NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 2 July 2019 – Earth Photography
The three Expedition 60 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station focused primarily on keeping the orbiting lab in tip-top shape today. At the end of the workday, the trio split up for some space gardening and Earth photography.
NASA Flight Engineers Christina Koch and Nick Hague teamed up on Tuesday replacing components in the station’s Water Recovery System (WRS). The time-consuming maintenance work requires the rotation of racks and a treadmill to access the WRS in the Tranquility module. The life support device processes water vapor and urine and converts it into drinkable water.
Hague wrapped up his workday servicing a science freezer before watering plants growing for a space botany study. Koch worked out on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device then called down to Mission Control for a conference with flight surgeons.
On the Russian side of the station, Commander Alexey Ovchinin explored advanced photography techniques before an afternoon of lab cleaning work. In the evening, the veteran cosmonaut photographed Earth targets documenting the effects of human and natural catastrophes.
The orbiting trio will take a day off on July 4 and relax aboard the station. Back on Earth, a new set of Expedition 60 crewmates will fly from Russia on the U.S. Independence Day to their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Astronauts Andrew Morgan and Luca Parmitano are in final preparations with cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov for a July 20 liftoff to their new home in space. Their launch comes 50 years to the day NASA landed humans on the Moon for the first time.
On-Orbit Status Report
GLACIER2: The crew performed a routine desiccant pack swap and verified a Quick Disconnect (QD) fitting on the Glacier2 water supply line was not leaking. GLACIER provides a double middeck-locker-size freezer/refrigerator for a variety of experiments that require temperatures ranging from +4 °C (39 °F) and -160 °C (-301 °F). The GLACIER is compatible with the EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack.
Veg-04A: The crew performed a routine plant check, watered the plants and weighed any broken leaves using the Mass Measurement Device. They also replaced the plant pillows showing no plant growth with blank plant pillows to deter microbial growth. A healthy, nutritious diet is essential for long-duration exploration missions, which means that the typical pre-packaged astronaut diet needs to be supplemented by fresh foods during flight; the Veggie Vegetable Production System (Veggie) has begun testing aboard the space station to help meet this need, and validation tests have demonstrated that leafy greens can be grown in spaceflight. The research of Veg-04A focuses on the impact of light quality and fertilizer on leafy crop growth for a 28-day grow-out, microbial food safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the crew, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space.
Water Processing Assembly (WPA) Catalytic Reactor Remove & Replace (R&R): As of this April, the WPA Catalytic Reactor has shown signs of a slow leak. Based on past experience, the reactor will only continue processing for a few months past initial sign of a leak. Due to possible thermal instability in the reactor preventing the WPA from processing, inability of the reactor to maintain pressure, and/or water in the reactor’s thermal cover causing condensation in the rack, today the crew R&Rd the Cat Reactor. During the R&R the T2 was unavailable for use but has been configured to nominal operations.
Remote Power Controller Module (RPCM) LAD62B_A Firmware Update: Ground teams updated the Firmware Boot Timer for RPCMLAD62B_A in preparation for RPCM removal and replacement tomorrow. RPCM LAD62B_A’s RPC 2 tripped on June 30, resulting in a loss of smoke detection in the Lab Deck 6 (LAD6) rack. Troubleshooting has not been successful in reclosing the RPC and teams have decided to proceed with RPCM replacement to recover power to the smoke detector. The removed RPCM will be stowed as a degraded spare that can be used in a location that does not use the failed RPC 2. The Firmware Boot Timer update will allow the spare RPCM to be installed via hot mate technique.
ISS Reboost: The ISS completed a reboost using the Service Module (SM) main engines. This reboost was to set up phasing for 4-orbit 59S launch on July 20 and 2-orbit 73P launch on July 31.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Cat Reactor R&R support
Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 7/3 (GMT 184)
Payloads:
FIR/LMM confocal camera replacement
ISS Experience
ISS HAM pass
MELFI Ice brick insertions
NRCSD-16 satellite deploy
PBR nutrient exchange/sample
Two-phase flow
Team Task Switching
Radi-N2 detector deploy
VEG-04 chk and MMD
Systems:
WRS hardware restow
WSS leak inspection
Thursday, 7/4 (GMT 185) – Off-duty day
Payloads:
VEG-04 check and MMD
Systems:
Crew holiday
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Catalytic Reactor Remove and Replace
SEPARATION. Moving ЭК11 valve to open position
Glacier 2 QD Inspection
[СТТС] Configuration for MRM1
Photo/TV Node 3 Camcorder Display Overlay
VIZIR. Experiment Ops using СКП-УП P/L. Tagup with specialists
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Catalytic Reactor ORU R&R
Comm reconfig for nominal ops
MRM1 fan (group B) screen cleaning, cleaning behind panels 405, 406
Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position
Weekly monitoring of video recording equipment performance on the ISS RS
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Catalytic Reactor ORU Prep for Stowage
Treatment of FGB structural elements and shell areas with Fungistat
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) WRS1 Rack Closeout
T2/WRS1 Nominal Config
Filling (separation) of ЕДВ [КОВ] for Elektron or ЕДВ-СВ
СОЖ maintenance
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Pivot Fitting Install
Checking cover closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14
Glacier Desiccant Swap
VEG04 Alternate Plan Check
