MRPO Daily Status Report 06-27-02
GMT Date: 178
Calendar Date: 06/27/02
Increment: 5
Stage: UF2
Week 3
Payloads currently on-board ISS: ADVASC, BSTC, InSPACE, MAMS, MEPS, MSG (facility), PFMI, SAMS, StelSys, STES-8, SUBSA and ZCG. InSpace will not operate during this increment.
Status:
MRPO payloads ADVASC, MAMS, SAMS and STES 8 continue nominal unattended operations. BSTC and StelSys operations have been successfully completed.
EXPRESS RACKS 1, 2 and 4 (ER1, ER2 & ER4) are powered and supporting payload operations. ER3 is installed in the US Lab and will be checked out later. ER5 was checked out during Increment 4 and powered down.
The Medium Rate Communication Outage Recorder (MCOR) is experiencing occasional over-temperature conditions requiring it to be turned-off. When MCOR is turned-off, payload data is lost during loss of signal periods. JSC is assessing possible corrective actions to improve MCOR operations.
ADVASC is downlinking nominal health and status data and the plants have grown rapidly. Gas and condensate samples were taken today and nutrient exchange is planned for tomorrow.
MAMS is operating nominally in the quasi-steady mode. HiRAP is currently turned-off. MAMS data is available on the acceleration measurement web page.
MEPS is stowed in ER3. It will be transferred to ER1 during this week and initial operations are scheduled for week 6.
MSG checkout will be initiated Saturday, 6/29. Based on observations of the MSG ground engineering unit, the crew inspected, and replaced, the MSG video drawer umbilical hook yesterday.
PFMI is stowed in the US Lab and is scheduled to operate in the MSG late in this increment.
SAMS equipment in all racks is operating nominally. SAMS data is also being posted to the acceleration measurement web page.
STES-8, with all six growth chambers activated, is downlinking nominal health and status data.
SUBSA is stowed in the US Lab and will be operated in the MSG following completion of MSG checkout.
ZCG sample autoclaves were placed in the ZCG furnace Monday and the primary and back-up computer processing units were exercised. The primary unit checked-out fine but the back-up unit did not respond. Trouble-shooting to activate the back-up computer processing unit was unsuccessful. ZCG sample mixing and furnace operations were successfully initiated today using the primary computer processing unit.
Near-term Outlook:
Week 3 (6/24-6/30) ) -Planning for this week was based on approximately 21 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. Progress 8 was launched yesterday and should dock with the ISS Saturday. MEPS will be transferred to ER1 and MSG checkout will begin.
Week 4 (7/1-7/7) – Preliminary planning is being based on approximately 6.5 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. The crew will spend significant time transferring materials from Progress 8. July 4 will be a crew off-duty day. SUBSA set-up and historical photographs are planned. Historical photographs of SAMS and STES-8 are also planned.
M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist
ACRONYMS:
ADVASC – Advanced Astroculture
ARIS–Active Rack Isolation System
BCSS — Biotechnology Cell Science Stowage
BSTC– Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (General status information on this payload will include coverage of the following items of support equipment: BTR, BCSS and GSM)
BTR — Biotechnology Refrigerator
ER1– EXPRESS RACK 1
ER2 — EXPRESS RACK 2
ER3 – EXPRESS RACK 3
ER4 – EXPRESS RACK 4
ER5 – EXPRESS RACK 5
GSM — Gas Supply Module
InSPACE- Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
ISS – International Space Station
JSC – Johnson Space Center
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
MCOR -Medium Rate Communication Outage Recorder
MEPS – Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System
MSG – Microgravity Science Glovebox
PFMI – Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation
SAMS — Space Acceleration Measurement System II
STES – Protein Crystal Growth – Single Thermal Enclosure System
SUBSA – Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules
ZCG – Zeolite Crystal Growth