NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 October 2018 – New Gear for the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack
The International Space Station is getting ready for Japanese and U.S. cargo ship operations next month. In the meantime, the three residents onboard the orbital lab today configured science hardware and checked out safety gear.
Serena Auñón-Chancellor from NASA worked in the Japanese Kibo laboratory today replacing gear inside a Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR). The MSPR provides a workspace that supplies power and video enabling research into a variety of smaller experiments. She spent the majority of the day working on video cable connections and swapping out a computer in the MSPR.
She and Commander Commander Alexander Gerst started Tuesday practicing wearing and using breathing gear connected to an oxygen port in the event of a space emergency. Gerst then helped out with the MSPR work before the duo moved on to packing Japan’s HTV-7 resupply ship.
Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos worked out on a treadmill today to help Russian scientists understand how the human body is impacted by exercise in microgravity. He then spent the afternoon on computer and life support maintenance.
The packed HTV-7 is due to be removed from the Harmony module with the Canadarm2 and released back into Earth orbit in November. Its release will cap a 47 day stay at the station but the vehicle has one more mission before its fiery destruction over the Pacific Ocean. The HTV-7 will release a small reentry capsule for recovery in the Pacific Ocean by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The recovery mission is a test of the Japanese space agency’s ability to retrieve experiment samples safely and quickly from the station.
An American cargo ship is due to replenish the Expedition 57 crew a few days after the HTV-7 leaves. Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter will take a three-day trip in space before it is captured with the Canadarm2 and berthed to the Unity module. Cygnus will stay attached to the station for 86 days of cargo operations.
On-Orbit Status Report
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) DC / DC Converter Unit (DCU) Replacement Part 1: The crew replaced MSPR DCU with and upgraded DCU2. The still functional older unit will be kept onboard as a spare. The MSPR is a multipurpose payload rack system used in the JEM. It has two workspaces and a work table that can be used for wide fields of space environment utilization including science and educational missions.
Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle Schools (EarthKAM): Mission 64 is continuing nominally. As of today, the number participating has increased to just over 20,000 students from 35 countries. EarthKAM allows thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew’s perspective. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the ISS. This enables them to photograph the Earth’s coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique vantage point of space. The EarthKAM team then posts these photographs on the Internet for viewing by the public and participating classrooms around the world.
Wireless Communication and Positioning Experiment (WICO): The crew copied WICO data from the SD Card to a Station Support Computer (SSC) for subsequent downlink. WICO demonstrates a wireless network for the efficient readout of sensors, as well as the localization of moving objects within the Columbus module. The experiment is based on the impulse radio – ultra-wideband (IR-UWB), which extends the capabilities of a recently performed Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) demonstration using Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) bands at 2.45 GHz. The evaluation of WICO helps to analyze potential uses of WSN for unmanned and manned spaceflight missions, and to derive obstacles and limitations for the operations under very specific conditions due to the complex electromagnetic environment.
HII Transfer Vehicle (HTV)7 Cargo Transfer: The crew continued HTV7 cargo transfer operations today. Ground specialists estimate approximately 1 hour remains to complete transfer.
Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA) Hardline O2 Demonstration: Today, the crew practiced demonstrating the connection of a PBA via an extension hose to a low pressure O2 port and donning the mask. This training serves as a refresher on the usage of PBA hardware and hardline O2 in response to a U.S. Segment Fire.
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Li-Ion Battery Data Logging: Today the crew terminated an Autocycle session, which was initiated this past Friday for two EMU Long Life Batteries (LLB). Today’s activity leaves the LLBs in a nominal, discharged state. Over the course of three days, the auto cycle captures battery health data and helps ground experts understand the charge and discharge capacities of these new and improved LLBs. The data will also be used to compare charging system performance between the on-orbit and ground based systems.
Port Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (PSARJ) Current Draw: The port SARJ drive current has shown an increasing trend for the past several days, although it is still well below maximum limits. The current draw for String 2 Drive Lock Assembly (DLA) for the PSARJ is generally ~0.15 amps and increases to ~0.17 amps during high negative solar beta. Solar beta peaked at -62 degrees on October 21 and is decreasing in magnitude. Currently the solar beta angle is at -58 degrees and the PSARJ current draw is ~0.3 amps. The DLA trip point is 1.3 amps. There is no on orbit action required at this time. However, ground teams are studying the signature and may recommend a DLA string swap if the current does not drop when the solar beta decreases. The PSARJ was lubricated in 2011 and the lubricant is expected to last at least 15 years.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Nominal System Commanding
Two-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 10/24:
Payloads:
Lighting Effects
METEOR Hardware Troubleshooting
FIR/LMM/Biophysics-4 Plate Removal
JAXA/MSPR R&R (continuing)
Systems:
Deck CQ Cleaning
Thursday, 10/25:
Payloads:
BEST
MELFI spare EU stow
Veg-03 experiment run
Systems:
Photo Survey of Port Solar Array
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Making a documentary about life onboard the ISS
Russian PAO event report preparation
Uragan. Observations and photo (Task list)
ECON-M. Observations and photo (Task list)
Визуальный осмотр и контроль течи с помощью американского течеискателя ULD в БО ТПК №739. ДнаЗ в с/св
Portable Breathing Apparatus Demonstration
COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Crew Medical Restraint System (CMRS) – Checkout
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Preparation for the experiment
XF305 Camcorder Setup
MSPR Video Signal Convertor Closeout
Combustion Integrated Rack Hardware Return
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) DCU2 R&R Preparation
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) DCU2 R&R Part1
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Experiment Ops on БД-2 Treadmill
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) DCU2 R&R Part1 (Sub).
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of Central Post Laptop, start test 1. Tagup with specialists as necessary
Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of the Central Post Laptop, end test 1 and start test 2. Generating Reports. Tagup with specialists as necessary
Wireless Compose SD Card Data Copy
Food Relocate
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of Central Post Laptop, start test 3. Tagup with specialists as necessary
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Transfer Operations – Pack and stow items on HTV
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of Central Post Laptop, end test 3 and start test 4.
Charging GoPro HERO3 Camcorder batteries (6 total) in Soyuz 739, Start
СОЖ maintenance
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of Central Post Laptop, end test 4 and closeout ops.
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
Cleaning vent screens on FGB interior panels 116, 316, 231, 431
Transfer Operations – Pack and stow items on HTV
Cleaning FGB ЦВ1 Circulation Fan Guard Screen
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Terminate
Vacuum Cleaning FGB ГЖТ4 ВТ-7 screen
Evening Preparation Work
EVA Long Life Battery Station Support Computer Relocate
Charging GoPro HERO3 Camcorder batteries (6 total) in Soyuz 739, End
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
HTV Cargo Operations Conference
