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More Details for 2008-01-12

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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

Saturday -- off-duty day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Tani except for housekeeping and voluntary work. "CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers ' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew 's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

The crew performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. ("Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the CDR's sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.)

As part of the house cleaning, FE-1Malenchenko performed preventive maintenance cleaning on the FS5, FS6, FS9, VPkhO, VdPrK, VPrK & TsV2 fan grilles in the SM, DC1 Docking Module and FGB (Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok).

The FE-1 also prepared for today 's fourth day of his five-day wearing test of the spring-loaded 'Penguin-3' antigravity pressure/stress suit with its load measuring system (SIN), donning the suit and its equipment, then going about his business and downloading performance measurements several times. (Each day, Yuri selects higher symmetrical (shoulders) & asymmetrical (chest & back) loads (~20-30 kgf), after calibrating the system with no load on the suit 's internal tension straps. Load data are then collected by the SIN electronics (via analog-to-digital converters) and downloaded to an A31p laptop three times daily, followed by downlink to the ground via BSR-TM.)

FE-2 Tani retrieved and stowed the two FMKs (Formaldehyde Monitoring Kits) deployed by him on 1/10 in the Lab (below CEVIS cycle) and SM (most forward handrail on panel 307).

Dan also performed his daily status check on the BCAT-3 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-3) science payload, running by itself in Node-2 since 12/13/07 (briefly interrupted for EVA-13 photo support). (The status check, conducted on the last image taken by the DCS 760 digital still camera which is controlled by EarthKAM software on an A31p laptop, is to verify proper image focus and camera alignment. The SSC (Station Support Computer) is taking photography of the phase separation occurring in the BCAT Sample 3, with the photo flash going off every half hour.)

For today 's VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) program, CDR Whitson continued her work with the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) and the InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment, today conducting runs #7, #8, and #9, then powered down the payload and switched the MSG to standby. (After activation of MSG and InSPACE & InSPACE-2 equipment, Peggy checked on alignment & focusing of the two MSG video cams, switched the magnetic field between runs, changed out video recorder tapes and later deactivated InSPACE & MSG. InSPACE, conducted last in June 2006 by Jeff Williams on Increment 13, obtains basic data on magnetorheological fluids, i.e., a new class of "smart materials" that can be used to improve or develop new brake systems, seat suspensions robotics, clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damper systems. The dispersed particles are contained in CAs (Coil Assemblies) in the MSG that subject them to electric fields of certain strength and frequencies.)

At ~9:45am EST, the crewmembers held their regular weekly planning conference (WPC) with the ground, discussing next week's "Look-Ahead Plan" (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP/Moscow timeline planners) via S-band/audio, reviewing the monthly calendar, upcoming activities, and any concerns about future on-orbit events.

Later, Yuri completed today 's routine maintenance of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the Service Module (SM), including ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables, the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP.

The crewmembers performed their regular 2.5-hr physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR, FE-2), TVIS treadmill (FE-1), RED (CDR, FE-2) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

Afterwards, Dan Tani copied the exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) laptop for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

At ~6:35am, Yuri Malenchenko had a PFC (Private Family Conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on the SSC-10 laptop).

Working off his discretionary 'time permitting' task list, Yuri conducted another session of the Russian "Uragan" (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the Nikon D2X digital camera with 800 mm focal length lens. (Targets uplinked for today were Icebergs in Scotia Sea and Patagonia Glaciers.)

A second job item on the FE-1 's voluntary list for today was another KPT-3 session to make observations and take aerial KPT-3 photography of environmental conditions for Russia's Environmental Safety Agency (ECON) using the Nikon D2X digital camera with SIGMA 300-800mm telephoto lens.

The CDR and FE-2 had a number of newly added jobs on their 'job jar' task list: (1) in Node-2 put two hatch latches to hard stop position; (2) take SLM (Sound Level Measurement) data in Node-2 and transfer them to laptop for downlink; and (3) conduct the regular FDS PEP (Fire Detection & Suppression/Portable Emergency Provisions) safety inspection/audit.

Reboost Update: The ISS reboost yesterday by the twin SM main engines was successfully conducted on time (7:42pm EST). Purpose of the 1m 58s long maneuver burn was to establish the correct phasing conditions for 27S launch and the STS-122/1E launch season (FD3 rendezvous). The reboost produced a delta-velocity (delta-V) of 3.1 m/s (predicted: 3.0 m/s; ~5% overburn). Mean altitude increase (delta-H): 5.4 km (2.9 nmi).

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Sixteen -- Week 12)

ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): ALTEINO instrument has been rotated by the crew on 1/8 and memory card has been exchanged. Photos of the new configuration have been taken and placed on OCA for down-link. On 1/9 data has been downlinked. Data and photos will be analyzed by the science team as soon as available..

ANITA: Completed.

BCAT-3 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 3): 'Getting great data for sample 3, Dan's setup is the best design so far, (more stable), and we continue to learn from astronauts clever techniques.'

CARDIOCOG-2: Completed.

CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): 'Dan, we are waiting to get the new launch date so we can schedule your second in-flight session to meet the R-21 to R-14 requirement. This activity will be hard scheduled when we get a firm launch date.'

CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment): Reserve.

CSI-2/CGBA (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus): In progress.

CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.

CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): In progress.

EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): Complete.

ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive - Space 2): Planned.

EPO (Educational Payload Operations): Reserve.

ETD (Eye Tracking Device): In progress.

InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): 'InSPACE-2 began operations in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) on Saturday, 1/5/ 08. This is a follow-on science payload to the successful InSPACE experiment conducted in 2003 and 2006. The first six test runs were performed. Two of four samples of different particle concentrations were tested at three different magnetic field strengths and at a frequency of 20 Hz. The preliminary images looked excellent, clearly showing the microstructure developing during the steady and pulsed magnetic fields, according to Professor Eric Furst, the Principal Investigator at the University of Delaware. The new time stamping feature on the science video, made possible through a new video cable, provides unambiguous time correlation of the downlink video.'

Integrated Immune: In progress.

KUBIK-FM1/ KUBIK-FM2 Centrifuge/Incubators: Completed.

LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): Complete.

MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment): Ongoing.

MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC1 'Pirs'.

MULTIGEN-1: MULTIGEN-1 samples will be downloaded on STS-122 (1E).

MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox): Complete.

NOA-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer): Planned.

NUTRITION/REPOSITORY: ' Dan, thank you for your voluntary participation in a stand-alone Repository session. Your attention in keeping to the time constraints was much appreciated!'.

PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.

SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): Ongoing.

SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): In progress.

SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): In progress.

Swab (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): In progress.

TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.

CEO (Crew Earth Observation): Through 1/9 the ground has received a total of 9,988 frames of ISS/CEO imagery for review and cataloging. That includes over 1,600 frames in the past week alone! 'The quality of your imagery remains high, especially in composition, with many striking oblique and low-light views. Your excellent view of the coastal city of Beirut, Lebanon will be published on NASA/GSFC 's Earth Observatory web page this weekend. Nice shot! Thanks also for you efforts to acquire IPY imagery of Polar Mesospheric Clouds. This is a challenging phenomenon to predict and observe.'

CEO photo targets uplinked for today were South Tibesti Megafans, Africa (weather was predicted to be clear over the Tibesti region. Orbit track took the ISS over the center of the target area. Looking for discontinuous overlapping dry stream channels as indicators of the megafans. Nadir mapping frames taken along-track were requested), Teide Volcano, Canary Islands (the Teide Volcano, located on the island of Tenerife is a Decade Volcano (due to its high eruption hazard potential) and the highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean. Looking to the right of track as ISS approached the Canary Islands. The triangular island of Tenerife is distinctive, and Teide is located with an elliptical caldera formed by previous eruptions. Context views of the islands and Teide Volcano were requested), and Polar Mesospheric Clouds - PMC, Antarctica (IPY--PMC radar research station active. GMTs for this and subsequent PMC opportunities were chosen for closeness to the Antarctic PMC radar research site at 73S 13W. Radar is switched on during ISS passes at the given GMTs. But the crew was to feel free to look south during any night awake pass).