ISS On-Orbit Status 11 Nov 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.
ISS-11A/STS-113/Endeavour (11A) launch was scrubbed shortly after 9:30pm EST last night and postponed to not earlier than 11/18 (Monday). The scrub was caused by a one-pound-per-hour leak of oxygen in the feed system no. 2 which supplies O2 to the Shuttle crew cabin during the mission, starting from the moment the crew lowers helmet visors prior to liftoff. The launch slip to Monday night, 11/18, is a best-case scenario, depending on the actual steps for accessing and fixing the problem.
After wake-up at a sleep-shifted 12:30pm EST, the ISS crew was scheduled to work on Kentavr sizing for their return to Earth. After the adjustment, CDR Valery Korzun tags up with a Kentavr (Centaurus) specialist at TsUP. [The Russian Kentavr garment is a protective anti-g suit to facilitate the return of a long-duration crewmember into the Earth gravity.]
FE-2 Sergei Treschev is to remove and replace the filter insert in the SM toilet system (ASU). Later, he also renews the PF1 and PF2 dust filters in the DC-1 docking module.
Korzun will perform the regular inspection of the BRPK condensate water separator and the checkup of the VR fan of the active SKV-1 air conditioner for accumulated humidity.
FE-1/SO Peggy Whitson will take samples of coolant fluid from the ITCS (internal thermal control system) for subsequent analysis.
The regular daily maintenance of the SOSh life support system will be performed by CDR Korzun, while Whitson is scheduled for the usual Lab payloads status checkup.
At 4:30pm EST, Korzun will again perform the Russian MedOps MO-4 protocol, working out while wearing the „Chibis‰ suit, a Russian below-the-waist reduced-pressure device to provide gravity-simulating stress to the body’s cardiovascular/circulatory system for evaluation of the body’s orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the Gauer-Henry reflex) after 159 days in zero-G. Treschev assisted his commander as CMO. Later in the day, it was Treschev’s turn with the LBNP device. [The device applies suction to the lower part of the body and legs, thereby exerting specific functional loadings to test the body’s adaptation to prolonged exposure to microgravity. Chibis data and biomed cardiovascular readings are recorded. The Chibis suit (not to be confused with the Russian „Pinguin‰ suit for spring-loaded body compression, or the “Kentavr” anti-g suits used during reentry) is similar to the U.S. LBNP (lower-body negative pressure, Russian acronym: ODNT) device used on Skylab in 1973/74.]
Whitson was also scheduled to activate the EVARM (EVA radiation monitoring) reader and to take pre-EVA background readings.
Korzun is to perform the weekly TVIS treadmill maintenance as well as the regular TVIS stabilizing gyroscope inspection.
Peggy Whitson will support the partial power down of the EXPRESS Rack 4 (ER4) today, followed by its reactivation from the ground and reloading of the ER RIC (rack interface controller) which connects to the controlling PC/laptop.
The crew has been assisting with diagnostic work on the SSC4 (station support computer #4) to help the ground develop a more comprehensive plan for getting SSC-4 back to a usable state. Their troubleshooting so far has been very helpful.
Sleep start time tonight is 4:00pm EST. Since the Shuttle will launch about three hours earlier next week, there is no need to continue sleep shifting. In fact, the crew will have to sleep-shift in the other direction to sync up with the Shuttle crew next week. However, the plan is to hold the crew at the currents sleep time for the next couple of days until the new launch time is determined.
