NASA Space Station Status Report 17 March, 2022 – Three New Cosmonauts Expected Friday
A new trio awaits its launch to join the Expedition 66 crew on Friday while two astronauts are preparing for next week’s spacewalk.
Human research rounded out the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday.
Three cosmonauts are counting down to their lift off aboard the Soyuz MS-21 crew ship at 11:55 a.m. EDT on Friday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev will lead first-time space-flyers Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov on a three-hour and 10-minute ride to the Prichal module where they will dock beginning a six-and-a-half-month mission aboard the station. NASA TV, on the app and the website, will begin its live mission coverage of the crew launch and docking activities at 11:15 a.m. on Friday.
Meanwhile, a second spacewalk is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, for more upgrades at the orbiting lab. Flight Engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) will set their spacesuits to battery power at 8:50 a.m. signifying the start of their spacewalk. The duo will spend about six-and-a-half-hours installing new thermal system and electronics components. NASA TV will begin its live spacewalk coverage at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The spacewalking pair was joined Thursday afternoon by NASA Flight Engineers Kayla Barron and Tom Marshburn reviewing robotics procedures necessary to support the astronauts during next week’s external maintenance job. Chari and Maurer also spent Thursday organizing their spacewalking tools and resizing their U.S. spacesuits.
NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei worked inside the Kibo laboratory module setting up a small satellite deployer. In the afternoon, Vande Hei studied the effectiveness of detergents in microgravity then strapped sensors to himself to measure his performance during an exercise study.
Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov continued evaluating a specialized suit, the lower body negative pressure suit, for its ability to counteract the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Doctors are studying the suit’s ability to offset space-caused head and eye pressure by drawing fluids toward the legs and feet while expanding veins and tissues.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads:
Fiber-optic Active Dosimeter (Lumina): Nominally, data is periodically transferred between the Lumina device and the EveryWear App to input the experiment parameter settings; however, today the crew reported none of the expected files were available for transfer. The ground team is assessing the forward plan. Lumina is an active fiber dosimeter that monitors, in real-time, the received radiation dose by exploiting the capacity of optical fibers to darken when exposed to radiation. The dosimeter provides reliable dose measurements in complex environments such as the ones associated with electrons, protons, gamma-ray or X-ray photons or neutrons.
ISS Ham Pass: The crew participated in an ISS Ham pass with Kids Star Club Sayama, Sayama, Japan. Some of the questions asked by the students included: whether humans can really live in space, whether analog clocks can work in space, and whether there’s any space food that can only be eaten in space. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground Ham radio units.
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-21 (J-SSOD-21) Install: The crew completed the installation of the J-SSOD-21 hardware to the JEM airlock (JEMAL) slide table and a checkout was completed. J-SSOD-21 will later be passed through the JEMAL and its satellites will be deployed. The J-SSOD provides a novel, safe, and small satellite launching capability to the ISS. The J-SSOD is a unique satellite launcher, handled by the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), which provides containment and deployment mechanisms for several individual small satellites.
PG Telescience Investigation of Detergent Experiments (PG Tide): The PG Tide detergent samples were set up on the Maintenance Work Area (MWA) and photographed. PG Tide studies the effectiveness of stain removal ingredients in Tide To-Go Pens and Tide To-Go Wipes in microgravity. The investigation also examines any changes in physical appearance of detergent, and in stability and performance of enzymes in detergent formulations caused by exposure to microgravity. Results could support development of detergent systems for Artemis, Mars, and other future space missions where crews need the ability to launder clothing.
Touching Surfaces: The crew performed a periodic touching of the Touch Arrays, which are deployed in five different locations in the US segment of ISS. Previous space research conducted during short-term flight experiments and long-term environmental monitoring on board orbiting space stations (such as MIR or the ISS) suggests that the relationship between humans and microbes is altered in the crewed habitat in space. This interdisciplinary project Touching Surfaces aims to investigate novel, laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces onboard the ISS. The realistic testing of the tailor-made nanostructured antimicrobial surface in space allows for the determination of the most suitable design for antimicrobial surfaces for terrestrial applications such as public transportation and clinical settings, as well as future human space mission and habitation design.
Vascular Aging: The multi-day Vascular Aging experiment session continued with the crew wearing the Bio-Monitor hardware. Emerging data point towards linkages among cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data indicate that aging-like changes are accelerated in many ISS crew members, particularly with respect to their arteries.
Wireless Compose-2 (WiCo-2): The WiCo-2 energy harvesting mote was replaced with a spare unit. “Mote” is a term used for nodes in a sensor network, and the energy harvesting mote is used for the analysis of the light sources and the harvesting potential for battery-free operation. The main scientific goal of the Wireless Communication Network (Wireless Compose-2) investigation is to provide a flexible and adaptable wireless network infrastructure to conduct and execute low-power, low-weight, and wireless experiments on the ISS. For this demonstration, WiCo-2 operates several experiments, including an experiment to examine the impact of the space environment on the cardiovascular system. Additionally, WiCo-2 demonstrates newly developed impulse radio ultra-wide-band (IR-UWB) hardware to enable precise localization applications and to analyze the energy harvesting potential on the ISS.
Systems:
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation Activities: Activities continued in preparation for next week’s Radiator Beam Valve Module (RBVM) Jumper Install EVA. The crew completed the EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) On-Board Training (OBT) and practiced the EVA Cuff Checklist procedures. The ECWS presents data to the suited crew member to monitor current EMU conditions. The crew also received an overview of the robotics operations for the RBVM Jumper Install during review of the robotics procedures, which included steps to setup Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) to monitor SSRMS motion during real-time operations. This was followed by On-Board Training (OBT) for the EVA Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) self-study. The Helmet Light was installed onto EMU 3015; however, further adjustments will need to be made prior to the EVA. EMUs 3015 and 3004 were swapped on the EMU Don/Doff Assemblies (EDDAs) and resized. EVA Tools were configured, and crew inspected the Load Alleviating Strap on the Safety Tethers, Waist Tethers, and soft strap on D-Ring Extenders. Lastly, the Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration was terminated.
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) In Flight Maintenance (IFM): As part of regularly scheduled preventative maintenance, the crew performed a manual WHC E??-?? fill. By using a Urine Collection Device (UCD) to capture any pressure relief, also known as the burp, they depressurized the E??-?? 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. The UCD was analyzed after the pressure relief burp.
Urine Transfer System (UTS) Secure Digital (SD) Card Remove and Replace (R&R): The crew completed Intermediate-Level maintenance to R&R the UTS Control Block Controller SD Card. The UTS provides automated control of urine flow from the Toilet System and WHC or from external storage into the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA), and the Controller provides command and control of the UTS system and telemetry status.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
JEMRMS Console Activation/Deactivation
UTS Deactivation and Unpower
SpaceX EIS Command Interface Test
UTS Power and SW Reconfiguration
Reconfigure Airlock post METOX Regeneration heating cycle
Look Ahead Plan
Friday, March 18 (GMT 77)
Payloads:
CAL MTL leak check
EasyMotion/T2
FROST2 checkout
JEM Microbe
LSG hardware audit
Repository
SQuARE
Vascular Aging
Systems:
PAM iPad Deploy
US EVA Ammonia OBT
Brine Processor Bladder Changeout
EVA Battery Operations Terminal Terminate
REBA Powered Hardware Checkout
EVA Procedure Review
EVA Procedure Conference
EMU LLB METOX Installation
ISS Safety Briefing
Saturday, March 19 (GMT 78)
Payloads:
Repository
SQuARE
Vascular Aging hardware stow
Systems:
Crew Off-Duty Day
Sunday, March 20 (GMT 79)
Payloads:
EasyMotion
Standard Measures
SQuARE
Systems:
EVA Procedure Review
EVA Procedure Conference
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire
[aborted] Oxygen Generation Assembly Pump ORU Flush
External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) Network Control Unit (NCU) Power Cycle
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) Wide (1 Deployer) and Single (1 Deployer) onto Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) Installation
Extravehicular Activity Mobility Unit (EMU) Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) On-Board Training
ISS HAM Columbus Pass Kenwood
HRF Rack 1 PC 1 USB Software Load Config
SQuARE Flexible Daily Imagery
Oxygen Generation Assembly ECLSS Purge Hose E Drain
JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) Checkout Cleanup
Bio-Monitor Wearables Change Out
Robotics Procedure Print
Bio-Monitor Breathing Volume Calibration
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Helmet Light Installation
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Stow Russian Laptops for Disposal and Return
[aborted] In Flight Maintenance Oxygen Generation Assembly Pump Flush Monitor
Bio-Monitor Wearables Stow
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Initiate/Terminate
On-board Training (OBT) EVA Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session
Intelligent Glass Optics Probe Exchange
PGTIDE Maintenance Work Area Preparation
PGTIDE Detergent Stability Study Sample Photo Operations
Wireless Compose-2 Mote Replacement
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
LUMINA monthly data transfer with EveryWear
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap
Swap SSC (Station Support Computer) 10 and 22 Swap
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Resize
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Hardware Setup
Urine Transfer System (UTS) SD Card R&R
[aborted] In Flight Maintenance Oxygen Generation Assembly Pump ORU Stow
Vascular Aging 13-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Crew Time Payback
USOS Window Shutter Close
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
Touching Event for the Touching Surfaces experiment
NutrISS – ESA Nutritional Assessment
Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Termination
Vascular Aging 13-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Mobil-O-Graph Unit Power Off
