NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status Report 18 January, 2022 – Russian Spacewalk Coming Up
The Expedition 66 crew is getting ready for a spacewalk on Wednesday while packing a U.S. resupply ship for its departure on Friday.
Meanwhile, the International Space Station also hosted a pair of space biology studies exploring exercise and vision.
Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov finalized their preparations today for the first spacewalk of 2022 set to begin at 7 a.m. EST on Wednesday. The duo completed reviewing the procedures they will use during the seven-hour spacewalk to outfit Russia’s new Nauka and Prichal modules. They will wear their Russian Orlan spacesuits and exit the Poisk module’s airlock at 7 a.m. where their spacewalking gear is staged. NASA TV, on the NASA app and the agency’s website, will broadcast the space activities live beginning at 6 a.m.
Three NASA astronauts continued loading the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle ahead of its undocking on Friday at 10:40 a.m. Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Raja Chari started the loading after lunch time, before NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn joined them at the end of the day to help organize and secure the cargo.
Marshburn, along with astronaut Matthias Maurer from ESA (European Space Agency), also participated in an workout session on the exercise cycle located in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module. The duo took turns pedaling for an hour each wearing monitors that measured their heart rate for a human research study.
Maurer then joined NASA Flight Engineer Kayla Barron for the rest of the day inside the Kibo laboratory module for a vision investigation. The pair conducted the research operations using the Life Science Glovebox to understand how a long-term space mission affects an astronaut’s visual function and to promote eye health on Earth.
Axiom Mission 1, the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, is now targeting to launch March 31 to account for additional spacecraft preparations and space station traffic. Once aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person Axiom Space crew will conduct science, outreach, and commercial activities for eight days before their return to Earth.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads:
Crew Interactive MObile companioN (CIMON): The crew performed the appropriate steps to prepare a bootable disk for a CIMON software load. The Pilot Study with CIMON is a technology demonstration project, and an observational study, that aims to obtain the first insights into the effects on crew support by an artificial intelligence (AI), in terms of efficiency and acceptance during long-term missions in space. Spaceflight missions put the crew under a substantial amount of stress and workload, and it is thought that AI could provide operational support to crew members.
Rodent Research-18 (RR-18): The Mass Measurement Device (MMD) hardware was used to individually weigh the Rodent Research-18 subjects, which were then returned to their habitats. Astronauts returning from space can experience eye problems, along with headaches and blurred vision. Scientists suspect environmental conditions during spaceflight lead to oxidative stress that adversely affects the eye structure and function. Space Flight Environment Induces remodeling of Vascular Network and Glia-vascular Communication in Mouse Retina (Rodent Research-18) investigates how spaceflight affects visual function, examining changes in the vascular system of the retina, tissue remodeling and cell-cell interactions in mice.
Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE): The crew took photos of the SQuARE experiment sites located in the Galley, JEM, Columbus, Node 3 and US Lab. SQuARE is an investigation that aims to document items within six defined locations around the ISS over time. The idea is to look at the ISS as an archaeological site, and each of the Squares as a “test pit”.
Sleep Monitoring in Space with Dry-EEG Headband (DREAMS): Earlier in the day, the DREAMS hardware was charged in preparation for an over-night science collection. Sleep plays a major role in human health and well-being. Insufficient sleep, or sleep disorders can increase the risk of developing medical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, and can impair task performance. DREAMS is a technology demonstration investigation that utilizes the Dry-EEG Headband: an effective, affordable, and comfortable solution to monitor astronaut sleep quality during long-duration spaceflight aboard the ISS.
Standard Measures: Standard Measures post-sleep questionnaires were filled out using the Data Collection Tool (DCT) on an available Station Support Computer (SSC). The aim of the investigation is to ensure consistent capture of an optimized, minimal set of measures from crewmembers until the end of the ISS Program in order to characterize the adaptive responses to and risks of living in space. Among other things, the ground teams perform analyses for metabolic and chemistry panels, immune function, microbiome, etc. These measures populate a data repository to enable high-level monitoring of countermeasure effectiveness and meaningful interpretation of health and performance outcomes and support future research on planetary missions.
Turbine-Superalloy Casting Module (T-SCM): The T-SCM experiment hardware was removed and stowed for return to the ground. Unfortunately, due to heater issues, no sample processing was able to be performed for this investigation. The T-SCM is a small module that allows manufacturing of single-piece turbine blisk (blade/disk combination) in microgravity for commercial use on Earth. Though unsuccessful, single-piece turbine blisksmanufactured on ISS were expected to have lower part mass, less residual stress, and higher fatigue strength than those produced on Earth.
Systems:
SpX-24 Robotic Survey: Yesterday, the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) cameras and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) as required to perform an external Thermal Protection System (TPS) survey on the port side of SpX-24 with the SSRMS Tip camera. After the survey was completed, SSRMS was maneuvered to the Park Position and MSS cameras were powered down.
RS EVA Procedure Review: Today, the 65S crew reviewed the RS EVA 51 procedures in preparation for tomorrow’s Russian EVA. The Russian crew will end work early today and begin EVA prep tonight at 11:00 PM CT. The crew is scheduled to egress ISS at 6:00 AM CT. This will be the third EVA that is focused on integrating MLM to the ISS.
Max Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS): The crew completed Max CEVIS today which is used by the medical community to evaluate astronauts’ aerobic fitness. The test is performed every 90 days and upon the crew’s arrival and departure from the ISS.
Cargo Dragon Cargo Operations: The crew continued cargo transfer operations by loading cargo into Cargo Dragon in preparation for SpX-24 undock on Friday, January 21.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Lab Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Activation
Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Deactivation
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Walkoff [ACTIVE]
Mobile Transporter (MT) Translation
Look Ahead Plan
Wednesday, January 19 (GMT 19)
Payloads:
ANITA-2
APM status check
Cubesat deployer install (NRCSD-22)
DREAMS
Food Acceptability
Food Physiology
HRF centrifuge carrier photos
ICE-CUBES exchange
LSG filter exchange
MSRR/MSL SCA exchange
POLAR reviews and hardware transfers
Rodent Research-18
SQuARE
STP-H5-ICE photos
TangoLab-4
Touching Surfaces
Systems:
RS EVA 51
Cargo Dragon Cargo Transfer
Polar Dragon Install
RFID Food Audit
Thursday, January 20 (GMT 20)
Payloads:
Advanced Nanostep
Cold Stowage packing
DREAMS
Food Physiology
Micro Monitor
MT-PCG prep for return
PAUL2 remove
POLAR/MERLIN transfers
Repository
Rodent Research-18
Rhodium Cryptobiology
SQuARE
Systems:
Cargo Dragon Hatch Seal Inspection
Cargo Dragon Cargo Transfer
RS EVA tool Transfer
Friday, January 21 (GMT 21)
Payloads:
AstroPi
Cold Stowage packing for return
Food Physiology
Host Pathogen
Repository
Rodent Research-18
SQuARE
Standard Measures
Systems:
SpX-24 Undock
Cold Stowage Double Coldbag Packing
RS EVA tool Stow
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire
LSG Work Volume Deploy
SQuARES Big Picture Words Review
Polar Dragon Uninstall, Transfer, and Install Overview
Dreams Dry-EEG Headband charge
Review updated EVA-51 timeline
Turbine-Superalloy Casting Module (T-SCM) Deactivate
EXPRESS RackxB Payload MTL Flow Rate Adjust
SQuARES Fixed Daily Imagery
EPM USB Stick into EICL USB Port
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in Columbus
Transfer Crew Dragon Cargo Operations
Cargo Dragon Middle Center Bag Pack
