ISS On-Orbit Status 13 May 2003

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

After their wakeup (2:00am EDT), the crew was commended on their good job with yesterday’s emergency response training session, which bodes well for the fire response exercise scheduled later this week.

“Telephone and Telegraph Day” on board:  The crew performed a major 3-hr. routine maintenance job on the SM’s STTS telephone/telegraph subsystem and its audio paths and comm stations.  As part of the activity, Malenchenko and Lu also tested VHF receivers, conducted an inventory audit of headsets and cables with push-to-talk units, and finally switched the STTS to its backup string for report to MCC-M.  [The “Voskhod-M” STTS enables telephone communications between the SM, FGB, DC-1 and USOS (US segment), and also with users on the ground over VHF channels selected by an operator at an SM comm panel, via STTS antennas on the outside of the SM.  There are six comm panels in the SM with pushbuttons for accessing any of three audio channels plus an intercom channel.  Other modes of the STTS include telegraphy (teletype), EVA voice, emergency alarms, Packet, and TORU docking support.]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko conducted a test activation and checkout of the AD blood pressure monitor which he replaced yesterday in the Gamma-1M medical complex. [For the checkout, he donned the PKO biomedical harness with the blood pressure cuff (fastened over the left upper arm) and its pressure hose, then connected the harness to the PMO medical examination panel for blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph readings.]

The CDR completed the daily routine maintenance on the SOZh life support system, including ASU toilet facility, KRP food containers, EDV water containers and KTO solid waste containers.

Yuri and Ed performed their daily physical exercise program, on TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), RED (resistive exercise device), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation) and VELO cycle ergometer with load trainer.

Ed Lu was thanked by the ground for the great job performed yesterday on the TVIS inspection.  A few engineering questions were uplinked to clarify some observations.

Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu today again had an hour reserved on their schedule for ISS familiarization and adjustment to their new surroundings and activities.

The crew was provided with the Expedition 6 post-landing debriefing video.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) targets, severely restricted by limited the use of the science window in the Lab due to the current XPOP attitude, were Anatahan volcano, N Marianas (this island volcano, captured by the crew last Sunday, may still be erupting.  Looking left 1-2 degrees off track.  Anatahan lies ~200 miles north of Guam), Rome, Italy (left of track, inland about 20 miles from the coast), Lisbon, Portugal (nadir pass.  Sunny weather after the passage of a very slow storm), Detroit, Michigan (nadir pass.  First clear pass after many days of poor weather), Havana, Cuba (looking slightly left), Guadalajara, Mexico (looking slightly left), Angolan Biomass Burning (dry-season burning already under way in the most flammable part of the globe, Angola’s thick savanna forests.  Looking left for views of individual fires as well the smoke pall), Industrialized SE Africa smog (looking left for possible smog buildup over the plateau.  Then nadir views of mountainous Lesotho, Africa’s Switzerland, at nadir), Tuamotu Islands, South Pacific (nadir views of the west end of this island chain.  Looking for fringing coral reefs around numerous atolls.  This was the first opportunity to shoot these islands in many weeks).
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:06pm EST).

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16 Amp mode).  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (manual mode 3).  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) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 28.5; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.9.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 23.0.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 745.16; temperature (deg C) — 23.5 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 747.14; temperature (deg C) — 22.3; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 747.24; temperature (deg C) — 23.1; shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.1, ppO2 (mmHg) — 172.5; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.2.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.6
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.3

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

• Total propellant load available: 3588 kg (7910 lb) as of 5/8 [SM(774) + FGB(2562) + Progress(252)].  (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in solar-tracking Auto mode (“sun slicer” position).
• SM batteries:  Battery #4 is disconnected; battery #8 suspected failed; battery #1 in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• FGB batteries:  Battery #1 is in “Cycle” mode; battery #4 is in ROM (capacity restoration) mode, in parallel with #1; all other batteries (4) 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-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
• INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
• EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
• 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): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.

Attitude Control Systems:

• 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
• State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
• Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-2 (GPS)
• Angular rate source — RGA-2

Flight Attitude:

• XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: 0.5 deg, pitch: -6.8 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist).
• Solar Beta angle: 38.9 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
• All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
• Ku-band is operating nominally.
• Audio subsystem operating nominally.
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
• MBS: KA power on both strings. 
• MT: latched at WS4, with KA power. 
• POA: KA power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 7:56am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 389.8 km
• Apogee — 394.0 km
• Perigee — 385.7 km
• Period — 92.35 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0006123
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
• Solar Beta Angle:  38.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 65 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 25559
• For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html