NASA Space Station Status Report 18 April, 2022 – Ax-1 Departure Delayed
The Axiom Mission 1 departture has been delayed.
Mission Control has informed the Expedition 67 and Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) crews aboard the International Space Station that because of unfavorable weather at the splashdown location for recovery of the Dragon Endeavour and the Ax-1 crew, the integrated operations team at NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX has postponed the spacecraft’s planned departure from the orbiting laboratory.
Weather permitting, the four-member private astronaut crew now is targeted to undock at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, to begin the journey home with splashdown off the coast of Florida no earlier than approximately 3:24 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 20.
NASA coverage of the farewell ceremony will remain as previously scheduled, and the updated NASA Ax-1 return coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):
Tuesday, April 19
7 p.m. – Coverage begins for farewell ceremony
7:45 p.m. – Coverage begins for hatch closure at approximately 8 p.m.
9:45 p.m. – Coverage begins for undocking at about 10 p.m.
Teams will continue to monitor weather at the splashdown sites prior to undocking to ensure conditions are acceptable for a safe recovery of the Dragon spacecraft and Ax-1 astronauts. If needed for any reason, there are additional opportunities for the crew’s departure from the space station on Wednesday, April 20.
Spacewalk Underway
Expedition 67 Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev of Roscosmos began Russian spacewalk 52 at 11:01 a.m. EDT to activate a new robotic arm attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module at the?International Space Station by opening the hatch of the Poisk docking compartment airlock.
Artemyev is wearing a Russian Orlan spacesuit with red stripes. Matveev will wear a spacesuit with blue stripes. This is the fourth spacewalk in Artemyev’s career, and the first for Matveev. It will be the fourth spacewalk at the station in 2022 and the 249th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Coverage of the spacewalk continues on NASA Television,?the?NASA app,?and the agency’s?website.
The duo’s primary tasks for today’s spacewalk are to install and connect a control panel for the European robotic arm, a 37-foot-long manipulator system mounted to the recently arrived Nauka. They will also remove protective covers from the arm and install handrails on Nauka. The arm will be used to move spacewalkers and payloads around the Russian segment of the station.
On-Orbit Status Report
RS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #52: During today’s EVA, FE-1 Oleg Artemyev and FE-2 Denis Matveev worked outside the MLM to unstow the European Robotic Arm (ERA) and configure it for operational use. FE-3 Sergey Korsakov assisted with the ERA checkout from within the RS. The following tasks were completed.
Completed:
Install and connect the ERA EVA Control Panel (EMMI) near ERA [???] Launch Base Point
Checkout of EMMI
Remove Protective Covers from Payload Interfaces [???1]-[???3] and Base Points [???1]-[???3]
Install ERA Handrails #4 and #6
Remove MLI cover from ERA Elbow
Temporarily stow on MLM Handrail 4336 for jettison during RS EVA #53
Install ERA Handrail #1
Install [???] Portable Workstation Adapter on Passive Payload Interface [???-2]
The Phase Elapsed Time (PET) of this EVA was 6 hours and 37 minutes.
Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) Axiom-1 (Ax-1):
Public Affairs Office (PAO), Payload, and Commercial Activities: Over the weekend, the Ax-1 crew finished their mission portfolio, completing operations on Aging and Heart Health, TESSERAE, Nano ISS Antenna, Sleep In Space, Monitoring Stress, Medchecker, At Home In Space, Earth Observation, NanoRacks Module 9, Neurowellness, Bio-Monitor, and ILAN-ES.
The Ax-1 crew completed the final ICE Cubes media events of the mission on Sunday. They will have one more NASA-sponsored PAO event as part of a farewell ceremony prior to undock and departure. Teams are working to schedule final video events for Eytan Stibbe prior to undock.
Ax-1 Undocking Preparations: Ax-1 Crew Dragon external video surveys have been completed and SpaceX has cleared the vehicle for re-entry. USOS and Ax-1 crew started cargo transfer operations on Sunday and completed cargo packing and stowage activities today. On Sunday, the crew transferred Ax-1 research samples into Polars in preparation for Polar transfer by USOS crew into the Ax-1 Dragon, which occurred this morning. In addition, the Ax-1 crew transferred and stowed mission specific cargo, including the Axiom marketing kits, hygiene bags, and Axiom owned cameras and accessories. Ax-1 is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Tuesday, April 19th at 9 PM CT, weather permitting.
Payloads:
Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE): A 150 ml water sample was obtained from the experiment hardware and placed in Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS (MELFI). The sample will later be returned to the ground for analysis. SERFE demonstrates a new technology to remove heat from spacesuits and maintain appropriate temperatures for crew members and equipment during space walks. The technology uses evaporation of water for cooling. The investigation determines whether microgravity affects performance and evaluates the technology’s effect on contamination and corrosion of spacesuit material.
Nano ISS Antenna (Ax-1): A final daily calibration and photo session were performed, and the experiment hardware was removed from the Node 2 window area and stowed. Nano ISS Antenna tests the deployment of a folded antenna used to provide high bandwidth communications. Miniaturized satellite electronics and sensors can provide valuable scientific and navigation capabilities, but small, simple antennas cannot transmit large quantities of data, limiting the usability of small satellites.
Photocatalyst Filter Check (Ax-1/ISS): The crew checked that no items are blocking the intake fans of the Photocatalyst experiment hardware, which is set up in the Node 3 area. Photocatalyst demonstrates the use of a photocatalyst device to clean the cabin air and remove odor caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The device converts VOCs into carbon dioxide and water. The device and a non-photocatalyst control device will operate for at least four weeks before returning to Earth for analysis of the photocatalyst device’s effectiveness.
Reflective Eye (Ax-1): Using an available tablet, the Ax-1 crew performed a vision test and then transferred the session data to a Station Support Computer (SSC) for later downlink. Digital Tablet Eye Vision Test for Space Missions (Reflective Eye Test (Ax-1)) evaluates visual function before, during, and after spaceflight using well-tested software on a hand-held device. Results are expected to provide information on the effects of weightlessness on visual and other brain functions.
Snowcone (Ax-1): The Ax-1 crew powered down the Snowcone experiment and then removed and stowed the hardware. Snowcone Cloud Edge Compute Demonstration (Snowcone Ax-1) demonstrates technology to screen private astronaut images and identify those that may contain sensitive information not for public release. The technology includes reduction of large-scale data and processing of data near the source, known as edge computing, which are capabilities integral to future space exploration.
Urinalysis in Space (Ax-1): The final science session was performed, and data files from all Urinalysis in Space sessions were transferred to an SSC for later downlink. Urinalysis in Space (Ax-1) performs urinalysis using a tablet and a proprietary kit for the Ax-1 PAM. The investigation focuses on a test commonly used to measure kidney function and provides immediate results, eliminating the need to return samples to Earth for analysis.
Systems:
Max Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS): In preparation for their return later this month, the Endurance crew completed Max CEVIS sessions which are used by the medical community to evaluate astronauts’ aerobic fitness. The test is performed every 90 days and upon the crew’s arrival and departure from the ISS.
Ax-1 Tablet Sync: Today, the crew charged three of four Ax-1 tablets before syncing all four with updated timelines in preparation for return. For each tablet, the crew downloaded the re-entry timeline, deleted the launch-to-docking timeline, powered it down, and stowed it in a Dragon suit satchel.
Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Inspection: The crew verified that the Portable Fire Extinguisher (PFE), Extension Hose Tee Kit, Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA), and Pre-Breathe Masks are all free of damage to ensure functionality in the case of an emergency. The PBA includes a Quick Don Mask Assembly (QDMA) connected to a PBA Oxygen Reducer/Cylinder Assembly.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
RS EVA Support Commanding [In Work]
Command and Control Software (CCS) Service Module Central Computer (SMCC) Data Dump [In Work]
Dragon Common Communication for Visiting Vehicles (C2V2) Checkout [In Work]
Look Ahead Plan
Tuesday, April 19 (GMT 109)
Payloads:
CAL MTL Jumper R&R
CCU Crew Use
CIMON EDU ISS Tour-1
ESA Powerbank Charge
HICARI-2 Cartridge Remove
Lumina Data Transfer
Photocatalyst Filter Check (Ax-1/ISS)
SCEM/FLARE Gas QD Connect
Standard Measures Urine Setup
Systems:
WHC UR/IF R&R
Crew Departure Prep
RS EVA Tool Gather & Battery Charging
CQ Intermediate Cleaning
Wednesday, April 20 (GMT 110)
Payloads:
CIMON EDU ISS Tour-2
MELFI Ice Brick Insert
Myotones Blood Setup
Photocatalyst Filter Check (Ax-1/ISS)
Standard Measures Urine Collect and Blood Setup
Systems:
Ax-1 Undock
Crew Dragon Departure CBT and Conference
Crew Dragon Deorbit Paper Sim
CQ Deck Cleaning
Thursday, April 21 (GMT 111)
Payloads:
APM Status Check
CIMON Battery Stow
CCU
Food Physiology Diet Brief
HRF Centrifuge Check Out
ISS HAM
MELFI Ice Brick Stow
Myotones Measurements
Photocatalyst Filter Check (Ax-1/ISS)
Standard Measures Blood and Urine Collect
Vascular Aging Glucose Setup
Systems:
Crew Dragon Suit Checkout
Dragon Pre-Departure Conference
EVA Camera Charging
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Emergency Equipment Transfer
Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation
Max CEVIS
Exercise Equipment Gather
Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS) Nitrogen Manual Valve Open
PEPS Inspection
NASA Hardware Pack
PAM Facilitator Time
Charging of ESA Power Bank
Polar Transfer from EXPRESS Rack To Crew Dragon Overview
Photocatalyst Filter Check
Polar 2 and Polar 5 EXPRESS Rack Uninstall, Transfer, and Crew Dragon Install
RS EVA #52
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
SERFE Water Sampling for Post Flight Analysis
SERFE MELFI insertion
Urine Transfer System (UTS) Backup & Offload EDV Swaps
Ax-1 Tablet Sync
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
Collapsible Contingency Urinal (CCU) Item Gather
NOD2D2 Stowage Replace
