NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 27 November 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Flight Day 14 (FD14) of STS-126/ULF-2. ISS crew work cycle today: Wake 6:55am EST; sleep 9:25am; Shuttle crew: 10:55am (both until 5:55am tomorrow, i.e., one hour earlier).

The ISS and Shuttle crews have a well-deserved half day off, and they will enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together.

For the biomed experiment INTEGRATED IMMUNE (Validating Procedures for Monitoring Crew member Immune Function), FE-2 Chamitoff and FE-2-18 Magnus conducted their final Liquid Saliva collections in the morning, and later Steve Bowen came over to draw a blood sample from Sandra. The Saliva Return Pouches and Blood Sleeves were then stored at ambient temperature on the Shuttle Middeck for return to ground. [IMMUNE protocol requires the collection to occur first thing post-sleep, before eating, drinking and brushing teeth, and all samples are stored at ambient temperature. Along with NUTRITION (Nutritional Status Assessment), INTEGRATED IMMUNE samples & analyzes participant’s blood, urine, and saliva before, during and after flight for changes related to functions like bone metabolism, oxidative damage and immune function to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects.]

CDR Fincke performed another periodic relocation of the TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter) detector assembly, the primary radiation measurement tool in the ISS, today from the Node-2 (loc. PD3/2) back to the Service Module (SM), Panel 327, and connected the IVCPD (Intravehicular Charged Particle Directional Spectrometer/TEPC power/data cable to the CHeCS UOP5 (Crew Health Care Systems/Utility Outlet Panel 5) on Panel 450. [TEPC had been moved to the Node-2 by Mike on 11/10, after having been in the SM from 9/30.]

Later today, Sandy Magnus & Greg Chamitoff have an hour set aside to (carefully!) remove frozen science samples from the MELFI and stow them in two DCBs (Double Cold Bags), then moved them to the Shuttle Middeck for return to Earth.

With all planned WRS (Water Recovery System) water samples collected & safely stowed aboard Endeavour, Mike Fincke will reconfigure the compressor power feed for transferring liquid waste to the UPA (Urine Processing Assembly, disconnecting it at ER2 (EXPRESS Rack 2) and reconnecting it at the ER6/Galley rack (thus removing the cable that was stretched across the Lab).

Afterwards, the CDR will perform another set of thorough leak checks of the WPA (Water Processing Assembly) in the WRS Rack, then take an atmospheric sample in the center of the Lab with the U.S. GSC (Grab Sample Container), using GSCs #1050, for return to the ground.

Preparatory to hatch closure tonight, the Shuttle crewmembers are finishing up the transfers of their EMU/spacesuits and other return cargo to the Shuttle middeck. [At wake-up this morning, 96% of transfers were complete, with approximately 3.25 hrs remaining for middeck transfers.]

CDR Ferguson & CDR Fincke will tear down and remove the oxygen transfer system which was used to pump O2 over from the Shuttle to the ISS. MCC-Houston will then reconfigure the A/L CCAA (Airlock Common Cabin Air Assembly). [About 25 lbs O2 were transferred to the A/L HPTs (High Pressure Tanks). Another ~20 lbs was used for repressurizing the ISS cabin atmosphere.]

Chris Ferguson also will transfer SSC (Station Support Computer) equipment to the ISS, including an AFD PCS (Portable Computer System), three A31p 60 GB HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), an A31p Ultraport camera, and a Wireless Network Card.

In the Kibo JPM (Japanese Pressurized Module), Sandy Magnus will set up the SCOF (Solution Crystallization Observation Facility) for the ICE CRYSTAL (The Study on Microgravity Effect for Pattern Formation of Dendritic Crystal by a Method of in-situ Observation) payload, the first of the JAXA Increment 18 experiments. [ICE CRYSTAL evaluates the factors that lead to pattern formation in ice crystals in microgravity.]

At ~3:26pm, PLT Boe & MS4 Kimbrough are scheduled to maneuver the SRMS (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System) with the OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) to undock position. [After undocking and before entry on Sunday, the OBSS will be used for another inspection of the Orbiter TPS (Thermal Protection System).]

The traditional Crew Farewell ceremony is timelined for ~5:55pm EST, followed by air duct removal and hatch closure (“Weigh Anchor! Set Sail!”) at ~6:00pm, handled on the ISS side by Fincke & Magnus, on the Orbiter side by Kimbrough & Stefanyshyn-Piper. [Afterwards (~6:04pm), Chris switches attitude control authority of the mated stack from ISS CMG TA (Control Moment Gyroscope Thruster Assist) mode to Orbiter ORB control and, Heidemarie & Shane will initiate the standard one-hour leak check on the ODS (Orbiter Docking System). Preparatory to the ODS depress venting, Mike has closed the protective window shutters in the JPM earlier today.]

Endeavour is scheduled to undock from ISS tomorrow morning at 9:47am, in local darkness, followed by the standard flyaround in daylight, for a total docked time of 11d 16h 46m (13d 13h 52m in space). After a one-orbit flyaround for photo imaging at 400-600 ft, first separation burn of Endeavour will be at ~11:03am, the second at ~11:30am and the third at ~12:15pm. Landing is set for Sunday, 11/30, nominally at KSC at 1:18pm EST. If so, total mission duration for STS-126/ULF-2 will have been 15d 17h 23m. Gregory Chamitoff’s total time in space will be 182d 21h 16m, with 178d 20h 44m on board ISS.

The ISS crew completed their physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR, FE-2-18), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1), RED (CDR), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

ISS Crew Sleep Shift Planning: To synchronize the ISS crew’s timeline with STS-126/ULF-2 undocking tomorrow, ISS crew wake/sleep cycle is again undergoing a number of one-hour shifts which started on 11/25. The early undock time (9:47am) drives crew wakeup 2.5 hrs earlier, to ~7:00am by today. For the next five days, the wake/sleep shift schedule is as follows, returning to “normal” on 12/1 (all times EST):

No CEO photo targets uplinked for today.

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 9/1/08, this database contained 770,668 views of the Earth from space, with 324,812 from the ISS alone).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 12:08pm EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 354.4 km
Apogee height — 359.1 km
Perigee height — 349.6 km
Period — 91.63 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.000706
Solar Beta Angle — -0.7 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 23 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 57426.

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
11/28/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF-2 undocking (~9:47am);
11/30/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF-2 landing (KSC, ~1:18pm);
11/30/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking – DC1 Nadir (~7:23am)
12/07/08 — Progress M-65/30P reentry (after 3 weeks autonomous flight for geophysical experiments)
12/18/08 — Russian EVA-21
02/09/09 — Progress M-66/31P undocking & deorbit
02/10/09 — Progress M-67/32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress M-67/32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A launch – S6 truss segment
02/14/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A docking
02/24/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A undocking
02/26/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A landing (nominal)
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
03/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S docking (DC1)
04/05/09 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S undocking
04/07/09 — Progress M-67/32P undocking & deorbit
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
Six-person crew on ISS
07/30/09 — STS-128/Atlantis/17A – MPLM (P), last crew rotation
10/15/09 — STS-129/Endeavour/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P)
04/08/10 — STS-132/Endeavour/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1 (contingency)
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 (contingency).