XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report November 16, 2000
Floating Potential Probe (FPP)
The STS-97 EVA crew of Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega successfully completed training of the FPP installation task in the NBL on Friday, November 10, 2000. This task is a late add item to the STS-97 mission, and this was the crew’s first full training run dedicated to this task.
During this training, the crew trained installing the FPP structure on the zenith face of P6 and installing a receiving antenna on the Node. The crew was able to repeat these tasks twice each. Based on the successful results of this training, no further NBL runs are planned for this task, and this hardware will be installed on the third EVA of STS-97 should the hardware be ready for shuttle integration.
ISS-3 Familiarization Hydrolab Runs
ISS-3 Orlan Familiarization runs were conducted in the Hydrolab November 13 and November 15, 2000, Frank Culberston participated as the U.S. suited subject for both runs with Oleg Kotov (engineering subject). Tasks included DC-1 hatch operations and ingress/egress, translation with a representative equipment bundle, U.S. safety tether operations familiarization, connection of plate 9 cables to DC-1 (a portion of DC 1 activation), incapacitated crew rescue, installation of DC-1 target and antenna and Strela operations which included pitch, yaw, extension/retraction with a crew member on the end.
Flight Lab Cradle Assembly (LCA) to Keel Pin Fit Check
A fit check between the oversized Lab Keel Pin and the Flight LCA was performed at the Space Hab Payload Processing Facility, on November 13, 2000. The oversized keel pin was constructed per redlined flight drawings, from spare flight stock, and had an outside diameter which accounted for the calculated thermal expansion of the pin when the thermal difference between the keel pin and the LCA sleeve is 100 degrees F.
Once the pin was aligned properly with the sleeve, the pin slid easily through the sleeve for the entire length of the pin. The pin could be “tilted” a few degrees along the major axis of the sleeve, while only a small amount of play was observed along the minor axis. The fit check was successful in that it demonstrated that the LCA could be installed on the Lab Keel Pin under the worst-case thermal conditions.
EVA Hardware Status for STS-97
The last tools for STS-97 were certified and shipped on Wednesday, 11/15/00, from EC5 overnight to KSC. The following is the list of tools which were shipped: 1 inch Quick Disconnect (QD) Bail Drive (BD) Tool, QD BD Tool Board, Bearing Module Roll Ring (BMRRM) Tool, Blanket Restraint System (BRS) Tool, BRS Tool Sheath Assembly QD Cap Tool, and Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA) Charger. All hardware should arrive on 11/17/00 for late stowage. This will complete all tool shipments for STS-97 except for the pistol grip tools (PGT’s). Work is ongoing at USA to close existing FIAR’s for shipment on Thursday, November 16, 2000. PGT is on schedule to make STS-97.
G. Allen Flynt
Deputy Manager
