NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 21 December 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Sunday – pre-EVA rest day for CDR Fincke, FE-1 Lonchakov & FE-2 Magnus. Ahead: Week 9 of Increment 18.

>>>This morning at 7:04am EST, Winter began officially.

>>>Today 40 years ago, humankind broke the taboo of Earth constraints and fulfilled a millennia-old dream when, at 7:51am EST, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders launched at KSC to break away from Earth in Apollo 8 and head for the Moon. “This is not the end but the beginning…” said NASA Administrator Dr. Thomas Paine (act.).

CDR Fincke & FE-2 Magnus started their day by downloading the accumulated data of the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment from their Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop as part of the week-long session with SLEEP. [To monitor the crewmember’s sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, the crewmembers wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by them as well as their patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition and use the payload software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment’s laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew’s discretionary “job jar” task list. It was the second session for Mike, the first for Sandra.]

After wakeup, before breakfast & first exercise, Mike Fincke, with Sandy Magnus assisting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer), completed a pre-EVA session with the Russian crew health-monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. [MO-9 is conducted every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for U.S. crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program. Afterwards, the data are entered in the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]

Afterwards, the CDR –

• Set up the batteries of the D2X cameras for tomorrow’s Orlan EVA-21 in the US Airlock for charging and later terminated the process after a minimum of 3 hours charging, and
• Filled the DIDBs (Disposable In-suit Drink Bags) and installed them in the Orlan-M suits.

Also in preparation for the Russian spacewalk, FE-1 Lonchakov –

• Functionally tested the hatch KVDs (pressure equalization valves, U.S.: PEVs) in the DC1 and Service Module Transfer Compartment (SM PkhO) from their EVA support panels (POV);
• Configured the CCPK (Crew Contamination Protection Kit, Russian: PNST) in the DC1, for protecting the spacewalkers from FORP (Fuel/Oxidizer Reaction Products, e.g., N-nitrosodimethylamine, NDMA), i.e., incompletely-burnt fuel residue on the SM hull from yaw/pitch thruster plumes [the protective gear kits for use during and after the EVA in case the Orlans are inadvertently contaminated, are extensively equipped with wet wipes, dry towels, goggles, IPK gas masks and half masks, latex gloves, high performance filters, trash containers, etc. Towels used for wiping gloves etc. will be thrown overboard in retrograde direction (i.e., against flight direction)],
• Retrieved three “Pille-MKS” radiation dosimeters, recording their dosages and equipping each Orlan (in pocket on left calf) with a sensor unit (A0309 & A0310) [a third sensor, A0308, remains on duty for SM background readings on the Pille Reader tray]; and
• Activated the ASU toilet system in the Soyuz spacecraft (for use by the FE-2 during the SM lockout).

Lonchakov performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the Service Module (SM), including the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP-Moscow. Additionally, the FE-1 today checked up on the Russian POTOK-150MK (150 micron) air filter unit of the SM’s SOGS air revitalization subsystem, gathering weekly data on total operating time & “On” durations for reporting to TsUP-Moscow. [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.]

In preparation for the EVA, Yuri also supported the ground in powering down the Elektron-VM oxygen (O2) generator, safety-purging its BZh Liquid Unit with nitrogen (N2) at 0.65 kg/cm2 via its KE3 and VN3 valves.

For the external video coverage of the spacewalk, FE-2 Magnus set up the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) video camera connection by hooking up the UOP DCP (Utility Outlet Panel/Display & Control Panel) power bypass cable at the Lab RWS (Cupola Robotic Work Station).

Sandy also recorded TOCA (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer) results and conducted the T+2d inflight microbiology analyses for the samples collected on 12/19 from the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) Ambient plus SVO-ZV and SRV-K Warm taps. [Sandy reported “yellow” for Coliform (= Negative), “no purple dots” on the MCD (Microbial Capture Device) and a (nominal) incubation bag temperature of 80 degC. “All was OK…”]

Fincke & Lonchakov had their pre-EVA PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Mike at ~10:10am, Yuri at ~11:30am EST.

At ~12:25pm, Mike held his weekly PFC (Private Family Conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop).

The station residents conducted their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

Working from his discretionary “time permitting” job list, Yuri Lonchakov conducted the frequent status check on the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-1 ("Plants-1") experiment, verifying proper 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).]

EVA-21 Timeline Preview: The Orlan EVA-21 by Lonchakov (EV1/blue stripe) & Fincke (EV2/red stripe) tomorrow is scheduled to begin at ~7:15pm EST (DC1 EV hatch open), to last an estimated 6 hrs 10 min, i.e., concluding at approximately 1:25am. Russian attitude thrusters will be inhibited by TsUP ground commanding at specific times when the spacewalkers work on the SM RO (Working Compartment, l.d./large diameter) and SM AO (Assembly Compartment). Main objectives of the EVA are to –

• Install a Langmuir Probe on the DC1 Docking Compartment;
• Install & connect the EXPOSE-R monobloc unit on the SM RO l.d.;
• Install & connect the IPI-SM monobloc unit of the IMPULSE space experiment on the RO l.d.;
• Remove/return the BIORISK-MSN payload container #2 from the DC1;
• Conduct “SWG” Omega watch experiment operations;
• Inspect & photograph Progress 31P ASF1-M-VKA #2 antenna;
• Remove fasteners (Aramide straps) near docking target and AR-VKA & 2AR-VKA antenna areas on DC1(if time permits);
• Close MLI (Multi-Layer Insulation) flap on SM FP-10 connector patch (if time permits);
• Re-install SKK #9 removable cassette container in nominal position (if time permits); and
• Monitor conditions ISS RS exterior and structure components (“Panorama-2008” DTO, if time permits).

Crew Sleep Cycle Shift (EST):

• Sleep tonight (12/21): — 4:30pm
• Wake (12/22, Mon.) — 10:45am
• Sleep (12/23, Tues.): — 6:30am
• Wake (12/24, Wed.): — 1:00am (nominal).

Christmas Day Message: On 12/24, the day when trailblazing Apollo 8 arrived in lunar orbit 40 years ago, the ISS crew will downlink a message commemorating the event and extending “Peace” wishes to all countries partnering in the ISS, in their languages:
English (Peace), Russian (Mir), Japanese (Heiwa), French (Paix), Dutch (Vrede), German (Friede), Danish/Norwegian/Swedish (Fred), Italian (Pace), Spanish (Paz).
Let your neighbors know!

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, 8:25am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 354.0 km
Apogee height — 359.3 km
Perigee height — 348.8 km
Period — 91.62 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007782
Solar Beta Angle — -51.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 49 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 57801

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
12/22/08 — Russian EVA-21 (hatch opening ~7:15pm; ingress 1:25am);
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
05/12/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
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
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC, last crew rotation
08/XX/09 — Soyuz 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Soyuz
09/XX/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1)
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4
12/XX/11– Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.