NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 14 August 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Sunday – Crew off-duty. Ahead: Week 22 of Increment 27/28.
This morning at ~6:46am EDT, the ISS (specifically its FGB “Zarya” module) completed 73,000 orbits of the Earth, having covered a distance of 3.09 billion kilometers (1.92 billion st.miles) in about 4650 days. [The 19,300-kg/42,600-lbs Zarya (“Dawn”) was launched on a Russian/Khrunichev Proton from Baikonur almost 13 years ago, on 11/20/1998, as the first element of the multi-national space station.]
As part of the regular Daily Morning Inspection, CDR Borisenko checked out the SM (Service Module) PSS caution & warning panel.
Borisenko also inspected the newly activated Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) payload with its LADA-01 greenhouse, checking for proper fan operation by testing the air flow from the ventilators BO A04 & BO A05 and verifying that both LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are lit. [Rasteniya-2 researches growth and development of plants (currently wheat) under spaceflight conditions in the LADA greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems, Russian: IMBP).]
In the Node-3 Cupola, FE-5 Furukawa deactivated the JAXA SSHDTV (Super Sensitive High-Definition Television) after it had been recording Perseid Meteor Shower occurrences for the past 3 days.
FE-3 Garan used the two hand-held CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen) units from the Lab P4 rack location, #1043 & #1048, to take the periodic O2 (oxygen) check in SM (Service Module) and COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) at mid-module, prior to today’s Progress oxygen repress. [O2 partial pressure values, battery ticks of each monitor and GMT time of activity were then reported to MCC-Houston. The CSA-O2 devices are used to help track O2 concentration while the MCA (Major Constituents Analyzer) is down.]
With the Russian Elektron oxygen generator currently inactive, depending on Ron’s CSA-O2 measurements, FE-4 Volkov was to initiate another refresh of the ISS interior with an O2 repress from Progress 43P tankage on Go-ahead from TsUP-Moscow.
Sergei also conducted the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. This included the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP-Moscow, as well as the weekly checkup on the Russian POTOK-150MK (150 micron) air filter unit of the SM’s & FGB’s SOGS air revitalization subsystem, gathering weekly data on total operating time & “On” durations for calldown. [SOZh servicing includes 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].
At ~11:00am, Andrey, Sasha & Sergei supported two Russian PAO TV events, downlinking messages of greetings to (1) educators of the Republic of Tatarstan, and (2) visitors posting questions on the Roskosmos website. [(1) On 8/22, Almetievsk (Republic of Tatarstan) will be hosting the August meeting of Tatarstan educators where they are going to discuss their issues and goals for the next academic year. This forum will be attended by Russian Federation Minister of Education & Science A.A. Fursenko, Republic of Tatarstan President R.N. Minnihanov, ministry and agency executives, administration heads, corporate CEOs, managers of Tatarstan regional municipal education departments, honored educators from Russia and the Republic of Tatarstan. This event will be attended by over 3500 people. (2) Alexey Platonov, 34, from Moscow, asked on the Roskosmos website, “Good day, or maybe night (I don’t know which side of the Earth you will be on when you get this message), our dear space conquerors Andrey, Sergey and Alexander! I would like to ask you this question: As you perform orbital science studies and experiments for the Russian space program, do you also help your foreign colleagues in their experiments? Do they help you?”]
CDR, FE-1, FE-3, FE-4 & FE-5 were scheduled for their weekly PFCs (Private Family Conferences) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop), Sergei at ~6:30am, Andrey at ~8:15am, Sasha at ~10:00am, Ron at ~12:40pm, Satoshi at ~4:30pm EDT. FE-6 Fossum had his PFC yesterday.
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-3, FE-5, FE-6), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (CDR, FE-1, FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-3, FE-4, FE-5, FE-6), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (CDR).
No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today.
Listed on the voluntary USOS “job jar” task list for Ron, Satoshi & Mike for today were –
. More unpacking of Progress 43P-delivered US cargo,
. ER-2 (EXPRESS 2) debris removal,
. MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) label installation,
. LHA (Lamp Housing Assembly) AO5 in Node-3 removal & replacement (after temporary
safing by ground),
. Photography of the PFS GDS (Pulmonary Function System Gas Delivery System),
. Inspection of CEVIS oscillators, and
. Replacing KTO solid waste container as required.
Jobs listed for Andrey, Sergei & Sasha today on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” task list were –
* Another ~30-min. run of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with the NIKON D3X digital camera photography with Sigma AF 300-800mm telelens, aiming for glaciers and lakes in the national parks of Chile (observing objects at the discretion of the crew),
* 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,
* A ~15-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining NIKON D3 photos with Nikkor 80-200 mm lens and the SONY HD video camcorder on oceanic color bloom patterns in the waters of South-Eastern Pacific., then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop, and
* Preparation & downlinking of more reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:18am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 386.5 km
Apogee height – 395.3 km
Perigee height – 377.8 km
Period — 92.29 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0012911
Solar Beta Angle — 65.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.60
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 28 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 73,001
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations————-
08/23/11 — Progress M-11M/43P undocking (5:35am EDT)
08/24/11 — Progress M-12M/44P launch (~9:00am)
08/26/11 — Progress M-12M/44P docking (SM aft) (~10:40am)
09/08/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/22/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
09/24/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/25/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/28/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking (DC-1)
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/02/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
12/27/11 — Progress M-14M/46P launch
12/29/11 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
02/29/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
03/05/12 — Progress M-12M/44P undock
03/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov
04/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
05/05/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – launch on Proton (under review)
05/06/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
05/07/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) – docking (under review)
05/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/31/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/18/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/02/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
10/04/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-08M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/02/12 – Soyuz TMA-08M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-07M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-12M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-12M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————
