Lightning Imaging Sensor Relocated on the International Space Station

On 7/7/22, the International Space Station Lightning Imaging Sensor (ISS LIS) was relocated to make room for the incoming Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source InvesTigation (EMIT) mission. The LIS instrument, as part of the 5th Space Test Program – Houston (STP-H5) payload, was moved from site 8 on the 1st EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (ExPRESS) Logistics Carrier (ELC-1) to site 3, which is an approximately 180° yaw flip on the other side of ELC-1. The ISS robotic arm was used to accomplish this relocation (Fig. 1). STP-H5 and LIS deactivated immediately before the relocation, and then reactivated successfully once secured in the new location. STP managed the relocation and reactivation in concert with the ISS robotic arm (ROBO) team and LIS personnel. The ISS LIS science team, in collaboration with the Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center (GHRC), is currently working on updating LIS data processing algorithms to account properly for the new location and orientation, which could take 1-2 months. However, preliminary operational data are available now through the GHRC. This move enables up to ~1.5 additional years of ISS LIS operations (through late 2023), with the potential for longer operations under certain circumstances.

LIS relocation

Figure 1. Image from an ISS camera of the robotic arm transferring the STP-H5 payload (containing LIS) from one side of ELC-1 to the other.

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