The Expedition 19 crew aboard the orbiting International Space Station worked on science and prepared for the imminent undocking of the ISS Progress 32 spacecraft.

Flight Engineer Michael Barratt worked with the Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment, also known as SPICE. This experiment determines the point at which gas-jet flames similar to a butane-lighter flame begin to emit soot in microgravity. Studying a soot-emitting flame is important in understanding the ability of fires to spread and in control of soot in practical combustion systems.

Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata collected samples with the Microbial Air Sampler Kit that will be used to detect microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi in the air aboard the space station. These samples are evaluated to ensure that the air quality is safe for crew members.

An Expedition 19 ARISS contact has been planned with participants at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Space Day, Washington, DC on 02 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 1523 UTC.

The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over western N. America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. Audio from the contact may also be available via the AMSAT conference on EchoLink and via the 9010 Discovery reflector on IRLP. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

[img]http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/160328main_iss019e009806.jpg[/img] Image above: Expedition 19 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata squeezes honey out of a tube near the galley in the Zvezda service module of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Tuesday proved to be a busy day for the three full-time residents aboard the International Space Station, as the Expedition 19 crew stowed tools and performed scientific experiments. Flight Engineer Mike Barratt began his day logging data for a study of crew sleep patterns and light exposure. Barratt is wearing a small wristwatch-like device that will measure light levels and record his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the week.

Imagine my excitement when I saw listed in the status section that packet was active again! Imagine my disappointment when I went to the link only to see yet another posting about no packet activity heard on another pass. Do we really need postings telling us that packet, voice, sstv, etc. hasn't happened on a pass??