Status Report

ISS On-Orbit Status 8 Mar 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

March 8, 2003

Filed under ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Another Saturday for “Dr. Scary Science” (Awed Flight Controllers’ title for Science Officer Dr. Pettit and his amazing “Saturday Morning Science” show downlink).

The ISS residents completed the regular weekly 3-hr. house cleaning, designed to keep their heavenly abode spic and span. [“Uborka stantsii” features removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, wet cleaning of surfaces with disinfectants and cleaning of fan screens to avoid temperature rises.]

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin conducted his daily checkup and watering of the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment.

For FE-2 Don Pettit, MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) went into another day, progressing at a carefully charted snail pace. [Initial indications of the latest power re-connect (P121) showed no off-nominal current draw on ESEM3 (exchangeable standard electronic module 3), exonerating its power path as a possible source of the original current-trip anomaly. IF ESEM3 remains nominal with the currently installed P106 connector (for Work Volume temperature, humidity, and Delta-P sensors), P101 will be reconnected next, powering the PCV (process control valve) motor limit switch. Troubleshooting will continue into next week. At some point while the rack is powered up and Ku-band is on, Pettit will conduct a simple “shake test”, with actions like fully extending the Core Facility and opening and closing the video drawer.]

Nick took care of the daily routine maintenance of the SOSh life support system, incl. ASU toilet subsystem, and Don prepared the IMS inventory database for automated file import/export.

The crew also performed their daily physical exercise program on TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), RED (resistive exercise device), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), and VELO ergometer with load trainer.

Because of the current CEVIS control panel failure, the crew was asked to perform next week’s (3/12) periodic fitness evaluation (PFE) on the Russian VELO. [PFE, usually performed on the CEVIS, checks up on blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiogram (ECG) during programmed exercise, with the BP/ECG and HRM (heart rate watch) equipment.]

Because of CDR Bowersox’s concern regarding potential asymmetric loading when reinstalling the used Flexpack canister #1010 in the RED, the decision was made to withdraw the idea for now, pending further study. [The crew can continue to use RED with the current #1001 and #1003 canisters.]

The VOA (volatile organics analyzer) suddenly shut down yesterday, and the crew was instrumental in recovering it. It is currently powered and in (nominal) standby mode. [Engineers are not sure what caused the shutdown and which troubleshooting action recovered it. Data files will be dumped and analyzed to determine the exact cause of the anomaly.]

As reported yesterday, an RGA (rate gyro assembly) “Caution” message popped up during the ISS attitude transition. It is now understood and in the process of being corrected. [The message, “RGA Dilemma Lab”, which is still displayed by the C&W system (“latched”), was caused by the difference between rates measured by the two RGAs exceeding a pre-set threshold value in the new GNC (guidance, navigation & control) R3 software. The threshold, which is not “tuned” for all on-orbit activities, was simply too tight for the attitude change maneuver, and the RGAs performed nominally. Next week, a new PPL (pre-positioned load) software file with larger thresholds will be uploaded and the C&W then “unlatched”. In the future, the PPL thresholds will be tuned from on-orbit data and then loaded.]

In response to the crew’s report of a noisy IMV (intra-modular ventilation) fan (ref. yesterday’s status), troubleshooting of Lab and Node air ducts, etc. was added to the “job jar” task list for tomorrow, and appropriate procedures were uplinked overnight. [If the crew chooses to perform the activity, the ground wants to be notified two hours in advance so the proper Flight Controllers can be in place to support it.]

In the continuing interest of conserving precious ISS resources, a procedure was uplinked for double-sided printing of any PDF or Word document on the onboard Epson 800 printer.

RSC-Energia and TsUP have confirmed that the portside SM Kurs antenna/cable survey with the SSRMS (space station remote manipulator system) will be conducted on 3/10 (Monday) in sunlight. [For this purpose, the solar array will be feathered at about 5:40pm EST, the start of the preceding eclipse (night period).]

ISS flight attitude continues in LVLH TEA (local vertical/local horizontal torque equilibrium attitude), through Progress thruster test/reboost on 3/12.

Expedition 6 may not include a woman, but on the ground and in space women are an important and highly respected part of the ISS family. To them: Happy “International Women’s Day”!

Science Update (Expedition Six — 14th):

This week on ISS the fifth FOOT session was completed, as well as, three MSG troubleshooting sessions, along with an EVARM badge read and PC data downlink. The downlinked pictures that have been observed thus far are judged “phenomenal”.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): The data downlinked on 3/3 will provide excellent insight into the ISS environment for current and future missions.

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): Next session is pre-EVA.

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Completed for Increment 6. The Renal Stone Experiment Team thanked the crew for taking photos of the Renal Stone hardware items. Bowersox and Pettit continue taking their stone-prevention (or placebo) pills.

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

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): The FOOT team was thrilled with this past week’s data collection. Bowersox was thanked for “hanging in there” through the recent data recording problem and for his continued positive and helpful input.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): On hold until MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) is operational. Remaining in MSG until further notice.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS is nominal. The acceleration measurement team is looking forward to reboost events scheduled for 3/12 and 3/13, and the EVA on 3/25, complete with possible hammer application to the CETA light stanchion.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS is nominal. The acceleration measurement team is looking forward to reboost events scheduled for 3/12 and 3/13, and the EVA on 3/25, complete with possible hammer application to the CETA light stanchion.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperatures are nominal. Crystals are still growing.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE): On hold until MSG is operational.

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

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG has finished science operations for Inc 6.

EarthKAM (EK): The students are looking forward to another cycle of activities with this crew in early April.

Crew Earth Observations (CEO): An excellent night view of Buenos Aires, Argentina has been selected for web publication on GSFC’s Earth Observatory site (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov ). The crew’s earlier nighttime image of London generated an unprecedented number of hits for them. Quick-look review of ISS imagery to date highlights spectacular aerosol events over the Gobi Desert and northern Italy. Thanks to the crew for their extra effort to provide both broad context as well as detailed views of your subjects.
Today’s CEO targets were Rome, Italy (the Italian capital lied inland, just left of track), Lisbon, Portugal (Lisbon lies on an estuary on the W coast of Portugal), Industrialized Southeastern Africa (crew was to document land use and industrial development), Havana, Cuba (Havana lies on the north coast on a major deep-water harbor. ISS had a near nadir pass), Los Angeles, California (ISS tracked diagonally across the Los Angeles basin. Crew was to try for the entire city in one frame), and Guadalajara, Mexico (Guadalajara is just north of Lake Chapala).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:50am EST [= epoch]):