XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report August 23, 2001
11 Crew Rotation Impacts/Assessments WAR
The ISSP has made the decision to support Increment 5 and Increment 6 crew rotation on STS-115/11A. In order to support this decision, a majority of 11A middeck stowed items were offloaded to STS-112/9A and subsequently 9A items offloaded to STS-111/UF2. This has created middeck stowage issues that required the EVA team to assess flying only two suits up and down on UF2, 9A, and 11A. In order to accommodate this it was determined that either UF2 or 9A would have to fly up an extra large planar HUT in the middeck which would be used in the 9A timeframe to maintain two fault tolerance. The EMU logistics team is evaluating this scenario and is building a schedule to make the UF2 middeck stowage date.
STS-109 HST Servicing Mission 3B NBL EVA Assessment Team (EVAAT) Evaluation
The EVAAT evaluated NBL training of the five STS-109 scheduled EVA’s. While the EVAAT report is not yet finalized, the result is that the EVA’s are doable as planned. The EVAAT members recommended some minor changes to increase the efficiency of the EVA’s, but the overall plan remains unchanged. Based on this series of NBL runs EVA 3 (power converter unit (PCU) and EVA 5 (Cooling System) are predicted to exceed the 6 hour 30 minute EVA planning guideline. Exceeding 6 hour 30 minute was not unexpected and the community has accepted that an exception to the planning guideline will be required to execute this flight.
Mission STS-105/7A.1 Successfully Completed Two EVA’s
EVA 1, with a duration of 6 hours 10 minutes, successfully installed the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) on ISS element P6 and also installed the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) on the ISS Airlock. EVA 2, with a duration of five hours and 24 minutes, installed two launch to activation (LTA) cables on the U.S. Lab element, which will be required for ISS assembly mission STS-110/8A. In-flight anomalies (IFA’s) for EVA during this mission included a torn EVA Cuff Checklist, and a retractable equipment tether not retracting, O-rings becoming loose on ISS connectors, and the inadvertent release of a Safety Tether Hook Lock Guard. The EVA Project Office will conduct a formal review of all IFA’s on Friday August 24, 2001.
STS-110/8A SAFER Reach
It was recently discovered that crewmember Jerry Ross could not reach the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) when wearing the Extra Large Planar HUT, his prime suit configuration for flight STS-110/8A. To allow him access to the SAFER, the EMU Program has decided to fit him with a Large Pivoted HUT, the suit configuration that he flew on flight STS-88/2A. As crewmember Ross’ SAFER reach was being investigated, it became apparent that several other crewmembers could not reach the SAFER, particularly in their backup suit configuration. An effort is currently underway to define the extent of the SAFER reach issue and to identify potential solutions. The issue will be discussed at the September 7, 2001 EVA Configuration Control Board.
S0/S1/P1 EVA On-Orbit Constraints Testing
S0/P1 EVA OOCT was completed at KSC on August 19, 2001. The cables and fluid jumpers mated successfully. Eight problem reports were generated – four for excess line length measurements, two for issues regarding the beta cloth wrap and ties, one for cap tethers on male QD caps which restrict cap removal and one for a potential harness-to-bracket chafing point. The operational sequence and stowage configurations were also evaluated. Tests were supported by the MOD EVA task group and performed by 9A and 11A EVA crews. The EVA Project Office will coordinate issue resolution. Similar testing is scheduled for August 22 and 23, 2001, for S0/S1 lines.
Original signed by:
G. Allen Flynt
Manager, EVA Project Office
