ISS Status Report #01-48 – 28 Nov 2001

The International Space Station resumed its normal orientation control about
three hours later than planned this afternoon to allow Russian flight
controllers time to evaluate a potential technical problem seen following
the docking of a Progress resupply craft today.

The station remained in free drift, with attitude control turned off, the
normal mode for a Progress docking. The station’s orientation control system
would normally have been turned back on only a few minutes after the
docking, once Russian flight controllers had received indications that hooks
that hard dock the supply craft to the station had closed and latched.
Mission Control, Korolev, did not see the expected indication after the
Progress docked to the complex at 1:43 p.m. CST.

The station remained in free drift, with steering systems off line, until
about 5 p.m. CST, when Russian flight controllers determined the Progress
was attached securely enough to allow the station’s steering system to
operate normally. While the station was in free drift, power generation was
reduced and some non-critical items onboard were powered off temporarily to
conserve electriciity. Heaters that control condensation on the shell of the
Destiny lab, Unity node and pressurized mating adapters on the station were
turned off for a few hours as were a backup cabin air assembly and a
contaminant monitor in the Quest airlock.

Once the station returned to its normal orientation, all equipment
temporarily powered off was powered back on with no impact to station
operations.

Russian flight controllers are continuing to evaluate the problem seen
following the Progress docking. Indications are that hooks that normally
constitute the second stage of the Progress’ attachment to the station had
not closed and latched as expected. An evaluation of the situation will
continue tonight and troubleshooting aboard the station may be performed
Thursday morning when the complex next moves within range of Russian ground
tracking sites.

Meanwhile, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, all activities are
proceeding as planned toward the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at
6:41 p.m. CST Thursday on shuttle mission STS-108, which will ferry a fourth
crew to the station. The next milestone in Endeavour’s preparations will be
a decision to begin fueling the shuttle for launch, expected at about 9:15
a.m. CST Thursday.

The Inernational Space Station is orbiting at an average altitude of 247
statute miles (397 km). For the latest information on launch dates and
times, as well as sighting opportunities from anywhere on the Earth, visit
the Web at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

Human physiology experiments continue to be a focus of crew science
activities as the crew prepares for its return home. Autonomous microgravity
materials research continued to accumulate scientific experiment run time
hours in a variety of disciplines. Overall coordination of the research is
the responsibility of the Payload Operations Center at NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The Human Research Facility is managed by
the Johnson Space Center. Details on station science operations can be found
on the Web at: http://www.scipoc.msfc.nasa.gov

The next ISS status report will be issued as warranted by events or combined
in regularly scheduled STS-108 mission status reports throughout the flight.