NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 31 January 2018 – SPHERES Back in Action

As the International Space Program gets ready for a pair of spacewalks in February, the Expedition 54 crew was busy setting up a pair of experimental internal satellites and conducting vision checks today.
NASA astronauts Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei brought out a pair of tiny satellites, also known as SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites), for a run of the SmoothNAV experiment today. The study is researching how algorithms and sensors may help determine relative positions and velocities between spacecraft.

Both astronauts also joined Flight Engineers Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai for eye exams during the afternoon. Tingle and Kanai first swapped roles as Crew Medical Officer checking each other’s eyes today using optical coherence tomography. Then Tingle joined Acaba and Vande Hei afterward for more eye checks using a fundoscope. Doctors on the ground remotely assisted the astronauts viewing their eyes in real time.

Cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Anton Shkaplerov donned their Orlan spacesuits today to ensure a good fit and check for pressure leaks ahead of a spacewalk scheduled to start Friday at 10:30 a.m. EST. They’ll work outside for about 6.5 hours of maintenance on the Russian side of the orbital laboratory.

The second spacewalk is set to take place Feb. 15 at 7:10 a.m. when Vande Hei and Kanai exit the station to continue robotics maintenance on the Canadarm2. They’ll stow a pair of latching end effectors, or robotic hands, which had been detached from the Canadarm2 on two previous spacewalks, the first on Oct. 5, 2017 and the second on Jan. 23.

On-Orbit Status Report

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) SmoothNav: The crew set up the SPHERES work area to activate and check out the hardware and EXPRESS laptop computer (ELC) before conducting the SmoothNav experiment run. SmoothNav develops an estimation algorithm aggregating relative state measurements between multiple, small, and potentially differently instrumented spacecraft. The algorithm obtains the most probable estimate of the relative positions and velocities between all spacecraft using all available sensor information, including past measurements. The algorithm remains portable between different satellite platforms with different onboard sensors, adaptable in the case that one or more satellites become inoperable, and tolerant to delayed measurements or measurements received at different frequencies.

Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Configuration Change: The crew changed the configuration of the CBEF and cleaned the inside of the incubator unit to prepare the facility for the Mouse Stress Defense investigation arriving on SpaceX-14. The CBEF is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sub-rack facility located in the Saibo (living cell) Experiment Rack. The CBEF is used in various life science experiments, such as cultivating cells and plants in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and consists of an incubator and control equipment for control and communications.

Tropical Cyclone: The crew configured the camera settings in the Cupola to take untended images of the Category 4 Typhoon Cebile in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Tropical Cyclone investigation captures images of tropical cyclones and hurricanes that are rated at Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A pseudo-stereoscopic method is used to determine the altitudes of the cloud tops near the center (eye) of a cyclone by precisely tracking the apparent positions of cloud features with respect to the Earth and how those positions change over time as an observer (the ISS in this case) passes over the storm. The photographic images will be used to demonstrate that pseudo-spectroscopy can be used to measure the cloud altitudes to sufficient precision so that, when combined with other remote-sensing data, an accurate determination of the intensity of hurricane or cyclone can be made.

Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Water Sampling: Today the crew sampled fluid from the ITCS for return and analysis on the ground. This is regularly scheduled preventive maintenance to verify health of the ITCS.

Eye exams: The crew completed routine OCT and Fundoscope eye exams today. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Tropical Cyclone Untended Operations
Tropical Cyclone Hardware Closeout
ISS CREW/SSIPC CONFERENCE
OCT Laptop Ethernet Cable Swap
Columbus ITCS water sample using Columbus Coolant Fluid Servicer for Return to Ground
Preparing comm assets for EVA Training
Air Duct Disassembly in DC1 before Training (without removal of ?3 fan)
Retrieve ECOM Adapter for RS EVA 44 use.
Orlan MKS No.4 Systems Checkout during pre-EVA Training
Environmental Health System (EHS) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect
JEM System Laptop Terminal Reboot
COL1D1 FWD cargo restore.
Orlan Interface Unit (???) Check in DC1.
SPHERES Crew Conference
Donning Gear
SPHERES Test Session Setup
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis
Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Configuration Change
Comm check and medical parameter check
Orlan Systems ? ??? Checkout during pre-EVA training
Entry into Orlan No.4, No.6, and sealing off backpacks
Suited Pre-EVA training – Assistance
Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing
Orlan Suit and Orlan Interface Unit (???) Controls Check
Orlan and ??? preliminary leak check
Orlan Fit Check at Suit Pressure = 0.4
JEM Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Sample Collection
Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Wipe Previous to Mouse breed
Suited Exercise Dry Run in Orlan-MKS No.4 and Orlan-MK No.6.
COL1O3 Hardware Relocate
Exit Orlan
COL1O4 HRF Hardware Relocate
Electrostatic Levitation Furnace(ELF) Fixation Fastener Repair
Reconfig comm assets after EVA Training
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Setup
SPHERES VERTIGO Test Session Run
Post-exercise cleanup, air duct assembly
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Exam
Installation of Orlan-MKS No.4 ORUs for before EVA
Installation of Orlan-MK No.6 ORUs before EVA
??-3? oxygen tank replacement
Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Stow
Installation of GoPro 360 camera No.1 on the H/R inside DC1
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain
Node 3 Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Sample Collection
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exam – Fundoscope
SPHERES USB Download
Post-Exercise Hygiene Procedure
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope Tear Down and Stow

Completed Task List Activities
Station Support Computer (SSC) 5 and 23 Swap

Ground Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Standard commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 02/01: EMU loop scrubs, CIR bottle R&R, eye exams
Friday, 02/02: JPM rack swap, Russian EVA
Saturday, 02/03: Housekeeping, crew off duty

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off