MRPO Daily Status Report 10-04-02
GMT Date: 277
Calendar Date: 10/04/02
Increment: 5
Stage: UF2
Week 17
ISS Information:
The 9A Shuttle launch has been delayed until Monday 10/7/02, at approximately
2:45 p.m. CDT, due to hurricane LILI’S anticipated impact on the
JSC Mission Control Center (MCC).
In an unprecedented move, the MCC was shut down and evacuated Wednesday
morning. ISS control functions were transferred to the TSUP at Moscow.
Payload data downlink and commanding were not available. Power availability
onboard the ISS was very limited due to solar array pointing being manually
controlled. Many ISS systems and payloads had to be powered down to conserve
energy.
The MSFC Payload Operations Control Center (POIC) went to a minimum staffing
mode during the MCC shut-down period.
As the storm passed, the MCC work force began returning systems to normal
operation. Late yesterday, the MCC and POIC worked together to re-establish
communications between the centers and with the ISS for commanding and
telemetry.
Essentially all payload systems were back to normal by 9:00 a.m. CDT
today. While MAMS and SAMS did not receive data during this unusual period,
there were no loss of science impacts to MRPO payloads.
Payloads being launched on 9A:
CGBA, PGBA, STES-7, Seed Culture (sortie), and ZCG Samples
Payloads being returned on 9A:
ADVASC, MEPS Samples, SAMS Hard Drive/Battery, Seed Culture (sortie),
StelSys, STES-8, and ZCG Samples
Payloads currently on-board ISS:
ADVASC (HW), BSTC, InSPACE, MAMS, MEPS, MSG (facility), PFMI, SAMS, SUBSA
and ZCG. InSpace was not planned to operate during this stage.
Status:
MRPO payloads ADVASC, MAMS, SAMS and STES 8 continue nominal, basically
unattended, operations. BSTC, MEPS, StelSys, SUBSA and ZCG operations
have been successfully completed.
EXPRESS RACK 1 (ER1) power was restored this morning and the rack is
nominal. ER2 power remains turned-off but it is to be re-powered today.
ER4, which houses the payloads that require continuous power, remained
powered during the MCC shut-down and is nominal. ER3 is installed in the
US Lab and will be checked out later. ER5 was checked out during Increment
4 and powered down.
ADVASC continued to be powered during the MCC shut down and is nominal.
The payload has been configured for plant and seed dry-out for return
on 9A. Deactivation will be delayed until after the 9A launch.
ARTIC 1, which contains the StelSys samples, and ARTIC 2, which contains
ZCG samples, continued to be powered during the MCC shut down and they
are nominal.
MAMS was powered down during the MCC shut down and was re-powered today.
MAMS is operating nominally in the quasi-steady mode. HiRAP is currently
turned-off. MAMS data is available on the acceleration measurement web
page.
MSG power was turned-off Wednesday after completion of the PFMI sample
processing and cool down on Tuesday. MSG is scheduled to be re-powered
Sunday to support PFMI sample # 5 and sample #6 operations.
PFMI sample #4 operations were completed Tuesday and payload power was
turned-off following cool down. Sample #4 remains in the thermal chamber
and will be removed and stowed when the next sample is to be installed.
Plans call for PFMI sample #5 to be processed Sunday, 10/6, and sample
#6 to be processed Monday, 10/7.
SAMS was powered down during the MCC shut down and was re-powered today.
All SAMS sensors in EXPRESS Racks are operating nominally. The SAMS sensor
in the MSG is currently turned-off. SAMS data is also being posted to
the acceleration measurement web page.
STES-8 continued to be powered during the MCC shut down and is nominal.
The four remaining activated growth chambers are to be deactivated after
launch of 9A but before 9A docks with ISS.
Near-term Outlook:
Week 17 (9/30-10/6) – Planning for this week was based on approximately
12 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. An additional
PFMI run is now planned on Sunday, 10/6. The remaining MRPO payload activities
planned for this week have been delayed pending launch of 9A.
Week 18 (10/7-10/13) – The plan for this week is being revised
due to the 9A launch delay. An additional PFMI run (#6) is planned for
Monday, 10/7, following removal of the sample from run #5.
M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist
ACRONYMS:
ADVASC – Advanced Astroculture
ARIS–Active Rack Isolation System
ARTIC 1 – On-board Freezer
ARTIC 2 – On-board refrigerator
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
EVA – Extra-vehicular Activity
GSM — Gas Supply Module
InSPACE– Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
ISS – International Space Station
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
MCC – Mission Control Center
MEPS – Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System
MSG – Microgravity Science Glovebox
PFMI – Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation
POIC — Payload Operations Control Center
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
