Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 14 Feb 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

February 14, 2003

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

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Day 83 in space for Expedition 6.

The crew woke up to kudos for their great work with the SSRMS/robotarm yesterday, and also for their success with the IMV (intermodular ventilation) troubleshooting.

IMV Troubleshooting: After the crew’s inspection of the Node aft port IMV fan air straightener and the removal of a large quantity of lint/dust from the conduit, Velocicalc measurements showed a 10-fold increase in airflow through the fan. Airflow between the Lab and the Service Module (SM) has since significantly increased, and the replacement of the Node fan is not now required. [Inspection and cleaning of the other fans followed yesterday, from the “job jar” task list, and the Lab aft port IMV valve and Node aft starboard IMV valve was performed today. To conclude the IMV troubleshooting, the crew today reconfigured IMV orifice plates in the Node to redirect the airflow from the Russian segment (RS) to the Lab, then blocked off the associated IMV ducts in the Node using two dust covers improvised from old ODF (operational data files) cardboard covers, in order to obtain optimum flow through to the Lab. This, in effect, mixes the Lab air first with the Node air, then exposes it to the RS air scrubbing system. Future IMV maintenance ops will be expanded to include periodic cleaning of the newly identified problem areas.]

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin and CDR Ken Bowersox performed a checkout of the Russian Orlan spacesuit electronics from the DC-1 module. After reconfiguring ISS-internal communications assets for EVA mode, they first tested the Orlan’s BRTA telemetry system, then its Korona-M radio system, using Multimeter (MMTs-01) resistance measurements for continuity and performance checks. Reconfiguration to nominal comm configuration followed at about 12:00pm EST. [During EVA-7, by Valery Korzun and Peggy Whitson on 8/16/02, communications interference was caused by a tone generated by the primary subset of the Korona-M radio system in the BRTA.]

Budarin changed out the F-V filter insert in the SM ECLS (environment control and life support system) toilet system, a 30-min. task.

Bowersox switched the Lab CCAA (common cabin air assembly) back to the port air conditioner from the starboard unit. [Yesterday, he moded the port-CCAA to starboard (SB) because it had been operating for 33 days, the limit for continuous operation without a dryout. Since the SB-CCAA has exhibited frequent “WET” indications in the past, suggesting that water is passing through the heat exchanger into downstream ducting, operation of the port-CCAA is preferred until the root cause of this problem can be identified.]

The first CWC (contingency water container) load of US condensate water (20 L) was successfully processed in the recently upgraded Russian SRV-K water processing system. (TsUP/Moscow: “Keep fingers crossed”).

Budarin performed the regular inspection of the BRPK air/condensate separator unit in the SM.

FE-2/SO Don Pettit set up Russian SLM (sound level meter) equipment and took readings at 41 different locations in the Lab, Node, Airlock, FGB, Service Module (SM) and Docking Compartment (DC-1), following instructions uplinked overnight. The noise measurement data were then transferred to the MEC (medical equipment computer) and the SLM equipment was stowed.

CO2 Update: Pettit also collected his daily ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial pressure) readings in Lab and SM, one in the morning, one in the evening, using the U.S. CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit). [As a direct result of the IMV improvement, ppCO2 in the Lab has now gone down to 4.3 mmHg, with a delta-ppCO2 of 0.3 mmHg remaining between USOS (US segment) and RS. To improve crew living conditions, US goal is now to keep ppCO2 below 4 mmHg. Vozdukh can not easily be pushed beyond its current efficiency, which is already “at almost maximum”, according to RSC-Energia. Any near-term increase in CO2 reduction must be accomplished by the US CDRA (CO2 removal assembly), but this system also needs an IFM (in-flight maintenance). Background: (1) Vozdukh has been operating on only two of its three adsorbent beds for a long time. To recover the failed third channel, replacement of vacuum valve package #3 is required, for which the current crew is not trained. It may also become necessary to replace the entire third adsorbent bed assembly. (2) Running Vozdukh with two beds in Manual mode, rather than the currently used Automatic mode (where switching is controlled by the GA/gas analyzer, itself suspect of being incorrect or not properly calibrated) requires replacement of the second channel’s timing unit (delivered on Progress M-247/10P). Designers are being asked to consider clearing the crew for this IFM. (3) CDRA has a breach in its adsorbent beds which caused the recent air supply valves (ASV) stoppage. After the successful recovery by Peggy Whitson on 11/28 (installation of new ASV valves), its operation is kept at a minimum to avoid having it happen again. A spare valve set has been removed from the ground CDRA and is awaiting delivery to the station on the next Progress, after which full CDRA operations will resume.]

Pettit completed the weekly transfer of exercise data from the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and CEVIS cycle ergometer to the MEC for subsequent downlink.

Don also performed the daily routine maintenance of the SOSh life support systems in the SM, while Nikolai prepared the IMS database update file for export/downlink and Sox did the payload status checkup in the Lab (PCG-STES010).

Reboost Planning Update: Further analysis of the Progress reboost on 2/11 showed a delta-V of 4.2 m/sec, instead of 6 m/sec planned. The shutdown of the thrusters after 1200 sec, instead of 1393 sec, was due to an operator oversight of not inhibiting an onboard calculation translating delta-V (meters/second) into burntime (seconds). But the premature shutoff is insufficient to explain the 1.8 m/sec underspeed, and further investigation is underway. Therefore, for the next reboost, Moscow will conduct a small pre-burn first, on 4/13, as a test. After its evaluation, the actual burn, scheduled for 4/15, will adjust the ISS phase angle for the launch of Soyuz 6S on 4/26 and the deorbit of the Expedition 6 crew in Soyuz 5S for landing in the northern landing area in Kazakhstan. To keep the 4/15 burn at a minimum, TsUP proposes an earlier reboost on 3/12. If we protect an ULF-1/STS-114 launch date of 6/15, optimum reboost scenario would be a 5 m/sec burn on 3/12 and a 1-2 m/sec burn on 4/15. If, on the other hand, it has been established (not later than 3/5) that ULF-1 will not launch on 6/15, an optimum burn on 3/12 would be as much as 10 m/sec. Should ULF-1 then be rescheduled to 6/15 after all (decision not later than 1.5 months before), a penalty of 150 kg props would be incurred to bring the station down to a Shuttle-compatible altitude If this rescheduling does not happen, the 150 kg would be a gain. Ballistics teams at Moscow and Houston are continuing to study these critical options, with a decision needed not later than 3/5.

Avionics Update: Rev. 3 software transition is proceeding on schedule. A tagup with the crew was conducted today to discuss details of the protracted and involved process where ISS onboard computers are transitioned to a new software (s/w) load. [The first Russian patch on 2/7 prepared RS computers to compensate for initial differences in USOS and RS s/w. After the routine cycling of RS laptops in the past two days, next step is the on-board transition of US computers, using the R3 files uplinked to the SSMMUs (solid state mass memory units) in the past few days. This transition will take place on 2/18-20. On 2/25-26, special preparation and discussions with the crew are planned from TsUP, followed on 2/27 by upload of all display images/frames, requiring 4 hrs crewtime. Transition of the four Russian US-21 matching units of the MCS (motion control system) is to follow on 2/28 (first #1 & #3, later #2 & #4), again involving several hours of crewtime, including for installation of permanent jumper cables that are required to compensate for inherent incompatibilities of the new 7.01 s/w with ECLS. The SM’s Terminal (TVM) and Central (TsVM) computers will be rebooted on all three subsets on 3/3 and transitioned to 7.01 on 3/5, completing the operations. 3/6-7 are preserved as backup dates.]

MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) Update: Progress by ESA/Astrium in developing safe troubleshooting procedures is slower than anticipated. They now appear to become available “very late next week” (~2/21). Actual on-board troubleshooting of the MSG rack would then take place during the week of 2/24.

The crew conducted a Russian TV press interview at ~8:00am EST with the VESTI (News) Program in Moscow.

Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (with especially fair weather over Zimbabwe this pass, looking right of track for burn scars from previous fire seasons and the coincident land use patterns), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes; Egypt (scientists are continuing to monitor the Lake Nasser region for indications of change in the flow of the Nile River or changes in lake levels, especially the new lakes to the west), Subtropical Jet Stream (the subtropical jet stream is active over western Africa and persists, producing dramatic cloud formations. As ISS tracked northeastward off the coast, crew was to look obliquely inland to the right of track to document details of the cloud structures), Eastern Mediterranean Smog (high pressure has held over the central Med for days now allowing the buildup of aerosols in the region. On this pass, the crew was to look right of track down the length of the Adriatic Seas for smog plumes over the water and adjacent land areas), Everglades in Sun Glint (crew was to take advantage of special lighting conditions to capture much of far south Florida in sun glint as it enhances the detection of water bodies and control structures), and Gulf of St Lawrence Sea Ice (it has been a cold, hard winter over eastern North America. The crew was to use this break in the weather to document the extent of sea ice over this important seaway).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 12:45pm EST).

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

Elektron O2 generator is powered On (32 Amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (auto mode). 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) — 26.9; ppO2 (mmHg) — 183.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5 (suspect).
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.9.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.3.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 746.43; temperature (deg C) — 24.1 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 748.65; temperature (deg C) — 22.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — 169.1*; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.9*;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 748.76; temperature (deg C) — 21.0; shell heater temp (deg C) — 21.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.5
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.9

(n/a = data not available)

(* = sample location currently unavailable until completion of R3 s/w upload on 2/20)

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available [SM(811) + FGB(2777) + Progress(444)] — 4032 kg (8889 lb) as of 2/14/03. (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 auto track (sun following) mode.
SM batteries: Battery #7 is in “Cycle” mode (freshly installed); all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #1 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-3 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-1 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
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 (diagnostic
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): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Source:

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

Flight Attitude:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: 0 deg, pitch: -8.8 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/Thruster Assist Momentum Management).
Solar Beta Angle: -47.0 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems: