Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 11 Jan 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

January 11, 2003

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

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.

Today the crew had their regular off-duty Saturday, except for necessary repair work and daily maintenance.

After wake-up at the regular 1:00 am EST, followed by the usual post-sleep activities, the day started off with some free time for CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-2/SO Don Pettit, while FE-1 Nikolai Budarin complete his daily checkup of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth payload.

Then it was time again for the crew to perform the weekly “uborka stantsii” (station cleanup), today the 2-hr. version.

Taking up some originally unplanned time on his schedule (2.5 hrs.), Nikolai Budarin worked on the Russian SRV-K2M condensate water processor, removing the failed BRPK-1 air/condensate separator system and replacing it with spare delivered on Progress 3P (244) in 2001. The R&R required the deactivation of the SKV-1 air conditioning system and its NOK-1 condensate pump. They were to be turned on again after completion of closeout ops on TsUP go-ahead. [The BRPK separator contains porous cermet hydrophilic (“water attracting”) tubes through which the gas-liquid mixture from the heat exchanger moves. The air is separated 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.]

Bowersox switched the Lab CCAA (common cabin air assembly)/air conditioner from its portside channel over to the starboard unit. A swap-back is scheduled for tomorrow. [The port-CCAA has been operating for 32 days, and the limit for continuous CCAA operation without a dryout is 33 days. The starboard CCAA has exhibited frequent “WET” indications in the past, suggesting that water is passing through the heat exchanger into the downstream ducting. Until the root cause of this problem can be identified, operation of the port-CCAA is preferred. Thus, after a sufficient dryout period is achieved, Sox is scheduled to swap the starboard-CCAA back to it tomorrow.]

Bowersox also performed the daily routine maintenance of the SOSh life support system, incl. ASU toilet system, as well as the regular daily Lab payload status checkup. The daily automated IMS file import/export was prepared by Don Pettit.

During three recent data downloads, the IWIS (internal wireless instrumentation system) exhibitedanomalous signatures in the data. Ground specialists are working on finding a cause. IWIS structural dynamics data collections could still be performed using the old software, but since this would require additional crew time, IWIS operations are on hold for now until the best course of action is determined. [The automated IWIS software is failing to download some of the data, leaving a time-consuming memory dump as the only option for retrieving that data. A memory dump is being set up for the crew to perform on all three RSUs (remote sensor units) that were used during the recent CEVIS PFE (cycle ergometer/periodic fitness evaluation) data take, as there is missing data from all of them. Two previous data takes only showed missing data from one RSU.]

At 1:20pm EST, the crew set up the Russian TV equipment and then downlinked a joint message to the Presidium (Viktor G. Shevchenko) and members of the Security, Defense, and Law Enforcement Academy in Moscow, with New Year’s greetings for 2003. (Russian Orthodox New Year is observed on 1/14).

At 2:01pm, Bowersox and Pettit also sent down a special audio/video message to MCC-H to help kick off NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program, which is to be announced in a special ceremony on January 21. [On 12/12/02, NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe announced that Barbara Morgan, NASA’s first Educator Astronaut, has been assigned as a crewmember on the November 2003 Space Shuttle mission STS-118 (13A) to the ISS.]

Science Update (Expedition Six — 6th):

This week has been another successful week for payloads on ISS. The crew has successfully completed the second round of FOOT and PuFF sessions for this Increment, and ZCG is running nominally.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): n/a

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): In progress.

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Continuing nominally (crew taking pills).

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Ultrasound: n/a

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): Data from the Foot operations on 1/7 by Bowersox have been analyzed by the experiment team and they are extremely pleased with the results. There is no trace of the persistent noise that Bowersox saw on the screen. The source of the noise may be with the on-line data display process and is being investigated. Minor modifications are planned for the next data take on 1/22. Meanwhile, the experiment team is working on a quick procedure to repair the LEMS that Sox wore for his first data collection.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Complete for Inc. 5. On hold pending MSG PDC (power distribution controller) and ESEM3 (exchangeable standard electronic module 3) replacement. Will remain in MSG until further notice.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS/MAMS experimenters sent thanks to the crew for the fine job with CEVIS characterization activity on 1/6. The very quick work resulted in minimal down time for SAMS head 121f02 and good data capture for the event. The data will be by used the vehicle engineers to calculate transfer functions and evaluate isolation. The SAMS/MAMS teams are looking forward to EVA activities on 1/15. Also, they continue to track down the source of a nearly omni-present disturbance that is manifested in both the vibratory (100,120,160Hz) and quasi-steady (0.5 micro-g, ISS Y-axis) regimes.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): See SAMS, above.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperatures are nominal. PCG-STES is currently in heating mode.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG is operating nominally. Temperatures in Zone 3 have been reduced to 65 degC to preserve those samples.

EarthKAM (EK): 17 days until begin of EK operations.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO): Images of CEO targets that have been examined so far are phenomenal. The crew’s diligence to capture these images is appreciated.
Today’s CEO targets were Cairo, Egypt (morning, low oblique pass of Cairo and the Nile River delta region. Views just below and to the right; ESC [electronic still camera]), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (nadir and a touch left; ESC), Industrialized SE Africa (high pressure system continues to hover over the area. Shooting obliques to detect any aerosols. Views mainly right), Miami (morning nadir pass of the Miami metropolitan area; ESC), Caracas, Venezuela (nadir pass of Caracas and urban surroundings; ESC), Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Hawaii (nadir pass. Pearl and Hermes Atoll is made up of seven islets that are occasionally covered with water. The reef is estimated to be about 200,000 acres in size. Crew was asked to shoot coral reef detail for mapping project), Lisianski Island, Hawaii (nadir pass. Lisianski is a low island that covers an area of 400 acres. The surrounding reef area covers more than 310,000 acres. Crew was to shoot coral reef detail for mapping efforts), and Patagonian Glaciers (another opportunity with clearing weather should yield striking details of glacier surface morphology and coloration).
CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 1:55pm EST [= epoch]):