Space Stations

NASA Space Station Status Report 15 November, 2022 – Spacewalk Complete

By SpaceRef Editor

Status Report

SpaceRef

November 16, 2022

Filed under Expedition 68, International Space Station, ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA

NASA Space Station Status Report 15 November, 2022 – Spacewalk Complete — NASA spacewalker Frank Rubio.

NASA

Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 4:25 p.m. EST after 7 hours and 11 minutes in preparation for upcoming solar array installation.

Cassada and Rubio completed the majority of the primary objectives for today to assemble a mounting bracket on the starboard side of the station’s truss assembly in preparation for the installation of a pair of International Space Station Rollout Solar Arrays (iROSAs).

The duo completed the routing of cables on the 3A power channel, and began the installation process of a modification kit on the 1B power channel, which will act as a scaffolding for the new solar arrays. The crew deferred some planned tasks associated with the completion of the modification kit, including the installation of collars, and the routing of cables for the 1B power channel. The remaining work will be completed during a future spacewalk prior to the arrival of the solar arrays for the 1B power channel, and no changes are planned for the next two upcoming U.S. spacewalks.

It was the 254th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades and maintenance, and was the first spacewalk for both astronauts. Cassada and Rubio are in the midst of a planned six-month science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

The next two U.S. spacewalks are scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 3. On Nov. 29, two astronauts will install an iROSA for the 3A power channel, and on Dec. 3 a pair of astronauts will install an iROSA on the port truss for the 4A power channel. These will be the third and fourth iROSAs out of a total six planned for installation. The iROSAs will increase power generation capability by up to 30%, increasing the station’s total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts.

On-Orbit Status Report

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #81 (1B IROSA Prep): Today, Josh Cassada (EV1) and Frank Rubio (EV2) performed the 1B ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Prep EVA. Hatch opening occurred at 8:13 AM CT. The main goal of this EVA was to route cables on both the 3A and 1B Mod kits and install the 1B Mod kit on the 1B Solar Array Wing (SAW) Mast Canister to prepare these SAWs for future IROSA installations. The final Phase Elapsed Time (PET) from today’s EVA was 7 hours and 11 minutes and the following task was completed:

Route IROSA Cables on 3A Mod Kit

The following task was partially completed:

Install IROSA Mod Kit on 1B Mast Canister

The following task was deferred from today’s EVA:

Route IROSA Cables on 1B Mod Kit

Payloads:

Cellbox-3: The crew removed fourteen Cellbox-3 experiment containers, the sensor container, and six experiment controllers from the Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems-1 (STaARS-1) experiment facility. Cellbox-3 contains two experiments that investigate cell behavior in microgravity, forming 3D structures that more closely resemble the growth and behavior of cells inside the body. Spheroid Aggregation and Viability in Space (SHAPE) determines how cellular spheroids from human bone marrow form in microgravity and their viability. Nerve-Muscle Co-culture (NEMUCO) determines whether the neuromuscular junction structure develops properly in microgravity, which could provide an experimental model for investigating nerve and muscle cell-to-cell interaction and communication in space and on the ground.

International Commercial Experiment (ICE) Cube: Experiment Cube #14 was mounted on a multi-use bracket on the front of a rack and connected to the ICE Cubes Facility front panel. The ICE Cubes Facility is a capable experiment platform that offers flexibility to host many different experiments for research, technology demonstration, and educational objectives. During flight, users are able to have near real-time telemetry and telecommanding capabilities with the Experiment Cube from any location with an internet connection. The ICE Cubes service provides fast and direct access to the ISS for any country, institute, or entity.

JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-23 (J-SSOD-23): The crew gathered the appropriate hardware and prepared for the installation of the J-SSOD experiment hardware onto the JEM Airlock slide table later in the week. J-SSOD provides a novel and safe small satellite launching capability to the ISS. The J-SSOD is a unique satellite launcher, handled by the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), which provides containment and deployment mechanisms for several individual small satellites. Once J-SSOD, including satellite cases with small satellites, is installed onto the slide table by the crew, it is passed through the JEM Airlock for retrieval, positioning, and deployment by the JEMRMS.

Systems:

Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations: Today, the crew continued cargo transfer operations between the ISS and the Cygnus NG-18 cargo vehicle. These operations included offloading crew provisions and hardware from NG-18. NG-18 is planned to remain at the space station until the end of January before it departs the ISS for an eventual destructive re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Completed Task List Activities: