MRPO Daily Status Report 08-05-02

GMT Date: 217

Calendar Date: 08/05/02

Increment: 5

Stage: UF2

Week 9

Payloads currently on-board ISS:
ADVASC, BSTC, InSPACE, MAMS, MEPS, MSG (facility), PFMI, SAMS, StelSys,
STES-8, SUBSA and ZCG. InSpace will not operate during this increment.

Status:
MRPO payloads ADVASC, MAMS, SAMS, and STES 8 continue nominal basically
unattended operations. BSTC, MEPS, StelSys, and ZCG operations have been
successfully completed.

EXPRESS RACKS 1, 2 and 4 (ER1, ER2 & ER4) are powered and supporting
payload operations. ER3 is installed in the US Lab and will be checked
out later. ER5 was checked out during Increment 4 and powered down.

ADVASC is downlinking nominal health and status data. Digital photographs
indicate that soybean pods are developing and maturing.

MAMS is operating nominally in the quasi-steady mode. HiRAP is turned-off.
MAMS data is available on the acceleration measurement web page.
The MSG facility was powered-down today following the successful completion
of a SUBSA sample run. The facility operated nominally during the time
it was powered.

PFMI is stowed in the US Lab and is scheduled to operate in the MSG during
Stage 9A.

SAMS equipment in all EXPRESS racks is operating nominally. The SAMS
sensor in the MSG is currently un-powered, but is active during MSG activities.
SAMS data is also being posted to the acceleration measurement web page.

STES-8 is downlinking nominal health and status data. Two of the six
growth chambers have been deactivated.

SUBSA completed a successful fifteen-hour sample run last Friday (8/2/02).
The desired sample melt conditions were attained at 831o C. Following
cool-down the sample was removed from the furnace and stowed. The next
SUBSA operation is planned for next Wednesday, 8/7. A serious possibility
exists for an extra run during this coming weekend and plans are being
made for this.

ZCG has worked with ARCTIC to have seven of ZCG’s autoclaves removed
from the ZCG furnace and placed in the ARCTIC freezer to assure no degradation
occurs. This activity took place today with the ARCTIC unit set to +5
C. The other twelve autoclaves were placed in normal stowage.

Near-term Outlook:

Week 9 (8/5-8/11) – Planning is being based on approximately 15 hours
of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. Significant crew
time will be devoted to preparation for an EVA during week 10. MSG/SUBSA
operations are included.

M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist

ACRONYMS:

ADVASC – Advanced Astroculture
BCSS — Biotechnology Cell Science Stowage
BSTC– Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (General status information
on this payload will include coverage of the following items of support
equipment: BTR, BCSS and GSM)
BTR — Biotechnology Refrigerator
ER1– EXPRESS RACK 1
ER2 — EXPRESS RACK 2
ER3 – EXPRESS RACK 3
ER4 – EXPRESS RACK 4
ER5 – EXPRESS RACK 5
GSM — Gas Supply Module
InSPACE- Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
MCOR -Medium Rate Communication Outage Recorder
MEPS – Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System
MSG – Microgravity Science Glovebox
PFMI – Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation
SAMS — Space Acceleration Measurement System II
STES – Protein Crystal Growth – Single Thermal Enclosure System
SUBSA – Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules
ZCG – Zeolite Crystal Growth