NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 13 September 2009

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Sunday — off-duty day. Ahead: Week 16 of Increment 20

At wake-up, Bob Thirsk supported ongoing JAXA micro-G assessments by tapping a portside seat track in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) several times with his fist to provide intentional excitation to the MMA. [Bob’s sleep station is in the JPM. Three sets of data measurement are planned in the current week 23 (9/11-9/15), each lasting 24 hours. The first set of data collection is scheduled today. The second set will be scheduled on 9/13 and the third one on 9/14. Comparing the data between the U.S. SAMS (Space Acceleration Measurement System) and MMA is important for ground analysis. Therefore, after begin of micro-G data measurement by SAMS and MMA, in order for the ground to accurately compare the data collection, Bob was to provide an intentional vibration near the JPM CQ (Crew Quarters).]

Nicole Stott closed out the second day of her first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, finishing 24-hr urine collections & sample placing in MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Her next NUTRITION w/Repository activity is the FD30 session. [The NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by supercold MELFI dewars), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.]

In the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), FE-4 Thirsk worked with FE-3 Romanenko in retrieving and taking the readings of eight RaDI-N SBDs (Radiation Dosimetry inside ISS / Space Bubble Detectors) set up on 9/6 for the second RaDI-N payload session (which measures neutron flux) near the TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter, for comparison). [Since the SBDs are also part of the Russian RBO-3-2 Matryoshka payload, Roman provided his experience and help with their retrieval and placement in the Matryoshka Reader. Measured dose rates for ~7 days were all below 100 mrem. Note: TEPC was moved from COL to SM (Service Module) yesterday.]

Romanenko performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM, including the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP-Moscow. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]

Roman also checked up on the Russian POTOK-150MK (150 micron) air filter unit of the SM’s SOGS air revitalization subsystem, gathering weekly data on total operating time & “On” durations for reporting to TsUP-Moscow.

All crewmembers had their weekly PFC (Private Family Conference), via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop), Gennady at ~6:35am, Roman at ~8:10am, Frank at ~9:40am, Nicole at ~11:55am, Mike at ~1:30pm, Bob at ~3:25pm EDT.

The crew performed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-1, FE-4, FE-5), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation (CDR, FE-2, FE-3), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-2, FE-3, FE-4, FE-5), and VELO cycle ergometer with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).

No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today.

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 9/1/08, this database contained 770,668 views of the Earth from space, with 324,812 from the ISS alone).

Currently on the Crew’s Discretionary Task Lists:
Ø Avatar Exp.
Ø Dosimeter set up
Ø MPC-HD video downlink (daily)
Ø SEINER Ops.
Ø EKON Photo
Ø 34P Trash gather & audit
Ø CPSD-Navdef
Ø MELFI Dewars 1-4 config.
Ø WHC-KTO replace
Ø 17A Unpack

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:09am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude — 347.2 km
Apogee height – 353.5 km
Perigee height — 340.9 km
Period — 91.48 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0009379
Solar Beta Angle — 35.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.74
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 44 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 61986

HTV Update: The vehicle continues to function nominally; consumables remain within normal limits. Capture preparations are nominal: SSRMS is now located on WS-5 (Workstation 5) in HTV Viewing Position, and LEE (Latching End Effector) checked out successfully, with snares configured for HTV capture. At 6:20pm EDT last night HTV was approximately 6900 km behind & 106 km below ISS.

HTV Flight Day (FD) Overview:

• FD3 (yesterday): Far field demonstrations: HTV successfully performed a nominal MD1 burn (retrograde) for a minor adjustment to orbit phasing. Next scheduled burn: MD2, tomorrow morning (FD5) at 5:12am EDT.

• FD4, FD5: Far field rendezvous
• FD6: IMMT review of demonstrations
• FD7: Far field rendezvous
• FD8: Prox Ops, Capture (~3:50pm if on 9/17), Installation
• Capture will occur during time without Ku-Band available.
• FD9: Crew half-duty day, Ingress
• FD10: JEMRMS checkout and EP (two payloads) prep
• FD11: EP Transfer to JEM-EF
• FD12: Payloads Transfer from EP to EF (Exposed Facility) with Kibo RMS (Robotic Manipulator System)
• FD13: EP Transfer back to HTV
• FD14-38: Cargo transfer from HTV to ISS
• FD38: Prep for release
• FD39: Deactivation and Release
• FD40: Re-entry

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
09/17/09 — HTV1 (H-IIB Transfer Vehicle 1 ) rendezvous & berthing (~3:50pm)
Ø Arrive at Capture Point – 3:30pm
Ø Capture Window opens (sunset) – 3:45pm
Ø Capture & berth w/SSRMS – ~3:50pm
Ø Capture Window closes (sunrise) – 4:20:34pm
Ø Backup Capture & berth w/SSRMS – 5:20pm
09/21/09 — Progress 34P undock
09/30/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S launch
10/02/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S docking (SM aft, until MRM-2 w/new port)
10/11/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S undock
10/14/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) unberth (under review)
10/15/09 — Progress 35P launch
11/10/09 — 5R/MRM-2 (Russian Mini Research Module 2) on Soyuz-U
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/07/09 — Soyuz TMA-17/21S launch
12/26/09 — Progress 36P launch
02/03/10 — Progress 37P launch
02/04/10 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
03/18/10 — STS-131/Discovery/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/02/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S launch
04/27/10 — Progress 38P launch
05/14/10 — STS-132/Atlantis/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM-1
05/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S launch
06/25/10 — Progress 39P launch
07/29/10 — STS-133/Endeavour (ULF5 – ELC4, MPLM) or STS-134/Discovery (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS)
08/11/10 — Progress 40P launch
09/16/10 — STS-133/Endeavour (ULF5 – ELC4, MPLM) or STS-134/Discovery (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS)
09/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch
10/19/10 — Progress 41P launch
11/??/10 — ATV2 – Ariane 5 (ESA)
12/??/11 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton