ISS On-Orbit Status 5 Sep 2002
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.
FE-1 Peggy Whitson worked on the MSG (microgravity science glovebox), completing the SUBSA (solidification using a baffle in sealed ampoule) run on sample #8 started yesterday. With the video camera recording, she removed the sample from the thermal chamber inside the glovebox, stowed it in a plastic bag and configured the glovebox for the next run. The videotape was then removed and MSG powered off for today.
CDR Valery Korzun and FE-2 Sergei Treschev collected personal hygiene items (SLG) left over from previous expeditions, selected suitable undergarments for themselves and prepared the rest for disposal, along with items that have passed their expiration date, such as chewing gum and surface wipes.
Today’s robotics operations on the SSRMS (space station remote manipulator system) were performed by Korzun and Whitson. After the crew connected the Lab RWS DCP (robotics workstation display and control panel) to UOP (utility outlet panel) power earlier in the day and MCC-H remotely powered the MSS (mobile service system) up, the activities focused on continued checkout of the SSRMS and MBS (mobile base system). Afterwards, the DCP power cable was disconnected again. [The checkout ops were scheduled to begin with the POA (payload/ORU accommodation) and the arm’s LEE (latching end effector). POA, very similar to the LEE, is a fixture attached to the MBS for holding future cargoes as MBS moves along the truss "railway". The SSRMS, based on the MBS PDGF1 (power and data grapple fixture #1), was then to be run through two large joint OCAS (joint operator commanded auto sequence) maneuvers to get it to a "high hover" point over PDGF2, also on the MBS, followed by a fast grapple and release for a PDGF2 checkout. After the release, the LEE was to be checked out also and then re-mated to PDGF2. The next Robotics Day ops, on 9/12 (Thursday), will perform a LEE camera survey of the nadir ACBM (active common berthing system) on the Node.]
As part of the ongoing troubleshooting of the battery charger assembly (BCA), with which she has been remarkably successful up to now, Whitson terminated the discharge process for EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) battery #2023 and then initiated it for the second battery, #2024, in the second EMU slot in the BSA (battery stowage assembly).
The MCA (major constituent analyzer) continues the good news by operating nominally since its recent activation. The ground performed a "zero" calibration (to establish a zero reference point) yesterday morning and will continue doing so once a week until the readings of the mass spectrometer stabilize.
Working from the "job jar" task list, the crew searched for the missing MPLM vestibule axial port barrier assembly (closeout), but was unable to find it as yet. (However, during the search they did find several other items that had previously been reported as "lost").
Peggy Whitson completed a scheduled post-EVA fitness assessment by working on the RED (resistive exercise device) out for 30 minutes.
The two cosmonauts continued the Russian MedOps "Profilaktika" (countermeasures) fitness assessment. Today’s TVIS treadmill workout was performed by Korzun, with Treschev 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 Valery of activity difficulty. Today’s test focused on the ECG (electrocardiogram) part of the assessment, while the blood analysis is scheduled for tomorrow.]
FE-2 Treschev conducted the periodic close inspection of the Service Module’s (SM) interior hull shell for moisture, residue, and craters. [If there is residue, he was to describe color and state (solid, crumbly, powdery), and use wipes to remove it. The depth of any craters are to measured (using chewing gum). The inspection also included the cold plates under the SNT voltage and current stabilizers as well as the pipelines of the loops leading to them (under TVIS). Earlier this year (March), accumulations of mildew-like contaminants were discovered on the SM inner hull, and 10 samples were taken for analysis, six for Moscow and four for Houston.]
The two cosmonauts downlinked a video/audio message of greetings for the 10th anniversary of the ROSOBSCHEMASH organization.
Daily routine maintenance tasks were performed today by Sergei (SOSh life support systems servicing, IMS inventory delta file preparation), and Peggy (Lab payloads status checkup).
Today’s targets for the U.S. CEO (crew earth observations) program were Berlin, Germany (nadir and just left of nadir. ESC [electronic still camera] requested), Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey/Syria (crew to look to nadir and left of track for the Euphrates as it enters the Mesopotamian low country of Syria, and to document irrigation and land use patterns with a detailed mapping pass), Baghdad, Iraq (nadir and just left of nadir. ESC), Kuwait City, Kuwait (nadir view, ESC), Eastern Mediterranean Aerosols (oblique view left for what seemed to be a smog buildup in the eastern Med, north of the Nile delta), Chicago, Illinois (nadir view, ESC), Dallas, Texas (nadir view, ESC), Angolan Biomass Burning (crew to look left for the southern limits of the sub-Saharan savanna burning, now waning as the dry season slowly comes to an end, and to look right for panoramas of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast desert), Industrialized SE Africa (views left across the plateau towards the Witwatersrand industrial region where air pollution should be apparent. ISS track SE into the Indian Ocean followed one of the two major "exit" trajectories of polluted air masses off the subcontinent. Southern African smog and smoke is documented in air samples as far east as Australia and New Zealand), and Lower Amazon River Basin (crew was to look right to document coastlines of the estuary and numerous islands).
CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:28 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) — 761, temperature (deg C) — 27.4, ppO2 (mmHg) — 146.2, ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.6.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751, temperature (deg C) — 21.4.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752, temperature (deg C) — 21.7.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 751.52, temperature (deg C) — 25.1 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — 162.4; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.7.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 753.3, temperature (deg C) — 24.8, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a;
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 753.4, temperature (deg C) — 28.8; shell heater temp (deg C) — 27.6, ppO2 (mmHg) — 162.3; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.7.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.7
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 15.3
(Note: Partial pressures ppO2 and ppCO2 in U.S. segment [USOS] not available because MCA [major constituent analyzer], though running, still needs to be zero-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 #1 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; #3 dropped out on 8/29.
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 PDGF1 (mobile base system/power & data grapple fixture 1) and PDGF2, with Keep Alive power on both strings.
MBS: Keep Alive power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 9:15am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 389.6 km
Apogee — 400.0 km
Perigee — 379.2 km
Period — 92.3 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0015382
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
Solar Beta Angle — -17.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Altitude decrease — 300 m (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 21656
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
