NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 February, 2021

NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover concluded their spacewalk at 1:16 p.m. EST, after 5 hours and 20 minutes.
In the second spacewalk of the year, the two NASA astronauts completed work to replace batteries that store power from the station’s solar arrays and upgrade several of the station’s external cameras. The duo finished their planned tasks ahead of schedule and also complete several get-ahead tasks in preparation for future spacewalks.

This spacewalk completes a four-year effort to upgrade the batteries of the International Space Station’s power system, replacing 48 aging nickel-hydrogen batteries with 24 new lithium-ion batteries and adapter plates. With the battery work complete, the focus turns to solar array augmentation.

Two additional spacewalks are planned for the near future. During the next spacewalk, Glover and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will work outside the station to prepare its power system for the installation of new solar arrays to increase the station’s existing power supply. For a following spacewalk, Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi will continue upgrading station components. NASA will air a briefing and preview of the next two spacewalks after the dates are set.

This was the fourth spacewalk in Hopkins’ career, and the second for Glover.

Hopkins has now spent a total of 25 hours and 14 minutes spacewalking. Glover now has spent a total of 12 hours and 16 minutes spacewalking.

Space station crew members have conducted 234 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 61 days, 7 hours, and 7 minutes working outside the station.

On-Orbit Status Report

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #70 – ISS Upgrades II: EV1 Michael Hopkins and EV2 Victor Glover performed a 5 hour 20 minute EVA and completed the following tasks in support of ISS upgrades:

P4 AP Relocate
P4 Li-ION & DCSU Bolts
P4 H-Fixture Removal
CP3 Camera Group R&R
JEMRMS WVE R&R
CP13 HD Camera Installation
The crew also completed five get ahead tasks:

Starboard Truss (S4) H-Fixture Removal
Worksite Interface Extender (WIFEX) & Articulating Portable Foot Restraint (APFR) Relocation
Airlock On-Orbit Installable WIF (OIWIF) Relocation
Airlock Thermal Cover Magnetic Plate R&R
Imagery of Mini Pump Module worksite area
Payloads

Antimicrobial Coatings (Boeing Environment Responding Antimicrobial Coatings): The crew touched coupons A-G (uncoated), then touched H-N (coated), then took photos of each of the coupons. The experiment was set up in early January and is planned to remain deployed for a period of 6 months. Boeing Environment Responding Antimicrobial Coatings tests an antimicrobial coating on several different materials that represent high-touch surfaces. Some microbes change characteristics in microgravity, which could create new risks to crew health and spacecraft systems as well as creating the possibility of contaminating other planetary bodies. The samples remain in space approximately six months then return to Earth for analysis.

ESA-EPO Videos: A crewmember recorded an EPO video message about the contribution of women in space. The video will feature Paxi, ESA’s mascot for young children. The activities related to European Space Agency-Education Payload Operations 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.

Veg-03: The crew performed a check and watering of the VEG-03J plants Organisms grow differently in space, from single-celled bacteria to plants and humans. But future long-duration space missions will require crew members to grow their own food, so understanding how plants respond to microgravity is an important step toward that goal. Veg-03 uses the Veggie plant growth facility to cultivate Extra Dwarf Pak Choi, Amara Mustard and Red Romaine Lettuce using Seed Film which are harvested on-orbit with samples returned to Earth for testing.

Systems

Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance: FE-13 inspected the X-rotation dashpots, cycled the main arm through full range of motion and greased the Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (VIS) rails and rollers. She also tightened and torqued set screws within the ARED cylinder flywheels and main arm fasteners. These tasks are scheduled every 90 days to maintain optimal functionality of the device.

Columbus European Payload Module (EPM) Seat Track Inspection: FE-13 measured and took photos of the EPM seat track. This activity was to check where the future payload, Payload Data Router (PLDR) can be installed on the EPM.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: The MSS remained Operational overnight, thus, Robotics Ground Controllers only had to power up the MSS cameras in preparation for today’s EVA. The EV crew egressed the Airlock and went to the P4 worksite. When this first task was complete, EV2 set up the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) with the Articulated Portable Foot Restraint (APFR) and ingressed the APFR. The SSRMS was maneuvered successively to the CP3 and the CP13 worksites by IV Crew. After completing the CP3 and CP13 tasks, the SSRMS was maneuvered to the Crew egress position. EV2 egressed and then removed the APFR from the SSRMS. MSS operations were nominal.

Completed Task List Activities:

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

EVA support
Payloads ops support
MSS ops
Look Ahead Plan

Tuesday, February 2 (GMT 033)
Payloads:

CBEF Alt Reconfig part 5 (JAXA)
VEG-03J harvest and taste test (NASA)
APM relocate to Node 3 (NASA)
Astrobee Dock repair (NASA)
CIR/ACME hardware gather and MWA prep (NASA)
Systems:

Max CEVIS
EVA EMU water recharge
EVA debrief
Crew-1 free-flight depress response refresher OBT
Wednesday, February 3 (GMT 034)
Payloads:

CBEF ELT2 laptop setup (JAXA)
HRF VEG questionnaire (NASA)
ISS Experience ZCAM setup on MWA for download T/S (NASA)
ACME H/W replace and CIR hardware return (NASA)
Astrobee OBT review (NASA)
3DMM COL sample collect (NASA)
EML Gas Vlv (Joint)
Systems:

ETVCG teardown
EVA loop scrub
EVA HUT gather
Crew-1 emergency departure refresher OBT
Thursday, February 4 (GMT 035)
Payloads:

CBEF ALT LED check (JAXA)
SCEM (FLARE) Igniter R&R and Insert2 install (JAXA)
JAXA Mission Data Recorder Laptop config (JAXA)
CBEF-G Sample-tray insert (JAXA)
MVP desiccant replace (JAXA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
NanoRacks Platform-2 &3 relocate (NASA)
Capillary Structures SRB 4Cell ops (NASA)
HRF VEG POMS questionnaire (NASA)
AstroRad Don (NASA)
ISS Experience Stow (NASA)
Astrobee Crew conf and Perching Arm install (NASA)
Systems:

EVA Airlock reconfig
Crew-1 Deorbit entry and landing contingency refresher OBT
Max CEVIS
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

EVA COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Verify off
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Preparation
USOS EVA Comm Config Note 13
Assist with ISLE EVA PREP activities
Express Rack 1 Locker Removal.
Glacier Desiccant Swap
Glacier EXPRESS Rack Relocation
Closing of a window ? 6,8,9,12,13,14 SM
SM ventilation system cleaning (group ?)
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Purge
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Prebreathe
Record EPO Paxi script
Crewlock Depress
Delta file prep
Columbus EPM Seat Track measurement and photo-documentation
Crewlock Post Depress
Crewlock Egress
Plug-In Plan (PiP) AC Inverter Secure
VEG-03 Plant Check/Water
P4 Li-ION & DCSU BOLTS
P4 ADAPTER RLCT & CLNUP
P4/S4 H-FIXTURE
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Set Screw Tightening
SSRMS EVA Support
CP3 ETVCG R&R
SSRMS TRANSLATE
CP3 ETVCG R&R
T2 Bungee Swap
MERLIN 3 EXPRESS Rack Relocation
MERLIN1 EXPRESS Rack Installation
SSRMS TRANSLATE
CP13 HD Camera Install
JEMRMS WVE R&R
SSRMS CLEANUP
CP13 CLEANUP
Antimicrobial Coatings Placard Touch
GET-AHEADS
Crewlock Ingress
Exercise data D/L
EVA Glove Photo Setup
Crewlock Repress
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Crewlock Repress EVA PET end
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Post-EVA Activities
Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Disassembly
Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) GoPro Downlink
Return to nominal comm configuration after USOS EVA
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Post-EVA Glove Photos
EVA Glove Photo Downlink