NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 September 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.
Because of Hurricane Rita, heading for Galveston this morning, ISS Mission Control Center has shut down activities at 3:00pm EDT, after handing over ISS monitoring to HSG (Houston Support Group) in Moscowat 12:30 EDT. [Monitoring and command of ISS systems are limited from Moscow. By way of uplinked time tagged (pre-stored) commands via TDRS satellites, systems were put in autonomous mode with the crew as prime for system monitoring. The time tags will keep data flowing for ~7-8 days. Data can be viewed on the Internet via remote flight controllers. If the loss of MCC-H is long, a more permanent flight control team will move to Moscow. The teams have practiced the use of HSG at TsUP/Moscow as BCC (Backup Control Center) for this mode of operation many times and are well prepared.]
This was the second day for the current renal (kidney) stone experiment session, the third round for Expedition 11, with John and Sergei collecting urine samples throughout the day and keeping their dietary/metabolic log entries up to date. [Part of the study, long preceding the sampling, is the regular daily random ingestion by the “subjects” of either potassium citrate or placebo tablets at dinnertime, whose effects on kidney stone prevention over time in zero-G the sample analyses are intended to investigate.]
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CDR Krikalev continued the current water sampling activity, obtaining samples for return on Soyuz TMA-6/10S. [Monitoring today involved the water going into Russian drink bags and sample container, followed by the daily standard liquid condensate sampling from the SRVK-2M condensate water processor in the Service Module (SM). Afterwards, the KAV sampling configuration was closed out again and the equipment and condensate lines used for the sampling were flushed into an EDV water container.]
The crew conducted their second standard fit check of the Kazbeks, the contoured shock absorbing seats in the Soyuz TMA-6/10S descent capsule (SA). [This required them to remove the “Pinguin” cabin suit and don their Sokol communications caps, getting into in their seats in their underwear and assessing the degree of comfort and uniform body support provided by the seat liner. Using a ruler, they also measured the gap between the top of the head and the top edge of the structure facing the head crown. The results were reported to TsUP. Kazbek-U couches are designed to withstand g-loads during launch and orbital insertion as well as during reentry and brake-rocket-assisted landing. Each seat has two positions: cocked (armed) and noncocked. In cocked position, they are raised to allow the shock absorbers to function during touchdown. The fit check assures that the crewmembers, whose bodies gain in length during longer-term stay in zero-G, will still be adequately protected by the seat liners for their touchdown inKazakhstan. 10S serves as CRV (crew return vehicle) in the event of a contingency and for the end-of-mission return of Krikalev and Phillips (plus Gregory Olsen) to Earth on 10/11.]
Sergei conducted the periodic checkout/verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various Russian segment (RS) hatchways, including the SM-to-Soyuz tunnel, and the FGB-to-Node passageway.
John did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU), and he also prepared the regular daily IMS “delta”/update file for automated export/import to the three IMS databases (at MCC-H, TsUP, and Baikonur).
The CDR collected air data with the new GANK-4M (Real-Time Harmful Contaminant Gas Analyzer) system of the SM pressure control & atmospheric monitoring system (SOGS).
In the Node, John removed and replaced another failed RPCM (Remote Power Controller Module), N1RS1. [The crew first cleared access to the location of the RPCM by temporarily removing stowed equipment, and later returned the stowage to the original configuration.]
Both crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the CEVIS cycle ergometer, TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer. [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, John transferred the exercise data files to the MEC for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data of the RED workouts, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
Both crewmembers continued the longer-term task of surveying and organizing their equipment in preparation for their departure on 10/11.
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:
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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Upcoming Events (all times EDT):
- 09/30/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch (~11:54pm)
- 10/03/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S docking (~1:20am)
- 10/11/05 — Soyuz TMA-6/10S landing (~9:06pm)
- 10/18/05 — ISS Reboost
- 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
- 12/21/05 – Progress M-55/20P launch
- 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking.
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.
