NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 June 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.

After PMA-3 (Pressurized Mating Adapter-3) depressurization was initiated yesterday by FE/SO Phillips on schedule, subsequent fine leak checks failed, indicating a potential small leak from the Node through either its portside hatch or through the newly installed MPEV (manual pressure equalization valve) into the nearly airless PMA. Today’s scheduled teardown of the ISA/VAJ (internal sampling adapter/vacuum access jumper) setup was replanned to allow time for more leak checking. As of now, the leak is small enough to require no further action, but additional checking will be conducted. [Leak checking early this morning showed a delta-pressure “trickle” of ~5 mmHg over the eight hours since the last reading last night, which exceeded the pass/fail criterion of 2 mmHg for this pressure check. Subsequent checks showed lower values. If follow-on pressure checks indicate delta-Ps of <2 mmHg, no further immediate action is required; if delta-P measurements show more than 2 mmHg, John will be asked at a later date to check the hatch and MPEV with the ULD (Ultrasonic Leak Detector) to locate the leak. If the loss is sustainable from a consumables and crewtime perspective, PMA-3 will be depressed periodically to keep its internal pressure at less than 190 mmHg (for thermal/humidity reasons). For a larger leak, plans would be made to ingress the adapter again and clean hatch and MPEV seals.]

CDR Krikalev was scheduled to install a network channel controller box (KSK A24) for ATV PCE (Automated Transfer Vehicle Proximity Communication Equipment) testing and to hook it up to the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry measurement system. [This task had to be aborted on 5/26 when two connectors could not be mated, after which TsUP/Moscow developed a resolution plan. Part of the work was temporary removal and later reinstallation of a fan (VPO12) in the Service Module (SM).]

In today’s eagerly awaited repair work on the Elektron oxygen (O2) generator, Krikalev installed two new aerosol filters in the gas lines along the Liquid Unit 7 (BZh7), replacing the old FA-K and FA-B filters in the downstream O2 and H2 (hydrogen) gas lines between the liquid sensors and the flow regulator. Afterwards, the Elektron underwent a test activation from laptop and operated nominally on 16 amps for about 24 minutes before shutting itself down. More work is in planning for tomorrow, including an N2 (nitrogen) purge.

Also on Sergei’s plate for today was the preparation of raw test data from the ASN-M satellite navigation system, to be used for the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) for downlink via the new BSR-TM telemetry interface unit to Regul (part of the Russian radio control & communications system). [BSR-TM functionality has been tested extensively in the last few weeks by TsUP and Oberpfaffenhofen/Germany for comm with the external ROKVISS robotics experiment, without crew involvement.]

The CDR continued his work on the Russian Laptop 1 (LT1), cloning an HDD (hard disk drive, #6137), removed yesterday from LT3, with the new Windows OS (Operating System) vers. 07.03 software from CD, using the Norton Ghost 5.1d application.

Sergei set up LT3 and the Russian “Relaksatsiya” spectrometer and video camera at SM window 12, then conducted the first session of the Plasma-ISS (Bridge-2) experiment, aimed at registering Xenon jet luminosity values from one of the two PCUs (plasma contactor units) installed on the U.S. Z1 truss and its interaction with ionospheric flow. Measurements were taken in eclipse (orbital night), and the experiment hardware was later disassembled and stowed. The activities were supported by specialist tagup via S-band. [The experiment studies near-station and ISS surface electroplasmic processes and their effects on ISS systems and elements. The US P6 solar arrays create static-electricity potentials of ~160 volts on the structure, and two PCUs (Plasma Contactor Units) are commonly used during EVA (or tests) to emit Xenon plasma to keep shell surface potentials at <40V. Because of the high orbital speed (i.e. high collision energy between the Xenon plasma and atmospheric oxygen) a weak optical emission (glow) can be observed. The experiment uses the onboard "Relaksatsiya" ("relaxation") equipment with its Fialka-MV-Kosmos multispectral hardware (spectrometer, video camera plus Laptop 3 software) to observe the PCU plasma jet emission luminescence from SM windows #12 & #13 today and again in early August.]

Phillips completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), while Krikalev prepared the regular IMS (Inventory Management System) “delta” file for export/import to the IMS databases.

Both crewmembers worked out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and VELO ergometer bike with bungee cord load trainer. [John’s “speed placard” on the treadmill has now been raised to 7 mph (from 6 mph). Sergei’s daily protocol prescribes a strict 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).]

Afterwards, the FE transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

At ~2:35pm EDT, the crew was scheduled to tag up with MCC-H specialists to compare notes on the recent (6/20) photo/video drill for the Shuttle STS-114 RPM (Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver) in July at pre-docking of Discovery.

Immediately after yesterday’s attitude control handover from Russian to US motion control, CMG-3 (control moment gyroscope #3) exhibited a vibration (0.07 g) along with an SMCC (spin motor command current) spike (0.058 amps) and a momentary temperature increase. The two functioning CMGs are currently operating nominally. [The handover followed the XVV to YVV attitude transition. This signature is typical for bearing retainer instability, which would usually be instigated by an external event such as movement of the CMG gimbals at an elevated rate.]

Sergei’s attempt yesterday to flush the condensate line (MOK) of the condensate water recovery system (SRVK-2M) from the SKV air conditioners to the condensate pump (NOK) had to be aborted when not all gear required for the procedure could be located in the time allotted. [Purpose: to restore flow of condensate collected by the air conditioning systems SKV-1 and SKV-2 through the K27 connector in the MOK.]

On 6/21, the crew reported an additional LHA (Lamp Housing Assembly) failure in the Lab. This leaves five (of six) operational GLAs (General Luminaire Assemblies) on the Lab port side and two (of six) operational GLAs on its starboard side. Three spare LHAs were launched on 18P and will be replaced at a future time when the task can be scheduled.

The dynamic thruster testing conducted on 18P’s manifolds 1 and 2 on 6/21 was successful. Progress18 thrusters are now available for ISS pitch and yaw control plus translation.

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 Glacial features, South Libya (the Sahara lay near the South Pole 400 million years ago. Resulting glacial features were buried for much of the time since. But in the recent past, meandering subglacial rivers in particular have been re-exposed by erosion. The special interest is to discover by remote sensing the wider, more regional pattern since these ancient river beds are associated with oil in some places. Shooting just right of track for ~30 sec), and Wake Island reefs, NW Pacific (looking a touch left for this coral reef target).

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.

Some Increment 11 Main Events (not final):

• Reboost — 6/29 (4:21pm, delta-V 2.3 m/s);
• LF-1/STS-114 launch — 7/13 (18-day window opens);
• LF-1/STS-114 dock — 7/15 (adding 110,713 kg to ISS mass);
• LF-1/STS-114 undock — 7/23;
• Soyuz TMA-6/10S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — ~8/16;
• ULF1.1/STS-121 launch — NET 9/9 (launch window opens);
• ULF1.1/STS-121 dock — 9/11;
• Progress M-53/18P undock — 9/18;
• ULF1.1/STS-121 undock — 9/19;
• Progress M-54/19P launch — 9/20 (dock 9/22);
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch — 9/27;
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S dock — 9/29;
• 12A/STS-115 launch — NET 2/16/06;
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — ~10/15;
• 12A.1/STS-116 launch — NET 4/23/06;
• 13A/STS-117 launch — NET 7/13/06.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:55am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 350.1 km
• Apogee height — 353.0 km
• Perigee height — 347.3 km
• Period — 91.54 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0004216
• Solar Beta Angle — 46.3 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 50
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 37667

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.