NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 28 September 2017 – Spacewalk Set for Next Week

The International Space Station boosted its orbit Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of a pair of Russian spaceships before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Expedition 53 crew continued getting ready for next week’s spacewalk and explored how living in space affects their bodies.
The docked Progress 67 resupply ship fired its engines Wednesday for three minutes and 40 seconds lifting the space station to a higher orbit. The reboost is the first of three with the next two taking place in November. The reboosts will place the station at the correct altitude to receive a Progress 68 resupply ship in mid-October and the Soyuz MS-07 crew ship in mid-December.

Spacewalkers Randy Bresnik and Mark Vande Hei are getting their U.S. spacesuits ready ahead of an Oct. 5 spacewalk. They inspected their suits today, scrubbed the cooling loops and filled them with water. The duo will work outside for about 6.5 hours next Thursday and replace a latching end effector at the tip of the Canadarm2.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba attached sensors to himself and worked out on the station’s exercise bike today to help scientists understand how microgravity affects physical exertion. The VO2max study is researching how astronauts expend energy in space and how it may impact emergency situations and spacewalks.

On-Orbit Status Report

MagVector: The crew completed setup activities and began the 7-day MagVector #14 experiment run. The European Space Agency (ESA) MagVector investigation studies how Earth’s magnetic field interacts with an electrical conductor. Using extremely sensitive magnetic sensors placed around and above a conductor, researchers can gain insight into ways that the magnetic field influences how conductors work. This research not only helps improve future International Space Station experiments and electrical experiments, but it could offer insights into how magnetic fields influence electrical conductors in general, the backbone of our technology.

At Home in Space Questionnaire and Photo: The crew took photos to document ISS culture in support of the At Home in Space investigation. This Canadian Space Agency experiment assesses culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews on long-duration missions. It is hypothesized that astronauts develop a shared space culture that is an adaptive strategy for handling cultural differences and they deal with the isolated confined environment of the spacecraft by creating a home in space. At Home in Space uses a questionnaire to investigate individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.

Circadian Rhythms: The 51S crewmember removed and stowed the Double Sensors and Thermolab Unit equipment that was used to complete a 36 hour Circadian Rhythms session that began on Tuesday. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the “biological clock,” and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle of light and dark affects crewmembers’ circadian clocks. The investigation also addresses the effects of reduced physical activity, microgravity and an artificially controlled environment. Changes in body composition and body temperature, which also occur in microgravity, can affect crewmembers’ circadian rhythms as well. Understanding how these phenomena affect the biological clock will improve performance and health for future crewmembers.

Two Phase Flow: The crew setup the Two Phase Flow laptop in the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR). The Two Phase Flow investigation seeks to build a database on the heat transfer efficiency of liquids in space that can be used in the design of high-performance thermal management systems for future space platforms.

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Camera Robot: Following yesterday’s checkout activities, today the crew conducted a cable swap to allow the ground team to perform a software update. This device is a free-flying camera robot that provides real time video downlink and photographs. It is expected to reduce the crew time requirements to support video recording of activities, especially at the blind spot of existing JEM internal cameras.

Meteor Hard Disk Drive and Antivirus Update: The crew removed and replaced the hard drive in the Meteor laptop located in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) and transfered an updated Antivirus file to the laptop. The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument with the primary purpose of observing meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. Since the parent comets or asteroids for most of the meteor showers are identified, the study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.

Device for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization) DECLIC Hose Relocation: The DECLIC supply and return hoses from the Upper Control Panel (UCP) to the Lower Control Panel (LCP) were relocated to continue troubleshooting the moderate temperature loop (MTL) flow issues to the DECLIC directional solidification insert (DSL). DECLIC is a multi-user facility utilized to study transparent media and their phase transitions in microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The DSI portion of the DECLIC multi-user facility experiment will study a series of benchmark experiments on transparent alloys that freeze like metals under microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS) using SCN (succinonitrile-a transparent organic substance in the liquid state that is used to study the phenomena related to solidification processes) based alloys. The DSI insert will be installed for the second run of the three series of DECLIC experiments.

Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device (SLAMMD) Hardware Setup and Control Run:
The crew performed a SLAMMD control run by setting up the calibration arm and attaching the calibration mass, prior to setting the software to implement a control run and payload body mass measurement. SLAMMD follows Newton’s Second Law of Motion by having two springs generate a known force against a crewmember mounted on an extension arm, the resulting acceleration being used to calculate the subject’s mass. The device is accurate to 0.5 pounds over a range from 90 pounds to 240 pounds.

Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) preparations: Today the crew configured EVA tools, inspected the EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) Sublimators, performed an EMU loop scrub, filled the Liquid Cooled Ventilation Garment (LCVG), recharged the EMU water, and performed a conductivity test on that water in preparation for the upcoming trio of EVAs in October. The goals of the EVAs include Remove and Replace (R&R) of a Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Latching End Effector (LEE), lubrication of the LEEs, and R&R of two external cameras.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Reminder for On-Orbit Fitcheck Verification (OFV)
RELAXATSIYA. Charging battery for Relaksatstiya experiment (initiate)
At Home In Space Culture Photo
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub
iPad Air 2 Install Part 1
Rechecking basic sets of Quick Release Screw Clamps (???) in MRM1 and DC1. Video recording and downlink via OCA. Tagup with specialists as necessary
European Modular Cultivation System Gas Valve Close
Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation
JEM Camera Robot Cable Swap
Replacement of Pretreat Container (E-K) and hose, Replacement of Pretreat and Water Dispenser (????) in [???]. [???] Activation after Replacement
Max Cycle Ergometer w/Vibration Isolation & Stabilization (CEVIS) Portable PFS Subject
Preparing For Upcoming MagVector Science Run
Circadian Rhythms Deinstrumentation
Two Phase Flow(TPF) Experiment Laptop Terminal 2(ELT2) Relocation
Two Phase Flow(TPF) MMA Laptop Terminal 2(MLT2) Cable Connection
MSPR ELT Relocation
Handover of Increment 53 Crew
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
ESA Weekly crew conference
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Post Scrub Cooling Loop Water (H2O) Sample
Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Sublimator Flange Inspection
??? maintenance
Soyuz 736 Kazbek Fit Check
Meteor Hard Disk Drive and Antivirus Update
DAN. Experiment Session. Tagup with specialists
DAN Operator. Experiment Session. Tagup with specialists
SSC-12 and SSC-16 Logout
DECLIC Hose Relocate
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment (LVCG) Water Fill
COSMOCARD. Setup. Starting 24-hr ECG Recording
Extrvehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Conductivity Test
Vacuum Cleaning of ??1 and ??2 air ducts in DC1
Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference
SLAMMD Hardware Control Run
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Countermeasures System (CMS) Exercise session using ???-01-? set
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Social Media Event
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
IMS Update
RELAXATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment. Tagup with specialists
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
RELAXATSIYA. Observation. Tagup with specialists
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Completed Task List Activities
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) On-Board Trainer (OBT) for CDR, FE-2 and FE-3
WHC UR R&R #2

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Standard commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 09/29: EVA Preps, Finemotor, LMM AFC config, PMM Hygiene Curtain Install
Saturday, 09/30: EarthKAM Shut Down, Crew Off Duty
Sunday, 10/01: Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
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 – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off