NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 April, 2020 – Spacesuits and Cardiac Research Today
The three-member Expedition 63 crew aboard the International Space Station focused its attention on spacesuits and cardiac research today.
The orbital residents also serviced science hardware and life support gear.
Commander Chris Cassidy worked on a pair of U.S. spacesuits in the Quest airlock today cleaning cooling loops, replacing components and checking for leaks. NASA is planning a series of spacewalks later this year to upgrade power and science systems on the orbiting lab.
Cassidy, who last served in 2013 as an Expedition 36 flight engineer, also cleaned the Veggie PONDS botany research hardware after growing lettuce and mizuna greens in the Columbus lab module. Next, he swapped batteries in the Astrobee robotic assistant then set up audio software for a hearing assessment.
Roscosmos Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner worked in the morning on a long-running study to understand how the human heart adapts to microgravity. The duo then split up for Earth observation studies and life support maintenance.
On-Orbit Status Report
Astrobee: The crew performed the activities needed to charge 8 of the Astrobee batteries. A new buzz comes to the International Space Station (ISS): Astrobee. Three free-flying, cube-shaped robots. The robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station. The autonomous robots, powered by fans and vision-based navigation, perform crew monitoring, sampling, logistics management, and accommodate up to three investigations.
Veggie PONDS (Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System): The crew cleaned the Veggie facility. Organisms grow differently in space, from single-celled bacteria to plants and humans. Future long-duration space missions will require crew members to grow their own food. Therefore, understanding how plants respond to microgravity and demonstrating the reliable vegetable production on orbit are important steps toward that goal. Veggie PONDS uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the ISS to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens which are to be harvested on-orbit, and consumed, with samples returned to Earth for analysis.
RED-EYE: The crew temp stowed the RED-EYE hardware from the JEM in order to allow clear paths during the Astrobee mapping activity. The RED-EYE program develops and demonstrates technologies which increase the utility of low-cost microsatellites.
Systems
Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) 3006/3008 Loop Scrub, and Iodination: The crew performed EMU water loop scrubs and then acquired and tested water samples for conductivity on units 3006 and 3008. An additional unmanned leak check was performed on EMU 3008 for data collection purposes. EMU Loop Scrubs are required preventive maintenance needed to remove any chemical and biological contaminants from the EMU transport loop.
Acoustic Monitor Noise Survey: The crew used an acoustic monitor to measure the acoustic environment in the habitable areas of the ISS by taking sound level readings. Measurements were taken in Node 3, MRM2 and Service Module. This is a regularly scheduled activity to maintain acceptable noise levels which contributes to overall crew health.
On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (O-OHA): Today the crew performed an auditory test as a baseline for future exams conducted periodically during their stay on the ISS. The assessment measures hearing function while crewmembers are exposed to noise and microgravity during long-duration spaceflight. The exam is performed in conjunction with the crew-worn acoustic monitor surveys performed yesterday.
Completed Task List Activities:
Polar 1, 2 & 3 Tray Insertion
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
LSR Software update support cmding
EMU loop scrub support
Vacuum System (VS) cmding for CIR operations
Look Ahead Plan
Thursday, 4/30 (GMT 121)
Payloads:
Astrobee Localization and Mobility ops (NASA)
CBEF 2nd cleaning post MHU-5 (JAXA)
Space Fiber Stow (NASA)
Food Physiology (NASA)
VEGGIE PONDS Facility deact (NASA)
ISS HAM Pass (NASA)
Systems:
EHS TOCA WRS Water Sample Analysis
JEM CTB Relocate
Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer and Stow
Friday, 5/1 (GMT 122)
Payloads:
RADIN SBD deploy (CSA)
JSSOD-13 removal (JAXA)
CIR Manifold Bottle change (Joint)
RED-EYE restow (NASA)
Systems:
Cygnus Cargo Ops
Saturday, 5/2 (GMT 123)
Payloads:
No crew payload activities
Systems:
Cygnus Cargo Ops
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Regeneration of ??? ?1 Absorption Cartridge
Filling (separation) of ???-?? or ??? (???) for Elektron-VM
Acoustic Monitor Setup for Static Measurements
Setup and activation of crew onboard support kit (????) equipment for mpeg2 TV coverage Diagnostics of Power Supply System (???)
Diagnostics of SM Power Supply System (???) Filter Unit (??-1?) and Main Bus Assembly (???-1?)
MRM1 Fan Screen Cleaning (Group B)
BIOCARD. Experiment Session with Photography Assistance
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub Initiation with Hard Upper Torso Remove and Replace Checkout Objectives
Measuring glass deflection on SM window No.1
SM Rodnik H2O Tank 2 shell compression
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Calibration Check & Data Record
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination
Veggie Ponds Veggie Facility Clean
Astrobee Battery Exchange
On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (O-OHA) with EarQ Software Setup and Test
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration with Post-Hard Upper Torso Remove and Replace Checkout Objectives
UF-ATMOSFERA. Setup, Hardware Check and Payload activation
Red Eye Temp Stow
