NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 28 November 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Flight Day 15 (FD15) of STS-126/ULF-2. ISS crew work cycle today: Wake 5:55am EST; sleep 8:00pm.

ISS and STS-126/Endeavour are flying in separate orbits again.

After final departure preparations on both sides of the hatches (closed yesterday on ISS side at ~6:00pm EST), Endeavour undocked this morning at 9:47am from PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter 2) after a total docked time of 11d 16h 46m. [For undocking, the station was turned at ~8:30am from -XVV through ~180 deg to +XVV ZLV (+x-axis in velocity vector, z-axis in local vertical, i.e., flying Shuttle in front again), put briefly on free drift for the undocking and then moded to ULF-2 Stage attitude of +XVV TEA (Torque Equilibrium Attitude).]

Undocking was ~2 min prior to midnight, to ensure good lighting during the subsequent flyaround (sunrise: ~10 min before flyaround start). After separation, Endeavour completed the 360-deg station flyaround and obtained photo/video imagery of the ISS. The first two separation burns were completed by 11:15am. [Endeavour mass at undocking: 230,836 lbs (104,705 kg).]

KSC landing is nominally expected on 11/30 (Sunday) at ~1:19pm EST. [If the landing occurs as planned, ULF-2 mission duration will be 15d 17h 24m. Gregory Chamitoff’s total time in space will be 182d 21h 17m (178d 20h 45m on board ISS).]

FE-1 Lonchakov performed the periodic maintenance of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The process will be terminated at ~7:45pm EST and Bed #2 regeneration performed tomorrow. (Last time done: 11/7-8). [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP’s regeneration cycle is normally done every 20 days.]

Before and during the Orbiter undocking, CDR Fincke stood by at the Cupola RWS (Robotics Workstation) A31p laptop with a stopwatch to monitor the proper performance of automatic undocking software for the PMA-2 departure under Russian thruster attitude control. Later, the CDR powered down the laptop. [The procedure provides for the crewmember to take over the automatic operational attitude control sequence manually if the software does not resume control after the period of free drift a few minutes after physical separation. Free drift is employed to prevent a conflict between the control systems of the two vehicles (ISS & Shuttle) and to “limp” (unload) the docking mechanisms.]

FE-2 Sandra Magnus used the Kodak DCS760 digital camera and PD-100 camcorder to document the undocking, backing away & separation of the Endeavour.

After the undocking, Fincke depressurized the PMA-2 to prevent humidity condensation and pressure fluctuations. Leak checking followed for the standard one hour. Afterwards, the necessary testing equipment was torn down.

Mike also deconfigured the BPSMU (Battery Powered Speaker Microphone Unit) and its long drag-through cable, used during the docked phase, and stowed the equipment.

FE-1 Lonchakov completed the reconfiguration of the Russian telephone/telegraph subsystem (STTS) to its post-undocking settings, from its primary string back to nominal mode on the backup string. This also severed the VHS (UHF) channel to the receding Shuttle Orbiter and restored the RSA-2 S/G (Space-to-Ground) comm configuration on Panel 3. [The "Voskhod-M" STTS enables telephone communications between the SM, FGB, DC1 Docking Compartment and U.S. segment (USOS), and also with users on the ground over VHF channels selected by an operator at an SM comm panel, via STTS antennas on the SM’s outside. There are six comm panels in the SM with pushbuttons for accessing any of three audio channels, plus an intercom channel. Other modes of the STTS include telegraphy (teletype), EVA voice, emergency alarms, Packet/Email, and TORU docking support.]

While Mike & Sandy were busy with the undocking, Yuri performed a number of maintenance job, starting with a ventilation efficiency test on two (of eight) molybdenum 800A battery boxes (A107, A108) in the SM (Service Module). [The measurements of temperature (degC) and air flow rate (m/sec) were taken with the TTM-2 heat-loss anemometer/thermometer instrument of the Russian KPT-2 science payload BAR-RM, after it was freshly charged and calibrated.]

Lonchakov also performed scheduled IFM (in-flight maintenance) on the SM’s condensate water processor (SRV-K2M) by removing & replacing its water-conditioning unit purification columns (BK BKV) with a new spare (#601011). The old unit was stowed for disposal on Progress 31P. (Last time done: 8/6). [The SRV-K2M, with its BKO multifiltration unit, converts collected condensate into drinking water by removing dissolved mineral and organic impurities from the condensate. Downstream from it the condensate water is treated in the BKV water conditioning unit with salts for taste and silver ions for preservation, before it flows to the KPV potable water container from which the reclaimed water is dispensed warm or hot for drinking and preparation of food and beverages.]

Sandy Magnus, the new FE-2, performed the periodic status check on the CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) payload, located in the ER-2 (EXPRESS Rack 2).

In the SM, Yuri conducted the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (ECLSS/Environment Control & Life Support System). [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and performing US condensate processing (transfer from CWC to EDV containers) if condensate is available.]

The FE-1 also completed the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) maintenance, updating/editing the standard IMS “delta file” including stowage locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).

Working from his discretionary “as time permits” task list, Yuri performed a session of the Russian GFI-8 "Uragan" (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the NIKON D2X digital camera to take telephotos. [Uplinked target zones were the southern & northern ice fields of Patagonia, glaciers sliding into Chilean fiords from the main ice plateau, the Falkland oceanic current, the Andes, and glaciers in New Zealand.]

Yuri’s voluntary task list also suggested another ECON KPT-3 session, making observations and taking aerial photography of Pacific Ocean surface contaminations for Russia’s Environmental Safety Agency (ECON) using the D2X with SIGMA 300-800mm telephoto lens.

As a third item on the discretionary job list, Lonchakov repeated the initialization of the long-term BIO-5 Rasteniya-1 ("Plants-1") experiment, which had failed on 11/18. Afterwards, Yuri was to assure himself of the operation of the BU Control Unit and MIS-LADA Module fans (testing their air flow by hand). [Rasteniya-1 researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the LADA-14 greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems, Russian: IMBP). The payload hardware includes a module (MIS/Module for the Investigation of Substrates), the MIS control unit (BU), a nitrogen purge unit (BPA) and other accessories. During its operation, the experiment requires regular daily maintenance of the experiment involving monitoring of seedling growth, humidity measurements, moistening of the substrate if necessary, and photo/video recording. LADA consists of a wall-mounted growth chamber that provides long-term, ready access for crewmember interaction. It provides light and root zone control but relies on the cabin environmental control systems for humidity, gas composition, and temperature control. Cabin air is pulled into the leaf chamber, flows over the plants and vents through the light bank to provide both plant gas exchange and light bank cooling.]

At ~1:00pm, MCC-Houston will be remotely downloading the structural dynamics measurements of the Shuttle undocking by the IWIS (Internal Wireless Instrumentation System) from the SSC-4 (Station Support Computer 4), then reprogram the IWIS for the Progress 31P docking on Sunday. [The crew was advised to “be hands off” of SSC-4 during this time.]

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 (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1), RED (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), 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 undergoing a number of one-hour shifts which started on 11/25. The early undock time this morning (9:47am) drove crew wakeup 2.5 hrs earlier, to ~7:00am. For the next four 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, 7:31pm EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 354.4 km
Apogee height — 359.0 km
Perigee height — 349.8 km
Period — 91.63 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006852
Solar Beta Angle — -5.2 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) – 57438.

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
11/30/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF-2 landing (KSC, ~1:19pm);
11/30/08 — Progress M-01M/31P docking – DC1 Nadir (~7:23am)
12/07/08 — Progress M-65/30P reentry (after 3 weeks autonomous flight for geophysical experiments)
12/17/08 — Progress M-01M/31P thruster firing (test with Soyuz docked at SM aft);
12/18/08 — Russian EVA-21
02/09/09 — Progress M-01M/31P undocking & deorbit
02/10/09 — Progress 32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress 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 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).