ISS On-Orbit Status 14 Mar 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.
Robotics Day #4 activities were successfully completed, with no SSRMS issues. [Objective of the “arm waving” was to survey the radiator array panels and base plates for any surface discolorations or deformations (bubbles, flakes) as small as 1 cm, using the Tip LEE (latching end effector) camera. The surveys, performed on the redundant electronics string, had to be done during day passes due to limitations of the SSRMS lights. The robotics sequence was divided into three activities: RWS (robotic workstation) power up by Walz and Bursch at 3:15 am EST, SSRMS ops from 3:20-5:35am, and LEE checkout after that. The arm was finally maneuvered to the Progress viewing position and safed. Its MSS (mobile servicing system) will be powered up tomorrow at 8:20 am EST, and its Tip Boom and Tip Elbow cameras will then be used to view the nitrogen and vacuum purges of the SM propellant lines for fuel (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, UDMH) and later for oxidizer (nitrogen tetroxide, NTO) starting at about 1:15 pm, shortly after orbital sunrise.]
Yesterday’s visual checkout of the LCA (Lab Cradle Assembly) with the SSRMS was also successfully completed, with no issues.
Meanwhile, troubleshooting continues on the SSRMS Prime String Wrist Roll (WR) joint. Current activity is focused on the development of a software patch to allow S0 truss transfer with the arm during 8A on six joints only, without requiring use of the failed WR. This would assure redundancy for the arm control electronics since both strings are then operable. Current plans are to have the patch delivered by CSA (Canadian Space Agency) by 3/21, in adequate time for the 8A/STS-110 launch on 4/4. Shuttle crewmember Ellen Ochoa would also test the patch on orbit on FD3 (flight day 3), prior to the actual S0 truss transfer on FD5. Ê[STS-110 begins the third and final phase of construction for the ISS, by delivering the S0 (starboard zero) truss segment and placing it on top of the Lab. During several EVAs, S0 will be mechanically attached to the station, and multiple electrical and comm cables will be connected between S0 and ISS].
With FE-1 Walz, the CDR continued stowing discarded equipment and trash in the Progress-256, to be undocked on 3/19 at about 12:43 pm EST. Launch of Progress-257 (ISS mission 7P) is scheduled for 3/21 (3:14pm EST), with docking at the SM aft end on 3/24 (~3:56 pm).
Human research in micro-G yesterday marked a momentous accomplishment when the crew completed the last in-flight session of the H-Reflex activity. Over Expeditions 2 through 4 a total of eight subjects have undergone this remarkable neurological (nerve-system) investigation, which yielded abundant data and some great video footage. [The Hoffmann Reflex (H-Reflex, or H-R) experiment (PI: Dr. Douglas Watt, McGill University, Canada) tests whether the human spinal cord excitability gradually decreases during prolonged spaceflight, and if so, measures the extent of the change, and how long it continues after return to the ground. It uses a knee brace to position/stabilize the subject’s leg and a number of electrodes and wires, which provide a stimulus at the backside of the knee (electrical shocks lasting 600 microseconds each, at the rate of one every five seconds and 40-90 volts amplitude), while measuring the response, i.e., the reflexive currents of the soleus muscle, to determine the max “input/output” currents ratio. While similar to the familiar “knee-jerk” test based on tendon taps, the H-R response is electromyographic (EMG) in nature, recorded directly from the muscle rather than the mechanical contraction that follows the electrical activity. The data go straight into a laptop. (A video of the H-R in action can be found at
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/shuttle/sts-102/html/fd2.html ).]
CDR Onufrienko transferred the hardware for the Russian technical experiment Skorpion-1 (SKR-1) to a different location in the SM and photographed the setup with a Nikon-F5. SKR-1 uses imagery to monitor environmental parameters inside station compartments at various places and to clarify conditions for conducting scientific and technical experiments.
Dan Bursch completed the periodic EVARM (EVA radiation monitoring) activity, first setting up and activating the monitors (badges), later taking their radiation readings and then downloading the data to the HRF PC, followed by de-cabling and stowing the hardware. [Today’s badge reading approximated the required EVA minus 21 days data take (badges are read on days 28, 21, 14, 7, 2 and 1 prior to an EVA).]
Yuri had his turn at the weekly NTXN Interactions data collection. Ê[Its objective is to research important interpersonal factors that may affect crew performance (such as tension, cohesion, and leadership roles), the relationship between space crews and mission control personnel on Earth, and the influence of cultural and language background on the interpersonal “climate” during ISS missions. Crews fill out a computerized study questionnaire on the HRF PC and Workstation, which are saved in an encrypted file to the hard drives and backed-up on PCMCIA cards to be returned to Earth at the end of the increment (not radioed down, to protect confidentiality)].
Carl was scheduled to complete his FFQ (food frequency questionnaire) today, a regular activity to monitor the crew’s nutritional “intake”.
Dan had an amateur (ham) radio exchange with a German-language technical high school for surveyors (“Geometer”) named “Peter Anich” in Bolzano, Italy. The contact had been requested last month.
Instructions were uplinked by MCC-H to the “job jar” task list for the crew to evaluate the accessibility of an electrical connector (J120) in the Lab, which may be obstructed by the temporary sleep station (TeSS). During flight 8A, the connector will have to be demated to provide an additional safety inhibit for EVA patch panel (J400) operations, and it will save much time if it is determined to be accessible without having to schedule a TeSS removal on the crowded timeline.
The two flight engineers performed the regular maintenance of the TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization) ÊDuring this weekly activity, the SLDs (subject load devices) are inspected by one of the crewmembers while the other is using the TVIS. Bursch and Walz took turns in being subject and inspector.
All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise regimen on TVIS, RED and VELO. [Medical rules prescribe two daily exercise sessions for each of them: 1.5 hr on TVIS plus RED, and 1 hr on the cycle ergometer.]
Routine systems maintenance and inspection were performed by Onufrienko (SOSH life support systems & IMS delta file download preparation) and Bursch (Lab payloads status checks).
Yuri also spent about half an hour checking out the hardware performance of the GTS (global timing system) payload, which requires TDRS satellites. The checkout included a tagup with ground specialists via S-band.
The ARIS (active rack isolation system) “snubber cups” performance test on 3/12 was successful. Its purpose was to verify snubber placement for the ARIS rack and acceptable range of motion in all directions for the rack. With the successful test completion performance characterization testing of the ARIS in the 8-actuator configuration can now continue.
The crew earth observations (CEO) program today targeted W. Mediterranean Dust and Smog (a cold front was approaching the western Med. As ISS tracked across the coast of France, crew was advised to look to the left of track for the presence of dust plumes moving northward from Algeria in advance of this system), European Smog (high pressure holds over the central Med. Of interest: looking to the left of track towards Italy for the presence of aerosols there), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes; Egypt (a good pass for near-nadir mapping of the most western extent of the new, man-made lakes in the Egyptian desert west of the Nile), Angolan Biomass Burning (pass crossed the Namibian coast from the northwest. With high sun and few clouds, crew was to look for burn scars the vegetation patterns over the mountainous areas), and Industrialized Southeastern Africa (high pressure favors aerosol buildup over this region. Of interest: to try for oblique or limb views to the left of track over the Orange and Val River valleys).
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:13 pm EST today):
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
- Elektron O2 generator is On (32 Amps mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in MANUAL cycle mode #5 (vacuum pump failed). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is in Standby.
- BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, #2 in Purify mode.
- SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 761, temperature (deg C) — 26.2, ppO2 (mmHg) — 158.5, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.6.
- SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 761, temperature (deg C) — 20.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 756, temperature (deg C) — 22.0; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 753.43, temperature (deg C) — 22.6 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 756.23, temperature (deg C) — n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
- Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 755.93, temperature (deg C) — n/a; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.3.
- PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 16.9.
(Note: Partial pressures ppO2 and ppCO2 in U.S. segment (USOS) not available because MCA [major constituent analyzer] is failed and in Extended Life mode [= a state that preserves mass spectrometer vacuum but produces no pp data]).
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
- Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B in Autotrack mode, BGA 4B in Directed (“parked”) position at 125 degrees.
- SM batteries: battery #2 is cycling; all other batteries (7) in “partial charge” mode.
- FGB battery #6 is in ROM (capacity restoration mode); all other batteries (5) are in “partial charge” mode.
- Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.
Thermal Control Systems:
- Air conditioner SKV-1 is Off (Freon leak). SKV-2 is On.
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 back-up.
- LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
- APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
- SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
- SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
Communications Systems:
- S-band is operating nominally.
- Ku-band is operating nominally.
- Audio subsystem operating nominally.
- Video subsystem operating nominally.
- MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) operating nominally.
Robotics:
- SSRMS/Canadarm2 at PMA-3 clearance position (out of Soyuz emergency escape trajectory zone), with Keep Alive power on both strings.
- RWS (robotics workstations) are Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:06 am EST):
- Mean altitude — 394.9 km
- Apogee — 397.8 km
- Perigee — 392.0 km
- Period — 92.5 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0004241
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.57
- Altitude decrease — 400 m (mean) in last 24 hours
- Solar Beta Angle: +3.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 18927
- Current Flight Attitude — LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -7 deg., roll: 0 deg]).
For more on ISS orbit and naked-eye visibility dates/times (freshly updated to account for the reboost) check out
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
