Expedition 51

ISS Expedition 51
Promotional Poster
Mission typeISS Expedition
Expedition
Space stationInternational Space Station
Began10 April 2017 UTC
Ended2 June 2017 UTC
Arrived aboardSoyuz MS-03
Soyuz MS-04
Departed aboardSoyuz MS-03
Soyuz MS-04
Crew
Crew size5
MembersExpedition 50/51:
Oleg Novitsky
Thomas Pesquet
Expedition 51/52:
Fyodor Yurchikhin
Jack Fischer
Expedition 50/51/52
Peggy Whitson
EVAs2

Expedition 51 mission patch

(l-r) Fischer, Yurchikhin, Pesquet, Whitson, Novitskiy 

Expedition 51 (April – June 2017) was the 51st expedition to the International Space Station, which began upon the departure of Soyuz MS-02 on April 10, 2017, and concluded upon the departure of Soyuz MS-03 on June 2, 2017. Peggy Whitson, Oleg Novitskiy and Thomas Pesquet were transferred from Expedition 50, with Peggy Whitson taking the commander role. She is the first woman to command two expeditions to the ISS, having previously commanded Expedition 16.[1]

Due to a decision to cut down the number of participating Russian cosmonauts in 2017, only two cosmonauts were launched on Soyuz MS-04 on April 20, 2017 - bringing the total crew number to five.[2] Transfer of Command from Expedition 51 to Expedition 52 was done on June 1, 2017. Expedition 51 officially ended on June 2, 2017 10:47 UTC, with the undocking of Soyuz MS-03.[3]

Crew

Position First Part
(April 2017) 		Second Part
(April to June 2017)
Commander United States Peggy A. Whitson, NASA
Third (last NASA) spaceflight[4]
Flight Engineer 1 Russia Oleg Novitsky, RSA
Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer 2 France Thomas Pesquet, ESA
First spaceflight
Flight Engineer 3 Russia Fyodor Yurchikhin, RSA
Fifth and last spaceflight
Flight Engineer 4 United States Jack D. Fischer, NASA
Only spaceflight

Mission overview

Expedition 50/51 launch and docking

Main article: Soyuz MS-03

Soyuz MS-03 launched on November 17, 2016, transporting Oleg Novitskiy, Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet.[5] MS-03 docked with the Rassvet module on November 19, 2016.

April 2017 - Expedition 51 Begins

Prep for Visitors

Astronaut Shane Kimbrough (far left) handed over station command to Peggy Whitson (far right). In between, from left to right are Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Expedition 50 in black and Thomas Pesquet and Oleg Novitiskiy of Expedition 51 in blue.

On April 9, 2017, Expedition 50, commanded by NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, handed over control of the station to Expedition 51 commanded by Whitson.[6] Kimbrough, along with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, undocked from the station at 7:57 UTC on April 10 in the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft, they landed safely southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.[7] Once Expedition 50 departed, the crew started up their human research and maintenance on the U.S. spacesuits. Whitson explored how new lights installed in the station were affecting the crew health and wellness while Pesquet dumped cooling water and purged gas buildup from the water tanks inside the spacesuits in preparation for the May 12 spacewalk.[8] Throughout the Expedition, the crew swapped between their roles as orbital scientists to maintenance technicians, from a morning of observing what happens to materials heated to extreme temperatures in zero-g to flushing water tanks in Progress M-66.[9]

Research

The crew grew Chinese cabbage[10] and Red Romaine lettuce in the Veggie facility.[11] Veg-03 had a goal of further demonstrating the proof of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and planting pillows. Long duration missions in the solar system require a fresh food supply to supplement the crew diets. Previous investigations focused on productivity, but the limited quarters of the ISS hampered large-scale crop production tests.[11]

The crew installed and configured the JAXA Protein Crystal Growth #12 experiment in the JEM Ryutai rack. The two canisters contained 47 protein samples prepared by Russian and Japanese researchers to grow high quality proteins in a microgravity environment at constant temperature for 6 weeks in order to develop drugs for multi-drug-resistant bacteria, Alzheimer's disease, muscular dystrophy and periodontitis.[12]

New Arrivals: Soyuz MS-04 and Cygnus-7

ISS Configuration - April 2017

The Soyuz MS-04 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:13 UTC on Thursday, April 20th with Fyodor Yurchikhin and Jack Fischer.[13] They docked their Soyuz on the Poisk module at 13:18 UTC.[14] The hatches opened at 15:25 UTC on April 20 to complete the full Expedition 51 compliment to 5: Whitson, Novitskiy, Pesquet, Yurchikhin and Fischer.[15] On April 20, Pesquet and Whitson used the Space Station's robotic Canadarm2 to capture Orbital ATK's Cygnus-7 cargo spacecraft at 10:05 UTC.[16] The Cygnus was docked to the earth-facing port of the Unity module at 12:39 UTC, it had brought more than 7,600 pounds of research and supplies to support Expeditions 51 and 52.[17]

Milestone

On April 24, 2017, Peggy Whitson broke the United States record for the most cumulative time spent in space, surpassing Jeff Williams record of 534 days. She received a congratulatory call from the President of the United States Donald Trump where she and Fischer discussed NASA's research in space and plans to go to Mars in the 2030s.[18]

May 2017 - Research and EVAs

Research Continued

One symptom of living in space for long periods is the pressure that builds up behind the eyes due to the upward flow of fluids resulting in astronauts reporting vision problems during and after their long-term missions. Expedition 51 regularly underwent ultrasound scans of their eyes and vision tests as part of a long running series of studies to help NASA plan missions further out in space.[19] Another symptom of living in space is bone loss, Whitson and Pesquet setup samples for an OsteoOmics bone study to help research the molecular mechanisms the impact the bones of astronauts in space.[20] Ficher, Yurchikhin and Novitskiy tested a unique suit that reversed the upward flow of fluids in a joint NASA-Roscosmos study called "Fluid Shifts".[21] Another study, a winning proposal submitted during a student science competition, was tracking how space travel impacted astronaut's DNA and immune system. Pesquet completed the study for Genes in Space.[22] Fischer strapped himself into a device for the NeuroMapping experiment on May 19 that tested how the human brain structure and function changes in space.[23]

Cubesat Deployment

On May 15, Japan's Kibo lab module ejected numerous types of Cubesats into space to study the earth's thermosphere properties and test experimental radar systems.[24] Later in May, 17 cubesats were deployed over two days by NanoRacks, a private company with facilities on the Kibo Lab module.[25]

200th Station Spacewalk - EVA 1

Whitson and Fischer completed a four hour space walk on May 12 to replace a large avionics box that supplied electricity and data connection to science experiments. They also installed a connector that routed data to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, they repaired insulation at a connection point for the Japanese Robotic Arm and installed a protective shield on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. At the 200th spacewalk mark, astronauts had completed a total of 1,247 hours and 55 minutes working outside of the station.[26]

Computer Relay Box Replacement - EVA 2

One of two fully redundant multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) data relay boxes on the S0 truss failed on May 21 at 18:28 UTC. The crew was informed of the failure, but were not in any danger from it.[27] On May 23, Whitson and Fischer completed a 2 hour and 46 minute spacewalk where they replaced the MDM-1 computer relay box and installed a pair of antennas to enhance wireless communication for future spacewalks.[28]

June 2017 - Handover to Expedition 52

Whitson (in red), transferred command to Yurchikhin (front row, right). Fischer (left). Behind (from left): Pesquet & Novitskiy.

On June 1, Expedition 51, commanded by Whitson, handed over command of the International Space Station to Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin in the traditional Change of Command ceremony.[29] Expedition 52 officially began with the departure of Soyuz MS-03 on June 2, 2017, with Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosomos and Thomas Pesquet of ESA aboard.[30]

Spacewalks

EVA # Spacewalkers Start (UTC) End (UTC) Duration
Expedition 51
EVA 1
 United States Peggy Whitson
United States Jack D. Fischer 		May 12, 2017
13:08 		May 12, 2017
17:21 		4 hours 13 minutes
Replaced ExPRESS Carrier Avionics (ExPCA), Installed Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) Forward Shield, Installed Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) MIL-1553 Terminator, Secured Multilayer Insulation (MLI) on Japanese Manipulator System, Relocated a Portable Foot Restrain to PMA-3[31]
EVA 2 United States Peggy Whitson
United States Jack D. Fischer 		May 23, 2017
12:20 		May 23, 2017
15:06 		2 hours 46 minutes
Replace failed Multiplexer-Demultiplexer (MDM), Installed two Wireless Communication Anntenna's[32]

Uncrewed spaceflights to the ISS

Resupply missions that visited the International Space Station during Expedition 51:

Spacecraft
- ISS flight number 		Country Mission Launcher Launch
(UTC) 		Docked/Berthed
(UTC) † 		Undocked/Unberthed
(UTC) 		Duration (Docked) Deorbit
Cygnus CRS OA-7
- CRS OA-7 		 United States Logistics Atlas V 401 18 Apr 2017, 15:11:26 22 Apr 2017, 10:16 4 Jun 2017, 11:05 43d 49m 11 Jun 2017, 17:08

References

  1. ^ Chiara Palazzo Associated Press (18 November 2016). "Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson becomes the oldest woman in space as she blasts off for ISS". The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  2. ^ Irene Klotz (16 November 2016). "NASA, Russia Set Flights for Trimmed-Down Space Station Crew". space.com. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  3. ^ Garcia, Mark (1 June 2017). "Station Changes Command Before Friday Crew Return". NASA. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. ^ "NASA, Space Station Partners Announce Crew Members for Missions in 2017". NASA. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Soyuz MS-03 mission".
  6. ^ "Astronauts Swap Command Before Monday Homecoming". blogs.nasa.gov. 9 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Soyuz Undocks To Carry Trio Back to Earth". blogs.nasa.gov. 10 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Expedition 51 Ramps Up for New Crew and Cargo". blogs.nasa.gov.
  9. ^ "Station Trio Works High-Flying Science and Maintenance". blogs.nasa.gov.
  10. ^ "ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/17/2017". blogs.nasa.gov. 17 April 2017.
  11. ^ a b "ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/13/2017". blogs.nasa.gov. 13 April 2017.
  12. ^ "ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/21/2017". blogs.nasa.gov. 21 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Expedition 51 Duo Launches on Express Trip to Station". blogs.nasa.gov.
  14. ^ "New Expedition 51 Duo Docks to Station". 20 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Hatches Open, Station Crew Expands to Five". blogs.nasa.gov. 20 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Cygnus Captured After Four-Day Delivery Mission". blogs.nasa.gov. 22 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Cygnus Bolted to Station for Three Month Stay". blogs.nasa.gov.
  18. ^ "President Calls Station as Crew Unloads Gear from New Ships". blogs.nasa.gov. 24 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Station Boosts Orbit, Crew Studies Space Effects on Eyes". blogs.nasa.gov. 27 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Crew Researches Bone Loss, New Exercises and Emergency Training". blogs.nasa.gov. 3 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Crew Observes Space Effects on Bone Cells and Fluid Shifts". blogs.nasa.gov. 15 May 2017.
  22. ^ "Bone Loss Research, DNA Tech on Station Seeks to Improve Health". blogs.nasa.gov. 4 May 2017.
  23. ^ "Brain, Vision Research Ahead of June Crew and Cargo Missions". blogs.nasa.gov. 19 May 2017.
  24. ^ "Station Hosts CubeSat Launch and Human Research". blogs.nasa.gov. 17 May 2017.
  25. ^ "CubeSats Deployed Before Upcoming Crew and Cargo Missions". blogs.nasa.gov. 26 May 2017.
  26. ^ "200th Station Spacewalk Comes to an End". blogs.nasa.gov. 12 May 2017.
  27. ^ "Station Managers Work Plan as Controllers Troubleshoot Data Relay Box". blogs.nasa.gov. 20 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Short Spacewalk Complete After Successful Installation Work". blogs.nasa.gov. 23 May 2017.
  29. ^ "Station Changes Command Before Friday Crew Return". blogs.nasa.gov. 1 June 2017.
  30. ^ "Expedition 51 Duo Undocks and Heads to Earth". blogs.nasa.gov. 2 June 2017.
  31. ^ Garcia, Mark (2017-05-12). "200th Station Spacewalk Comes to an End". NASA.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  32. ^ Garcia, Mark (2017-05-23). "Short Spacewalk Complete After Successful Installation Work". NASA.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
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