloudiness and fixation was performed on it. The other Biocell had more cloudiness (contamination) and was bagged and frozen. The ground team is assessing the possible source of the contamination, which has affected the majority of the 24 total BioCells in the 4 habitats. Millions of Americans experience bone loss, which results from disease or the reduced effects of gravity that can occur in bed-ridden patients. OsteoOmics tests whether magnetic levitation accurately simulates the free-fall conditions of microgravity by comparing genetic expression osteoblastic cells, a type of bone cell, levitated in a high-field superconducting magnet with cells flown in low-Earth orbit. This information helps scientists determine the molecular and metabolic changes that take place in magnetic levitation and real microgravity.

[свернуть]

SpaceX 20 (SpX-20) Dragon Cargo Operations:

Спойлер

The crew continued to perform Dragon cargo operations today. Ground teams estimate ~ 57 hours of cargo operations remain prior to Dragon departure planned for April 6, 2020.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2020/03/18/station-science-promoting-earth-space-therapies-ahead-of-crew-swap/

Station Science Promoting Earth, Space Therapies Ahead of Crew Swap

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 18, 2020 at 1:14 pm


An aurora, above the city lights and a beneath a starry sky, fades into an orbital sunrise as the space station orbited above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America.

Expedition 62 is continuing a host of studies this week exploring how microgravity affects the human body. Researchers use the weightlessness environment of the International Space Station to provide advanced therapies for healthier humans on Earth and in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan wore a specialized suit, testing its ability to pull body fluids towards an astronaut's feet. The Lower Body Negative Pressure suit is designed to prevent the space-caused upward fluid shifts and pooling in the head that create pressure on the eyes and cranium.

Fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir measured Morgan's eye pressure with a tonometer Wednesday morning as doctors on the ground monitored in real-time. Commander Oleg Skripochka assisted the pair with the hardware and suit activities while the research operations took place in the Zvezda service module.

The trio split up in the afternoon for more space science and station maintenance tasks. The station residents also continued their daily routine of cardio and resistance exercises aboard the orbiting lab.

After lunchtime, Morgan set up gear that monitors airflow and where particles settle on the station. Meir tended to bone cell samples for insights into Earth ailments such as osteoporosis. Skripochka serviced an oxygen generator and plumbing hardware in the station's Russian segment.

The space station will also boost its orbit on Thursday as it gears up for a crew swap in April. Expedition 62 is due to return to Earth on April 17 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 crew ship.

The Expedition 63 crew will launch to the station on April 9 inside the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy will lead Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner during the 195-day station mission.

Finally, the Cygnus space freighter that left the station on Jan. 31 ended its mission Tuesday night. It burned up safely in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean after several weeks of orbital engineering tests. The newest Cygnus is attached to the station's Harmony module where it will stay until May.

[tnt22]

https://tass.ru/kosmos/8021495

19 МАР, 00:01
Орбиту МКС скорректируют вечером в четверг
Согласно плану, двигатели "Прогресса" будут включены в 20:14 мск и проработают в течение 534 секунд

МОСКВА, 19 марта. /ТАСС/. Орбита Международной космической станции (МКС) будет "поднята" при помощи двигателей грузового корабля "Прогресс МС-13" в четверг. Об этом сообщили в госкорпорации "Роскосмос".

"В соответствии с программой полета Международной космической станции на 19 марта 2020 года запланирована коррекция ее орбиты", - сообщили в госкорпорации.

Согласно плану, двигатели "Прогресса" будут включены в 20:14 мск и проработают в течение 534 секунд. В результате средняя орбита МКС будет увеличена примерно на 1,1 км, до 419 км.

Как уточнили в Роскосмосе, маневр необходим для формирования баллистических условий для стыковки пилотируемого корабля "Союз МС-16" с тремя членами экипажа на борту и посадки на Землю "Союза МС-15" с космонавтом и двумя астронавтами.

Спойлер

Сейчас на МКС находятся космонавт Роскосмоса Олег Скрипочка и астронавты NASA Джессика Меир и Эндрю Морган. Их возвращение на Землю запланировано на 17 апреля. С 9 апреля экипаж должен увеличиться: на орбиту отправятся космонавты Анатолий Иванишин, Иван Вагнер и астронавт Крис Кэссиди. Старт ракеты "Союз-2.1а" с пилотируемым "Союзом МС-16" запланирован на 11:05 мск, стыковка корабля с МКС - на 17:16 мск.

В прошлый раз орбита станции была скорректирована в январе. Тогда маневр проходи в два этапа для формирования баллистических условий для посадки корабля "Союз МС-13", которая состоялась 6 февраля.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://www.roscosmos.ru/28215/

19.03.2020 21:30
Проведена плановая орбиты МКС

В соответствии с программой полёта Международной космической станции 19 марта 2020 года была проведена плановая коррекция ее орбиты. Корректирующий манёвр осуществлён для формирования баллистических условий перед стартом пилотируемого корабля «Союз МС-16» 9 апреля и посадкой спускаемого аппарата корабля «Союз МС-15» 17 апреля 2020 года.

Двигательная установка грузового корабля «Прогресс МС-13», пристыкованного к модулю «Пирс» российского сегмента станции, была включена в 20:14 мск. Результатом работы двигателей в течение 534 секунд стало приращение скорости станции на 0,6 м/сек.

В соответствии с данными службы баллистико-навигационного обеспечения Центра управления полётами ЦНИИмаш параметры орбиты станции после выполнения коррекции составили:

[/li]
• Период обращения: 92,88 мин;
  
• наклонение орбиты: 51,66 град;
  
• минимальная высота над поверхностью Земли: 416,68 км;
  
• максимальная высота над поверхностью Земли: 439,57 км.
  

Предыдущая коррекция орбиты Международной космической станции проводилась 23 января 2020 года.

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2020/03/18/iss-daily-summary-report-3182020/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/18/2020

Fluid Shifts:

The crew performed activities related to the Chibis (lower body negative pressure) portion of the investigation. Fluid Shifts is a NASA investigation, divided into Dilution Measurements, Baseline Imaging, and Imaging with Chibis. The Chibis hardware is used to perform the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) part of the experiment. The Fluid Shifts experiment investigates the causes for severe and lasting physical changes to astronaut's eyes. Because the headward fluid shift is a hypothesized contributor to these changes, reversing this fluid shift with a LBNP device is being evaluated as a possible intervention. Results from this study may help to develop preventative measures against lasting changes in vision and prevention of eye damage.

[свернуть]

JWRS check 2:

The crew performed the part 2 of the connection checks for the JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS). The Demonstration of JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS) generates potable water from urine. In the past on manned spacecraft, urine and waste water were collected and stored, or vented overboard. For long-term space missions, however, water supply could become a limiting factor. Demonstrating the function of this water recovery system on orbit contributes to updating the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) to support astronauts on the space station and future exploration missions.

[свернуть]

Nanoracks particle flow:

The crew connected the two Nanoracks Particle Flow units to the IMV Bypass Duct to observe the pellet motion and final resting places of the pellets. Although there was some difficulty getting all the particles to migrate in the first run, this was mostly resolved. The goal is to improve the understanding of the effects of airflow and pellet-pellet interaction. BOOST Orbital Operations on Spheroid Tesellation (Nanoracks particle flow, aka Adidas BOOST™) examines the particle foam mold filling process using different types of pellets. On Earth, Adidas makes performance midsoles from thousands of individual foam pellets blown into a mold and fused together. Microgravity enables a closer look at the factors behind pellet motion and location, which could enhance manufacturing processes as well as product performance and comfort.

[свернуть]

OsteoOmics fixation:

The crew performed the fixation operations on the remaining three OsteoOmics-2 BioCells contained in habitat 4. Of the 3 remaining BioCells expected to be clear of contamination, only 1 was actually clear and was preserved via fixation. The 2 contaminated BioCells were bagged. The term 'fixation' refers to preservation of a sample for later analysis. There are several different fixation methods available, depending on the sample targets of interest. The ground team is assessing the possible source of the contamination, which has affected the majority of the 24 total BioCells in the 4 habitats. Millions of Americans experience bone loss, which results from disease or the reduced effects of gravity that can occur in bed-ridden patients. OsteoOmics tests whether magnetic levitation accurately simulates the free-fall conditions of microgravity by comparing genetic expression osteoblastic cells, a type of bone cell, levitated in a high-field superconducting magnet with cells flown in low-Earth orbit. This information helps scientists determine the molecular and metabolic changes that take place in magnetic levitation and real microgravity.

[свернуть]

SpaceX 20 (SpX-20) Dragon Cargo Operations:

The crew continued to perform Dragon cargo operations today. Ground teams estimate ~ 53 hours of cargo operations remain prior to Dragon departure planned for April 6, 2020.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2020/03/19/space-cardiac-research-as-station-orbits-higher-for-next-crew/

Space Cardiac Research as Station Orbits Higher For Next Crew

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 19, 2020 at 2:02 pm


An aurora accents Earth's atmospheric glow underneath a starry sky as the glare from computer instrumentation reflects off a window in the cupola.

Cardiac research was a big part of the Expedition 62 crew's schedule on Thursday. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is orbiting higher to get ready for April's crew swap.

Two experiments taking place aboard the orbiting lab today are looking at cardiac function and the replenishment of heart cells in space. The NASA heart studies could lead to a better understanding of cardiac diseases and improved drug therapies on Earth. Astronauts living in space for months or years at a time could see strategies to maintain healthy cardiac function on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir nourished and preserved heart tissue samples for an experiment watching how heart cells adapt to microgravity. Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan got to work replacing hardware for an investigation producing heart cells that may treat cardiac abnormalities.

Veteran cosmonaut and station Commander Oleg Skripochka updated inventory after cargo activities inside the Progress 74 resupply ship. He also monitored radiation readings in the orbital lab and checked a variety of Russian video and computer gear.

The space station raised its orbit to the correct altitude this afternoon to receive three new Expedition 63 crewmembers aboard the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship next month. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner will launch and dock to the Poisk module on April 9 beginning a 195-day station mission.

Eight days later, the Expedition 62 crew will return to Earth and parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan inside the Soyuz MS-15 crew ship. Skripochka and Meir will have logged 205 days in space while Morgan is returning after 272 days on orbit.

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2020/03/19/iss-daily-summary-report-3192020/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/19/2020

Engineered Heart Tissue:

The crew performed sample fixations on selected tissue chambers and performed cell culture media exchanges on the remaining tissue chambers. The ground teams are still looking at the data from a recent troubleshooting session in order to attempt to remove noise from the EHT habitat data. A Human iPSC (induced Pluripotent Stem Cell)-based 3D Microphysiological System for Modeling Cardiac Dysfunction in Microgravity (Engineered Heart Tissues) assesses human cardiac function in microgravity. It uses 3D cultured cardiac muscle tissue that mimics the architecture and function of adult human cardiac muscle. A magnet-based sensor placed underneath the tissue culture chamber allows real-time, non-destructive analysis of the functional performance and maturation of the tissues in space, which is compared with those cultured on Earth.

[свернуть]

ISS Experience:

The ISS Experience camera and other associated hardware was setup up to capture the crew working on the Engineered Heart Tissue experiment. The ISS Experience creates a virtual reality film documenting daily life aboard the ISS. The 8 to 10 minute videos created from footage taken during the six-month investigation cover different aspects of crew life, execution of science aboard the station, and the international partnerships involved. The ISS Experience uses a Z-CAM V1 Pro Cinematic Virtual Reality (VR) 360-degree camera with nine 190° fisheye lenses.

[свернуть]

ISS HAM pass:

The crew participated in an ISS HAM pass with Turkey Space Camp, Izmir, Turkey. As a space and science education center, Space Camp Turkey is primarily focused on motivating young people from around the world to pursue careers in science, math, and technology. Through interactive, space-related simulations, both youth and adults learn about communication, teamwork, and leadership in a dynamic, fun-filled environment. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units.

[свернуть]

MVP2 (Multi-use Variable-g Platform) Cell-03:

The crew removed the Emory Modules from the MVP2, replaced the Nutrient and Waste Tubeset, and reinstalled Emory Modules into the MVP2 facility. MVP2 Cell-03 studies the generation of cardiomyocytes, specialized heart muscle cells, for use in research and clinical applications. Specifically, the team is studying the differentiation of these heart cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), adult cells that have been altered to reinstate characteristics of natural stem cells.  Simulated microgravity studies have allowed the team to increase the yield, purity, and survival of cardiomyocytes derived from iPSCs, and true spaceflight conditions are expected to further enhance these effects. Understanding how microgravity improves cardiomyocyte differentiation will enable the team to create clinically relevant heart tissue for use in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery.

[свернуть]

TangoLab2:

The crew removed/replaced the appropriate cubes on cards 5, 11, 12, 14 in the TangoLab-2 facility.  Space Tango's TangoLab-2 locker is a reconfigurable general research facility designed for microgravity research and development (R&D) and pilot manufacturing aboard the International Space Station (ISS). TangoLab-2 is similar to TangoLab-1 with the primary difference being an upgraded fan system which allows for a greater heat rejection capability.

[свернуть]

SpaceX 20 (SpX-20) Dragon Cargo Operations:

The crew continued to perform Dragon cargo operations today off of the task list. Dragon departure is currently planned for April 6, 2020.

[свернуть]

ISS Reboost:

This afternoon, at 12:14 PM CT, the ISS completed a 543s (8 min 43 sec) reboost using the using the nadir 74P Mid Ring thrusters. This is the first of two reboosts setting up conditions for 62S launch on GMT day 100 (April 9th) and 61S landing on GMT day 108 (April 17th). The ISS velocity was increased by ~0.6 meters per second (m/s) and the height of the ISS orbit was increased by ~1.09 kilometers (km).

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

 Andrew Morgan‏ @AstroDrewMorgan 46 мин. назад

The MVP Cell-03 study on @Space_Station examines if microgravity increases production of heart cells from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. The heart cells could help treat cardiac issues caused by spaceflight and replenish cells damaged from cardiac disease. #Wear62Friday

[tnt22]

 Jessica Meir‏ @Astro_Jessica 25 мин. назад

This week the #Expedition62 crew gathered in the Russian segment for the Fluid Shifts physiology experiment (see Feb 28). The "pants" @AstroDrewMorgan is wearing exert negative pressure below his waist, bringing blood down toward his feet as it would do on Earth. #Wear62Friday

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2020/03/20/spacesuit-work-air-quality-and-radiation-checks-on-station-today/

Spacesuit Work, Air Quality and Radiation Checks on Station Today

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 20, 2020 at 3:18 pm


This image taken fr om the space station 263 miles above Sudan shows the Nile River winding northward next to the Red Sea toward the Mediterranean Sea.

The Expedition 62 trio aboard the International Space Station spent their Friday on a variety of activities. The crew conducted a hearing test, swapped spacesuit components, and checked out computers, air quality, and radiation.

Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan started the day with a hearing test for the Acoustic Diagnostics study. The research measures an astronaut's hearing before, during and after a mission to understand the impacts of microgravity and the station's noise levels.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir worked in the Tranquility module on Friday morning servicing a device that measures the orbiting lab's atmosphere. The life support gear monitors a variety of major constituents such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor to ensure a safe breathing environment for the crew. Meir wrapped up her day in the airlock, wh ere she changed out a hard upper torso of one of the U.S. spacesuits with Morgan.

Over in the station's Russian segment, Commander Oleg Skripochka replacing older laptop computers with new ones. In the afternoon, the veteran cosmonaut sampled the air quality and set up radiation detectors in the station's Russian modules.

[tnt22]

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-leadership-assessing-mission-impacts-of-coronavirus

March 21, 2020
RELEASE 20-031

NASA Leadership Assessing Mission Impacts of Coronavirus

To protect the health and safety of the NASA workforce as the nation responds to coronavirus (COVID-19), agency leadership recently completed the first assessment of work underway across all missions, projects, and programs. The goal was to identify tasks that can be done remotely by employees at home, mission-essential work that must be performed on-site, and on-site work that will be paused.

"We are going to take care of our people. That's our first priority," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "Technology allows us to do a lot of what we need to do remotely, but, where hands-on work is required, it is difficult or impossible to comply with CDC guidelines while processing spaceflight hardware, and where we can't safely do that we're going to have to suspend work and focus on the mission critical activities."

The agency has defined mission-essential work as that which must be performed to maintain critical mission operations to ensure the schedule of time-sensitive mission-critical launches, or work to protect life and critical infrastructure. This includes work to support America's national security and mission-essential functions for the nation. NASA leadership will continually assess all activities as the situation evolves.
...
All work associated with supporting International Space Station operations continues. Flight controllers are working in the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where a number of additional measures went into effect in early March to reduce the risk of exposure to the team.

Astronaut training continues, as do preparations for the launch April 9 of NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts. NASA and its international and commercial partners always take steps to prevent the crew from bringing illnesses like the cold or flu to the International Space Station. As with all crewed launches, crews must stay in quarantine for two weeks before they launch. This process ensures that they aren't sick or incubating an illness when they get to the space station and is called "health stabilization."

Work also continues on the agency's Commercial Crew Program, a critical element to maintaining safe operations on the International Space Station and a sustained U.S. presence on the orbiting laboratory. Commercial resupply activities and future missions also will go on as scheduled in order to keep the space station crew fully supplied and safe.
...
Last Updated: March 21, 2020
Editor: Karen Northon

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/20/astronauts-family-wont-attend-launch-next-month-due-to-coronavirus-threat/

Astronaut's family won't attend launch next month due to coronavirus threat
March 20, 2020 | Stephen Clark


NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy (left), Russian Soyuz commander Anatoly Ivanishin (center), and flight engineer Ivan Vagner (right) during training March 11 in Star City, Russia. Credit: Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy's family will be watching remotely fr om halfway around the world when he blasts off April 9 fr om Kazakhstan to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station.

That's because travel restrictions and stringent social distancing guidelines instituted to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will lim it the ability for family members to travel to the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the launch.

"The specifics have been changing rapidly, but when the borders closed — the Russian borders — to non-Russian passport holders, that put a challenge for us because now the launch guests who go into and out of Moscow to get the Baikonur couldn't get back through Moscow," Cassidy said Thursday. "So that closed the gates for us and that was the final straw that we pulled the plug on launch support for for my guests.

"As us crew members on a Soyuz rocket, we get 15 guests to come (to the launch), including our spouse and children and that sort of thing. And so none of those folks will come," Cassidy said.

Launch day at Baikonur is usually a festive affair, with long-held traditions for space crews dating back to the launch of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in orbit, in April 1961.

"What's super cool normally is you come walking out of the hotel where we stay for the whole two weeks that we're down there (at Baikonur), and there's music playing and there's crowds of people lining the walkway as we proceed fr om the hotel to the buses," Cassidy said. "And it's very, very motivating. It's super exciting.

"But it'll be completely quiet," Cassidy said in a satellite interview fr om Star City, Russia. "There won't be anybody there. We'll just kind of walk out. Maybe we'll still play music and fire the three of us up ourselves, but who knows?"

Instead, Cassidy said his family may view the launch fr om mission control in at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the home base for NASA's astronaut corps.

"We have an ability to have some guests in the Mission Control Center in Houston, but even that's a little bit in question in terms of having 100 people in one conference room," he said. "So it'll probably be most people just watching on the Internet from wherever their homes are."

Anatoly Ivanishin, a veteran Russian cosmonaut, will command the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft. First-time Russian space flier Ivan Vagner will serve as the primary flight engineer in the left seat, with Cassidy in the right seat.

Cassidy and his crewmates are scheduled for liftoff on a Soyuz-2.1a booster at 4:05 a.m. EDT (0805 GMT; 1:05 p.m. Baikonur time) on April 9.

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has also announced media representatives will be unable to attend the launch in person at Baikonur.

Launch campaigns at the Russian-operated spaceport are continuing despite travel restrictions in Kazakhstan, wh ere authorities have closed its borders to all travelers except Kazakh citizens, diplomats and people invited by the Kazakh government.


The Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft — the next crew ship to launch to the International Space Station — is pictured during pre-flight processing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Roscosmos

Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner will travel from Star City to the Baikonur Cosmodrome later this month for the final two weeks of training, spacesuit and spacecraft fit checks, and other flight preparations.

The Soyuz crew is already in quarantine. That's part of standard protocol before a spaceflight.

"We actually didn't enter quarantine early," Cassidy told Spaceflight Now in an interview Thursday. "Just because by weird, weird timing, our period of time wh ere we entered quarantine as planned sort of lined up with when all of the severe restrictions started falling in place for world citizens. So we were probably a little cautious in the days immediately prior to official quarantine starting, but we didn't start any earlier."

Soyuz crews typically visit Red Square in Moscow and lay flowers to honor Russian space icons interred in the Kremlin Wall. That tradition was cancelled.

"I haven't been out in town, but I hear the streets in Moscow are quiet and empty, similar to what you see on the news around the rest of the world," Cassidy said. "Here in Star City, it's kind of like this little oasis in the woods. Life is fairly, I don't want to say normal, but people are going around, you can go to the local local grocery store, get your hair cut, the training is still happening for the cosmonauts. But that's in our little enclave of Star City. Outside the gates. I think it's much more restrictive in the larger metropolitan area."

Cassidy said he hasn't been around anyone in recent weeks other than his wife in Star City, his crewmates and other workers who receive regular health screening.

"So it'd be really really strange if if I did contract something," he said. "Of course, anything can happen between now and April 9, but we're being really super vigilant so that I can remain healthy to get to the station."

Cassidy, a former Navy SEAL, said he's excited for his third trip to the space station.

"I'm excited, bring it on, let's get on with the work ... But my stress level, to be quite honest with you, is a little high for all the people that I care about, like my wife and I have been trying to figure out what's her plan to go home," he said.

"When you have a plan and things change out of your control, that's when it can be a little stressful," he said. "We're only human, and we'll work through and it'll be fine. But those are the things that are on my mind these days, is what's what are the travel plans for my friends and family.

"I have one child that's in New Zealand, and he's trying to get home and his plans are all screwed up, too," Cassidy said. "So it's just the stress. The things that are stressing the rest of the world and the rest of America are the same things that are stressing me right now."


The Soyuz MS-16 crew, from left to right: Chris Cassidy, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. Credit: Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

In addition to the extra stress from the coronavirus pandemic, Cassidy's original crewmates were replaced with back-up crew members last month. Cosmonaut Nikolai Tikhonov, the original Soyuz commander, suffered an eye injury and Russian officials opted to swap both Russian crew members with the back-up crew.

Cassidy says he knows Ivanishin and Vagner well. Ivanishin is trained to perform a spacewalk in a U.S. spacesuit if required, and Vagner is familiar with operating the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm.

"Of course, we're getting to know each other more and more as the training intensity ratchets up," Cassidy said. "When I arrived (in Star City on March 1), we had never been in the simulator together. So we've been training intensely for the last two weeks, but we're ready to go."

[свернуть]

Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner will join a three-person crew already aboard the space station for a week-long crew handover beginning April 9.

Russian commander Oleg Skripochka, joined by NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Drew Morgan, will return to Earth on April 17. Cassidy will take the helm as commander of the space station's Expedition 63 crew, and his crew will remain on the space station until October.

During that time, Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner will have the space station to themselves, at least until the arrival of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

Hurley and Behnken are assigned to the first piloted test flight of SpaceX's commercial crew ferry ship. The two-man team is training for an extended mission that could last months, but NASA has not confirmed the scheduled length of Hurley and Behnken's stay on the space station.

The Crew Dragon launch is currently scheduled for mid-to-late May, according to NASA.

Until Hurley and Behnken arrive, Cassidy will be the only NASA astronaut aboard the research complex, responsible for leading all the scientific experiments and repairs needed on the U.S. segment of the space station. Russia has slowed production and launches of Soyuz crew ferry ships as NASA transitions to launching astronauts on U.S. vehicles.

"We've had the really good fortune (recently) wh ere we've had a really robust crew, staffed well, and lots of science available — active and external — so we could just crank out some science over the recent years and months," Cassidy said. "That's going to be different. There's a certain level of number of hours per week that you have to pay to the space station to keep it healthy and running, and keep the systems problem-free, and then if there are problems, to fix them."

The space station typically has six people on-board at one time. Once new crew ships from SpaceX and Boeing are regularly flying, the station could host long-duration crews of up to seven people.

"That amount of overhead doesn't care if there's one Chris Cassidy or six crew members up there, so we'll have to deal with that, and the balance of which we'll get some science done," he said. "I'm going to do my best to have busy, busy days and try to work fast, but also not make mistakes. That's the worst thing I could do, is hustle myself into screw-ups. So I'll just proceed with caution and work as quickly as I can, but also know that science is the name of the game, and that's why I'm there."

Cassidy said he'll be happy to welcome Hurley and Behnken on the space station later this year.

"They're my good friends, and I'll be there with open arms and excited to greet them, both on a personal level and a professional level, too, wh ere we can really go ahead and get after the science with a few more people," he said.

[tnt22]

Space to Ground: In Times of Adversity: 03/20/2020

NASA Johnson

20 мар. 2020 г.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0S4Th3FrhI (2:30)

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2020/03/23/vision-tests-3d-bioprinting-on-station-as-new-crew-ramps-up-for-launch/

Vision Tests, 3D Bioprinting on Station as New Crew Ramps up for Launch

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 23, 2020 at 1:46 pm


The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain on the European continent from Morocco on the African continent.

Vision tests and a variety of advanced biology research activities took place aboard the International Space Station today. The Expedition 62 crew also serviced several computers and life support gear as a new crew gets ready for launch next month.

Each crewmember had a vision acuity test today, with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan starting first just after lunchtime today. The crew set up a laptop computer with a vision chart and read the characters with one hand over each eye as ground doctors monitored in real-time.

Morgan started his morning tending to mice living in the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. The rodents are being observed to understand how microgravity affects genetic expression. Results could inform how humans will adapt to longer missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

In the afternoon, Morgan explored how the space environment, including radiation, impacts microbes living in the human body. The study seeks to understand how gut bacteria is enriched or depleted in space and how it affects astronaut health.

Watch how NASA is learning to protect an astronaut's microbiome...

NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Meir activated a 3-D bioprinter that is being tested for its ability to manufacture human organs in space. She tested the device without printing any cells today and checked its cleaning syringes. The station's Bio-Fabrication Facility could help patients on Earth and enable future crews to produce food and medicines on long-term space missions.

In the Russian segment, station Commander Oleg Skripochka worked an experiment during the morning to help researchers understand the ergonomic conditions aboard the orbiting lab. The veteran cosmonaut then moved onto computer upgrades before collecting radiation readings in the afternoon.

The next crew to live and work on the space station is preparing to depart to its launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner will sit next to Soyuz Commander Anatoly Ivanishin when they launch April 9 aboard the Soyuz MS-16 crew craft for the six-hour ride to their new home in space.

[tnt22]

Standard Measures Episode 6: Microbiome
Доступ по ссылке

NASA Johnson

2 мар. 2020 г.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOZFfUyOw8s (1:18)

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2020/03/20/iss-daily-summary-report-3202020/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/20/2020

Acoustic Diagnostics:

The crew set up the appropriate hardware, performed the audio measurements, and used the EveryWear application to answer the questionnaires. The investigation tests the hearing of ISS crew members before, during, and after flight. This study assesses the possible adverse effects of noise and the microgravity environment aboard the ISS on human hearing. The investigation compares the relationship between the detection of otoacoustic emissions, sounds naturally generated from within the inner ear, and hearing loss levels when exposed to noisy environments.

[свернуть]

Food Physiology:

The crew participated in a briefing to discuss dietary details with Food Physiology team. The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status During Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) experiment is designed to characterize the key effects of an enhanced spaceflight diet on immune function, the gut microbiome, and nutritional status indicators. These factors are interlinked, but diet is the only one that can be easily and meaningfully altered on Earth or during flight. This investigation aims to document the effect of dietary improvements on human physiology and the ability of those improvements to enhance adaptation to spaceflight.

[свернуть]

Radi-N2 deploy:

Following initialization by the Russian crew, the Radi-N2 detectors were placed in the COL1A3 location to begin this neutron radiation monitoring session. The objective of this Canadian Space Agency investigation is to better characterize the ISS neutron environment, define the risk posed to the crew members' health, and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future spaceflight. It's been recognized that neutrons make up a significant fraction (10-30%) of the biologically effective radiation exposure in low-Earth orbit. The bubble detectors used in the investigation are designed detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

[свернуть]

Node 3 Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU)-2 Remove and Replace (R&R):

Late last year, the Node 3 MCA Mass Mass Spectrometer (ORU 02) failed due to an Ion Pump short. Today, the crew replaced the Node 3 MCA ORU 02 with an on-orbit spare. Replacing the mass spectrometer recovers the Node 3 MCA restores the nominal USOS MCA redundancy.

[свернуть]

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Hard Upper Torso (HUT) Swap and In-Line Cable Voltage Regulator (ILCVR) R&R:

Today, the crew performed a HUT swap on EMU S/N 3004. The R&R was performed to upsize the HUT from a medium (M) to an extra large (XL) in preparation for the arrival of the Expedition 63 crew. The XL HUT did not have an ILCVR installed, so the crew also swapped the ILCVR from the M HUT to the XL HUT.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

 Jessica Meir‏ @Astro_Jessica 5 ч. назад

Longer exposures set the scene in this shot from a weekend time-lapse...atmospheric airglow fades into aurora (left), reflections highlight a @Space_Station solar array, & the spider web of Moscow's city lights (right). Goodnight Moscow! #GoodnightFromSpace #NoFilter #EarthStrong

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2020/03/23/iss-daily-summary-report-3232020/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/23/2020

JAXA MHU-5 (JAXA Mouse Habitat Unit-5):

The crew performed routine mouse habitat maintenance activities for the continuing Mouse Mission-5 investigation. JAXA Mouse Habitat Unit-5 (MHU-5) examines the effects of partial G on mice using the JAXA-developed mouse habitat cage units (HCU) that can be installed in the newly developed Centrifuge-equipped Biological Experiment Facility-L (CBEF-L) on the ISS. Stress caused by partial G may alter gene expression in cells of the body. The investigation analyzes any such alterations and their possible effects on development of germ cells, which carry genetic information and expression to subsequent generations.

[свернуть]

NanoRacks Module-9:

The crew performed the 3rd set of operations ("Ops 3") on the NanoRacks Module-9 tube.  Ops 3 involves the mixture of Tube #2, which looks at the ability of Quinoa (a type of grain) growth in microgravity. NanoRacks-National Center for Earth and Space Science Education-Gemini includes 41 microgravity experiments designed by students in grades 5 through 12 and college. The experiments range from examinations of water filtration and purification to synthetic soil production, rust formation, antibiotic effectiveness, growth and development of microacquatic organisms, and growth of plant, fungi, and bacteria. Each was chosen from more than 3,000 entries submitted by more than 23,000 U.S., Canadian, and Brazilian students. The experiments use NanoRacks MixStix, miniature laboratories activated by the ISS crew and are eventually returned to the student teams on Earth for analysis.

[свернуть]

Rhodium Space Microbiome:

The crew inserted samples S/n's #5, #7, and #6 into the SABL unit for incubation and then removed #5 and placed it into the MELFI cold stowage facility. Genomics Investigation of Human Gut Microbiome to Determine Effects of Microgravity Exposures (Rhodium Space Microbiome) examines the effects of spaceflight on the human gut microbiome, a complex community of numerous bacterial species. Developing a better understanding shifts in microbiome diversity and function and how they affect human health and performance may help protect people on future missions. Recent studies have shown a connection between alterations in the structure and function of the gut microbiome and multiple chronic and acute diseases.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

 Jonathan McDowell‏ @planet4589 46 мин. назад

Dragon CRS-20 brought  up the Airbus Bartomoleo experiment platform in its trunk. I believe Bartomoleo is scheduled to be extracted from the trunk sometime today, although I haven't seen any updates. It will be installed ont he Columbus module.

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2020/03/24/artery-scans-eye-checks-on-station-as-crews-prepare-for-april-swap/

Artery Scans, Eye Checks on Station as Crews Prepare for April Swap

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 24, 2020 at 12:55 pm


(From left) Expedition 63 crewmembers Ivan Vagner, Anatoly Ivanishin and Chris Cassidy arrive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

Ultrasound scans and eye checks aboard the International Space Stationtoday are helping doctors understand how the Expedition 62 crew is adapting to microgravity. Back on Earth, a new crew is in final preparations for its launch next month.

NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Meir spent Tuesday morning on biomedical duty and scanned her leg arteries with an ultrasound device. She also attached electrodes to her neck, thigh and heart for the Vascular Echo study. Flight surgeons on the ground monitor the scans real-time to glimpse a crewmember's heart and blood vessel health in space.

In the afternoon, Meir joined fellow Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan for eye exams. The duo took turns imaging each other's eyes using optical coherence tomography gear commonly found in an eye doctor's office. Eye health in space is important, as some astronauts have reported experiencing vision problems after returning to Earth.

Morgan started the morning swapping out batteries in a device that analyzes the station's atmosphere. Afterward, he tended to hardware for an experiment that seeks to improve the manufacturing process of metallic alloys on Earth.

All three crewmates, including Commander Oleg Skripochka, started the day readying their Soyuz MS-15 crew ship ready for departure on April 17. They performed a fit check of the Soyuz seats they will be sitting in for the three-and-a-half hour ride back to Earth.

Meanwhile, the crew that will replace them is nearing its launch scheduled for April 9 aboard the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived today at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final training. The Expedition 63 trio is due to live aboard the station for 195 days with Cassidy as commander.