ISS On-Orbit Status 21 Mar 2003
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Today is Vernal Equinox (more to the point: First Day of Spring).
Before breakfast and first exercise, the crew again took turns performing the IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) tests with blood labs, each one acting first as the examining CMO (crew medical officer) and then becoming the examined subject. [The blood samples from the three subjects were then analyzed in the PCBA (portable clinical blood analyzer), a component of the AMP (ambulatory medical pack), and the results entered in the MEC (medical equipment computer), using the same forms started by them yesterday during the MO-9 assessment.]
Later during the day, the crew finished the clinical PHS exam without blood labs. [PHS, guided by software on the MEC (medical equipment computer), is performed once every 30 days for each crewmember and two weeks before landing and as clinically indicated. PHS evaluations alternate between the one with blood labs and the one without. The tests are documented afterwards.]
FE-1 Nikolai Budarin completed removal and replacement of the column unit (BK) in the BKV water conditioning unit, a periodic maintenance task.
Budarin also terminated regeneration of absorbent bed #1 of the Service Module (SM) BMP micropurification unit, switching it back to Purify mode. Later, he started filter channel #2 on regeneration cycle. Each cycle takes about 24 hours.
FE-2/SO Don Pettit took another 30-min. HMS CBT (health maintenance systems/computer-based training) refresher course, supported by video and audio, to hone his CMO qualification. Later, Bowersox went through the same training course. [Objectives of today’s exercise, regularly scheduled once a month, were to review nosebleed treatment, fractures and dislocations, laceration closure, and abdominal examination procedures.]
Pettit stowed the ITCS (internal thermal control system) gas trap, no longer required. The correct function of the ITCS MTL (moderate temperature loop) with its newly installed PPA (pump package assembly) was verified with a 3-hr. period of operation for dissipating an air bubble in the accumulator which had caused some intermittent pump overspeeding. The MTL is now healthy, providing full redundancy to the LTL (low temperature loop).
Bowersox performed another check of the open circuit voltage of the recently installed new battery of the CHeCS defibrillator.
The crew conducted a scheduled timeline review for the upcoming Stage EVA2, now scheduled for 4/8, going through an updated version and set of procedures uplinked overnight. The plan was then discussed with the ground in an S/G (space-to-ground audio) teleconference. Based on the discussions, an official baseline package will be uplinked next week after a thorough review by the Flight Control Team (FCT).
Schedule planning for EVA has to coordinate with the Russian plans for the two upcoming reboost maneuvers by Progress. Optimum dates for Moscow are 4/4 and 4/10, which would require a total delta-V of 4.0 m/sec (2 m/sec per burn). Slipping the maneuvers will increase delta-V requirements, e.g.: to 5.5 m/sec for 4/10 & 4/15, or about 100 kg additional propellants; other possible date combinations are 4/8 & 4/10, and 4/9 & 4/11. Analysis is underway at both MCCs to jointly derive an optimum reboost and EVA plan by 3/24 (Monday).
Budarin conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities) and prepared the daily IMS inventory delta file, while Bowersox did the regular status checkup of the autonomous Lab payload (PCG-STES010).
Pettit recorded his nutritional intake by filling out his weekly HMS FFQ (health maintenance systems/food frequency questionnaire) on the MEC (medical equipment computer).
Today’s planned downloading of yesterday’s PuFF (pulmonary function in flight) experiment session, which according to POC went “spectacularly good”, has not been successful. The problem appears to be with the data transfer from the experiment’s PCMCIA (personal computer memory card international association) Flash card to the HRF HDD (human research facility hard disk drive) for subsequent downlink. Under study.
Nominal science operation of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) next week has been approved by ESA’s MSG team, starting with about 11 hours of nominal operation including illumination, video equipment, etc., after removal of the currently resident PFMI (Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation) payload. [MSG science has been prioritized, with InSPACE (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) leading the list, followed by PFMI.]
Moscow reported successful completion of the upgrade of the Russian onboard computers with the new vers. 7.011 software. Wednesday’s loss of communications between the U.S. GNC MDM (guidance, navigation & control computer) and the Russian TVM (terminal computer system), which temporarily triggered load shedding in Survival Mode, has not been explained yet and is under investigation.
Carbon dioxide partial pressure (ppCO2) level in the Lab was at 3.7 mmHg this morning. Vozdukh is operating nominally in manual switchover mode. During its recent downtime, the U.S. CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) operated smoothly, completing four half cycles (two per adsorbent channel). CDRA is now off again.
Budarin conducted his regular daily checkup and watering of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment.
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.
For the CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), a plan has been developed as a work around for the failed control panel. [The new procedure will control the CEVIS workload with the use of an external power supply and scope meters (voltage & current), which requires calibration of the setup so that a scope meter can be used as load gauge. Ground testing is being finalized, and the procedure will be uplinked for implementation early next week, as soon as it has been reviewed by FCT.]
Critical consumables reviews continue on the ground, with weekly reporting to the IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team).
Step-up of MCC-Houston computers to ULF-1 software products has been deferred. Updating of the FCT server will be conducted during crew sleep time, starting tonight and going through 3/24.
Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program (with illumination is now, on Vernal Equinox, rapidly shifting from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere, and light soon too low for southernmost targets like lower Patagonia) Pantanal Wetlands in Sun Glint (the Pantanal of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay is the world’s largest wetlands. With the rainy season just ending, crew was to look obliquely left of track for views with sun glint to enhance the outlines and extent of surface water in this region), Patagonian Glaciers (this was the first and probably best of two passes over the extreme southern end of this target region. Looking left of track for context views of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field now at its seasonal minimum for fresh snow cover. The second pass went over the extreme southern end of this target region. Although lighting was lower, crew was to look left of track for context views of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field now at its seasonal minimum for fresh snow cover).
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 Purify mode, bed #2 in Regeneration mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.
- SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 745; temperature (deg C) — 26.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — 183.1; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.3 (data suspect).
- SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.9.
- FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 24.0.
- Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 738.8; temperature (deg C) — 23.3 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 741.18; temperature (deg C) — 22.2; ppO2 (mmHg) — 165.2; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.9;
- Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 741.28; temperature (deg C) — 21.0; shell heater temp (deg C) — 21.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
- PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.4
- PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.7
(n/a = data not available)
Propulsion System (PS):
- Total propellant load available [SM(774) + FGB(2746) + Progress(474] — 3994 kg (8805 lb) as of 3/20/03. (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 #4 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
- FGB batteries: Battery #2 is off line; battery #3 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: 51.0 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, 6:51am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 390.4 km
- Apogee — 396.0 km
- Perigee — 384.8 km
- Period — 92.36 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0008265
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
- Solar Beta Angle: 51.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 120 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ‚98) — 24732
- For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
