NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 14 January 2005

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.

Before breakfast and exercise, FE Salizhan Sharipov completed his fifth session with the periodic Russian MedOps test “Gematokrit” (MO-10), measuring red cell count of the blood. [The blood samples were drawn from a finger with a perforator lancet, then centrifuged in two microcapillary tubes in the M-1100 kit’s minicentrifuge, and its hematocrit value was read off the tubes with a magnifying glass. It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count (normal range: 30-45%) tends to go down over time. After the exam, the data were saved in the IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), and Sharipov stowed the equipment.]

Completing his current biomed assessment, the FE also undertook the MBI-1 “SPRUT-K” test, part of Russian medical research on the distribution and behavior of human body fluids in zero gravity. Supported by Russian laptop 3 (LP3), the data were recorded on Profilaktika memory cards, along with this morning’s hematocrit data and the body mass values taken on 1/4. Afterwards, LP3 was powered down. [Experiment requisites are the Sprut (“squid”) securing harness, skin electrodes (cuffs), and the payload computer for control and data storage. The Penguin suit or Braslet-M cuffs, if worn, have to be taken off first. Electrode measurements are recorded at complete rest and relaxed body position. Assistance from the CDR was not required.]

Continuing 16P SSC network reconfiguration, Leroy Chiao has loaded five IBM A31p ThinkPad laptops with upgraded SSC (station support computer) software loads. [Two of the laptops will be used as SSC clients in the SM, one will be used as an SSC router in the FGB, and two will be used as SSC clients in the US Segment. The three SSCs to be deployed in the Russian Segment (RS) will replace existing IBM 760XD SSC laptops. The SSC software upgrades support the new and improved IMS (Inventory Management System) and the PIP (Plug-in-Plan) tool.]

After deactivating the Elektron O2 generator (preceded by a nitrogen flush of the BZh Liquid Unit), Salizhan performed a cross check on all vacuum vent valves in the SM by reading their manometers. He then worked on the Russian harmful impurities removal system (BMP), starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 24 hours. The BMP is currently still using the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen).]

Having unpacked the hardware kits of the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“plants-2”) experiment on 1/1/05, Sharipov set it up for operation and activated it by turning on environmental control power (pumps, light and fan), priming the tensiometers and setting laptop mode to Cultivation. [Rasteniya-2 researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions. After hardware installation, Salizhan planted six seeds of acacia leaf peas between the wicks of the root module (KM), made power connections and locked the tray. Regular daily maintenance of the experiment involves monitoring of seedling growth, humidity measurements, moistening of the substrate if necessary, and photo/video recording.]

Using the Nikon-D1 photo camera with SB-28DX flash and f28-70mm lens, Sharipov later took photographs of two air outlet fittings (ZG31, ZG34) in the SM behind wall panel 403. [To gain access to the locations in the SM’s RO-PkhO end cone area, Salizhan had to remove the panel and its ventilation grille. The activity was supported by tagup with the ground.]

As every new station crew, Chiao and Sharipov conducted a 90-min. on-board training (OBT) session with procedures designed to respond to a rapid depressurization. [The OBT was conducted with the support of a tagup with ground specialists via S-band.]

Salizhan performed the periodic microbial air sampling run with the Russian MedOps SZM-MO-21 experiment Ecosphera. [The equipment, consisting of an air sampler set, a charger, power supply unit, and incubation tray for Petri dishes, determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies.]

The FE also collected the periodic reading of the cabin air’s current CO2 partial pressure in the SM and Lab, using the U.S. CDMK (carbon dioxide monitoring kit), for calldown (along with the battery status) for use in trending analyses.

Sharipov held his weekly IMS tagup with ground specialists, discussing open issues concerning identification of equipment and storage locations for IMS updating. The regular preparation of the IMS delta file for export/import to the IMS databases today was part of his discretionary task list.

The crew 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 four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the TVIS (today: Day 4 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.

The crew participated in a PAO event set up at TsUP/Moscow with participants of the first transcontinental flight by Russian pioneers. [The event is part of the celebrations of the 101st birthday anniversary (on 2/2) of Russia’s great pioneer aviator Valery P. Chkalov who in 1937 flew in a still existing Antonov ANT-25 from Moscow over the North Pole to Vancouver, Canada, a truly astounding pioneering feat at that time, commemorated by a monument to Chkalov in Vancouver as well as a street named after him.],

At ~10:50am EST, the crew conducted a conference with ISS Program Scientist personnel, including Deputy Program Scientist Jennifer Rhatigan, Increment Payload Manager Rod Lofton, Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley, Program Scientist Office David Baumann, Payload Ops Manager Tim Horvath, and Lead Increment Science Rep Wes Tarkington.

At ~1:55pm EST, the crew is scheduled for their regular (nominally weekly) teleconference with the ISS Flight Director at MCC-H.

The ground is monitoring what could be a slow leak on the S-Band RFG-1 (Radio Frequency Group string 1) that has dropped below its operational limit of 27.5 kPa (kilopascal) to a current value of 15.9 kPa. [A review of the data shows this has been trending slowly downward for months. Data are still being analyzed to determine if it’s a real leak or just a transducer failure. For now, only String 1 is recommended to be used during a contingency situation. The hard limit beyond which it would be declared failed is 9.65 kPa, which at this rate probably wouldn’t be reached until May or June.]

The CCS (Command & Control System) R4 upload activities were completed today. The C&C-3 MDM, containing the old R3 software, was loaded with the new CCS R4 software. With this activity, the CCS R4 software is now on all three of the C&C MDMs and operating nominally.

The station reboost is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:55am EST.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, no longer limited in the current LVLH attitude, were Internal waves, Vietnam, S. China Sea (weather to the east-northeast of the Malaysian Peninsula was predicted to be mostly clear for internal wave photography), Tsunami Damage, Chagos Islands (Dynamic Event. This overpass provided an opportunity for high oblique photography of the Chagos Archipelago. This small group of islands suffered damage from the recent tsunami; looking for areas of bare soil, sediment plumes, and flattened vegetation along the coastlines), and Internal Waves, Caribbean Sea (weather was predicted to be mostly clear for internal wave photography. Looking to the left of track for the sunglint point; there may be interesting wave patterns off the eastern coast of Hispaniola).

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:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

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) — tomorrow, 1/15, at 8:55am EST;
• 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 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.