ISS On-Orbit Status 20 Mar 2002

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

After wake-up at the usual 1:00am EST, the crew was informed that everything had gone smoothly with the Progress departure yesterday, including the deployment of the Russian/Australian “Kolibri” micro satellite from the cargo ship’s exterior, before M1-7 reentered the atmosphere at 9:00 pm EST.

The crew completed the first part of the P6 photovoltaic arrays photo survey, today for the 4B (port) solar array wing. [MCC-H added the 4B and 2B surveys to the “job jar” task list yesterday, leaving them to the crew’s discretion as long as they are performed while the solar arrays track the sun in LVLH attitude. The nearest opportunity for this photography is from last night to tomorrow night at 5:20 pm EST. After that period, due to the solar Beta angle it will be several weeks before another good opportunity for the full survey occurs. Photography in Earth’s shadow (eclipse) will not be effective.]Ê

FE-1 Carl Walz set up the ARIS ICE (active rack isolation system-isolation characterization experiment) hammer test, including the video camera for recording the activity. After making sure that there was no umbilical interferences (touching) with the isolated platform,Walz performed three separate hammer tests at pre-specified times during the day, all next to the SAMS (space acceleration measurement system) sensor on the platform, each time tapping rapidly for 10 seconds, waiting 5 sec and repeating several times. These events were observed on the ground.

Later, Walz installed alignment guides on the ARIS rack, followed by installation of the ARIS GN2 (gaseous nitrogen) supply umbilical.

FE-1 Walz began repair activities on the EXPPCS (Experiment of the Physics of Colloids in Space), by FE-1 Walz. After removing a barrier and acoustic covers on the rack and placing the hard drive with the OS (operating system) back into drive bay A, as well as preparing HRF (human research facility) hardware and setting up a camcorder, he was to complete the connection between the HRF keyboard and EXPPCS using the scopemeter and pin kits. EXPPCS was then to be booted up, its display verified, and the BIOS accessed to make configuration changes. Reconfiguration of all hard drives back to nominal etc. is planned for tomorrow.

CDR Yuri Onufrienko, assisted by FE-1 Walz as CMO,Ê underwent another periodic session of the Russian electro-cardiac measurement experiment PZE MO-1, which determines the bioelectric activity of the human heart at rest.

FE-2 Dan Bursch worked on the PCG-STES007 (Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System 7), today deactivating cylinders # 7, 8, 9 and 11 of the self-contained, automated payload.

Bursch powered the TEPC (tissue equivalent proportional counter) radiation instrument off and relocated it, moving it out of the TeSS (temporary sleep station). The TEPC system then received a new software load from the medical equipment computer (MEC).

CDR Onufrienko performed regular Node PBA (portable breathing apparatus) and PFE (portable fire extinguisher) inspection, then completed the daily SOSH life support system maintenance, IMS “delta” file preparation and UF-1 payload status inspection. He also switched the BMP harmful impurities assembly filter #2 to regeneration mode, returning bed #1 to absorption mode.

FE-2 Bursch and Onufrienko completed their weekly NTXN “Interactions” data entry.

Dan spent about two hours going through the station with the SSK (surface sampler kit) for collecting and incubating “pre-8A” microbial test samples. Data like these are helpful in determining the impact of visiting crews on the internal microorganic “state of affairs” of the station.

A new update (version 4) of the ongoing IMS audit was uplinked for the crew, continuing efforts to consolidate, identify excess items, and relocate items in preparation for the tear-down of two racks in Node and Lab later this year. Walz and Bursch completed the prescribed new audit/cleanup.

The crew has completed the task-listed setup of the second mass storage device, called MACE Silo II, for the station computer system’s Ops LAN (operations local area network) file server.

Early in the morning. Carl Walz participated in an ham radio pass with an amateur group of students of Zeehan Primary School in Zeehan, Tasmania/Australia.

CEO (crew earth observation) targets today were Somalia Coast (ISS had an excellent opportunity to acquire a context photo of the Somalian coastal belt, lying left [NE] of track. Such views will serve as baseline data during an El Nino-neutral year; there are indications elsewhere that the next El Nino event may be developing), Angolan Biomass Burning (this pass down the Skeleton Coast of Namibia afforded high sun and a long, NE-ward view into the continent. As burning of agricultural stubble begins, crew was to watch for individual fires and for developing smoke palls), Industrialized Southeastern Africa (the valleys of the Orange and Vaal Rivers extended outward to the left [NE] of the track, providing a good view into one of the more industrialized corridors of the continent. Of interest: documenting any smog masses, particularly the edges, as they move outward over the sea), Montserrat (Dynamic Event Site: Montserrat has been throwing plumes of gas and ash into the air for the past several days. Plumes are trailing westward over the Caribbean. ISS tracked almost directly over the volcano; great for nadir views), and Tuamotu-Austral Islands (the widely spaced atolls of the Lower Cook and Tubuai Island groups were along the station’s track. Of interest: documenting reef and lagoon conditions in these small islands for use in international reef-mapping efforts).

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:52 pm EST today):

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

• Elektron O2 generator is On (24 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 Regeneration mode.

  
  

• SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 764, temperature (deg C) — 27.4, ppO2 (mmHg) — 159.9, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.6.
  
• SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 767, temperature (deg C) — 21.2; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  
• FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 756, temperature (deg C) — 22.3; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  
• Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 757.25, temperature (deg C) — 22.9 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  
• U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 759.26, temperature (deg C) — 25.1, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
  
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 759.06, temperature (deg C) — 21.9; shell heater temp (deg C) — 21.3, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  
• PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.9.
  
• PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 19.3.

  
  

(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 Autotrack mode (for photo survey).
  
• SM batteries: #4 offline in “capacity restoration” mode (ROM); all other batteries (7) in “partial charge” mode.
  
• FGB battery #6 is offline, #2 is in “cycle” mode; all other batteries (4) 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 (was Off to allow acquisition of vibration data during TsUP’s SM/FGB solar array efficiency test).

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, with Keep Alive power on both strings.
  
• RWS (robotics workstations) are Off.
  

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:28 am EST):

• Mean altitude — 393.0 km
  
• Apogee — 395.6 km
  
• Perigee — 390.4 km
  
• Period — 92.4 min.
  
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
  
• Eccentricity — 0.0003826
  
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
  
• Altitude decrease — 420 m (mean) in last 24 hours
  
• Solar Beta Angle: +31.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
  
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 19004
  
• Current Flight Attitude — LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed” [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -8.7 deg., roll: 0 deg])roll: 0 deg])
  

For more on ISS orbit and naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html