NASA Holds Expedition 42 Space Walk Briefing from Johnson Space Center in Houston

TL;DR

The International Space Station is preparing for three upcoming spacewalks as part of the station's reconfiguration to accommodate future commercial crew vehicles.

Transcript

well good afternoon everybody and welcome to our eva status briefing here at the johnson space center i'm dan hewitt uh obviously it's already been a very busy time for the crew on board the station and here on the ground on 2015. and it's not about slow down it's about to get a lot busier with three upcoming spacewalks here to learn a little bit m... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ The International Space Station is preparing for three upcoming spacewalks.
• 🖐️ The main focus of these spacewalks is to lay cables for the International Docking Adapter (IDA).
• 🚙 The station is also reconfiguring docking ports to accommodate future commercial crew vehicles.
• ⛽ Efforts are being made to rectify issues with the fan pump separators in the spacesuits.
• 🚙 The station is working towards establishing two birthing ports for commercial crew vehicles.
• 💦 The reconfiguration also involves relocating the Permanent Multi-purpose Module (PMM) and conducting robotic work.
• 🚉 The goal is to prepare the station for the arrival of commercial crew vehicles and expand its capabilities.
• ⚾ The schedule for the spacewalks may be subject to change based on data analysis and testing.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the goal of the upcoming spacewalks?

The main goal is to lay cables for the International Docking Adapter (IDA) to provide power and data for future commercial crew vehicles.

Q: What reconfiguration steps are being taken to accommodate commercial crew vehicles?

The station is reconfiguring its docking ports to have primary and backup ports for both cargo and crew vehicles. This involves relocating the PMM and preparing Node 2 Zenith and Node 2 Forward for crew vehicle berthing.

Q: Are there any issues with the fan pump separators in the spacesuits?

There have been two instances where the fan pump separator did not spin up, indicating a potential issue with water entering the system. Extensive troubleshooting and testing have been conducted, and the current understanding is that corrosion and water entry into the bearings are causing the problem. Steps are being taken to rectify the issue and ensure the suits are safe for spacewalks.

Q: How will the station be reconfigured to accommodate commercial crew vehicles?

Two birthing ports for commercial crew vehicles will be established on Node 2 Forward and Node 2 Zenith. Additionally, the PMM will be relocated, and robotic work will be done to prepare for crew vehicle arrivals.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The International Space Station has been busy with various tasks, including the recent successful SpaceX launch and the departure of the ESA's autonomous transfer vehicle. The station is now preparing for three upcoming spacewalks.

• The main focus of these spacewalks is to lay cables for the International Docking Adapter (IDA), which will be installed on the forward end of PMA number 2.

• Other tasks include reconfiguring the Permanent Multi-purpose Module (PMM), relocating the PMM to make room for crew vehicles, and preparing for the arrival of the first one-year expedition crew.