Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 31 Mar 2002

By SpaceRef Editor

March 31, 2002

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

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

For the crew, it is the second day of a peaceful Easter weekend, with only
minor tasks.

Daily routine tasks: Lab payload status checks and SOSH life support systems
maintenance today were assigned to FE-2 Dan Bursch, while CDR Yuri
Onufrienko performed inspection and took readings of the SVO water supply,
SGO-SP toilet system flush counter and BRPK-1 condensate separation pumping
unit.

For review by Onufrienko, a procedure overview for the geophysical GFI-1
“Relaksatsiya” (Relaxation) experiment was uplinked today. He will activate
this spectral-zonal ultraviolet system, which arrived with Progress-257
(7P), on 4/2 (Tuesday). Consisting of a spectrometer unit, an ultraviolet
camera kit (UFK), a Sony camcorder, computer storage devices and various
cable and accessories, “Relaksatsiya” studies the chemo-luminescent (i.e.,
radiating visibly as they “relax”) chemical reactions and atmospheric light
phenomena that occur during high-velocity interaction between space vehicle
exhaust products and the atmosphere at orbital altitudes, and during
spacecraft entry into the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Onufrienko will be
spending three sessions on the experiment, totaling 3 h 30 min.

The crew “job jar” task list also called for the CDR to perform today his
data collection session of the human “Interactions” study (NTXN) which has
crewmembers and flight control personnel record their observations on a
confidential psychological/behavioral evaluation questionnaire on a weekly
basis.

Onufrienko also had his private family conference, by video link with Moscow
(TsUP) via Ku-band, while Carl Walz was scheduled to talk with his family
later in the day via S-band.

All crewmembers performed their full daily physical exercise regimen (2.5
hours).

The ground uplinked a flurry of detailed stowage notes for each day during
the docked timeframe of 8A. The notes are now to be reviewed by the crew
and will be revised as the timeline changes.

Optional target areas for CEO (crew earth observations) today were
Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (drought-stricken regions of Malawi and
Mozambique were to the right [SE] of the ISS track. Dry conditions set in
shortly after devastating storms and flooding destroyed last year’s crops,
so crop yields are small to nonexistent. Documentation of regional drought
effects, this time including the absence of biomass burning, is needed),
Angolan Biomass Burning (ISS track intercepted the Angolan coast at the city
of Luanda and continued across the principal area of agricultural burning.
Crew was asked to document individual fires, where possible, in addition to
broader smoke palls), Lake Poopo (Uyuni, Coipasa, and Poopo, bright
reflective salars on the Andean Altiplano, were left [NW] of track. It has
been suggested that another El Nino climatic cycle is shaping up, and this
is a critical area for monitoring those cycles. ISS photos of these
ephemeral lakes will expand our long time series for the region and will be
used in global climate studies. Dynamic Event: Yesterday a strong
earthquake (M = 6.4) rattled the area immediately S of the SW tip of Uyuni;
in the cluster of volcanic peaks S of the large salar, crew may observe
landslides or fresh linear breaks. Photos of any such features would be
forwarded to the Institute for Geotectonics, University of Buenos Aires).
NASA gateway for Earth photography from space: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/