MRPO Daily Status Report 10-03-02
Calendar Date: 10/03/02
Increment: 5
Stage: UF2
Week 17
ISS Information:
The 9A Shuttle launch has been delayed until no earlier than Monday 10/7/02
due to hurricane LILI’S possible impact on the Mission Control Center
(MCC) at JSC.
In an unprecedented move, the MCC has been shut down and evacuated. The
ISS control functions have been transferred to the TSUP at Moscow. Payload
data downlink and commanding are not available. Power availability onboard
the ISS is very limited due to solar array pointing being manually controlled.
Many ISS systems and payloads have been powered down to conserve energy.
MCC management hopes to begin restoring operation capability late tonight,
assuming the passing of the storm makes that feasible. There are many
computer systems to bring up and test so hopefully normal operations can
be re-established sometime Friday.
Payloads being launched on 9A:
CGBA, PGBA, STES-7, Seed Culture (sortie), and ZCG Samples
Payloads being returned on 9A:
ADVASC, MEPS Samples, SAMS Hard Drive/Battery, Seed Culture (sortie),
StelSys, STES-8, and ZCG Samples
Payloads currently on-board ISS:
ADVASC (HW), BSTC, InSPACE, MAMS, MEPS, MSG (facility), PFMI, SAMS, SUBSA
and ZCG. InSpace was not planned to operate during this stage.
Status:
MRPO payloads ADVASC and STES 8 continue nominal, basically unattended,
operations. MAMS and SAMS have been powered down to conserve energy. BSTC,
MEPS, StelSys, SUBSA and ZCG operations have been successfully completed.
EXPRESS RACKS 1 and 2 (ER1 & ER2) have been powered down to conserve
energy. ER4, which houses the payloads that require continuous power,
remains powered. Very limited health and status data continues to be available
during S-band acquisition of signal periods. 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 in ER4 and remains powered. The payload has been configured
for plant and seed dry-out for return on 9A. Deactivation will be delayed
until after the 9A launch.
ARTIC 1, which contains the StelSys samples, and ARTIC 2, which contains
ZCG samples, are in ER4 and remain powered.
MSG power was turned-off yesterday after completion of cool down of the
PFMI sample processed Monday.
PFMI sample #4 operations were completed early yesterday and payload
power was turned-off following cool down. Sample #4 remains in the thermal
chamber and will be removed and stowed when the next sample is to be installed.
Tentative plans are for PFMI sample #5 to be processed Sunday, 10/6, and
sample #6 on Monday, 10/7.
STES-8 is in ER4 and remains powered. The four remaining activated growth
chambers are to be deactivated after launch of 9A but before 9A docks
with ISS.
Near-term Outlook:
Week 17 (9/30-10/6) – Planning for this week was based on approximately
12 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. An additional
PFMI run is now planned to be started Sunday, 10/6. The remaining MRPO
payload activities planned for this week have been delayed pending launch
of 9A.
Week 18 (10/7-10/13) – The plan for this week is being revised
due to the 9A launch delay. An additional PFMI run (#6) is tentatively
planned for Monday, 10/7, following removal of the sample from run #5.
M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist
ACRONYMS:
ADVASC – Advanced Astroculture
ARIS–Active Rack Isolation System
ARTIC 1 – On-board Freezer
ARTIC 2 – On-board refrigerator
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
