JAXA Astronaut Activity Report, November 2005

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This is JAXA's Japanese astronaut primary activity report for November 2005.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Training at the Weightless Environment Test (WET) Building, Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC)

Astronaut Furukawa (Left) and Astronaut David Wolf (Right) during the training session.

Astronaut Furukawa, along with Astronaut Wakata and Astronaut David Wolf of NASA, participated in EVA training at the Weightless Environment Test (WET) Building at Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC).
Using space suits for underwater operations and the buoyancy of water to simulate a zero-gravity environment, the astronauts acquire technological knowledge as well as maintain and enhance their EVA skills.
The focus of this training was on the EVA related assembly operational tasks of the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo."

	It has been a year and five months since the underwater training at the Hydro Laboratory in Russia. The difficulty of moving the gloves, which is the result of the difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the space suit, was exactly the same as it was during the training in Russia. During this training, Astronaut Wakata and Astronaut Wolf of NASA gave me several tips on how to conduct an EVA safely, surely, and efficiently. This was a really great training session. As Mission Specialist Candidate Training is nearing its end, I would like to support the important stages leading to the launch, which will take three flights, and then assembly and finally the start of the operation phase of Kibo.

Mission Specialist Candidate Training

In November, astronauts Furukawa, Hoshide, and Yamazaki continued with their Space Shuttle Mission Specialist training with Space Shuttle System training, ISS training, and T-38 flight training.

Space Shuttle System Training

In addition to attending lectures on the space shuttle systems, they attended simulator training for responding to anomalies (malfunction training), and performing required tasks based on their accumulated knowledge of each subsystem by their individual groups.
In addition, a Paper Simulation (Paper SIM), which confirms launch and entry operations at a desk, was conducted.

ISS Training

Lectures and operator's level skill training for each subsystem, such as the Thermal Control System, Environmental Control and Life Support System, Attitude Control System, Photo/TV System, Robotics/Mechanisms System, and emergency operations, Soyuz spacecraft overview, and on-orbit maintenance, were given.
Final assessment exams for each of the subsystems were then conducted.

EVA Procedure Development Test at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Astronaut Doi participating in the test.	Astronaut Scott Parazynski donning his space suit for the underwater operations.

Astronaut Doi and Astronaut Scott Parazynski of NASA have participated in the EVA Procedure Development Test for the ISS at the NBL, Johnson Space Center (JSC).
The NBL is a football field-sized water pool with a full-scale mockup of the ISS submerged in it.
A zero-gravity environment is simulated using space suits for underwater operations and the buoyancy of water.
During this test, the two astronauts replaced a radiator on the P6 truss of the ISS by following the procedure.
The validity of the tasks, its procedure, and time were confirmed.

Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) Development Test Using the 6-Degree-of-Freedom motion simulator

Astronaut Wakata conducting the hardware test, while wearing a space suit.

Astronaut Wakata conducted the hardware test at JSC as part of the development of the OBSS.
An actual space suit was worn, and the 6-Degree-of-Freedom motion simulator was used during this test.

Astronaut Wakata has been working very closely with the OBSS since its initial development stage.
The OBSS was used to inspect for any Space Shuttle damage while on orbit.
The OBSS enables the inspection of areas the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System is not able to reach.
It was used during the STS-114 mission, the mission Astronaut Noguchi participated in.

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