NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 06 July 2012
ISS On-Orbit Status 07/06/12
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
Joe Acaba completed his (currently daily) sleep-shift session of the Reaction Self-Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self-Test on the ISS) protocol, his 19th time. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]
At wakeup, Sergei Revin performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.
Gennady Padalka & Sergei Revin undertook their first training session of the Russian MO-5 MedOps protocol of cardiovascular evaluation in the below-the-waist reduced-pressure device (ODNT, US: LBNP) on the Russian VELO ergometer, assisting each other in turn as CMO (Crew Medical Officer). [The 50-min assessment, supported by ground specialist tagup (VHF) and telemetry monitoring from Russian ground site (DO3, 5:44am-6:02am; DO4, 7:19am-7:35am), uses the Gamma-1 ECG equipment with biomed harness, skin electrodes and a blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to the cycle ergometer’s instrumentation panels. The Chibis ODNT provides gravity-simulating stress to the body’s cardiovascular/circulatory system for evaluation of the crewmember’s orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the Gauer-Henry reflex) after several months in zero-G. The preparatory training generally consists of first imbibing 150-200 milliliters of water or juice, followed by a sequence of progressive regimes of reduced (“negative”) pressure, today set at -20, -25, -30 and -35mmHg for five min. each while shifting from foot to foot at 10-12 steps per minute, wearing a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure. The body’s circulatory system interprets the pressure differential between upper and lower body as a gravity-like force pulling the blood (and other liquids) down. Chibis data and biomed cardiovascular readings are recorded. The Chibis suit (not to be confused with the Russian “Pinguin” suit for spring-loaded body compression, or the “Kentavr” anti-g suit worn during reentry) is similar to the U.S. LBNP facility (not a suit) used for the first time on Skylab in 1973/74, although it appears to accomplish its purpose more quickly.]
Activities completed by busy Joe Acaba included –
• Preparing for HTV3 (H-2 Transfer Vehicle) arrival by assembling the HCP (HTV Control Panel) and its power & data cabling in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module); [HCP will not be used from the Cupola],
• Changing out the full RFTA (Recycle Filter Tank Assembly) in the Node-3 WRS-2 (Water Recovery System) Rack 2 including the UPA (Urine Processor Assembly) RFTA depress hose, stowing the used units; [RFTAs collect the substances cleaned from the pretreated urine by the UPA as it turns it into water. They need to be replaced when filled and constitute an important resupply item from the ground],
• Performing troubleshooting of an T2/COLBERT treadmill Pacebook wireless issue by reconfiguring the wireless card settings,
• Conducting periodic maintenance on the EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) equipment in the US A/L (Airlock), first configuring the ACS (Atmosphere Control & Supply) high pressure O2 system to use O2 from the low pressure O2 tank, then installing EMUs 3005 & 3015 on the EDDAs (EMU Don/Doff Assemblies), filling their feed water tanks and configuring them for the periodic loop scrub. Afterwards, the oxygen system was reconfigured to nominal; [this maintenance required setting the EMUs up with their SCUs (Service & Cooling Umbilicals) and initiating the standard one-hour scrubbing process on the EMU’s & A/L’s cooling water loops, filtering ionic and particulate matter (via a 3-micron filter). Then the cooling loops were reconfigured and the ~2hr biocide (iodination) filtering initiated. The activity met the periodic maintenance requirements of the EMUs; no checkout steps were required. Loop scrubbing, incl. iodination of the LCVGs (Liquid Cooling & Ventilation Garments) for biocidal maintenance, is done to eliminate any biomass and particulate matter that may have accumulated in the loops],
• Preparing crew provisions for Suni Williams & Aki Hoshide by retrieving items not already in their lockers or CQs (Crew Quarters) that they will need for their first few days on orbit, from PMM (Permanent Multipurpose Module) and PMA-1 (Pressurized Mating Adapter 1,
• Completing the standard 30-day inspection of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) in the CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) rack; [AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient. It then can treat them through defibrillation, i.e., the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm],
• Rebooting the JAXA SLT (System Laptop) in the Kibo module;
• Updating the software of the EHS TOCA (Environmental Health System Total Organic Carbon Analyzer) from an USB drive on the WRS1 (Water Recovery System 1) Rack face (Node-3 D5); [the update of the initialization (ini) files relaxes P2 pressure during gas purge state], and
• Taking closeout photos of the P1 & O1 racks in the ATV3 (Automated Transfer Vehicle 3); [with its fan nonfunctional but IMV (Intermodule Ventilation) on, smoke detection & CO2 monitoring is temporarily a crew function].
Working in the Russian ASU toilet facility, Revin completed the periodic removal & replacement of the E-K pre-treat tank and its hose, discarding the used units as trash. [E-K contains five liters of pre-treat solution, i.e., a mix of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), CrO3 (chromium oxide, for oxidation and purple color), and H2O (water). The pre-treat liquid is mixed with water in the DKiV dispenser and used for toilet flushing.]
Afterwards, Sergei had 1h15m set aside for transferring & loading discarded cargo on Progress 47P while logging moves in the IMS (Inventory Management System) database. [Besides the items loaded by Gennady on 6/26, Sergei today dispensed with a flush water and urine sensor unit, a panel, a SD1-7 lighting fixture and a SD-1-7 floodlight unit.]
CDR Padalka completed –
• The routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM; [regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator],
• The daily IMS maintenance, updating/editing its standard “delta file” including stowage locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur),
• The periodic service data dump from the BSPN Payload Server via high-speed RSPI Data Transmission Radio Link with the RSS1 laptop,
• Another transfer of water from Tank 1 of the ATV-3 WDS (Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 Water Delivery System) to fill an EDV-RP container via the P-P water transfer hose with BP pumping equipment; [ATV3 WDS Tank 1 contained ~90L], and
• The periodic checkout & performance verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways; [inspected IP-1s are in the passageways PrK (SM Transfer Tunnel)-RO (SM Working Compartment), PkhO (SM Transfer Compartment)-RO, PkhO-DC1, PkhO-FGB PGO, PkhO-MRM2, FGB GA-MRM1, FGB PGO-FGB GA, and FGB GA-Node-1].
FE-2 Revin completed another collection session for the psychological MBI-16 Vzaimodejstvie (“Interactions”) program, accessing and completing the computerized study questionnaire on the RSE-Med laptop and saving the data in an encrypted file. It was Sergei’s 3rd time. [The software has a “mood” questionnaire, a “group & work environment” questionnaire, and a “critical incidents” log. Results from the study, which is also mirrored by ground control subjects, could help to improve the ability of future crewmembers to interact safely and effectively with each other and with Mission Control, to have a more positive experience in space during multi-cultural, long-duration missions, and to successfully accomplish mission activities.]
FE-3 Acaba again had a time slot/placeholder reserved for making entries in his electronic Journal on the personal SSC. [Required are three journaling sessions per week.]
At ~3:50am EDT, Padalka, Revin & Acaba held the regular (nominally weekly) tagup with the Russian Main Flight Control Team (GOGU/Glavnaya operativnaya gruppa upravleniya), including Shift Flight Director (SRP), at TsUP-Moscow via S-band/audio, phone-patched from Houston and Moscow.
At ~4:40am, Padalka & Revin supported a Russian PAO TV event, responding to questions from students of the International Youth Science School “Space Research: Theory and Practice”, currently hosted by the Bauman MGTU Youth Space Center, who assembled at TsUP-Moscow for the conference with the ISS crew. [Undergraduate and graduate students from N. E. Bauman MGTU, and from universities in US, Switzerland, People’s Republic of China, China, France, Germany, and Italy are participating in this school’s activities.]
At ~5:05am, Gennady & Sergei linked up with TsUP-Moscow stowage specialists via S-band to conduct the weekly IMS tagup, discussing inventory & stowage issues, equipment locations and cargo transfers.
At ~6:35am, the two Russian crewmembers conducted a second Russian PAO TV event, downlinking messages of greetings and congratulations to (1) the Kaspersky Lab on its 15th Anniversary, and (2) the International Youth Festival “Cosmofest”, to be held 7/13-15 near Alexin (Tula Region). [(1) On 7/13, Kaspersky Lab will be 15 years old. This is one of the most actively growing companies in a network security, among the top four leading global producers of software solutions for protection of end users. It is an international group of companies operating in more than 100 countries worldwide, with over 2300 highly skilled professionals. Kaspersky Lab has offices in 29 countries, and its products and technology are used by more than 300 million users across the world. (2) International Youth Festival “Cosmofest” was born on the 45th anniversary of Y. A. Gagarin’s flight, bringing together enthusiasts of cosmonautics, aviation, and aeronautics. A new community emerged around the festival in the past 6 years, drawing philosophers, artists, musicians, designers, documentary film-makers, rocket-model makers, robotics engineers, astronomy buffs, students and professors from MAI, Bauman MVTU, MIFI, MGU, space industry workers. This year the decision was made to dedicate this festival in memory of Ray Bradbury, a thinker and humanitarian.]
At ~3:10pm, the crew was scheduled for their regular weekly tagup with the Lead Flight Director at JSC/MCC-Houston.
Before Presleep, Acaba will turn on the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and start the Ku-band data flow of video recorded during the day to the ground, with POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) routing the onboard HRDL (High-Rate Data Link). After about an hour, Joe turns MPC routing off again. [This is a routine operation which regularly transmits HD onboard video (live or tape playback) to the ground on a daily basis before sleeptime.]
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (CDR, FE-2), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (FE-2, FE-3), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-3), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (CDR).
Tasks listed for Revin & Padalka on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” job for today were –
• A ~30-min. session for Russia’s EKON Environmental Safety Agency, making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions on Earth using the NIKON D3X camera with the RSK-1 laptop, and
• More preparation & downlinking of reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb).
WRM Update: A new WRM (Water Recovery Management) “cue card” was uplinked to the crew for their reference, updated with their latest CWC (Contingency Water Container) water audit. [The new card (32-0027) lists 13 CWCs (221.1 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. Silver technical water (4 CWCs with 151.6 L); 2. Condensate water (3 CWCs with 14.0 L, plus 2 empty bags); 3. Iodinated water (3 CWCs with 55.5 L); and 4. Waste water (1 empty bag EMU waste water). Also one leaky CWC (#1024) with 8.5 L). No bags with Wautersia bacteria. Other CWCs are stowed behind racks and are currently not being tracked due to unchanging contents. Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Lake Faguibine, Niger River, Mali (ISS had a near-nadir, in clear weather over this target located between the Sahel Region and the Sahara Desert of western Africa. During seasonal floods, the Niger River supplies water via a connector channel to the fertile floor of arrow-shaped Lake Faguibine. Today Faguibine is a dry Sahel lake, although it was probably a permanent water body ~16,000 years ago. The connector channel and lake floor are the areas of interest. The connector is often blocked by moving sand dunes, making the lake floor useless as a major local cropland. At this time the crew was to begin a detailed mapping strip to acquire this target area), Dushanbe, Tajikistan (CAPITAL CITIES COLLECTION: This capital city with a population nearing 750,000 is located in an agricultural area of the western part of the country at the confluence of the Varzob and Kofarnihon Rivers. At this time, after passing the Aral Sea tracking southeastward, look towards nadir for this urban target marked by is rivers and agricultural patterns. The ISS pass was in mid-afternoon light and fair weather), San Marino, San Marino (CAPITAL CITIES COLLECTION: ISS had a nadir pass in perhaps partly cloudy weather over the tiny capital city of this microstate within the target area with your approach from the NW. At this time as ISS approached the coast of northern Italy, the crew was to begin a mapping strip to acquire useful views that they probably were not able to distinguish for themselves. The Republic itself is land-locked and is located about 20 miles SW of the Italian coastal city of Rimini. Best visual cues are Rimini’s small but prominent bay and a light-toned river which reaches the sea at this point), Athens, Greece (CAPITAL CITIES COLLECTION: The capital of Greece is an ancient city that dominates the south coast of region known as Attica in the southeastern part of the mainland. ISS had a late afternoon pass in clear weather over this sprawling urban area of more than 3 million. As it approached the coast from the NW, the crew was to look nadir for this target), Northern Temperate Lakes, Wisconsin (LONG TERM ENVIRONMENTAL RESEACH SITE: The small, numerous, fresh-water lake of central Wisconsin are conspicuous, ecologically-important, and socially-valued components of landscape there. Research aims to understand the ecology of lakes in relation to relevant atmospheric, geochemical, landscape and human processes. ISS had a fair-weather, mid-morning, pass with this narrow, N-S target area located from nadir to left of track. At this time as they approached the area from the WSW, the crew was to try for contextual mapping strip of the area from just north of Madison to just west of Rhinelander), and West Hawk Impact Crater, Manitoba (ISS had a nadir pass in fair weather at midday over this target area with its approach from the WSW. West Hawk Lake which fills the impact structure is about 100 miles east of Winnipeg, Manitoba 50 miles north of Lake of the Woods on the US/Canadian border. This 4.5 km-diameter crater was formed 350 million years ago. Despite several episodes of glacial erosion in the last 2 million years, it is still evident in the landscape. At this time as ISS tracked just south of Winnipeg, the crew was to begin an overlapping mapping strip to try and acquire this small feature).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:56am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 399.3 km
Apogee height – 404.7 km
Perigee height – 393.9 km
Period — 92.55 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007992
Solar Beta Angle — -26.7 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.56
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 105 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 78,102
Time in orbit (station) — 4977 days
Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4264 days.
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
07/14/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – 10:40:03pm EDT — S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
07/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking — ~12:50am EDT
————–Six-crew operations—————-
07/18/12 — ATV/ISS reboost
07/20/12 — HTV3 launch (~10:18pm EDT)
07/22/12 — Progress M-15M/47P undock #1 ~4:22pm EDT
07/23/12 — Progress M-15M/47P Kurs-NA Test
07/23/12 — Progress M-15M/47P re-docking ~9:55pm EDT
07/27/12 — HTV3 docking
07/30/12 — Progress M-15M/47P undocking #2 ~2:11pm EDT
08/01/12 — Progress M-16M/48P launch [4-orbit RDVZ] ~3:35pm EDT
08/01/12 — Progress M-16M/48P launch [34-orbit RDVZ] ~3:38pm EDT
08/01/12 — Progress M-16M/48P docking [4-orbit RDVZ] ~9:24pm EDT
08/03/12 — Progress M-16M/48P docking [34-orbit RDVZ] ~6:14pm EDT
08/16/12 — Russian EVA-31
08/30/12 — US EVA-18
09/06/12 — HTV3 undocking
09/08/12 — HTV3 reentry
09/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/25/12 — ATV3 undocking
10/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitsky/E.Tarelkin
10/17/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/01/12 — Progress M-17M/49P launch
11/03/12 — Progress M-17M/49P docking
11/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/05/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/07/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
12/26/12 — Progress M-18M/50P launch
12/28/12 — Progress M-18M/50P docking
03/19/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
04/02/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
04/04/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/16/13 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/31/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————-
