1. CPCG-HM Overview POIWG July 26, 2012 Brittney Macon bmacon@cbse.uab.edu 1

2. Overview CPCG-HM Objectives Hardware Overview Launch/Landing Scenarios Flight Operations Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Processing 2

3. CPCG-HM Overview What is CPCG-HM (Commercial Protein Crystal Growth-High Density Modified)? – NLO (National Laboratory Office) investigation to clearly demonstrate the scientific and commercial value for protein crystallization on a long-duration microgravity mission – Samples will be high-value proteins whose structures can not be determined through terrestrial methods – Will consist of over 2,000 investigations of up to 100 different protein complexes – Will require continuous power during all mission phases in order to maintain stable thermal environment for protein samples 3

4. MERLIN Hardware Overview Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator (MERLIN) Features Advanced Single Middeck Locker Incubator / Freezer / Refrigerator (Heat exchanger designed for both rear-air (AAA) or ISS water loop (MTL) heat rejection) Provides thermal control for temperature sensitive items from approximately -20 o C to +48.5 o C on ISS Interfaces to Dragon and ISS EXPRESS rack Supports Crew Galley Operations and Cold Stowage Science Operations Currently (3) MERLINs on ISS – (2) MERLINs utilized for galley stowage needs – (1) MERLIN utilized as backup for science stowage Crew Activities – Setup in ER and Dragon Flight History STS-118 (Shuttle-sortie) STS-123 (Shuttle-sortie) STS-126 (Shuttle-ISS) STS-131 (Shuttle-sortie) STS-133 (Shuttle-ISS) STS-135 (Shuttle-ISS) 4

5. CPCG-HM: Hardware Description EXPRESS Rack payload consisting of two MERLINs (in ER1 and ER7) with set-point temperatures of 4⁰C and 22⁰C Each MERLIN will contain a combination of PCG Experiments – High Density Protein Crystal Growth (HDPCG) Trays containing vapor diffusion investigations in Growth Cell Assemblies – Tray containing Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) Straws for liquid/liquid experiments Liquid/Liquid Experiments Vapor Diffusion Experiments 5

6. HDPCG Hardware Overview 4 tray- structure previously flown inside CRIM-M – Later upgraded structure to fit MERLIN; project was cancelled post Columbia (no flights inside MERLIN) Accommodates up to 1008 Vapor Diffusion Experiments – 4 Tray Assemblies per MERLIN – 42 Growth Cells per Tray – 6 Samples per Growth Cells Design allows for multiple PI teams in 1 system Shuttle Middeck and ISS-EXPRESS Certified – 4 flight trays, 4 ground trays available for use Simple Crew Activation and Deactivation HDPCG Hardware Flight History Inside CRIM-M – STS-100 to STS-105 (Increments 2-3) – STS-110 to STS-111 (Increments 4-5) – STS-107 (Shuttle) 6

7. Flown on Soyuz and ISS Russian Module to house Liquid/Liquid PCG experiments Passive Aerogel insulated container that maintains proteins within Tygon Tubing in frozen state until µg is reached Design new structure (in tray format) to provide same thermal insulation but will fit footprint of existing HDPCG tray structure Liquid-to-Liquid Samples (Tygon tubing with crimped ends) Sample Transport Container (STC) Overview 7

8. Hardware Modifications to Accommodate both PCG Experiment Types Remove 2 center trays from existing HDPCG Tray structure Replace with new insulated tray design (similar to STC) to contain liquid/liquid experiments Final Design – 2 HDPCG trays for Vapor Diffusion samples – 1 passive insulated tray for Liquid/Liquid samples – Accommodate 504 vapor diffusion experiments and 1200 Liquid/Liquid experiments per MERLIN

9. Launch/Landing Scenario Launch on SpX-3 (Increment 36) – Late Stow (L-24 hr for installation or later) Land on SpX-4 (Increment 37) – Early retrieval (R + 28 to 32 hrs) Powered launch, powered landing – limited on Dragon (75W each unit) Launch scrub turn-around scenarios supported by SpaceX to replace samples in event of extended launch delays Support launch delay of 48 hrs 9

10. On-Orbit Operations Power transfer from Dragon to ISS EXPRESS Rack – 30 minute power off limit – 1 hr 30 min crew time for transfer, set-up, and activation of both MERLINs ER Prep- Establish power and data cable connections first Remove from mounting configuration in Dragon Power down MERLINs, transfer to ER Cable connections, power-up Mount to ER Sample activation – Operate in continuously powered ER (AAA Cooling), 1 Set of MTL fluid lines on orbit if necessary 10

11. On-Orbit Operations Power transfer from ISS EXPRESS Rack to Dragon – 30 minute power off limit – 1 hr 30 min crew time for deactivate, transfer, and Dragon Install both MERLINs Sample deactivation Remove from mounting configuration in ER Power down, transfer to Dragon Cable connections, power-up Mount to Dragon Cargo Panel 11

12. Operations- Crew Activities HDPCG Tray Actuation Handle Growth Position (ACTIVATED) Landing Position (DEACTIVATED) Launch Position Chromex Barrier PPT Reservoir Protein Insert Using an Actuation Handle that attaches to the tray structure At launch, the Cell Block Assemblies will be in the “Launch” position After being mounted in ER- “Activate” (growth) position Prior to removal from ER-”Deactivate” position 12

13. Flight Operations Weekly 2 hour command/downlink operations Anticipated Flight Rules, P/L Regulations, and Ground Rules & Constraints – Rear mounting captive fastener torque cycle limit (5) – Power loss time limit (30 min) – Twice daily crew status checks during extended LOS of 24 H or longer 13

14. Pre-Flight Processing – Liquid-to-liquid samples loaded by PI and frozen (weeks to months prior to launch) – Ship hardware and samples to launch processing site – Offline processing at launch processing facility Configure hardware per flight specific configuration Load vapor diffusion experiments Hardware assembly Final ADP closeout (Verification, safety) Turnover to NASA and/or SpaceX reps (T/O time TBD) Installation into vehicle 14

15. Post Flight Processing Timeline Return Events for Early Access Cargo 15 Search and recovery operations 5 hrs Early access retrieval 1 hrLoading on fast boat for return 1 hrFast boat return to port ~ 21 hrsExpected turnover to NASA rep then PD R + 28 hrsEstimated hardware return to UAB R + 40 hrs

16. CPCG-HM Notes of Interest The PCG hardware inside the MERLIN is passive – Primary interface to the crew and vehicles is the MERLIN system To streamline cost and expedite integration data products, we will use existing MERLIN products when possible The CPCG-HM hardware will be designated as MERLIN4 and MERLIN5 for command and data handling inputs as well as for EXPRESS Rack Laptop Application Software --There are no changes to the MERLIN software required to support this experiment hardware The CPCG-HM experiment is a stand alone assembly flown under the National Lab Office 16