NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status Report 21 January, 2022
The five astronauts representing the Expedition 66 crew had an off-duty day on Friday while the two cosmonauts continued their post-spacewalk activities.
A U.S. resupply ship is also on track to depart the International Space Station on Saturday.
Mission controllers have given the go for the Cargo Dragon, packed with science experiments and station hardware, to undock from the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 10:40 a.m. EST on Saturday. Dragon will then parachute to a splashdown off the coast of Florida early Monday morning for retrieval by SpaceX recovery personnel. NASA TV will cover only the undocking and departure activities live on the NASA app and the agency’s website beginning Saturday at 10:15 a.m.
The four U.S. astronauts and one European astronaut aboard the orbiting lab relaxed today ahead of final cargo packing operations inside the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle on Saturday. NASA astronaut Kayla Barron along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer will begin Saturday loading frozen research samples into Dragon. Following that, NASA Flight Engineers Thomas Marshburn and Raja Chari will ensure all the Dragon cargo has been secured for a safe return to Earth before finally closing the hatch.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei will uninstall protein crystal samples, grown on the station and studied for the Advanced Nano Step experiment, then stow them inside the Cargo Dragon. Scientists on the ground will analyze the samples to learn how to develop new materials and drugs in space and the impacts of weightlessness on biochemistry.
Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov serviced their Orlan spacesuits today following Wednesday’s seven-hour and 11-minute spacewalk. Vande Hei joined the pair for a couple of hours in the afternoon disconnecting and stowing spacesuit components. During the excursion, the Russian spacewalkers activated the new Prichal docking module successfully integrating it with the orbiting lab’s Russian segment.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads:
AstroPi: The crew adjusted the back focus of the AstroPi 5 mm camera lens and set the aperture to 8. This was performed for the AstroPi unit currently mounted in the Node 2 nadir window. The current Astro Pis are a very recent upgrade and replacement for the original Astro Pi hardware that flew to the ISS in 2015 for the mission of ESA astronaut Tim Peake. They are two Raspberry Pi 4B computers enclosed in a space-proof case with a range of new environmental sensors and a 12-megapixel camera for Earth Observation. Students in European schools who are participating in the European Astro Pi Challenge can control these computers using the python programming language.
Repository: Urine sample collection was performed in support of the Repository investigation. The samples will be preserved and returned to the ground for analysis. Repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes and adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions.
Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE): The crew took photos of the SQuARE experiment sites located in the Node 1 Galley, JEM, Columbus, Node 2, Node 3, and the 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”.
Systems:
Regenerative ECLSS Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: The recycle tank was set up to drain via the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Fill Drain Valve into a Brine EDV using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Following the setup, the ground performed the tank drain using the UTS. Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, repositioned the fill/drain valve to force fill the recycle tank using UTS, and configured for nominal processing operations. The crew also swapped the EDV in the offload EDV spot of the UTS.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Mobility Unit (EMU) Activities: The crewmembers performed EMU hardware activities following Wednesday’s RS EVA, beginning with reconfiguring the EMUs on the EMU Don/Doff Assemblies (EDDAs). The Helmet Lights were then separated from the EMU TV/HD EMU Camera Assembly (HECA) and each component was re-installed back onto the EMU Helmet. US tools and Lithium Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (LREBA) were restowed since they were used during the RS EVA.
Station Systems Computer (SSC)18 ZBook Shell Swap: The crew performed activities to replace the SSC18 Zbook shell with a stowed spare. They removed the SSC18 primary and Ultrabay High Definition Drive (HDD), and then installed that same hardware into the new Zbook shell and connected power, data, and peripherals.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Regenerative ECLSS Recycle Tank Drain Support
S-Band Index Change
Video System Port 1 Upper Outboard Luminaire Checkout
HRF Rack 1 Rack Power Up Commanding
Look Ahead Plan
Saturday, January 22 (GMT 22)
Payloads:
Advanced Nano Step
DCB pack
Food Physiology
Host Pathogen
Rodent Research-18
Standard Measures
SQuARE
Systems:
Docking Dragon Monitoring Tools Setup/Teardown
Cargo Dragon Station Support Computer Relocate
Sunday, January 23 (GMT 23)
Payloads:
EasyMotion
SQuARE
Systems:
Crew off-duty
Monday, January 24 (GMT 24)
Payloads:
Astrobee prep
AstroPi transfer
Biolab
NRCSD-22 deploy
Fluidics
HRF saliva setup
Plant Habitat-05
Veggie PONDS experiment setup/start
POSSUM photos
Rodent Research-18 stow
SQuARE
Systems:
EVA Airlock unstow
IFM WHC Full Fill
CMS ARED Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation with Slider Track Vacuum
X2R20 Software Transition Review
ACS NORS Nitrogen Transfer
EVA Battery Operations
Resupply Air Tank Setup and Initiation
EHS TOCA WRS Sample Analysis
PrK Strain Gauge Questions
Habitability Inflight Debrief Questions
JEM PS-120 Junction Box Ethernet Cable Connection
IWIS RSU Firmware Update
Trash CCU hardware
RFID Food Audit
Find Lost Item
RFID Logistics Antenna Move
Small Factor Port receptable replacement
Portable Computer System (PCS) Hard Drive Image/Verification
Resupply Air Tank Setup and Initiation/Press PPE Constraints
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval and Insertion Operations
HRF Generic Urine Collection and Stow
AstroPi Camera Lens adjustment
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill
SQuARES Fixed Daily Imagery
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
T2 Bungee Swap
ISS HAM Columbus Radio Photo
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
SSC (Station Systems Computer)18 ZBook Shell Swap
Rodent Research Access Unit Clean
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap
US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Helmet Light Installation
[deferred] Food Physiology Sample Collection
Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap
Food Physiology MELFI Sample Insertion 1
Food Physiology Sample Collection Hardware Stow
Swap SSC (Station Support Computer) 10 and 20 Swap
Water Refill Kit Review
Water Refill Kit Habitat H2O Fill
Russian Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tools Stow
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Lithium Rechargeable (EVA) Battery Assembly (LREBA) Restow
HRF Generic Saliva Collection
