XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report June 14, 2001
ISS Fluid Quick Disconnect (QD) Evaluation
The EVA Project Office supported an ISS fluid quick disconnect (QD) evaluation at Boeing Huntington Beach. Representatives from the Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance Office, Astronaut Office, Engineering Directorate, and Boeing, as well as EVA crewmembers Leroy Chiao, Joe Tanner, David Wolf, Mike Foreman, John Herrington, and Catherine Coleman supported the evaluation. Evaluation activities included EVA contingency tool evaluation for the QD bail drive tool, QD soft dock release tool, and QD female interlock defeat (FID) gage tools. Most of the EVA tool concepts worked well for the intended purpose or needed only minor adjustment, but new concepts will be required for the 1″ QD EVA FID Gage.
Orlan EVA
Commander Yuri Usachev and Flight Engineer Jim Voss successfully performed the first EVA from the International Space Station on June 8, 2001. Flight Engineer Susan Helms monitored the EVA from the functional cargo block (FGB). The EVA was performed inside the transfer compartment of the Service Module. The primary purpose of the EVA was to install the Docking Cone on the nadir hatch of the Service Module in preparation for the launch of Docking Compartment 1 this August. This task included removing the hatch that was currently in place, inspecting the seals for damage, and installing the docking cone. The task was successfully completed in approximately 20 minutes. A secondary purpose for the EVA was to checkout the two Orlan spacesuits. These suits were launched with the Service Module, and will be used for the upcoming Docking Compartment activation EVA’s. There was an anomaly during Orlan checkout with the medical belt installed in Usachev’s Orlan, but the replacement medical belt initially worked, and Orlan checkout was completed with no further anomalies. Commander Usachev’s back-up medical belt did not work the day of EVA, but medical allowed the EVA without it. These belts provide medical telemetry on the suited subject. Other than the issue with the medical belt, the suits performed nominally for the EVA.
Increment 4 Hydrolab Training
Increment 4 is training for four Russian EVA’s during their increment. EVA training began on June 8, 2001, at the GCTC hydrolab and continues until July 13. The first three weeks will include training a science EVA that includes Ham radio, materials science packages and gas protective devices installations. An EVA to relocate Strela from PMA1 to DC1 will also be trained the first three weeks. DC1 activation tasks will be performed the last two weeks of training. This training session will complete their Russian EVA training for the increment.
S1/P1 Pressurized EVA Line Routing Test
This week Boeing Huntington Beach conducted pressurized fluid line testing to ensure that all S1/P1 Thermal Control System (TCS) lines can be assembled and maintained within EVA crew and tool capabilities. The first 1.5″ lines are launched on 9A (S1) and are known to be too large for EVA handling unless favorably routed. This test was the third in a series: initial routings had been evaluated in April 2000 and October 2000 and deemed unacceptable. Several strategies were employed to improve line-handling characteristics including line lubrication, routing changes, and clamp changes. Most routings are now deemed feasible for EVA handling at flight pressures: specifically, S0-S1 segment-to-segment lines; most Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint Fluid Hose Rotary Coupler hoses; and all hoses interconnecting Radiators, Radiator Beam Valve Modules, and Radiator Beams. Two minor areas of concern remain: two crewmembers must simultaneously react hose loads to release QD’s at the interface between the Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (TRRJ) and the Torque Box, and additional flex line length is needed to release one Fluid Hose Rotary Coupler line. The EVA Project Office predicts that NBL testing and clamp changes alone will resolve these concerns and that no major modifications will be requested in the forthcoming Crew Consensus Report.
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Crew Familiarization
In preparation for the HST Servicing Mission-3B, the EVA Project Office supported the Crew Familiarization training session conducted at the Goddard Space Flight Center on June 4-6, 2001. The primary objectives for this training event were to allow the EVA crew to evaluate the rate sensor unit replacement task, the rigid panel solar array interfaces, the infrared instrument cooling system, the advanced camera for surveys, the power control unit interfaces, and the various Goddard-provided EVA stowage containers. In conjunction with the crew familiarization, a number of EVA tool fit checks were also performed. The next crew familiarization training session will be held at Goddard on July 16-18, 2001.
Original signed by:
G. Allen Flynt
Acting Manager
