NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 April 2005

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2005) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. A short day for the crew (7h 45m), to be rested for the 10S docking tonight. As of ~11:00am EDT this morning, the ISS has circled Earth 36,600 times since launch of FGB/Zarya, covering a distance of 1.549 billion km (969 million miles) or ~6 times the distance to Mars and back.

Chiao and Sharipov performed a number of tasks in preparation for the arrival of 10S and its three-man crew, before turning in again at 9:45am EDT.

In the Lab module, Dr. Chiao powered up the HRF GASMAP (Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology) and its laptop for the last routine 30-day health check for Increment 10. Later in the day, the equipment was turned off again.

Also on the HRF laptop, the Science Officer performed file management activity on the hard disk to prepare it for an ADUM (Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Micro-G) data collection session scheduled for next week.

FE Sharipov charged the battery of the second digital video camera, DVCAM PD-1P, to prepare it for covering the hatch opening ceremony at 1:10-1:30am EDT tomorrow morning, to be downlinked for public viewing.

Salizhan completed another preliminary 55-min training session in the “Chibis” ODNT suit as part of his preparations for returning into gravity. Leroy Chiao provided assistance. [The below-the-waist reduced-pressure device ODNT (US: LBNP) in the “Chibis” garment provides gravity-simulating stress to the body’s cardiovascular/circulatory system for reestablishing the body’s orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the Gauer-Henry reflex) after the six-month stay in zero-G.]

Sharipov conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including ASU toilet system.

Chiao also completed the regular weekly maintenance reboot on the operational PCS (portable computer system) laptops and the bi-monthly restart of the OCA comm router laptop.

The Elektron has been commanded off, per plan, after operating nominally in the 64-amp mode yesterday. At mid-day yesterday, the ppO2 (oxygen partial pressure) was 166.8 mmHg/Torr, resulting in a 21.8% concentration level. The cabin total pressure was 14.8 psi (766 Torr).

In preparation of Roberto Vittori’s crammed VC8 “Eneide” science program, Sharipov connected the AQUARIUS-B payload to a power outlet in the Service Module (SM), setting it to +37 degC, relocated the Biotechnology (BTKh) Luch-2 experiment from the Cryogem-2 in the SM to the DC1 docking module near the Cryogem-03 cooler, and activated the KUBIK-AMBER hardware, setting it to a temperature of +28 degC. [The VC-8 program, running from 4/15 to 4/25, consists of 23 ISM “Eneide” (ESA/Italy) experiments and PAO & “symbolic” events. VC8 experiments will use hardware that will be delivered on 10S specifically to support this projec7t as well as equipment already on board the ISS Russian segment (RS), including the AST spectrometer for the LAZIO experiment, the CRYOGEM controlled-temperature containers, the KUBIK-AMBER thermostat for the CRISP-2 (Crickets in Space) experiment, and the AQUARIUS-? thermostat container used in the experiments FRTL-5 (Radiation Effects on Rat Thyroid Cells) and BOP (Human Bone Osteoblast Physiology). In addition, Soyuz ???-6 will deliver two IBM A31p ThinkPad-based laptops, one of which will be used in the “Eneide” experiment, the other in the LAZIO, E-NOSE, and HBM experiments. Photo and video imaging will be performed using a Nikon D1? digital camera and a DSP150P camcorder delivered by Soyuz-???6.]

Soyuz TMA-6 (10S) with Expedition 11 crewmembers Sergei Krikalev & John Phillips plus Italian VC8 cosmonaut Roberto Vittori continues to catch up with the station for the docking tonight at 10:19pm EDT (5:19am DMT/Moscow on Sunday). [FD2 activities, starting yesterday with crew wakeup at 1:30pm, included systems & crew health status reports to TsUP, preparation of the Soyuz Orbital Module (BO) for the subsequent rotational (RUO-2) & translational (RUD-2) hand controller checkouts over RGS (Russian ground sites), building attitude for and executing the DV3 burn at 9:59pm last night, placing Soyuz back in its sun-spinning “barbecue” attitude (ISK) and swapping CO2 absorption cartridges in the BO. Today, FD3 activities began at ~12:50pm with crew wakeup after their second sleep period. Throughout the wake periods in free flight, Vittori conducted experiments of his VC8 program. Later today, at ~5:50pm, right after the Orbit #31 RGS (Russian ground site) pass, the crewmembers will put on their Sokol suits and PKO biomed harnesses, transfer to the Orbital Module (SA), activate its air purification system (SOA) and close the hatch to the Descent Module (BO). After the DV4 burn tonight at 8:24pm, activation of the active Kurs-A system on Soyuz (8:40pm) as well as the passive Kurs-P on the SM (8:42pm), the DV5 burn at ~9:08pm (at ~101 km range) and up to three additional adjustment burns during automated rendezvous (starting at 9:37pm), station fly-around to align with the DC1 port will begin at ~10:00pm, followed by station keeping at ~10:09pm. Final approach, initiated at 10:10pm, will be concluded on Orbit #34 by docking and Soyuz hooks closure, at which time the ISS maneuvers from temporary free drift back to earth-“fixed” LVLH TEA (local vertical/local horizontal torque equilibrium attitude), reverting to U.S. CMG control. Since orbital sunrise is at 10:01pm, the final approach and docking phase will take place in bright sunlight.]

After its current sleep time, which ends at 6:15pm tonight, the ISS crew will perform final steps in preparation for the Soyuz TMA-6 arrival. Primary activities by ground-command and by the crew will include:

• Configuring the US P6 solar array BGAs (Beta gimbal assemblies) to autotrack the Sun (6:15pm);
• Handing over attitude control to RS motion control (6:20pm);
• Powering up the Lab RWS (Robotics Work Station) and the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) on the prime string for covering the Soyuz docking with its external cameras (6:35pm);
• Setting up the onboard video and A31p laptop connection for linking the RS event to the US segment and Ku- and S-band assets (7:35pm);
• Relaying Soyuz voice comm link to the US S-band for downlinking during the rendezvous, starting at ~100 km range (9:08pm);
• Feathering the P6 solar arrays 2B & 4B;
• Starting to collect structural vibrations data with the SDMS (Structural Dynamics Measurement System) on the S0 truss for five minutes during the docking;
• Monitoring the approach and docking (10:19pm), and
• Turning the TVS video system off at ~10:25pm.

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Ten — 24th):

GASMAP: Nothing new.

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Advanced Ultrasound (ADUM): ADUM will be performed with the E10 crew once more during next week (Scan A), including handover activities to the E11 crew.

John: It is going to be a very busy week! The ADUM team is looking forward to working with you for your OPE session on GMT 108, during the Scan A session on GMT 111, and the Session Analysis on GMT 113. final Scan Z was completed this week, and the full data set is now being analyzed.

In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI): Operations are complete. –>For a descriptive article on ISSI background & early surprising results, see AIAA’s “Aerospace America” Magazine, March 2005 issue (page 24)

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS remains in nominal operations.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS remains in nominal operations.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): PCG-STES is performing nominally.

Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-3 (BCAT-3): BCAT-3 Slow Growth Sample Module will be left undisturbed in its current location by the E11 crew. In order for the samples to potentially grow crystals that can be photographed during Increment 12 operations, the Sample Module must be left undisturbed.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside on the U.S. Airlock. Nominal and collecting data.

Cellular Biotechnology Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigation (CBOSS-FDI): All done for Increment 10.

Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT): Nothing new.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM): Nothing new.

Serial Network Flow Monitor (SNFM): All done for Increment 10.

Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM): Nothing new. Will roll over to Increment 11.

Space Experiment Module (SEM): The final SEM photo activity for the students may take place during Increment 11.

Effects of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (BIOPSY): Next week the crew will complete their last in-flight diet logging session.

Miscible Fluids in Microgravity (MFMG): The Video and Digital Photos from the last MFMG Saturday Science session have been received by the PI and are under analysis. Will roll over to Increment 11.

Educational Payload Operations (EPO): Nothing new. Will roll over to Increment 11.

Crew Earth Observations (CEO): As of 4/10, total CEO image count now stands at 15,907. An extraordinarily detailed CEO image, shot last month of the city of Lima, Peru, is being published on NASA’s Earth Observatory web page this weekend. This is easily the finest ESC image of this long-standing CEO target received on the ground to date. “As we conclude our payload activities with you this week, we all wish to thank you for your diligence and responsiveness to our target requests. This has been another great increment for our payload.”

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.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 3:25am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 355.4 km
• Apogee height — 360.0 km
• Perigee height — 350.8 km
• Period — 91.65 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0006815
• Solar Beta Angle — -4.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 150 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 36600

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.

Expedition 11/Expedition 10 Flight Timelines:

• Soyuz 10S (Expedition 11+1; Sergei Krikalev, John Phillips, Roberto Vittori):
• Kurs-A & Kurs-P short test (15 km) — 4/16 (Sat.), 9:34pm EDT;
• Soyuz TV activation (8 km from ISS) — 9:42pm
• Orbital Sunrise — 10:01pm
• Flyaround — 10:01-10:10pm;
• Stationkeeping & Start Final Approach — 10:10pm;
• Docking — 4/16 (Sat.), 10:19pm EDT.

Soyuz 9S (Expedition 10+1; Leroy Chiao, Salizhan Sharipov, Roberto Vittori):

• Undocking from FGB — 4/24 (Sun.), 2:38pm EDT (undock command);
• Sep Burn #1 (manual) — 2:44pm;
• Deorbiting Burn — 5:18pm (4 min 23 sec, delta-V 115.2 m/s);
• Module Sep — 5:43pm;
• Atmospheric Entry — 5:46pm;
• Landing in darkness — 4/24 (Sun.) 6:09pm EDT; 3:09am (4/25) local Kustanai/Kazakhstan;
• Sunrise at Kustanai landing site — 5:16am. [Note: Kazakhstan remains on
• Standard Time; thus: local time = GMT+5].

Return to Flight:

• LF-1 (STS-114)/Increment 11 SORR (Stage Operations Readiness Review) — 4/20 (Wed.), at JSC;
• LF1 (STS-114)/Discovery launch windows (all times EDT), for FD3 docking:
• 5/15: 3:45 – 3:55pm;
• 5/16: 2:22 – 2:32pm;
• 5/17: 1:59 – 2:07pm;
• 5/18: 1:34 – 1:44pm;
• 5/19: 1:12 – 1:22pm;
• etc.

Note: For the May/June launch period, the daily 10-minute planar launch window (i.e., in ISS orbit plane) starts an average 23 minutes earlier each day, extends into early June and closes due to current constraints of Daylight Launch (6/7) or ET umbilical photo opportunity (6/3). Figures are approximate. There are additional opportunities for docking on FD4 (Flight Day 4), not planned. If STS-114 launches on 5/15, docking will be on 5/17 and undocking on 5/25.

Other Upcoming Main Events:

• Progress M-53 (18P) launch – 6/10;
• ULF1.1 (STS-121) launch — NET 7/12;
• Progress M-54 (19P) launch — 8/24;
• Soyuz TMA-7 (11S) launch — 9/27.