Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 26 Feb 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

February 26, 2003

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

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Space Day 95 for Expedition 6.

The crew woke up to kudos for their help yesterday in MSG troubleshooting (see below), the discussion of the consumables situation, and their performance during the live PAO/educational TV event.

Main crew task today was the two-hour Emergency Descent OBT (onboard training), a mandatory requirement for each Expedition, to refresh crew safety/survival acuity in case of an emergency situation requiring rapid station evacuation and descent in the Soyuz CRV (crew return vehicle). The drill included tag-up/consultation with a ground instructor. [For the sim, the crew reviewed applicable ODF (operations data file) sections, going through all necessary steps, from entering the Soyuz CRV through closing hatches, checking for leaks and donning the Sokol entry suits inside Soyuz, to automatic undock, descent and landing, even considering Soyuz engine failure and crew response to a leaky Sokol or rapid depress of Soyuz compartments. They also practiced Soyuz descent module manual entry control (RUS) mode using an on-board trainer program. The necessary software to take them through the OBT is set up prior to the sim on an SSC (station support computer) laptop.]

CDR Ken Bowersox, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin and MCC-Houston/TsUP began the crewtime-intensive process of upgrading the Russian computer system (BVS) to the new version 7.01 software, which takes several days. [Today’s activities were a discussion of the process by the crew with 7.01 upload specialists at TsUP, and preparation of a floppy disk with a software patch intended for the installation of three new Russian laptops. Before tomorrow’s scheduled transfer of all display images/frames from CD-ROM to the Central Post Computer 1 (KTsP-1), requiring 4 hrs crewtime, and the subsequent reprogramming/transition of the four Russian US-21 matching units of the MCS (motion control system) by 2/28, the first two US-21 units (#2 & #4) were activated and checked out by the ground early this morning. The transition will require the installation of permanent SUBA jumper cables, in order to compensate for inherent incompatibilities of the new 7.01 s/w with ECLSS (environment control & life support system), again involving several hours of crewtime. The Service Module (SM) Terminal and Central computer systems (TVM & TsVM) will be rebooted on all three of their subsets early next week and then transitioned to 7.01, completing the operations.]

Later, Budarin completed preparations for the reconfiguration of the onboard Ethernet BVS communications network in the SM, scheduled for next Monday (3/3). [This involved locating hardware delivered a long time ago, routing an additional cable, and replacing the configuration file of the BRI SmartSwitch router computer with a new file delivered on the ISS Wiener laptop HDD (hard disk drive), which is connected to the BRI. The BVS, which is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. OpsLAN (operations local area network), is the crew support network in the Russian segment (RS).]

CDR Bowersox supported the ground-commanded full calibration of the MCA (major constituents analyzer) by first opening its VGA (verification gas assembly) valve and later closing it again after MCC-H go-ahead.

It was also time again for another microbiological air sampling aboard the station, involving the VOA (volatile organic analyzer), GSC (grab sample container) and FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit). [After ground-commanded startup and a 3.5-hr. calibration run of the VOA, followed by its sampling, which looks for potentially toxic volatile organic compounds, Bowersox collected a GSC air sample near the center of the Lab for comparison with VOA results. Later he deployed two FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit) monitors in the Lab for a 24-hour unattended sample collection period. The VOA and GSC activities were also documented with digital photographs by FE-2/SO Don Pettit.]

Don took his daily two ppCO2 (CO2 partial pressure) readings with the CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit) in SM and Lab, one in the morning, the other in the evening.

Budarin conducted the periodic inspection of the pressure hull in the SM Working Compartment (RO) behind panels 130, 134, 135, 138, and under the TVIS treadmill in the “floor pit”, looking for any moisture, residue, mold, corrosion, and pitting. [Nikolai was to focus on hull shell and cold plates under the SNT voltage and current stabilizers and STR thermal control system pipes, using surface wipes to clean the area in question, describing any discovered mold as to color, consistency (solid, crumbly, powdery) and location, and photographing the hull surface with the digital camera before and after the treatment. Pictures were to be downlinked to MCC-H for forwarding to TsUP. The last hull inspection was performed by Budarin on 12/23/02.]

Pettit completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOSh life support system and later prepared the IMS inventory delta file for downlink, while Bowersox did the regular status checkup of the PCG-STES010 (Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System #10) payload in the Lab, and Budarin performed the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/condensate separator unit in the SM.

All crewmembers completed their regular daily physical exercise on TVIS, RED, CEVIS and VELO with load trainer.

Working off the “job jar” task list, the crew has completed the periodic PBA (portable breathing apparatus) and PFE (portable fire extinguisher) inspection.

MSG (microgravity science glovebox) troubleshooting by the ground is continuing. [Yesterday’s test run was successful, in that the PDC’s (power distribution controller’s) 12V circuit breaker did not trip in Standby mode. As a result, more testing is being scheduled over the next several days, continuing with the sensors powered by the +/- 12V and 5V busses. Crew support was not required today.]

Since the CCS (command & control software) step-up in the U.S. segment, an anomaly has been found in the GNC (guidance, navigation & control) Rev. 3 software that causes an attitude divergence in the GPS (global positioning system) system. Although the divergence is still minor, attitude and state (position, velocity) update has been reprioritized to Russian sources until adjustments to the code are worked.

Today’s targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Mekong River Delta (this large complex delta is intensively developed for agriculture. Looking left of track for views of its estuaries, land use patterns, and sediment plume), Saharan Jet Stream Clouds (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET: In response to a large Atlantic storm system, an active subtropical jet stream cloud formation is setting up over northwestern Africa. As ISS tracked southeastward in southern Algeria, the crew was to look either side of track for views of the interesting cloud structure of this phenomenon), Cape Verde Dust (satellite imagery indicates more dust moving off the coast of west Africa. Crew was to take advantage of the views to the right of track that will include the Cape Verde Islands as landmarks and the special illumination effect of sun glint to detect aerosols), Mayan Pyramids (CREW REQUESTED TARGET: Crew was to use this pass to begin familiarizing themselves with the region of Mayan pyramids in Mexico’s southern Yucatan and the rugged area of northern Guatemala. Although nadir views may not have been possible, they were to try for good context views, primarily to the right of track), and Western Mediterranean Dust (a powerful Atlantic storm was approaching the Bay of Biscay. The wind field of this system will generate much dust over the western Med. As ISS tracked across northern Spain, the crew was to begin looking either side of track to detect this weather event, continuing to the Libyan coast.
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.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 mode). 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) — 753; temperature (deg C) — 27.0; ppO2 (mmHg) — 182.9; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.4 (suspect).
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.9.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 743.25; temperature (deg C) — 24.2 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 745.32; temperature (deg C) — 22.1; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 745.42; temperature (deg C) — 21.2; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — 167.7; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.2.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.1
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 12.6

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available [SM(811) + FGB(2777) + Progress(576)] — 4164 kg (9180 lb) as of 2/14/03. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and 4B both in auto track (sun following) mode.
SM batteries: Battery #5 is in “Cycle” mode (freshly installed); all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #1 is in “Cycle” mode; 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): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane 1 is out of the set (as of 11/14/02).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Sources:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector — Russian
Attitude — Russian
Angular rates — U.S. RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: 0 deg, pitch: -8.8 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/Thruster Assist Momentum Management).
Solar Beta Angle: -47.9 deg (magnitude decreasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems: