MRPO Daily Status Report 09-16-02

GMT Date: 259

Calendar Date: 09/16/02

Increment: 5

Stage: UF2

Week 15

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, basically unattended, operations. BSTC, MEPS, StelSys, SUBSA and ZCG operations have been successfully completed.

EXPRESS RACKS 1 and 4 (ER1 & ER4) are powered and supporting payload operations. ER2 is currently shut-down. There are no active payloads requiring ER2 support so the un-powered period is not impacting science operations. ER3 is installed in the US Lab and will be checked out later. ER5 was checked out during Increment 4 and powered down.

ADVASC is down-linking nominal health and status data. The crew performed ADVASC fluid removal procedures today and the ground team issued the Experiment End command to begin seed dry-out operations.

MAMS is operating nominally in the quasi-steady mode. HiRAP is turned-off. MAMS data is available on the acceleration measurement web page.

MSG was shut-down Wednesday following the successful change-out of SUBSA and PFMI hardware. All MSG systems were nominal. Power will be restored to the facility tomorrow to support a PFMI test run.

PFMI hardware is set-up in the MSG to begin operations. Plans call for a check-out run, without a sample, tomorrow, 9/17, and then a run with a sample Thursday, 9/19.

All SAMS sensors in EXPRESS Racks are operating nominally. The SAMS sensor in MSG is turned-off. SAMS data is also being posted to the acceleration measurement web page.
STES-8 is down-linking nominal health and status data. Four of the six growth chambers remain activated.

Near-term Outlook:

Week 15 (9/16-9/22) – Planning for this week was based on approximately 9 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. The crew will review plans for 9A joint operations, begin 9A pre-packing activities and prepare Progress 8 for undock in week 16. Two PFMI operations are planned.

Week 16 (9/23-9/29) – Preliminary planning for this week is being based on approximately 6 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. Progress 8 will undock on Tuesday, 9/24. Progress 9 launch is planned on Wednesday, 9/25, and docking on Sunday, 9/29. The crew will perform EVA preparation activities including practicing robotic arm procedures. One PFMI sample run is scheduled during this week.

M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist

ACRONYMS:

ADVASC – Advanced Astroculture
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
EVA – Extra-vehicular Activity
GSM — Gas Supply Module
InSPACE- Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
ISS – International Space Station
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
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