NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 7 December 2011

After wakeup, FE-1 Shkaplerov performed the routine inspection of the SM PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

CDR Burbank conducted Part 1 of the periodic personal acoustic measurement protocol, distributing crew-worn acoustic dosimeters from the SMK to the Increment 30 crew, i.e., Anatoly, Anton & himself, for a 24-hr data take.

Working on the SODI-COLLOID (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument - Colloid) hardware in the MSG WV (Work Volume) in COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), Dan supported subsequent ground-commanded operations by exchanging the DSC (Diffusion Soret Coefficient) Flash Disk from the Colloid Flash Disk Container.

Anton Shkaplerov conducted the regular (weekly) inspection of the replaceable half-coupling of the 4GB4 hydraulic unit of the KOB-2 (Loop 2) of the Russian SOTR Thermal Control System, checking for coolant fluid hermeticity (leak-tightness).

Afterwards, FE-1 took a documentary photograph of the air duct fastening on SM panel 101, and also of fastening locations of the VN1 & VN2 fans on SM panels 219 and 305. Images were then transferred to OCA for downlink.

Ivanishin undertook his first session with the Russian behavioral assessment TIPOLOGIA (MBI-20), setting up the workstation, connecting equipment, suiting up and launching the program on the RSK1 laptop. [Shkaplerov stood by to assist Anatoly in donning the electrode cap, preparing the head for the electrodes and applying electrode gel from the Neurolab-RM2 kit. Data were recorded on a PCMCIA memory card and downlinked via OCA comm. MBI-20 studies typological features of operator activity of the ISS crews in long-term space flight phases, with the subject using a cap with EEG (electroencephalogram) electrodes. The experiment, which records EEGs, consists of the Luescher test, "adaptive biological control" training, and the games Minesweeper and Tetris. The Luescher color diagnostic is a psychological test which measures a person's psychophysical state, his/her ability to withstand stress, to perform and to communicate. It is believed to help uncover the cause of psychological stress, which can lead to physical symptoms. An EEG measures and records the electrical activity of the brain.]

With the Lab camcorder configured to provide live views, Dan Burbank worked several hours on the PACE (Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment) science payload in the FIR FCF (Fluids Integrated Rack Fluids & Combustion Facility), configuring the hardware, cleaning out oil from the AFC (Auxiliary Fluids Container), removing the old sample and starting the processing of tissue sample #2002. [PACE is an interesting Technology experiment, designed to investigate the capability of conducting high magnification colloid experiments with the LMM (Light Microscopy Module) for determining the minimum size particles which can be resolved with it.

 Today's activity steps included opening the FIR doors, then cleaning up oil from inside the AFC and removing PACE sample #2004 from the PACE Test Target. Next, Dan retrieved tissue sample #2002, mounted the PACE test target and installed the sample and the PACE oil dispenser into the LMM AFC. The AFC front door was closed and the oil started to be dispensed onto the sample. The LMM Spindle Bracket Assembly was then rotated to the Operate position and the rack doors were closed. The new experiment run, which uses the newly installed PACE LED (Light-Emitting Diode) Base to allow illumination from below the samples (or trans-illumination), will enable the ground to use the LMM microscope to examine tissue and particle samples and also characterize the microscope for ACE (Advanced Colloids Experiment) scheduled to begin in 2012.

ACE Objective: To remove gravitational jamming and sedimentation so that it is possible to observe how order arises out of disorder and to learn to control this process. Small colloidal particles can be used to model atomic systems and to engineer new systems. Colloids are big enough (in comparison to atoms) to be seen and big enough that their evolution can be recorded with a camera. With a confocal microscope, templates, and grids, we can observe this process in 3-D and learn to control it.]