ISS Science Operations Weekly Status Report 28 Mar 2002
Scientists testing a “powered shock absorber” designed to protect Space Station
experiments from vibrations were able to directly compare vibration data from
the Station on Tuesday with downlinked video during several crew activities
in the lab module.
When the crew moved in the lab module, their motion could be clearly seen in
the control system data transmitted by Active Rack Isolation System and
other sensors on the Station. The science team resumed isolation performance
testing with the experimental vibration dampener last week following repairs
earlier this month of an actuator/pushrod failure.
The experimental device, designed to isolate delicate microgravity experiments
from vibrations, experienced a failure in January. The crew replaced a faulty
pushrod, and initial checkout tests were completed remotely from the ground
last week by the science team. ARIS, located in EXPRESS Rack 2 in the
Destiny lab module, uses eight actuators like powered shock absorbers to provide
a reactive force to vibrations caused by crew movement, exercise, vibrating
motors or other equipment that could disturb delicate microgravity experiments
inside the rack. ARIS is expected to be declared “operational” in April when
it will support the new Zeolite Crystal Growth experiment. Additional
hammer tests, in which the crew taps on the rack with a small mallet, are scheduled
for Friday.
The Space Acceleration Measurement System and Microgravity Acceleration
Measurement System recorded Sunday’s docking by the Russian Progress 7 resupply
ship. This vibration information is important to scientists planning future
microgravity experiments.
Flight Engineers Dan Bursch and Carl Walz on Tuesday completed the weekly Crew
Interactions computer-based survey.
On the crew’s schedule for Friday are weekly radiation measurements on the
EVA Radiation Monitoring experiment dosimeter badges worn during spacewalks,
and collection of condensate, nutrient and gas samples from the Advanced
Astroculture experiment. Via ground commanding, the science team has been
changing the environmental conditions in the growth chamber to encourage the
plants to flower and produce seeds. The Station crew is scheduled to collect
more plant tissue samples on April 3.
Locations scheduled to be photographed this week for the Crew Earth Observations
research program were: industrialized Southeastern Africa, North and South
Patagonian glaciers in South America, Lake Eyre, Australia, sea ice in the South
Sandwich Islands, and New Caledonia coral reefs.
The Experiment on Physics of Colloids in Space remained powered off
this week following efforts last week by both the Station crew and ground controllers
to boot up its main computer. The science team and mission planners are working
to arrange the return of both the Avionics Section and the Test Section of the
colloids experiment on the upcoming STS-111 mission.
Biological and materials experiments onboard the Station continue to function
normally, while the crew continues routine status checks and maintenance on
the lab and its experiments. Experiments completed for Expedition Four include
EarthKAM, Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System, and
Education Payload Operation – 4.
The science team is also evaluating options for how to take advantage of additional
experiment and crew time made available by the slip of the STS-111 Space Shuttle
mission by 25 days.
The Space Station Payload Operations Center this week upgraded its computer
systems software and databases to support new experiment hardware. This upgrade
is essential to operations of payloads planned for the next Shuttle flight.
These computer systems allow communications between the Operations Center and
Mission Control in Houston, as well as remote telescience centers around the
country. The new experiments include the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing
Apparatus and the Biomass Production System – both plant growth experiments
– and the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment involving biological
materials.
