NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 13 October 2020 – Trio of New Crew Set for Launch

A trio of space travelers, including NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, is scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 1:45 a.m. EDT (10:45 a.m. Kazakhstan time) Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Beginning at 12:45 a.m., NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the crew’s launch. Teams at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan are making final preparations for the liftoff of Rubins and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.

The launch will send the crew members on a two-orbit, three-hour journey to the space station, where they will join Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, temporarily increasing the orbiting laboratory’s population to six people.

It will be the second spaceflight for Rubins and Ryzhikov and the first for Kud-Sverchkov. During their six-month mission, the Expedition 64 crew will conduct research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research and more. Work on the unique microgravity laboratory advances scientific knowledge and demonstrates new technologies, making research breakthroughs that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Below is the crew’s launch timeline in EDT:

Oct. 13 EDT L-Hr/M/Sec Event

15:00:04pm 10:45:00 Crew wakeup at Cosmonaut Hotel
18:45:04pm 7:00:00 Crew departs Cosmonaut Hotel
19:30:04pm 6:15:00 Crew arrives at Site 254
20:00:04pm 5:45:00 Batteries installed in booster
20:15:04pm 5:30:00 Crew suit up
20:45:04pm 5:00:00 Tanking begins
21:40:04pm 4:05:00 Booster loaded with liquid oxygen; crew meets with officials
21:59:04pm 3:46:00 Crew walkout from 254; boards bus for the launch pad
22:04:04pm 3:41:00 Crew departs for launch pad at Site 31
22:40:04pm 3:05:00 First and second stage oxygen fueling complete
23:14:04pm 2:31:00 Crew arrives at launch pad at site 31
23:20:04pm 2:25:00 Crew boards Soyuz; strapped in to the Descent module

Oct. 14 EDT

00:10:04am 1:35:00 Descent module hardware tested
00:25:04am 1:20:00 Hatch closed; leak checks begin
00:45:00am 1:00:04 NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE BEGINS
00:45:04am 1:00:00 Launch vehicle control system prep; gyro activation
01:00:04am :45:00 Pad service structure components lowered
01:01:04am :44:00 Clamshell gantry service towers retracted
01:05:04am :40:00 NASA TV: Crew pre-launch activities played (B-roll)
01:08:04am :37:00 Suit leak checks begin; descent module testing complete
01:11:04am :34:00 Emergency escape system armed
01:30:04am :15:00 Suit leak checks complete; escape system to auto
01:35:04am :10:00 Gyros in flight readiness and recorders activated
01:38:04am :07:00 Pre-launch operations complete
01:39:04am :06:00 Launch countdown operations to auto; vehicle ready
01:40:04am :05:00 Commander’s controls activated
01:41:04am :04:00 Combustion chamber nitrogen purge
01:42:04am :03:00 Propellant drainback
01:42:21am :02:43 Booster propellant tank pressurization
01:43:34am :01:30 Ground propellant feed terminated
01:44:04am :01:00 Vehicle to internal power
01:44:19am :00:45 ISS FLIES OVER THE BAIKONUR COSMODROME
01:44:29am :00:35 First umbilical tower separates
Auto sequence start
01:44:34am :00:30 Ground umbilical to third stage disconnected
01:44:49am :00:15 Second umbilical tower separates
01:44:52am :00:12 Launch command issued
Engine Start Sequence Begins
01:44:54am :00:10 Engine turbopumps at flight speed
01:44:59am :00:05 Engines at maximum thrust
01:45:04am :00:00 LAUNCH OF SOYUZ MS-17 TO THE ISS
01:53:50am +8:46 Third stage separation and orbital insertion for the
Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft

On-Orbit Status Report

Systems: Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) 3004/3006 Loop Scrub, and Iodination: The crew performed EMU water loop scrubs and then acquired and tested water samples for conductivity on units 3004 and 3006.

Additionally, the crew installed the Hard Upper Torso (HUT) ORU Scrubber to a spare HUT to scrub and iodinate the spare HUT water lines. EMU Loop Scrubs are required preventive maintenance needed to remove any chemical and biological contaminants from the EMU transport loop.

Completed Task List Activities:

62S Pre-Pack [Active]
Cygnus Cargo Ops [Active]
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Walkoff
UHF1 Activation
Ground Supt for EMU Loop Scrub
Look Ahead Plan

Wednesday, 10/14 (GMT 288)
Payloads:

FSL-SMD Remove & MultiScale Boiling Insert (ESA)
AWP Watch Don (NASA)
ISS HAM Pass (NASA)
Systems:

63S Dock
ISS Safety Briefing
Thursday, 10/15 (GMT 289)
Payloads:

Handhold Experiment Platform Adapter on MPEP Install (NASA)
STaARS-12 Kit-ambient stow, Exp Containers into Facility (NASA)
Rhodium Space Rhizosphere Chamber Photo (NASA)
Rhodium Space Rhizosphere Chamber to POLAR (NASA)
MSG PBRE-2 Cleanup (NASA)
Systems:

MPEP Installation
Handhold Exp Platform Adapter Install on MPEP
WHC Pre-Treat Tank R&R
Friday, 10/16 (GMT 290
Payloads:

VECTION Session (CSA)
DOSIS 3D PDP Swap (ESA)
MVP Module Photo/Install (NASA)
HRF Saliva Setup (NASA)
STaARS-12 Sample MELFI Insert (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Systems:

CQ Port Clean
EMER Roles/Resp Review
HMS IMAK Unpack
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

NEUROIMMUNITET. Experiment Ops
KORREKTSIYA. Blood Collection. Handover to USOS for MELFI Insertion
Insertion of Russian experiments blood samples into MELFI
Crew Choice Event
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Secondary Oxygen Package (SOP) Check-Out Fixture (SCOF) Positive Pressure Relief Valve Cycling
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub Initiation
??? (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). Checking ???-? No.07 thermostat temperature and unobstructed area near ???-? inlet/outlet vents
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Hard Upper Torso (HUT) Scrubber Install & Deconfiguration
LBNP Training (PRELIMINARY)
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Low Calibration
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination
Countermeasures Systems (CMS) Exercise Equipment Gather
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
EVA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration
Recharging Soyuz 745 Samsung tablet prior to training