NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 April 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.

The crew is still on the off-nominal sleep cycle, modified to accommodate yesterday’s Progress arrival.  Bedtime last night was at ~10:00pm EDT, wakeup this morning at ~6:30am, and next sleep time tonight is back at the standard ~5:30pm.

Progress 21 docking at 1:41pm EDT yesterday was followed by docking probe retraction and hook closure, good leak checks and then hatches opening.   [Other post-docking activities included shutting off the TORU teleoperator radio system, reconfiguring STTS communications in the Russian segment (RS), and tearing down the TV Ku-band connection via the FGB A31p laptop through the US segment (USOS), followed today by Progress battery charging from the Service Module (SM), and pressure checks of the fuel/oxidizer transfer line interface between Progress and SM.]

After hatch opening, CDR Vinogradov first installed the QD (quick disconnect) screw clamps (BZV) of the docking & internal transfer mechanism (SSVP) to rigidize the coupling and then performed the standard air sampling inside the Progress with the Russian AK-1M air sampler, after which he deactivated the cargo ship. 

After dragging in and installing the ventilation air ducts between the SM and the cargo ship, the crew disassembled the SSVP in the hatchway and removed and dismantled the docking mechanism (StM).   [The StM is the “classic” probe-and-cone type, consisting of an active docking assembly (ASA) with a probe (SSh), which fits into the cone (SK) on the passive docking assembly (PSA).  The ASA is mounted on the Progress’ cargo module (GrO), while the PSA sits on the docking ports of the SM, FGB and DC-1.]

21P arrived with a cargo load totaling ~2286 kg (5640 lbs), comprised of 870 kg (1918 lbs) of propellants (fuel/oxidizer) for the station’s Russian thrusters, 47 kg (103 lbs) of oxygen and air for the ISS atmosphere, 300 kg (661 lbs) of water to augment onboard supplies, plus ~1070 kg (2,360 lbs) of dry cargo (spare parts, repair gear, life support system replaceables, and experiment hardware).

Today, after postsleep activities (station inspection, morning toilet, breakfast & daily planning conference) the crew spent several hours with the first cargo transfers from the Progress, led off with the food ration packages stowed conveniently close to the hatch tunnel.   [21P delivered 35 containers with the Russian portion of the Russian/US food supply, and 3 containers with an additional selection of “bonus” food for Pavel (e.g., delicacies like prunes stuffed with nuts, crushed crowberry, jellied beef tongue, and Youzhniy cheese.).  The US portion of the 21P shipment consists of 29 equivalent containers comprising 87 rations, which include “skip cycle” food in the unlikely event of 22P launch being delayed.  The entire 21P food shipment, excluding the “bonus” goodies, amounts to ~210 person-days.]

Afterwards, Pavel moved the Russian biotech payload STATOKONIA from the cargo ship to the SM and set it up for operation.  The setup was documented photographically with the Nikon D1X.   [STATOKONIA, with the ULITKA (“snail”) incubator and ART automatic temperature recorder, 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.]

The CDR also transferred new dosimeter kits for the ESA experiment ALTCRISS (Alteino Long-Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS) and installed them, followed by the periodic replacement of the PCMCIA memory card in the ACT spectrometer.  [ALTCRISS uses the ACT spectrometer employed by VC8 guest cosmonaut Roberto Vittori for the Italian LAZIO (Low Altitude Zone/Ionization Observatory) experiment.]

FE/SO Williams used CBT (computer-based training) to familiarize himself with US experiments scheduled for imminent operation, i.e., PFMI (Pore Formation & Mobility Investigation), scheduled to be set up and activated tomorrow for several subsequent crew sessions, and HRF2 GASMAP (Human Research Facility 2/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology) for its routine health check, also timelined for tomorrow.

Using the Russian MO-21 “Ecosfera” air sampler & incubation equipment, Pavel monitored the station’s sanitary-hygiene status by conducting another 50-min. microbial analysis (T+2 days) on the air samples collected on 4/25 and incubated since then in the MO-21 equipment. [MO-21 determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies.]

The CDR performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU), and also updated/edited the standard IMS (Inventory Management System) “delta file” for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).

Jeff completed the daily atmospheric status check for ppO2 (Partial Pressure Oxygen) and ppCO2 (pp Carbon Dioxide), using the CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products), CSA-O2 (CSA-Oxygen Sensor) and CDMK (CO2 Monitoring Kit).

The FE conducted the regular weekly audit/inventory of the available CWCs (collapsible water containers) and their contents, to keep track of onboard water supplies.   [Updated “cue cards” based on Jeff’s water calldowns are sent up every other week.  The new card lists 16 water containers (~270 liters total) for the four types of water identified on board: technical water (for Elektron, flushing, hygiene; one CWC was found leaking, #1027), potable water (~180 liters), condensate water (for processing) and other (TCS fluid, EMU waste water).  Current assumed rate of water use is 2.2 liters per person per day with Elektron (vs. 1.7 liters per person per day without Elektron).  Total water currently on board is 884 liters, which would last ~201 days without resupply.  Progress 21 delivered another 300 l; 22P is expected to bring ~144 l, and ULF1.1 ~645 l.]

Both crewmembers worked out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the TVIS treadmill (FE, CDR), RED resistive exerciser (FE) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).   [Pavel Vinogradov’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 2 of the first set).]

Afterwards, Jeff 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).

Pavel still had the roll-over task to search for “missing” Russian equipment items on his discretionary “time available” task list.

Also still on the CDR’s task list for today was to monitor the Russian “ISS Wiener” laptop hard disk for its performance, as a follow-up check to his work on the laptop on 4/21.   [On 4/21, Pavel modified the Russian payload server (BSPN) for the ROKVISS experiment with new software from the Wiener laptop, then downlinked the finished BSPN log file for s/w installation verification.  See Status report 4/21.]

At ~1:20pm EDT, the crew configured the television hardware for two interactive TV PAO events of about 8 minutes each starting at 1:25pm, first with KNX Radio in Los Angeles, CA (Jim Thornton, Vicky Cox), and then with Central Florida News 13 (David Waters).   [This was another in-flight event aired live on NASA-TV and taped by the clients for later use, utilizing the new NASA Television Digital Satellite System.]

The Elektron remains off, and proper ppO2 level in the station is being maintained with oxygen “refreshes” from Progress 20 tankage.

With yesterday’s successful docking of 21P, TsUP-Moscow currently sees no need to repeat the aborted test of the two SM reboost engines.  The next ISS reboost, mainly to set up orbit phasing for 22P launch, will be conducted on 5/4 (next Thursday, 7:28am EDT) with the Progress M-56/21P rendezvous & docking thrusters (burn duration: 6min 31s; delta-V: 1.6 m/s; mean altitude gain: 2.8 km).   [According to a TsUP statement to Russian media today, the test run on 4/20 failed when an external antenna, intended for comm with the European ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) “Jules Verne”, blocked the thermal (sun) cover of one of the engines from opening fully.]

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Salamat Basin fans, Chad (ISS orbit track and orientation provided an opportunity for regional context imagery of the Salamat drainage fans.  Looking to the right of track for contorted drainage patterns highlighted by thin bands of vegetation. Overlapping frames along track are most useful for comparison with higher resolution nadir imagery), and Gweni-Fada Impact Crater, Chad (looking to the left of track for this 14 km diameter impact crater. The meteor hit the Earth’s surface no earlier than 345 million years ago, and the structure is recognized today by drainages and basins that formed within and around the crater walls.)

To date, more than 186,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS, almost one third of the total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts.

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/CEO.html
• 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 13 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-13/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 13 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, 8:08am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 342.7 km
• Apogee height — 348.6 km
• Perigee height — 336.7 km
• Period — 91.39 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0008816
• Solar Beta Angle — 50.9 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.76
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 25 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 42517

Significant Events Ahead (all dates subject to change):

• 05/04/2006 — ISS reboost (7:28am EDT; 21P thrusters, delta-V 1.5 m/s.)
• 05/20/06 — Progress M-56/21P loading complete; hatches closed
• 06/01-08/06 — Russian EVA-16 (planning window)
• 06/17/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 06/18/06 — Progress M-57/22P launch
• 06/20/06 — Progress M-57/22P docking (DC1)
• 07/01/06 — NET STS-121/ULF1.1 launch
• 07/03-11/06 – NET STS-121/ULF1.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 07/??/06 — US EVA-5
• 08/28/07 — NET STS-115/12A launch
• 08/30-09/06 — NET STS-115/12A docked mission w/ISS
• 09/13/06 — Progress M-56/21P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 09/14/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch (Expedition 14 + VC11)
• 09/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (SM aft port)
• 09/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking (FGB nadir port) & reentry
• 09/??/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 10/18/06 — Progress M-58/23P launch
• 10/20/06 — Progress M-58/23P docking (SM aft port)
• 11/??/06 — Russian EVA-17
• 12/14/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 launch
• 12/16-23/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 12/19/06 — Progress M-57/22P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 12/20/06 — Progress M-59/24P launch
• 12/22/06 — Progress M-59/24P docking (DC1)
• 01/22/07 — US EVA-6
• 01/26/07 — US EVA-7
• 01/31/07 — US EVA-8
• 02/06/07 — Progress M-59/24P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 02/07/07 — Progress M-60/25P launch
• 02/09/07 — Progress M-60/25P docking (DC1)
• 02/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• 02/24-03/03/07 — NET STS-117/13A docked mission w/ISS
• 03/08/07 — Progress M-58/23P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 03/09/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S launch (Expedition 15 + VC12)
• 03/11/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S docking (SM aft port)
• 03/19/07 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S undocking (FGB nadir port)
• 03/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• ??/??/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 06/11/07 — NET STS-118/13A.1.

(NET = no earlier than)

 
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.