Northrop Grumman (NG-10) Cygnus Release: Today, Crew and ground teams utilized the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to unberth the S.S. John Young from Node 1 nadir then released the vehicle at 1616 GMT (10:16 AM CT). This completes eighty-one days of joint ISS/Cygnus operations. Now that Cygnus has departed the ISS, it will be performing several small satellite deployments and operations for other agencies before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific on February 25.
Meteor: Today a crewmember swapped out the Meteor laptop AMS hard drive. The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument used to observe meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. The study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.
Actiwatch Spectrum: Today a crewmember linked the Actiwatch Spectrum hardware to the HRF1 rack to allow ground teams to download stored data. The Actiwatch Spectrum is a waterproof, nonintrusive, sleep-wake monitor worn on the wrist of a crewmember. The device contains an accelerometer for measuring motion and color sensitive photodiodes (a photodetector capable of converting light into voltage) for monitoring ambient lighting. Together, these capabilities enable the Actiwatch Spectrum to be used to analyze circadian rhythms, sleep-wake patterns, and activity.
Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) Test Module Checkout: Crew performed a check out of SAFER 1015 and Test Module seals. The activity measured regulator pressure under flow and no-flow conditions, performed a leak check, and measured the relief valve crack and reseated pressure to satisfy two year on-orbit maintenance requirements.