Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 Jan 2004

By SpaceRef Editor

January 27, 2004

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 Jan 2004 — iss

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Last night, Expedition 8 reached and then flew by the 100th day of their mission (98 days on ISS).

Tomorrow is Progress M-248/12P undock day. Separation & departure are scheduled for 3:36am EST.

After breakfast, FE Alexander Kaleri worked inside the Progress cargo vehicle to continue undock preparations by dismantling and removing its LKT local temperature sensor commutator (TA251M1B) of the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system and its ROM (read-only memory) unit (TA765B), now no longer required and to be reused in the future. [Later, 12P was activated, followed by ground-commanded interconnecting of its helium tanks (KDU) and uplink of the undock program to its autopilot. The crew then disassembled the air duct in the hatchway to the Service Module (SM) transfer compartment (PkhO) and next removed the threaded quick-disconnect screw clamps of the SM’s docking and internal transfer mechanism (SSVP), which rigidized the mating surfaces. The interface was visually inspected and video-recorded to make sure that there is no damage to the cords, snap hooks or rings on the latches and to the slots for the clamps in the SSVP’s internal flanges. The TV tape was downlinked via U.S. Ku-band at 8:30am before closure of the hatches, followed by depressurization of the SM-to-Progress vestibule and leak checking. The SM thrusters, which had been inhibited during depress and leak check, were then re-enabled. Later tonight, 12P will transfer from SM power to autonomous battery power while ISS maneuvers to duty attitude, later to separation attitude, and the U.S. P6 solar array wings (SAWs) are feathered in directed position as protection against plume impingement. Station attitude will mode to free drift at ~3:35am EST, followed one minute later by 12P undocking, after which the SAWs are returned to Autotrack. The crew was asked to conduct a visual check from SM window #26 of both seals on the docking interface of the departing Progress and to look for any abnormalities during the separation.]

Kaleri performed scheduled inflight maintenance (IFM) on the condensate water processor (SRV-K2M) by removing and replacing its BKO multifiltration/purification column unit, which has reached its service life limit (450 liters min.). The old unit was discarded on Progress 12P before hatch closure. (Last time done: 12/23/03). [The SRV-K2M converts collected condensate into drinking water and dispenses the reclaimed water (warm and hot) for drinking and preparation of food and beverages.]

CDR Michael Foale set up and activated the EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) hardware in the SM (because of Lab window unavailability), after connecting it to the Russian 28V power supply and an SSC (station support computer) laptop yesterday. [EarthKAM is using a Kodak ESC 460C electronic still camera, now powered by 16Vdc from a 28 Vdc adapter. EK takes pictures by remote operation from the ground, without crew interaction. It is available for students who submit image requests and conduct geographic research. The current 4-day session is conducted by 52 schools from Germany, Spain, Japan, Chile and the US. Their requests are uplinked in a camera control file to an IBM 760XD SSC laptop which then activates the camera at specified times and receives the digital images from the camera’s storage card on its hard drive, for subsequent downlink via OPS LAN.]

Mike Foale stowed PFMI (Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation) experiment hardware to clear workspace in preparation for the PromISS 2/3 (Protein Crystal Growth Monitoring by Digital Holographic Microscope 2/3) activities scheduled for later this week in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox).

Mike also powered up the CGBA (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus) in preparation of the Granada Crystallization Facility (GCF) payload, which will arrive on 13P on 1/31. CGBA will be maintained at 20 degrees C to support GCF.

Sasha Kaleri performed the periodic recharge of the Motorola-9505 Iridium telephone’s lithium-ion battery, supported by tagup with ground specialists via S-band. [For safety, before powering up the recharge unit, the telephone, as before (12/24/03), was placed into a single CTB (crew transfer bag), which then was placed inside a triple CTB. The charging was monitored every 30 minutes without taking the satphone out of the containment. Upon completion, Kaleri removed the phone, placed it inside its SSSP Iridium kit and stowed it back in the Soyuz TMA-3 descent module’s operational data files container.]

The FE deployed two passive FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit) sampling badges in the Lab (below CEVIS) and SM (most forward handrail), to catch any atmospheric formaldehyde on a sampling substrate for subsequent analysis. (Last time done: 1/20).

Sasha also conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system, and prepared the daily IMS (inventory management system) “delta” file for automatic export/import to update the database.

Mike completed the retransfer of Airlock (A/L) cargo items from their temporary stowage in the Node to the A/L. This activity was deferred from 1/9. [The equipment had to be cleared from the A/L on 1/5 for Mike’s EMU swap/resizing activities.]

At 10:25am, the crew conducted a 15-min PAO VIP call via Ku-band/video with NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at the ISS Flight Control Room in Houston.

Both crewmembers worked out according to their regular daily physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill and CEVIS cycle (aerobic), VELO ergometer with force loader and RED exerciser (anaerobic).

Mike downloaded TVIS exercise files to the medical equipment computer (MEC).

During the attitude maneuver from XPOP to LVLH on 1/24, the SM -yaw thruster (-3P) on manifold 2 failed. A redundant -yaw thruster (-1R) on manifold 1 was activated. [The same failure happened on this thruster on 2/4/03. MCC-M/TsUP believes the failure is caused by a sensor that provides thruster pressure information. At times this sensor is providing a bad reading, which causes the thruster to fail. RSC-Energia has developed a software fix that will require the sensor to provide three bad pressure readings before declaring the thruster failed. This software fix is being incorporated in SM 7.02 software, and the thruster will be re-activated prior to 12P undocking tomorrow morning.]

Launch of Progress 13P at Baikonur is scheduled for Thursday, 1/29, at 6:58am EST. Docking will nominally occur on Saturday, 1/31, at ~8:14am, at the SM aft end port.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and condensation-prevention plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Nairobi, Kenya (the Kenyan capital city lied just left of track as ISS approached from the SW. Also looking for snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro well right of track about this time), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes, Egypt (the ground is monitoring the westward expansion of these unplanned man-made lakes into the Egyptian desert northwest of Lake Nasser. Crew was asked to map, if possible), St. Croix (crew was to use the long lenses to document the details of the coral reef structures of this island as they hade a near-nadir pass), St. Thomas (crew was to use the long lenses to document the details of the coral reef structures of this island as they had a near-nadir pass), and St. John (crew was to use the long lenses to document the details of the coral reef structures of this island as they had a near-nadir pass).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at