NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 September 2020 – Eye Checks

Eye checks took place aboard the International Space Station today to help flight surgeons understand how living in space affects vision.
The Expedition 63 crew also explored future space-piloting techniques and worked on atmospheric and power systems.

All three space lab residents participated in vision tests today measuring visual acuity, visual field and contrast sensitivity. Just like visiting an eye doctor on Earth, the crew members read an eye chart at various distances and different contrasts. Doctors are exploring why some astronauts have reported vision impacts following the completion of their months-long station missions.

Commander Chris Cassidy also spent Monday working on a variety of life support and science hardware. The veteran NASA astronaut first set up a small, portable device that is testing the continuous analysis of the station’s atmosphere for elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and water. The data is transmitted back to Earth every two seconds for review by ground specialists.

Cassidy then collected and stowed water samples from the plumbing system inside the Tranquility module for later analysis back on Earth. He finally relocated the TangoLab-2, a science facility that supports biology and chemistry studies in a more power efficient device with better cooling capabilities.

Future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond will require updated piloting skills necessary to operate spacecraft and robots in different gravity and planetary environments. Cosmonaut Ivan Vagner continued researching those skills aboard the station today to inform training techniques to successfully control a vehicle on a planetary surface.

Cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin spent his morning checking Russian battery temperatures and power connections with assistance from Vagner. The three-time station resident also synchronized cameras to station clocks and worked on computer hardware.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

SCRAM (Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor) relocate: The crew installed the MCA (Major Constituents Analyzer) plug, removed SCRAM from its Node 2 location, installed it into EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) rack 8, and removed the MCA plug. The MCA plug is used to protect the SCRAM’s sensor when the unit is powered off. SCRAM demonstrates the capabilities of a small, reliable, portable gas chromatograph mass spectrometer instrument aboard the ISS to conduct major and minor elements of air measurement (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water, etc). The instrument transmits data back to the ground research team every two seconds, providing a continuous analysis to the ground research team. It has a mass of less than 9.5 kg, and consumes less than 40 watts of power in its nominal configuration.

Systems

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exams: Today the crew completed the first day of routine eye exams using the SSC Client to test visual acuity, visual field and contrast sensitivity. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmember’s eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Sampling: The crew performed sampling of the potable bus from the PWD Aux Port in support of ground testing to re-validate the WPA product water for use with EMUs. The EVA community requested six liters of WPA product water be collected and returned on SpX-21 in order to perform a mini sublimator test following the recent WPA Multi-Filtration (MF) Bed R&R on-orbit. The ECLS and EVA teams opted to collect water in CWC-Is ahead of the mini sublimator test confirming the water is compatible with the EMUs. The sample activity provides an early opportunity to collect water and save crew time by pairing the fill with the sample collection. If the mini sublimator test results are not favorable, EMU water will be launched from the ground as needed and the filled CWC-Is will be used as general potable water.

Completed Task List Activities:

Node 1 Deck 2 Clear
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Quick Disconnect (QD) Corrective Maintenance
PMM ZSR Consolidate
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

MSS Mnvr for SSRMS Walkoff to Node 2 PDGF.
MT Translate from WS5 to WS3
RAUI 3 Troubleshooting (ongoing)
ATS PPL Update
Thruster Ops for MT Translate
LS FDIR Ops for thruster disable period
Look Ahead Plan

Tuesday, 9/22 (GMT 266)
Payloads:

CIR Manifold Bottle Exchange
MELFI Dewar Clean & Icebrick Insert
Radi-N2 Deploy
UWMS/Toilet Power Cable Install
Systems:

HMS WinSCAT
Toilet Power Cable Install
HMS Ultrasound
IFM-ULD-Setup
Wednesday, 9/23 (GMT 267)
Payloads:

Astrobee ON
EML Gas Valve Open
MELFI Icebrick Insert
Systems:

PWD Water Collect
EHS CFM Process
Cygnus Rndz OBT
Cygnus OBT Conf
HMS OCT Exams
Cygnus OBT Robotics Rvw
Thursday, 9/24 (GMT 268)
Payloads:

AWP Eval Setup
Food Physiology
MATISS 2.5 Remove
MELFI Icebrick Transfer
Robot Programming Challenge Rehearsal
SABL 3 CO2 Controller Install
VECTION Foam Replacement
Systems:

HMS OCT Exam – CMO
EHS TOCA Run
EHS WWB Changeout
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) High Pressure Nominal Configuration
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation
TBU (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). Monitoring TBU-V No.07 thermostat temperature and maintaining unobstructed area near TBU-V inlet/outlet vents
Wanted Poster for MSG Gooseneck
PN28-120 Power Converter inspection (behind SM Panel 231?)
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
[???] grid cleaning in Soyuz 745 (MRM2)
Air Heater Fan [???] Screen Cleaning in Progress 444 (DC1)
Preparation for Temperature Measurements of ????-1? Battery Module No.3 (?303) Case and Connectors
MELFI 1 Ice Brick Insert 2
Temperature Measurements of ????-1? Battery Module No.3 (?303) Case and Connectors
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor MCA Plug Installation/Removal for Scram Relocate
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor Removal from NODE 2
Monthly Central Control Panel Computer Maintenance. OCA Log File Downlink
??? sampling from ???-?2? down to ??? using ROS samplers – init
WRS Gather for Sample and Fills
Nikon camera sync with ISS time
Water Recovery System Potable Bus Sample
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Vision Test & Questionnaire
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
TangoLab-2 Hardware Relocate
FS1 maintenance
Monthly Maintenance of Smart Switch Router (???)
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor Installation into Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor Locker
Express Rack Locker Insert Removal
Transparent Alloys Facility Control Unit Stowage Bag Wanted Poster
Water Recovery System CWC-Iodine Fill Initialization/Termination
MELFI Dewar Inventory
URAGAN. SOVA hardware and photographic equipment installation and activation
Water Recovery System CWC-Iodine Swap
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor MCA Plug Remove
NORS O2 Supply
Station Support Computer (SSC) System Vent Cleaning