NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 November 2019 – Final Spacewalk Prep

The Expedition 61 astronauts are in final preparations before Friday’s spacewalk to continue repairing the International Space Station’s cosmic particle detector.
The orbital residents also had time today to set up research hardware for upcoming space biology activities.

Spacewalkers Andrew Morgan and Luca Parmitano will exit the Quest airlock on Friday after setting their U.S. spacesuits to battery power at 6:50 a.m. EST. The duo will translate to the far side of the station’s starboard truss structure to continue the intricate work to upgrade the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer’s (AMS) thermal control system. NASA TV begins its live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m.

Flight Engineers Jessica Meir and Christina Koch will assist the spacewalkers during the excursion from inside the station on Friday. Meir will be on robotics duty maneuvering the Canadarm2 robotic arm while Koch manages their spacesuits.

Even with spacewalk activities dominating the schedule aboard the orbiting lab, the station crew still had time to conduct advanced space research. Meir set up a 3-D bioprinter for a test run today before the device begins manufacturing complex organ-like tissues in space. Koch is readying a variety of life science gear for next week’s operations to study how microgravity affects systems at the cellular level for insights into Earth-bound ailments.

The cosmonauts in the Russian segment of the space station focused primarily on lab maintenance. Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka replaced batteries and dust filters. The duo then packed the Progress 72 (72P) resupply ship with trash and repressurized the station with oxygen from the 72P.

On-Orbit Status Report

AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) EVA Preparation: The crew continued preparation for the AMS repair EVAs completing a multitude of prep tasks including the crewlock prep work, tool configurations, suit review, procedure reviews and a crew conference. The multiple AMS-02 repair EVAs are being performed to recover a series of cooling pumps within the AMS-02 experiment. The first of the series of EVAs occurred last Friday. The second EVA is scheduled to occur this Friday, November 22nd. AMS-02 is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector that uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe’s origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

BFF (BioFabrication Facility) test print: The crew installed cleaning syringes and smart pump tips as needed. During the ground-commanded cleaning, the BFF team noted one of the four smart pumps (#3) appeared clogged and can’t be cleaned. This clogged smart pump will be considered unusable going forward, but we should be good to continue the BFF operations with 3 of the 4 smart pumps functional. The BFF is dedicated to manufacturing human organs and tissues in space, primarily for use by patients on Earth. Besides printing tissue, the BFF also can help maintain the health of deep space exploration crews by producing food and personalized pharmaceuticals on demand.

ISS HAM pass: The crew participated in an ISS HAM Istituto San Paolo delle Suore Angeliche, Milano, Italy and Istituto Comprensivo Di Merone – Mons. A. Pirovano, Merone, Italy. Some of the questions included what tools the crew uses most, if there’s a different perception of time for astronauts in space, and if the ISS is polluting outter space. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units.

JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS): The crew completed the set-up of the JEM WRS earlier this week. The ground team subsequently performed a successful leak check of the system, including the waste gas line in the JEM system, and on Wednesday, the ground team performed a checkout of the JEM RWS itself. Based on the results of these checkouts, the JAXA team is go to start the first run of the experiment early next week. The JWRS demonstration will generate potable water from urine. In the past on manned spacecraft, urine and waste water were collected and stored, or vented overboard. For long-term space missions, however, water supply could become a limiting factor. Demonstrating the function of this water recovery system on orbit contributes to updating the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) to support astronauts on the space station and future exploration missions.

NutrISS (Nutrition Monitoring for the International Space Station): Using the EveryWear application, the crew participated in an ESA Nutritional Assessment (ENA). Long-duration spaceflight induces relevant changes in body composition and a loss of body mass. In the NutrISS investigation, a periodic assessment of body composition (body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass) during spaceflight aboard the ISS is carried out using a dedicated bio-impedance analysis device to allow for the measurement of long-term energy balance modification over time. It is hypothesized that an adjusted diet maintaining a near-neutral energy balance, and/or increasing protein, intake can limit microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss.

Systems:

Inventory Management System (IMS) Stowage Conference: The ISS crew along with the ground stowage specialists completed an IMS Stowage Conference and discussed the current ISS stowage configurations and future plans.

Completed Task List Activities:
No Task List activities were completed.

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Payload Operations Support

Friday, 11/22 (GMT 326) AMS EVA #2

Payloads:
ISS Experience
NutrISS
Veg-04B plant check

Systems:
AMS EVA#2
EHS Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Stow

Saturday, 11/23 (GMT 327)

Payloads:
CBEF-L
ISS Experience stow
Veg-04B
TReK video shutdown and WORF laptop re-cable

Systems:
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Debrief
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Initiate

Sunday, 11/24 (GMT 328)

Payloads:
Veg-04B plant check

Systems:
EVA Metox Regen

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

Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos web site and social media
ECON-M. Observation and Photography
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Reminder for EVA In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Preparation
REMINDER NutrISS ESA Nutritional Assessment
Daily Planning Conference
ISS Crew and ???? (RSA Flight Control Team) weekly conference
IMS Conference (S-band)
Ring Sheared Drop Hardware Stow
Replacement of 800? battery unit No.8. Assistance. Install unit #2394821403, place removed unit # 2394921502 for disposal in Progress # 442, plane I.
Photo TV Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Turnaround
VEG-04B Plant Check/Watering for each Plant Pillow
Replacement of 800? battery unit No.8. Assistance. Place removed unit # 2394921502 for disposal in Progress # 442, plane I.
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Replacement of Filters in FGB Dust Collectors 1, 2 (panels 203, 403) (???1???_1_108, interior panel (00059781R), bag 432-26 (00069525R) or bag 436-25 (00071451R) or bag 441-14 (00076074R). Place removed filters for disposal. Update IMS
NutrISS – ESA Nutritional Assessment
Checking cover closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14. Note 6
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Air Conditioning System [???1] Inspection post activation and checkout (post R&R)
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Audit
RSD MELFI Sample Insertion
Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Setup
BioFabrication Facility Cleaning Syringe Install and Tip Replacement
Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation
Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation
PILLE ISS sensors gathering and setup prior to USOS EVA
Telemetry Cable and ??-7? No.5 Smoke Detector Test.
USOS EVA. EVA suit donning IV assistance review
Crew Discretionary Event
Microgravity Science Glovebox Power Down
On MCC GO Telemetry Cable and ??-7? No.5 Smoke Detector Test (mating Telemetry connector).
Telemetry Cable and ??-7? No.5 Smoke Detector Test.
On MCC GO ISS repress with O2 from Progress 442 (DC1) ???? Section 2, initiate
Rodent Research Dissection Review
Rodent Research 14 Dissection Conference
BioFabrication Facility Test Cassette Removal
Private Psychological Conference (PPC)
??? maintenance Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
Telescience Resource Kit Laptop Setup
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) iPad Contingency Procedures preparation
On MCC GO ISS repress with O2 from Progress 442 (DC1) ???? Section 2, terminate
AMS Procedure/video review
Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference
Intermodular TORU Test with Mated Progress 442 (DC1).
Glovebox Freezer Leak Check
ISS Experience Node 1 Setup
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Coliform Water Sample Analysis 44 +/- 4 hours post processing
Food Physiology Crew Diet Briefing
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Station Support Computer (SSC) Relocate
Rodent Research LSG Dissection Setup
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
VELO-1 Exercise
Progress 442 (DC1) Stowage and IMS Ops