NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 July, 2020 – Suit Checks
The Expedition 63 crew checked out SpaceX Crew Dragon suits today and stayed busy with a full slate of space research.
The International Space Station also completed the first of three orbital reboosts to get ready for the next crew mission in October.
Flight Engineers Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken inspected the suits they will wear when they return to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon spaceship. The duo tried on their suits for a fit check and ensured the components are in good condition. They are scheduled to depart the station on Saturday and splashdown the following day. NASA TV will cover all the departure activities live.
The homebound-duo started the day replacing environmental control system (ECS) hardware aboard the orbiting lab. That work required temporarily removing a plant habitat from the Unity module to access the ECS.
Commander Chris Cassidy had his hands full as he worked on specialized hardware that enables research into disordered solids, or glass, and materials heated to extreme temperatures. He first set up a Light Microscopy Module that will look at the microscopic transition of glass-forming materials. Next, he worked on the Electromagnetic Levitator that observes the thermophysical properties of liquid metallic alloys.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner stayed busy today as they checked out Orlan spacesuits, serviced life support gear and analyzed station air samples for impurities.
The docked Progress 75 resupply ship fired its engines this morning for five-and-a-half minutes slightly lifting the station’s orbit. There will be two more station reboosts before the Soyuz MS-17 crew ship launches in October with NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. They will dock to the Rassvet module a few hours after launch to begin a six-month mission as the Expedition 64 crew.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads
Droplet Formation Study (DFS): The crew performed the setup and initiation of recording for additional runs of the DFS investigation, followed by data archival to Blue-ray disc. Droplet Formation Studies in Microgravity (Droplet Formation Study, or more simply DFS) evaluates water droplet formation and water flow of Delta Faucet’s H2Okinetic shower head technology. To conserve water, flow rates in shower devices have been reduced, but this lower flow rate also reduces the effectiveness of these devices and often causes consumers to take longer showers, undermining the goal of using less water. Gravity’s full effects on formation of water droplet size are unknown, and research in microgravity could help improve the technology, creating better performance and improved user experience while conserving water and energy.
ElectroMagnetic Levitator (EML): The crew performed steps needed to remove the EML sample chamber, high speed camera, and vacuum/vent hose. Following this, they took photos to document this configuration. The EML is a 360 kg multi-user facility designed for containerless materials processing in space. It supports research in the areas of meta-stable states and phases along with the measurement of highly accurate thermophysical properties of liquid metallic alloys at high temperatures. EML can accommodate up to 18 samples, each 5 to 8 mm in size. Heating rates of up to 100 Kelvin per second can be achieved with a maximum temperature of 2,100°C.
Fluids Integrated Rack/Light Microscopy Module (FIR/LMM)/Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-4 (ACE-T4): The crew removed the LMM optical target and other associated CDM (Capillary-Driven Microfluidics) hardware, and installed the hardware needed to support ACE-T4 module s/n 2016. Introducing disorder to a crystalline system in a controlled way can form glass. Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-4 (ACE-T-4) examines the transition of an ordered crystal to a disordered glass to determine how increasing disorder affects structural and dynamic properties. The investigation controls disorder by controlling temperature in a series of samples and observes the microscopic transition in three dimensions.
Plant Habitat-02: The crew removed the growth chamber from the Plant Hab facility, removed and replaced one of the ECS (Environmental Control System) units, then reassembled the Plant Hab facility and installed it back into its rack location. Plant Hab-02 will be used to support science samples arriving on NG-14. Assessment of Nutritional Value and Growth Parameters of Space-grown Plants (Plant Habitat-02) cultivates radishes as a model plant that is nutritious and edible, has a short cultivation time, and is genetically similar to Arabidopsis, a plant frequently studied in microgravity. Developing the capability for food production in space requires understanding cultivation conditions such as intensity and spectral composition of light and the effects of the culture medium or soil. This research could help optimize plant growth in the unique environment of space, as well as evaluation of nutrition and taste of the plants.
Systems
Dragon Return Preparations: In preparation for Dragon return, the crew performed a suit checkout, prepacked cargo and held a conference with the ground team. As part of the suit check, the crew donned their suits to confirm the suit fit and performed earpiece checks using Dragon audio. The crew continued to perform Dragon cargo ops throughout the day. Ground teams estimate approximately 4 hours remain to complete available cargo ops.
Progress 75P ISS Reboost: This morning at 8:57 AM CT, the ISS completed a 5 minute 36 second reboost using 75P thrusters. The purpose of the reboost was to start phasing for 62S landing and 63S launch in October and increased the ISS velocity by 0.65 meters per second (m/s).
Cabin Fan Assembly 1 (CFA1) Remove and Replace (R&R): CFA1 has operated continuously and exceeded its expected lifetime by nearly three times. The R&R of the fan requires equipment in the Columbus module to be removed to allow rack tilting and is subdivided into three consecutive days of tasks. Today the crew prepared the COL1D1 rack for tilting by deinstalling the EML Sample Chamber and EML High Speed Camera which were both temporarily stowed in COL1D3. Tomorrow the crew will tilt the rack to replace the cabin fan.
Completed Task List Activities:
CIR Restow
76P Unpack
WHC KTO Replace
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
N2 Cabin Temp Adjustments during COL CFA 1 R&R
Ground Support for Reboost
Ground Support for JEM RMS Ops
Airlock Shell Heater Test
Look Ahead Plan
Thursday, 7/30 (GMT 212)
Payloads:
Colloidal Clusters Experiment Stop
Droplet Formation Study
Food Physiology Brief
GLACIER/MELFI Transfers
ISS HAM Pass
POLAR Sample Transfers
Systems:
Cabin Fan Assembly 1 R&R
COL1D1 Rack Rotate
LIDAL Uninstall/Reinstall
CQ Deck and Overhead Cleaning
Friday, 7/31 (GMT 213)
Payloads:
BioMole Part 3
Droplet Formation Study
MELFI Icebrick Insert
Radi-N2 Deploy
Systems:
Dragon Prepack Transfer
OBT Dragon Depart Review
Saturday, 8/1 (GMT 214)
Payloads:
BioMole Stow
GLACIER Transfer
Systems:
Emergency Equipment Transfer
Dragon Cargo Ops
Dragon IDA Egress
Dragon Undock
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Coaguchek-M. Blood Clotting Evaluation, Data Downlink & Stow
Environmental Health System (EHS) Biomole Stop and Sample
ТБУ. Check ТБУ-В #07 Thermostat Temperature and Keep Out Zones in front of ТБУ-В Inlets and Outlets (Report to MCC)
BioMole MELFI Insert
Droplet Formation Study Test Operations
Cargo Transfer from DC1 Progress #444. IMS Update
Plant Habitat-02 Dual MWA Preparation
БПК Condensate Pumping Unit Functionality Test
iWatch Charge for Crew Dragon
Plant Habitat-02 Environment Control System Remove & Facility Reinstall
Verify SM Window Shutters #6, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 14 are Closed
Cleaning of [B3] Fan Screen in MRM2
Replacement of Patches on Orlan-MKS Nos. 4 and 5
MELFI 1,2, and 3 Ice Brick Insert 2
Vacuum Cleaning of Space Behind MRM1 Interior Panels 405 and 406
Clear Space to Get Access to Glovebox in MRM1
ACE-T4 Module Configuration
Air Samples Collection using CO and Ammonia Draeger Tubes in the SM
Air Samples Collection using [AK-1M] Sampler in the SM and FGB
Air Samples Collection using [АК-1М] Sampler in the SM for Freon
CFA1 R&R Big Picture Words reading
Life on ISS Photo and Video
Countermeasures System (CMS) Orthostatic Intolerance Garment (OIG) Don/Doff
Deinstallation of EML Sample Chamber
Transfer Crew Dragon Forward Prepack
Burn Droplet Formation Study images on Blue Ray Disc
Deinstallation of EML High Speed Camera
Demating EDR Vacuum and Vent Hose
iPad To CrewNet 1006
Crew Dragon Suit Checkout
Droplet Formation Study Water Cleanup & Jet Replacement
Astrobee Off [ABORTED]
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
URAGAN. SOVA Equipment and Photo Equipment Setup and Activation
SpaceX/Flight Director Demo-2 Conference
