ISS On-Orbit Status 4 Jul 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.
The crew "sat back" and enjoyed a Fourth of July rest day
in space, with only light duty.
CDR Valery Korzun used two Russian comm passes, at 2:08am and 3:44am
EDT, to downlink his recent video recordings of the SM/Progress
propellant line vacuum purge/vent (6/21), and Progress 7P undocking
(6/26). As usual, activation and deactivation of the LIV video
system was done automatically by the Russian automated daily timeline
system (SPP).
FE-2 Sergei Treschev broke out and set up the equipment required for
the Russian MedOps Reflotron biochemical blood test (MO-11),
consisting of the Reflotron IV analyzer, with accessories, power
supply and Reflotron IV kit. [Korzun and Treschev will
perform the tests on each other tomorrow (7/5), preceded by each
subject imbibing 250 ml of warm water or plain (unsugared) tea 20
minutes before taking the blood samples.]
All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program
on TVIS (treadmill), RED (resistive trainer) and VELO (stationary
bike).
Korzun performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s
environment control and life support system (SOSh), while Treschev
prepared the daily IMS delta file, and Whitson conducted the
"off-day" status check of the autonomous payloads in the
Lab.
After it was noticed during the last few days that the downlinked
video image from the US segment appears a little "hot" and
washed out, the crew was asked by MCC-H to inspect the photo/TV
camcorder equipment for possibly requiring an adjustment of settings.
The inspection also includes the lens for potential smudges.
Yesterday, an RPCM (remote power controller module) in the Lab
suffered another "power-on" reset (related to the problem
described in the 7/2 status report). The reset caused all
closed power controllers (switches) on this RPCM to open, which then
alerted the crew with numerous caution messages. The PCA
(pressure control assembly), part of the Labâs environment control
and life support system, were powered up again by MCC-H, as well as
two Lab shell heaters. One power controller (RPC 1) on the RPCM,
which supplies one of the redundant power feeds to the Lab Forward
ELPS (emergency lighting power supply), is still not usable, but the
ELPS continues to function on its other power feed. Past
experience with the power-on reset failure mode indicates that there
should be no further problems with this RPCM, but the ground will
continue to monitor.
Target areas for the Russian "Uragan" earth observation
program today included a landscape panoramic view of Central Russia
and Moscow, Kursk, Voronesh, the Cadastre test range in Saratov
Oblast, Kharkov, large urban centers in the south of England, London,
Brussels, Bonn, Vienna, Budapest, the Etna Volcano, and the Strait of
Gibraltar. The videotapings are done with the "Rubinar"
instrument, a binocular telescopic device with ancillary electronics.
During the recording, the operator maintains a running
commentary of the targets being observed.
For the Russian "Diatomeya" ocean observation program,
today’s targets were turquoise spots and bands above an undersea
mountain range in the North Atlantic, fields of color in the surface
waters of the northern front of the North Atlantic Current, a
bioproductive area near Newfoundland, and the Florida Strait.
Today’s targets for the U.S. CEO (crew earth observation) program
were E. Mediterranean Dust and Smog (gusty winds continue
over northern Africa in the wake of a departing storm system over the
central Med. On this pass, between the toe of Italy and the Egyptian
coast, the crew was to look well to the right of track for plumes of
dust being swept northeastward over the coastal waters), Lake
Nasser, Toshka Lakes; Egypt (of interest: looking for sun
glint to the right of track this pass. Details of water bodies,
especially canals and water control structures will be enhanced this
special lighting situation), Angolan Biomass Burning
(this was an excellent pass in clear weather in late afternoon
sun. Instead of oblique views, as ISS reached interior Angola, the
crew was to try for near-nadir views of individual fires or groups of
fires, noting also the location and extent of burn scars),
Canadian Rocky Mountains (some improvement weather was
expected this pass, particularly on the eastern slopes. Of interest:
using this high latitude pass to acquire detailed, near-nadir views
of the small ice fields and glaciers there, using the long lenses of
the ESC [electronic still camera]), Eastern United States
(little relief is in sight for the poor air quality conditions in
the northeast US as high pressure continues to hold. Crew was to try
for oblique and limb views to the left of track, especially over the
southern Great Lakes).
CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
ISS Orbit (as of
this morning, 7:05 am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 391.7 km
Apogee — 396.9 km
Perigee — 386.5 km
Period — 92.4 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007726
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
Altitude decrease — 125 m (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 20672
Current Flight Attitude — LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal =
“earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector
[yaw: -10 deg, pitch: 7.8 deg, roll: 0 deg]).
For more on ISS orbit and naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
