NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 3 December 2008
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
Before morning inspection and breakfast, FE-1 Lonchakov terminated his third experiment session for the long-term Russian sleep study MBI-12/SONOKARD, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. [SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember’s physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
For today’s WRS (Water Recovery System) sample analysis, FE-2 Magnus performed the TOCA (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer) software loading with an updated release, delayed from yesterday by incorrectly configured files on the USB drive. The correct files were uplinked last night.
Subsequently, CDR Fincke and Magnus collected potable water samples from the WPA (Water Processing Assembly) and PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) via H2O transfer common hose, which Mike then analyzed in the TOCA, with Sandy later recording the data.
Afterwards, Fincke temporarily disconnected the WPA tank and instead connected the WRS to the Lab condensate tank, in order to conduct extensive leak checks on the WRS-1 & WRS-2 racks. Later, Mike switched the hose back from the Lab condensate tank to the WPA.
As part of his regular physical fitness evaluation, FE-1 Lonchakov undertook the Russian MO-5 MedOps protocol of cardiovascular assessment during graded physical load on the VELO cycle ergometer, his first, assisted by his Fincke CMO (Crew Medical Officer). [The assessment uses the Gamma-1 ECG equipment with biomed harness, skin electrodes and a blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to the cycle ergometer’s instrumentation panels. Measurements were telemetered down via VHF to RGS (Russian Groundsite) during a comm window at 5:25am EST (DO1). For the graded-load exercise, the subject works the pedals after a prescribed program at load settings of 125, 150, and 175 watts for three minutes each. Data output involves a kinetocardiogram, rheoplethysmogram, rheoencephalogram and a temporal pulsogram.]
Sandy Magnus continued the critical HCP C/O (Hardware Command Panel checkout) activity in the US Lab for the JAXA HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) PROX (proximity) space-to-space communication system which she ran in onboard test mode yesterday. Today the C/O was linked to with the Tanegashima ground station (GS) in Japan, with Sandy’s actual HCP commands expected to be received at the GS. [The HCP is part of the PROX system, mostly located in the ICS rack, consisting also of a PROX antenna, a PROX-GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna, and PROX comm equipment for the HTV. When the HTV approaches the ISS, the external PROX antenna, which contains GPS receivers, will initiate communications with the HTV. The ISS orbital location and speed are immediately relayed to the HTV through the PROX. At the same time, data from the HTV are relayed to the ISS. In addition, the antenna relays commands sent from the ground to the HTV.]
For the upcoming Russian experiment IMPULSE, Yuri Lonchakov performed the first part of an extensive routing & cabling of SUBA Onboard Equipment Control System and SBI Onboard Data Measuring & Storage System instruments in the SM (Service Module), today unstowing the BSK-5V (Power Switch Assembly 5V, Blok cilovoiy kommutatsii-5V) components and readying the commutator for tomorrow’s outfitting and connecting.
Lonchakov conducted the periodic data collection on the long-term BIO-5 Rasteniya-1 ("Plants-1") experiment, copying data from its built-in control computer to a PCMCIA memory card for subsequent downlink to the ground via OCA. The regular periodic equipment status check was listed for today on the Russian discretionary “as time permits” task list. [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.]
The FE-1 also replaced procedures pages in RODF (Russian Operations Data File) books with updates delivered on Progress 31P. [Changes involve the books on Medical Experiments (ME), Technical Experiments (TE), Scientific Experiments (NE),Progress M-01M/31P Transfer Ops. (new book replacing the old), RS EVA (2 new books), one ODF DVD disk with EVA-21 training video, and two ODF CD-ROM disks.]
The US SODF (Systems Operations Data File) Medical Checklist book was updated by Magnus with P&I (Pen & Ink) changes.
Michael Fincke performed the periodic battery replacement in the prime CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products, #1045) unit.
In the US Airlock (A/L), the CDR then initiated the 85-day maintenance cycle on the first two EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) batteries (#2074, #2075) in BCM3 (Battery Charger Module 3) and BCM4 in the US Airlock. The 16-Volt discharge takes ~13 hrs. [The periodic battery maintenance consists of fully discharging and then recharging the storage units to prolong their useful life. After end of the maintenance cycle, Mike will restore the SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop, which is used in DOS mode for the automated discharge procedure, to nominal ops. In the early ISS years, these battery discharges/recharges had to be done manually.]
In the A/L “bake-out” oven, Fincke also started the regeneration of the used METOX (Metal Oxide) CO2 absorption canisters #0007 & #0011.
Yuri completed the routine daily servicing of the SM’s SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS). [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 conducted the periodic checkout/verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways, including the passageways SM PrK (Service Module Transfer Compartment)–RO (SM Working Compartment), PkhO (SM Transfer Tunnel)–RO, PkhO–DC1, PkhO–FGB PGO, FGB PGO–FGB GA, and FGB GA–Node-1.
The regular daily IMS (Inventory Management System) maintenance task was also performed by Lonchakov by updating/editing the IMS standard “delta file” including stowage locations for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
In the COL (Columbus Orbital Module), FE-2 Magnus collected the equipment required for the subsequent software upgrade of the EDR (European Drawer Rack) laptop and performed the upgrade to Release 2.0.7, in three consecutive parts, mostly done without requiring continuous crew presence.
Afterwards, Sandy worked on troubleshooting the Ethernet connectivity of the MMA MLT (Microgravity Measurement Apparatus/MMA Laptop) in the Kibo JPM (Japanese Pressurized Module). [MMA activities were aborted by the inability of the MLT to communicate via the PEHG (Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway). Troubleshooting was to include disconnecting & reconnecting the LAN cable and rebooting the MLT.]
Fincke & Magnus completed the regular monthly session (their first) of the CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) emergency medical operations OBT (On-Board Training) drill, a 30-min. exercise to refresh their CMO (Crew Medical Officer)’s acuity in a number of critical health areas. The proficiency drills today focused on eye treatment. [The HMS (Health Maintenance Systems) hardware, including ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) equipment, may be used in contingency situations where crew life is at risk. To maintain proficiency, crewmembers spend one hour per month reviewing HMS and ACLS equipment and procedures via the HMS and ACLS CBT (computer-based training). The training drill, each crewmember for him/herself, refreshes their memory of the on-orbit stowage and deployment locations, equipment etc. and procedures.]
The new E-18 crewmember, Sandra Magnus, guided by CDR Fincke, performed a mandatory one-hour refresher OBT, i.e., an emergency equipment location & status drill for the case of rapid cabin depressurization, with Russian, US, European & Japanese specialists standing by at their control centers for crew questions or comments. The rule is that the emergency egress exercise should be performed by every new station crewmember once within seven days after departure of the previous crew. [Background: Purpose of the drill is to (a) familiarize the new station resident with the location of hardware and the positions of valves used in emergency situations, (b) familiarize the crewmember with the egress route to the Soyuz, (c) practice crew emergency joint activities, and (d) identify crew comments and suggestions that arise during training regarding crew procedures and equipment. The full crew participates in the Soyuz checks, which are led by the Soyuz CDR (Lonchakov). After the Soyuz checks, the ISS CDR and the FE-2 proceeded with the remaining steps in the US Lab, Node-1, Node-2, COL and the two Kibo modules. The exercise was topped off by a thorough debrief with the ground via S-band. For the case of an onboard fire and for emergency descent, there are other mandatory emergency drill OBTs.]
In preparation for upcoming sample stowage, the FE-2 followed up on yesterday’s ICEPAC insertion into MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) by retrieving two additional -32degC ICEPAC belts from stowage and inserting them into Dewar 1/Tray A, Sections 3 & 4.
Lonchakov spent another ~2 hrs on Progress 31P unloading, keeping track of moves & locations in the IMS and guided by an uplinked transfer list. [Equipment delivered by the cargo ship include food containers, a new BKO multifiltration unit, five fresh BK-3M oxygen bottles for Orlan-M EVAs, a MNR separator pump, a new AK-1M air sampler kit, personal oral hygiene articles (SLG), a BPK condensate feed unit & its control panel, a Penguin-3 suit, an electrical stimulation suit, ASU toilet inserts, etc.]
Sandy had an hour to herself for general orientation (station familiarization & acclimatization) as is standard daily rule for fresh crewmembers for the first two weeks after starting station residence, if she/he chooses to take it.
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), TVIS treadmill (FE-1, FE-2), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-2), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).
A new addition to the US discretionary “job jar” task list for FE-2 Magnus today was a run with the MedOps experiment WinSCAT (Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows), her first onboard session, by logging in on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) laptop and performing the psychological evaluation exercise on the laptop-based WinSCAT application. [WinSCAT is a monthly time-constrained questionnaire test of cognitive abilities, routinely performed by astronauts aboard the ISS every 30 days before or after the PHS (periodic health status) test or on special CDR’s, crewmembers or flight surgeons request. The test uses cognitive subtests that measure sustained concentration, verbal working memory, attention, short-term memory, spatial processing, and math skills. The five cognitive subtests are Coding Memory – Learning, Continuous Processing Task (CPT), Match to Sample, Mathematics, and Coding Delayed Recall. These WinSCAT subtests are the same as those used during NASA’s long-duration bed rest studies.]
ESP-3 Relocation Lookahead: Return of the External Stowage Platform 3 from its current (temporary) location on the MBS (Mobile Base System) to the zenith side of the P3 truss with the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) is planned for 12/5 (Friday).
CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today were Southwest Algeria Megafans (nadir and near-nadir mapping swaths were requested for ~60 secs. over this large site. Two megafans [“inland deltas]—one very large at 320 km radius—shows obvious radiating surface streams. The fans were laid down by rivers that flowed west out of local mountains when climates were wetter 5–15,000 years ago. These huge sediment masses have only recently been identified in this remotest part of the Sahara Desert. They are an analog for parts of Mars where enormous quantities of layered, apparently river-laid sediment, occur [especially in the high-interest area, Sinus Meridiani, where the rover Opportunity is still functioning]. Sediment has buried the base of hills along the northeast side of the megafan in a way that simulates buried Martian impact craters. Visual cues are major linear dunes located to the NW, and contorted rocks immediately east), and Central Algeria Megafans (northeast of the target above lies a complex of smaller fans, all right of track. Understanding details of these complex patterns will allow more sophisticated modeling of sedimentary layers on Mars [underway]).
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, 8:31am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 353.9 km
Apogee height — 358.5 km
Perigee height — 349.4 km
Period — 91.62 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006711
Solar Beta Angle — -28.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 94 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 57518.
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
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).
