NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 4 January 2017
The crew is getting ready for a pair of spacewalks scheduled for this Friday and next Friday to upgrade the International Space Station’s power system. The two spacewalks will take place on the station’s right-side, or starboard, truss structure to replace and install new power equipment.
Commander Shane Kimbrough and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will step outside for the first power maintenance spacewalk Friday at 7 a.m. EST. Kimbrough will be joined by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet the following Friday for the second spacewalk. The three astronauts are reviewing spacewalk procedures, collecting tools and configuring cameras in the U.S. Quest airlock today.
Robotics controllers remotely removed nickel-hydrogen batteries and installed new lithium-ion batteries on the starboard-4 truss over the holidays and into the New Year. The robotics work sets up the power maintenance work the spacewalkers will perform including replacing adapter plates and relocating the old batteries.
The three astronauts and their fellow cosmonauts still had time for a variety of science work and standard orbital maintenance. Kimbrough and Whitson explored how microgravity affects body shape and impacts suit sizing. Pesquet joined Andrey Borisenko and set up tiny internal satellites known as SPHERES for an upcoming student competition. Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Oleg Novitskiy checked Russian life support systems.
On-Orbit Status Report
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: Today, the USOS crew continued to gather and configure tools that will be used during Friday’s EVA, which will upgrade Nickel Hydride Channel 3A batteries to Lithium Ion batteries. They also configured two cameras that will be used during the EVA. Finally, the crew reviewed procedures associated with EVA. US EVA #38 is scheduled for Friday, January 6th with Joint Airlock Egress occurring at ~6:15am CST.
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Yesterday and overnight (GMT 003-004), the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and operated the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) Body and Arm2 to unstow the Robotic Offset Tool (ROST) from the SPDM Tool Holder Assembly (THA). They then used it to fasten the H1 (secondary) bolt on the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery in Slot 5 of the 3A Integrated Electronics Assembly (IEA). They also made multiple attempts to fasten the H1 bolt on the Li-Ion battery in Slot 1 of the 3A IEA without success. Finally the Robotics Ground Controllers maneuvered the SSRMS and the SPDM to a park position and maneuvered SPDM Arm2 as required to allow for an inspection of the ROST using SPDM Camera Light Pan Tilt Unit (PTU) Assembly 1 (CLPA1). There was a Multilateral Anomaly Resolution Team (MART) meeting at 11:00am Central Time (CT) this morning to discuss the issue with fastening the H1 bolt on the Li-Ion battery in slot 1. MSS performance was nominal.
Body Measures: Today’s Body Measures activity was the second inflight session for the 49S subject. The crew, with assistance from a trained operator, conducted a Body Measures data collection session. The crew configured still cameras and video, then collected the Neutral Body Posture video and stow the equipment. NASA is collecting in-flight anthropometric data (body measurements) to assess the impact of physical body shape and size changes on suit sizing. Still and video imagery is captured and a tape measure is used to measure segmental length, height, depth, and circumference data for all body segments (chest, waist, hip, arms, legs, etc.) from astronauts before, during and after their flight missions.
Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Zero Robotics Unit Test: The crew configured the SPHERES hardware and an EXPRESS Laptop Computer (ELC) then executed an end-to-end hardware and software test prior to the Zero Robotics competition scheduled for January 27, 2017. The SPHERES Zero Robotics investigation establishes an opportunity for high school students to design research for the ISS. As part of a competition, students write algorithms for the SPHERES satellites to accomplish tasks relevant to future space missions. The algorithms are tested by the SPHERES team and the best designs are selected for the competition to operate the SPHERES satellites on board the ISS.
Fine Motor Skills: The crew performed their weekly Fine Motor Skills tests, performing a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet. The investigation studies how fine motor skills are effected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of Fine Motor Skills is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation, and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) /Group Combustion Module (GCM) Component Activation on GMT004
Regeneration of ??? ?2 Micropurification Cartridge (start)
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
Charging EVA Camera D4 Battery
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Glisser-M Battery Charging: setup and start charging the first batch of batteries (6 pcs)
[?? ???] Condensate Supply Unit Control Panel R&R
Body Measures Equipment Gather
Body Measures Experiment Operations
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2
[???] Membrane Filter Separator Leak Check
Columbus GFI Test Preparation
Body Measures Experiment Operations – Operator
GFI test of all twelve COLUMBUS SUPs 120V DC power outlets
Photodocumentation of the Crisstal and Cataliss experiments.
Photodocumentation of the EPO Pesquet Ceres
ESA ACTIVE DOSIMETER MOBILE UNIT SWAP
Columbus GFI Test Inverter Reconfiguration
Columbus GFI Test post reconfiguration
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
SPHERES Payload OBT Russian Crew
Strata Card Changeout
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
SPHERES Crew Conference
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) WSTA Fill
Delta file prep
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) iPad Contingency Procedures preparation
Charging the first batch of batteries (6 pcs) (End) and Charging the second batch of batteries (6 pcs) (Start)
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) /Group Combustion Module (GCM) Component Deactivation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) WSTA Fill
Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Lab Video Setup
SPHERES Test Session Setup
??? maintenance
Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations – Subject
Dose Tracker Data Entry
Charging the second batch of batteries (6 pcs) and Battery stow
Soyuz 732 (??732??_???????_????1) HERO3 GoPro Batteries Recharge, Initiate
Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Lab Video Return
Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Configuration
Life On The Station Photo and Video
SPHERES Test Session Run
Rad Detector Rotate
Soyuz 732 GoPro HERO3 batteries charge – finish and stow (??732??_???????_????1)
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
SPHERES Test Shutdown
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE
Regeneration of ??? ?2 Absorption Cartridge (end)
Completed Task List Items
Deploy ESA Active Dosimeter Mobile Units (2) for Area Monitoring
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Lab CDRA Activation
Lab CDRA Standby
3A Battery H1 bolt troubleshooting
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 01/05: EVA Procedure Review, EVA Conference, Airlock Equipment Lock Prep, EVA Tool Audit
Friday, 01/06: EMU EVA #38 (Channel 3A Battery R&R)
Saturday, 01/07: EMU Recharge, EVA Debrief, Crew Off Duty
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – Off
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Idle
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up
