NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 April, 2020 – Setting up a Small Satellite Deployer

Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA continued working on a variety of science hardware throughout the International Space Station today.
His two crewmates worked in the orbiting lab’s Russian segment on their complement of science and maintenance.

Cassidy started Tuesday in the Japanese Kibo laboratory module setting up a small satellite deployer. CubeSats are installed into the device, which is then loaded into Kibo’s airlock. Then the deployer is positioned in the vacuum of space to eject the tiny shoebox-sized satellites into Earth orbit.

In the afternoon, Cassidy moved over to the U.S. Destiny laboratory module and swapped computer parts inside the Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF). The FCF consists of two refrigerator-sized research racks enabling safe observations of the behavior of fluids and flames in microgravity. Scientists use the data to design advanced fuel transfer systems and increase fire safety.

Russian Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner logged their meals today to understand how spaceflight affects a crewmember’s nutrition and metabolism. The duo then worked throughout the day on life support maintenance while continuing to get used to life onboard the station.

Russia’s next cargo craft to resupply the station is completing final processing and assembly at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Progress 75 (75P) space freighter packed with several tons of food, fuel and supplies is due to launch on Friday at 9:51 p.m. EDT. The 75P will make a two-orbit, three-and-a-half hour trip and automatically dock to the aft port of the Zvezda service module.

On-Orbit Status Report

Fluids Integration Rack (FIR): The crew replaced both FCF Hard Drives in the FCF Image Processor in the FIR. This change out is in response to the hard drive failure that occurred on GMT 063 and will allow the continuation of ACE-T4 experiment operations. 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.

Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) #13: The crew performed Part 1 of the J-SSOD #13 installation procedures. This involved installing the J-SSOD deployer hardware onto the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP). The JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) provides a novel, safe, and small satellite launching capability to the International Space Station (ISS). The J-SSOD is a unique satellite launcher, handled by the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), which provides containment and deployment mechanisms for several individual small satellites. Once J-SSOD, including satellite install cases with small satellites, is installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) by crew members, it is passed through the JEM airlock for retrieval, positioning, and deployment by the JEMRMS.

Systems

Emergency Roles and Responsibilities Review: All three crew participated in the review of the EMER-2 Emergency general instructions and discussed overall emergency responses. The crew reviewed procedures for an initial response to a depress event, to pinpoint a leak on the vehicle and how to isolate in the event of a known leak in the Russian segment.

Exercise Video Sessions: Today the crew setup up video cameras to record and downlink their exercise sessions on the Treadmill 2 (T2) and Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). These video sessions allow the ground to perform biomechanical evaluations of the on-orbit crewmembers and obtain a hardware status.

Completed Task List Activities:
Gather Vestibule Outfitting Kit (VOK)

Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
INT MDM Transition
Daily File Downlinks
ECLSS Pre/Post configuration commanding for INT-2 Transition
INT MDM Swap Rack Power Switch Reconfiguration

Look Ahead Plan
Wednesday, 4/22 (GMT 113)
Payloads:
Russian blood samples into MELFI (ESA)
SSOD-13- Flag photo (JAXA)
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer(SSOD-13) part 2&3 install (JAXA)
ELC4 Solid State Drive (SSD) removal (NASA)
VEGGIE PONDS Growout 1 &2 Harvest (NASA)

Systems:
Pack and Stow Cygnus Trash
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis

Thursday, 4/23 (GMT 114)
Payloads:
Food Physiology Brief (NASA)
CIR-FOMA-Calibration unit replace (NASA)
ACTIWATCH-swap and data downlink (NASA)
MSL GEDS SCA sample Cartridge swap (NASA)

Systems:
Periodic Health Status (PHS) Evaluation
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Brine Filter Gather

Friday, 4/24 (GMT 115)
Payloads:
CIR-FOMA-Calibration unit prep (NASA)
GEDI Photo (NASA)
JEM Airlock depress (NASA)

Systems:
MAX CEVIS Session
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Brine Filter Changeout
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain & Fill
HAM Radio Powerdown
USOS Shutter Close

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

KORREKTSIYA. Accelerometry
Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup
Voice check in S/G1 from Baikonur
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) VIDEO REVIEW
KORREKTSIYA. Log Entry of Liquids and Food (Medicine) Intake
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension/Retraction to JPM Side
MPEP and Passive Capture Mechanism Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table
Preventive Maintenance of FS1 Laptop
Routine Monthly Maintenance of BRI
ALGOMETRIYA. Experiment Session
Weekly check of video recording equipment performance on the ISS RS
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) onto Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) Installation Part 1
Photo/TV. Camcorder setup verification
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Food Acceptability Survey
WHC Hardware Gather for Transfer to RS
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC). Hardware transfer
Emergency Roles and Responsibilities Review
Filling (separation) of ???-?? or ??? (???) for Elektron-VM
Crew time for ISS orientation
FIR Image Processor Hard Drive Replace
Preventive Maintenance of SM Ventilation Subsystem. Group ?
Fluids Integrated Rack – Rack Doors Close/Open
CB/ISS CREW CONFERENCE
KORREKTSIYA. Experiment setup
Hardware pre-pack for disposal via Cygnus NG-13
Treadmill 2 (T2) Exercise Video Equipment Setup/Stow
Video Recording of Greetings