ISS On-Orbit Status 23 Feb 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.
After the EVA and the temporary campout in the SM due to the Metox regeneration problem, the crew had a well-deserved day off today, with full access to the U.S. segment and open IMV (intermodular ventilation) valves. For their reading enjoyment, the ground uplinked details on the US-Russian Hockey Game, besides the regular Space News and Olympic News.
Crew also received “ecstatic” thanks from the PuFF (pulmonary function in flight) research team on the ground, for conducting the post-EVA PuFF run yesterday after its cancellation on Thursday, which saved this important post-EVA data point.
The crew completed the weekly (Saturdays) housecleaning, a two-hour activity.
While CDR Onufrienko continued the twice-daily check on the IK0501 gas analyzer by taking control readings with the IGZ constituent meter, FE-1 Walz performed maintenance on the SOSH life support system, inspected the BRPK-1 condensate water separator and prepared the daily IMS (inventory management system) delta file. FE-2 Bursch meanwhile checked the status of the autonomous Increment 4 payloads.
Instructions were uplinked for troubleshooting the Lab video camcorder, which may have a loose adapter cable connector.
When attempting to replace PC hard drives for the 8A transition, it was found that a PCS (portable computer system) hard drive with new 8A software did not fit into the PC of the Cupola RWS (robotic workstation) in the Lab. The crew was asked to take pictures of the hard drive and its connectors with the electronic still camera for analysis by the ground.
All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise on TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), VELO (Russian cycle ergometer) and RED (resistive exercise device).
Yuri Onufrienko had his private family conference via Ku-band/video and S-band/audio.
Priorities on the crew’s optional task list are currently headed by the regular monthly maintenance of the CEVIS, followed by EVARM radiation download and storage, EVA equipment stowage and ADVASC (advanced astroculture) maintenance. It is safe to assume that by Monday there will be fewer items in the “job jar” (which was originally introduced by Bill Shepherd, CDR of Exp. 1).
The reboost test with Progress 6P early on 2/21 yielded 10% less delta-V than the 3.0 m/sec planned for both burns, and an investigation is underway at MCC-Moscow. The first burn was 239 sec long and consumed 82 kg of prop, the second lasted 242 sec and used 62 kg. In addition, about 24 kg propellant from the FGB were consumed for vehicle control between the two burns. Two more Progress orbit correction test burns are planned for 3/4 using propellant pumped from the FGB back to the Progress.
Science Update (Expedition Four — 11th):
Note: Next to crew safety, research productivity of the ISS has top priority for everyone working on the station, in space or on the ground. After almost 16 months of continuous human occupation, the ISS now has five research racks, and 47 distinct experiments have already been completed. There are 25 unique payloads and 29 investigations currently underway onboard. By the end of Expedition 4 next May, 34 payloads and 51 investigations will have been carried out since ISS assembly began in November 1998. To date, more than 550 hours of crew time have been dedicated to these research projects, supporting more than 50,000 hours of experiment runtime enabled by the station’s telescience capability and the control support by science teams on the ground.
Hoffman-Reflex: In progress.
Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): All necessary EVARM badge readings were completed this week. The post-EVA data will be downlinked to the ground at the next possible opportunity. The experiment team appreciates the crew’s dedication to getting these sessions done in what proved to be a very busy week.
Ultrasound: In progress.
Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): The PuFF team extended great thanks to the crew for both the excellent session on Monday and the much appreciated post-EVA session on Friday. “Amazing is a good descriptor”.
Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: In progress.
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Interactions (NTXN): Continuing on a weekly schedule, nominally on Wednesdays.
Human Research Facility Workstation (HRF WS): n/a
Human Research Facility/PC (HRF/PC): n/a
Cellular Biotechnology Support Systems (CBOSS): The BTR (biotechnology refrigerator) is running nominally.
Physics of Colloids in Space (EXPPCS): EXPPCS completed an 18-hour run that started around 2/21 (4:00 am EST), to assess the current state of the fast fractal gel. All is nominal with the hardware.
Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS hardware is nominal.
Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS continues collection and archival of low-frequency acceleration data for the characterization of the ISS quasi-steady microgravity environment. HiRAP has been disabled due to continuing coverage by SAMS and to reduce the downlink bandwidth utilized by acceleration measurements.
Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): The experiment is running without any problems. Both PCG-STES units are nominal.
Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): Nominal and collecting data. The ground is looking forward to viewing the EVA photos of MISSE.
Educational Payload Operations (EPO): EPO are on the schedule for next week.
Active Rack Isolation System – Isolation Characterization Experiment (ARIS-ICE): ARIS-ICE has developed a revised recovery plan for ARIS. The new crew procedures required are nearly complete. The ground is looking at scheduling removal and replacement (R&R) activities during Week #12 (3/4). The ARIS ICE team looks forward to working with Carl and Dan to get ARIS back up and running again.
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EarthKAM: The next EarthKAM session is scheduled to occur in about two weeks. All EarthKAM images are available for public access on the EarthKAM data system at: http://earthkam.sdsc.edu/cgi-bin/datasys/ek_images_station
Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC): ADVASC was successfully activated on the morning of 2/13 (Wednesday) and continues to perform nominally. From the downlinked growth chamber footage, it appears that some sprouting of the mustard plant seeds is beginning to occur!
Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG team was very excited to find out that the furnace worked as expected during the check-out activity. Hardware is ready to process samples to be launched on ISS 8A.
Crew Earth Observations (CEO): The ground received two ESC images of the volcano in Guatemala from the crew, which are outstanding. In 1902 the eruption of Santa Maria was one of the largest in the 20th century. JSC sent the image with a caption to Earth Observatory, a Goddard sponsored website and it will be on the web Sunday (2/24). The website URL is http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
Optional CEO targets today were E. Mediterranean Dust and Smog (with a winter storm developing over southern Europe, crew was advised to look for Saharan dust to be drawn northward by its wind field. As ISS crossed the Libyan coast, interest was on oblique views to the right of track), Cape Verde Dust (Dynamic Event Site: Satellite imagery continues to indicate significant dust plumes moving out over the Atlantic in the vicinity of Cape Verde. Of interest as ISS approached the west coast of Africa:, documenting this dust event to the west of track), Eastern United States (with high pressure building into the Ohio Valley and Eastern Great Lakes, crew was to look to the left of track this pass for both aerosol buildups and the patterns of lake effect snows to the south and east of the lakes), and W. Mediterranean Dust and Smog (light was low this pass, but this may have actually enhanced aerosol visibility. Of interest as ISS approached the coast of southern France from the west-northwest: looking to the right of track for sunlit aerosols over a darkening surface below).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:40am EST):
- Mean altitude — 385.0 km
- Apogee — 392.7 km
- Perigee — 377.4 km
- Period — 92.3 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0011293
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.61
- Altitude decrease — 405 m (mean) in last 24 hours
- Solar Beta Angle: -55.6 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. â98) 18630
- Current Flight Attitude — XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane [yaw: ~0 deg, pitch: 5 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
