ISS expedition 36

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Mission emblem
ISS Expedition 36 Patch.png
Mission dates
Mission: ISS expedition 36
Crew: 6th
Rescue ships: Soyuz TMA-08M , Soyuz TMA-09M
Space station: International space station
Start: May 13, 2013, 23:08 UTC
Started by: Decoupling from Soyuz TMA-07M
The End: September 10, 2013, 23:37 UTC
Ended by: Decoupling from Soyuz TMA-08M
Duration: 120d 0h 29min
Number of EVAs : 5
Total length of the EVAs: 14h, 13min
Team photo
v. l. To the right: Alexander Missurkin, Pawel Winogradow, Christopher Cassidy, Luca Parmitano, Fyodor Jurtschichin and Karen Nyberg
v. l. To the right: Alexander Missurkin, Pawel Winogradow, Christopher Cassidy, Luca Parmitano, Fyodor Jurtschichin and Karen Nyberg
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ISS-Expedition 36 is the mission name for the 36th long-term crew of the International Space Station (ISS). The mission began with the disengagement of the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft from the ISS on May 13, 2013. The end was marked by the disengagement of the Soyuz TMA-08M on September 10, 2013.

team

additionally since May 29, 2013

Substitute team

Since Expedition 20, no official replacement team has been announced due to the permanent training for the six-person crew. Unofficially, the backup crews of the two Soyuz feeder spaceships TMA-08M and TMA-09M (see there) are used as backup crews for Expedition 36. As a rule, these crews are deployed two missions later.

Mission description

After the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft returned to Earth, the crew initially worked in threes for two weeks. On May 28, Fyodor Jurtschichin, Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano started with Soyuz TMA-09M from Baikonur and connected to the Rasswjet module after just 5 hours and 39 minutes. During Expedition 36, which is planned to run until September 11, a variety of research tasks in the fields of astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth exploration, materials science, physics and technology were on the program. In addition to routine maintenance tasks on life support, communication and energy supply systems, 5 outboard stays with extensive work were completed and 3 cargo spacecraft ( ATV 4 "Albert Einstein" / June 15 - October 28, Progress-M 20M / July 27 - December 28, HTV Kounotori 4/9 August - 8 September) received and discharged.

During the first few weeks, the coolant circuit of energy branch 2B was closely monitored. The coolant control had been replaced a few days earlier. When the Soyuz-TMA 07M was put down, there was another pressure drop, but no leaks could be detected.

The scientific investigations included BASS, UBNT, BCAT-4, Seedling Growth, Coulomb-Kristall, Plasma-Kristall, Matrjoschka, MikroBIOM, Pro K and FASES to the technical tests Fundoscope, Vane Gap 1, SPHERES and the Surface Telerobotic Experiment.

As part of BASS (Burning and Supression of Solids), combustion processes and their extinction on solids were investigated. A total of 13 tests with different materials were carried out in a glove box . These should lead to an improvement in fire protection in weightlessness.

With UBNT (Ultrasound Background Noise Test) the "noise level" was measured in the area of ​​the ultrasound . The sound, which is inaudible to humans, means a high-frequency oscillation that can also interfere with microgravity experiments.

With BCAT (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test) so-called colloids , solid particles embedded in liquids, have been examined for many years . The aim is to find out the conditions under which the particles clump together and form clumps. These insights, which one gains without the influence of gravity, can provide insights into the background of such deposits. They are now working with 4th generation technology. The experiment FASES (Fundamental and Applied Studies of Emulsion Stability) deals with emulsions , i.e. mixtures of two normally immiscible liquids. Here knowledge about the dynamics and stability of emulsions was gained without the influence of gravity .

For Seedling Growth, seedlings of thale cress were planted in the European Modular Cultivation System, an automatically controlled mini-greenhouse, removed at various stages of development and frozen for later studies. In the case of Coulomb or plasma crystals, the focus was on investigations on charged or electrically neutral particles, the behavior of which was recorded under different pressure conditions. Crystal-like structures are formed, which could also provide information about the formation of planets in young solar systems.

Matryoshka is a doll studded with radiation detectors, made of different materials to simulate different internal organs. In this way you can find out the radiation exposure of a person during a space flight in near-earth orbit. Further radiation measuring devices are distributed throughout the space station. At MikroBIOM, smears were taken at regular intervals from different parts of the body of a space traveler and the samples were fixed for further examination. The aim is to get an overview of the colonization of the skin with different microorganisms. A special diet is followed as part of Pro K. The purpose is to use urine and blood samples as well as computed tomography to find out what influence a long-term change in diet has on the maintenance of bone density and shape. Previous studies have shown that lost bone mass is built back to its old strength after returning to earth, but cavities remain in the bone, which have an impact on stability.

Ultrasound examination of the cervical spine by Karen Nyberg

The fundoscope for tonometry is a new device for determining intraocular pressure in weightlessness. Eye tests are also carried out. In weightlessness , many space travelers suffer from flattened eyeballs, a change that can still have an impact after returning to earth. From July, optical coherence tomography (OCT), in which light reflections are used for a three-dimensional image of the inside of the eye, will be used as a further examination method within the framework of Ocular Health. Ultrasound examinations of the spine, with which changes can be recorded three-dimensionally, are also new.

At Vane Gap 1, research is being carried out into how liquids can be transported by capillary forces through wide pipes, the cross-section of which corresponds to a thin gap, without the use of an active pump .

The SPHERES project (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites) works with programmable missiles measuring around 20 cm, which can move individually or in formation within the station. Various programs are being tried out in which an interaction between the three spheres is tested.

The Surface Telerobotics Experiment (STE) is to investigate to what extent a ground-based robot vehicle can be effectively remote-controlled from orbit. Usually this always happens the other way around. A large number of experiments on board the ISS are remotely controlled via special command channels and the results are transmitted or recorded by video. With the STE, real-time control from space has now been tested for the first time. Actors were Christopher Cassidy and K10, a vehicle developed and built at NASA's Ames research center. Via telemetry and video, Cassidy could observe the execution of his orders. STE is used to prepare missions in which the space travelers stay in space and examine other celestial bodies using remote-controlled robots.

Earth observation was carried out as part of various experiments, including Crew Earth Observation (CEO), Uragan, Ekon, IServ and Seiner. In addition to routine maintenance work on life support systems, computer and communication technology, the TVIS treadmill was dismantled in the Russian segment and replaced by a newer model BD-2, which had previously arrived with the Freighter Progress-M 19M. Sports equipment was also modernized in the US-based part of the station: ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), a type of weight training installation that works with vacuum cylinders instead of weights.

Freight traffic

On June 11, the freighter Progress-M 19M loaded with waste cast off from the stern of the station. It remained in orbit for further investigation until June 19, when it was burned up over the Pacific. When docking in April, they switched to manual control from inside the station because the arm of a radar antenna required for navigation was not extended. Upon departure, the images of the station's coupling connection transmitted by the transporter were carefully examined to ensure that no damage had occurred. Curiously, the antenna arm folded out when uncoupled.

ATV 4 just before pairing

On June 15, the Automated Transfer Vehicle ATV 4 "Albert Einstein" , which had started 10 days earlier, docked at the rear of the station. Here, too, before the final phase of the rendezvous, the functionality of the relevant navigation systems was checked more thoroughly than usual using a camera and laser. The docking then took place with the greatest precision, the spur entered the target hole directly without contact with the cone.

After establishing a firm connection, the opening of the hatches was delayed somewhat, as there was a fear of contamination with mold spores as with ATV 3. The crew received instructions to rub certain cargo bags with disinfectant as quickly as possible.

On board the freighter were around 3.44 tons of fuel for the ISS orbit lifting maneuvers with the ATV engines and for refilling the ISS tanks, 570 kg of water, 66 kg of air and 33 kg of oxygen. The so-called dry freight comprised around 1,400 different parts with a total mass of 2.5 tons. This includes clothing, food, experimental equipment and materials and tools. A special Italian culinary cargo comprised lasagne and tiramisu .

On July 25th, Progress-M 18M was decoupled from the Pirs module and burned up to a large extent in dense layers of the atmosphere the following night. With the successor, Progress-M 20M, which took off on the evening of July 27th and docked in the night of the following day after about 6 hours of flight time, in addition to fuel, water, food, consumables and equipment, a repair kit for Luca Parmitano's spacesuit arrived to the station.

On August 3rd, Kounotori 4 (HTV) took off from Tangashima, Japan, to the International Space Station. The freighter navigated in the immediate vicinity of the station on August 9 and was coupled to the nadir port of the Harmony module by means of a manipulator arm. HTV 4 transported a total of around 5.4 t of material to the ISS, including accessories for NASA and JAXA facilities, food, drinking water, supplies, experimental items, a small robot called Kirobo and the four small satellites Pico Dragon, Ardusat 1, Ardusat X and TechEdSat 3. Freight not under pressure comprised an energy switching unit, an energy and data distributor for a rotation unit for tracking the large solar cell panels as well as the experimental complex Space Test Program - Houston 4. This is used to carry out scientific and technical studies on atmospheric physics, temperature control, radiation measurement, data processing and employed to observe phenomena caused by lightning.

Orbit maneuvers

On June 19, two engines of the freighter ATV 4, which was coupled to the stern of the station, were ignited for 6 minutes and 47 seconds, increasing it to an altitude of about 404 × 427 km. This was a test run for future larger web lifts.

On July 10, another maneuver was carried out with the engines of the ATV 4. In the course of the ten-minute drive phase, the speed of the complex was increased by 1.45 m / s, whereupon the orbit height rose by 2.5 km.

External works

1. Exit

Alexander Misurkin and Fyodor Yurchichin work outside the station.

During the first exit on June 24th (Yurtschichin / Misurkin), a flow control valve in the cooling system of the Zarya module was replaced, a test was carried out on the course approach system, the indicator experiment was installed, clamps for fastening data and power cables were installed, several handrails were installed and Part of the Foton-Gamma and Wuinosliwost experiments recovered. The exit began at around 1:32 p.m. UTC and lasted 6 hours and 34 minutes.

2nd & 3rd exit

Exits two and three on July 9 and 16 (Cassidy / Parmitano) had to lay power and network cables to the future docking point of the Russian laboratory module Naúka (pronounced Na-u-ka) as well as bridging cables to the grid element Z1, the recovery of Material samples from the MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment) and ORME (Optical Reflector Materials Experiment) experiments, the removal of insulation material from a switching unit and smaller tasks such as moving cameras or foot brackets to new future locations.

The first of these two exits went smoothly, with Parmitano carrying out the first Italian spacecraft ever. The second exit had to be ended prematurely because a large amount of water had accumulated in Parmitano's helmet. At first a leak in the drinking water tank was suspected, but the amount increased even after Parmitano had emptied the drinking water supply. When the water entered his eyes and ears, as well as his nose, it was decided to stop the work immediately. Parmitano went straight to the airlock while Cassidy was still cleaning up. Parmitano could neither see nor hear due to the water that gathered around his head in the weightlessness until his helmet could be removed in the space station.

4. Exit

On August 16, Fyodor Yurtschichin and Alexander Misurkin carried out the fourth exit, in the course of which two power cables and one Ethernet cable were installed along the Zarya module and two connection panels on Poisk. In addition, an experimental kit was installed for the Wuinosliwost study, in which various materials are exposed to the conditions of open space for a long time.

For the work, which lasted a total of 7 hours and 29 minutes, the Strela crane arm number 1 was used and extended up to 14 meters. At the end of this, Fyodor Yurtschichin and the cable drum were transported to the deployment point. A little later, Alexander Misurkin followed along the crane arm, installing fixings to guide the cables on the outer skin of Zarya.

5. Exit

The tasks of the fifth exit (Yurtschichin / Misurkin), which took place on August 22nd, included the dismantling of a complex laser communication unit, the inspection of several antennas of the proximity system and the installation of a workstation on which two cameras from the UrtheCast system were positioned in November become.

See also

Web links

Commons : ISS Expedition 36  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Expedition 36th NASA, accessed on October 20, 2011 .
  2. ↑ Successful express flight: astronauts reach the ISS space station. SpiegelOnline, May 29, 2013, accessed on May 29, 2013 .
  3. ↑ ATV Albert Einstein has docked. Raumfahrer.net, accessed June 15, 2013 .
  4. ↑ ATV 4 started successfully. Raumfahrer.net, accessed June 6, 2013 .
  5. ↑ Fourth stork with supplies on the way to the ISS. Raumfahrer.net, accessed August 4, 2013 .
  6. ↑ Pete Harding: EVA-23 terminated due to Parmitano EMU issue. nasaspaceflight.com, July 16, 2013, accessed July 17, 2013 .
  7. ↑ Fourth exit successfully completed. Raumfahrer.net, August 17, 2013, accessed on August 17, 2013 .