ISS On-Orbit Status 9 May 2003
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. A restful day for the crew because of today’s Russian holiday. Happy Victory Day, Yuri Ivanovich!
CDR Yuri Malenchenko completed the regular weekly checkout of the IP-1 airflow sensors, that are installed in the various RS (Russian segment) hatchways. [Last time done: 5/2.]
Malenchenko also conducted the regular inspection of the active BRPK air/condensate separator of the Russian SRV-K water processing system. [The BRPK separator contains porous cermet hydrophilic (“water attracting”) tubes through which the gas-liquid mixture from the heat exchanger moves. They separate the air from the condensate, but when the separator exceeds its service life or malfunctions, incomplete separation of the atmospheric condensate occurs, and the water then collects under the “sheet” of porous fluoroplastic. This is the main focus of the regular inspection.]
FE/SO Dr. Edward Lu meanwhile performed another weekly inventory audit of the available CWCs (collapsible water containers) and their condition. [Last time done: 4/25.]
Both crewmembers went through a review session of the new uplinked procedures for quick response in the event of critical electrical bus losses on the station, which often take out communications. [Objective of the OBT (onboard training) was to review the actions and procedures of critical bus loss recovery which have been rewritten clearer and easier for the current two-man crew to execute successfully. Listed impacts of power bus losses on RPCs (remote power controllers), RPCMs (RPC modules) and systems fill 42 pages uplinked to the crew overnight.]
Yuri completed the regular inspection of the BIO-5 “Rasteniya-2/Lada-3” (Plants-2) zero-G plant growth experiment.
Ed Lu transferred the accumulated physical exercise files of the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and CEVIS cycle ergometer to the MEC (medical equipment computer), for subsequent downlink to the ground. [The data file transfers involve PCMCIA (portable computer memory card international adapter) cards from TVIS and CEVIS, plus the entries from the RED exercise log book, individually for each crewmember.]
Subsequently, Ed also completed the periodic transfer of accumulated data files from the CMS HRM (crew medical systems/heart rate monitor) to the MEC, then deleted them on the HRM.
The CDR performed the daily routine maintenance/inspection of SOZh life support systems (incl. ASU toilet facility, KRP food containers, EDV water containers and KTO solid waste containers), while the SO did the daily status checkup of ISS-7 payloads.
CDR Malenchenko tagged up again with a ground expert at MCC-M/TsUP to discuss today’s and the next two days’ sessions with the Russian Diatomeya ocean bioproductivity observing program. For today’s run, on the Russian task list, Yuri’s target areas were Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean. [Still photography is taken from Service Module (SM) window #9 with the Nikon D1 digital camera and a long (800mm) focal length lens. Window #9 is always protected with an internal cover which is opened only for such uses as Diatomeya.]
Also on the Russian crew-discretion task list are today’s and the next two days’ sessions of the Russian Uragan (“hurricane”) earth imaging program (GFI-8) which currently features educational imagery of selected geographical targets. [Targets today were an entire track across Africa, the Mississippi fluvial system, the Eastern seaboard of the US, the Bahamas and Great Antilles, and the NE coast of South America.]
Ed Lu worked on the RED (resistive exercise device) which had exhibited “scraping noise”, swapping the two Flexpack canisters (1009 & 1010) with two others (1001 & 1003), after changing out the pulley cables on the two latter.
Lu and Malenchenko completed their daily physical exercise program, on TVIS, RED, CEVIS and, for Yuri, on the Russian VELO ergometer with load trainer.
The crew was also scheduled for the weekly teleconference with the MCC-H Flight Director.
Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) targets, including cities during daylight and at night (again available as targets in the current LVLH attitude) were Tunis, Tunisia (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Salt Lake City, Utah (a touch left of track), Smoke in the Gulf of Mexico (Dynamic event. Opportunity to document smoke masses emanating from the fires in southern Mexico), Mexico-Guatemala border fires (Dynamic event, night image. Nadir pass over a large area of fires), Dallas, Texas (city at night), Los Angeles, California (city at night; long view of southern California coastline and night lights, right of track), and Madras (Chennai), India (city at night; nadir; ESC).
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:10pm EST).
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
- Elektron O2 generator is powered On (24 Amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (manual mode 3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is operating. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.
- SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 27.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
- SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 19.5.
- FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 744; temperature (deg C) — 21.7.
- Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 741.98; temperature (deg C) — 22.5 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 744.21; temperature (deg C) — 22.4; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 744.31 temperature (deg C) — 22.1; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.5, ppO2 (mmHg) — 171.1; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.3.
- PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.3
- PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 19.8
(n/a = data not available)
Propulsion System (PS):
- Total propellant load available: 3588 kg (7910 lb) as of 5/8 [SM(774) + FGB(2562) + Progress(252)]. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
- Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in directed position (Blind mode, non solar-tracking, drag reduction).
- SM batteries: Battery #4 is disconnected, in stand-alone ops; battery #3 in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (6) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
- FGB batteries: Battery #5 is disconnected; all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
- Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 and PCU-2 both in Standby mode.
Command & Data Handling Systems:
- C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
- GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
- INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
- EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
- LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
- PL-2 MDM is On (primary); PL-1 MDM is Off
- APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
- SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
- SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
Attitude Control Systems:
- 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
- State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
- Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-2 (GPS)
- Angular rate source — RGA-2
Flight Attitude:
- LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -7.2 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.
- Solar Beta angle: 19.4 deg (magnitude increasing).
Communications & Tracking Systems:
- FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
- All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
- S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
- Ku-band is operating nominally.
- Audio subsystem operating nominally.
- Video subsystem operating nominally.
- HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.
Robotics:
- SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
- MBS: KA power on both strings.
- MT: latched at WS4, with KA power.
- POA: KA power on both strings.
- RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:30am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 390.1 km
- Apogee — 394.6 km
- Perigee — 385.7 km
- Period — 92.36 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.000653
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
- Solar Beta Angle: 19.4 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 90 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 25496
- For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
