ISS On-Orbit Status 4 Sep 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Today is the 90th day in space for Expedition Five, and the 81st day of their reign aboard.
On wakeup (2:00am EDT), the "Alpha repair team" found a thank-you note from the ground for their successful major inspection/maintenance of the TVIS treadmill yesterday.
FE-1 Peggy Whitson worked on the first SUBSA (solidification using a baffle in sealed ampoule) run after the recent breakage mishap. After setting aside sample SUBSA-3, which had a cracked ampoule, she installed SUBSA-08 in the furnace inside the MSG (microgravity science glovebox) and started the heat-up process, with ground commanding for sample processing. The activity was video-recorded, and part of her work consisted in reconfiguring the setup to another VCR camera. [Once the metal was molten inside the ampoule, Peggy injected the "dopant" that on solidification of the alloy forms the superconductor crystal, using directional solidification to obtain a large crystal.]
As part of the ongoing troubleshooting of the battery charge assembly (BCA) in the Airlock, Whitson today initiated discharge of the two recharged EMU batteries (2023, 2024) in BCA charger #4. Troubleshooting by the ground and Peggy focuses on the communication failure between the BSA (battery stowage assembly) and the SSC4 (station support computer #4) laptop.
CDR Valery Korzun and FE-2 Sergei Treschev completed the planned cable routing for the onboard Ethernet crew support network BVS in the Russian segment, similar to the U.S. OpsLAN. [The work included running a printer cable assembly between the SmartSwitch router (SSR), the Service Module (SM) central post and the printer, then routing a cable assembly to connect the SSR and the SSC2 (station support computer #2) in the left sleep station. The cables were positioned behind SM wall panels and the medical cabinet, and the connectors were temporarily secured in place with gray tape. No actual reconfiguration, i.e., connector matings, were made as yet (this is scheduled for Friday, 9/6 after joint review).]
The two cosmonauts performed their Russian MedOps "Profilaktika" (countermeasures) fitness assessment. The workout on the TVIS treadmill was performed by Treschev, with Korzun assisting. [The test is analogous to the MO-3 fitness test, which calls for a gradually accelerating walk-jog-run up to 8 km/h speed within five minutes, followed by a gradual slow-down. After the run, the heart rate at rest is also recorded for three more minutes. Profilaktika adds to this a gas analysis, blood tests for lactate and Creatine Kinase and a subjective assessment by Sergei of activity difficulty. Today’s test focused on the ECG (electrocardiogram) part of the assessment, while the blood analysis will be done in part 2 tomorrow.]
Sergei subsequently downlinked the stored cardiovascular test data on the ECG’s "Cardiocassette-2000" via OCA.
Later in the day, it was CDR Korzun’s turn for the periodic MedOps fitness test, in his case on the VELO cycle ergometer, with Treschev assisting. [This test is identical to the MO-5 protocol of "cardiovascular evaluation during graded exercises on cycle ergometer." Using the Gamma-1 ECG equipment with biomed harness, skin electrodes, and a blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to the cycle ergometer’s instrumentation panels, Valery worked the pedals after a prescribed program at load settings of 125, 150, and 175 watts for three minutes each. All measurements were recorded and telemetered to MCC-M, from where the workout was controlled.]
Peggy Whitson copied Sergei’s MO-3 TVIS data into the MEC (medical equipment computer) for subsequent downlink via U.S. OCA (orbiter communications adapter).
FE-2 Treschev performed atmospheric microbial air sampling using the Russian SZE-MO-21 "Ecosphera" equipment. [Ecosphera consists of an air sampler set, a charger, power supply unit, and incubation tray for Petri dishes. It determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies.]
The crew performed the mandatory OBT (onboard training) emergency egress drill in case of depressurization. [Objectives of the exercise are to exercise and review depress response procedures, practice crew coordination, review questions and crew comments on the ODF (operations data file) and ISS hardware, and ensure familiarity with emergency books storage location. The exercise, which follows a scripted scenario and does not require actual manipulation of hardware, involved all three crewmembers and took about 1.5 hours. For the case of an onboard fire, there is another mandatory emergency drill OBT.]
Korzun and Whitson completed a session of CMO (crew medical officer) refresher OBT with the advanced cardio life support (ACLS) system. [The computer-based training course provides the crewmembers a re-familiarization with the RSP (respiratory support pack), Defibrillator, and ALSP (advanced life support pack), which contains emergency medical instruments and supplies for initial care and stabilization of a critically ill crewmember. The compact disk includes video lessons on oxygen respiratory support, use of cardiac defibrillation, endotracheal intubation, and intravenous fluid infusion].
The MCA (major constituent analyzer) has been operating nominally since its activation over the weekend. Today Peggy was required to open and close its HV02 valve to support the Full Calibration procedure, which was performed by the ground today, and then weekly until MCA stabilization. [Zero calibrations, which require no crew action, will be performed daily by the ground until readings stabilize, and weekly thereafter. For the time being, oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are to be read down by the crew as per current practice.]
Daily routine servicing tasks were performed by Korzun (SOSh life support systems maintenance), Whitson (Lab payloads status checkup), and Treschev (inventory "delta" file preparation).
At 8:40am EDT, FE-1 Peggy Whitson participated in a 20-min. live media interview with WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, her home state.
Later, she set up the amateur radio equipment for a ham pass and fielded questions from 5th and 6th grade students of Stanley Clark School in South Bend, Indiana.
The crewmembers completed their weekly NTXN Interactions sessions, filling in the regular mood, group and journal questionnaire on the MEC.
For Robotics Day 4 tomorrow, the ground uplinked additional instructions for handling erratic anomalies on the RWS (robotics workstation) displays. [A software patch for the PCS (portable computer system) is coming in the future, but meanwhile, the erratic display problem can probably be avoided by changing the order in which the RWS displays are called up.]
Collision probability projections for the conjunction with a piece of orbital debris (Object #16564, SOLWIND satellite booster) at 5:00am EDT tomorrow morning have moved from "red" into the "green" zone, and the encounter is no longer of concern. An avoidance maneuver has not been necessary.
The reboost by Progress 8P to establish optimal rendezvous conditions for 9P is set for 9/11 (Wednesday) at 8:31pm EDT. Planned delta-V is 1.8 m/sec (6 ft/sec).
Today’s targets for the U.S. crew earth observations (CEO) program were Tashkent, Uzbekistan (nadir pass over this capital city; ESC [electronic still camera] requested), London, England (nadir pass. First opportunity in many weeks. ESC), Amman, Jordan (nadir pass. ESC. Crew to try for city margins in one or two frames), Barcelona, Spain (nadir pass. ESC. On the coast a little left of nadir), St. Louis, Missouri (nadir pass. ESC), Monterrey, Mexico (nadir pass. ESC), Borneo fires (nadir and left-of-nadir views. Possible smoke visible by weather satellites), Angolan Biomass Burning (crew to look left and right for oblique views of savanna burning. Views of river patterns immediately right of track requested of this very remote part of the world [NE Angola]), Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (crew was to look left and right for oblique views of savanna burning), Puerto Rico (left of track. Special request by State Senator), N Argentina’s remote swamplands (newly flooded zone. Mapping pass requested right of track for ~1 minute), and Hurricane Hernan (minimal hurricane but very well formed.)
CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:38 am EDT):
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
Elektron O2 generator is powered On (32-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 on command override. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.
SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 760, temperature (deg C) — 27.2, ppO2 (mmHg) — 146.2, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.8.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 752, temperature (deg C) — 21.6.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752, temperature (deg C) — 21.7.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 751.52, temperature (deg C) — 25.2 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 752.9, temperature (deg C) — 24.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — 162.2; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.7;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 752.9, temperature (deg C) — 28.8; shell heater temp (deg C) — 27.7, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.9
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 14.5
(Note: Partial pressures ppO2 and ppCO2 in U.S. segment [USOS] not available because MCA [major constituent analyzer], though running, still needs to be calibrated (see above).
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B in AutoTrack mode (solar-tracking).
SM batteries: Battery #1 is offline, battery #7 is in "Capacity Restoration" mode (ROM); all other batteries (6) are in "Partial Charge" mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #5 is cycling; 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 On.
Command & Data Handling Systems:
C&C-3 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-1 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is Off (cold backup); PL-2 MDM is operating as primary.
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): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
Attitude Source:
3 CMGs on-line.
State vector — US GPS (SIGI string 1)
Attitude — Russian segment
Angular rates — US RGA1 (rate gyro assembly 1)
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:
SSRMS/Canadarm2 at MBS PDGF 1 (mobile base system/power & data grapple fixture 1), in EVA-8 viewing position, with Keep Alive power on both strings (based on MBS).
MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:13am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 389.9 km
Apogee — 400.3 km
Perigee — 379.6 km
Period — 92.3 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0015274
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
Solar Beta Angle — -19.3 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Altitude decrease — 190 m (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 21639
Current Flight Attitude — XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = "sun-fixed" [yaw: -0.5 deg, pitch: -5.7 deg., roll: 0 deg]). Will remain in XPOP until solar Beta drops below -10 deg on 9/6.
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
