Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 13 Mar 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

March 13, 2003

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

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

Last night’s reboost by Progress was nominal. As the first of two Progress dynamic tests, the firing of the DPO manifold #1 (four thrusters) began at 5:58pm EST, for a duration of 10 minutes. It produced a delta-V of 1.31 m/sec (predicted: 1.39), resulting in an altitude increase of 2.34 km/1.46 s.mi. (predicted: 2.48 km/1.55 s.mi.). [Being an apogee burn, it raised perigee (by 4 km) and left apogee essentially unchanged; this lowered the eccentricity (ellipticity) of the orbit, i.e., made it more circular. The test of the second 4-thruster manifold is scheduled for tonight at 6:37pm EST (delta-V: ~0.31 m/sec; delta-altitude: ~0.54 km). The cyclogram for its automated command sequence has already been uplinked, and flight attitude handover from U.S. to Russian motion control system (MCS) is set for 2:55pm. The thruster tests are conducted in Mode 1, i.e., using propellants from the Progress M’s resupply tanks (SD).]

After crew wake-up (1:00am) and morning preps, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin performed his daily routine inspection of the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 plant growth experiment. [Today’s activity included execution of programmed cyclogram steps of watering the substrate in the growth tray, setting cultivation mode, and storing data, followed by photoimage recording. The data were then downlinked and discussed in a tag-up with a ground specialist.]

Afterwards, Budarin moved to the FGB for another round of the periodic cleaning of protective mesh screens of Zarya’s ventilation fans, a one-hour preventive maintenance job.

Next, Nikolai worked several hours in the Service Module (SM), inspecting and photo-documenting its quartz-glass window #9 in the frustum section between compartments (facing toward Earth and used for science). [Objective of the inspection, using digital still camera and voice recorder, is to assess the pane surfaces for any changes (new cavities, scratches, new or expanded old stains or discolorations affecting transparency properties) since the last inspection, performed by Nikolai on 1/13/03. The new assessment will be compared to the earlier observations. Budarin had extra time reserved to study and rehearse uplinked procedures for measuring new visible defects on the window, where 16 have so far been identified (millimeter range). Defects are measured with the parallax method which uses eyeball-sighting with a ruler and a right isosceles triangle to determine the formations’ size and position with respect to the window’s internal surface (parallax being the apparent change in an object’s position resulting from changing the observer’s position).]

CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-2/SO Don Pettit conducted the third Robotics operations since last week, after connecting the DCP (display & control panel) cable for both the Lab and Cupola RWS (robotics workstation), today once more surveying the S1 truss segment. [Last week’s S1 RBVM (radiator beam valve module) survey showed two additional QD (quick disconnect) thermal protection “booties” as possibly being open. Bowersox and Pettit today “walked” the SSRMS (space station remote manipulator system) to the MBS PDGF1 (mobile base system/power data grapple fixture #1) and maneuvered the arm to two viewing positions to inspect these booties (one was found to be OK, the other remains indeterminate), followed by a general survey of the RBVMs and two checkouts of the Tip LEE (latching end effector). At the end, the SSRMS was back at the Lab PDGF, positioned for viewing the upcoming stage EVA #2.]

Pettit completed another installment of the continuing MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) troubleshooting, which he has been supporting by repeated rotations of the MSG rack and reconnecting cables at its electronics box (E-Box). [Once again, early analysis showed no off-nominal current draw on the ESEM3 (exchangeable standard electronic module 3) after yesterday’s re-installation of the P112 and P113 connectors. Today, Pettit re-installed only one plug, P116, which powers an E-Box daughter board. This leaves only one last connector to re-install (P117). The putative fault has yet to show itself. The final cable re-connection will be made tomorrow, and while the rack is rotated with the back panel off, Pettit is to change out the failed left MSG fan. The procedure is simple and short (approx. 15 min.), and the rack will be powered off during this time.]

Bowersox and Pettit recorded their weekly HMS FFQ (health maintenance systems/food frequency questionnaire), a special software log on the medical equipment computer to track nutritional intake.

Budarin conducted the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/condensate separator of the SRVK water processing system. The BRPK-1 is scheduled for replacement with a new unit tomorrow. [The 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 is malfunctioning, 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 BRPK inspection and their frequent replacement.]

Nikolai also completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system, including ASU toilet facilities. Later. he prepared the daily “delta” file of the IMS (inventory management system) database.

The GNC R3 software patch #2 was successfully loaded into both the primary and backup GNC (guidance, navigation & control) MDMs last night. Preliminary data indicate that the software is working properly. [Attitude control was resumed by USOS (U.S. segment) at 6:41pm EST after the reboost maneuver. The current navigation configuration has GPS1 (global positioning system #1) providing state vector and attitude data to the U.S. MCS, while Russian segment (RS) data is prime for attitude rate. If performance with the new patch continues to be nominal, ISS control will soon return to a configuration that uses rate data provided by USOS RGA (rate gyro assembly).]

All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program on RED (resistive exercise device), TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation) and VELO with load trainer. [MCC-H specialists are looking at a suggestion by the CDR to use a spare HDD (hard disk drive) as a possible replacement for the failed hard drive in the CEVIS control panel.]

A procedure has been uplinked for installing new alkaline batteries in the CDM (carbon dioxide monitor) and CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) battery packs. [These batteries can be used with CDM, but CSA-CP requires specialcertification for alkaline batteries (which should be completed by the end-March) and for now is using only lithium batteries.]

For the popular CEO (crew earth observations program), the daily targeting now includes several “cities at night” targets, as per crew request, since right now there are few daylight opportunities for the traditional sites.
Today’s CEO targets were Las Vegas, Nevada(City at Night. High pressure in this area should have given the crew relatively clear view of “Lost Wages”. The city was slightly left of track. Las Vegas and Perth were the two best “Cities at Night” opportunities), Perth, Australia (City at Night. Perth, the city that turned its lights on at night for John Glenn during his Mercury flight should have been free of clouds. Perth was slightly left of track), Lower Amazon River Basin (crew was to look right of track for the massive Amazon delta. There were probably some clouds, but this area is seldom cloud-free. The Brazilian government is very interested in images of the delta. Of particular interest are the sediment plumes, direction and density; and the documentation of growth of the islands in the delta), Xianggang (Hong Kong), China (City at Night – This could have been the first image of Hong Kong at night in the team’s database. The ISS orbit track should have taken the crew directly over the city), Tropical Cyclone Kalunde (Dynamic Event Site Tropical cyclone Kalunde is moving southwestward at 40 knots. Maximum sustained winds at 100 knots, gusting to 125 knots), Dhaka, Bangladesh (City at Night – Clouds should clear by the time of your pass. This city is somewhat problematic to locate during the day, should be easier for the crew to see at night), Cape Town, South Africa (City at Night – Cape Town, at the very southern tip of Africa, should be at nice night target. The city was to the left of the ground track), Patagonian Glaciers (the glaciers won’t have been entirely cloud free, but the crew may have been able to see some of them between the clouds. Looking for highly detailed imagery of the glaciers as the season changes from spring to summer), and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (City at Night – There were be clouds during the day but they should have burned off by night. This city may have been photographed at night before by ISS, but since this type of imagery is so unique, repeat images are desirable).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status(as of 1:22pm 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 5). 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) — 753; temperature (deg C) — 25.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — 184.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5 (suspect).
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.3.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 20.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 743.25; temperature (deg C) — 22.8 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — 171.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.4.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 744.61; temperature (deg C) — 21.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 744.72; temperature (deg C) — 20.9; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.0, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.0
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 20.5

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available [SM(820) + FGB(2746) + Progress(576)] — 4142 kg (9132 lb)as of 3/6/03. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and 4B both in dual-angle directed position (eclipse drag reduction configuration, “night glider”).
SM batteries: All batteries (8) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Batteries #2 is off line; 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-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is Backup.
INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off.
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): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane 1 is out of the set (as of 11/14/02).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane 1 is out of the set (as of 3/2/03).

Attitude Control Systems:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source — Russian.

Flight Attitude:

LVLH TEA (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9.1 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/ TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management).
Solar Beta Angle: 22.7 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems: