Mission

ELM-PS installed on the Harmony (Node 2)（Image credit: NASA）

Installation of the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS or JLP) on the Harmony (Node 2) was completed at 5:58 p.m. March 14 (3:58 a.m. March 14 CDT).

With the addition of the ELM-PS, the International Space Station (ISS) became more international; at this stage, the ISS is the space facility composed of the elements from US, Russia, Canada, EU and Japan.

The installation of the ELM-PS was conducted in parallel with the mission's first extravehicular activity (EVA#1).

While the spacewalkers worked on their scheduled EVA tasks, the ELM-PS was lifted from the shuttle's payload bay by the shuttle's robotic arm (SRMS) and attached to the common berthing mechanism (CBM) located at the zenith side of the Harmony (Node 2). Then, the ELM-PS was securely fastened to the CBM with bolts.
Shortly after that, the CBM vestibule was pressurized and air tightness between the two modules was checked.

Tomorrow (FD5), the ELM-PS will be activated. Astronaut Doi and the ISS Commander Peggy Whitson will outfit the vestibule of the ELM-PS, will open the hatch of the ELM-PS, and will enter into the ELM-PS.

Astronaut Doi's on-orbit activities (FD4)

Using the SRMS, astronaut Takao Doi and STS-123 Mission Commander Dominic Gorie installed the ELM-PS on the Harmony. They spent about an hour and a half for the robotic operations. Astronaut Doi was the prime robotic operator. The operation was carried out flawlessly. The ELM-PS was the largest and heaviest ISS module Japanese astronaut has ever handled with the SRMS.

Before the sleep period, astronaut Doi has set up the minimum keep-alive monitor (MKAM) for the ELM-PS onboard the ISS. The MKAM will be used for checking the temperature of the ELM-PS shell. Tomorrow, astronaut Doi will check the temperature of the shell on the MKAM before entering to the ELM-PS.

Status of the spacelab pallet (SLP) and Dextre

The STS-123 Mission ground team is currently working on a glitch relating to the power supply for the spacelab pallet (SLP) and Dextre.

On FD3, the SLP was removed from the shuttle's cargo bay and attached to the mobile base system (MBS). However, when the flight controllers at the NASA Mission Control Center sent commands to provide power to the SLP and Dextre through the keep-alive circuit on the MBS, the power was not provided as planned.

The engineers on the ground are trying to identify the source of the problem to find out a good solution for troubleshooting. At this moment, the ground team considers that installation of a new software patch will sort out the problem.

For further information, please refer to the NASA STS-123 Mission Status Report

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)