ISS On-Orbit Status 22 Aug 2002

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

With crew day remaining shifted (4:00pm – 7:30 pm EDT), CDR Korzun and FE-2 Treschev started the day by reviewing the preliminary new timeline/cyclogram for EVA-8 on Monday (8/26).  The spacewalk by the two cosmonauts is scheduled to begin at about 1:00 am EDT, to last six hours.  An EVA-8 readiness review by the MMT (Mission Management Team) is scheduled for tomorrow morning (8/23).  [EVA Objectives:  Installation of Attachment Frame (PF) ORU (orbit replaceable unit) and fairleads on the FGB, changeout of the Kromka-1 contamination collector plate, installation of two ham radio antennas (WA1, WA2), visual inspection of a removable capacitance sensor (KDS) on the outside of the Service Module (SM), removal of the Japanese payloads MPAC (a micrometeoroid and orbital debris collector) and SEED (a materials exposure array), and photography of selected activities and locations).]

Later, Korzun and Treschev began collecting and preparing EVA equipment and tools, tagging up with an EVA specialist at TsUP (via S-band).  Video was downlinked via US DVCAM (digital camcorder) and Ku-band.  [The tool carrier (KPU) was loaded with items such as hammer, wrenches, screwdriver, cutter, wire clippers, wire ties, tethers and bungees.  Then, in the DC-1 airlock, KPU was put together in an easy-to-carry bundle with the other EVA items, viz., the two amateur radio antennas, the Kromka-2 collector plate, airtight pouches for the retrieved Kromka-1 collector, and items for Orlan suit decontamination during EVA.]<P>

FE-1 Whitson meanwhile initiated another discharge cycle for the two EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) batteries (#2027 & 2028), by using two spacesuits to drain them with the backpack fans.  When more time is available after EVA-8, additional troubleshooting on the BCA (battery charger assembly) discharging as well as maintenance on the other EMU batteries will be scheduled.  [Reason for the second discharge/charge cycle: MCC-H has determined that the first cycle completed by Peggy resulted in marginally acceptable battery capacities.  While the batteries are capable of a 7-hour EVA, as would be required for a 9A ODS (Orbiter docking system) contingency EVA, there is little to no capacity margin.  It is anticipated that the second complete cycle will demonstrate capacity as great or greater, as well as ensure that any crystals and electrode passivation are removed.  This will leave these two batteries in good shape for 9A.  All five batteries will be returned on 9A and replaced with four fresh batteries.]

Peggy Whitson performed periodic maintenance on the ASU toilet system in the SM, removing and replacing the pretreat container (E-K) and its hose.  The old container was discarded.

Whitson also worked on the PBA (portable breathing apparatus) units, first providing each PBA and O2 (oxygen) bottle with a static indicator (a piece of tape) over their gauges at the current pressure setting, to give a better visual mark of pressure changes between inspections, then replacing two QDMs (quick-don masks) with expired shelf life with new ones, and finally performing the regular periodic inspection and pressure check of the PBAs.  [There are a total of four PBAs (mask and O2 bottle) in the USOS, two in the Node and two in the Lab.  An additional three PBA O2 bottles, located in the Airlock, were also checked.]

The crew was thanked by MCC-H for their hard work yesterday on the TVIS treadmill roller truss and chassis inspection.  [As a result of the inspection, they were given the Go on continuing to use the TVIS at the same load and speed constraints as before, and still in non-motorized mode only.  Next chassis inspection will be scheduled in 10-12 days, to ensure that no further significant damage to the structure develops.]

Valery and Sergey completed the Russian pre-EVA health monitoring test MO-5, which studies the crewmember’s cardiovascular status under specific exercise loads using graded exercises on the Russian cycle ergometer (VB-3), both taking turns in being the subject or the assistant.  The sessions were monitored by an MO-5 specialist at TsUP via VHF.  [The test takes readings of ECG (electrocardiogram), blood pressure, and blood flow/amount (rheoplethysmography) around both upper arms.  The graded exercises involve several blood-pressure-controlled periods at workloads of 125 W, 150 W and 175 W.]

FE-2 Treschev conducted the periodic inspection of the BRPK-2 water condensate separator, and today he also inspected the VR fan in the SKV-1 air conditioner.  [This latter special task checks for beaded moisture.  If such moisture is found, the fans of the heat exchanger (VT) and heat exchanger condenser (VTK) must also be checked for possible moisture on the flexible air ducts.]

Peggy Whitson completed the daily routine tasks of SOSh life support systems maintenance and autonomous Lab payload status checkup.

All three crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program on TVIS, RED and VELO.

In response to Peggy’s discovery of one frayed and one broken cable on both the right forward and right aft end of the CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation) yesterday, MCC-H advised her to tape up any frayed isolators as she has done before. The loose wire should be carefully clipped at the terminal end and stowed in the CEVIS isolator kit for later return to the ground for inspection.

8A/STS-112 (Atlantis) Update:  Space Shuttle team has completed welding, inspection, and cleaning on Atlantis fuel lines. SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) installation has been completed. The Orbiter roll-out review for STS-112 is scheduled for August 29 and the launch is targeted for no earlier than September 28.

Today’s targets for the CEO program were:  Xianggang (Hong Kong), China (good opportunity for getting entire megalopolis [7.2 million] in one view for GIS comparisons of growth), Yangtze River Delta (detailed shots of the estuary: coastlines and islands constantly change with the large volumes of sediment carried by China‚s largest river.  Human control of estuary shorelines is increasing.  China‚s largest and one of its fastest growing cities, Shanghai, lies on the south side of the estuary), Shanghai, China (nadir pass over China‚s largest city [9 million in the „urbanized area,‰ 13 million in the municipality]), Karachi, Pakistan (nadir pass over Pakistan’s port and largest city. Then, views of the Indus valley left of track all the way to the Himalayas), Angolan Biomass Burning (as the crew is losing light in the S hemisphere, conditions were best to document aerosol loadings in the atmosphere), Kuwait City, Kuwait (nadir pass. Crew to try for city margins. Then views of Gulf coastline, and panorama looking left up into Mesopotamia), Eastern Mediterranean Dust (crew to look right for dust plume north of Sinai [exiting Egypt?].  Panoramas of the Nile delta and the entire east coast of the Mediterranean also right of track), and Tunis, Tunisia (nadir pass over Tunisia’s capital city and ancient Carthage [ruins of which provide ready building materials]).

CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:23 pm EDT):

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

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (32-amp mode), on backup pump.  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in MANUAL cycle mode #5, i.e., 10-min. cycle time (vacuum pump failed).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is on Override.  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.

• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 757, temperature (deg C) — 26.4, ppO2 (mmHg) — 157.7, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.5.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751, temperature (deg C) — 20.7.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756, temperature (deg C) — 21.7.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 750.89, temperature (deg C) — 24.7 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752.80, temperature (deg C) — 24.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 752.80, temperature (deg C) — 26.8; shell heater temp (deg C) — 25.3, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.6
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 13.7

(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]). MSA (mass spectrometer assembly) and VGA (verification gas assembly) were replaced, but some more work needs to be done).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B in Autotrack mode (solar-tracking).
• SM batteries: data unavailable
• FGB batteries:  Battery #5 is off-line, battery #4 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 On. SKV-2 is Off.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

• C&C-3 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-1 is in standby.
• GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
• LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
• PL-1 MDM is operational; PL-2 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.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Source:

• 3 CMGs on-line.
• State vector — US GPS (SIGI string 1)
• Attitude — Russian segment
• Angular rates — US RGA1 (rate gyro assembly 1)

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• All Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally.
• Ku-band is operating nominally.
• Audio subsystem operating nominally.
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 at MBS PDGF 1 (mobile base system/power & data grapple fixture 1), in EVA-7 viewing position, with Keep Alive power on both strings (based on MBS).
• MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit (as of last night, 11:18pm EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 392.7 km
• Apogee — 404.1 km
• Perigee — 381.3 km
• Period — 92.4 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0016836
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
• Altitude decrease — 250 m (mean) in last 24 hours
• Solar Beta Angle — -37.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 21431
• Current Flight Attitude — XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = „sun-fixed‰ [yaw: -0.6 deg, pitch: -5.7 deg., roll: 0 deg]).

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