NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 30 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.
Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov again spent several hours on Progress 16 unloading, with cargo transfers and stowage. These activities are continuing daily. [Updated cargo unpacking plans are being used in conjunction with the IMS (Inventory Management System).]
The CDR/SO spent three hours doing the periodic thorough inspection of the ELPS (emergency lighting power sources) in the U.S. segment. [There are three ELPS units in the Node, two in the Lab, and one ELPS in the Airlock.]
The FE meanwhile performed the periodic (monthly) functional closure test of the Vozdukh CO2 removal system’s emergency vacuum valves (AVK). [The AVKs are critical because they close the Vozdukh’s vacuum access lines in the event of a malfunction in the regular vacuum valves (BVK) or a depressurization in the Vozdukh valve panel (BOA). Access to vacuum is required to vent carbon dioxide (CO2) during the regeneration of the absorbent cartridges (PP). During nominal operation, the AVK valves remain open.]
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
Sharipov prepared the daily IMS inventory “delta” file for automated updating of the IMS databases and then conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (with ASU toilet facility replacements), today including the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus.
Salizhan also held his weekly IMS (inventory management system) tagup with ground specialists, discussing open issues concerning identification of equipment and storage locations for IMS updating. [Today’s topics concerned identification and use of EDV container covers, as well as reminders to update underwear and napkin info in the database and to call down counter readings of SVO (water supply), SGO (sanitary hygiene equipment) and SPKU (toilet flush system) either daily during SOZh maintenance or once a week.]
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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. |
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 3 of a new set) and one hour on VELO.
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.
At ~9:15am, the crew conducted an interactive video teleconference with Russian industry leaders and officials from the Federal Space Agency (FKA), RSC-Energia, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) and press/media representatives, all gathered at TsUP/Moscow.
Later, at 1:00pm, Sharipov and Chiao downlinked a message of New Year greetings to high school students at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). [The students are being hosted by MAI faculty in the MAI Palace of Culture during their New Year school break.]
Yesterday’s standard dynamic testing of Progress 16 thrusters and of the newly installed US-21 matching unit went without issue. [The first thruster manifold of the Progress was tested at 11:25-11:29am and the second manifold at 12:51-1:01pm. Both manifolds (4 thrusters each) functioned nominally. Based on the results of the test, 16P will now be controlling the station in yaw and pitch when attitude is under control of the Russian MCS (motion control system).]
In support of the upcoming U.S. P6 battery reconditioning, which starts on 1/4/05 with #1 on the solar array 4B channel, the ground performed a swap of the Internal Multiplexer/Demultiplexer #1 (INT-1 MDM) and INT-2 MDM computer, with INT-1 becoming prime and INT-2 backup. During the transition, the ground observed several anomalies, some of which were related to the C&W (caution & warning) system, others to “task overrun” errors in the computers. The errors and anomalies were cleared quickly or cleared themselves. The transition was completed nominally, and INT-1 MDM has been functioning well since.
Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), focused on the Tsunami-devastated Malay Peninsula (as ISS passed over the Irrawaddy Delta, viewing direction was to the right of track along the western Malaysian coast. Regional weather patterns indicated high clouds in the area; however, the crew may have been able to shoot between clouds).
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 onboard ISS).
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ISS Location NOW |
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:00am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 353.0 km
- Apogee height — 355.5 km
- Perigee height — 350.4 km
- Period — 91.60 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0003752
- Solar Beta Angle — 20.8 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 160 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34915
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.
