ISS On-Orbit Status 28 Nov 2002

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Flight Day 6 of Mission 11A.

After their wake-up at 8:50am (all times EST), the crews were greeted
by warm Happy Thanksgiving messages, with thanks for their excellent work
to date and for achieving what is hoped to be "a long-term victory
over the CDRA". Later in the day, Shuttle CDR Jim Wetherbee delivered
a grateful Thanksgiving message from Space Station Alpha to the ground.

Prepping for the second EVA began during crew breakfast. [After readying
their EVA equipment, donning EMUs equipped with EVARM (EVA radiation monitoring)
badges and SAFER (simplified aid for EVA rescue) units, and purging the
suits, MS1 Mike Lopez-Alegria (EV1) and MS2 John Herrington (EV2) started
the EVA pre-breathe protocol, using the Shuttle ergometer/bike to exercise
while breathing pure O2 (from the Shuttle) for denitrogenation of their
bodies. This was followed by a shorter 10.2-depress period in the Airlock
(A/L). An additional PBA (portable breathing apparatus) was brought into
the A/L which today was scheduled to contain five people during its isolated
10.2 psi ops.]

EVA-2 began at 1:36pm, 44 min. ahead of schedule, and is currently underway.
Major tasks for the spacewalk are (1) installation and leak checks of
two fluid jumpers (hoses) between the S0 and P1 trusses for eventually
flowing ammonia [NH3] coolant between the trusses; (2) installation of
four SPDs (spool positioning devices) on jumper connectors; (3) removal
of the keel pin from the CETA (crew and equipment translation aid) cart
and stowage; (4) installation of the second WETA (wireless video system
external transceiver assembly) assembly on the P1, similar to the first
WETA installed on the Node on 11/26; and (5) transfer of the CETA cart
from the P1 truss to the S1 with the SSRMS/Canadarm2, operated by Whitson,
Bowersox and Pettit, lifting it around the MT (mobile transporter) on
the S0 segment. Two tasks were added to the EVA-2 "get-ahead"
list based on items learned after EVA-1: mating a missing fiber optic
cable connector (P652) for the WETA wireless helmet video camera system,
and securing a dangling pip pin on the airlock thermal cover in its Velcro
pouch. The EVA is the 48th spacewalk of station assembly, the 23rd from
the ISS (the others from the Shuttle), and the 14th from the Joint A/L
(the others from the Russian DC-1).

In order to assure that all EVA-2 objectives will be met, EV2 is using
a Shuttle-supplied LiOH (lithium hydroxide) canister in his EMU instead
of the METOX (metal oxide) can that was planned. The Metox from EV1’s
suit and one of the two Metox canisters used in the A/L during the 10.2
psi ops will be regenerated in the A/L bake-out oven after the conclusion
of EVA-2.

The CDRA (carbon dioxide removal assembly) is operating nominally at
full performance after last night’s IFM (in-flight maintenance). [When
CDRA failed yesterday at about 9:44am because of a sticking ASV (air selector
valve, #104), ASV 104 R&R (removal & replacement) was moved up
from 12/1 to last night. CDRA was accessed by Peggy Whitson using the
previously proven procedure of sliding the TCCS (trace contaminant control
subassembly) out of the rack to be able to wriggle in. After removing
the ASV assembly, a dry white sticky powder was found in the valve and
couplings. The crew cleaned the powder from the couplings and reassembled
the filters. Following the valve R&R, a leak was discovered. The crew
demated and remated one of the fittings, which fixed the leak. CDRA was
successfully activated, is now operating nominally and has completed two
half cycles as of 6:00am this morning.]

During the CDRA valve R&R/filter inspection activity, a LiOH canister
was activated to control ppCO2 (partial pressure of CO2) levels on board.
With the delay due to the leak following the R&R, the crew was instructed
to install two additional LiOH cans to reduce the ppCO2 levels prior to
crew sleep. The three LiOH canisters used for this activity came from
the Shuttle LiOH allocation and do not affect the ISS LiOH stockpile.

The change-out of the RED (resistive exercise device) canister originally
scheduled for tomorrow (11/29) was completed yesterday.

As of early this morning, two CWCs (contingency water containers) were
filled from the Lab condensate water tank, collected from the CCAA air
conditioning system. Two more CWCs were filled yesterday morning.

Crew handover activities are continuing at a brisk pace. [Today they
cover US segment (USOS) payloads, USOS operational systems, IMS (inventory
management system) file preparation activities, handover between the oncoming
and offgoing commanders, and Soyuz systems and operations.]

Cargo transfers are continuing. [Science payloads brought up by STS-113
for the ISS are Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Spaceflight, PCG-STES
(protein crystal growth-single locker thermal enclosure system), ZCG (Zeolite
crystal growth) furnace, and two new experiments for the MSG (microgravity
science glovebox), viz., CSLM (coarsening in solid liquid mixture) and
InSPACE, an experiment to obtain basic data on magnetorheological fluids
(a new class of "smart materials"). Payloads returning to Earth
are PCG-STES, ZCG, SUBSA (solidification using a baffle in sealed ampoules),
and MEPS (microencapsulation electrostatic processing system).]

Expedition 6 CDR Ken Bowersox was scheduled to perform two status checkups
of the Shuttle middeck payloads.

Daily routine maintenance of the SM environment control and life support
system (SOSh) and preparation of the daily IMS update file for downlinking
were assigned to Exp. 6 FE-1 Nikolai Budarin, while Exp. 5 FE-1/SO Peggy
Whitson is scheduled for the regular daily Lab payload status checkup.

The Expedition 5 crew was reminded by TsUP of their filled-out Russian
Census forms, which are to be returned on 11A and hand-carried by Sergei
Treschev to Moscow.

Peggy Whitson and Ken Bowersox completed a functionality checkout of
the CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation) to verify the new
uplinked procedure for using CEVIS in the manual mode. [This requires
donning the Polar heart rate watch/transmitter for tracking heart activity
during exercise, and adjusting the desired tension with a manual control
knob during cycling at constant speed, while monitoring the load displayed
on the control panel. Workload on the CEVIS is a function of tension and
speed of pedaling.]

Crew sleep period begins tonight at 00:20am.

A Happy Thanksgiving holiday to all!