XA/EVA Project Office Weekly Activity Report October 12, 2000
EMU O2 Contamination Recovery Status – Update
Cleaned SOP’s supporting STS-97 are ahead of need dates by approximately 2 1/2 weeks and are progressing well. All pre-flight EMU related processing requirements will be supported at JSC USA/FCE facilities. Resolution of root cause of the contamination is progressing toward final closure by the end of the month. Testing to support this effort is being conducted by the vendor in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. In order to return EMU processing to a more routine pace, eleven SOP’s are required. No issue has been identified to keep us from reaching this number in the next two months.
ISS-2 Engineering Runs & Joint Tether Protocol
EVA Project Office personnel supported the Engineering runs for the third Increment-2 EVA training session at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) Hydrolab. The focus of these runs was to assess the tasks for Increment-2 EVA’s 1, 3 & 4 as well as develop a joint protocol for the use of the U.S. Safety Tether on the Russian Segment. The tasks performed included installation of the DC1 (Docking Compartment 1) EVA Ladder, installation and checkout of the Strela Crane on the DC1, and installation of the Gas Deflectors on the aft end of the Service Module. The hardware for the remaining tasks for EVA’s 3 & 4 listed in the Increment Definition and Requirements Document were unavailable for the runs and will presumably not be available for the follow-on training session. During each of the aforementioned tasks GCTC and RSC-Energia personnel, along with JSC EVA Mission Operations and EVA Project personnel conducted an evaluation on the use of the U.S. Safety Tether on both the DC1 and the Service Module. GCTC test subjects attempted translation on the Russian Segment using both the fairlead and belay tethering techniques. While the test subjects had difficulty using the belay technique, both found the fairlead technique to be extremely manageable on both the DC1 and the Service Module handrails from the small diameter to the large diameter working compartments. Following the conclusion of the Engineering Runs a Joint Tether Protocol was developed and signed between GCTC, RSC-Engeria, and U.S. EVA personnel. This protocol, along with the previous protocol developed for ISS-2 EVA #2, will serve as the basis for all future Increment EVA for which the Orlan SAFER is not available.
STS-106 EVAAT NBL Runs
The STS-100 (6A) preliminary EVA Assessment Team (EVAAT) NBL runs were completed for EVA 1 on 10/4/00. The primary EVA tasks of 6A include deploying the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, deploying and installing the UHF antenna, and prepositioning a critical spare, the DCSU. CB/M. Gernhardt was the suited EVAAT crewmember, observing 6A crewmembers S. Parazynski and C. Hadfield. The current EVA 1 timeline was completed in the recommended NBL time that allows for on-orbit adjustment. EVA 2 was observed on 10/5/00, but no formal report was stated. EVA 2 was also within the allotted window to allow for a six hour and thirty minute on-orbit EVA. No significant issues were identified.
Gregory J. Harbaugh
Manager
