NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 2 February 2006

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2006) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.   Yesterday 3 years ago, we lost the crew of STS-107/Columbia: Rick Husband, Mike Anderson, Willie McCool, Dave Brown, Kalpana “KC” Chawla, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon.  “The cause in which they died will continue.  Our journey into space will go on.” (President G.W Bush, 2/1/03).

Onboard ISS, sleep cycle continues to be shifted 7 hours to the right (8:00am – 11:30pm EST), to prepare the crew for tomorrow’s spacewalk.

At ~10:40am EST, the crew again tagged up with ground specialists for questions and updates to the EVA-15 timeline.  According to Moscow, a possible conflict with the Russian Molniya communications satellite could delay start of the EVA by one orbit (~90 min., to approximately 7:00pm EST).  With ingress time remaining unchanged, one or more Russian EVA timeline tasks may have to be deferred unless the crew stays well ahead of schedule.  Final decision is expected by tomorrow morning ~8:00am EST.

At ~12:10pm, the FE and the ground began shutdown operations on the Elektron O2 generator, with the usual safety purge of the BZh-8 Liquid Unit with nitrogen (N2).

Continuing preparations, CDR McArthur is scheduled to fill and install U.S.-provided DIDBs (disposable in-suit drink bags) in the Orlan-M suits after the recent suited dry run.

Later, FE Tokarev will unstow three Russian “Pille-MKS” radiation dosimeters, record their dosages and equip both Orlans (in pocket on left calf) with a radiation sensor (A0309 & A0310).   [A third sensor, A0307, will be placed in the Service Module (SM) for background readings.  Also, Valery will transfer his ID-3 personal dosimeter, normally worn on the flight suit, to the chest pocket of his Orlan’s lining (near the DIDB) and later return it to the flight suit.  After the EVA, readings from all dosimeters will be recorded and downlinked.]

McArthur continues USOS (US segment) preparations by configuring the ITCS (Internal Thermal Control System) for unmanned mode.   [By appropriate demating and remating QD (quick disconnect)-equipped jumpers, the TCS will be set to dual-loop operations mode so that one string of USOS-critical avionics systems is on one cooling loop and the secondary avionics string is on the other cooling loop.  This provides redundancy in the event of an ITCS loop failure.]

Later tonight, Tokarev will closer the external protective shutters of SM windows in the vicinity of expected EVA translations/activities. [This involves windows #6 & #8 on the SM small diameter (Plane 1), plus #12 & #13 on the SM PkhO Transfer Compartment (Plane 3).]

Valery is to set up for his 18th NOA (Nitric Oxide Analyzer) session in the DC1 Docking Compartment and then conduct the weekly test, afterwards dumping the measurements from the RSE laptop to the ground via the BSR-TM telemetry channel.   [Purpose of the ESA VC9 payload ESANO1, consisting of the “Platon” analyzer and its power supply, is to monitor expired nitric oxide (NO) in the subject’s exhaled air to detect signs of airway inflammation and indications of venous gas emboli (bubbles) that may be caused by inhalation of pollutants on the ISS and increased risk of decompression sickness.  The experiment sessions are normally being conducted once a week, with two NO measurements in the exhaled air (after rinsing out with Rodnik water) taken in each session through a bacterial filter.  In a departure from standard procedures, today’s session does not require prior food intact restrictions since its purpose is to measure exhaled NO content before and after an EVA.  The post-EVA reading will be taken during the first 4 hours after ingress.]

The daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including the toilet system (ASU), is today being performed by Tokarev.

Later, McArthur will conduct the daily atmospheric status checks for ppO2 (Partial Pressure Oxygen) and ppCO2 (pp Carbon Dioxide), using the CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen sensor) and CDMK (CO2 Monitoring Kit).

The crew has time set aside for their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer.   [Valery’s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill in unmotorized mode and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 4 of the first set).]

Afterwards, Bill transfers 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).

Later today, the FE is to check the operation of the Japanese experiment GCF-JAXA (Granada Crystallization Facility) in the Russian TBU incubator, maintained at 20 degC, including a temperature check on its ART (automatic temperature recorder).   [This daily monitoring/temp checking, carried on the Russian voluntary “time available” task list, will continue until 4/30.]

A second discretionary task on the Russian work list for Valery today is the regular temperature check on the BIO-11 “Statokonia” payload with the ULITKA (“snail”) incubator with the ART (automated temperature logger), set up in the SM with new material delivered on 20P.   [BIO-11 studies the composition of statoconia, i.e., the organ of equilibrium in snails, and other phenomena exhibited by “ulitka” in zero-G and post-flight.]

At ~12:40pm EST, the crew set up the Sputnik-SM Kenwood D700 amateur radio station in the SM and at 12:45pm conducted a 10-min. ham radio session with students at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, FL. [Timber Creek HS is a four-year-old large suburban high school located in Orange County, Florida, approximately 30 miles from KSC, with Shuttle launches clearly visible from its windows.  A number of students have parents who work in the space industry.  Questions for the crew were uplinked beforehand.  “What methods are used to counter bone loss during space missions, and can any of these methods be used to reduce bone loss in humans on earth?”; “Commander McArthur, I understand that your wife is a great cook, so what is the first thing that you are going to ask her to make for you when you get home?”; “When you have to change or replace mechanical parts inside of the ISS, how worried do you get about making a mistake, and what is the worst mistake that you could possibly make?”]

Today’s CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Internal waves, Azores, Atlantic (some clearing was expected in this area in the wake of a cold front.  As ISS approached the Azores Islands from the NW, the crew was to look for glint-enhanced sea surface features forward and to the right of track), Sao Paulo, Brazil (finally there was a break in the weather over this Brazilian mega city.  The station’s mid-afternoon approach was from the NW with the target just right of track.  Using the long lens for a detailed mapping of this sprawling city situated just inland from the coast), and Johnston Island reef, Central Pacific (ISS had fair weather and good lighting for this pass over this isolated atoll.  Using the long lens settings to map details of the coral reef structures, just right of track).

Over 177,000 of CEO (Crew Earth Observation) 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, 3:14am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 346.2 km
• Apogee height — 352.5 km
• Perigee height — 340.0 km
• Period — 91.46 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0009248
• Solar Beta Angle — -31.3 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.74
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 70 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 41191

Events Ahead (all dates Eastern & tentative):

• 02/03/06 — Russian EVA-15
• 02/11/06 — ISS Reboost Test (in MMOD avoidance mode)
• 03/03/06 — Progress M-54/19P undocking & reentry
• 03/30/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S launch (Pavel Vinogradov, Jeffrey Williams, Marcos Pontes/Brazil)
• 04/01/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S docking (DC1)
• 04/09/06 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S undocking & reentry
• 04/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S relocation (DC1 to FGB nadir port)
• 04/24/06 — Progress M-56/21P launch
• 04/26/06 — Progress M-56/21P docking
• 05/03/06 — ULF1.1 launch (NET, not earlier than)
• 06/15/06 — U.S. EVA (under review)
• 06/19/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking & reentry
• 06/28/06 — Progress M-57/22P launch
• 06/30/06 — Progress M-57/22P docking
• 07/01/06 — 12A launch (under review)
• 08/01/06 — Russian EVA-16 (under review)
• 09/13/06 — Progress M-56/21P undocking & reentry
• 09/14/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch
• 09/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (DC1)
• 09/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking & reentry
• 10/18/06 — Progress M-58/23P launch
• 10/20/06 — Progress M-58/23P docking
• 12/19/06 — Progress M-57/22P undocking & reentry
• 12/20/06 — Progress M-59/24P launch
• 12/22/06 — Progress M-59/24P 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.