Back on The Ground - 0 views
started by Sandra Flores on 09 Jan 15
started by Sandra Flores on 09 Jan 15
started by Sandra Flores on 09 Jan 15
started by Sandra Flores on 09 Jan 15
The German ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst is now back on the ground, the commissioning of an assembled by him on the ISS furnace for experiments in materials science, however, is still ongoing. When assembling it had in fact been problems. Only by using shaving cream and a saw you got a clamping bolt into the handle.
A stubborn bolt and tricky assemblies in the Universe the electromagnetic levitator (EML) before its scientific mission on a particularly challenging experiment on the International Space Station.
In an above-ground cooperation astronaut Alexander Gerst prepared in space and the team in the control room of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) together with engineers from Airbus Defence and Space on Earth the furnace for the first test runs before.
During the return trip to Earth competes Gerst, the team now controls the furnace and testing it for the first experiments. "Next up is a kind of dry run - the sample goes into the oven is heated, but not melted yet," said Angelika Diefenbach, DLR project manager for the use of EML.
If the furnace ready for installation, are metallic samples are melted freely suspended and investigated without interference and interactions. Thus, the material physicist obtain data unadulterated have them thermo-physical properties of the samples by external forces. But before that happens, were and are many meticulously planned steps necessary to install the furnace to operate, test, and finally to operate.
The end of July 2014 launched the furnace on board the European Space ATV-5 Georges Lemaître to the International Space Station. Nine large packets, well packaged and washing machine large part, had been unloaded, transported in a sophisticated choreography by the ISS and brought to their destination, the Columbus laboratory. There astronaut Gerst should install the various components fit into an existing experiment rack.
To the last detail plans were prepared, which Gerst repeatedly coached the assembly and installation in space even before his departure to the ISS. The aim of the task required tools, likely duration and exact instructions for each handle, alignment of the two cameras, with which the ground team was able to observe the work - everything had to leave the team at DLR User Centre for space experiments (MUSC) listed in the so-called procedures and always be perfected again.
Gerst built individual components such as a water pump while the DLR control room, the team was following cameras work and the astronauts supported. Finally it happened: A bolt jammed - calculated on the smooth surface on which the camera of the furnace should sit. "Within a few days, we have several workflows written," says Diefenbach, who had then search feverishly for a solution with their team. Easy with the pliers, the bolt would not solve, saw and file had to be used without astronaut Alexander Gerst could breathe for example floating around sawdust.
The idea: shaving cream! The astronaut smeared the cut point a, sawed - and the screw-problem was solved. "From then on, the installation of the EML went off without a hitch." However: The original schedule was therefore invalid, the bolt had led to a significant delay and the astronauts working time was scarce and scheduled. "It was very helpful that Alexander Gerst has invested heavily in the experiment and was willing to work in his time freely available to it." Together with the DLR control room team he installed the built Airbus Defence and Space for ESA and DLR furnace - now follow the start-up and the necessary testing.
The review of the system and its subsystems have been addressed. "We control the EML repeatedly with countless individual commands in order to test all the components." Gas and vacuum system, video camera, communication channels to the ground - everything was put to the test. What follows is the final step before the scientific use is possible and can start the first experiments: DLR scientists control the first sample in the furnace and long test the experiment run, while the sample is actually four days and three nights melt.