NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 May 2018 – Boosting the ISS to a Higher Orbit
The International Space Station will be orbiting a little higher this weekend to prepare for the departure of three Expedition 55 crew members and the arrival of a new Russian cargo craft.
The docked Russian Progress 69 resupply ship will fire its engines Saturday at 6:07 p.m. EDT for two minutes and 52 seconds slightly boosting the orbital lab’s altitude.
This orbital reboost sets up the proper phasing trajectory for the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft when it undocks June 3. The Soyuz will carry Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineers Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai back to Earth after six-and-a-half month mission in space. The reboost will also enable a two-orbit launch to docking opportunity for Russia’s next resupply ship the Progress 70 in July.
Overnight and early Friday morning robotics controllers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency supported the deployment of small satellites from outside the Kibo laboratory module. The Japanese robotic arm attached to Kibo ejected several small satellites to support a series of technology demonstrations.
Two spacewalkers and a pair of Flight Engineers continued more computer training and procedure reviews today ahead of next week’s spacewalk. NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel will go outside in their U.S. spacesuits Wednesday for about 6.5 hours to swap out thermal control gear that cools external station systems. Tingle and Kanai will assist the duo in and out of the Quest airlock and help choreograph the spacewalk tasks.
On-Orbit Status Report
Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Deployer 8 (J-SSOD#8): Last night and this morning, Robotics Controllers in Tsukuba, Japan maneuvered the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) to the Small Satellite Deploy Position and deployed the Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Demonstration (JSSOD)-8 satellites. The crew supported the activity as observes, taking photographs of the various small satellites as they were deployed from both JSSOD-8 launchers.
Space Headaches: Two 53S crewmembers completed a weekly questionnaire for the ESA Space Headaches investigation today. This investigation collects information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improve the well-being and performance of crewmembers in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crewmembers that can influence performance during a space mission.
Live Public Affairs (PAO) Event: This evening, Drew Feustel will receive an honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Purdue. Feustel, along with Purdue Alumnus Scott Tingle, will also participate in Purdue’s commencement ceremony, sharing words with the recent graduates.
Integrated Communications Unit (ICU) R4 Transition: This morning the crew installed a Gigabit Ethernet cable from ICU-1 to the JSL router and transferred the R4 software to the ICU-1 Kernal 1. Later this evening, ground teams will load new firmware/coefficient files and begin a transition from Antenna Group (AG)-2, and ICU-2, to AG-1 and ICU-1. This is the desired configuration for the SGTRC (Space to Ground Transmitter Receiver Controller) R&R scheduled during next week’s US EVA. The intent of ICU R4 is to increase the return link bandwidth from 300 Mbps to 600 Mbps.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: In preparation for next week’s US EVA 50 Pump and Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS) Relocate, the crew utilized Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software to review crew translation paths and Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) movement during the EVA. Once complete with this simulation, the crew continued reviewing the EVA Systems Briefing Package before conducting a second EVA Procedures Conference with ground specialists. A checkout of the Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA), used to power the glove heaters on the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), concluded the list of today’s EVA prep activities.
Eye Exams: Today the entire US crew continued with a second day of routine eye exams using both Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Ultrasound hardware. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Last night, the Robotics Ground Control team powered up the MSS and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to stow the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), with the “Leaky” Pump/Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS), on the LAB Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF). The SSRMS then released the SPDM and maneuvered to the start position in support for the EVA scheduled next week. MSS performance was nominal.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
HV1-Server Shell Swap
ISS Crew and ???? (RSA Flight Control Team) weekly conference
Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On
JEM System Laptop Terminal Activation and Photo taking
FAZOPEREKHOD. Preparation steps and starting the experiment.
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan Prep
iPad Air 2 Update Prep
Inventory Management System (IMS) conference
KU-Comm Unit R4 Cable Mate
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Setup
Kazbek fit check (Soyuz 737)
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Training Session Using ???-01-? Set
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan
Preparation and Configuration Setup for Remote RS Laptop on USOS.
Testing RS Remote Laptop with ???1 and ???2.
JEMRMS Small Satellite Deployment Observation Tear Down of Remote RS Laptop Setup.
MRM1 Fan Screen Cleaning (Group B)
FAZOPEREKHOD. Preparation steps and starting the experiment.
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Exam
??? maintenance
SEPARATION. Additional flushing of [???-?-??] urine circulation loop.
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Stow
Veggie Ponds Plant Photo
Water Recovery and Management Condensate Pumping Init
Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Installation
MATRYOSHKA-R. Monitoring Tritel Readings and Data Downlink
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedures Print
Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Powered Hardware Checkout
Water Recovery and Management Condensate Pumping Term
Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review
Audit of Personal Hygiene Articles
FAZOPEREKHOD. Closeout Ops.
Dust collectors ?C1, ??2 filter cleaning by vacuum cleaner in FGB
Cleaning vent screens on FGB interior panels 116, 316, 231, 431
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Training Session Using ???-01-? Set
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope Setup
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exam – Fundoscope
Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope Tear Down and Stow
IMS Update
Space Headaches – Weekly Questionnaire
Completed Task List Activities
None
Ground Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
ICU R4 KCU1 Transition
JEMRMS JSSOD 8 deploy
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 05/012: Housekeeping, Crew Off-Duty
Sunday, 05/13: Crew Off-Duty
Monday, 05/14: EVA Preps (EMU Water recharge, battery ops, EVA Tool Config/Audit), Cygnus OBTs, CIR Maintenance, HRF inventory, CSA Blood, J-SSOD Remove, HXP Adaptor Install, Vascular Echo.
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Standby
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Manual
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Idle
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
