NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 2 May 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. “Spring & Labor Day” – a holiday in Russia. Underway: Week 2 for Increment 11.
Sergei Krikalev began the day with the regular morning inspection, combined with the monthly routine inspection on DC1 circuit breakers and fuses. [The regular monthly checkup in the “Pirs” Docking Module looks at AZS circuit breakers on the BVP Amp Switch Panel (they should all be On) and the LEDs (light-emitting diodes) of 14 fuses in Fuse Panels BPP-30 & BPP-36.]
After breakfast, the CDR also performed the periodic inspection and tightening of the quick disconnect (QD) screw clamps of the SM’s docking and internal transfer mechanism (SSVP), where Progress 17 is linked up. [The screw clamps rigidize the mating surfaces between SM aft dock and 17P.]
John Phillips meanwhile had another 2-hr. timeline period for prepacking equipment slated for return on LF-1/STS-114.
Krikalev transferred cargo items remaining in the Soyuz-216/10S to stowage locations in the station. [Besides the VC8 “Eneide” payload equipment brought up with Roberto Vittori, 10S also carried Russian cargoes such as photographic gear (NIKON D1X with accessories), A31p laptops, personal items and fresh food, as well as NASA equipment (e.g., CHeCS sampling kits, radiation monitors, medical accessories, the Renal experiment kit, etc.).]
With the Elektron still off, Sergei started the regeneration cycle on absorbent bed #1 of the Russian harmful impurities removal system (BMP). Later tonight, the bake-out to space will be terminated and the vent valve closed. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours; it is not being conducted during crew sleep. The BMP is currently still using the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen).]
Dr. Phillips signed in and performed his first session with the psychological MedOps WinSCAT experiment (Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool) on the MEC (medical equipment computer), which last week received new software for this assessment. [This is a time-constrained questionnaire test of cognitive abilities, routinely performed by astronauts aboard the ISS every 30 days before or after the PHS (periodic health status) test or on special CDR’s, crewmember’s or flight surgeon’s request. The exercise involves tests of symbol memorizing, repeating numbers, mathematical processing, and pattern matching.]
Krikalev worked on the smoke detectors (IDZ-2) in the FGB, which have reached their end-of-life. Using new units from stowage, Sergei replaced five of the 10 IDZ-2s, leaving the second set of five for tomorrow. The old units were discarded and logged in the IMS (Inventory Management System).
The originally scheduled on-board training of the headset-based communications configuration to be used for photographing the RPM (Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver) at STS-114 arrival was deferred to a later date, due to the Shuttle launch slip to July. [During the RPM backflip at ~600 ft from the station, the ISS crew will have ~90 seconds for taking high-resolution digital photographs of all tile areas and door seals, to be downlinked for launch debris assessment.]
Sergei did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including its ASU toilet system and today also the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus. In addition, his discretionary task list also specified the preparation of the regular IMS “delta” file for export/import to the IMS databases.
The crew again had one hour each set aside on today’s schedule for adaptation and ISS familiarization, to help in getting used to their new surroundings and activities. [This “free” activity session has become a valuable standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two weeks.]
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Both crewmembers conducted their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and VELO ergometer cycle with bungee cord force loader (NS-1). [For the TVIS exercise, they are using the SLDs (subject loading devices) for holding the subject down. Krikalev also has a newly delivered training-loading suit (TNK-U-1), to create vertical loads (during the “ease-off” period of the first month of exercise, at least 52 kg load is recommended). As was the case for 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 4 of a new set). Use of the NS-1 is constrained by load limits on the ISS structure.]
John then transferred the daily TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium.
Sergei broke out and set up the equipment for tomorrow’s scheduled Russian PZE MO-9 “Urolux” biochemical urine test, his first on this Increment.
At ~12:40pm EDT, MCC-Houston performed the periodic “zero” calibration on the MCA (Major Constituents Analyzer). [The MCA is a mass spectrometer with a magnetic field to separate ionized air sample constituents in a work chamber that is kept at vacuum by a high-performance ion pump. Determined are partial pressures of major cabin air constituents (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, water, and methane). A zero calibration re-zeroes its sensors; a full calibration uses a gas standard internal to the MCA as reference.]
No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets today.
- 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 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.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:48am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 354.1 km
- Apogee height — 359.3 km
- Perigee height — 348.8 km
- Period — 91.62 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0007854
- Solar Beta Angle — 66.3 deg (magnitude increasing, peaking tomorrow at 67.4)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72)
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 96 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 36849
Some Increment 11 Main Events:
- Progress M-52 (17P) undock — 6/16;
- Progress M-53 (18P) launch — 6/17;
- Progress M-53 (18P) undock — 8/23;
- 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.
