Earth Imagery from ISS Target Operations: Over the weekend, the crew captured images and video footage of Japan, the Sahara Desert, the India-Himalayas-Tibetan Plateau, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and Ireland to Moscow at night. Today the crew captured images of the Himalayas, facing northwest up the mountain range. The Earth Imagery from ISS investigation creates a series of videos showcasing Earth from space. These videos are taken with cameras on the ISS in 6K hi-resolution, then integrated into videos for screensavers for public enjoyment, exploration, and engagement.

Eli Lilly-Lyophilization Sample Tray Installation: The crew set up the Lyophilization hardware this morning, removed the two frozen sample trays from the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) and placed the samples into the sample chamber within the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) for processing. Lyophilization in Microgravity (Eli Lilly-Lyophilization) examines freeze-drying processes in the microgravity environment aboard the ISS. Freeze-drying is used to preserve food and medication but may create layering or other textures in the presences of gravity. The samples will be returned to the Earth for comparison with control samples.

ISS Non-invasive Sample Investigation and results Transmission to ground with the Utmost easiness (In Situ): The crew collected a saliva sample and processed it in the bio analyzer for the In Situ investigation. Crewmembers are continuously monitored for health changes, and as part of these measurements, they have to take saliva samples that are stored and returned to Earth later. The In Situ bioanalysis is a portable device that can check crewmembers’ saliva on board, enabling direct real-time analysis. The device’s first uses are to monitor stress levels and appetites among crewmembers. Humans living in space experience dramatic changes to their health, from weakened bone and muscle to reduced appetites and increased stress levels. The device uses disposable cartridges that check for the presence of the stress hormone cortisol. A miniature analytical device that can detect certain biomarkers using non-invasively collected samples would benefit health care workers on Earth, from emergency medical technicians on call, to small rural clinics in developing countries.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): Today a 51S crewmember conducted a Flight Day 132 FMS session, which is executed on a touchscreen tablet, where the subject performs a series of interactive tasks. The investigation studies how fine motor skills are affected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of FMS is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation, and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Preparation for Return: The crew swapped EMU 3008 and 3010 and then removed hardware from EMU 3010 in preparation for return on SpaceX-13. The EMU arms and legs will remain on ISS for future activities. After the hardware is removed, the crew installed Short EMU ancillary hardware and soft stow covers to prepare the SEMU for installation into the SEMU Launch Enclosure.

51S Cargo Pre-pack: The crew gathered hardware and labelled it for return on 51S. Some of the hardware that will be retrieved at the landing site for immediate return requires special labelling to help locate it in the Soyuz at landing.

Cygnus Release Preparations: In support of the OA-8 Cygnus unberth planned for tomorrow and the release planned for Wednesday, the crew performed a refresher session on Cygnus release operations using Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT). This procedure included three Cygnus runs and instructions for self-study. Additionally, the crew activated the Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communications Unit (CUCU), checked out the CUCU Crew Command Panel (CCP), and then restowed the CCP. Earlier this morning, ground controllers activated the Cygnus Prox system.

ORU Tool Changeout Mechanism 1 (OTCM) Troubleshooting: Last Monday, November 28th, during Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Force Moment Sensor (FMS) Fine characterization, OTCM1 failed on two attempts to grasp the H-Fixture on the Mobile Base System (MBS). This past Friday was able to grasp the EOTP H-fixture with no issues. The successful OTCM1 testing at a second H-fixture location confirms that the MBS H-fixture issue is an oversized H-fixture. Out of spec components have been encountered on-orbit in the past and can be accommodated with an update to the payload file with increased tolerances.

Lab Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA): Early Sunday morning, Lab CDRA failed with the Fan Motor Controller (FMC) current and fan speed going to zero. Node 3 CDRA was activated to minimize CO 2 impacts. The failure signature indicates this is a recurrence of a previous failure on 1/29/16. Lab CDRA was recovered with an FMC power-cycle. Node 3 CDRA was put in standby once the Lab CDRA was recovered.

Node 2 High Definition (HD) Encoder Firmware Update: On Friday, the firmware was updated on the Node 2 HD encoder. The load was successful and a checkout is in progress. This is a new version of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) firmware for the AVN443 HD Encoder. The purpose of the AVN443 HD Encoder firmware upgrade is to implement a timestamp function in the Encoder that does not exist in the current firmware. Ground teams will confirm the update is successful before attempting to load the remaining five HD encoders on ISS.

Today’s Planned Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.



MO-8. Preparation

Body Mass Measurement – BMMD

MO-8 equipment stowage. Closeout ops

Cygnus PROX Switch ON

INSITU MELFI Sample Retrieve

Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject

Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) Nitrogen Manual Valve Open

Collection of Condensate Water [КАВ] Samples from [СРВ-К2М] upstream ФГС using Russian Samplers

Circadian Rhythms Kit Audit

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Evaluation

EIISS Crew Preference RED Camera Target Operations

Load Alleviating Strap (LAS) Remove and Replace

Lyophilization MELFI Sample Retrieve

Lyophilization Sample Tray Installation

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test

IN SITU Saliva Collect Operations

PAO Hardware Setup Video and Voice Comm Check

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) Launch Enclosure (SLE) Preparation

Dragon Cargo Prep

TV PAO Event with students of Lomonosov State University Gymnasium (Ku+S-band)

IN SITU Saliva Collect Finish

Environmental Health System (EHS) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect

JEM System Laptop Terminal Reboot

Life On The Station Photo and Video

Progress -736 SOKOL suit leak check without donning ПКО or Kentavr

Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing

Drying Sokol spacesuits: set up suit 1 and 2 for drying

Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup

TV PAO Event with RSUH students (S + Ku-band)

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pre-Treat Tank Remove & Replace

On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Release Session

Brine EDV transfer to Progress 436 [AO] Rodnik Water Tank (БВ1)

Consultation on descent and ODF updates

Countermeasures System (CMS) Cycle Ergometer w/Vibration Isolation & Stabilization (CEVIS) Isolator Inspection

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis

Medical Consumables Tracking Battery Changeout

Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) Nitrogen Manual Valve Close

ISS HAM Service Module Pass

Node 1 Nadir CBM Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) and Vestibule Outfitting Kit (VOK) Gather

Drying out of the spacesuit 1 and 2 – termination

Drying of suit 3 and setup of the 1st pair of gloves for drying

COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Activation

ISS Crew departure preparation

Delta file prep

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus

Photo/TV CUCU Video Setup

Glove pair #1 drying end, glove pair #2 drying setup

Pre-Soyuz 737 docking Ku-Band MPEG-2 TV test.

COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Crew Command Panel (CCP) Checkout

Synthetic Bone SABL 2 Hardware Installation

COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Crew Command Panel (CCP) Stow

Glove pair #2 drying termination

Photo TV CUCU Video Deactivation

Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation Stabilization (CEVIS) Control Panel Time Synchronization

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Test

Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Questionnaire

Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup

Station Support Computer ARED Relocate

Exercise Data Downlink via OCA

Environmental Health System (EHS) – Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products (CSA-CP) Checkout Part 2

СОЖ maintenance

Drying of suit 3 – termination, drying of Pair of Gloves 3 – initiation

Multi Omics FOS Stow

Photo/TV (P/TV) Station Support Computer (SSC) Video Viewer Activation

Glove pair #3 drying termination

Multi Omics FOS Preparation

Stowage of suits and gloves post drying

Telescience Resource Kit Laptop Setup

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record

Completed Task List Activities

Columbus Toolbox tools swap

ESA PAO Message Finland 100

MARES Stowage Informations

Photo/TV EVA Clean up

Photo/TV Lens Stow

Cygnus Cargo Transfer Ops

PWD Filter Circuit Breaker Reset

Grab Sample Container and CO2 Monitor

Medical Checklist Update

Ground Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.



Prox system activation

MPEG2 test for 53S docking

Standard commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 12/05: Cygnus Egress/Unberth (CPA/Vestibule Ops), Photobomb DTO, 51S OBT, Col HD VCA R&R, EIISS, Glacier Dessicant Swap, Lyophilization 2, Cell Science Validation, SSK/MAS Analysis

Wednesday, 12/06: Cygnus Departure, 51S Prepack, CQ Cleaning, Eye Ultrasound, Microscope Setup, Winscat, JEM Return Grill Clean, EVA Helmet Swap

Thursday, 12/07: PEPS Inspection, CQ Cleaning, Eye exams, ELF, EIISS, Crew Handover

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: