NASA Space Station Status Report 20 May, 2022 – Starliner Docks
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully docked to the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 8:28 p.m. EDT.
Starliner launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on a flight test to the?International Space Station at 6:54 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Starliner’s hatch opening is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:45 a.m. Saturday, May 21.
Starliner is scheduled to depart the space station Wednesday, May 25, when it will undock and return to Earth, with a desert landing in the western U.S. The spacecraft will return with more than 600 pounds of cargo, including Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System reusable tanks that provide breathable air to station crew members. The tanks will be refurbished on Earth and sent back to station on a future flight.
Following certification, NASA missions aboard Starliner will carry up to four crew members to the station, enabling the continued expansion of the crew and increasing the amount of science and research that can be performed aboard the orbiting laboratory.
OFT-2 will provide valuable data toward NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for regular flights with astronauts to and from the space station.
Boeing Starliner Update
The astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will open the hatch to Starliner for the first time this morning as the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) for the Boeing spacecraft continues. The hatch opening will take place at about 11:30 a.m. ET and will be seen on NASA TV and at www.nasa.gov/live. The crew also is expected to talk about the importance of having a new crew-rated spacecraft to serve the needs of the ISS, which has been operating in low-Earth orbit for more than 20 years. A product of a partnership between NASA and Boeing, Starliner is designed to take astronauts to the ISS and other future destinations near Earth. Starliner is not carrying any crew members during its current orbital flight test.
On-Orbit Status Report
Boeing Orbital Flight Test 2 (Boe-OFT2) Launch: On Thursday evening, the Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched at 5:54 p.m. CT to the ISS from Space launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This uncrewed Boe-OFT2 mission is the second uncrewed test flight of the Starliner spacecraft. A number of flight control and communications checks as well as orbital phasing maneuvers were successfully completed. Docking is planned for this evening, Friday, May 20th, at approximately 6:10 p.m. CT.
Payloads:
AstroPi: The AstroPi Vis 5mm Camera Lens aperture was adjusted for night-time photography. Two augmented Raspberry Pi computers (called AstroPis) were flown to the ISS and are both equipped with the mighty Sense Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) that measures the environment inside the ISS, detects how the station moves through space, and picks up the Earth’s magnetic field. Each AstroPi is also equipped with different types of cameras: one has an infrared camera, and the other has a standard visible spectrum camera.
Cold Atom Lab (CAL): A crewmember performed a visual inspection of the CAL Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Jumper to check for leaks and reported the observed leakage. The CAL produces clouds of atoms that are chilled to about one ten billionth of a degree above absolute zero — much colder than the average temperature of deep space. At these low temperatures, atoms have almost no motion, allowing scientists to study fundamental behaviors and quantum characteristics that are difficult or impossible to probe at higher temperatures. In microgravity, researchers may be able to achieve even colder temperatures than what is possible on the ground, and observe these cold atom clouds for longer periods of time.
ISS Ham Radio: A crewmember initiated a contact with Forum Accademico Italiano e.V., Koln, Germany. Since the earliest space station expeditions, ISS Ham Radio has allowed groups of students in schools, camps, museums, and planetariums to hold a conversation with the people living in space. As the ISS passes overhead, students have about 9 minutes to ask crew members 10 to 20 questions.
Microbial Aerosol Tethering on Innovative Surfaces in the ISS (MATISS): The four MATISS-3 Sample Holders were installed at predefined locations in the Columbus module. Bacteria are a big problem in space as they tend to build up in the constantly-recycled atmosphere of the ISS. The main objective of the MATISS experiment is to find better materials with which to build a space station or spacecraft, which is especially important for longer missions farther from Earth. Researchers will also monitor how bacteria form biofilms that protect them from cleaning agents and help them adhere to surfaces.
Snowcone Cloud Edge Compute Demonstration (Snowcone): The Snowcone Hardware was installed, and photographs were taken that included three orthogonal field of views of hardware and power chain. AWS Snowcone Axiom-1 demonstrates technology to screen 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.
Vascular Aging: A crewmember collected a finger blood sample, took glucose measurements using the Glucometer, and consumed a Glucose Drink. 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. As part of the Space Environment Causes Acceleration of Vascular Aging: Roles of Hypogravity, Nutrition, and Radiation (Vascular Aging) investigation, ultrasounds of the arteries, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance, and wearable sensors from ISS crewmembers are analyzed.
eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS): XROOTS plants were checked for growth status and photos were taken. The XROOTS investigation uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without soil or other growth media. Video and still images enable evaluation of multiple independent growth chambers for the entire plant life cycle from seed germination through maturity. Results could identify suitable methods to produce crops on a larger scale for future space missions.
Systems:
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Initiation and Termination: Today, the crew initiated a manual fill of the WHC E??-?? (Water Container) using a Post-Flight Analysis Bag to capture any pressure relief to protect the dose pump. The ???-CB is intended for short-term storage and manual water transportation between facilities. After successfully filling the E??-??, the crew returned the WHC to nominal use.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Water Containment Activities: After setting up the Node 2 camera to provide a wide view of the Maintenance Work Area (MWA), the crew reviewed EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) hardware and activities and performed a Helmet Water Flow Test. This test observed the motion of water inside an EMU Helmet to gather baseline knowledge before repeating the test to assess the effectivity of the Helmet Absorption Band and the Helmet Absorption Pad (HAP) Extender. A Helmet Swish Test was then performed to understand how motion causes water to move and liberate from the helmet bubble.
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Operations: The TOCA ensures overall potable water quality by monitoring the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration levels in the Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Water Processor Assembly (WPA). Today, the crew recorded data from TOCA WPA via Water Sample Hose analysis and changed out the Waste Water Bag (WWB) as part of nominal procedures.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
IDA-F Heater Reconfiguration
C2V2 Transmitter Activation/Transmitter Off
TCS TRRJ Lock/Unlock
SPS Power Down/Power Up
N2 Fwd Stbd IMV Activation
S/S and C2V2 Link Checkout
Close/Open Forward Hatches Support
SDMS Activation
CST-100 Config
N2 Fwd IMV Activation
Look Ahead Plan
Saturday, May 21 (GMT 141)
Payloads:
XROOTS Fluid (NASA)
Systems:
OFT-2 Arrival Ops
IFM OGA Spare Pump ORU Flush
Sunday, May 22 (GMT 142)
Payloads:
Off-Duty
Systems:
EVA Water Containment Activities
OGA Post Maintenance Flush/Stow
Monday, May 23 (GMT 143)
Payloads:
AstroPi Night Setting (ESA)
CAL MTL Jumper Leak Check (NASA)
DECLIC HD Exchange, Alice-like Removal, and Direct Solid Insert (NASA)
NanoRacks Module 63, 83 Photos (NASA)
Vascular Aging Blood Pressure Measurement and Echo Scans (CSA)
XROOTS Nutrient Mix and Fill and Fluid Recovery and Plant Thinning (NASA)
Systems:
OFT-2 Ops
CMS ARED Quarterly Inspection
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
HRF Generic Saliva Collection/Stow
Standard Measures Sampling Collection/Stow
Vascular Aging Ops
LAB and CUP Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup
[Deferred] Recording of AstroPi locations with Max 360 camera
Adjusting the lens aperture.
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Initiate/Terminate
HRF Generic Urine Collection/Stow
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Ops
ISS HAM Columbus Pass Kenwood
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval and Insertion
CSA Generic MELFI Sample Insertion
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Ops
Extravehicular Activity Water Containment Study
Cold Atom Lab MTL Jumper Leak Check
MATISS-3 sample holder installation
Video Camera Setup for EVA Water Flow and Swish Tests
Express Rack 7 CLS Software Start/Finish
Extravehicular Activity Helmet Water Flow Test
Columbus Cabin photo audit
Extravehicular Helmet Swish Test
SSC 20 and 22 Swap
Treadmill MTL Hose Inspection
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
Conference to discuss Public Affairs Office Welcome Event for OFT-2
Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations
Snowcone Hardware Retrieve/Install
XROOTS Status Check
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record, WWB Changeout, Analysis
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS EveryWear (EVW) Nutrition Tracking
CST-100 Prep Ops
Node 2 Forward Hatch Opening
Node Module cargo photo
USOS Window Shutter Close
[Planned] CST Farfield Monitoring
[Planned] Close Forward Hatches
[Planned] ISS Crew Monitoring of CST-100 Rendezvous and Docking
[Planned] Configuration of ACS Moding
[Planned] Open Forward Hatches
[Planned] Node 2 Forward International Docking Adapter (IDA) Vestibule Pressurization
