NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 January, 2021 – Spacewalk Completed
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover concluded their spacewalk at 1:24 p.m. EST, after 6 hours and 56 minutes.
The two NASA astronauts completed a number of tasks designed to upgrade International Space Station systems.
The crew installed a Ka-band antenna, known as COL-Ka, on the outside of the ESA (European Space Agency) Columbus module, which will enable an independent, high-bandwidth communication link to European ground stations. Bartolomeo is partially operational and in a safe configuration following the connection of four of six cables to the science platform, and the final two cables that could not be connected will be attended to on a future spacewalk.
During the spacewalk, Hopkins and Glover also removed a pair of grapple fixture brackets on the far port (left) truss in preparation for future power system upgrades. Glover also worked to replace a suspected broken pin inside the station’s airlock as a “get ahead” task, but teams determined that a replacement pin was not needed after an inspection confirmed the current pin to be functioning properly.
Space station crew members have conducted 233 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 61 days, 1 hours, and 47 minutes working outside the station.
Hopkins has now completed his third spacewalk for total of 19 hours and 54 minutes outside the space station. This was the first spacewalk for Glover with a total of 6 hours and 56 minutes.
On Feb. 1, Hopkins and Glover will conduct another spacewalk to address a variety of tasks, including installation of a final lithium-ion battery adapter plate on the port 4 (P4) truss that will wrap up battery replacement work begun in January 2017. Hopkins and Glover will remove another grapple fixture bracket on the same truss segment, replace an external camera on the starboard truss, install a new high-definition camera on the Destiny laboratory, and replace components for the Japanese robotic arm’s camera system outside the Kibo module.
On-Orbit Status Report
USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #69 Columbus Upgrades – Michael Hopkins (EV1) and Victor Glover (EV2) performed a 6 hour 56 minute EVA that completed the following tasks in support of upgrades to the Columbus Module:
COLKA Bolt installation and COLKA cable routing
Bartolomeo Papos cable routing
Bartolomeo Antenna cable routing
COLKA cover removal and cover jettison
P6 H-Fixture removal
The crew attempted to mate the four Bartolomeo Papos cables to the Columbus module but were unable to fully lock the connectors. The crew then mated and wire tied two of the four cables in place and placed protective caps on the other cables. The connection checkout was successful with the tie down configuration. Due to time constraints, the crew was unable to return to Columbus and will have to mate the remaining cables at a different date.
Payloads
BioNutrients: The crew retrieved the incubated production packs from SABL-1 and inserted them into cold stowage. BioNutrients demonstrates a technology that enables on-demand production of human nutrients during long-duration space missions. The process uses engineered microbes, like yeast, to generate carotenoids from an edible media to supplement potential vitamin losses from food that is stored for very long periods. Specially designed storage/growth packets are intermittently activated by astronauts over a five-year period, then frozen and returned to Earth for examination.
Capillary Structures: The crew assembled the Capillary Sorbent Contractor Demonstration Hardware on the Demo Back plate. Current life-support systems on the ISS require special equipment to separate liquids and gases, including rotating or moving devices that could cause contamination if they break or fail. The Capillary Structures for Exploration Life Support (Capillary Structures) investigation studies a new method using structures of specific shapes to manage fluid and gas mixtures. The investigation studies water recycling and carbon dioxide removal, benefiting future efforts to design lightweight, more reliable life support systems for future space missions.
Human Research Facility-2 (HRF-2): The crew took photos of the HRF GDS tanks stored in the FPS Gas Cylinders that support the Portable Pulmonary Function System. Human Research Facility-2 (HRF-2) provides an on-orbit laboratory that enables human life science researchers to study and evaluate the physiological, behavioral and chemical changes induced by spaceflight. Research performed using HRF-2 provides data to help scientists understand how the human body adapts to long-duration spaceflight.
Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG): The crew performed an audit of the MSG Cargo Transfer Bag (CTB) stowed items in order to take inventory and trash obsolete items. The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is a rack-level payload facility located in the U.S. Laboratory module on the International Space Station (ISS). MSG provides resources such as power, data, video, heat rejection, vacuum, nitrogen and containment for investigations. The facility is well suited for handling hazardous materials when crew are present. MSG is capable of accommodating both physical science and biological research payloads.
Systems
Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) 6-Month Maintenance: The crew completed this regularly scheduled maintenance to inspect heel raise pip pins, racking mechanism and arm base slider track.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Support EVA activities
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Powerup
Primary Power System (PPS) Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) Latch
Video Distribution Subsystem (VDS) Wireless Video System (WVS) External Transceiver Assembly (WETA) Scan
Crew Dragon System Checkout
Look Ahead Plan
Thursday, January 28 (GMT 028)
Payloads:
Capillary Structures Sorbent Contactor Demo ops (NASA)
COL HAM antenna demate/remate (NASA)
AWP Data downlink and charge (NASA)
Systems:
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Debrief for US EVA
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Initiate
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
Friday, January 29 (GMT 029)
Payloads:
AC Touch (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
VEG-03X plant chk/H2O (NASA)
Astrobee Crew conf (NASA)
RFID reconfig and install on Astrobee/chkout (NASA)
AstroRad Vest Exercise and survey (NASA)
Food Physiology Diet Brief (NASA)
HRF Centrifuge tube carrier replacement (NASA)
Systems:
On-board Training (OBT) EVA Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session
Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Powered Hardware Checkout
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference
Saturday, January 30 (GMT 030)
Systems:
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
EVA COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) Verify off
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Preparation
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Purge
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Prebreathe
Verifying CB-SCT Connectors in Safing Position during COLKa IVA
BioNutrients-1 Retrieval from SABL
BioNutrients-1 MELFI Insert
BioNutrients-1 Crew Survey
Crewlock Depress
Crewlock Egress
COLKa Worksite Setup
SSRMS Setup
Columbus Ka-Band Antenna (COLKa) Bolt Install
SSRMS EVA Support
Antimicrobial Coatings Touch
Bartolomeo Worksite Setup
Columbus Ka-Band Antenna (COLKa) Cable Routing
Bartolomeo PAPOS Cable Routing [PARTIALLY COMPLETED]
Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) 6-Month Maintenance
Bartolomeo Antenna Cable Routing
Columbus Payload Power Switching Box (PPSB) reconfiguration
Capillary Structures Hardware Assembly
Columbus Ka-Band Antenna (COLKa) Temporary MLI and Cover Removal
Columbus Cleanup
CP13 Lens Removal and SSRMS Cleanup
COLKA IVA Cabling Connection
IMS delta file prep
P6 H-Fixture Removal
Astrobee Battery Swap
Columbus Payload Power Switching Box (PPSB) clean-up
Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Cargo Transfer Bag (CTB) Audit
EVA Crew Lock Ingress
Crewlock Repress
Return to nominal comm configuration after USOS EVA
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Post-EVA Activities
EVA Glove Photo Downlink
