NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 26 December 2004
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2004) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Congratulations to Leroy Chiao for having completed 100 days in space, joining that elite fraternity of astronauts and cosmonauts who can call themselves “space centurions”! (Salizhan Sharipov will cross that milestone on 1/12/05).
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
Progress 16P (#351) docked successfully last night at 6:58pm EST at the Service Module (SM) aft port. The docking in automated mode went flawlessly after last moment rescheduling of the event by TsUP/Moscow, delaying the linkup from the planned 6:31pm by 27 minutes. [After the entire process of fully automated rendezvous and approach had proceeded without issues, Russian Flight Control postponed the actual docking until ISS was in sunlight over Russian ground sites, because of a temporary inability of US segment (USOS) assets to downlink the Progress Klest TV picture for relay to Moscow. The video downlink was successfully acquired just prior to the actual docking activities initiation. All Progress systems operated perfectly during all phases of flight, rendezvous, and docking.]
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Progress Cargo Vehicle Procedures According to the introduction to these documents “this book is intended for performing cargo transfer operations in Progress and on stowing equipment in SM and Progress.” These documents contain diagrams and detailed procedures for the transfer of times from the Progress Vehicle currently docked with the ISS. |
The cargo ship is filled with a 2290 kg total load, consisting of 560 kg propellants, 50 kg O2 (oxygen), 420 kg water, and 1260 kg dry goods. [The latter comprise spare parts and other hardware, plus the critically required food: 40 containers with US ration choices and 29 Russian menus,- enough for 112 days (covering 67 days at a nominal consumption rate, i.e., until 17P arrives on 3/2/05, and an additional 45 days of food at a “skip cycle” consumption rate of 0.8 rations/day).]
After the shifted wakeup at 6:00am EST this morning, the crew conducted leak checks of the docking vestibule and fuel/oxidizer transfer line interface between Progress and SM, which were nominal. This was followed by hatch opening at ~1:40pm and installation of the QD (quick disconnect) clamps to rigidize the linkup.
Shortly thereafter, the crew performed air sampling inside the Progress with the Russian AK-1M air sampler, followed by deactivation of the cargo ship and installation of the air ventilation duct between it and the SM.
Afterwards, the FE spent about an hour in the Progress on the standard installation of the LKT local temperature sensor commutator (TA251MB) of the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system and its ROM (read-only memory) unit (PZU/TA765B).
Meanwhile, CDR/SO Chiao completed the daily routine inspection of the SM’s SOZh/ECLSS life support system (including replacement of ASU toilet facility inserts).
The crew performed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser, CEVIS cycle and the VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer. [Salizhan’s daily protocol prescribes a 1.5-hr structured set on the treadmill and one hour on VELO (today: Day 3 of a new set).]
Leroy then transferred the daily TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC (medical equipment computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium.
Sleep time tonight will be at 5:30pm.
No CEO targets for today. The next CEO target uplinks are planned for after the New Year.
CEO images can be viewed at these websites:
- http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography/
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-10/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 10 Flight Crew Plans can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/
Previous NASA ISS On-orbit Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Station Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports can be found here. A collection of all of these reports and other materials relating to Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle fleet can be found here.
Upcoming Key Events:
- EVA-12 — 1/25/05;
- Progress 16P undocking & destructive reentry — 2/27/05;
- Progress 17P launch — 2/28/05.
- EVA-13 — 3/25/05;
- Soyuz 9S undock — 4/25/05 (after 193 days on orbit, 191 days on board ISS).
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ISS Location NOW |
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 10:31am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 353.6 km
- Apogee height — 356.3 km
- Perigee height — 350.8 km
- Period — 91.61 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0004077
- Solar Beta Angle — 7.3 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 145 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34855
ISS Altitude History
Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html. In addition, information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA’s Human Spaceflight website. The current location of the International Space Station can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at http://www.spaceref.com/iss/tracking.html.
