XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report April 19, 2001
STS-110 (8A) Cargo Integration Review (CIR) –
The EVA Project Office supported the EVA discussions at the CIR. The major EVA items are as follow:
1. Addition of a fourth EVA – A MIP CR has been developed to add a fourth EVA per an ISS Program request, while the Shuttle is docked. This would increase the mission from nine to ten days. The fourth EVA is needed to complete ISS mission success activities such as setup of the mobile transporter and S0 final structural configuration. The CR will be evaluated by the EVA Project Office and processed through the standard Shuttle template.
2. Unscheduled ISS EVA’s using Shuttle Airlock – The ISS Program is requesting that a two Shuttle based EVA capability be reserved to support the minimum unscheduled EVA activities needed to assemble and activate the S0 segment. This capability will protect for an ISS airlock or a hatch failure which would prevent using the ISS airlock. The addition of this capability would result in a 10 MLE impact to ISS. The Flight Crew Operations Directorate will assess the impact and provide recommendation.
3. Requirement to launch three EMU’s – The EMU logistic long range plan requires three EMU’s be launched on 8A. The third EMU must fly in the middeck which will displace two 10 MLE bags needed for ISS equipment. The ISS Program has requested that the EVA Project Office determine if one EMU can be pre-positioned on UF-1.
High Strength Bridge Clamp (HSBC)
During a fit check exercise involving HSBC, s/n 1006, the Safety Toggle Assembly was not fully extending when locked. Disassembly of the unit revealed a failure of the mechanism. The investigation also indicated that the current preinstallation acceptance (PIA) screening process would not have caught this failure. The HSBC has a two fault-tolerant lock which holds the articulating socket and portable foot restraint (PFR) in place during launch. This failure could potentially render the two-fault tolerant locking system zero-fault tolerant. The HSBC is only required on STS-100 as a backup to the 96 bolt contingency task and was therefore demanifested. Currently, the Engineering Directorate is disassembling all units to see if this condition exists and to develop a screening procedure for this failure for future flights
Brazilian ExPRESS Pallet Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM)
The EVA Project Office supported a one-day TIM with the Brazilian aerospace group, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), to discuss the EVA NBL mockup requirements for the ExPRESS Pallet. The group was first taken on a facility tour of the NBL, which gave them the opportunity to view a variety of development and high fidelity training mockups. The remainder of the day was spent discussing the EVA mockup requirements and timeframe in which these mockups would have to be developed and delivered. A final agreement was made to have INPE build a development unit that would be modified to the high fidelity training unit as well as a volumetric mockup including six Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) boxes.
Preabreathe Readiness Tiger Team
The Prebreathe Readiness Tiger Team continues to identify and resolve open issues to implement the ISS 2 hour 20 minute exercise protocol. The team reviewed the findings of the USHUS committee (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a.k.a. Church committee) to identify open implementation actions. The report recommended implementation of the Exercise protocol without need for any operational or hardware modifications. In addition, the Tiger Team is tracking certification efforts for exercise and oxygen sensing hardware, establishing backup operational plans for loss of hardware, establishing coordination between medical and operational communities for bends treatment agreements, and confirming adequate medical provisions for the alternate campout protocol. Key upcoming events are Medical Policy Board ruling and Headquarters senior staff briefings tentatively planned for the week of May 14, 2001; the Space and Life Sciences Directorate is arranging both meetings. Issue closure is tracking to support 7A Flight Readiness Review May 31, 2001.
Original Signed By:
G. Allen Flynt
Acting Manager
