International Space Station Communications ISSCOM.001 31 October 2000

ISSCOM.001

                                                                                                                               
31 October 2000

(ISSCOM stands for: International Space Station Communications.)

Soyuz-TM31: This transportship with the first permanent crew for the International Spacestation (from now in in all reports ISS) blasted off from Baykonur on 13.10.2000

At 07.52.47UTC.

Launch and the phase until reaching the status of a real “space ship” took place flawlessly.

The crew consists of the Russians Gidzenko (commander), Krikalyov (board engineer) and Shepherd, who will take over command after ingress in the ISS.

The call of the crew is (for the time being) Uran, so Uran-1, 2 and 3.

Docking at the docking port of the Zvezda module is scheduled for 2.11.2000 at approx. 0919UTC.

Communications:

Already in the pass in the 2nd orbit Soyuz-TM31 came in my range.

2nd orbit:

10.55.16UTC Telemetry on 166.140 mc.

10.55.50 Begin of voice communications on 121.750 mc FM-N (with now and then QRM traffic Groundservices Rotterdam Airport) 

Approx. 10.57.00 LOS (Loss of signal)

KRIKALYOV: We hear you very well. We equalized the air-pressure in the BO (life compartment) and entered this. We checked the air-pressure and took off our spacesuits. We no problems. The pressure in the BO was 820 MM mercury, in the SA (descent module) 750 MM. The pressure is now equalized and we opened the valves. The pressure of the nitrogen we calculated as 619 MM.

3rd orbit:

12.25.20UTC Telemetry on 166.130 mc

12.26.00 Voice comm. on 121.750 mc

Approx. 12.30.20 LOS

GIDZENKO: We hear you well, together with a kind of airtraffic conversations. We gave 2 impulses: the 1st one 18.4, and the 2nd one 15.16. We activated the SRVK (system for regeneration of condensation into water). The system works without problems.

(Answer on a question of TsUP) Yes, we succeeded doing that on the 1st channel. Krik: The pressure? In the SA 750 MM and in the BO 820MM. So they remain stable. Krik: That was approx. 812MM.

(TsUP reads out a series of 4 figure groups, possible times for establishing communications, among them perhpaps stations in the USA)

4th orbit:

13.54.30UTC 166.140 mc Telemetry (transmittter already commanded on in westerly direction, so not in range of Shcholokovo)

(nothing heard on 922.755 mc, possibly due to concentration on 121.750 mc)

13.59.00 121.750 mc Voice comm-s

14.03.00 LOS

Gidz: We feel very well and are ready to do our work. We no problems at all. Yes, we even eaten somewhat. We have been doing the TV-tests, but did not complete these. For this reason we were not able to switch on the Chayka (orientation system of the ship). So we did the YV-tests, Before and we already saw that the display worked, and also the camera worked and we switched over het objectives. But this did not work synchronously (together) and that was why we could not switch on Chayka.

Then reactions on instruction and information from TsUP, for instance about RO “manual orientation”, about the preliminary orientation during the 16th orbit and about orbit corrections to follow. And finally TsUP reads out times for communications.)

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165.