NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 August, 2020 – Working in the Kibo Laboratory

Advanced space science, cargo transfers and orbital maintenance kept the three Expedition 63 crew members occupied Thursday aboard the International Space Station.
Commander Chris Cassidy spent a good portion of his day working inside JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Kibo laboratory module. The experienced shuttle and station astronaut retrieved the Handhold Experiment Platform-2 (HXP-2), packed with several experiments, from inside Kibo’s airlock.

The HXP-2 was grappled by Japan’s robotic arm, removed from Kibo’s Exposed Facility and placed inside the airlock last week. The small research platform housed a variety of experiment samples exposed to the vacuum of space for observation.

Russia’s newest resupply ship, the Progress 76 (76P) which delivered nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies last month, continued to be offloaded today. Cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner unpacked electronics gear from the 76P and updated the space station’s inventory system.

Ivanishin then moved on to science exploring how bone marrow and enzymes adapt to weightlessness and studied Earth’s upper atmosphere. Vagner checked station smoke detectors and transferred waste fluids into the Progress 75 cargo craft.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

Handhold Experiment Platform (HXP2): The crew retrieved and packaged ten Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM2) samples for return to the ground. The ExHAM samples were recently brought inside ISS through the JEM airlock and were exposed the external ISS environment to test various technologies. Some the experiment samples include carbon composite, radiator material, and a dosimeter. Taking advantage of Kibo’s unique function of having both an airlock and a robotic arm on the ISS, the ExHAM facility enables space experiments to be performed in the exposed space environment, by attachment to the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo’s Exposed Facility (EF).

Systems

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) In Flight Maintenance (IFM): As part of regularly scheduled preventative maintenance, the crew performed a manual WHC flush tank fill. By using a post-flight analysis bag to capture any pressure relief, also known as the burp, they depressurized the flush water tank and water valve block to protect the dose pump. This pump is critical as it injects the pre-treat required to properly recycle waste urine.

Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Water Sampling: Today the crew obtained water samples from the OGS Recirculation Loop for return-to-ground analysis. The Water Recovery System (WRS) reclaims wastewater from both the crew’s urine and humidity condensate from USOS modules. This water, once processed, is used to feed the OGS system and needs to be maintained within certain parameters to ensure optimum system performance. The water samples taken from the OGS Recirculation Loop will be returned to the ground for microbial growth analysis and to ensure parameters are within limits on-orbit.

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record: Crew performed an analysis of the water processing assembly (WPA) using the TOCA. The TOCA unit oxidizes organic carbon species present in the water to carbon dioxide gas and measures the concentration using nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the potable water using the TOCA occurs on a weekly basis.

Completed Task List Activities:

Restow items at NODE2 Forward
Valve Box Remote Controller (VB-RC) Fastener Repair
IFM Node 3 Moisture Filter and IMV Screen R&R
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Ground Support for OGS Sampling
RAIU 3 Troubleshooting
RGA Data Staleness Event Characterization per Chit 18955
Look Ahead Plan

Friday, 8/7 (GMT 220)
Payloads:

Droplet Formation Study
GLACIER 4/5 Desiccant Swap
JEM PLT3/PLT4 Swap
MVP Locker Move
Radi-N2 Retrieve/Handover
SABL3 Relocate
Systems:

EHS CFM T+2
Saturday, 8/8 (GMT 221)
Payloads:

No Utilization Activities
Systems:

Crew Off Duty
Sunday, 8/9 (GMT 222)
Payloads:

No Utilization Activities
Systems:

Crew Off Duty
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

TBU Temperature Check
CONSTANTA-2. Cassette retrieval from ???-? No.7, panel setup, preparation and execution
JEM Airlock Pressurization and Leak Check
???? Comm Reconfiguration for MRM1
Cleaning ???-4 smoke sensor needle in MRM1 Fire Detection System
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
TERMINATOR. Terminator-Limb PL Installation
Handhold Exp Platform #2 (HXP2) Item Gathering
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension/Retraction
Handhold Exp Platform #2 (HXP2) Sample Detachment 4 & Stow
Transfer of cargo items and ???? cables from Progress 444 (DC1) and IMS ops. Handover of ???? cables
Preparing to install ???? cables for Payload Matching Unit (????) commanding via Payload Interface Monitoring Unit (?????)
Quick-disconnect screw clamps (???) maintenance in DC1
Vacuum Cleaning ??28-120 Voltage Converter for SM printer (behind panel 231?). Visual inspection of GFCI cable and extension cable
Handhold Exp Platform #2 (HXP2) Stow
Brine/urine transfer from ??? to Progress 448 (SM Aft) Rodnik H2O tank 1, flushing H2O Tank 1 connector ?1 and H2O Tank 2 connector ?2
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record
Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Water Sample
TERMINATOR. Deinstallation of Terminator-Limb PL
Restore nominal ??? to [???-?2?] connection
SREDA-ISS. Hardware setup and activation
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE