ISS On-Orbit Status 16 Dec 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Week 3 for Expedition 6.
Early in the morning (2:25am EST), FE-1 Nikolai Budarin began work on today’s scheduled Russian geophysical GFI-1 “Relaksatsiya” experiment. [The session started with setting up laptop 3 and hooking up the payload equipment, followed by tagup with ground specialists. After the ISS had maneuvered appropriately at 3:40am, “Relaksatsiya” was calibrated by use of the Moon’s spectrum out of Service Module (SM) window #9. Later, Budarin tore down the payload equipment again. ISS maneuvered back to the regular XPOP TEA {torque equilibrium attitude) at 4:20am. Relaksatsiya deals with the study of the chemoluminescent chemical reactions (“relaxations”) and atmospheric light phenomena that occur during high-velocity interaction between the exhaust products from space vehicles and the atmosphere at orbital altitude and during the entry of space vehicles into the Earth’s upper atmosphere.]
At 4:40am EST, FE-1 Budarin and FE-2 Pettit completed another session with the Russian MedOps cardio experiment MO-1 (study of the bioelectric activity of the heart at rest), with Pettit assisting as CMO (crew medical officer) and tagging up with a ground specialist at TsUP (MCC-M).
The crew conducted an IWIS (internal wireless instrumentation system) data take ofISS structure vibrations caused by forces they were askedto produce in the front area of the Lab. [A camcorder was set up to record the crewmembers’ movements during this activity. A new, updated procedure was used since the IWIS software has been upgraded. The crew was asked to note how long the two parts of the IWIS operations procedure take to perform, and to call these times down to assist future planning.]
CDR Kenneth Bowersox removed the ARIS snubber cup isolators from EXPRESS Rack 2 (ER2). [He was asked to stow the isolators close by because FE-2/SO Don Pettit is scheduled to reinstall them on 12/18 (Wednesday).]
Today and tomorrow, MCC-Houston will install new software to the PMCU MDM (power management controller unit) and PVCU MDM (photovoltaic controller unit) computers. [Starting today, the ground is installing Revision 2 (R2) softwareto the backupMDMs; and then swap thebackup with the primary MDMs. Tomorrow, MCC-H will installR2 to the new backup MDMs;and then make PVCU 4B MDM Primaryand PVCU 2B Backup (the nominal configuration). The expected C&W (caution & warning) messages will be suppressed and the crew will be notified prior totransitioningthe MDMs.]
Bowersox was scheduled to perform the ZCG (Zeolite crystal growth) clear autoclave operations, activating all twelve clear autoclaves and updating the ZCG Clear Autoclave Log, which will be downlinked once Sox is ready prepare for the ZCG furnace activation tomorrow.
During the day, Pettit deployed the FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit) monitors in Lab and SM, where they are collecting samples for a 24-hour period. Later, Don collected air samples in the center of the Lab and the SM with the GSC (grab sample container).
Bowersox and Budarin completed installation of a BITS onboard telemetry cable in the Russian segment that had been started but not finished by Expedition 5. The cables were routed and needed only to be connected. The connections to the BITS2-12 system were then checked out with ground support via S-band.
Budarin conducted a checkout of the 7KlZ valve of the SKV-2 air conditioning unit.
Later, Nikolai changed out a component of the SRVK-2M multifiltration unit.
Daily routine servicing tasks were performed by Bowersox (Lab payloads status checkup), Budarin (IMS inventory delta file preparation for downlink), and Pettit (SOSh life support system maintenance, incl. ASU toilet inserts changeout).
Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Lake Victoria, East Africa (this major lake supplies fish for large numbers of people. Changes along the coastline are threatening coastal fishing. Crew to shoot lake shores), West Africa pass (weather as clear as it gets. Crew was to shoot detail of the near-nadir sector of the coast. Fire season should be starting as equatorial cloud zone shifts south. High obliques are best for capturing smoke palls in the atmosphere), Tuamotu-Austral Islands (pass over the middle of this smaller archipelago. Shooting islets near nadir for coral mapping project), Tuamotu Archipelago (pass over the middle of this major archipelago. Shooting islets near nadir for coral mapping project), Chicago, Illinois (nadir pass over the Windy City. ESC [electronic still camera]. Crew was to try to get the entire conurbation into one or two views, for comparability in an ongoing study), Baker Island, Central Pacific (crew was to shoot this remote, one mile-long coral island for global mapping survey of coral reefs. Nadir to a touch right), and Howland Island, Cent Pacific (crew was asked to photograph fringing coral reef of this remote island, for global survey. Nadir pass. Howland lies 35 miles NW of Baker island).
