Every week, usually at the end of the day on Friday, we have a conference with our Lead Flight Director, Dina Contella.  At the start of this week’s conference, she put the week into perspective.  She said this time last week (our conference was on a Thursday because of HTV arrival on Friday) HTV had not docked, 47 Progress was in a standby position waiting to re-dock (which it did and then departed for good), 48 Progress had not launched (it is now attached to the Station), nothing had been unloaded or packed on HTV and we had approximately 40 hours of science to do.  Sometimes we get so caught up in working day to day we don’t realize what can be accomplished in a week.  I think everyone can agree it was a productive week.

Even with all the work we had to do, we found time to get together and watch the Olympics.  Of course everyone knows there is something special about the Olympics and that feeling is not lost in space.  We were able to see Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympian and Gabby Douglas’ nerves of steel as she won the individual Gymnastics gold medal.  If you have read any of my previous blogs, you know that I enjoy my sports.  To have two weeks to watch the best athletes of the world compete is a dream come true for any sports enthusiast.  To watch them while orbiting above the Earth makes them even more special for us (even though we often miss the end of a competition because we lose satellite coverage). 

I have noticed two things while watching these games.  One is that no matter what the sport or which country is winning, we all appreciate the efforts of the athletes and acknowledge their abilities.  We truly have an international crew on the ISS: three Russian cosmonauts, one Japanese astronaut and two American astronauts (one of Indian descent and one of Puerto Rican descent).  While we work together as one team we still maintain our national pride.  Just like watching a basketball game with your buddy that is from a different city, we give each other a hard time but congratulate with sincerity the winning team or individual.  It is easy to see why we do this when you look out the window from the ISS.  We all come from the same place, Planet Earth.

The other aspect of the Olympics that makes even the non-sports fan enjoy these games is the personal stories of the athletes.  Each athlete has taken their unique path to the games, just as each of us walks on his own unique path.  Even though we come from different places, we can all relate to many of the obstacles the athletes have faced and overcome.  A common theme heard from all the athletes is their pride in representing their country and the hard work they have put in.  I understand as I am proud to represent the United States and the Puerto Rican community as an Astronaut.  Gennady, Yuri, and Sergey feel the same about Russia; as does Aki with Japan and Suni with the US and India.  However, you don’t need to be an Astronaut or an Olympian to be proud of where you come from or what you do.  As a school teacher, I was proud of the work I did to help develop our future leaders.  I think watching the Olympics reminds us that we share one planet and that we can respect one another no matter what our differences, yet at the same time we can be proud of who we are and what we represent.  I look forward to another week of great competition and sportsmanship and of course work.  We have a lot of cool things planned for this week.  Keep an eye out for Curiosity.

Joe's blog also appears at http://www.fragileoasis.org/bloggernauts/joe-acaba/posts/.

Another milestone of our Expedition has been completed – the arrival of HTV3 and the undocking and redocking of 47P (Russian Progress vehicle).  What you quickly realize here is that the passing of a milestone is quickly followed by the approach of another.  Today, Sunday, we will relax and enjoy a day of rest.  Tomorrow we will begin preparation for the final departure of Progress 47P, the arrival of Progress 48P, the long task of unloading and then loading HTV3 and the upcoming Russian and US Spacewalks followed by HTV3 departure and then my trip home.  As you can see it is a never ending string of diverse activities.

I am commonly asked “What is a typical day like on the ISS?  What do you do every day?”  These are difficult questions to answer.  I can say that there are a few constants in my day.  I usually wake up around 6am; clean myself up, have breakfast, lunch and dinner and somewhere in between workout before going to bed around 10pm.  It is what occurs around those activities that makes this job interesting, challenging, stressful and fun.  Diversity.  If you are someone that likes to know what you are going to be doing every day, this job would drive you crazy.  On Saturdays, we get a general idea of what we will be doing during the upcoming week.  Here are few of the things I have done in the past 2 weeks since I have written last.  Various science experiments, Soyuz seat fit check, 31 Soyuz arrival with the new crew, HTV3 preparation (actually flying the arm to practice grappling the vehicle and lots simulator time), public affairs interviews and recordings, HAM radio contacts, toilet maintenance (I am now very familiar with our system), emergency simulations with the crew and the mission control centers, periodic medical exams (both physical and mental), controlled diets, ARED (exercise device) maintenance, urine bag usage (again), blood draws (both as a subject and operator), air quality monitoring, transfer and consolidation of supplies, filter cleaning (which means vacuuming), ultrasounds (again, both as a subject and an operator), and the capture and berthing of HTV3.  Our planners and flight control teams have a tough job.

On any given day, you can go from conducting a technical science experiment, to talking to school kids, to vacuuming, to drawing blood from a crew mate.  The tasks range from things I would do at home on a Sunday morning (no, not drawing blood) to grappling a visiting vehicle loaded with supplies with a robotic arm.  While some are more exciting than others, because of the environment we are working in all require mental focus.  I just received an email from a friend of mine that recently returned from a 10-day canoe trip in Alaska.  Everything did not go as planned and there were quite a few unexpected surprises, which make for a great adventure.  While he had the best time, when he finally got off the river he was not only physically tired but mentally exhausted.  I told him that working on the ISS is kind of like his river trip.  You have the best laid out plan but unexpected things happen that get your heart pumping.  You adjust and problem-solve and have the best time of your life.  After a relaxing Sunday watching the Olympics, we will be ready to start up all over again and see what adventures await us.

July 15, 2012

Our time of solitude is rapidly coming to an end.  Our new crew mates successfully launched very early this morning.  With the 2 days they spend in autonomous flight to reach us, they will arrive around 4 am * on July 17.  All of the preparations have been made for their arrival.  Since it was not too long ago that I arrived, I clearly remember those first few days on the ISS.  While the traditional hatch opening and having the opportunity to talk with family and friends that made the trip to Russia are wonderful experiences, I remember being tired and wanting desperately to take a “bath” and put on some regular clean clothes.  While we do have facilities on the Soyuz and lots of opportunities to take cat naps, it sure was nice to be home on the relatively spacious Space Station.  While all of the new crew members have been here before, we will do all we can to make the transition as comfortable as possible.  For Gennady, Sergey and I, we will begin another sleep shift tomorrow.  We will wake up at our normal time of 6 am and are scheduled to go to sleep at 3:30 pm with a wake up at midnight.  The day of docking is a long day for all of the crews and we will be back to a normal schedule on Wednesday.  As I mentioned previously, HTV will be arriving 10 days later so we will all hit the road running.

Knowing what is ahead, Gennady, Sergey and I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.  While some work had to be done, overall it was an opportunity for us to recharge our personal batteries and just enjoy the time.  We were rewarded with the results of the recent solar activity – the southern lights.  I remember seeing the auroras during my Shuttle flight and I thought it was the coolest thing.  Then I arrived this time and Don Pettit showed me the auroras and they were much, much better than what I seen previously.  I was happy as could be.  Then on Saturday, I was working out and in between sets I saw that we were heading south during a night pass.  So I decided my workout could be postponed for a few minutes and I turned out all of the lights in Node 3.  Within a couple of minutes, I could not believe what I was seeing.  It was absolutely incredible.  I enjoyed the show for a few minutes and then felt I had to inform my crew mates so they could also take in the view.  Even Gennady, with all of his time on orbit, was amazed.  I am no expert with a camera but I tried to capture at least a small reminder of the experience.  The pictures were not great, but they would do.  So today, at around the same time of day, I thought I would take one more look.  Just when you think it can’t get much better, it gets way better.  I of course took some obligatory pictures, but then I just sat in the dark, in the peace and quiet of this incredible man made, orbiting laboratory and just looked out the window in awe.  What a truly magnificent planet we live on and solar system we live in.  I could not have asked for a better way to mark the middle of my Expedition and to start what will be a challenging and rewarding time on the International Space Station.

* Since astronaut Joe Acaba is writing from the International Space Station, the time references in this post are GMT. 

Expedition 31 crew members pose for a photo in the Unity node of the International Space Station. Pictured on the front row are Commander Oleg Kononenko (center), Andre Kuipers (right) and Don Pettit, both flight engineers. In the back row (from left) are Flight Engineers Joe Acaba, Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin.

It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by. My lack of blogging is directly proportional to how busy things have been. As I write this, I am one of the three people on the ISS and the only American. It is pretty cool. The other three members of Expedition 31 went home last Sunday morning with an undocking around 4 am. It was sad to see them go. Anytime you experience a unique situation with someone, a certain bond is forged. It was the same with the friends I made as a Peace Corps Volunteer or crew members on my Space Shuttle flight (STS-119). I am sure you have friends like that. I will forever be grateful to Don, Andre and Oleg for the way we were received when we arrived, their sharing of experience, and for just being good friends. We had a great time working together. I wish them all the best as they get accustomed to life back on Earth. I know they were all anxious to get back to their families. There is a lot that needs to happen as you prepare to go home. The Soyuz is a small vehicle which would seem to make packing for return simple. However, with its small size comes the challenge of prioritizing items for return and making them all fit. Then crew members need to clean up their home for the past 6 months and consolidate all of the gear (both regular and electronic) they have been using. Don said his goal while cleaning up was that nobody would ever know he was here. Sorry Don, the impact you had on this Laboratory will never be forgotten. Somewhere in between all the work, you need to spend that quality time looking out the window and just enjoy the moment. No one knows if or when they might return to this unique Outpost. The 4 am undocking meant a sleep shift for the entire crew. It made for a long day for everyone. The departing crew still had another 4 hours until landing and then they start the long ride back to Houston. It is hard to imagine that within approximately 24 hours after undocking from the Space Station, one can be back at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Gennady, Sergey, and I worked until approximately 9 am and then tried to get some rest. We shifted back and were on a normal work cycle starting Tuesday morning.

I have heard many astronauts tell me that some of their favorite time on orbit was when there was a reduced crew size. It is an interesting situation. With only 3 people, we have more responsibilities. I can no longer ask Don or Andre where I might find a certain tool or what is the best way to access a certain piece of equipment. You hope you have learned what you need to get the job done. The great thing is that we have the Mission Control Centers guiding and helping us. Again, the importance of the team concept. However, there is something peaceful about waking up in the morning to a darkened Space Station and floating out of your crew quarters. At the end of a work day, you can spend time looking at Earth and getting lost in your thoughts. Or you can crank up the tunes and get in a great workout with Earth in the background and not have to worry about disturbing anybody. It is a great time for self reflection. I think I know what they meant about this time. I will enjoy these days because as busy as we have been up to now, things are going to get exciting soon. In the last half of my mission we will have of course the arrival of our new crew mates (we anxiously await the arrival of Suni, Aki, and Yuri on July 17). With a new crew come new enthusiasm, expertise, and many good memories, an undocking and re-docking then final undocking of a Progress vehicle, the arrival of HTV3, the arrival of another Progress, a Russian Spacewalk, and an American Spacewalk. I can’t wait.

Flight Engineer Joe Acaba (second from right) and his Expedition 31 crew mates share a meal near the galley in the Zvezda service module. Credit NASA

I was wired up last week and I don’t mean with adrenaline or caffeine.  I had the blood pressure cuffs on my fingers (my crew mate Oleg was calling me Robo Joe) and the 10-lead holter monitor on my chest.  The week ended up again with more urine samples and a blood draw.

 One thing this week has taught me is my appreciation of sports.  It is not like I did not know that I am a sports fan.  My game room in my house gives me away.  However, I have learned that apart from appreciating the abilities of the players and the complexities of the various sports, I miss the social aspect of the games.  Being from Southern California, I follow the Angels, Lakers, Kings, and Ducks.  My relationship with the Dodgers is complex (a story for another day) and since we no longer have a football team in town I root for the Houston Texans.  As part of our psychological support we get music, movies, books, TV shows, etc. sent up to us when possible.  This week I received an Angels game that was probably a few days old.  It was great.  I could watch an inning or two while having a meal and then maybe a couple more before I went to bed.  It took me about 2-3 days to watch a game and I enjoyed every minute of it.  So what do I miss?  Being a Lakers fan anywhere but in LA is tough, especially in Houston where you have Dallas and San Antonio fans.  I miss the banter with my buddy Rene about which team was going to win when they faced each other (both our teams lost so we would not get the chance this year anyway) and why the players on our teams are far superior than others.  I miss watching an Angels game with my sister – I live in Houston and she lives in Anaheim and yes we call each other after or during the significant events of each inning.  The Kings are in the Stanley Cup Finals and are one game away from winning their first Cup.  How cool would that be?  I can only imagine how my friend Ken is feeling after the last 2 losses. The Heat beat the Celtics in game 7 and will now face OKC.  That is going to be a great series.  Don’t get me wrong.  There is no place I would rather be than working aboard the ISS.  It has just given me an opportunity to reflect on why certain things are important to us.  I am sure those serving our Country abroad, or those stationed in Antarctica or any other remote area have felt the same.  I look forward to the arrival of my crew mate Suni Williams in about a month.  She is a Red Sox fan.  So if you hear anything as the ISS flies over your city, it is probably her and me watching an Angels – Sox game and talking smack over who is going to win.  I think we all know the answer to that one.

I was going to say this has been another busy week, but I think I would be able to start every entry this way. 

All of the Mission Control Centers (Houston, Huntsville, Munich, Tsukuba and Moscow) do a great job of maximizing our time on orbit in order for us to live and work efficiently.  This week ended the milestone Dragon mission.  Our main tasks were to unload and then repack the vehicle for its return trip and then send it on its way.  We worked really well as a team and finished ahead of schedule with the packing.  After finishing that, our focus shifted to the un-berthing of Dragon and releasing it from the Space Station.  There is a lot of work involved with closing the hatches between Dragon and the Space Station and installing the controllers for the mechanisms that hold these two together.  It is not as easy as just closing a couple of doors.  Due to the fact there was an approximately 30-minute window for the actual release of Dragon, we had to get up a couple of hours earlier than normal.  Luckily I am a morning person so that was not too painful.  Just like the Capture, the Release went as planned.  The cool thing about Dragon is that about 5 hours after we release it, it is taking its plunge into the Pacific Ocean.  Again, it was great working with Don and Andre and the Control Centers in Houston, TX and Hawthorne, CA.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is about to be released by Canadarm2 robotic arm on May 31.

Apart from Dragon, I had a lot of medical tests and data collection to do.  We do Periodic Fitness Evaluations where we put on some electrodes and a blood pressure cuff while we ride the stationary bike.  Not only is it good to see how we are medically doing, but it also provides information on how the body may change while on orbit.  As part of another experiment I had to eat a special diet for 4 days and part of the deal is that you need to eat everything they put on the menu (If you can’t eat it all, you just need to let them know so they have a very accurate account of what you consumed).  It is very interesting because they are looking at how our diet may affect bone density while on orbit.  This could be very important when we plan on very extended missions to places further than low Earth orbit.  As part of this and a couple of other studies, I had to collect my urine for 24 hours, spin the samples in a centrifuge and then place them in our -80/-90 degree Celsius freezer.  I am sure most people have had to give urine samples before while visiting a doctor or hospital.  No problem, right?  Without getting too graphic, it is no easy chore to urinate into a bag while in microgravity.  It does take up a good part of your day.  To finish off the successful week, I had to have blood drawn on Friday morning.  Luckily Andre is a doctor and he did a great job.  We do train however to draw blood from ourselves.  I don’t do well with blood, so it was a big achievement for me to do that as part of our training in Houston.  One of the many cool things about being is space is the wide variety of tasks we get to do every week.  I look forward to seeing what is in store for me in the future.

The SpaceX Dragon splashed down May 31 at 11:42 a.m. EDT west of Baja California, Mexico.

NASA worked with Marvel and Disney to get The Avengers sent up to us.  While in Russia, I missed the opening of this movie by less than a week.  I am a big comic/superhero fan and had been looking forward to seeing it.  Once I knew we were getting it, I told the crew and we got together on Saturday night for a movie night.  How cool is it to watch The Avengers while in space?  That is one movie viewing I won’t forget.  Thanks to NASA, Marvel and Disney for providing us with a nice evening and a chance to relax at the end of great week.