NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 11 July 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

Crew Sleep Cycle: After the late post-EVA sleeptime this morning night (2:10am EDT), crew wakeup today was delayed to 11:40am; sleeptime: 9:00pm EDT.

After wakeup and before breakfast, FE-2 Chamitoff downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from his Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop. [To monitor the crewmember’s sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, crewmembers wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by them as well as their patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.]

Later, Gregory reconfigured the POC (Portable Onboard Computer) laptops in the USOS for nominal OpsLAN operations, including NetMeeting and KFX (Ku-band File Transfer) functions. [Reconfiguration activities included relocating the SSC-13 (Station Support Computer 13) back to its nominal location in the Lab and reconnecting it to power, plus relocating four A31p battery packs from the Soyuz spacecraft to the Lab for temporary stowage.]

Cleaning up after the spacewalk, CDR Volkov & FE-1 Kononenko will –

• Remove the BK-3 portable oxygen repressurization tanks (primary & backup) from the DC1 BSS (Orlan Interface Unit),
• Remove the Orlan BRTA radio/telemetry unit batteries,
• Take post-EVA radiation readings of the “Pille-MKS” dosimeters carried by the spacewalkers in their Orlan suits,
• Downlink EVA-20A digital photography,
• Activate the ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS/ALC) Spectrometer (AST), and
• Set up the first 825M3 Orlan battery for complete discharge/recharge.

Both spacewalkers are timelined for their standard post-EVA PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) via S-band/audio, Oleg at 4:35pm, Sergey at 4:50pm.

Greg Chamitoff will tag up with EVA debriefers at MCC-Houston at ~5:15pm via S/G audio.

Oleg Kononenko is scheduled for taking the periodic readings of potentially harmful atmospheric contaminants in the Service Module (SM), using the CMS (Countermeasure System), a component of the GANK-4M Real-Time Harmful Contaminant Gas Analyzer suite, which uses preprogrammed microchips to measure H2CO (Formaldehyde, methanal), CO (Carbon Monoxide) and NH3 (Ammonia), taking one measurement per microchip. [CMS is a subsystem of the Russian SKDS Pressure Control & Atmosphere Monitoring System.]

The FE-2 has the weekly 10-min. CWC (Contingency Water Container) audit on his schedule, as part of on-going WRM (Water Recovery & Management) assessment of onboard water supplies. [Updated “cue cards” based on the crew’s water calldowns are sent up every other week. The current card (17-0002Q) lists 35 CWCs (Contingency Water Containers,~1365.2 L total) for the four types of water identified on board: technical water (650.6 L, for Elektron, flushing, hygiene, incl. 509.4 L non-usable water because of Wautersia bacteria), potable water (706.7 L, incl. 260.6 L currently on hold), condensate water (4.9 L), waste/EMU dump and other (7.9 L). Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]

The CDR is scheduled to conduct the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron oxygen generator’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the KOV EDV container with water collected in a CWC (Contingency Water Container) from the Lab CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly) dehumidifier. [The 40-minute procedure is specially designed to prevent air bubbles larger than ~10 mm from getting into the BZh Liquid Unit where they could cause Elektron shutdown. With both Russian SKV air conditioners still not functioning, condensate is being produced (from air humidity) solely by the CCAA.]

Kononenko later performs the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) 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).

Gregory will work on the US OGS (Oxygen Generation System), to set it up for activation. [Activities include installation of a WW (Waste Water) check valve at the OGS UIP (LAB1P1), accessing the OGS rack front and mating the O2 outlet jumper QD (Quick Disconnect) at the N2 Purge ORU (Orbit Replaceable Unit, LAB1PD1 panel), then performing an N2 (nitrogen) purge of the H2 (hydrogen) sensor, letting the OGA (Oxygen Generation Assembly) powered for ~20 min. Afterwards, the H2 sensor QDs are reconnected, the rack door closed, and the WDS (Water Delivery System) re-attached and activated.]

Other activities scheduled for FE-2 Chamitoff today are to –

• Reconfigure the flexible “elephant” air duct in the US Airlock (A/L), with the A/L CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly) air conditioner deactivated, to its nominal post-US EVA configuration at the IMV (Intermodular Ventilation) air return port,
• Turn off the ANITA (Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air) hardware, terminating its sampling mode, exiting ANITA software and powering down its laptop in support of subsequent ER4 (EXPRESS Rack 4) repair,
• Perform maintenance on ER4 (EXPRESS Rack 4) by replacing failed power indicators in Lockers 7 & 8, placing the defective light bulbs in a Ziploc bag and CTB for return,
• Take measurements for the regular atmospheric status check for ppCO2 (Carbon Dioxide partial pressure) in the Lab, SM (at panel 449) and COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), using the hand-held CDMK (CO2 Monitoring Kit, #1002). [The battery pack is to be replaced with the one from unit #1009 if necessary.], and
• Fill out the regular FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire), his fourth, on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer). [On the FFQs, NASA astronauts keep a personalized log of their nutritional intake over time on special MEC software. Recorded are the amounts consumed during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins. The FFQ is performed once a week to estimate nutrient intake from the previous week and to give recommendations to ground specialists that help maintain optimal crew health. Weekly estimation has been verified to be reliable enough that nutrients do not need to be tracked daily.]

A new task item on Greg’s discretionary “job jar” list is the periodic inspection & cleaning of the FDS (Fire Detection & Suppression) system’s bacteria filters and SDs (smoke detectors) in the Lab, Node-1, and Node-2.

The crew today performs a reduced physical exercise program on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (FE-1) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).

CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today were Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC), also known as Noctilucent Clouds. (These are transient, upper atmospheric phenomena which are only observed in the summer season at higher latitudes (greater than 35 degrees). Furthermore, they are only visible under special lighting conditions when the observer is in darkness and the sun is 10 to 35 degrees below the horizon. Because of their transient nature and the fact that their presence is almost impossible to predict, researchers consider PMC’s to be a DYNAMIC EVENT of opportunity. They are phenomena that we are documenting from the ISS in support of the International Polar Year (IPY). These are very subtle features and sometimes can only be confirmed with image enhancement.)

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 3/1/08, this database contained 757,605 views of the Earth from space, with 314,000 from the ISS alone).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 10:32am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 344.5 km
Apogee height — 350.7 km
Perigee height — 338.4 km
Period — 91.43 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0009145
Solar Beta Angle — 43.1 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.75
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – negligible due to EVA-20A
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 55237

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
07/15/08 — Russian EVA-20 (1:14pm)
07/18/08 — ATV1 reboost
08/30/08 — Progress M-64/29P undocking, from FGB nadir
09/05/08 — ATV1 undocking, from SM aft port (loiter until ~9/25 for nighttime reentry/observation)
09/10/08 — Progress M-65/30P launch
09/12/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
10/01/08 — NASA 50 Years
10/08/08 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
10/12/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (FGB nadir port)
10/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S undocking (DC1 nadir)
11/10/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 launch – MPLM Leonardo, LMC
11/12/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 docking
11/20/08 — ISS 10 Years
11/26/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
11/28/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking
02/10/09 — Progress M-67/32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress M-67/32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A launch – S6 truss segment
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
07/30/09 — STS-128/Atlantis/17A – MPLM(P), last crew rotation
05/27/09 — Six-person crew on ISS (following Soyuz 19S docking, May ’09)
10/15/09 — STS-129/Discovery/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P)
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 (contingency).