NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 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.

Krikalev and Phillips began the day with today s main task: the standard two-hour emergency OBT (on-board training) drill, with Russian and US specialists standing by at both control centers for crew questions or comments. The rule is that the emergency egress exercise should be performed by every new station crew once within seven days after departure of the previous crew.  [Background: Purpose of the drill is to (a) familiarize the station residents with the location of hardware and the positions of valves used in emergency situations, (b) work through the Russian Segment (RS) hardware deactivation procedures, (c) develop crew emergency joint activities, and (d) identify crew comments and suggestions that arise during training regarding crew procedures and equipment. In the RS, the crew translated along the emergency egress path to the DC-1 port (where Soyuz TMA-6 is currently docked), checking hardware such as the Sokol suits, cable cutters, fire extinguisher (OKR), gas masks (IPK), emergency procedures books, valve settings, hatch seal & restraint integrity, etc. In the US Segment (USOS) the inspection focused on fireports being unblocked in Node (26), Airlock (13) and Lab (53), readiness of CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products), PBA (portable breathing assembly) and PFE (portable fire extinguisher), emergency procedures books, valve settings, integrity of hatch rubber seals, presence of hatch handrails, etc. The exercise is usually topped off by a thorough debrief with the ground.]

CDR Krikalev worked on the Russian SKV air conditioners, troubleshooting the systems current inability to maintain condensate flow to the SRVK-2M condensate water processor. The latter, with its BRPK air/liquid condensate separation and pumping unit, processes the condensate coming from the SKV for subsequent electrolysis in the Elektron O2 generator.  [Depending on Sergei s findings, TsUP/Moscow will specify further steps at restoring the RS dehumidifiers.]

Science Officer Phillips performed the scheduled lens change on the EarthKAM system at the Lab science window, going from 50mm to the 180mm-lens configuration.  [EarthKAM was activated on Monday, 4/25, for the first time for Increment 11. Participation involves 118 schools from around the world, i.e., the US (including 2 schools from Virginia), Argentina, Canada, Spain, Japan, and England. The number of “future explorers” directly participating in this session will be 8,538.]

Both crewmembers completed the important cleanout of the Node hatch area, relocating and restowing cargo, in particular US and Russian food containers. [The D2 hatch area in the Node must be clear for LF-1 arrival and delivery of the Raffaello MPLM (Multipurpose Logistics Module), which will be moved by SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) to the Node and docked at its nadir port. The installation of the CBCS (centerline berthing camera system) at the nadir hatch window, needed to assist in the docking, is scheduled for tomorrow, so the cleanout had to be completed today. The relocation of bags, which cover a number of Node fireports, has been assessed and approved by Safety personnel.]

Along with the cargo relocation, Krikalev conducted a food container audit for updating the IMS (inventory management system) databases, including identification of unused Expedition 10 rations and their contents.

CDR Krikalev did the routine maintenance of the SOZh environment control & life support systems in the Service Module (SM), today including the weekly routine checkup of the IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways and FGB-to-Node tunnel, while John Phillips prepared the regular IMS delta file for export/import to the IMS databases.

FE Phillips prepared a sign for posting at the Lab window as a reminder to keep the external window shutter closed during vehicle approach/undocking maneuvers, as protection against thruster contamination/residue deposits on the outer window surface.  [During 9S undocking it was observed via Soyuz downlink video that the Lab window shutter was open for about 40 minutes, while the Soyuz operated in the vicinity.]

John completed the regular weekly maintenance reboot on the operational PCS (portable computer system) laptops.

Afterwards, the FE performed the periodic status check and filter cleaning, if necessary, on the autonomous PCG-STES010 (Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System) payload in the Lab.  [For the PCG-STES, today is the 890th day of continuous powered operation onboard the ISS, which is unprecedented for this experiment hardware, which has delicate crystals growing inside. Its previous run time onboard Mir did not exceed 200 days. Nominally, PCG-STES010 powered operations are expected to continue while plans are finalized for its return on LF-1 (STS-114) next month.]

John also completed the periodic (every two weeks) inspection of the RED (resistive exercise device) with canister cords and accessory straps as well as the canister bolts for re-tightening if required.

Both crewmembers conducted their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill (aerobic), RED resistive exerciser (anaerobic) and VELO ergometer cycle with bungee cord load trainer (combination aerobic/anaerobic). For the TVIS exercise, they are using the SLDs (subject loading devices) for holding the subject down, plus newly delivered training loading suits (TNK-U-1), to create a 54 kg load (typically).   [As was the case for Salizhan Sharipov, Sergei s daily protocol prescribes a four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 3 of a new set).]

John 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 had one hour each set aside on today s schedule for ISS familiarization and leisure, to help in adjusting to their new surroundings and activities.  [This free session has become a valuable standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two weeks.]

At ~12:50pm EDT, Krikalev and Phillips engaged in a telecon exchange with the crew of the STS-114/LF-1 Shuttle mission, currently planned for liftoff on 5/22.

The crew reported another GLA (General Luminaire Assembly) in the Lab as dim/flickering. The GLA was turned off to protect the BBA (Baseplate Ballast Assembly) as per standard procedure. The US Lab now has eight of 12 GLAs operational.

During various RGS (Russian ground site) comm passes, TsUP/Moscow continued tests of the downlink functionality of the BSR-TM Regul interface unit (part of the Russian radio control & communications system, to be used for the ROKVISS robotics experiment), without crew involvement.

Another TsUP-controlled technical systems test over RGS, Identifikatsiya (TEKh-22), required activation (and subsequent deactivation) of the ALO and IMY accelerometers in the SM and FGB.  [TEKh-22 identifies and investigates disturbance sources when the micro-G conditions on the station are disrupted.]

Update on Elektron: As reported, the Elektron was successfully activated yesterday in 50 amps mode. After running nominally for ~3 hours, it shut down. Afterwards, TsUP/Moscow decided to perform a cabin air repress with O2 from Progress 17 storage.  A 12.1 mmHg repress was completed just prior to crew sleep last night, resulting in ppO2 (oxygen partial pressure) of 164.3 mmHg (concentration: 21.6%) and a total cabin pressure of 761.3 mmHg.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Galapagos Islands (DYANMIC EVENT: ISS had a nadir pass and good view conditions over these picturesque volcanic islands made famous by Charles Darwin. The greenness of the vegetation there is greatly influenced by rainfall patterns induced by El Niño events. In a mapping pass, the crew was to document the vegetation conditions following last year’s weak El Nino), Internal waves, Patagonian Shelf (reasonably good weather and lighting conditions are expected this pass for detecting internal waves in the Argentine coastal waters. Looking left of track for sun glint enhanced sea surfaces in the vicinity of and north of the Valdes Peninsula), Patagonian Glaciers (as was the case yesterday, clouds are expected to be encroaching from the SW at the time of this pass. However, today the crew was to try the long lens for more detailed views of the glaciers of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and perhaps the northern part of the larger Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Best views were mostly left of track), and Jarvis Island, Equatorial Pacific (weather was marginal and lighting was less than ideal, but the crew was advised do take advantage of this opportunity to familiarize themselves with the use the long lens on a coral reef target, just left of track).

 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 11 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-11/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 11 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, 7:09am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 354.4 km
• Apogee height — 359.6 km
• Perigee height — 349.1 km
• Period — 91.63 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0007738
• Solar Beta Angle — 48.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 60 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 36770

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

Return to Flight:

• LF1 (STS-114)/Discovery launch windows (all times EDT), for FD3 docking:
• 5/22: 1:03 – 1:08pm;
• 5/23: 12:41 – 12:46pm;
• 5/24: 12:15 – 12:20pm;
• 5/25: 11:53 – 11:58pm;
• etc.

  Note: For the May/June launch period, the daily 5-minute planar launch window (i.e., opens as KSC Pad 2 passes through 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), which is not planned.

Other Increment 11 Main Events:

• Next ISS reboost (by 17P) — 5/11;
• Progress M-52 (17P) undock — 6/16;
• Progress M-53 (18P) launch — 6/17;
• ULF1.1 (STS-121) launch — NET 7/12;
• Progress M-54 (19P) launch — 8/24;
• Soyuz TMA-7 (11S) launch — 9/27;
• Soyuz TMA-6 (10S) return — 10/7.

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.