Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 30 Jul 2002

By SpaceRef Editor
July 30, 2002
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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously.



Before breakfast, CDR Valery Korzun and FE-2 Sergei Treschev completed the periodic Russian MedOps experiment HEMATOKRIT, which measures the hematocrit (red blood cell) value of their blood.  It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count tends to go down over time, probably as a function of (rich) oxygen partial pressure in the onboard atmosphere.  With FE-1 Peggy Whitson assisting, Korzun and Treschev also conducted the SPRUT-K ("squid") experiment, part of Russian medical research on the distribution and behavior of human body fluids in zero gravity. Afterwards, Treschev reconfigured the Russian laptop #3 back to its nominal configuration.



After wake-up, Sergei Treschev again activated the turbopump of the Plasma Crystal-3 experiment.  It will be turned off tonight before dinner time.



At 7:15 am EDT, station attitude was handed over from XPOP to the Russian segment MCS (motion control system) for a dynamic firing test of the Progress thrusters (second manifold).  The test was conducted from the Service Module MCS via the US-21 matching units.  Afterwards, at 9:40 am, control authority was returned to the U.S. CMGs for Momentum Management in XPOP.



FE-2 Treschev worked on the Rodnik water storage system of the Progress 8P, using a compressor to pressurize the tank bladder, as is required before liquid waste (urine) can be transferred from the SM’s ASU toilet system to the empty Rodnik tanks.



Later in the day, on MCC-M go-ahead, the ISS compartments were repressurized with fresh oxygen (O2) from the Progress O2 storage system (SRPK).  The repress temporarily replaces the Elektron system.



Korzun and Treschev worked about two hours in the DC-1 "Pirs" docking compartment with early preparations for the upcoming two Orlan-EVAs.



FE-1 Whitson continued the scheduled water analysis by performing the TOCA analysis of the two TOCA in-flight analysis bags collected yesterday.  [TOCA (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer) is a water quality monitoring instrument for determining concentrations of total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total carbon, pH value and conductivity in water.]



Peggy Whitson participated in a PAO event, with two parts,- a downlink message to the Logistics Society and an interactive televised interview with KSIB Radio, Creston, Iowa.



TVIS troubleshooting:  From the TVIS inspection over the weekend, the main problem appears to be a frozen truss roller bearing.  Engineers do not believe that exercise can continue with the roller as is since the roller’s shaft is reaming a hole in the truss and impacting the adjacent roller.  A hole in the truss will possibly cause the truss to buckle thus making the chassis, and therefore TVIS, non-functional. Analysis is on-going to see if the TVIS will operate if the roller is removed.  Further troubleshooting action is expected as early as 8/1.



Since there was some trouble with the last EMU spacesuit battery discharge, MCC-H has added a short troubleshooting procedure to the task list.  If it is successful, the crew will go ahead with discharging the battery.  If it is not, then a special battery discharge will be performed using the EMU fan on 8/2.  The crew will need an SSC (station support computer), off the network, to support this activity.



FE-1 Whitson worked on the ADVASC (advanced astroculture) experiment, sampling the gas in the growth chamber and exchanging the nutrient.



She also completed her weekly NTXN "Interactions" session.


SpaceRef staff editor.