NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 August 2018 – Exercise Research
Ongoing exercise research and gym maintenance took place aboard the International Space Station to ensure astronaut health and mission success.
The Expedition 56 crew members also worked on autonomous satellite operations and botany and astronomy gear.
European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst has been participating in an exercise study all week developed by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). He has been working out in a custom t-shirt with a specialized fabric for the SpaceTex-2 experiment that may improve an astronaut’s comfort and thermal relief while working out in space.
A treadmill is getting its twice-yearly checkup today in the Tranquility module. Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA spent Friday morning checking the treadmill’s belt tension, greasing axles and replacing parts. Engineers on the ground will review its condition before the crew gets back on the treadmill for daily runs.
Commander Drew Feustel set up a pair of tiny internal satellites today, known as SPHERES, and tested the autonomous operation of the free-floating devices. The SmoothNav experiment is researching using algorithms that spacecraft may use to operate and communicate with each other when conducting space-based tasks.
NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold worked on botany and astronomy gear inside the orbital lab. The former teacher reinstalled the Plant Habitat during the morning after some maintenance work on the Japan Kibo lab module’s EXPRESS rack.
In the afternoon, Arnold switched to the METEOR experiment installing new computer software and positioning a camera in the U.S. Destiny lab module’s Window Observational Research Facility. METEOR observes and takes spectral measurements of the chemical composition of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere.
On-Orbit Status Report
Treadmill 2 (T2) Maintenance: The crew performed both the 6-month and yearly T2 preventative inspections and maintenance actions. During these tasks, the crew inspected the treadbelt slats and screws, cleaned the treadmill drive shaft, greased forward and rear axles, vacuumed inside the rack and around the treadmill, and inspected the bungee shackle key mount witness marks. An unmanned activation and checkout was completed and ground specialists are reviewing the data to verify T2 remains GO for exercise.
Plant Habitat: Today the crew reinstalled the Plant Habitat facility in ER5. Plant Habitat was de-installed from the Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station Rack (ER) 5 yesterday to support the replacement of an ER5 subsystem valve that had been identified as the source of a Moderate Temperature Loopleak in the Japanese Experiment Module. Plant Habitat is a fully automated facility that will be used to conduct plant bioscience research on the ISS. It occupies the lower half of the EXPRESS Rack and two International Subrack Interface Standard (ISIS) drawers, providing a large, enclosed, environmentally controlled chamber.
Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) SmoothNav: A crewmember set up and performed a SPHERES SmoothNav test run today. SmoothNav uses an estimation algorithm that obtains the most probable estimate of the relative positions and velocities between multiple spacecraft using available sensor information. The algorithm is portable between different satellites with different onboard sensors, adapts to one or more satellites becoming inoperable, and is tolerant to delayed measurements or measurements received at different frequencies.
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) 13: The crew set up the PCG 13 investigation hardware and filled PCG card wells today. The CASIS PCG 13 investigation seeks to enhance the way crystals are grown in a microgravity environment. It allows crewmembers to observe imperfections within a crystal and make real-time adjustments for follow-up experiments with samples already on the ISS. The changes have the potential to dramatically reduce the time it takes to conduct an experiment onboard the ISS.
SpaceTex-2 and Metabolic Space: A crewmember donned Thermolab equipment, a heart rate monitor, and a SpaceTex shirt for ESA’s SpaceTex-2 investigation. He also donned Metabolic Space equipment and completed an exercise session using the Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS). SpaceTex fabrics provide a higher rate of sweat evaporation and a corresponding higher evaporative heat loss compared to conventional cotton fabrics used by astronauts on the ISS. Metabolic Space provides a technology demonstration for a measurement system worn by astronauts that supports cardio-pulmonary diagnosis during physical activities of astronauts living onboard the ISS, while maintaining unrestricted mobility.
Meteor: The crew re-imaged the Meteor system and installed a software image load today. The crew also checked camera settings and positioned the camera back at the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) window. The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument used to observe meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. The study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.
Intra-Module Ventilation (IMV) Supply Fan Assembly (ISFA) Remove and Replace (R&R): Late last year, the Columbus IFSA began showing anomalous input current spikes indicating a potential fan bearing failure or mechanical fan degradation. To safeguard the IMV system, the crew successfully R&Rd the IFSA this morning. Ground controllers re-powered the Columbus systems and payloads deactivated for the R&R.
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: This afternoon & evening, robotics controllers will use the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) to stow the Robotics Micro Conical Tool (RMCT) in the Tool Holster Assembly (THA). Once complete, they will translate the Mobile Transporter (MT) from Worksite (WS) 3 to WS 6 in preparation for Monday night’s extraction of the DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) payload from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock.
Completed Task List Activities:
Educational Imagery Recording
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Nitrogen Distribution System Leak Check
MSS Operations
Two-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 08/25:
Payloads
HAM Radio Pass
BCAT Camera Activation
SPHERES USB Stick Stow
Systems
Weekly Housekeeping, Crew Off Duty
Sunday, 08/26: Crew Off Duty
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
ISS Crew and ГОГУ (RSA Flight Control Team) Weekly Conference
Columbus Video Camera Assembly 1 Adjustment
IMS Tagup (S-band)
Multipurpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Video Compression And Recording Unit (MSPR VRU) Cable fit check2
IMV Supply Fan Assembly (ISFA) R&R
Cerebral Autoregulation Lithium Battery Check out.
Vozdukh Atmosphere Purification System [СОА] Leak Check.
Plant Habitat Reinstallation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Checkout of EVA Support Panel (ПОВ-2) in MRM2.
UDOD. Experiment Ops with DYKNANIYE-1 and SPRUT-2 Sets.
Metabolic Space equipment troubleshooting
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
СОЖ maintenance
Metabolic Space equipment connection and calibration
Treadmill 2 (T2) Yearly Maintenance
Thermolab instrumentation for Spacetex-2
Vozdukh Atmosphere Purification System [СОА] Leak Check Inspection.
Thermolab instrumentation for Spacetex-2
Progress 439 (DC1) Cargo Transfers and IMS Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Photography of ТП228 dummy temperature sensors on the external surface of MRM2
SPHERES Test Session Setup
Removal of Navigation Module from Progress 439 (DC1)
Preventive Maintenance of FS1 Laptop
iPad CrewNet Commissioning Test
BRI Monthly Maintenance BRI port cables reconnect: 6-15 and 6-16.
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey – Subject
SPHERES VERTIGO Test Session Run
Download Pille Dosimeter Readings
Columbus GFCI Cable Reset and Inverter Reconfiguration
Spacetex-2 Nominal Questionnaire filling
PCG-13 MWA Preparation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill [Aborted]
Retrieval of PCG13 Hardware into MELFI
PCG-13 Card Fill Operations
Metabolic Space data transfer and equipment stowage
Meteor On Board Training Review
Insertion of PCG13 Hardware into MELFI
Columbus Equipment power up
SPHERES USB Download
ISS HAM Radio Power Up
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE
URAGAN. Observation and Photography using VSS
