Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 29 Dec 2002

By SpaceRef Editor
December 29, 2002
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ISS On-Orbit Status 29 Dec 2002
ISS

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.  Ahead: Week 5 for Expedition 6.  And two more days to go in the “old” year.

Onboard the station, it was another typical and well-deserved Sunday light-duty day, with only a few scheduled tasks.  Upon wake-up at 1:00am EST, the crew was wished a “wonderful day of rest, play and housekeeping”.

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin took the weekly data readings of the SVO water supply status and SP toilet flush counters for calldown to MCC-Moscow via S-band.

At the BMP micropurification system in the Service Module (SM), Budarin terminated regeneration mode for absorption bed #1, switching it back to Purify mode.  Later, he initiated the regenerative bake-out of catalyst bed #2.

Nikolai also completed the daily checkup of the activated BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment that researches plant growth and development under spaceflight conditions.

Afterwards, Budarin performed the routine inspection of the BRPK condensate water separator.  

Then, FE-1 completed the periodic check-out of the Elektron oxygen generator system for the air bubble in the gas/liquid mixture, which usually takes a while to dissipate after an IFM (in-flight maintenance).

FE-2/SO Don Pettit took the daily CO2 (carbon dioxide) readings with the CDM (carbon dioxide monitor), in order to help resolve discrepancies between ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial pressure) readings by the SM gas analyzer and U.S. MCA (major constituents analyzer).

At 3:00am EST, the crew prepared for a live television feed to MCC-M/TsUP and subsequently supported a New Year TV session with the Moscow Vesti Studio.  [Vesti anchor Sergei Brilev was scheduled to be online with the crew, discussing topics such as the current Christmas tree decoration visible in the station, what kind of gifts the crew expects to open during the night of January 1, what the crew’s preparations are for New Year‚s Part, and the first thing the crew will have to do in the new year.]

Later in the day, at 1:20pm, CDR Ken Bowersox is scheduled for an amateur (ham) radio pass with students at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA.  [Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum opened in 1930 as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.  Adler’s education and research mission is exemplified throughout its organization. The staff in the Education Department works closely with the Ph.D. Astronomers in the Astronomy Department and the curators in the History of Astronomy Department. The Education Department serves the public through dedicated Informal Programs, Formal Programs, and Technology Programs. The Adler Center for Space Science Education was recently established as a collaboration between NASA and Adler to provide education and public outreach experiences in the Midwest.]

In the morning at 9:15am, MCC-H conducted a private conference with the crew to discuss some ideas regarding the upcoming Stage EVA with the ISS Program Office, Flight Control, Crew Surgeon, and the lead Flight Director.

As a preventive measure, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin was advised to continue taking one tablet of ASPIRIN-CARDIO with water daily after a meal beginning 12/31 until instructed otherwise by MCC-M.

All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program. They also had their weekly PFCs (private fasmily conferences) via S-band (audio).

Science Update (Expedition Six — 4th):
Ground experimenters are thankful for the enthusiasm demonstrated by the crew for payloads.  Crewmembers’  work was greatly appreciated for this week‚s payloads activities.  CDR Bowersox completed a successful first run on FOOT, and the team looks forward to other great sessions.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM):  No activity this week..

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): Continuing.  No activity this week.  

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment:  Continuing nominally (crew taking pills).

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS):  Continuing.

Ultrasound:  Checkout of the Ultrasound payload is planned for next week.

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT):  A big thanks for all the fine work by Bowersox from the FOOT folks. Some procedures are in work to address the problems Sox experienced with the LEMS suit, and the team will try and get them to him prior to the next FOOT session.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI):  Complete for Inc. 5.  On hold pending further MSG problem resolution. Will remain in MSG until further notice.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS):  SAMS continues to collect acceleration data for vibratory characterization of the microgravity environment.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS):  MAMS continues measurement of microgravity environment in the quasi -steady regime for general characterization.  

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES):   PCG STES temperatures are nominal.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE):  In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG):  Temperatures remain nominal.  Looking forward to deactivation next week and beginning the next run.

EarthKAM (EK):  The middle school students are anxiously anticipating the January operations.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO):  Excellent images downlinked this week.  Analysis of these images will continue once all team members have returned from holiday break.
Today’s CEO targets were Chicago, Illinois (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Denver, Colorado (looking a touch left, at the foot of the Front Range.  ESC), Dallas, Texas (nadir pass over the DFW metroplex.  ESC), Kuwait City, Kuwait (nadir pass; ESC), Chad (Lake Chad is the low point in a major basin, which has received sediment from major rivers for millions of years. New perspectives show that the sediment is laid down mainly by rivers as vast plains. A global study of such plains suggests that African basins have more complex plains related to irregular basin shape.  The ground suggested a mapping swath of the vast plains along the Chari River [largest flowing into the Chad basin] at nadir and a touch left of track, for two minutes after ISS passed over Lake Chad), Bamako, Mali (looking a touch left for this capital city which lies on the Niger River, the crew’s main visual cue.  Pictures of the great swampland downstream are also needed [crew to try to capture both parallel margins of the basin]. In global terms this is an unusual basin in which the river enters and exits parallel with the margins of the basin–rather than at right angles.  Handheld images are ideal for studying these geometries), and Bogotá, Colombia (nadir pass; ESC).

SpaceRef staff editor.