NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 August, 2021 – Cosmonauts Prepare for Spacewalk

Two astronauts and two cosmonauts are gearing up for three spacewalks set to begin next week at the International Space Station.
The Expedition 65 crew is also continuing to unpack a U.S. cargo craft in the middle of ongoing science and maintenance activities.

The first spacewalk is planned to take place on Aug. 24. Commander Akihiko Hoshide and Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei will exit the Quest airlock in their U.S. spacesuits around 8 a.m. EDT and translate over to the Port-4 truss structure. Once there, the duo will prepare the worksite for the next set of Roll-Out Solar Arrays due to arrive on an upcoming SpaceX Cargo Dragon mission. The pair went over their spacewalk maneuvers on a computer Monday afternoon.

Cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov will perform the other two spacewalks in early September to prepare cables and other external equipment for the recently arrived Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module. Today, the flight engineers from Roscosmos reviewed the steps and procedures planned for the second spacewalk.

NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough joined ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet and took turns offloading cargo packed inside the Cygnus space freighter today. Cygnus delivered over four tons of cargo including over 2,300 pounds of new science experiments last week. The resupply ship from Northrop Grumman will stay attached to the Unity module for about three months.

Science is still ongoing at the orbital lab as Vande Hei swapped fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack and set up a sample for the Ring Sheared Drop fluid physics study. Hoshide serviced samples in a microscope for a biology study observing how cells sense gravity then installed the Kaber small satellite deployer inside the Kibo laboratory module.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

Cardinal Muscle: Crew removed the Cardinal Muscle samples from Glacier in preparation for operations. Muscle mass diminishes with age on Earth via a condition called sarcopenia, and astronauts experience similar and accelerated loss of muscle mass during spaceflight. Tissue Engineered Muscle in Microgravity as a Novel Platform to Study Sarcopenia (Cardinal Muscle) evaluates whether engineered human muscle cells cultured in microgravity are a valid model for studying muscle loss. Because microgravity accelerates the process, a valid tissue model could enable rapid assessment of therapeutics to treat muscle loss.

Cell Gravisensing: The crew removed Cell Gravisensing samples from the Confocal Space Microscope and temporarily stowed them in Ziploc bags which were secured near the SABL rack. New samples were removed from the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) and placed into the Microscope for observations. The Elucidation of the Gravisensing Mechanism in Single Cells (Cell Gravisensing) investigation studies how cells sense gravity. While recent research has revealed that individual animal cells can detect gravity, the mechanism for this sensing is largely unknown. This investigation analyzes changes in tension in cell stress fibers during spaceflight as a possible mechanism.

Cool Flames Investigation with Gases: The crew replaced the Manifold 4 fuel bottle with 1.00 liters of 100% C3H8 (Propane). Cool diffusion flames were discovered during droplet combustion experiments aboard the ISS in 2012, and this initiated a rapidly growing field of combustion research. A cool flame is one that burns at about 600 degrees Celsius. A typical candle is about three-and-a-half times hotter, burning at around 1,400 degrees Celsius. Most internal combustion engines are designed using computer models that neglect cool flame chemistry, but ignition and flame propagation in engines depend on cool flame chemistry. Cool flame chemistry also has a significant impact on fuel octane and cetane numbers, whose understanding has large economic consequences.

ESA-Education Payload Operations (EPO) Generic Videos: A crewmember recorded part 2 of a 2-part video series that will be used to demonstrate the benefits of space exploration technologies and activities for Earth. A crewmember also recorded video that will be used to educate children about natural and artificial satellites, what they are and how we can benefit from them and will feature Paxi, ESA’s mascot for young children. The activities related to ESA-EPO Generic Videos are intended to encourage and strengthen the teaching of science curriculum and stimulate the curiosity of students to motivate them towards further study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Ring Sheared Drop: The crew installed the Ring Sheared Drop Hardware into the MicroGravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and installed the first pre-stage sample syringe. The Ring Sheared Drop investigation examines the formation and flow of amyloids without the complications associated with the solid walls of a container, because in microgravity, surface tension provides containment of the liquid. Fibrous, extracellular protein deposits found in organs and tissues; amyloids are associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Results could contribute to better understanding of these diseases as well as to development of advanced materials.

The ISS Experience: The crew assembled and installed the ISS Experience EVA Z-Camera onto the JEM Airlock Slide Table hardware which will be used to support checkout and operations prior to the 4A IROSA EVA on GMT 236. The ISS Experience is a cinematic virtual reality (VR) series documenting life and research aboard the space station. Filmed over multiple months, the immersive VR series documents different crew activities – from science conducted aboard the station to preparation for a spacewalk.

Systems

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: In preparation for the IROSA 4A preparation EVA currently scheduled for August 24th, the crew completed EVA Suit reviews as well as a visual review of the EVA using the Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphic (DOUG) software. The DOUG software package is used to plan EVAs through crewmember position and station configuration. It prepares crew for EVA tasks they are expected to complete during their mission. This session allowed the crew to view the step-by-step sequence of the SSRMS support during the IROSA 4A preparation EVA.

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) Assembly: In preparation for the FPMU R&R during the IROSA 4A preparation EVA, the crew assembled the new FPMU stack. The FPMU stack consists of FPMU, FPMU Isolation Base, FPMU to TVCIC I/F Cable and the TVCIC. The FPMU has been operational since 2006 and its power failure signature started occurring in 2008. Based on similar failures in other TVCIC equipment, the failure has been attributed to known issues with the TVCIC MDI power supply component. The FPMU measures electrical charges that can build on solar arrays and surfaces in orbit, raising safety concerns for astronauts and potentially damaging equipment when electrostatic discharges arise.

Completed Task List Activities:

None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

SSRMS Walkoff MBS 1
JEMRMS Main Arm maneuver to JEM Airlock clear position
ITCS Airlock LTL Flow Initiation
JEM Airlock Activation
Lab MCA Activation
Look Ahead Plan

Tuesday, August 16 (GMT 228)
Payloads:

ACE-T9 FIR Reconfiguration (NASA)
Anti-Atrophy Sample preparation and Install (JAXA)
Cardinal Muscle Media Sample Exchange (NASA)
Cell Gravisensing Observations (JAXA)
POSSUM Payload rack Photo (NASA)
Ring Sheared Drop Syringe and Test Cell Removal and Install (NASA)
Systems:

Cygnus Cargo Ops
EVA Prep
Wednesday, August 17 (GMT 229)
Payloads:

Astrobee Perching Arm Removal (NASA)
Behavioral Core Measures (NASA)
Cell Gravisensing Closeout (JAXA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Lumina Install (ESA)
Repository Urine and Blood Setup (NASA)
Systems:

EVA Prep
Node 3 UOP 5 Power Cable Connector Troubleshooting
Hydrogen Sensor ORU Purge Adapter Operations
Thursday, August 18 (GMT 230)
Payloads:

Anti-Atrophy Medium Exchange (JAXA)
Astrobee Prep (NASA)
Behavioral Core Measures (NASA)
Eklosion Install (ESA)
Lumina Data Transfer (ESA)
Manufacturing Device print removal (NASA)
MSL SCA Exchange B3 #4 (ESA)
Repository Urine and Blood Collect (NASA)
RESWARM setup and Checkout (NASA)
Ring Shear Drop Syringe Removal and install (NASA)
Systems:

EVA Prep
Cygnus Cargo Ops
Acoustic Monitoring
CASA Keep Out Zone Label Installation
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Cell Gravisensing-1 Medium Exchange 4th and Observation Preparation 8th of 10th
Cell Gravisensing-1 Observation Preparation 9th of 10th
Combustion Integrated Rack Bottle Gather
Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold #4 Bottle Replacement
Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Close
Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Open
Cardinal Muscle Glacier Sample Removal
Robotics (ROBO) DOUG Conference
Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review
Record EPO Paxi script
EPO message recording
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery Operations Terminal Charge Terminate
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery (BATT) Removal
Extravehicular Activitiy (EVA) Suit Intravehicular (IV) Review
HRF Operations Profile of Mood States Short Form Questionnaire
In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) Assembly
In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) Assembly
In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) Gather
ISS Experience – EVA XF305 Video Setup
ISS Experience EVA Z-Cam Installation to the JEM Airlock Slide Table
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
KABER Installation
LSG Work Volume Deploy
Photo/TV V-Guide Bag Imagery
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Social Media Event
Ring-Sheared Drop MELFI Sample Retrieve
Ring Sheared Drop Procedure Review
Ring-Sheared Drop Syringe Installation 1st time
Insertion of Russian experiments blood samples into MELFI
A/L Adapter Plate (JCAP) and NanoRacks Kaber Plate (STEP) Installation
Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations