Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 25 Mar 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

March 25, 2003

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

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

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin had a busy day working on Russian segment (RS) subsystems. After breakfast, he started out deactivating the Russian laptop 1 and later turning on laptop 2 with the new software, both on MCC-M go-ahead.

Then, the Flight Engineer conducted his regular daily checkup of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment.

A larger task for Budarin was the replacement of a local temperature sensor switch device (commutator, LKT4B2/TA251) in the Service Module (SM) with a new spare. There are 11 of these LKTs behind various SM panels which receive, convert and transmit temperature sensor data via the local analog telemetry switch (LKA) to the database. [Before exchanging the TA251 boxes, Budarin pulled their BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system connections, after the ground had powered the BITS off. He equipped the new TA251 with the ROM (read-only memory) unit (TA765B) from the old commutator, then installed it on its mount. All BITS connectors were then remated for activation and checkout by the ground.]

Later, Budarin uninstalled an electronic part (APDG antenna switch) of the TVS television system’s AFU antenna feeder unit in the SM and replaced it with a new unit.

Another task completed by Nick today was a repair, scheduled for half an hour, on the PVK-1 “Chibis” suit which is used by cosmonauts as part of their preparations for returning into gravity. [Using scissors and gray tape, Nikolai needed to fasten a loose insole with Velcro to the boot, applying the tape at toe, center and heel. Chibis is a below-the-waist reduced-pressure device (US: LBNP, lower body negative pressure), which provides gravity-simulating stress to the body’s cardiovascular/circulatory system for reestablishing the body’s orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the Gauer-Henry reflex) after long-duration stays in zero-G.]

For review by the crew, the ground uplinked a list of “yellow-tag” items, i.e., onboard equipment which should have yellow caution tags to designate them as equipment for which the safety certification process for the USOS or RS has not been completed. [This includes items not certified for ISS operations or cleared for only one segment but not the other, items which could pose a safety hazard, and broken or expired items. The yellow-tag list currently has
17 items. MCC-M has now added to the list Progress-delivered bladders for storing liquid waste or water, which await their certification.]

FE-2/SO Don Pettit activated and checked out the onboard “Net Meeting” network for conducting meeting conferences including video conferencing.

In Lab and SM, Don Pettit took air flow measurements using the Velocicalc instrument preparatory to formaldehyde sampling with the FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit). [The data required from this test is the measured flow rate and exact rack location where the flow rate is equal to or greater than 40 ft/min.]

The crew was also asked by MCC-M to take ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial pressure) readings with the U.S. CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit) near the SM gas analyzer, to assist in troubleshooting the latter.

Pettit continued his work on the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), today he shutting down the PFMI (pore formation and mobility investigation) payload. [This involved a few circuit breakers, experiment power outlets, and video drawer switch throws. After a number of MSG ground commands, he then was to take the facility to Standby and power off the MLC (MSG laptop computer).]

In preparation for the upcoming nominal MSG research activity, Pettit did preparatory work on the InSPACE payload (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions). [He inspected five of six coil assemblies, leaving out one damaged assembly (#CA-002). POC (Payload Operations Center) also requested some video of the inspections via the Lab camcorder.]

CDR Ken Bowersox unstowed and set up the Foot (foot/ground reaction forces during space flight) payload equipment, preparing it for EMG (electromyography, i.e., muscular electric signals recording) and calibrating it for tomorrow’s day-long experiment run.

Bowersox and Pettit completed about two hours of audit work in the Lab, as first of three parts of a 6-hr. inventory. [Goal of the time-consuming but very necessary activity is to audit various stowage locations in “Destiny” and provide the ground information to update the IMS (inventory management system) database on the basis of the actual on-orbit situation. The audit is a continuation of the previous stowage location audits, using an uplinked table organized the same as for the recent Node audit, with the crew simply filling in “yes” or “no” for the presence of an item in each location.]

Don conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities). Nikolai prepared the daily IMS inventory delta file and completed the regular inspection of the BRPK-1 air/condensate separator of the SRVK water processing system.

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 on the freshly repaired CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation).

The crew downlinked a TV message for PAO use describing preparations for and the elements of a crew’s return and landing in a Soyuz vehicle in Kazakhstan. The material will be used as background on landing day in May.

Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program were Patagonian Glaciers (this was probably the best pass of the day over southern Patagonia. Looking left of track [northward] for context views of most of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The second pass later in the day bisected this target region. Crew was to try for context views of the ice fields and larger glacier by looking either side of track), Industrialized Southeastern Africa (as cooler high pressure builds into this region by the time of this pass, aerosol buildups should have resumed over the industrialized corridor of the Orange and Vaal River valleys. Looking obliquely left of track to document the extent and density of smog palls), and High Central Andean Glaciers (the ISS ascending [south-to-north hemisphere] pass intersected the crest of the Andes perpendicularly. Crew was to take advantage of some of the best weather in weeks to try for context views of the small ice fields here, looking either side of track).
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 1:45pm 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.

SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 745; temperature (deg C) — 27.4; ppO2 (mmHg) — 183.1; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.3 (data suspect).
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 21.1.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.3.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 740.07; temperature (deg C) — 23.3 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 742.09; temperature (deg C) — 22.2; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 742.19; temperature (deg C) — 21.0; shell heater temp (deg C) — 21.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — 165.8; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.9.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.4
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.7

(n/a = data not available)

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 #8 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: 51.0 deg (magnitude decreasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems: