IMPORTANT NOTES
All information added or updated since this page first went up on November 22, 2022 is in GREEN TEXT below.
Information still to be determined (if any) is in RED TEXT below.
Dates and times that are subject to change at NASA’s discretion are in PURPLE TEXT below.
Last update of this page: January 7, 2023 1:30 pm ET
Quick Jump:
1. Introduction and Nomenclature for the Log
2. Pre-Launch Activities
3. Launch and Berthing
4. Flight Experiment Log, On-Orbit Operations: Mission 16 Ranger Payload
5. Undocking and Landing
6. Return of Experiments to Student Teams
1. Introduction and Nomenclature for the Log
This page provides student flight experiment teams a log of all activities associated with the 26 flight experiments comprising the SSEP Mission 16 Ranger payload from the time the mini-laboratories are received in Houston before the flight of SpaceX CRS-26 to the point when the mini-labs are shipped back to the flight teams after return to Earth. While this page will feature general progress reports on the status of the SSEP M16 Ranger payload, its main purpose is to provide updates to the student flight experiment teams as quickly as possible regarding the handling of their mini-labs on station, so that they can effectively conduct their ground truth experiments. Teams are advised to bookmark this page and check it for updates throughout the mission.
As per the SSEP Mission 16 to ISS: Flight Operations page:
Updates to Student Teams on the Progress of Their Experiment
The International Space Station (ISS) crew will interact with the SSEP payload at times of the day that fit best in their overall work schedule. Even though crew interactions with the experiments are to take place on pre-specified Crew Interaction Days, the time of the interaction will vary from one Crew Interaction day to the next. After the crew has completed handling of the SSEP payload a report is sent from the ISS to mission control in Houston, the report is then forwarded to NanoRacks, who will forward the report to the SSEP flight operations team at NCESSE. We will then post the details of the report – including the time at which the payload was handled – on this page to make the information available to all student teams as quickly as possible. The report will be posted as soon as it is received, but it may take up to 24 hours for the information from the ISS to make its way to the Log. That means, for example, that the details of an activity conducted by the astronauts on the afternoon of a specified Crew Interaction Day will be posted on the Experiment Log no later than the afternoon of the following day (and likely far sooner than that).
Conducting Your Ground Truth Experiments
Ground truth experiments – the control versions of the experiment conducted on Earth while the microgravity experiment is being conducted in orbit – are an essential part of analyzing the results of the flight experiment. Once the flight experiment returns to Earth, simultaneous harvesting and analysis of both the flight experiment and the ground truth experiment allows the research team to assess the role of gravity in the physical, chemical, or biological system under study. It is hard to imagine how the role of gravity can be determined without ground truth experiments conducted at the same time as the flight experiment.
However, given that it may take up to a day to receive a report on exactly what time a specific activity was conducted with an experiment aboard the ISS, student teams are encouraged to shift activities with their ground truth experiments by 1 day (24 hours). That will allow teams to ensure that the timing of activities they carry out on their ground truth experiments accurately reflects the timing of activities with their experiment aboard the station. This is especially important for experiments that are sensitive to exact timing. For example, if a microbiological experiment is likely to produce different results depending on whether it is active for 40 or 50 hours, the teams will want to match the exact timing of the experiment aboard the station with their ground truth experiment.
Nomenclature: The purpose of this log is to provide the student flight experiment teams information on the handling of their experiment, as well as to provide updates on the progress of the Mission. Each SSEP experiment is assigned a serial number before launch. This serial number is used by NCESSE, Nanoracks, and NASA to identify individual SSEP experiments. For this log, the individual experiments are identified using a serial number, e.g., NRP-10009-4, S/N 1055, together with the Community and Experiment names (see Section 4 below).
Originally Projected Launch Date: October 1, 2022
SSEP Mission 16 to ISS Ranger Payload
Ferry Vehicle: SpaceX CRS-26 (SpaceX Falcon rocket with Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft)
Launch Site: SLC-39A Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Rescheduled to: November 15, 2022
Rescheduled to: November 18, 2022, 5:27 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 19, 2022, 6:04 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 21, 2022, 4:19 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 22, 2022, 3:54 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 26, 2022, 2:20 pm ET
November 26, 2022, 2:20 pm ET: SpaceX CRS-26 launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Just after separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic.
November 27, 2022, 7:39 am ET: SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule autonomously docked with ISS. Dragon is carrying more than 7,700 of supplies and experiments. Dragon will remain docked at ISS for ~1.5 months before returning to Earth in mid-January.
Here’s a breakdown of the CRS-26 cargo manifest, provided by NASA:
• Total Cargo: 7,777 pounds (3,528 kilograms)
- 2,636 pounds (1,196 kilograms) of unpressurized payloads (iROSA)
- 2,341 pounds (1,062 kilograms) of crew supplies
- 2,066 pounds (937 kilograms) of science investigations – that’s you 🙂
- 653 pounds (296 kilograms) of vehicle hardware
- 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment
- 26 pounds (12 kilograms) of computer resources
4. Flight Experiment Log, On-Orbit Operations: Mission 16 Ranger Payload
Interactions Scheduled Prior to Flight (subject to change) CLICK ON TABLE TO ZOOM
Serial Number 1055:
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1055 Bandera, Texas: Will the Germination Rate of Quinoa Seeds be Affected by a Microgravity Environment?
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 90 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(U-14) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 90 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1055 Bellingham, Washington: Germination of the Oplopanax horridus (Devil’s Club) in a Microgravitational Environment
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1045 Buffalo-Niagara, New York: The Effect of Microgravity on the Resistance of Staphylococcus epidermidis to Oxacillin
(A=0) Action: Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1055 Burleson, Texas: The Effect of Microgravity on Agar Consumption of Penicillium Mold
(U-14) Action: Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 10 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1055 Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada: The Changes in Beneficial Metabolites by Lactic Acid Bacteria in Microgravity
(U-10, due to on orbit anomaly) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 30 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:15 PM ET, 12/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 6:15 PM ET, 1/2/23
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 30 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1055 Ector County, Texas: Effects of Microgravity on formation of Serratia marcescens Biofilm
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 25 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-14) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1055 Grand Blanc, Michigan: Microbial Solutions for Food Waste In Space
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 30 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-14) Action: Shaken gently for 30 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 30 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
Serial Number 1056:
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1056 Hillsborough County, Florida: The Effects of Microgravity on the Bio-electrolysis of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120
(A=0) Action: Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(A+2) Action: Wait for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-14) Action: Wait for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
(U-5) Action: Wait for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
(U-2) Action: Clamp closed; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1056 Ocala, Florida: What is the Effect of Microgravity on the Amount of Ethanol Produced by Yeast Fermentation?
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 10 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(A+2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 10 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1056 Pickerington, Ohio: Algae: The Fuel Source of Space
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 20 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-14) Action: Shaken gently for 20 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
(U-5) Action: Shaken gently for 20 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1056: Universities System of Maryland, Maryland: Generation of Metallic and Ceramic Nanoparticle Aggregates in Microgravity for Novel Insights into Planetary Formation
(A=0) Action: Shaken gently for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
Serial Number 1057:
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1057 Redlands, California: The Effect of Microgravity on Weevils (Sitophilus oryzae) Found in Rice
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-14) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1057 Universities System of Maryland, Maryland: The Effect of Microgravity on Bacteriophage Replication and Infectivity (Part II to Mission 12 Flight Experiment)
(U-5) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 90 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 90 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
Serial Number 1058:
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1058 Albany, New York: Microgravity’s Effect on the Germination of Basil Seeds Using Hydroponics
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 3 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-5) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 4 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1058 Garden City, New York: How does Microgravity affect the Germination of a Tomato Seed?
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 60 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 60 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1058 Hillsborough County, Florida: Purslane Spaceflight Proposal
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 10 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 10 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1058 Hoboken, New Jersey: The effect of microgravity on catheter biofilm formation by the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 20 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(A+2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 20 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1058 iForward-Grantsburg, Michigan: Growing and Glowing Mushrooms in Microgravity
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Wait for 6 seconds; Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-5) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1059 Moreno Valley, California: The Effects of Microgravity On The Germination Of Carrot Seeds
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1059 Norwood, New York: The effects of microgravity on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae when exposed to optimal nutrient levels
(A=0) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
(U-5) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1059 Texarkana, Texas: The Effects of Space Travel and Microgravity on Hybrid Brine Shrimp Eggs
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1059 Lake Charles, Louisiana: Sunflower Growth in Microgravity
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1059 Perris, California: The effect of microgravity on the germination of Quinoa
(A+2) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:45 PM ET, 11/30/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 9:18 AM ET, 12/1/22
(U-2) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Shaken gently for 5 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 5:30 AM ET, 1/7/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1;14 PM ET, 1/7/23
Serial Number 1060:
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1060 Lufkin, Texas (M14): Can Radish Seeds Develop in Microgravity?
(U-14) Action: Green Clamp Opened/Squeezed at Opening/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 6:00 AM ET, 12/27/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 1:18 PM ET, 12/28/22
(U-5) Action: Blue Clamp Opened/Squeezed at Opening/Shaken gently for 15 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM ET, 1/4/23; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:19 AM ET, 1/5/23
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1060 Ukraine: Dental filling material solidification in microgravity conditions
(A=0) Action: Clamp Opened/Shaken moderately for 90 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1060 Ukraine: The Effects of Microgravity on Potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) crystals
(A=0) Action: Clamp Opened/Shaken vigorously for 50 seconds, Wait for 20 seconds, Shaken vigorously for 50 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 1:40 PM ET, 11/28/22; Time Nanoracks Notified NCESSE: 12:17 PM ET, 11/29/22
6. Return of Experiments to Student Teams