ISS On-Orbit Status 25 Dec 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below.
Today was off-duty for the crew all day long except for necessary daily
maintenance. MCC-H uplinked best wishes for a Merry Christmas, along with
the annual spiffy poem, this time about Ken Bowersox’s admirable performance
yesterday with the FOOT (foot/ground reaction forces during space flight)
experiment. The crew is also scheduled for a voice call from NASA Administrator
Sean O’Keefe on S/G2 (space-to-ground 2) at 3:38pm EST.
FE-1 Nikolai Budarin, assisted by FE-2/SO Don Pettit as CMO (crew medical
officer) today was to perform another session of the MO-5 MedOps protocol
of cardiovascular evaluation during graded exercises on the VELO cycle
ergometer. [Using the Gamma-1 ECG equipment with biomed harness, skin
electrodes, and a blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to
the cycle ergometer’s instrumentation panels, the cosmonaut was to work
the pedals after a prescribed program at load settings of 125, 150, and
175 watts for three minutes each. All measurements were to be recorded
and telemetered to MCC-M, from where the workout was controlled.]
Yesterday, Budarin was uplinked instructions for calibrating the NS-1
load trainer of the VELO cycle ergometer (VB-3), caused by earlier crew
comments regarding the NS-1 load settings.
Later in the day, Nikolai is scheduled to set up the "Urolux"
equipment for the upcoming session with the Russian biochemical urine
test (PZE MO-9). The sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus was developed
years ago for the Mir program. [MO-9 is one of several Russian medical
assessments that have been accepted by US MedOps officials in the interest
of working more jointly as an Integrated Medical Group (IMG). It is nominally
performed every 30 days, also before and after Orlan EVAs.]
Budarin also completed the daily routine SOSh life support systems maintenance
(incl. ASU toilet insert replacements), while CDR Bowersox conducted the
regular daily checkup of Lab payloads status (PCG-STES010, ZCG).
All crewmembers had a private family conference on Christmas day, Sox
and Don via Ku- and S-band, Nikolai on S-band.
The crew performed their regular daily physical exercise on TVIS (treadmill),
CEVIS (cycle), RED (resistive exerciser) and VELO with NS-1 load trainer.
In order to resolve discrepancies between ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial
pressure) readings by the SM gas analyzer and U.S. MCA (major constituents
analyzer), the ground requires daily CO2 readings from the CDM (carbon
dioxide monitor). [These readings are to be taken in the SM and the US
Lab using both CDMs. Once the ppCO2 readings and corresponding location
and CDM serial numbers have been read down to the ground, both CDMs can
be turned off to preserve battery life.]
After troubleshooting by the ground, the solar array 4B thermal control
system is back in a nominal configuration with the PVCU MDM (photovoltaic
controller unit computer) actively controlling the FCV (flow control valve).
[Certain areas of the firmware memory are still corrupted but the system
is being operated using a healthy portion of the memory. MCC-H plans to
refresh the corrupted memory area next week. All PVTCS FDIR (photovoltaic
thermal control system failure detection, isolation, and recovery) algorithms
are now functional, and C&W (caution & warning) messages will
be annunciated based on PVTCS system parameters. EPS (electrical power
system) malfunction procedures can now be executed as written.]
The RPC-12 (remote power controller #12) of the MT3A RPCM (mobile transporter
remote power control module 3A) has tripped open, but data revealed no
evidence of an overcurrent that would cause a trip. [Although possibly
only a "nuisance" trip, the signature is similar to a problem
seen in the past on a different RPCM which eventually led to a POR (power-on
reset, i.e., all RPCs on the RPCM spontaneously open). RPC-12 powers an
MT heater but a redundant heater is operating, so for now RPC-12 has been
left open and the Close command inhibited. If this RPCM does experience
a POR, power will be lost for a number of components and heaters on the
MT but an immediate response would not be required due to redundancy on
the other power string.]
Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Beijing,
China (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Dhaka, Bangladesh(nadir
pass; ESC. Post-monsoon weather extremely clear over south Asia), Rangoon,
Burma (nadir pass; ESC), Irrawaddy River Delta (with human influences
in the Irrawaddy valley such as deforestation, far more sediment is being
flushed to the sea. The many mouths of the Irrawaddy River delta are consequently
changing. As some islands grow, new land tends to be occupied rapidly
by mangroves, making changes permanent. Crew was to shoot island coasts
in particular. [A broader view for context was appreciated]), Bangkok,
Thailand (nadir pass; ESC), Karachi, Pakistan (nadir pass; ESC), Bombay,
India (crew was to look slightly left. Bombay lies on the major bay in
an otherwise straight coastline. ESC requested. Crew also to shoot any
aerosol haze over the ocean. [Human-induced haze over south Asia is becoming
so dense that it may be affecting climate–reducing Monsoon rainfall–by
reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the ground]), and Swamp landscapes,
SE Sudan (mapping swath at nadir was requested, of streams and flanking
vegetation on the east side of the Nile, in these remotest parts of Sudan.
Understanding inland deltas [with the help of prior handheld imagery])
may reveal more system to these chaotic patterns than has been appreciated).
All ISS systems are nominal.
A Merry Holiday Season to one and all in space and on the ground in the
ISSverse!
