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http://spaceflight101.com/iss-us-eva-49-preview/

ISS Spacewalkers set for Thursday EVA to Expand External WiFi for Upcoming Ecosystem Instrument
March 27, 2018

Ricky Arnold during a 2009 ISS Spacewalk – Photo: NASA

Two veteran spacewalkers who just arrived aboard the International Space Station last week are set for a six-and-a-half-hour excursion on Thursday to install wireless communications equipment outside the orbiting laboratory to prepare for the arrival of a high-profile ecosystem remote-sensing instrument later this year. Hubble repairman Drew Feustel will be joined by Ricky Arnold on Thursday; both have prior experience working outside the Space Station during its assembly phase.

Three primary objectives are on the docket for Feustel and Arnold: first and foremost will be the installation of the communications gear needed by NASA JPL's ECOSTRESS payload that is flying up to ISS on the Dragon SpX-15 mission this summer and relays the ecosystem data it gathers wirelessly to the Station's internal data system for storage and eventual downlink. Its installation location necessitates an expansion of the external WiFi on ISS to ensure good connectivity with the instrument.

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ISS Expedition 55 just after arrival of the Soyuz MS-08 Crew – Photo: NASA TV

The second task will see the crew remove a pair of fluid jumpers fr om an external Radiator Beam Valve on the Port Truss of ISS to return to the ground for inspection of a potential leak on one of the jumpers. The third task lined up for the EVA is the replacement of a camera group that lost its ability to pan and tilt upon ground command.

With two experienced spacewalkers heading out the door and a fairly light task list compared to previous ISS EVAs, Mission Control is hopeful that the duo may get to a number of get-ahead tasks to get a leg up on EVA activities originally lined up for later this year.

Thursday's spacewalk, designated EVA-49, was moved up fr om a prospect date in May on fairly short notice, only showing up on the official ISS schedule in the first half of March. Events moving to the left on any spaceflight schedule are a rarity, but for Station are somewhat more common as managers desire to fit non-utilization activities into periods with reduced crew time requirements for science and visiting vehicle support.


Drew Feustel during a 2011 EVA outside ISS – Photo: NASA

Such a period presented itself at the end of March, in between the arrival of the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft with the Expedition 55/56 crew members and the Dragon SpX-14 mission that will send the U.S. Segment into a sprint throughout April to complete related cargo and science operations as a number of experiments riding up on Dragon will have to return aboard the same spacecraft.

With a lull in science activities as things calm down before Dragon and a crew of six aboard the Station, managers saw an opportunity of moving one of three planned EVAs from the May/June time frame to the end of March to clear up some time in the crew's schedule down the road when things are likely to be busier from a utilization standpoint. An additional driver behind moving the EVA forward was the desire to have the Node 3 wireless antenna system in place with plenty of time left before the ECOSTRESS payload arrives aboard ISS, currently looking at a June 9th launch date.


Image: NASA TV

Conducting spacewalks within the first week of a new crew's arrival aboard the Space Station is not considered an ideal scenario, though NASA and the two crew members stepping outside on Thursday have plenty of experience with performing EVAs shortly after getting to orbit as was standard for the Shuttle Program. On their previous missions, Feustel and Arnold performed EVAs on days 3 and 4, respectively, whereas Thursday's EVA comes six days after their arrival on ISS and eight days after lifting off from Baikonur aboard their Soyuz.

Serving as the lead spacewalker, Drew Feustel will be wearing Extravehicular Mobility Unit #3006 with red stripes while Arnold will be donning EMU #3003, an all-white suit. Going into Thursday's excursion, Feustel stands at six career EVAs for a total of 42 hours and 18 minutes performed on the STS-125 Hubble servicing mission and the STS-134 assembly flight to ISS while Arnold has 12 hours and 34 minutes under his belt on two EVAs performed on the STS-119 mission in 2009.


Node 3 Work Site – Image: NASA TV/DOUG

EVA preparations have been underway before the EV crew arrived aboard ISS as USOS crew members Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai, both veterans of one EVA, readied the two EMUs. Feustel and Arnold began setting up shop in the Quest airlock on Sunday by preparing the tools and bags they will take outside with them and they also went through final in-orbit procedure reviews – aided by 3D simulation software as well as the out-the-window view of their worksites.

The start of the EVA is planned at 12:10 UTC when Feustel and Arnold will switch their space suits to internal power inside the depressurized airlock before heading outside. After the typical setup steps related to safety tethers and suit configuration, the duo will split up to kick off the EVA by working on separate tasks with Drew Feustel headed aft and port to the Node 3 endcone while Ricky Arnold translates along the Port truss until meeting Canadarm2 to take a ride.


Node 3 EWC Antennas – Image: NASA TV

At Node 3, Feustel will find a prepared worksite as some setup for his task was already completed by Randy Bresnik in October through the removal of a pair of hand rails from the module's end cone to free up the installation locations for the modified hand rails holding the External Wireless Antennas. Employing a Pistol Grip Tool, Feustel will install the two In-Orbit Replaceable Hand Rails – one on the nadir side and one on the zenith side of the Node 3 end cone to provide proper WiFi coverage around the port hemisphere of ISS.

Once the two antenna hand rails have been placed, Feustel will move the PMA cover currently in place over the Node 3 Port Common Berthing Mechanism to the side in order to connect a pair of power and data cables to the CBM outlets that will deliver power and data connectivity to the antennas. After installation of the cables, Feustel will return the PMA cover to its original configuration while Mission Control can complete an initial check of the antennas.


ECOSTRESS on ISS – Image: NASA/JPL


ECOSTRESS Instrument Architecture – Image: NASA/JPL

The ECOSTRESS instrument, going by the full name of "ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station," is a 465-Kilogram Hyperspectral Infrared Imager capable of collecting high-resolution thermal infrared images of vegetation to measure the temperature of plants from orbit to better understand how much water they need and how they respond to stress. This is an entirely new capability for a space-based instrument and results from ECOSTRESS are eagerly awaited by the science community, explaining why ISS managers desired to have everything in place for the instrument's arrival as early as possible.

The $30 million ECOSTRESS instrument will be installed on Exposed Facility Unit (EFU) 10 on the Japanese Kibo Module's Exposed Facility, also known as the Station's Porch. ECOSTRESS will receive power and basic data connectivity for health telemetry transmission and command reception through its Payload Interface Unit on the Exposed Facility; however, for the high-speed science data link operating at up to 4.5 Mbit/s, ECOSTRESS will employ the Station's external WiFi system. Expanding the External Wireless System through antennas on Node 3 (located just aft of the Exposed Facility) ensures that all EF payloads can send high-speed data to ISS.

While Drew Feustel expands the Station's WiFi, Ricky Arnold will tend to its cooling system as his first task will be the removal of a pair of ammonia jumpers from the Port Heat Rejection System Radiator (HRSR). To reach his worksite, Arnold will take a ride on Canadarm2 – outfitting the free-flying end with an Articulating Portable Foot Restraint (APFR) before ingressing the arm to allow SSRMS operators Tingle and Kanai to fly him over to the Radiator Beam Valve.


Image: NASA TV
 

RBVM Architecture – Image: NASA

The retrieval of the two ammonia flex hose jumpers from the P1-3-2 Radiator Beam Valve Module (RBVM) is desired because extensive efforts by teams on the ground isolated these two jumpers as the most likely source for a small leak within the cooling loop. The P1-3-2 RBVM routes ammonia within Loop B of the Station's External Thermal Control System that hosts large radiators, pumps and heat exchangers to remove excess heat from the Station's cabin and radiate it overboard.

Signatures from the ammonia accumulator of Loop B showed a slowly decreasing ammonia quantity over a period of several months in 2016/17 and work was carried out with the Robotic External Leak Locator in February 2017 which allowed the area of interest to be narrowed to this particular RBVM. French Astronaut Thomas Pesquet inspected the area in March 2017 and collected video to help teams pin-point the leak.


RBVM Jumper Removal – Image: NASA TV/DOUG

After the RAD3 RBVM jumpers were identified as the likely source of the leak, Mission Controllers re-routed the affected flow path – one of six on the Port HRSR – and vented the ammonia lines in preparation for the retrieval of the jumpers. Returning the jumpers to the ground is hoped to provide insight into the exact location of the leak and its potential cause in order to further current engineering knowledge and prolong the life of future space-based thermal regulation components.

To remove the 1″ and 3/4″ jumpers, Arnold will first disconnect a pair of heater cables that supply power for the line heaters to prevent ammonia from freezing inside the jumpers. He will then demate Fluid Quick Disconnects on the RBVM side followed by the radiator side and stow the two jumpers on the outside of the Crew Lock Bag he is carrying. These Fluid Quick Disconnects have been a particular trouble-causer in the past – having shown an inconsistent behavior in recent years as some cooperate when being mated/demated and others give teams plenty of trouble.


External TV Camera Group Architecture – Image: NASA

With the first two tasks complete, Feustel will pass by the airlock to switch tool bags while Arnold will continue riding the arm, moving to the next worksite on the zenith-face of the Port Truss wh ere Camera Port 8 is located. Working together, the EV crew members will be tasked with replacing the External TV Camera Group (ETVCG) currently occupying the port because it lost its ability to pan & tilt upon ground command.

A typical ISS Camera Group comprises a stanchion and a CLPA (Camera, Light, Pan & Tilt Assembly) providing standard definition, 4:3 aspect ratio video from the outside of ISS. Some camera groups have been outfitted with an additional high-definition camera assembly over the last two years in an effort to bring ISS into the current decade wh ere HD video has become commonplace. Camera Port 8 received its HD Camera on EVA-37 in September 2016 and recently encountered a failure within the Pan/Tilt mechanism used to move both the standard def and HD camera on ground command to provide situational awareness of activities ongoing outside ISS.


Image: NASA TV/DOUG

To restore pan and tilt capability, the entire CLPA will be replaced by Feustel and Arnold. They will first move the CLPA into its stowed position and lock the pan/tilt system before disconnecting the HD camera power line and removing the HD camera from its slot as it will be re-installed on the new CLPA once it is in place. Next, Arnold will demate the CLPA connector and release two secondary & a central structural bolt with his Pistol Grip Tool and remove the entire CLPA.

Arnold will hand the failed unit to Feustel who will give him the spare and pack up the removed CLPA to bring it back to the airlock. With both hands free, Arnold will soft dock the CLPA and drive the structural bolts followed by sliding the HD Camera Box back into place and mating electrical connectors to the light and HD cam.

As a planned get ahead task, Feustel will translate over to the S0 truss and climb into the interior of the truss segment to retrieve an ammonia jumper that has been wire-tied inside S0 since around 2007 and was not used since. He will bring that jumper to the Pump Flow Control Subassembly on External Stowage Platform 1 at the Destiny lab in preparation for a future EVA that will relocate the PFCS. Ricky Arnold, after cleaning up the arm, will take the foot restraint to the same ESP-1 location to pre-stage it for U.S. EVAs 50/51.

Additional get-ahead tasks may be performed as time permits to tackle some items lined up for future EVAs to decompress timelines and clear time for other work that may crop up before the next set of spacewalks.

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https://www.roscosmos.ru/24863/

РОСКОСМОС. РАССТЫКОВКА ТГК «ПРОГРЕСС МС-07» С МКС
28.03.2018 16:59

28 марта 2018 года в соответствии с программой полета российского сегмента МКС прошла расстыковка транспортного грузового корабля (ТГК) «Прогресс МС-07» с Международной космической станцией.

По штатной программе расхождения объектов ТГК «Прогресс МС-07» отошёл от стыковочного отсека «Пирс» (СО1) российского сегмента МКС в 16:50:30 мск. Транспортный грузовой корабль «Прогресс МС-07» находился в составе орбитальной станции с 16 октября 2017 года.

После расстыковки и расхождения ТГК «Прогресс МС-07» продолжит орбитальный полет в автономном режиме, в ходе которого будут проводиться запланированные научно-прикладные эксперименты. Сведение с орбиты транспортного корабля и затопление его несгорающих фрагментов в несудоходном районе Тихого океана предполагается 26 апреля 2018 года.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/03/27/iss-daily-summary-report-3272018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/27/2018

Posted Mar 27, 2018 at 4:00 pm

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations:

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Today the crew continued preparing for US EVA #49 – Node 3 External Wireless Communications (EWC) installation, planned for Thursday March 29, 2018. They completed additional Airlock and Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) configuration and performed an EMU Water Tank and Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment (LVCG) Water Fill.

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Television Camera Interface Converter (TVCIC) Fastener Remove and Replace (R&R):

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Today two crewmembers R&Rd the three life-limited TVCIC fasteners that secure the unit to the Video Stanchion Support Assembly (VSSA). This TVCIC is required for the External Television Camera Group (ETVCG) scheduled to be installed during Thursday's EVA.

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Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) Relocation:

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Overnight, ground controllers relocated the CATS payload from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Exposed Facility Unit (EFU)-3 to EFU-8. CATS operational power was enabled for 4 minutes but no current draw was observed, which indicates CATS is failed. CATS is now off and will remain in the current location until returned on the SpaceX-17 vehicle. Since no current draw was observed at the new location, there is increased confidence that the EFU-3 site will be ready to support the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)-3 payload arriving on SpX-17.

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Lab Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA):

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Overnight, ground specialist completed a full calibration on the Lab MCA. Post-calibration, all data from the unit looks good and the MCA has achieved Spec Accuracy. At this time, the LAB MCA is a GO for use.

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AstroPi:

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To prepare for the European AstroPi Challenge 2017-2018 the crew installed the new Micro SD Cards with an updated Operating System on both AstroPis. They also installed a wireless dongle and an optical filter on the AstroPi infrared camera. The two AstroPis are augmented Raspberry Pi computers 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. One of the AstroPis has an infrared camera and the other has a standard visible spectrum camera.

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Veg-03:

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Today the crew watered the Veg-03 lettuce plants and harvested sel ect leaves for consumption. The plants will be left to grow and sprout new leaves. Veg-03 supports the proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. Future long duration space missions will require a fresh food supply grown in space to supplement crew diets.

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Meteor:

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The crew replaced the hard drive in the Meteor laptop and the diffraction grating in the Meteor camera located in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF). The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument with used to observe meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. Since the parent comets or asteroids for most of the meteor showers are identified, the study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.

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Food Acceptability:

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A crewmember completed a Food Acceptability questionnaire today. The Food Acceptability investigation seeks to determine the impact of repetitive consumption of food currently available from the spaceflight food system. Results will be used in developing strategies to improve food system composition to support crew health and performance on long duration missions.

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Lighting Effects:

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A 53S subject conducted a series of three Cognition tests during the day and made a sleep log entry this morning upon waking. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Results fr om this investigation also have major implications for people on Earth who use electric lights.

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Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG):

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Today the crew performed routine maintenance on the MSG. They inspected and cleaned the MSG Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) fan filter and applied grease to the MSG slide rails.

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Dragon On-Board Training (OBT):

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Today the crewmembers scheduled to capture SpX-14 Dragon completed the first in a series of Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) sessions. ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. SpX-14 is on track to launch April 2, 2018 and berth to ISS on April 4, 2018.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/03/28/cargo-ship-departs-emergency-reviews-day-before-spacewalk-begins/

Cargo Ship Departs, Emergency Reviews Day Before Spacewalk Begins

Mark Garcia
Posted Mar 28, 2018 at 12:18 pm


Russia's Progress 68 resupply ship is pictured docked to the Pirs docking compartment as the International Space Station orbited over the Atlantic Ocean south of the island of Bermuda.

A Russian cargo craft departed the International Space Station this morning after completing a six-month stay at the Pirs docking compartment. Meanwhile, the Expedition 55 crew is less than a day away fr om beginning the fourth spacewalk this the year for orbital lab maintenance.

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Russia's Progress 68 (68P) resupply ship flawlessly undocked from Pirs this morning at 9:50 a.m. EDT. It will orbit Earth for a month wh ere Russian ground controllers will conduct a series of engineering tests on the 68P. The cargo ship will then reenter the atmosphere April 25 loaded with trash and discarded items for a fiery but safe demise over the Pacific Ocean.

While a pair of astronauts are finalizing spacewalk preparations today, the six Expedition 55 crew members spent an hour today reviewing emergency roles and responsibilities. The four astronauts and two cosmonauts practiced communication procedures with each other and mission controllers on the ground. The crew also checked the location of safety gear and followed escape routes to their Soyuz vehicles in the unlikely event a crisis would require evacuating the station.

Finally, spacewalkers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel have their tools and suits ready for Thursday's excursion to install antennas and replace a camera assembly outside the space station. The duo wrapped up final reviews today with Flight Engineers Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai who will assist the spacewalkers in and out of their spacesuits. The spacewalk is expected to start at 8:10 a.m. tomorrow with NASA TV beginning its live coverage at 6:30 a.m.

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Oleg Artemyev‏Подлинная учетная запись @OlegMKS 4 ч. назад

Отправили сегодня в долгий обратный путь "космический грузовик". В долгий - потому что сход с орбиты у него будет только в конце апреля. А пока что он будет находиться в автономном полете.

Undocking has been done! Bye-bye, Progress!



Anton Shkaplerov‏ @Anton_Astrey 2 ч. назад

Недавно встречали пилотируемый корабль, а сегодня проводили грузовой. Вот такое у нас активное транспортное движение вокруг "космического города" #МКС.
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Active traffic in our "space megalopolis": the Soyuz spacecraft arrived a few days ago and the #Progress has undocked today.

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A.J. (Drew) Feustel‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro_Feustel 6 ч. назад

.@astro_ricky and I enjoying some fresh grown lettuce from the VEGGIE experiment on @Space_Station.

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William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews 4 мин. назад

USEVA49: Good morning; astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold are suited up in the space station's Quest airlock, making final preparations for a planned 6.5-hour spacewalk

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William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews 7 мин. назад

USEVA49: Feustel's suit failed a series of leak checks earlier today, but after troubleshooting it now appears airtight and good to go; spacewalk start time originally expected around 8:10am EDT; not yet clear whether that might change in wake of troubleshooting

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William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews 57 сек. назад

USEVA49: NASA mission control commentator Rob Navias reports the crew is running about 90 minutes behind schedule because of three failed leak checks of Feustel's suit and subsequent troubleshooting