Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 1 Apr 2002

By SpaceRef Editor

April 1, 2002

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

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Week 16 for Expedition 4.

On a busy April’s-Fools-Monday after a restful Easter weekend, CDR
Onufrienko and FE-1 Walz began their workday by continuing to unload
Progress M1-8 and stowing cargo in the station, accompanied by IMS inventory
checks, for about two hours.

Today’s payload transfer, installation and setup focused on the Russian
geophysical (GFI-1) “Relaksatsiya” experiment, with its UV camera (UFK),
spectrometer unit (SP), camcorder and accessories kit. Onufrienko also
loaded the software for spectrometer ops on Wiener laptop #3.

Yuri Onufrienko collected air samples in the U.S. Airlock using the Russian
AK-1M sampling absorber, checking on possible Freon content in the air,
while Dan Bursch collected air samples at other station locations.

Bursch completed a two-hour activity of transferring condensate water from
the Lab condensate collection tank to a CWC (collapsible water container).
By now, close to 90 lbs of “technical” water had accumulated in the tank,
approaching its capacity limit of 100 lbs. Overboard dumping or transfer to
the available CWC has become increasingly urgent. The waste water will be
transferred to STS-110/Atlantis (which is bringing potable water up) and
dumped from there after its undocking on FD12.

In preparation for the coming spacewalks, Dan performed troubleshooting of
the EVA battery charger anomalies seen prior to US EVA-1 (first Airlock
spacewalk), checked out the newly replaced battery charger modules #3 and
#4, and started charging the EVA batteries (for pistol grip tools, helmet
lights, etc.) in the BSA (battery stowage assembly). Later he installed a
video camcorder in the Airlock.

After last Friday’s (3/29) successful S-Zero (S0) truss transfer dry run
with the SSRMS on Prime string with the 6DOF software patch, the two flight
engineers today spent several hours with completing any remaining pre-launch
checkout requirements of all MSS (mobile servicer system) equipment in
preparation for the upcoming 8A joint operations. Canadarm2 has been
maneuvered back to the S0 pre-grapple position, where it has executed one SP
(shoulder pitch) maneuver away from the payload bay to give the Orbiter
adequate clearance for docking next Saturday, 4/6 (at about 11:30 am EDT).

In the FGB, Yuri Onufrienko connected ARCU #51 and #52 (American-to-Russian
converter units, also known as SNT [voltage and current stabilizer] A51 &
A52) to one of the two feeder lines from PMA-1 (pressurized mating adapter
#1) between FGB and Node. The two ARCUs, which are backups to ARCUs 53 and
54, were not connected before.

On Friday, 4/12, Russia is observing “Cosmonautics Day” (a state holiday),
i.e., the 41st anniversary of the first human flight into space by Yuri
Gagarin in Vostok 1 (1961). The crew today was scheduled to downlink a TV
message to MCC-Moscow and GCTC (Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center) in Star
City for replay at the traditional Gagarin Conference (the “28th Gagarin
Lectures International Youth Scientific Conference”). Their congratulations
also include the Konstantin Y. Tsiolkovsky Russian State Technical
University (MATI), one of Russia’s leading aerospace universities, on the
70th anniversary of its founding. CDR Onufrienko: “Study hard, venture
forth, and may the challenging path you have chosen bring success!”

Dan performed the regular daily Lab payloads status checks, while Yuri took
care of SOSH life support systems maintenance, IMS “delta” file updating,
and preparing Russian items for return on 8A.

FE-2 Dan Bursch was scheduled to perform a test of possible interference
between the TeSS (temporary sleep station) and the EXPRESS rack #2 (ER2).
[Based on some recent photos, a buckle from TeSS appeared to come in contact
with a SAMS (space acceleration measurement system) sensor above ER2. These
sensors measure accelerations (disturbances) electronically and transmit the
measurements to the ICU (interim control unit) located in an ER drawer,
before they are downlinked with other data. Bursch was to simulate a
typical entry into TeSS four times, waiting approximately 15 sec between all
entries and exits, while noting the times. This information will allow the
SAMS team at Glenn Research Center (GRC) to analyze the acceleration data
and determine if there is a signature of the buckle hitting the SAMS
sensor.]

All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise.

Target areas for the CEO program today were Indonesian Volcanoes (Dynamic
Event: Two Javanese volcanoes, Merapi and Semeru, have been erupting gas
and ash within the past week. The ISS course provided a long view to the W
[left] down the entire volcanic chain. Even with the XPOP attitude of the
Station, the crew should have been able to record any activity there using
the telephoto lens. They were probably able to see local afternoon
thunderstorms over parts of the highlands), Industrialized Southeastern
Africa (as ISS crossed the folded Karroo Ranges along the coast, crew was to
look right [SE] of track for any smog palls that might be moving offshore
from the interior. As the track continued NE-ward, oblique regional views
are needed of drought conditions in the coastal lowlands of Mozambique),
Parana River (wetlands of the Chaco Plain and Pantanal, to left of track,
are part of the vast drainage basin of the Parana and Pilcomayo Rivers.
Although there may be scattered clouds, the crew should have been able to
record the condition of the wetlands and river water levels as autumn sets
in. Land clearing is of interest as well).
NASA gateway for Earth photography from space: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:03 pm EST today):

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
Elektron O2 generator is On (24 Amps mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in
MANUAL cycle mode #5 (vacuum pump failed). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is in
Standby. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed
#2 in Purify mode.
SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 760, temperature (deg C) —
26.6, ppO2 (mmHg) — 154.3, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 767, temperature (deg C) —
21.5.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 769, temperature (deg C) — 23.3.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 754.07, temperature (deg C) — 23.6 (shell); ppO2
(mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 756.23, temperature (deg C) — 24.3, ppO2
(mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 755.93, temperature (deg C)
— 22.4; shell heater temp (deg C) — 21.6, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg)– n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.2
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 13.2

(Note: Partial pressures ppO2 and ppCO2 in U.S. segment [USOS] not available
because MCA [major constituent analyzer] is failed and in Extended Life mode
[= a state that preserves mass spectrometer vacuum but produces no pp
data]).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B in Autotrack mode, BGA 4B in Autotrack mode.
SM batteries: battery #8 is cycling; all other batteries (7) in “partial charge” mode.
FGB battery #6 is offline (capacity restoration mode [ROM]); #1 is cycling; all other batteries (4) are in “partial charge” mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Thermal Control Systems: