XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report April 12, 2001
Bends Treatment Adapter (BTA) User Readiness Review (URR)
EVA Project office conducted a User Readiness Review (URR) for a revised on-orbit bends treatment procedure on Tuesday, April 10, 2001. Several members of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate, Engineering Directorate, Flight Crew Operations Directorate, and the Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance Office supported the URR. This procedure revision was developed at the request of the medical operations community to enhance current operations to treat decompression sickness (DCS) on-orbit. By utilizing the current Bends Treatment Adapter (BTA) and the EMU suit relief valve in series, suit pressure can now be increased without having to initially depressurize the suit post EVA. The original procedure disabled the EMU relief valve and replaced it with the BTA that operates at a higher delta pressure. With this procedure revision, the crewperson will remain at suit pressure and can more quickly be raised to higher delta pressures to combat the symptoms of DCS. No modifications to hardware will be required with this protocol change. However, with the two valves operating in series the intra-vehicular crew is now responsible for controlling maximum suit pressure. The participants of the URR assessed the test and analysis data, procedure revisions, and content changes to safety and reliability documentation. The result of the URR was that this procedure revision was ready for Shuttle and ISS EVA operations beginning with flight 7A (STS-104) pending the final approval of required documentation changes by the Programs.
Quick Disconnect (QD) Safety Lanyard
A concept review was held on April 10, 2001, for the QD Safety Lanyard. Results of the previous review held on January 30, 2001, narrowed down the concepts to the Lanyard Device and the Restraint Device. Both concepts were reviewed and discussed by representatives of the EVA Project Office, the Engineering Directorate, the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Office, and Boeing. Authorization is required by April 27, 2001, to make the targeted 8A assembly flight. Several technical issues remain to be resolved before manufacturing can be authorized. The issues are:
1. Structural review of QD to assure it can withstand the new load path.
2. Final worksite evaluation to assure adequate clearances for the restraint device.
3. Determine quantities of devices needed to support on-orbit operations.
Boeing-Huntington Beach is working closely with the Engineering Directorate to close the remaining technical issues and the EVA Project Office plans to initiate the work by April 27, 2001.
EVA Technical Interchange Meeting
The EVA Project Office hosted a technical interchange meeting (TIM) with Russian EVA counterparts from March 26 – April 6, 2001. The TIM was focused on the Orlan EVA system and involved representatives from Zvezda, the space suit manufacturer. The agenda of topics included, but were not limited to, SAFER interfaces to Orlan suit, increasing the availability of Orlan training hardware at JSC, a review of jointly developed Orlan EVA system technical descriptions and Operations manuals, and planning for the next Joint EVA Working Group TIM. Representatives from Zvezda, Energia, and GCTC are planning to come to Houston in mid-May to have continuing discussions on ISS EVA planning. While the Russian EVA counterparts are in Houston, they will be supporting a Bi-lateral EVA Control Board and Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR) meetings associated with the launch and activation of the Joint Airlock.
Phase VI Glove Heater Anomaly recovery
The Phase VI glove “interim fix” design has been completed and is now installed on the STS-100/6A EMU’s for flight. A long-term solution of reduced size heater elements themselves is still being pursued, with long lead-time of these specialized electrical components demanding the initiation of this interim design fix. This device will control the battery power that is supplied to the glove heater elements and will eliminate the need for any heater-on duty cycle, as was the case for ISS 5A.1.
Original signed by:
G. Allen Flynt
Acting Manager
