ISS On-Orbit Status 20 Mar 2003
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.
After yesterday’s brief diversion into Survival Mode, inadvertently triggered during an attempt to regain comm between US segment (USOS) and Russian segment (RS) computers, attitude control has returned to normal, after flight control handovers from USOS to RS and back were successfully exercised. Computer configuration is fully stable, with all computers operating properly on the latest software version.
Before breakfast, the crew began the day with another round of the medical assessment MO-9 of the Russian crew health-monitoring program. [MO-9 is biochemical urinalysis, conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs), and it is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for PHS (periodic health status) evaluation as part of the “PHS/Without Blood Labs” exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus “Urolux” developed originally for the Mir program. Budarin stowed the equipment after the sessions.]
Later in the day, CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-2/SO Don Pettit continued supporting the troubleshooting of the ITCS MTL (internal thermal control system moderate temperature loop) pump in LAB1 rack. The newly installed PPA (pump package assembly) spare was started up successfully and is running nominally. It is currently being watched for a while, but it appears the MTL may soon be back in normal working condition. A new spare PPA will be manifested on Progress 11P. [The originally leaking check valve, which caused a problem with the PPA accumulator, has reseated properly during the first of two transitions, and a resulting air bubble was cleared up during a second transition.]
FE-1 Nikolai Budarin completed a test procedure on the SRV-K2M condensate water processor, measuring the hydraulic resistance in its gas-liquid line with the NOK condensate evacuation pump running. [The objective of this activity was to determine the pressure change in the SRV-K2M line with the BPK compressor power unit powered off and gas-liquid mixture filter (FGS) and filter-reactor (FR) active. The test required the attachment of an empty EDV water container, later removed again. Data were then taken with a vacuum pressure gauge connected to the EDV.]
Budarin also performed IFM (in-flight maintenance) in the FGB module, replacing IMU microaccelerometer units. [On 3/14, Nikolai had already replaced three IMU-128 microaccelerometer units in the Service Module (SM).]
In the SM, Budarin initiated the regeneration cycle for adsorbent bed #1 of the BMP micropurification unit. Filter channel #2 remains in Purify mode.
Don Pettit started another in-flight session of the PuFF (pulmonary function in flight) experiment, setting up and activating the hardware, then performing its initial calibration before undergoing the standard “huff and puff” breathing test. During the day, Nikolai Budarin and Ken Bowersox followed suit. Additional data were gained from an abbreviated repetition of the test sequence. Sox finally powered the PuFF equipment down and stowed it. [PuFF supports the continuing investigation of the effects of long-term micro-G exposure and EVAs on the pulmonary (lung) function. Each monthly PuFF session involves five lung function tests. It utilizes the GASMAP (gas analyzer system for metabolic analysis physiology) in the Human Research Facility, along with a variety of other PuFF equipment such as a manual breathing valve, flowmeter, pressure-flow module, pressure and volume calibration syringes and disposable mouthpieces. Today’s PuFF activities were photo/video-recorded for historical documentation, including the GASMAP CA (calibration module) tank gauges.]
All MSG facility data continue to look nominal. During yesterday’s troubleshooting the ground sent several commands to the rack to check out various subsystems, as Don and Sox were observing. This concluded troubleshooting for this week, except for the checkout of the newly installed left fan which may be performed next week. Nominal MSG operation for science may be picked up again next week.
Budarin conducted his regular daily checkup and watering, if required, of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment. Later, he copied its accumulated photo/data files to a floppy disk for transfer to the Russian laptop 3 and subsequent downlink via Regul-Packet.
Pettit conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Bowersox prepared the daily IMS inventory delta file.
All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program on RED (resistive exercise device), TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), and VELO with load trainer. The monthly TVIS maintenance was completed by the CDR.
At 10:55am EST, the crew downlinked an audio/video message of greetings for the 2003 season’s Opening Day Ceremonies on 4/1 of the Houston Astros (who are wearing the STS-17/Columbia mission patch as part of this year’s uniform).
Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program (no Cities at Night included until LVLH attitude) were Sun Glint on Lukanga Swamp (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET: On this descending pass the Lukanga Swamp and then the man-made Kariba Lake lied well left of track in southern Zambia. Crew was to take advantage of sun glint conditions to document the extent of the wetlands and the shoreline of the lake), Mozambique Flooding (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET: Recent tropical weather systems have left most of lower Mozambique inundated by rain. Crew was to take advantage of low cloudiness and sun glint to document standing water in the southern end of the country, especially in the broad coastal plain, looking obliquely left of track), and Patagonian Glaciers (it is near the end of summer in Patagonia and snow cover is at its seasonal minimum. Crew was asked to use this extreme southern pass and a break in the weather to take oblique context views of the ice fields. Looking northward, left of track, up the spine of the southern Andes Mountains).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 12:50pm EST).
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
- Elektron O2 generator is powered On (24 Amp). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (manual mode 5). 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 Regeneration mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is Off; SKV-2 is On.
- SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 745; temperature (deg C) — 26.9; ppO2 (mmHg) — 183.1; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.4 (data suspect).
- SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.4.
- FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
- Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 739.44; temperature (deg C) — 23.4 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — 165.8; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.9.
- U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 741.88; temperature (deg C) — 22.6; ppO2 (mmHg) — 165.7; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.9;
- Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 741.79; temperature (deg C) — 21.1; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.3, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.0
- PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.6
(n/a = data not available)
Propulsion System (PS):
- Total propellant load available [SM(786) + FGB(2746) + Progress(490)] — 4022 kg (8867 lb) as of 3/13/03. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
- Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in autonomous Autotrack (sun-following).
- SM batteries: Battery #2 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (7) are in “Complete Charge” mode (data are static).
- FGB batteries: Battery #2 is off line; battery #1 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (4) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
- Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 and PCU-2 both in Standby mode.
Command & Data Handling Systems:
- C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
- GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is Backup.
- INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
- 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
- APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
- SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
- SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
Attitude Control Systems:
- 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
- State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
- Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
- Angular rate source — RGA-2
Flight Attitude:
- XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: -179.0 deg, pitch: -8.8 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.
- Solar Beta Angle: 49.0 deg (magnitude increasing).
Communications & Tracking Systems:
- FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
- All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
- S-band is operating nominally.
- Ku-band is operating nominally.
- Audio subsystem operating nominally.
- Video subsystem operating nominally (VTR1 is operable again).
- HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.
Robotics:
- SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
- MBS: KA power on both strings.
- MT: latched at WS4, with KA power.
- POA: KA power on both strings.
- RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:42am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 390.5 km
- Apogee — 396.1 km
- Perigee — 385.0 km
- Period — 92.37 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0008241
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
- Solar Beta Angle: 49.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 24717
- For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
