NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 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. As of this morning 7:00am EST, the ISS has circled Earth 34,900 times since launch of FGB/Zarya, covering a distance of 1.476 billion km (922 million miles) or six times the distance to Mars and back.
Before breakfast and first exercise, FE Salizhan Sharipov and CDR/SO Leroy Chiao completed their fifth session with the Russian crew health-monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. Afterwards, the FE stowed the hardware. [MO-9 is conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the “PHS/Without Blood Labs” exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program. Afterwards, the data were entered in the medical equipment computer (MEC)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]
|
Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
At 10:35am EST, ISS attitude control was to be handed over to the Russian motion control system in the SM for the standard in-stack dynamic tests of the US-21 matching unit installed in Progress 16P yesterday (12/28) and its thrusters. [The test firings of Progress thruster manifolds 1 and 2 were to commence at ~11:21am and run through ~1:01pm, comprising eight firings (four per manifold) of 20 sec duration each, all timed for RGS passes. Control authority will be returned to U.S. CMGs (control moment gyros) at ~1:10pm to resume momentum management in XPOP. Progress thruster yaw and pitch control was incorporated into the SM’s propulsion control algorithm.]
The crew again spent several hours on 16P unloading, with cargo transfers and stowage. These activities will continue over the next few days. [Updated cargo unpacking plans are being used in conjunction with the IMS (Inventory Management System).]
FE Sharipov worked on the Russian Laptop 2 to “clone” (ghost) a backup hard disk drive (HDD #6059) with vers. 7:02 software from a CD with both Solaris and Windows OS (Operating System), using the Norton Ghost 5.1d application from a floppy and tagging up with ground specialists at TsUP via S-band to support the activity.
|
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. |
Chiao filled out the regular weekly FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), his ninth, that keeps a log of his nutritional intake over time on special MEC (medical equipment computer) software. [The FFQ records amounts consumed during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins. IBMP-recommended average daily caloric value of the crew’s food intake is 2200-2300 cal. If larger quantities of juices and fruits are taken into account, the value can go to 2400-2500 cal. Progress 16P has delivered new food supplies: a total of 69 containers with 209 rations, as well as 464 liters of water.]
Leroy worked on the RED (resistive exercise device), removing and replacing the pulley cords of its two canisters #1002 Ϭ. Later, he calibrated the two RED cans. [Although not showing excessive wear and tear, the RED cables have a certification limit of 53,515 repetitions, based on extensive testing data, and the current cords in use were approaching that cycle limit. The subsequent canister calibration established the relationship of specific load settings with a specific number of pulls per setting, followed by recording of the load values measured with a calibration tool and steel handles from the on-orbit calibration kit.]
Later, the crewmembers performed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer. Salizhan’s daily protocol currently prescribes a 1.5-hr structured set on the TVIS (today: Day 2 of a new set) and one hour on VELO.
The CDR 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.
Salizhan conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Leroy prepared the daily IMS inventory “delta” file for automated updating of the IMS databases.
At ~11:45am, the two crewmembers participated in an interactive TV PAO event from the Lab, being interviewed by news media gathered at NASA centers.
Later, Leroy Chiao held a private videoconference with the football team of the University of California, his Alma Mater (where the 44-yr. old ISS CDR got his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering).
FE Sharipov had a private teleconference with family members at TsUP/Moscow via S-band/audio and Ku-band/video.
Elektron timing lesson: As part of the nominal US-21 matching unit installation in 16P yesterday, the crew had deactivated the Elektron O2 generator. After installation and checkout completion, first attempt at Elektron activation failed because, as it turned out, insufficient time was allowed between reactivation of the VD-SU control mode, including one cycle of the BMP micropurification unit automatic algorithm, and Elektron activation. A second failure during power-up was a transient (and not unusual) failure of the Elektron’s micropumps. The crew was instructed to repeat the activation procedure with more time between the two steps. The Electron was successfully reactivated in 24 amp mode and has been functioning nominally. Russian ground specialists will update the procedures to incorporate the timing requirement.
No CEO targets for today except “static” points of interest for optional picture-taking. The next CEO target uplinks are planned for after the New Year.
CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the 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 10 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:
- ISS reboost (delta-V: 4 m/s) — 1/15/05;
- EVA-12 — 1/26/05 (Eastern)
- Progress 16P undocking & destructive reentry — 2/27/05;
- Progress 17P launch — 2/28/05.
- EVA-13 — 3/25/05;
- Soyuz 10 S launch — 4/15/05;
- Soyuz 9S undock — 4/25/05 (after 193 days on orbit, 191 days on board ISS).
|
ISS Location NOW |
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:07am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 353.1 km
- Apogee height — 355.8 km
- Perigee height — 350.5 km
- Period — 91.60 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0003962
- Solar Beta Angle — 17.9 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 105 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34900
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.
