ISS On-Orbit Status 21 Oct 2002

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.  Today 43 years ago, President Eisenhower signed the order which transferred the Wernher von Braun Team from ABMA (Army Ballistic Missile Agency) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, to the newly created NASA, at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL.

Starting Week 20 of their station residency, the crew began an OBT (onboard training) process of reviewing procedures for the upcoming Mission 11A, which will be very similar to 9A.

Preparatory to 11A, the two flight engineers, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev, gained access to the Z1 dome (vestibule), which is used as a stowage area.  The Z1 ITS (integrated truss segment) was mated on top (zenith) of the Node during Mission 3A in October 2000, and to access its vestibule, the crew removed the RED (resistive exercise device) mounted on the Node “ceiling” and opened the zenith hatch.  After the work, the Node hatch was closed again and the RED reinstalled.

As part of “pre-gather” activities for 11A, Whitson retrieved all LiOH (lithium hydroxide) canisters stowed in the Z1 dome, replacing them with fresh LiOH cans transferred from 9A.  Depending on space available, the crew was also given the Go to stow the spare IUA (interface umbilical assembly) and two bags with CBM CPAs (common berthing module/controller panel assemblies) in the dome.  In addition, they were asked to look for “lost” items, such as a spare VIU (video interface unit) and an axial port closeout.

Meanwhile, FE-2 Treschev used the Z1 access to remove Russian personal hygiene items (SLG) in stowage bags from the vestibule for transfer to the RS (Russian segment), for deorbit or future use.

CDR Valery Korzun installed new jumper cables for the Russian intermodule communications system (MBS) to restore voice call-up capability between the docking compartment (DC-1) and the FGB, and between FGB and Service Module (SM).  The crew later conducted a number of tests to check out the intercom system.  [The intermodule communication unit provides the interface between the U.S. IAS (internal audio subsystem), the SM audio subsystem STTS, and – now – the other Russian modules.]

Korzun had his second day of the renal (kidney) stone prevention research experiment, which required him to collect urine samples in the course of the day besides diet logging.  For Treschev, sample collection ended this morning.  After each collection, the sample ID is scanned and the sample then stowed.

Sergei Treschev collected humidity condensate samples from the SRV-K2M condensate water processor of the SM environment control and life support system (SOSh) for analysis, and Korzun later performed the regular daily SOSh maintenance.

As part of regular daily routine tasks, Valery performed the checkup of the Russian Rasteniya-2 plant growth experiment.  He also completed the regular inspection of the BRPK water condensate separator and the inspection of the VR fan in the active SKV-1 air conditioner for accumulated humidity.

Peggy verified autonomous Lab payload operation, and Sergei prepared the IMS (inventory management system) update file for downlink to MCC-M.

At 7:36am EDT, MCC-H began uplinking a new software load, known as LSYS, to upgrade the three Lab MDMs to the R2 version.  In addition, a new version of the boot and diagnostics software was installed.  [The new software is a maintenance release to update the original software and correct several known problems.  The update involved one LA MDM at a time, beginning with LA-3, then LA-1, and LA-2.  The LA MDMs, also known as LSYS1, LSYS2 and LSYS3, control the Lab systems, with each MDM responsible for its own list of systems functions, such as ECLSS (environment control and life support system), ITCS (internal thermal control system), GNC (guidance, navigation and control) attitude control moding, EPS (electrical power system), etc.  During the upgrade, the involved systems were reconfigured as necessary to accomplish the transitions and the crew was informed accordingly.]

A planned switchover of Lab CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner from the starboard to the port channel between the software transition of LA-1 and LA-2 was cancelled.

The crew conducted the weekly maintenance of the TVIS treadmill system as well as the inspection of the RED.

All crewmembers performed their regular physical exercise.

Task list items which the crew completed by the end of last week included three hours of 9A unpacking, PBA (portable breathing apparatus) inspection, PFE (portable fire extinguisher) inspection, CMRS (crew medical restraint system) buckle installation, BCR (bar code reader) upgrade, and Scopemeter battery replacement and labeling.

Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program were Amazon River (Dynamic Event Target: Special lighting conditions this pass permitted sun glint views of the lower Amazon River. Crew was to look right of track as the sun glint enhances details of every water body), Hawaiian Islands (again, special lighting conditions this pass allowed unique sun glint views of the Hawaiian Island chain with the glint of the sea offering details of wind field and ocean currents in the vicinity of the island), and Eastern Mediterranean Dust (although confidence in the forecast was low, the crew was asked to look right of track as ISS crossed the NW Libyan coast for signs of blowing dust plumes in the vicinity of a cold front).

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:58 pm EDT):

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16 Amp mode, on backup pump).  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in MANUAL cycle mode #5, i.e., 10-min. cycle time (vacuum pump failed).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is offline. TCCS is operational.  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.

• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 763, temperature (deg C) — 27.0, ppO2 (mmHg) — 159.4, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 761, temperature (deg C) — 20.4.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756, temperature (deg C) — 21.3.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 754.70, temperature (deg C) — 25.0 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756.63, temperature (deg C) — 23.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — 164.3; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.4;
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 756.73, temperature (deg C) — 34.3; shell heater temp (deg C) — 28.6, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.9
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 11.6

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):  

• Total propellant load available (SM + FGB + Progress) — 4118 kg (9079 lb) [as of 10/17/02].

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B in Autotrack mode (solar-tracking).
• SM batteries:   Battery #5 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• FGB batteries:  Battery #1 is offline; all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Thermal Control Systems:

• Air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

• C&C-3 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-1 is in standby.
• GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is Backup.
• EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is off.
• LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
• PL-1 MDM is On (primary); PL-2 MDM is off (cold backup).
• APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
• SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Source:

• 3 CMGs on-line.
• State vector — Ground-uplinked
• Attitude — Russian segment
• Angular rates — Russian segment

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• All Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally.
• Ku-band is operating nominally.
• Audio subsystem operating nominally.
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 at MBS PDGF3 (mobile base system/power & data grapple fixture 1) and PDGF2, with Keep Alive power on both strings (based on PDGF3 [LEE A, derigidized] and mated to PDGF2).
• MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings.  POA: Keep Alive power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:44am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 396.2 km
• Apogee — 406.4 km
• Perigee — 386.0 km
• Period — 92.48 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.00151
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.57
• Solar Beta Angle — -55.7 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Altitude loss — 190 m (mean) in last 24 hours
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 22367
• Current Flight Attitude — XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: -5.0, pitch: -8.6 deg., roll: 0.4 deg]),with CMG/Thruster Assist Momentum Management).

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html