ISS Weekly Science Status Report 28 Nov 2001
The Expedition Three crew and the science team on the ground are wrapping up
their research program and preparing precious science experiments and samples
from their three-month mission for the return to Earth on the upcoming UF-1
Space Shuttle mission to the space station.
During the past two weeks, Commander Frank Culbertson and Flight Engineers
Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov completed their final sessions of the Hoffman
Reflex, Pulmonary Function in Flight, Renal Stone and Crew
Interactions research programs and completed experiment hardware transfers
in the Destiny lab module that will support Expedition Four research activities.
Their effort drew praise from many of the experiment teams in the weekly science
summary faxed to the crew.
“I’d like to express on behalf of the Payloads Office, our profound gratitude
for all that you have done for us during the expedition,” summarized John Uri,
lead scientist for the Expedition. “Many of the experiments were completed
last week, especially with the extra time you’ve dedicated to completing the
research. From our point of view, this has been a highly successful expedition,
some experiments getting even more than expected. I look forward to seeing
you back on Earth.”
Automated experiments continue to run in the Destiny lab, controlled by science
teams on the ground. The Dynamically Controlled Protein Crystal Growth
(DCPCG) and Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) are scheduled
for deactivation on Thursday in conjunction with the launch of STS-108. The
Physics of Colloids in Space completed a 24-hour run on Tuesday, re-homogenizing
the colloid polymer gel sample and running various diagnostics to measure the
process.
Two vibration-measuring experiments, the Space Acceleration Measurement
System and the Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System, recorded
the November 22 undocking of the Russian Progress 5 spacecraft and are expected
to collect data during today’s (Nov. 28) Progress 6 docking.
The Crew Earth Observations science team sent a list of geographic sites
for photography that should last through November 30, the last until STS-108
undocks. The sites include snow cover in the South Sandwich Islands, air quality
in southern Africa, Chilean glaciers, water level changes in Lake Poopo in Bolivia,
coral reefs in American Samoa, and agriculture in the Parana River area of South
America. In response to Commander Frank Culbertson’s request for more photography
sites, the team has offered to send him a copy of the daily site list for the
STS-108 crew.
Following data earlier this week indicating a potential problem with the Active
Rack Isolation System, the ground team asked Culbertson to use a set of
pliers to tighten the screws on two upper pushrods. Culbertson radioed Monday
that he had completed that work, and tests of the vibration dampening system
resumed this week. Located in EXPRESS Rack 2, ARIS is designed to provide a
reactive force to vibrations caused by crew activities, operating equipment
and other disturbances that could harm delicate microgravity experiments in
the rack.
Several experiments will be returning to Earth along with the Expedition Three
crew. In addition to DCPCG and APCF, the Shuttle will return with cell samples
from the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System, urine samples
and other data from the Renal Stone experiment, the Bonner Ball Neutron Detector,
and the
DREAMTiME high definition TV camera. The crew plans to record the STS-108
arrival and ingress before stowing the camera and equipment for return.
