Space Stations

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 July, 2020 – Spacewalk Completed

By Marc Boucher
Status Report
July 2, 2020
Filed under , ,
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 July, 2020 – Spacewalk Completed
NASA astronaut and Expedition 63 Flight Engineer Bob Behnken (upper left) works during a six-hour and one-minute spacewalk to swap an aging nickel-hydrogen battery for a new lithium-ion battery on the International Space Station's Starboard-6 truss structure. Protruding horizontally from the truss are the Thermal Control System radiators that dispel heat generated by the orbiting lab's power systems. Credit: NASA. (July 1, 2020)
NASA

NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Robert Behnken concluded their spacewalk at 12:14 p.m. EDT.
During the six hour and one-minute spacewalk, the two NASA astronauts completed half the work to upgrade the batteries that provide power for one channel on one pair of the station’s solar arrays. The new batteries provide an improved and more efficient power capacity for operations.

They successfully moved and connected one new, powerful lithium-ion battery and its adapter place to complete the circuit to the new battery and relocated one aging nickel-hydrogen battery to an external platform for future disposal.

They also loosened the bolts on nickel-hydrogen batteries that will be replaced to complete the power capability upgrade on the far starboard truss and complete the station’s battery replacement work that began in January 2017 with the first series of power upgrade spacewalks. Behnken and Cassidy will complete the work during the final two spacewalks later this month.

Cassidy and Behnken also will route power and ethernet cables in preparation for the installation of a new external wireless communications system with an enhanced HD camera and to increase helmet camera coverage for future spacewalks. To support future power system upgrades, they also will remove a device called an “H-Fixture” that was installed before the solar arrays were launched to the space station.

This was the eighth spacewalk for both each astronaut. Cassidy now has spent a total of 43 hours and 22 minutes spacewalking. Behnken has now spent a total of 49 hours and 41 minutes spacewalking.

Space station crew members have conducted 229 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 60 days and 34 minutes working outside the station.

At 4 p.m. today, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will discuss her upcoming second mission to the International Space Station, along with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, during a news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston that will be broadcast live on NASA Television and on the agency’s website.

On-Orbit Status Report

Systems

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #66/S6 Battery EVA #2: Chris Cassidy (EV1) and Bob Behnken (EV2) performed a 6 hour 1 minute EVA that completed the following tasks in support of the S6 Channel 1B battery transition from nickel hydrogen (NiH2) to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries:

Li-ion Battery D from EP to S6 IEA Slot 6
NiH2 Battery 5 from S6 IEA to External Pallet (EP)
Adapter Plate D from EP to S6 IEA Slot 5
1B Worksite Cleanup and 3B Reconfigurations
S3 Power & Ethernet Cable Routing
The crew attempted to remove the H-Fixture from the S4 BGA 3A canister. They were able to successfully remove all 4 bolts but could not overcome the ball detents to remove the H-fixture. The task was aborted and the crew reinstalled 2 of the 4 bolts.

Completed Task List Activities:

Remove and Replace Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) ЕДВ-Y
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

USOS Ground Support for US EVA #66
Look Ahead Plan

Thursday, 7/2 (GMT 184)
Payloads:

Astrobee on
FIR/LMM/CDM change out
ELF software update
Food Physiology
MERLIN descant swap
RADI-N2 detector retrieval and processing
Systems:

HMS Ultrasound
Post-EVA PHS Exams
EMU Water Recharge
Friday, 7/3 (GMT 185)
Payloads:

No Payload activities
Systems:

Crew Off Duty
Saturday, 7/4 (GMT 186)
Payloads:

Astrobee off
Systems:

Crew Off Duty
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Communication Configuration
ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module & Columbus
EVA COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Verify off
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Preparation
Setup equipment (КСПЭ and Laptop RSS1) for TV coverage via Broadband Comm System (ШСС)
Test comm sessions via Luch-5В Relay Satellite (95°) and 2-way audio/video comm check with ШСС smart station [АРМ]
Laptop RSK1 battery checkout
Checking cover closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Purge
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Prebreathe
TV conference via Broadband Communication System (ШСС). Voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Comm session with the Central Election Commission
Regeneration of Micropurification unit (БМП) Ф2 cartridge (end)
BACKUP. TV conference via Broadband Communication System (ШСС). Voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Comm session with the Central Election Commission [ABORTED]
Crewlock Depress
Checkout of МР5-15Г microcompressors (fans) from spare Vozdukh ORU Test panel
Crewlock Post Depress
Crewlock Egress
SSRMS EVA Setup
Worksite Preparation
SSRMS EVA Support
Move Battery D to Slot 6
Move Battery 5 to EP D/AP D to Slot 5
Delta file prep
Turning off camcorder, TV system controls, closing applications
1B Cleanup / Reconfigure for 3B
Filling (degassing) ЕДВ [КОВ] for Elektron or ЕДВ-[СВ]
Monthly health check of RS video recording equipment
3A H-Fixture Release
Route S3 Power Cable
Vacuum cleaning of air ducts ВД1 and ВД2 in MRM2
Route S3 Ethernet Cable
Vacuum cleaning of air ducts ВД1 and ВД2 in DC1
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Stow Operation
EVA Crew Lock Ingress
PCS-DAS Teardown
Crewlock Pre Repress
Crewlock Repress
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Post-EVA Activities
EVA Glove Photo Setup, Photography, and Downlink
Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Disassembly
Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) GoPro Downlink
USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Communication Deconfiguration
URAGAN. Installation and activation of SOVA and VSS PL.

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