Just in from ESA Mission Director Mike Steinkopf at ATV-CC:

After pressure equalization between ATV and ISS and additional cleaning of ATV air using a Russian air purification device called POTOK, the hatch was finally opened at 18:09 GMT / 20:09 CEST. Crew is now continuing with the first ingress activities meaning air sample collection and installation of the scrubber for air filtering.

Note also this update via NASA’s daily ISS report:

After reviewing an OBT (Onboard Training) drill covering ATV APO (Attached Phase Operations) procedures to refresh their proficiency, Kononenko & Kuipers after their lunch break:

  • Conducted the one-hour leak check on the SM PrK (Transfer Tunnel)/ATV vestibule,
  • Opened the PrK-SU (Vestibule) transfer hatch on TsUP-Moscow Go,
  • Set up the POTOK Air Purification Unit of the SOGS Air Revitalization Subsystem in the PrK and powered it up,
  • Opened the ATV transfer hatch on TsUP-Moscow Go, and
  • Installed the BZV quick release screw clamps of the SSVP docking mechanism, and ingressed ATV (wearing dust respirator & vacuum cleaner).
  • After the hatch opening, Ivanishin sampled the air with the Russian AK-1M and Draeger IPD-CO sampling equipment.

Time-sequenced with Anton’s AK-1M sampling, André used the US GSC (Grab Sample Container) equipment to collect air samples in the center of the ATV.

Before powering up the POTOK, Kononenko used the standard ECOSFERA equipment to conduct a microbial air sampling run for the MedOps SZM-MO-21 experiment, taking samples from ATV cabin surfaces. The Petri dishes with the samples were then stowed in the KRIOGEM-03 thermostatic container at +37 deg. [The equipment, consisting of an air sampler set, a charger and power supply unit, provides samples to help determine microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies. The Ecosphere battery can support 10 air samples on one charge.]

Oleg then installed & started the Russian POTOK air cleaner to scrub the ATV atmosphere for several hours (~1:30pm – 6:15pm).