NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 November 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.   Next Sunday (11/20) is the 7th Anniversary of ISS, from launch of the first station element, the FGB “Zarya” (Dawn) Control Module, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Proton-K rocket on Mission 1A/R.  After orbital checkout, the second element, the U.S.-built Node “Unity”, followed on the Shuttle Endeavour, launched on 12/4/98 from KSC. The Shuttle crew attached Unity and Zarya during a highly successful 12-day mission, beginning the station’s orbital construction.

Continuing preparations for the Soyuz TMA-7 relocation early tomorrow morning, the crew experienced quite an unusual workday today: after wakeup at the regular time of 1:00am EST, it was back to rest at ~8:15am this morning.  Another duty day begins later today at 4:45pm, to extend till 12:35pm tomorrow noon.

U.S. Airlock hatches to the Node were closed at ~2:30am, after which CDR McArthur first transferred some equipment from the US segment (USOS) to the Russian segment (RS), among it the PCS (Portable Computer System) A31p laptop from the Cupola RWS (Robotics Workstation) to the FGB.   A second PCS is already in the Service Module (SM).   [During past Soyuz relocations and Russian EVAs, the FGB laptop served as backup while the hatches to the USOS are closed.  During the current relocation, both PCS laptops and the caution & warning (C&W) panels (PSS) in all Russian modules will be powered off prior to ingressing the Soyuz.  There will be a period of time (2h 10m) without C&W audio annunciations in the RS and 50 min without an active PCS.  (Deactivation of the SM PCS: 9:10pm, of the FGB PCS: 10:20pm.)]

McArthur also set up the video equipment for recording the relocation activities and turned off the Ericsson amateur radio equipment in the FGB.

At ~5:35am, the crew used the Sputnik-SM Kenwood D700 amateur radio station in the SM to conduct an amateur radio exchange of ~10 min duration with students at Hiyoshidai Elementary School in TakatsukiCity between Osaka and Kyoto in Japan.

Later tonight, the Kenwood amateur radio will be used to shut down the external MISSE-5 (Materials ISS Experiment) payload, to avoid radio frequency interference with Soyuz during the relocation, after which the ham equipment will also be powered off for the same reason.

Valery Tokarev transferred two standard Russian TEK (thermal protection) jackets to the Soyuz TMA-7 and stowed them in a recess in the Descent Module.   [These warm coats would come in handy in case of an unscheduled landing in cold Kazakhstan after a failed redocking.]

Bill McArthur completed preparing the USOS for the decrewed period, including configuring the ECLSS (Environment Control & Life Support System) and TCS (Thermal Control System), to be ready in the eventuality of a failed redocking of the crew.   [After installation of jumpers (fluid hoses) for the racks, the TCS was transitioned to dual mode, and the LTL (low temperature loop) set point was raised, in order to provide redundancy in the USOS for critical avionics, thus minimizing the impacts of a depressurization.]

Other station preparations, to be completed tonight after the crew wakeup at ~4:45pm, will include air duct disassembly between DC1 & SM and in the FGB, hatch ring removal in the SM/DC1 vestibule, deactivation (with nitrogen purge) of the Elektron O2 generator (6:15pm), hatches closure between USOS and RS (~6:45pm), deactivation of the Vozdukh CO2 removal system (7:40pm) as well as of ASU toilet system, SKV air conditioner water supply system and SOP food supply system, followed by FGB air ventilation fans power-down, FGB hatches closing, and SM fans power-down. 

SM egress to the DC1 docking compartment will be at ~10:25pm, followed by QD (quick disconnect) screw clamps removal, ingress in the Soyuz vehicle at 11:55pm, cleaning of transfer hatch seals between the Soyuz and DC1, hatch closing at ~11:45pm and leak checking.

Soyuz 11S undocking is then scheduled for 3:45am tomorrow morning and docking at the FGB nadir port at 4:10am, ten minutes earlier than originally planned (to allow additional S-band comm coverage).

Valery completed the routine SOZh/ECLSS maintenance in the SM, including ASU toilet facility checkout and today also the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus.

Both crewmembers completed an abbreviated (90-min.) physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill and RED resistive exerciser.

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 Salamat Basin fans, Chad (Africa’s Sahel region is well into the dry season now and except for periods of smoke and dust; good views of this complex drainage area are at hand.  On this pass the crew’s approach was over the western edge of the target with best views for less than a minute.  Looking well right of track for high oblique views.  If any surface water remains, it appeared as glint near the center of this target area), and Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes, Egypt (this should have been a very nice pass for sun glint enhanced views of Lake Nasser.  Looking right and slightly to the rear of track.  Lake level changes may be detected in the extent of the numerous submerged ravines and wadis entering the lake).

To date, over 177,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS.

 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 12 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-12/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 12 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, 6:54am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 352.3 km
• Apogee height — 357.9 km
• Perigee height — 346.6 km
• Period — 91.58 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0008384
• Solar Beta Angle — -39.1 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 39981

Upcoming Events (all dates Eastern):

• 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port; sep @ 3:45am EST)
• 12/07/05 — EVA-15 (Russian; under review)
• 12/20/05 — Progress M-54/19P undocking & reentry
• 12/21/05 — Progress M-55/20P launch
• 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking
• 01/09/06 — 100 days for Expedition 12.

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.