Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 15 Mar 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

March 15, 2003

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

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

First day of “an awesome weekend” (uplinked wish by Flight Control), except of course for a few routine tasks.

As on every normal Saturday, the crew floated through their celestial home with vacuum cleaner, wet wipes and disinfectants, completing the 3-hr. “uborka stantsii” house cleaning.

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin completed his daily checkup of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 zero-G plant growth experiment.

At 9:10am EST, the crew conducted a 15-min. ISS program management conference with MCC-H.

After incorporating crew inputs from the first manifesting conference on 3/6, new proposed cargo manifests for 11P/Progress, 6S/Soyuz and 5S/Soyuz were uplinked to the crew. [For the returning 5S, U.S. mandatory cargo (10 kg mass) consists of science samples with limited life, environmental samples to monitor crew health, and minimal film. Additional highly desired items were also identified, if they can be accommodated. For 11P, mandatory U.S. items (74 kg) include CDMK (carbon dioxide monitoring kit) and CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) battery packs, SVO water supply system adapters, CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) valves, RED (resistive exercise device) canister and harness cords; in addition, 21 food rations containers (131 kg), plus many other candidates on a mass/volume availability basis. For the 6S launch, U.S. mandatory cargo (30.6 kg) involves mostly CheCS (crew health care system) items, EVA hardware like gloves, and provisions like batteries, plus food rations (62 kg) in the Russian allocation.]

Budarin performed the daily routine maintenance of the SOZh life support system in the Service Module (SM), and FE-2/SO Don Pettit prepared the IMS (inventory management system) auto import/export update files.

CDR Ken Bowersox conducted the weekly download of exercise files from the TVIS treadmill, RED, and CEVIS ergometer to the MEC (medical equipment computer). [The 40-min. activity includes unstowing of logs, configuring the MEC, downloading the data, and stowing.]

All crewmembers performed their regular daily physical exercise regimen (2.5 hrs.).

A new activity of taking periodic airflow measurements was added to the “job jar” task list for Don Pettit, starting today. [This involves new readings with the Velocicalc instrument at the Lab aft port diffuser, to provide MCC-H with a baseline of the airflow going through the Node and Lab with Node duct blocks on. The last diffuser readings taken by Pettit are now considered invalid due to the collapsed FGB duct (reported on 3/11).]

Also added to today’s task list were four weekend tasks for Bowersox to work on the Defibrillator in the Lab’s CheCS rack. [The work involves removing a suspect/failed battery from the defib and replacing it with a spare. The spare battery was then to be charged to full capacity and its open circuit voltage tested several times thereafter.]

The crew was thanked for their recent successful updating of the Lab’s printer network card firmware so that it now can work with the “twisted pair” cabling in the SM (ref. 3/3 Status Report) if the need arises.

MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) troubleshooting: Yesterday’s re-installation of the last connector (P117) has apparently not triggered the putative fault. The next step in the plan is power-cycle testing (On/Off) next Monday (3/17).

Monday’s schedule will also include the resumption of the Russian software upgrading, viz., the loading of the KTsP1, Laptop 1, TVM, TsVM, and US matching unit computers with the 7.01 code, as well as reinitialization of the reduced-redundancy Central (TsVM) and Terminal (TVM) computers..

Science Update (Expedition Six — 15th):

Words of appreciation went up from Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley to the crew for their continued support of payloads activities for the extension of this increment. “The quality of your earth observations imagery is spectacular. We are amazed at the different shots that you have managed to capture, in particular, city lights at night… Keep up the great work”.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): The EVARM team very much appreciates the weekly badge readings.

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): PuFF sessions have been increased in frequency from monthly to every two weeks, as the schedule allows, to improve investigators’ statistics. Next PuFF will be on 3/18 (Tuesday).

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Completed for Increment 6. Bowersox and Pettit continue taking their stone-prevention (or placebo) pills. Final session is planned for mid-April.

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): The Foot team is looking forward to next week’s data collection, which, it is hoped, will be “as smooth and successful as the last. We love putting one Foot in front of the other”.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): On hold until MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) is operational. Remaining in MSG until further notice.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS is nominal. The acceleration measurement team captured the reboost events on 3/12 and 3/13, and is preparing for the EVA in April, complete with possible hammer application to the CETA light stanchion.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS is nominal. The acceleration measurement team captured the reboost events on 3/12 and 3/13, and is preparing for the EVA in April, complete with possible hammer application to the CETA light stanchion.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperatures are nominal. Crystals are still growing.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE): On hold until MSG is operational.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG has finished science operations for Inc 6.

EarthKAM (EK): The students are looking forward to another cycle of activities with this crew in early April.

Crew Earth Observations (CEO): Quick-look review of downlinked imagery shows Don Pettit’s spectacular aurora shots. The crew’s diligence in imaging the target sites uplinked is appreciated.
Today’s targets for the CEO program (not using the Lab window due to Flight Rule restriction of no exposure to direct sunlight) were Chicago, Illinois (City at Night – Chicago was nearly nadir on this night pass), and Khartoum, Sudan (City at Night – Khartoum should have been an interesting target since the city is nested between the Blue and White Nile).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:32am EST [= epoch]):