Station Crew Gears Up for HTV Arrival

(NASA) – The International Space Station’s Expedition 20 crew spent time Monday gearing up for the arrival of the new Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). The crew members also performed their regular science and maintenance duties.

Flight Engineers Nicole Stott, Robert Thirsk and Frank De Winne spent time training on the Canadarm2 robotic arm Monday and brushed up on procedures for the grapple of the HTV, which is slated for Thursday at 3:50 p.m. EDT. The HTV, which launched Thursday from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, will be berthed to the Harmony module. The unpiloted cargo craft is carrying about 5 tons of supplies to the station on its maiden voyage.

Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works at a laptop computer aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

Flight Engineer Mike Barratt performed regular maintenance on the station’s fire detection systems, inspecting smoke detectors and cleaning the smoke detection filters throughout the orbital outpost.

Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko worked with the PLASMA-ISS experiment, which examines how electrical discharges from the solar arrays are affecting the space station.

Thirsk and Romanenko joined Commander Gennady Padalka in stowing trash and used equipment aboard the ISS Progress 34 cargo craft.

Padalka, Barratt, DeWinne and Romanenko also took the monthly On-Orbit Hearing Assessment test, which uses special software to determine minimum audibility measurements for each ear over a wide range of frequencies and sound pressure levels. The results of the test are used to assess the effectiveness of acoustic countermeasures aboard the station.