ISS On-Orbit Status 5 Jan 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Ahead: Week 6 for Expedition 6.

After wake-up at the normal 1:00am EST, the crew enjoyed another typical
off-duty Sunday.

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin completed the daily checkup of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2
("Plants-2") payload which experiments with plant growth and
development under spaceflight conditions.

Budarin also took the weekly data readings of the SVO water supply status
and SP toilet flush counters for calldown to MCC-M via S-band.

Later, he completed the periodic check-out of the Elektron oxygen generator’s
VM gas/liquid system for the air bubble that usually lingers after an
IFM (in-flight maintenance).

FE-2/SO Don Pettit took the daily ACS (atmosphere control and supply)
system CO2 (carbon dioxide) readout as part of the current measurement
program to help resolve discrepancies between ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial
pressure) readings by the SM gas analyzer and U.S. MCA (major constituents
analyzer).

Pettit also performed the daily routine maintenance of SOSh life support
systems, incl. ASU toilet facility, as well as the daily monitoring of
the automatic IMS (inventory management system) file import/export, while
Bowersox completed the regular daily Lab payload status checkup (PCG-STES010,
ZCG).

All crewmembers had their PFCs (private family conferences) scheduled,
via S-band (audio).

The crew performed their regular daily physical exercise on TVIS, RED
and VELO plus NS-1 load trainer.

Science Update (Expedition Six — 5th):

The new year has started off well for payloads on ISS. The crew successfully
performed the HRF Ultrasound checkout and completed the first session
of ZCG activities, followed by the start of a second ZCG session on this
Increment.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): Data from last week’s
monthly EVARM background radiation reading will be sent to the ground
at the next planned downlink session.

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): The upcoming PuFF session
will serve double-duty as both a monthly and a pre-EVA test.

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Continuing nominally (crew taking pills).

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Ultrasound: Don Pettit was thanked for the successful Ultrasound checkout
last week. Ground is looking forward to receiving his images. He will
probably have a few more opportunities to work with the Ultrasound during
some additional HRF/Space Medicine Ultrasound activities later this Increment.

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): A new "run"
by Bowersox is scheduled for next Tuesday, 1/7.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Complete for Inc. 5.
On hold pending MSG PDC (power distribution controller) and ESEM3 (exchangeable
standard electronic module 3) replacement. Will remain in MSG until further
notice.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS continues to collect
acceleration data for vibratory characterization of the microgravity environment.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS continues measurement
of microgravity environment in the quasi-steady regime for general characterization.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES):
Temperatures are nominal. PCG-STES is currently in heating mode.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal
and collecting data.

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): Bowersox performed a successful change
out of the hard drives. His manual activation of the payload went well
and saved a sample that would have otherwise been lost. Sox’s judgments
were invaluable to ZCG team, and the success of the ZCG experiment is
directly attributed to his actions. The activation of these spare autoclaves
will increase ZCG science output by greater than 25%. The furnace is heating
up as expected and all looks nominal.

EarthKAM (EK): The middle school students are anxiously anticipating
the January operations.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO): Ground is very excited about all the images
that have been taken this week and is awaiting downlink of a large number
of these images.
Today’s optional targets for CEO were Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf (looking
right of track for a panorama of this important seaway. Sun glint opportunity),
SW Libyan geology (mapping strip requested right of track for ~1 min,
of ancient glacial valleys in one of Africa’s oil-rich regions. Underexposing
might help to bring out rock color against the glare of the surfaces),
SW Sudan (crew was asked to try for a mapping swath for ~45 secs left
of track, of enigmatic rivers that flow from wet Africa into the desert
margin where they cease flowing near the Nile. Landsat imagery of this
region is difficult to interpret or cloud affected and local maps useless.
Complex inland delta drainage seems to exist), Lagos, Nigeria (nadir pass;
ESC [electronic still camera]), Miami, Florida (nadir pass; ESC), Navassa
Island, Caribbean (crew was to shoot detail of fringing coral reefs for
mapping project), Caracas, Venezuela (nadir pass; ESC), Sierras pass (looking
left then right for panoramas as ISS crossed the snow-covered Sierras),
Las Vegas, Nevada (looking a touch left of track. ESC), Phoenix, AZ (looking
a touch left of track. Views of the Sonoran desert along your track after
the city are also requested. ESC), Tucson, Arizona (looking a touch left
of track. Views of the Sonoran desert along your track are also requested,
well into Mexico. ESC), and Isla del Coco (another opportunity for this
never-photographed Costa Rican island [unless the crew has already got
it]. Looking just left of track).