ISS On-Orbit Status 29 Sep 2002

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously.  For Expedition Five, it is Day 116 in space and Day 114 onboard the ISS.

9P/Progress M1-9 docked smoothly, with a flawlessly functioning automatic Kurs system.  Contact and capture were achieved slightly ahead of time, at 1:01pm EDT, followed by probe retraction and hooks and latches engagement.  Bringing about one ton of fuel, food and supplies for the station residents and the 5S taxi crew in early November, the arrival of the resupply ship, particularly its load of fresh fruit and other goodies, was a big and joyfully greeted event for the crew.

For the docking, ISS attitude control was handed over to the Russian segment at 9:20am EDT.  The station was then maneuvered to inertial docking attitude by the SM thrusters and, at docking time, put in free drift for 20 min.  Attitude control returned to the US segment at 2:20pm and SM thrusters were disabled some time later.

Later today, the cosmonauts are to conduct leak checks of the SM/Progress interface, then open the hatches, wearing respirators and safety goggles.  The QD (quick disconnect) screw clamps will be installed to rigidize the connection.  Then, the U.S. CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) and the Russian AK-M1 air sampler will be used to check the Progress atmosphere, and Progress interior surfaces will be treated with Fungistat disinfectant before deactivation of the cargo ship and installation of the ventilation air duct. Finally, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev are to dismantle the Ku-band video setup between the US and Russian segments.  Deinstallation of the docking mechanisms and the begin of unloading are scheduled for tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, FE-1/SO Peggy Whitson conducted a review of SAFER (simplified aid for EVA rescue) equipment and followed it with a checkout of the spacewalk emergency propulsive devices, preparatory to the upcoming 9A EVAs by Wolf and Sellers.

FE-2 Sergei Treschev performed the weekly collection of SP toilet flush and SVO water supply counter readings for calldown to the ground. CDR Valery Korzun meanwhile completed the daily routine maintenance of the SOSh life support system, while FE-1/SO Peggy Whitson did the regular autonomous payload status checkup.

The crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise routine on TVIS, RED and VELO with load trainer.

Today’s optional targets for the US CEO (crew earth observations) program were Ruang Volcano, Indonesia (Dynamic event:  Crew was to look obliquely right four degrees off track for possible continuing eruption of this island volcano that blew ash 10,000 feet into the air Wednesday/Thursday.  Last erupted 1949), Patagonian Glaciers (nadir and left views, especially on the eastern, cloudfree side of the mountains.  Crew was to look for the microtopography on glacier surfaces), Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (looking left for end-of-season burning and dark firescars in Zambia), Landslide hazard, Andes, Chile (nadir pass over mountainsides identified as landslide prone.  Crew to photograph a mapping pass for 30 secs. of higher western flank of the Andes), Lake Poopo (of interest: documenting water levels of this key lake, looking slightly left.  ESC [electronic still camera] requested), and Lower Amazon River Basin (good pass for documenting Amazon estuary coastlines [right of track], and the lower Amazon river [left of track, sunglint direction]).

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:12 am EDT):

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16-amp mode), on backup pump.  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is ON in MANUAL cycle mode #5, i.e., 10-min. cycle time (vacuum pump failed).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is offline.  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.
• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 753, temperature (deg C) — 26.5, ppO2 (mmHg) — 160.2, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.6.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 762, temperature (deg C) — 21.0.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756, temperature (deg C) — 22.8.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 747.43, temperature (deg C) — 23.1 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 748.96, temperature (deg C) — 24.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 748.96, temperature (deg C) — 23.7; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.0
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 17.2

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):  

• Total propellant load available (SM + FGB) — 3542 kg (7809 lb) [as of 9/26].

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B in Autotrack (solar tracking).
• SM batteries:   No data available.
• FGB batteries:  Battery #4 is in “Storage” mode (offline); all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Thermal Control Systems:

• Air conditioner SKV-1 is Off; SKV-2 is Off.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

• C&C-3 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-1 is in standby.
• GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is off (backup).
• LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
• PL-1 MDM is On (primary); PL-2 MDM is off (cold backup).
• EXT-2 MDM is prime; EXT-1 is off.
• APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
• SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Source:

• 3 CMGs on-line.
• State vector — Russian segment
• Attitude — Russian segment
• Angular rates — Russian segment

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• All Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally.
• Ku-band is operating nominally.
• Audio subsystem operating nominally.
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics (before today’s ops):

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 at MBS PDGF1 (mobile base system/power & data grapple fixture 1) and PDGF2, with Keep Alive power on both strings.  SSRMS based on PDGF1 (LEE A, derigidized)
• MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:06am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 386.5 km
• Apogee — 398.2 km
• Perigee — 374.8 km
• Period — 92.3 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0017324
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.60
• Altitude decrease — 200 m (mean) in last 24 hours
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 22029
• Current Flight Attitude — XVV (x-axis in velocity vector, 5.0 deg roll bias [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9.5 deg, roll: -5 deg], with CMG Thruster Assist Momentum Management).

 
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html