ARISS Press Conference on Columbus Radio System
March 10, 2021 at 1900 UTC (20:00 Belgian Time)

The ARISS team will conduct a 45-minute press conference for media this Wednesday March 10 at 1900 UTC (20:00 Belgian Standard Time). This press conference will focus on the ARISS Radio system mounted in the Columbus module.

As a reminder, the ARISS team has been working very closely with NASA and ESA to identify potential causes of an ARISS radio anomaly first observed after the EVA (spacewalk) conducted on January 27.  No transmissions or receptions have been heard from this radio since the EVA.  During the spacewalk, cabling was installed to support the commissioning of the Bartolomeo attached payload capability mounted on Columbus.  Part of this effort rerouted the ARISS antenna cable through one of the Bartolomeo cables.

The press conference will provide insight into some of the cable troubleshooting that has occurred.  It will also discuss the EVA (spacewalk) planned for Saturday March 13 where astronauts Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover will complete the connection of payload cables on the new Bartolomeo platform. While at the Bartolomeo platform, the astronauts plan to reroute the ARISS cabling back to its original configuration prior to the January 27 EVA.

Interested media can attend the upcoming press conference using the following GoTo meeting credentials:

ARISS Press Conference: Columbus Module Hardware Status
Wed, Mar 10, 2021 1900-1945 UTC/20:00 - 20:45 (Belgian time)

Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/229563437


ARISS Columbus Radio Testing
March 5, 2021 Update

The following is an ARISS update from the e-mail I sent out on 2 March 2021, which is shown at the bottom of this Blog note.
 
This past week, astronauts on ISS performed troubleshooting tests on all four Bartolomeo RF cables that were previously installed in the Columbus Module.   The P01 cable, designated for ARISS, and the other three cables, designated for Bartolomeo commercial use, were connected to the ARISS radio system and tested in APRS mode.  No communications were established.
 
An EVA (spacewalk) is currently in progress.  Both ARISS radio systems on ISS have been shut off prior to this EVA for safety reasons.  As stated below, the ARISS antenna cable swap is a contingency procedure that is planned as the last task in the EVA (as time allows).  Prior to this contingency activity, Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi will be working on some other Bartolomeo cable/connector troubleshooting,  The troubleshooting with the Bartolomeo PAPOS connector will occur around 1700 UTC (+/- 30 minutes).  We are cautiously hopeful that the ARISS contingency EVA procedure, planned after the PAPOS troubleshooting, will be successfully completed prior to the end of the EVA.  If you listen to the EVA and want to follow along, Rubins and Noguchi plan to reconnect our ARISS antenna to the J02 connector of the APCU bracket.
 
You can watch the EVA at www.nasa.gov.
 
73,  Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS International Chair