STaARS BioScience-4 (Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems): Today a crewmember removed four Experiment containers from the STaARS facility and inserted them into Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-3) unit. The STaARS BioScience-4 investigation examines how oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) react to microgravity, specifically the rate at which the cells proliferate and differentiate in the microgravity environment.

Circadian Rhythms: A crewmember configured and donned the Circadian Rhythms hardware and initiated data collection. The hardware is to be worn for 3 days. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the “biological clock,” and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle of light and dark affects crewmembers’ circadian clocks.

SODI-DSC (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument – Diffusion and Soret Coefficient): Today a crewmember performed the SODI-DSC hardware setup in the MSG Work Volume. The Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument – Diffusion and Soret Coefficient (SODI-DSC) experiment will study diffusion in six different liquids over time in the absence of convection induced by the gravity field.

MSFO-2 (Made In Space Fiber Optics 2): Today a crewmember installed the Made in Space Fiber Optics 2 hardware. The Optical Fiber Production in Microgravity (Made In Space Fiber Optics) investigation demonstrates the merits of manufacturing fiber optic filaments in microgravity. The fiber optic material chosen for this demonstration is ZBLAN.

Express Rack 9B Rack Power Switch Data Gathering: Today, the crew powered on Express Rack 9B in Columbus to gather data on an unusual data signature seen on previous activations. When the Express Rack 9B rack power switch is turned on, the data appears immediately on some ground displays, but data that follows an alternate path is delayed. Today’s activity will collect data dumps to understand where the delay is occurring in the alternate data path.

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.



Nominal ground commanding

Two Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 12/13:

Payloads:



Marrow breath, air and blood collection (NASA)

Molecular Muscle check (NASA)

ICE CUBES sample swap (ESA)

Cerebral Autoregulation H/W gather (JAXA)

MT2 saliva Collect, MELFI insert and crew conf (NASA)

RR-08 Water chk (NASA)

NanoRacks Module 74 plate scans (NASA)

Micro-14 GAP activation and insert Ops session 1(NASA)

Biochem profile HRF Urine collections (NASA)

Bio-7 MELFI insert (NASA)

Systems:

Dragon cargo Operations

ISS Orientation

Friday, 12/14:

Payloads:



GEDI MSS handover from Dragon to JEMRMS and install on EUF6 (NASA)

Marrow breath, air and blood collection (NASA)

Circadian Rhythm Doff and stow and downlink (ESA)

Molecular Muscle De-install, MELFI insert, Downlink, Kubik backup stow (NASA)

Airway Monitor Kit Consolidate (ESA)

Cerebral Autoregulation Measurements (JAXA)

MT2 ISS Surface Collect, MELFI insert (NASA)

NanoRacks Module 74 plate scans (NASA)

Micro-14 GAP Term Session 1 and MELFI inserts (NASA)

Actiwatch Plus eval test (NASA)

Biochem profile HRF Urine collections (NASA)

Actiwatch Spectrum data d/l (NASA)

ISS HAM (NASA)

Systems:

Soyuz Descent Training

ISS Orientation

Today’s Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.