NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 July, 2021 – Port-relocation Activity Prep
As the week kicked off, the Expedition 65 crew members spent much of their Monday fine-tuning procedures in anticipation of Wednesday’s port-relocation activity, which will free up the Harmony’s forward port for the docking of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.
That vehicle is scheduled for launch Friday, July 30, as part of NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.
Science also continued aboard the orbiting laboratory, with NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei conducting experiment runs throughout the day for Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Ellipsoids, or InSPACE-4. This investigation studies the assembly of tiny structures from colloids using magnetic fields. Off the Earth and without the constraints of gravity, scientists are able to observe the assembly processes free from confining sample walls and sedimentation and to timescales not possible during simulation.
Vande Hei teamed up with fellow crewmate Shane Kimbrough to perform needed maintenance to the station’s toilet system, removing and replacing a hose for the assembly and completing a motor test and leak check. Station Commander?Akihiko?Hoshide, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut, along with NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, helped keep station experiments running optimally by removing two deployers from the Japanese Experiment Module Small Satellite Orbital Deployer and a hard drive from the Fluids and Combustion Facility, respectively.
Cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy, meanwhile, worked to transfer equipment for disposal to the Progress 77 cargo craft, which is set to undock — along with the Pirs Docking Compartment — from the International Space Station on Friday, July 23. A few hours later, Progress’ engines will fire in a deorbit maneuver to send the cargo craft and Pirs into a destructive re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
Replacing Pirs, a module that has been part of the orbital outpost for the past 20 years, is the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) named Nauka, the Russian word for “science.” The MLM is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, July 21, on a three-stage Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Most pressing for the team in space was a comprehensive onboard training session and simulation for the upcoming Crew Dragon port relocation, which will set the stage for a historic first — when two different U.S. commercial spacecraft built for crew will be docked to the outpost at the same time.
See all these mission events on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Live coverage of the port relocation begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 21, with launch coverage of the MLM at 10:30 a.m. that same day. On Friday, July 23, coverage for the undocking of Progress 77 and Pirs beginning at 8:45 a.m. EDT Friday, July 23.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads
Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) – Fluids and Combustion Facility: The crew exchanged the manifold #4 bottle with a bottle containing 100% C2H6. The CIR includes an optics bench, combustion chamber, fuel, and oxidizer control, and five different cameras for performing combustion investigations in microgravity.
ESA-Education Payload Operations (EPO) Mission X Video: The crew recorded a video that supports an updated physical education activity in the Mission X: Train like an astronaut programme. The activities related to ESA-EPO 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.
Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) – Toilet: The crew removed and replaced the Toilet separator pretreated urine hose and performed a system leak check. The Toilet System is an Exploration Technology Demonstration that has evolved into a permanent United States On-orbit Segment (USOS) system. The Toilet has the same basic design as the Orion Universal Waste Management System (UWMS). The Toilet System will be the primary WMS for USOS for up to 90 crew days and interfaces with the Urine Transfer System (UTS) to allow concurrent Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC)/Toilet operations.
Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR): The crew replaced a Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) hard drive in the FIR Avionics Package. The FIR is a complementary fluid physics research facility designed to host investigations in areas such as colloids, gels, bubbles, wetting and capillary action, and phase changes, including boiling and condensation.
Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Ellipsoids (InSPACE-4): The crew distributed particles within the sample vial and initiated experiment runs. InSPACE-4 studies the assembly of tiny structures from colloids using magnetic fields. These structures change the properties of the assembled material, such as its mechanical response to or interaction with light and heat. Microgravity allows observation of these assembly processes free of confining sample walls and sedimentation and during timescales not possible using simulated microgravity. Results could provide insight into how to harness nanoparticles to fabricate and manufacture new materials.
JAXA EPO: The crew recorded an event to support the One Piece collaboration project to be used in a future Kibo Space Studio broadcast and made a backup recording for the Paralympic Torch Relay. JAXA EPO includes conducting cultural activities such as writing reports about and filming video of activities aboard the ISS. These tools can help inform the public about the importance of the ISS, JAXA’s Kibo module, and human spaceflight.
Space Studio Kibo: The crew pre-recorded an event to be used in The Space Frontier Studio Kibo which will aired on September 3rd, 2021. The Space Frontier Studio Kibo is a broadcasting studio that is constructed and operated in the JEM, also known as Kibo. The studio can livestream activities, interactive entertainment, and communication from space. The program can receive uplinked video and audio from a ground studio to Space Frontier Studio Kibo, and downlink video and audio from space to ground.
Systems
Crew Dragon Port Relocation Preparations: The crew completed several activities in preparation for the upcoming Endeavour Dragon port relocation. The crew completed in a Crew Dragon port relocation simulation On-Board Training (OBT) and then participated in a conference with key ground team members. Finally, the crew cleaned the Crew Dragon soft capture system and downlinked photos so that ground teams can confirm the system is in a nominal configuration. Endeavour is scheduled to relocate from the Node 2 Forward International Docking Adapter (IDA) to the Node 2 Zenith IDA on Wednesday, July 21st. This relocation will clear the Node 2 Forward IDA for OFT-2 docking planned for Saturday, July 31st.
Hatch Seal Inspections: As part of routine maintenance, the crew cleaned and inspected a subset of the USOS common hatches for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) or damage. Today’s inspections were performed for the JPM Zenith, JLP, Node 3 Starboard/Nadir/Forward, PMM, Airlock (IV and Port) hatches.
Portable Workstation 1 (PWS1) Troubleshooting: The crew performed troubleshooting of the failed PWS1. To recover the hardware, the crew reinstalled the PWS software and reactivated PWS1. The primary function of the PWS is to support the execution of scripts required to maintain the Mass Memory Unit (MMU) MK II functionality, e.g. double Error Detection and Correction (EDAC) counter reset.
Crew Communication Headset Assembly (CCHA) Troubleshooting: The crew performed troubleshooting on the CCHA which had failed Voice-Activated Communication (VOX) when it was connected to the Node 2 Audio Terminal Unit 1 (ATU-1) earlier this year. Upon activation of the CCHA today, the crew confirmed that the hardware was performing nominally and was unable to determine which component caused the anomaly. The CCHA is the interface between the crew member and the ISS internal audio system and provides the crew with the capability to transmit and receive voice.
Completed Task List Activities:
ESA PAO for the Olympics
ESA PAO Audio Tour
ESA PAO Judo
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Toilet EPS Safing
UTS Configuration Commanding
S-Band String 2 Hot-Backup Activation
Look Ahead Plan
Tuesday, July 20 (GMT 201)
Payloads:
GRIP Seated Runs (ESA)
ULTRA Tweezers Experiments 1-3 (ESA)
Toilet Operations (NASA)
InSPACE-4 Runs 31-33 (NASA)
CS-04 Bioreactor Removals (NASA)
SAMS R1,2 Screen Cleaning (NASA)
HRF2 Centrifuge Rear Latch Removal (NASA)
Systems:
Crew Dragon Relocation Preparations
WRS Potable Bus Sample
Fundoscope ACO Exam
FGB USOS Audit
Wednesday, July 21 (GMT 202)
Payloads:
ISS HAM Pass (NASA)
Systems:
Endeavour Port Relocation
Crew Dragon Emergency Air Supply Installation
Thursday, July 22 (GMT 203)
Payloads:
GRIP Seated (ESA)
AstroPi Reboot (ESA)
KERMIT Hardware Checks (NASA)
SAMS Sensor Relocate (NASA)
Toilet Stall Deploy (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
InSPACE-4 Runs 34-36 (NASA)
BCM Robot Test (NASA)
ManD Print Removal (NASA)
HRF2 Centrifuge Spin Checkout (NASA)
ISS HAM Pass (NASA)
Systems:
RGN Recycle Tank Drain
ARFTA Brine Filter R&R
Resupply Air Tank Teardown
PMA CP Swap
Node 1 Ring Terminal Gather
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Evaluation
Columbus Bay 1, 2, 3 clean-up
Toilet Operations Big Picture Words Review
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) Multi (2 Deployers) Removal from Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP)
ZBOOK Hard Disk Drive Update
EPO Mission X message recording
Waste Management System Cue Card Print
MPEP Passive Capture Mechanism and MPEP Adapter Plate Removal from JEM AL Slide Table
Toilet Separator Pretreated Urine Hose Remove and Replacement
MPEP Removal JEM Airlock Slide Table Support
Payload Data Router sensors installation
Toilet Separator Pretreated Urine Hose Remove and Replacement Assistance
Columbus Video Camera Assembly 2 adjustment
PWS1 T61P Software Load Part 1 of 2
INSPACE-4 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 4) Experiment Run Ops
Combustion Integrated Rack Bottle Gather
JEM Airlock ST Retraction from JPM Side
Progress 77 USOS Cargo Trash Gather/Pre-gather
Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold #4 Bottle Replacement
JEM Temporary Stowage NASA Relocate
PWS1 T61P Software Load Part 2 of 2
Portable Workstation 1 Activation
Kibo Studio 1 Video Take
FIR CCU Hard Drive replace
JAXA Video Taking Part 6
Kibo Studio 1 Closeout
Hatch Seal Inspection
JEM Temporary Stowage NASA Return
LSG Work Volume Deploy
CCHA Troubleshooting
Progress 77 USOS Trash Handover
HMS Vision Test
SpaceX Crew Dragon Port Relocation Paper Sim
Crew conference prior to Dragon port relocation, after sim event
Crew Dragon Docking System Soft Capture Inspection
