MRPO Daily Status Report 12-23-02

GMT Date: 357

Calendar Date: 12/23/02

Increment: 6

Stage: 11A

Week 4

Payloads currently on-board ISS:
BSTC, CGBA, CSLM-2, InSPACE, MAMS, MSG (facility), PFMI, SAMS, STES-10,
SUBSA and ZCG.

Status:
MRPO payloads MAMS, SAMS, STES-10 and ZCG continue nominal, basically
unattended, operations. BSTC, CGBA, CSLM-2, InSpace, PFMI, and SUBSA are
inactive. MSG is inactive/failed, awaiting replacement parts. The first
opportunity for replacements parts to be launched to the ISS will with
Progress 10 scheduled for February 2nd. However this date is rather soft.

EXPRESS RACKS 1, 2 and 4 (ER1, ER2 & ER4) are powered and supporting
payload operations. ER3 and ER5 are available to support payload operations
but are currently inactive. ER3 power was turned on yesterday to support
ground checkout of the rack in preparation for future payload operations.
Checkout was successful except for the SAMS team attempts to communicate
with their ER3 electronics equipment.

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

All SAMS sensors in EXPRESS Racks are operating nominally. The SAMS sensor
in the MSG is currently turned-off. The SAMS team attempts to communicate
with their electronics equipment in ER3 during yesterdays checkout were
not successful. The team is developing trouble-shooting procedures. SAMS
data is also being posted to the acceleration measurement web page.

STES-10 health and status data is nominal. STES-10 is configured with
diffusion-controlled chambers which require no crew operation activities.

ZCG furnace operations were initiated last Tuesday and the payload is
down-linking nominal health and status information. The furnace is scheduled
to operate until New-Years Day.

Near-term Outlook:

Week 4 (12/23-12/29) –Planning for this week was based on approximately
10 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload operations. ZCG furnace
operations are continuing. The new High-Rate Communications Outage Recorder
(HCOR), delivered by STS-113, was installed and activated today. The HCOR
is replacing the Medium rate recorder (MCOR) that has been in use since
Increment 2.

Week 5 (12/30-1/05) – Preliminary planning for this week is being
based on approximately 10 hours of crew time availability for NASA payload
operations. ZCG furnace operations will continue until the 1/1/03. The
2nd run for ZCG will start on the 1/3/03 to process spare autoclaves from
the last two flights.

M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist

ACRONYMS:

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
CGBA – Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
ER1– EXPRESS RACK 1
ER2 — EXPRESS RACK 2
ER3 – EXPRESS RACK 3
ER4 – EXPRESS RACK 4
ER5 – EXPRESS RACK 5
GSM — Gas Supply Module
HCOR — High-Rate Communications Outage Recorder
InSPACE– Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
ISS – International Space Station
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
MCOR — Medium-Rate Communications Outage Recorder
MSG – Microgravity Science Glovebox
PFMI – Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation
PGBA – Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
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