ISS On-Orbit Status 6 May 2003

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

Both crewmembers today had one hour set aside on their schedule for ISS familiarization, i.e., to adjust to their new surroundings and activities.  This has become a standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two weeks.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko destowed and started out on the Russian biomedical Braslet-M/Anketa (“bracelet/questionnaire”) test procedure which has him evaluate a number of “bracelet” cuffs for their usefulness in suppressing the adverse effects of micro-G for the “newcomer” aboard the station during the acute phase of adaptation to weightlessness.  [The “bracelets” are compression cuffs attached to a belt and worn on the upper thighs over the coveralls, intended as countermeasures against the initial micro-G effects of blood filling (vascularity) in the upper torso (heaviness and blood pulsation in the head), facial puffiness, nasal stuffiness, painful eye movement, and vestibular disorders (dizziness, nausea, vomiting).  They create artificial blood  accumulation in the upper thirds of the thighs, causing some of the circulating blood volume to relocate from the upper body to the lower extremities, thereby (hopefully) correcting the adverse hemodynamic effect of micro-G and thus improving the crewmember’s working capability.  The actual compression cuff in the Braslet-Ì units is a combination of alternating multi-layer tensile and non-tensile elements, whose distension by body movements creates elastic forces that produce the necessary pressure on the body surface.]

Malenchenko also performed the first session of the Russian biomedical Pilot experiment (MBI-15) which uses a work table, restraint system (ankle) and control handles for testing piloting skill.

FE/SO Edward Lu completed his first periodic cleaning of the VD1 and VD2 air ducts in the DC-1 “Pirs” docking module.

In the Service Module (SM), Malenchenko deinstalled the IWIS RSU (internal wireless instrumentation system/remote sensing unit) with its radio antenna, now no longer needed after it was used to take structural dynamics data resulting from the Soyuz undocking.

Ed Lu meanwhile downloaded the accumulated IWIS data to SSC (station support computer) for downlink to the ground via OCA/S-band at a later time.

Malenchenko conducted his first periodic (every two months) inspection of the pressure hull in the SM Working Compartment (RO) behind panels 130, 134, 135, 138, and under the TVIS treadmill in the “floor pit”, looking for any moisture, residue, mold, corrosion, and pitting.  [Yuri focused on hull shell and cold plates under the SNT voltage and current stabilizers and STR thermal control system pipes, using surface wipes to clean the area in question, describing any discovered mold as to color, consistency (solid, crumbly, powdery) and location, and photographing the hull surface with the digital camera before and after the treatment.  Pictures were prepared for downlink to MCC-H for forwarding to TsUP.  The last hull inspection was performed by Nikolai Budarin on 2/26/03.]

Later, Yuri completed the regular maintenance/inspection of the BRPK-1 air/liquid condensate separator.

Malenchenko had his first activity with the HRF (human research facility), while Science Officer Lu installed the new Expedition 7 software on the MEC (medical equipment computer) and configured the software for HRM (heart rate monitor software) watch device accordingly.

Afterwards, Ed completed his first U.S. MedOps crew nutrition assessment by filling out the standard food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on the MEC desktop.

Ed Lu also performed the daily routine maintenance/inspection of SOZh life support systems and prepared the daily IMS (inventory management system) delta file to update the IMS database  [After the onboard implementation of the new IMS software version 1.37 last year, all outstanding IMS delta files can be automatically imported on the station.  Crew support consists in executing a batch file that performs the automated import (morning) and export (evening) via links on the SSC start page.  The complex on-board inventory tracking system coordinates four separate databases in close-to-real time: onboard-ISS, MCC-Houston, MCC-Moscow, and Baikonur (Progress/Soyuz loading).]

Yuri and Ed also completed their daily physical exercise program, on TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), RED (resistive exercise device), and, for Yuri, on the Russian VELO ergometer with load trainer

MCC-H is working on a troubleshooting plan for the failed SM PCS (portable computer system) laptop, which should be available to the crew on 5/8.  [One way to reduce the chance of failure during critical PCS operation is to reboot the units frequently.]

A first draft of procedures for the upcoming mandatory Emergency Egress OBT (onboard training) was uplinked to the crew by MCC-Moscow, the lead for this event, to be conducted on 5/12 (Monday).  Rules call for the emergency egress exercise to be performed by every new station crew once within seven days after departure of the previous crew.  [Its purpose is to familiarize the station residents with the locations of emergency equipment and the position of valves used in emergency situations, to work through the Russian Segment (RS) deactivation procedures, and to develop crew emergency joint measures.  Crewmembers are to verify ISS readiness for emergency response by performing specific actions such as inspection of all translation paths to the Soyuz CRV and determination of any obstructions that would hinder an emergency egress, inspection of all vehicle hatchways and determination if hatchways can be easily cleared in the event of an emergency, reviewing and discussing methods to disconnect air-ducts that run through Russian hatches (without disconnecting any permanent hardware), determining the accessibility of all communications panels and hardware, of all emergency equipment, of specific ports, instruments and kits, and confirming that specific valves are in the expected configuration. The exercise is usually topped off by a debrief with the ground.]

The current flight attitude of LVLH (see below) will be maintained until Sunday (5/11), then maneuvered again to XPOP.  Next attitude change, to YVV/”Barbecue”, will follow one week later (4/18).

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) targets, including cities during daylight and at night (again available as targets in the current LVLH attitude) were Madras (Chennai), India (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Damascus, Syria (nadir pass; ESC), Western Mediterranean Dust (dust can be seen on satellite images blowing north off the Libyan coast), Tunis, Tunisia (nadir pass; ESC), Congo Basin (Dynamic event.  Unusually cloudfree conditions may persist.  Trying for sunglint views [nadir] of the confluence of the largest rivers, Congo and Ubangi. Contrast in sunglint views can provide very high levels of detail in these dynamic rivers), St. Thomas island, St. John island, and St. Croix island (coral reefs around these small islands are part of a global reef mapping project), Puerto Rico (coastal cities and reefs are the prime focus of this target), Albuquerque, New Mexico (nadir pass; ESC), Yucatan Fires (night target; many fires continue to rage in the Peten Forest on the Mexico-Guatemala border [the New World’s second largest rainforest]), Dallas, Texas (night target; nadir pass), Salt Lake City, Utah (night target; nadir pass), and Seattle, Washington (night target; nadir pass).

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 12:54pm EST).

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On (32 Amp mode).  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (manual mode 5). 
• U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off.  TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating.  MCA (major constituents analyzer) is operating.  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.  RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.
• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 28.2; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.4.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 744; temperature (deg C) — 23.0.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 740.71; temperature (deg C) — 22.3 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 742.69; temperature (deg C) — 22.5; ppO2 (mmHg) — 169.2; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.7.
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 742.8; temperature (deg C) — 21.9; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.5, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.6
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 19.7

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

• Total propellant load available: 3607 kg (7952 lb) as of 5/1 [SM(774) + FGB(2581) + Progress(252)].  (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in directed position (Blind mode, non solar-tracking, drag reduction).
• SM batteries:  Battery #4 is disconnected, in stand-alone ops; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• FGB batteries:  Battery #5 is disconnected; all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
• Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 and PCU-2 both in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

• C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
• GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
• INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
• EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
• LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
• PL-2 MDM is On (primary); PL-1 MDM is Off
• APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
• SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being upgraded.

Attitude Control Systems:

• 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
• State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
• Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
• Angular rate source — RGA-2

Flight Attitude:

• LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -7.2 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management. 
• Solar Beta angle: 5.1 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
• All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally.
• Ku-band is operating nominally.
• Audio subsystem operating nominally.
• Video subsystem operating nominally (VTR1 is operable again; VTR2 in troubleshooting).
• HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
• MBS: KA power on both strings. 
• MT: latched at WS4, with KA power. 
• POA: KA power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 6:48am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 390.4 km
• Apogee — 394.9 km
• Perigee — 385.9 km
• Period — 92.36 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0006636
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
• Solar Beta Angle:  5.1 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 175 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 25449
• For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html