Station Crew Conducts Science, Maintenance

(NASA) – Science and maintenance were the order of the day Friday aboard the International Space Station for the Expedition 19 crew.

Expedition 19 Commander Gennady Padalka worked with the Russian experiment PNEUMOCARD, which studies how the cardiovascular system responds to spaceflight conditions. The information recorded during PNEUMOCARD can be used to predict possible physical reactions of the crew members during their return to Earth. Padalka, along with Flight Engineer Michael Barratt, spent time orienting himself to his new surroundings aboard the orbiting complex.

Image above: Expedition 19 Flight Engineers Michael Barratt (left) and Koichi Wakata speak to members of the Earth-bound media from their home in orbit. Credit: NASA TV

Barratt also checked out the camera used in the Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test – 4. In this experiment, also known as BCAT-4, station crew members photograph samples of polymer and colloidal particles that model liquid/gas phase changes. The results will help scientists develop fundamental physics concepts previously cloaked by the effects of gravity.

Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata completed the daily flushing of the station’s Potable Water Dispenser using iodinated water to combat the growth of microbes in the device. He also performed regular maintenance on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device.

The three crew members participated in an emergency egress drill in preparation for the unlikely event that they would need to quickly exit the station.

Ground controllers this week have continued to check out the Canadian Space Agency’s Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator, or SPDM, a two-armed robot that can be attached to the end of the station’s robotic arm to accomplish more intricate tasks than can be done with the arm alone. Controllers operated the SPDM by ground commands while it was at the end of the station arm, testing the arm’s fine alignment maneuvering capabilities. The checkout also tested cameras. It marked the first time that the SPDM had been aligned with a dextrous grapple fixture and target. The tests demonstrated that movements as fine as two millimeters can be performed with precision using the new robotics. The equipment is planned to be used to change out a station circuit breaker, called an ISS Remote Power Control Module, in September.

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