NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 September 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.

Crew wakeup shifted to an earlier 12:00am EDT, with sleep time already at 1:00pm. Day/night cycle will continue the shift by an additional 2 hrs, with wakeup tonight at 10:00pm to accommodate Soyuz 13S arrival.

Soyuz TMA-9/13S, with Expedition 14 crewmembers Michael (“LA”) Lopez-Alegria (CDR) and Mikhail (“Misha”) Tyurin (FE-1) plus American “taxi cosmonaut” Anousheh Ansari, continues to catch up with the station for the docking tomorrow morning at ~1:24am EDT. [FD2 activities, starting yesterday with crew wakeup at ~4:33pm on Orbit 12, included systems & crew health status reports to TsUP, preparation of the Soyuz Habitation Module (SA) workspace, building attitude for and executing the DV3 burn, placing Soyuz back in its sun-spinning “barbecue” attitude (ISK) and swapping CO2 absorption cartridges in the BO. Later today on FD3, the crewmembers will put on their Sokol suits and PKO biomed harnesses, transfer to the SA, activate its air purification system (SOA) and close the hatch to the Descent Module (BO). After the DV4 burn tonight at ~11:29pm, activation of the active Kurs-A system on Soyuz and of the passive Kurs-P on the Service Module (SM), with a short Kurs-A/P test at ~12:39pm, and up to three additional adjustment burns (starting at 12:55pm) during automated rendezvous, station fly-around to align with the SM aft port will begin at ~1:04am at ~400m range and 5 minutes before local sunrise, followed by station keeping at ~1:13am at ~160m behind the SM. Final approach, initiated at 1:15am, will be concluded on Orbit #34 by docking and Soyuz hooks closing at 1:24am, at which time the ISS maneuvers from temporary free drift back to earth-“fixed” LVLH, reverting to U.S. CMG control. Since orbital sunrise is at 1:09am, the final approach and docking phase will take place in bright sunlight.]

Progress M-56/21P undocked last night on schedule (8:28pm EDT) and performed nominal separation and deorbit burns for subsequent reentry over the Pacific Ocean. This freed the SM aft port for Soyuz TMA-9/13S. [After its undocking by spring force, 21P performed its separation burn at 8:31pm, followed by the deorbit burn at ~8:36pm, for reentry in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean at ~11:30pm (at this time there were four vehicles in orbit: 21P, STS-115, ISS, and 13S). Splashdown of surviving pieces of 21P was at about 11:42pm. For the undocking, ISS attitude control was handed over to Russian MCS (Motion Control System) at ~6:15pm and returned to U.S. momentum management at ~7:00pm, still in earth-fixed LVLH +YVV (local vertical local horizontal/+y-axis in velocity vector, i.e., flying “sideways”). During the undocking, the station was in free drift for ~9 min. Structural response data were taken by IWIS (Internal Wireless Instrumentation System) and the external truss-mounted SDMS (Structural Dynamic Measurement System).]

After its current sleep time, which ends at 7:30pm tonight, the ISS crew will perform final steps in preparation for 13S arrival. Primary activities by ground-command and by the crew will include:

• Handing over attitude control to RS motion control (9:40pm);
• Feathering the P6 solar arrays 2B & 4B (11:04pm) for Soyuz arrival (thruster plume protection);
• Activating the onboard video and A31p laptop connection for linking the RS event to the US segment (USOS) and Ku- & S-band assets (11:30pm);
• Powering up the Lab RWS (Robotics Work Station) and the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) on the prime string for covering the Soyuz docking with its external cameras (11:40pm);
• Relaying Soyuz voice comm link to the USOS S-band for downlinking during the rendezvous, starting at ~100 km range (12:13am);
• Activating the TV from Soyuz and downlink to Earth U.S. Ku-band assets (~12:15am)
• Beginning collecting structural vibrations data with the SDMS (Structural Dynamics Measurement System) on the S0 truss (12:30am-2:50am); data will also be taken with MAMS (Microgravity
• Acceleration Measurement System)
• Monitoring the approach and docking (1:05am-1:30am), and
• Turning the Ku-band TVS video system off (~11:30pm).

Events after 13S docking at the SM aft port (1:24am EDT):-

• 13S/SM PrK leak checking ~3:05am EST;
• 13S/ISS hatch opening ~4:20am;
• Installing quick release screw clamps (4:45am-5:05am)
• Beginning 13S transfers ~5:05am;
• 13S deactivation ~6:15am;
• Safety briefing “walkthrough” ~9:15am.
• Crew sleep ~2:30pm (to 12:00am).

CDR Vinogradov serviced the Russian BMP Harmful Impurities Removal System, starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The bake-out will be terminated tomorrow morning at ~2:10am. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods.]

Afterwards, Vinogradov worked on the Russian RS1 laptop, transferring test log files to a storage medium for subsequent downlinking to the ground via OCA (Orbit Communications Adapter) comm.

At ~3:00am EDT, on request by the Expedition 14 crew, the ISS residents talked with the crews of the Soyuz and STS-115 vehicles with a conference hookup established by MCC-Houston via RGS/VHF (Russian ground site, for Soyuz), S/G (Space-to-Ground, for ISS) and A/G (Air-to-Ground, for Shuttle) links.

FE-1 Williams configured the A31p laptop and U.S. Ku-band for TV downlink of the Soyuz docking views. Joined by Pavel, Jeffrey afterwards tested the downlink setup. Later, the A31p was deactivated until shortly before 13S arrival. [The video signal is fed from the A31p via coaxial cable to the SSC Operations LAN (local area network) in the Lab and from there into the Ku-band system for subsequent conversion from the Russian SECAM format to the American NTSC format on the ground.]

Over RGS, the CDR ran another VHF-1 (Russian: UKV-1) voice communications test with the ground to check the external telephone link with the Columbus Control Center (COL-CC) at Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich.

In preparation of the upcoming VC11 payload activities, Vinogradov transferred the necessary hardware to the SM workspace (involving the payloads GLYCOPROTEID, MIMETIK-K, VACCINE-K and INTERLEUIKIN-K). Pavel also removed the CRYSTALLIZER payload from the Cryogem-03M cooler in the DC1 Docking Compartment for transfer to the SM. [The thermostatically controlled refrigerator unit was then set to +4 degC in preparation for CONJUGATION samples arriving on 13S.]

FE-2 Reiter performed the regular bi-monthly reboot of the OCA comm router SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop.

Thomas also conducted the routine daily maintenance of the SOZh (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) system in the SM, including the ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables.

The crew worked out with their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the TVIS (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), and RED resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-2). The CDR’s 2.5-hr. workout again was on TVIS/aerobic only (Day 1).

Afterwards, Jeffrey transferred the TVIS and RED 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).

Williams also had time reserved for additional departure preparations.

Rather than spending more time on troubleshooting the VC11 visitor’s personalized OpsLAN setup, A. Ansari has been approved for a regular standing ISS crew account for her login and email.

Update on Elektron: Ground analysis of yesterday’s Elektron O2 generator leak is continuing, and recommendations for further steps are being developed. Meanwhile, the plan is to provide O2 for the cabin atmosphere with SFOG (Solid Fuel Oxygen Generator) “candles” (older models first; need about 4/day for a crew of 6). If ppO2 (O2 partial pressure) drops below 150 mmHg, gaseous oxygen stores in Progress 22 will be used for represses. [Russian specialists have found no indications of liberated KOH electrolyte (potassium hydroxide, “caustic potash”). Preliminary determination is that the clear liquid droplets bubbling briefly from the O2 outlet nozzle was water, formed by H2 leaking into the O2 line. This morning, lines were purged with N2 (nitrogen) to help identify the location where H2 and O2 lines “communicate”. Prime suspect is a compromised membrane in the Pressure Control Unit of the Liquid Unit (BZh-8). A spare BZh is on board, and two more are in testing on the ground. Total O2 supply stored on ISS is 746 lbs. The SFOGs, on standby as O2 source backup to the Elektron, generate O2 by decomposing cartridges of solid potassium perchlorate (KClO4) into potassium chloride (KCl) and O2 when heated at 450-500 degC. Each candle releases ~600 liters (1.74 lbs.) of O2, enough for one person per day.]

No CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets uplinked today.

To date, over 250,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first six years of the ISS, about one third of the total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts.

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/CEO.html

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (about 700,000 NASA digital photographs of Earth are downloaded by the public each month from this “Gateway” site);

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at http://voyager.cet.edu/iss

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:02am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 342.0 km
• Apogee height — 349.6 km
• Perigee height — 334.4 km
• Period — 91.38 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0011303
• Solar Beta Angle — -44.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.76
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 44803

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern and subject to change):

• 09/21/06 — STS-115/12A EOM+1 (FD13) KSC landing (6:21am; 2nd opportunity: 7:57am); consumables allow EOM+3 days;
• 09/20/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (SM aft port, 1:24am)
• 09/28/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking (FGB nadir port, 5:48pm) & land (9:10pm) [Total duration: 182d 22h 39m 49s]
• 10/08/06 — 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)
• 11/22/06 — Russian EVA-17
• 12/14/06 — STS-116/12A.1 launch
• 12/16-23/06 — STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS – P5 truss
• 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 — STS-117/13A launch – S3/S4 trusses
• 02/24-03/03/07 — STS-117/13A docked mission w/ISS (earliest)
• 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)
• ??/??/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 06/11/07 — STS-118/13A.1