Lab Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Status: The Lab MCA 72 hour dryout completed period ended on Friday 23 March. This weekend, telemetry indicated that the water readings were too high to proceed with a successful activation and calibration. As of this morning, the water readings were no longer off-scale high; however they were too high to proceed with nominal activation. A Failure Investigation Team (FIT) met today at 12:00 PM CDT and, based on their findings, another attempt at activation will be performed early tomorrow morning if the indications are within their nominal ranges.

Lack of Data from Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator (MERLIN) 1 and Station Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): After the Improved Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway (iPEHG) transition over the weekend, MERLIN 1 and SAMS, located in Express Rack 3 (ER3), were not receiving data. Ground teams reloaded the Columbus iPEHG configuration file and performed a reboot without success. Troubleshooting today uncovered incorrect data in the PEHG Software, resulting in the data routing issue. Teams properly configured the iPEHG and successfully recovered communication with the MERLIN and SAMS sensor.

Manufacturing Device (MD): The crew removed and stowed a 3D printed item from the Manufacturing Device today. The Manufacturing Device supports the production of components on the ISS for both NASA and commercial objectives. It is capable of producing parts out of a wide variety of thermopolymers including engineered plastics.

Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS): Japanese ground controllers will use the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) to move CATS from the JEM Exposed Facility (EF) #3 location to JEM EF#8 tonight. The CATS Payload lost power on October 30, 2017. Subsequent attempts at troubleshooting the power and data connections were unsuccessful in recovering the payload at JEM EF Site #3. The CATS investigation uses a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to measure the location, composition and distribution of pollution, dust, smoke, aerosols and other particulates in the atmosphere. CATS is mounted on the JEM EF Facility and is used to study the atmospheric constituents that impact global climate. By gaining a better understanding of cloud and aerosol coverage, scientists can create a better model of the Earth’s climate feedback processes.

Transparent Alloys Operation: The crew removed and stowed the Transparent Alloys cartridge and hardware and restored the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) to its standard configuration this morning. For the Transparent Alloys investigation, the morphological instabilities of directional solidified, transparent binary eutectic alloys under purely diffusive conditions are studied. Real-time observations are made of the dynamics of eutectic front structures with a micron-scale resolution over a centimetric space scale, during long periods of time. Such observations are very sensitive to convective motions in the liquid, which are suppressed in microgravity.

Lighting Effects: A 53S crewmember completed a daily sleep log entry this morning upon waking to record his sleep patterns and wakefulness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Results from this investigation also have major implications for people on Earth who use electric lights.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: Today the crew will continued preparations for US EVA #49 – Node 3 External Wireless Communications (EWC) installation, planned for Thursday March 29, 2018. The crew continued with EVA tool configuration, reviewed on-board training material for fluid Quick Disconnects (QDs), reviewed EVA translation paths using Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG), and reviewed EVA procedures. At the end of the day, the crew had a conference with ground EVA specialists in order to discuss any question on the activities they performed today or will perform during the upcoming EVA.

Crew Medical Officer (CMO) On-Board Training: Two crewmembers performed computer-based CMO training. This training is done periodically to ensure the CMOs maintain proficiency in responding to crew health emergencies.

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT): Today the crewmembers scheduled to capture SpX-14 Dragon performed on-board training where they reviewed the mission profile, rendezvous procedures and crew interfaces for monitoring and commanding to Dragon. SpX-14 is on track to launch April 2, 2018 and berth to ISS on April 4, 2018.

Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) Relocation: Tonight, ground controllers will relocate the CATS payload from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Exposed Facility Unit (EFU)-3 to EFU-8. This relocation will ensure the viability of the EFU-3 location, needed to support the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 payload arriving later this year, after commanding to the CATS payload was lost late last year.

Today’s Planned Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.



Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry

HRF Generic Urine Collection

Transparent Alloys Cartridge Stow

ELEKTRON pre-activation purge

54S SM-AGAT-U55 external batteries charge (2 items) (init)

54S post-docking Samsung tablet charging (init)

HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion Operations

HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. Individual BD-2 strategy test protocol creation. Specialist conference

54S Gas-Analyzer Deactivation

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. Science ops prep. Specialist conference

Transparent Alloys Hardware Stow

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. Science ops assistance

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. BD-2 science ops run (individual strategy test). Specialist conference

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. Closeout ops (assistance)

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА-2. Closeout ops. Specialist conference

VEG-03 Dual Facility Watering for each Plant Pillow

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) QD Training Review

KONSTANTA-2. Retrieve the cartridge from [ТБУ-В] and stow at panel to warm up for one hour

Manufacturing Device ABS Print Removal, Clean and Stow

ISS Crew Orientation

Removal equipment transfer to 68P (DC1) along with IMS updates

Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire

KONSTANTA-2. 1st study setup and run. Specialist conference

Station Support Computer (SSC) 17 Laptop Relocate

KONSTANTA-2. Photography during the science operation

68P (DC1) stowage completion report. Specialist conference

On-Board Training (OBT) Dragon OBT Conference

Crew Medical Officer (CMO) On Board Training (OBT)

On-board Training (OBT) Dragon Rendezvous Review

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring

Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Open

Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold #4 Bottle Replacement

54S cargo ops, IMS update

Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Close

Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review

SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review

54S SM-AGAT-U55 external batteries charge (2 items) (term)

54S post-docking Samsung tablet charging (term)

KALTSIY. Science ops session 2

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference

53S Gas-Analyzer Deactivation

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record

Portable air samples with Portable O2 Monitor and CDM

Completed Task List Activities

None

Ground Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.



Standard Commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 03/27: TVCIC Bolt R&R, METEOR HDD Swap, AstroPi Upgrade, Veggie03 Harvest, Dragon OBT, Lighting Effects, EVA Prep, MSG Fan Cleaning

Wednesday, 03/28: 68P Undock, Emergency Roles Review, EVA Tool Config/Procedure Review, Dragon ROBoT OBT, CUCU Checkout, Veggie-03 Ops

Thursday, 03/29: US EVA 49

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: