Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 24 Mar 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

March 24, 2003

Filed under ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. This is Week 17 for Expedition 6, with four months behind it.

Before breakfast and first exercise session, the crew started the day off with the regular periodic Russian medical assessments MO-7 (calf volume measurement) and MO-8 (body mass measurement, BMM). FE-1 Nikolai Budarin set up the BMM mass measuring device, which uses calibrated springs to determine the subject’s mass in weightless space, and stowed it away after the tests.

FE-2/SO Don Pettit began what soon may settle down to nominal science operations for the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox). The newly installed left AHU (air handling unit) fan was successfully checked out, while power was also applied to the PFMI (pore formation and migration investigation). [After the PFMI samples were removed from the thermal chamber and secured inside the WV (work volume), the MSG started its 11 hrs. of operation, intended as a long duration test run while the PFMI software is monitoring the sample thermocouples. After the test run is terminated, MSG will return to regular science ops with the InSPACE experiment (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions), perhaps on 3/26 (Wednesday).]
Pettit also initiated discharge/recharge on EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) batteries 728J and 575J, which recently did not accept the expected capacity. [The batteries are GO for EVA, but they are being discharged and recharged because ground engineers were concerned about long range impacts to their life.]

Nikolai Budarin performed the periodic functional closure test of the emergency vacuum valves (AVK) of the Vozdukh CO2 removal system. [The AVKs are critical because they close the Vozdukh’s vacuum access lines in the event of a malfunction in the regular vacuum valves (BVK) or a depressurization in the Vozdukh valve panel (BOA). Access to vacuum is required to vent carbon dioxide during the regeneration of the absorbent cartridges (PP). During nominal operation, the AVK valves remain open.]

Later, Budarin completed a major (4-hr.) preventive maintenance job on three Orlan spacesuits (## 12, 14, 23) in the DC-1 “Pirs” docking compartment and on the BSS Orlan interface units in the DC-1 and SM/PkhO compartment. The work was supported by tag-up with a ground specialist via S-band. [The activity consisted of activation of all three suits for assessment of their interior shell condition and potential need for dry-out, also of simultaneous degassing of the Orlans and DC-1 BSS (with BSS water hoses remaining attached to the onboard heat exchanger), and final stowage of the equipment.]

Science Officer Pettit worked on ER2 (EXPRESS rack 2), which was powered up by the ground for a number of checkout activities. [The current checkout deals with an ARIS (active rack isolation system) software change made several months ago. Don configured ER2 for control by the ARIS ICE POP (isolation characterization experiment/payload on-orbit processor). Afterwards, he removed the snubber cup isolators so POC (Payload Operations Center) can conduct the ARIS’ isolation capability tests.]

CDR Ken Bowersox set up and activated the EVARM IV-CPDS (intravehicular charged particle directional spectrometer), for taking EVARM (EVA radiation monitoring) background radiation readings in the cabin. After subsequent data transfer to the computer, the equipment was stowed again.

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. Nikolai also performed his regular daily checkup and watering of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment.

Pettit set up and tested onboard network systems for conducting meeting conferences, involving Bose ANC headset and video camera connections.

Later, Don worked on updating the onboard “Warning Book” hard copy, inserting uplinked new procedures, which were also incorporated in the electronic MPV (manual procedures viewer).

MCC-H has concurred with the Russian-proposed optimum dates for the Progress reboost burns of 4/4 and 4/10. They will require a total delta-V of 4.0 m/sec (2 m/sec per burn). Slipping the maneuvers to a later date would have increased delta-V requirements.

At today’s IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team meeting), EVA planners also confirmed 4/8 as the date for the planned Stage EVA2 by Bowersox and Pettit.

All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program on RED (resistive exercise device), TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), VELO with load trainer, and CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation).

Yesterday’s PFEs (periodic fitness evaluations) on the newly repaired CEVIS were judged very successful. The PFE data were reviewed on the ground and sent to the EVA specialists for deciding CEVIS prebreathe Go/No-Go.

The new Russian software, vers. 7.01, will have different responses to emergency situations than the previous software. The changes are being reviewed by both sides.

The crew, in response to a question, was provided with background on the currently used continuous tone duration of the C&W (caution & warning) system in the U.S. segment (USOS). [This mode was selected during Increment 3, changing from the original 5 seconds of tone duration, to resolve inconsistent tone annunciation between the USOS and the Russian segment (RS). Ground specialists still believe that the current continuous tone is warranted. The crew’s question was motivated by the recent numerous warnings during the PPA thermal fluid pump repair.]

Carbon dioxide partial pressure (ppCO2) level in the Lab was at 3.2 mmHg this morning, trending downward. Vozdukh is operating nominally in manual switchover mode. CDRA is off.

Comm was lost last Friday with the SCU-1 ORU (sync control unit #1 on-orbit replaceable unit)) of the video subsystem, leaving the subsystem on SCU-2, i.e., without redundancy. Troubleshooting is underway.

On the ground, upgrading of MCC-H to the new IBM servers is still going. Flight control will return to nominal configuration tonight starting at 6:45pm EST. [During such computer modifications, flight control “swings” to LSOS (limited station outage support) away from the regular consoles. During the boot-up of the command server and restoration of operational data flow, the ISS Flight Team temporarily operates from the WFCR (White Flight Control Room, normally used for Shuttle), moving back tonight after verifying that there are no issues. ISS will then be on the new IBM servers.]

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) were Lake Eyre, Australia (the CEO ground team has no recent images of this target area in this El Nino cycle. Looking left of track for views of as much of the lake’s mostly dry basin as possible), and Industrialized Southeastern Africa (the ISS pass offered fine oblique views of the South Africa’s industrial corridor to the right of track. The crew was to document the position and extent of smog palls there).
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 1:18pm 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 Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.

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 Directed Position (278 deg & 82 deg) to minimize aerodynamic drag.
SM batteries: Battery #7 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #2 is off line; all other batteries (5) 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: 68.0 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems: