ISS On-Orbit Status 4 Nov 2002

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.  Begin of Week 22 for Expedition 5, and another day brimful of science.

Time again for the ISS crew, before breakfast and first exercise session, to start off with the periodic Russian medical assessments MO-7 (calf volume measurement) and MO-8 (body mass measurement, BMM). [Sergei Treschev set up the BMM mass measuring device, which uses calibrated springs to determine the subject’s mass in weightless space, and stowed it away after the tests.  Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the ISOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the leg.]

CDR Korzun and FE-2 Treschev completed first day ops of the Russian MBI-2 Deuraz (“Diuresis”) experiment.  [Deuraz requires them to record toilet use time in the morning, perform urine sample collections throughout the day, and log meal and fluid intake on a record card.  Additional work, to be completed tomorrow, consists of collecting venous blood samples from Korzun and Treschev, followed by centrifugation to separate the blood into cells and plasma, and finally closeout and stowage.]

At about 6:10am EST, Sergei Treschev donned the Russian ECG (electrocardiograph) Holter harness, assisted by Korzun, to begin a scheduled 24-hr. monitoring of his cardiac activity.

Both Korzun and Treschev completed another recording session with the Japanese HDTV (high-definition TV) experiment, which records close-up images of the two crewmembers during a staged “interview” for medial/health status monitoring.

The experiment program of the visiting crew (VC-4) continued with a packed schedule, starting off with the daily collection of saliva samples for VIRUS and filling out of a study questionnaire for SLEEP.

Most of today’s VC science time was spent by Zalyotin and De Winne with the Odissea NEUROCOG payload which experiments with visual, vestibular (inner ear) and proprioceptive (posture sensor) cues during various body positionings in zero-G.  [Experiment consists of photo and video imaging of each operator attempting to perform the required operation, viz., orientation in fixed position as well as freely floating, and virtual turns in fixed and free-floating position.]

Frank De Winne continued work on the MSG (microgravity science glovebox) in the Lab, replacing video tapes for PROMISS (protein crystal growth monitoring by digital holographic microscope) and DCCO (diffusion coefficients in crude oil).

VC FE-2 Yuri Lonchakov completed sound level meter and Laptop3 preparations and took measurements for the Russian Tekh3 AKUSTIKA-M experiment.  [AKUSTIKA characterizes the total acoustic loading of the ISS interior including noise generated by vehicle systems, voice communications, and interference during voice comm passes.  Today, Yuri took sound measurements near the SM Central Post (at the intercom site) both during and between two voice comm passes over RGS (Russian ground sites).]

For the MESSAGE experiment, De Winne incubated another genetic sample and stored the previous specimen in the Russian refrigerator (CRYOGEM-03).

Lonchakov worked on the Diatomeya program of world ocean observations, performing still photography with the Nikon-F5 camera during two observing sessions.  [Targets of interest included sea bloom formations in the Gulf of Guinea, with the seaward boundary of the Niger River and the warm Guinea and cold Benguela currents.  Later, he focused on the Guiana Current and the area of the Amazon River discharge plume.  The ground requested a photo of his workplace, showing a typical position of a Diatomeya observer on ISS.]

Lonchakov also took photos, with the Kodak 760 with 800mm focal-length lens, for the Uragan program, targeting the Amazon River area to record the condition of the natural environment and human impacts on it.

FE-1/SO Peggy Whitson downlinked accumulated CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) data via S-band.

Sergei Treschev worked in the Soyuz TM-34 (4S/#208), reconfiguring its toilet system (ASU) to its original state, swapping its male/female configuration with the new TMA-1 (#211) CRV (crew return vehicle).

CDR Korzun performed the monthly maintenance on the TVIS (treadmill).

Peggy Whitson’s continuity checks on the ARCTIC-2 refrigerator/freezer yesterday helped to isolate the ARCTIC failure mode as being in the thermoelectric elements (cooling devices), instead of the controller board.  This failure can only be repaired on the ground.  POC (Payload Operations Center) wants to run the same check on ARCTIC-1, and Peggy was requested today to perform the same steps which she used on ARCTIC 2.

MCC-H conducted the planned checkout of the SSRMS/Canadarm2 MT (mobile transporter), including a verification of the updated software for the MT auto latch-and mate function.  [Due to loads constraints, the Russian thrusters were disabled during actuation of the MT latching and mating hardware at approximately 9:00am-12:00pm EST.  Peggy was to assist with a quick hand controller calibration and a few brakes-off switch throws.]

Whitson initiated another EVA battery recharge procedure, with some modifications due to BSA (battery stowage assembly) failures seen during 9A.

CDR Korzun performed the daily routine tasks of SOSh life support systems maintenance and IMS inventory delta file preparation for downlink. Peggy Whitson did the daily payload status checks in the Lab.

Peggy and Valery were thanked by the ground for yesterday’s successful PuFF (pulmonary function in flight) session, the last for this Expedition.

At 1:56pm EST, Frank De Winne conducted an interactive TV event with school children at the Euro Space Center in Redu, Belgium.  The students came from a number of schools, and the Q&A exchange was moderated on the ground by Dirk Frimout, the first Belgium Shuttle astronaut (STS-45, 1992).

At 3:30pm EST, De Winne and Sergei Zalyotin are scheduled to engage in a live TV event with students and media representatives at ESTEC (Noordwijk, Holland) as well as scientists participating in the European Science Week at a planetarium in Berlin, Germany.  Ground moderators, located at ESTEC, are former Shuttle astronauts Ulf Merbold (Germany) and Umberto Guidoni (Italy).

Also at 3:30pm, Korzun and Whitson are scheduled to support a PAO media event with the Russian “Kosmos” website via Ku- and S-band.

Later in the evening, De Winne will continue his daily TV program for Belgium, downlinking scenes of his research activities aboard the station.

Sleep period begins at 7:00pm EST.

Today’s targets of the CEO (crew earth observations) program were Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (excellent nadir pass over the vast river-damming project of southern Anatolia, looking left and right for lakes and surrounding agricultural patterns), Baghdad, Iraq (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Kuwait City, Kuwait(nadir pass; ESC), Mt. Etna (nadir pass over this erupting volcano.  Etna may have been visible between cloud masses), Eastern Mediterranean Dust (dust plumes on the Egyptian coast, as a major Bay of Biscay storm enters the Mediterranean), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes; Egypt (Toshka lakes continue to fill), Seattle, Washington (nadir pass; ESC), Havana, Cuba (nadir and a touch left pass; ESC), Lower Parana River, Argentina (Dynamic event. Mapping views looking left of track to document the seasonal greening up of Argentina‚s agricultural heartland).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:37 pm EST).

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

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (48 amp mode; on backup pump).  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in AUTO air flow mode (ppCO2 limit: 4 mmHg).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is On. TCCS is operational.  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.

• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756; temperature (deg C) — 27.6; ppO2 (mmHg) — 147.7; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.3.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 761; temperature (deg C) — 20.4.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 748.98; temperature (deg C) — 24.9 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — 163.4; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 750.47; temperature (deg C) — 25.1; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 750.57, temperature (deg C) — 33.1; shell heater temp (deg C) — 26.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 25.2
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 14.6

        (n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):  

• Total propellant load available (SM + FGB + Progress) — 3903 kg (8605 lb) [as of 10/24/02].

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 data not available.
• 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-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup (new patches loaded on both).
• 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 (diagnostic
• 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 — U.S. SIGI-1
• Attitude — Russian segment (RS)
• Angular rates — U.S. RGA-1 (from RS attitude)

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 3) and 11A park position, with Keep Alive power on both strings.
• 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, 6:36am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 393.4 km
• Apogee — 403.1 km
• Perigee — 383.7 km
• Period — 92.43 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0014339
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
• Solar Beta Angle — -32.1 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Altitude loss — 260 m (mean) in last 24 hours
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 22585
• 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