ISS On-Orbit Status 22 Nov 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below.
Crew wake-up was at 11:00 am EST. With STS-113 launch tonight (8:15pm
EST), sleep cycle will be adjusted to begin tonight at 12:00 midnight,
lasting until 9:00am tomorrow morning. Docking will take place on Sunday,
11/24, at 5:19pm EST.
The Vozdukh CO2 removal unit is back up and running. [During last two
days’ complex troubleshooting, Korzun and Treschev reportedly replaced
the automatic control unit (SOA) of the selector valve group BVK-1, one
of three in the BOA valve panel controlling Vozdukh ( not the BVK-1 itself),
as well as one of the circuit breakers in the BVK-1 package. They also
replaced the fan between Vozdukh and the GZhTA gas-liquid heat exchanger
assembly, which feeds air through the entire system, with a previously
used ventilator (to be exchanged again with a new unit after the docked
period). Cause of the electrical failure was traced to a check valve (KP),
used as bypass during two-cartridge operation for relieving potential
pressure buildup while in the very brief transition state of the switching
selector valves of the two cartridges. The relief valve is now closed
and nonfunctional, but that has no impact on Vozdukh operation (which
is processing an air flow rate of 89% nominal {24 liters/min}).]
With Vozdukh operating nominally again, the U.S. CDRA (carbon dioxide
removal assembly) in the Lab will be powered down today until Shuttle
docking on Sunday (11/24). [After Wednesday’s failure, CDRA operations
were modified yesterday to correct the commanding of air selector valve
#3 (ASV3), which had stopped in an unexpected position, venting gas overboard
for about 3.5 min. Since then, CDRA has been running satisfactorily in
dual-bed mode. To abbreviate the time-consuming automatic moding cycle
(2h 24min) between the two adsorbent beds, manual switching by the crew
has been in effect. This mode will be continued indefinitely when CDRA
ops resume on Sunday.]
Six additional LiOH (lithium hydroxide) canisters have been manifested
on 11A/STS-113. This replaces the two cans used to date and increases
the stockpile by four. [Each U.S. canister supports three crewmembers
for 16 hours (Russian cans: 23 hrs.). With the new units, the onboard
supply protects about three times the basic contingency requirement of
15 days.]
FE-1/SO Peggy Whitson today works on EXPRESS rack #2 (ER2), installing
the ARIS (active rack isolation system) snubber cup isolators which mechanically
dampen rack motion. [Before the installation, ARIS is verified by the
ground in "Idle" mode and then commanded off. After the installation,
Whitson shuts off the ER2 laptop computer, and the ground completes the
ER2 power-down by opening RPCs (remote power controllers), configuring
the RFCA (rack flow control assembly) and the RIC (rack interface controller),
etc.]
Peggy and Valery were thanked by POC (Payload Operations Center) for
another good session yesterday with the PuFF (pulmonary function in flight)
experiment for the study of the effects of EVA and long-term exposure
to zero-G on the human pulmonary (respiratory) function. [This satisfied
the PI (principal investigator) requirement that the final data take occur
within 30 days of landing.]
Troubleshooting efforts of the failed MSG (microgravity science glovebox)
rack by Peggy Whitson and ground specialists have narrowed the probable
cause down to its PDC (power distribution control) box. [There is no spare
PDC on board, and the failure, if indeed in the PDC, would not be repairable
on orbit at present. ESA and its contractor, Astrium, where the MSG originated,
are discussing recovery approaches. Potential impacts of a more extended
MSG loss on the Expedition 6 science program are under assessment.]
At about 4:30pm EST, FE-2 Sergei Treschev will work in the DC-1 docking
module, performing the regular (monthly) check-up on the AZS circuit breakers
on the BVPSO amp switch panel — they should all be On — and the 14 LEDs
of the fuses in fuse panels BPP-30 and BPP-36.
The Honeywell MDM-1 computer in the FGB continues to be off. The backup
MDM-2 is operating nominally and has been successfully configured with
all software patches required for 11A docking.
Daily routine maintenance of the SM SOSh environment control and life
support system is on Treschev’s schedule today, while Whitson takes care
of the regular daily status checkup of autonomous Lab payloads (PCG-STES007,
CGBA, PGBA).
As a new item added to her discretionary "job jar" task list,
Peggy was asked to take digital photography of a number of selected ISS
work station sites, to be used by MCC-H in training future station crews
and engineering personnel. [Requested images include views of the RIP
(rack interface panel) and UIP (utility interface panel), port and starboard
CCAA (common cabin air assembly) supply damper valve, the Node’s "water
wall" (water bag storage), the hygiene station in the FGB and the
condensate feed unit (BPK) in the Service Module (SM).]
Late tonight (7:56pm EST), Peggy is scheduled to conduct an amateur radio
exchange, one of her favorite pastimes, with a ham radio fan group in
Cincinnati, Ohio. First three minutes of the pass will be with the JSC
Ham Shack at Houston. [Background: Ham radio activities are spearheaded
by ARISS (Amateur Radio International Space Station), an organization
formed by national and international ham radio groups. Russia has provided
ports on the SM for radio antennas, and ISS crews have trained to operate
the equipment. ISS operations at present use voice and Packet, the Russian
text messaging device. The first initial radio station was flown on STS-106/2A.2b
in September 2000 and transferred to the ISS.]
Peggy Whitson also was requested by PAO to downlink a brief televised
message of greeting today to the 8th Annual American Veterans Awards ceremony
in Los Angeles, CA, with NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick Gregory in
attendance. The show will air on TV (History Channel and Armed Forces
Radio & Television Network) in February 2003.
The crew was congratulated on a their highly successful performance,
downlinked yesterday, for the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at Rockefeller
Plaza in New York next month, a great public event for the ISS.
The joint agreement protocol on the regeneration of recyclable EVA Metox
(metal oxide) CO2 absorption canisters in the Airlock (A/L) is close to
signature by the Russian side, pending final wording of the requirement
to defer post-regen crew access to the A/L until potentially elevated
CO2 concentrations have been cleared by IMV (intermodular ventilation)
after hatch opening.
Also close to approval, by the ISS Program Office, is the jointly agreed-upon
YVV "Barbecue" (vertical y-axis in velocity vector, i.e., facing
forward) flight attitude for the ISS, instead of XPOP, during the high
solar Beta period of 12/21-27.
Troubleshooting continues on the CHeCS TEPC (crew health care systems/tissue
equivalent proportional counter) radiation spectrometer, which still is
afflicted with a grounding fault. Even without TEPC, there still is redundancy
in radiation monitoring on board.
The checkout of the EMUs on 11/20 was successful. The spacesuits are
ready for 11A.
Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Tuamotu
Archipelago (pass along the axis of the island chain. Crew was to photograph
nadir views for greatest detail. On second pass, looking left and right
near nadir, crew was to take detailed mapping views), Brasilia, Brazil
(nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera] requested), Melbourne, Australia
(nadir pass; ESC), Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (smoke and fires over
Zimbabwe), Lake Eyre, Australia (nadir pass for detailed views. Crew was
to shoot the lake floor and feeder rivers, especially wherever they saw
water in the sun glint point).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 3:00am EST).
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control
(TCS):
Elektron O2 generator is powered On (32 Amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber
is On (manual mode 5, cycle time 10 min). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off.
TCCS is operational. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in
Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.
Propulsion System (PS): Total propellant load available (SM + FGB + Progress)
— 3808 kg (8395 lb) [as of 11/21/02].
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and
BGA 4B both in dual-angle mode (directed position).
SM batteries: Battery #8 is in "Cycle" mode; all other batteries
(7) are in "Partial Charge": mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #3 is offline (ROM); all other batteries (5) 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-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 Backup (new patches loaded on both).
EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is off.
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is On (primary); PL-2 MDM is off (diagnostic
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane
1 is down.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
Attitude Source:
3 CMGs on-line.
State vector — U.S. SIGI-1
Attitude — Russian segment (RS)
Angular rates — U.S. RGA-1 (from RS attitude)
Communications & Tracking Systems:
FGB MDM-1 failed; 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.
MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.
Robotics:
SSRMS/Canadarm2 at MBS PDGF3 (mobile base system/power & data grapple
fixture 3) and mated to PDGF1 (11A park position), with Keep Alive power
on both strings.
MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings. POA: Keep Alive power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:08am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 389.1 km
Apogee — 398.1 km
Perigee — 380.0 km
Period — 92.34 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0013408
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
Solar Beta Angle — 31.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
Altitude loss — 285 (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 22866
Current Flight Attitude — LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed":
z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -13 deg, pitch:
-9 deg, roll: 0 deg]). LVLH until 11A docking.
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times,
see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
