NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 14 July 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Underway: Week 13 of Increment 17.

Crew Sleep Cycle: With wakeup this morning remaining at 5:30am EDT, sleeptime tonight is 7:30pm, i.e., 1.5 hrs earlier. This allows an earlier wakeup tomorrow morning, at 4:10am, to accommodate tomorrow’s EVA-20 at ~1:14pm.

In preparation for tomorrow’s Orlan EVA-20, Volkov & Kononenko conducted a 2h 40min review of specific spacewalk procedures and the timeline, supported by tagup with ground specialists via S-band. [The spacewalk by Volkov (EV1) and Kononenko (EV2) from DC1, estimated at 5h 30 min duration, will begin at 1:14pm EDT (EV hatch opening, timed by RGS/Russian Ground Site acquisition) and last until an estimated ~6:45pm (hatch closing). After egress, the crew will experience four orbital nights, egressing on the first. Part of the EVA will be supported by the DC1-based GStM-1 “Strela-1” crane, operated via hand crank. EVA-20 objectives are:

1. Installation of a new docking target on SM PkhO (Service Module Transfer Compartment) for zenith port docking of the MLM (deferred from EVA-20A);
2. Post-installation photography of the new docking target;
3. Inspection of mounting holes for an adapter of a Kurs antenna (4AO-VKA) on PkhO-RO (SM Working Compartment, small diameter section) for MLM;
4. Transferring one “Yakor” foot restraint (of two) from the DC1 EVA ladder to the SM and installing it in an attachment socket at a PkhO handrail (two Yakors were installed on DC1 ladder during EVA-17A on 2/22/07);
5. Installing the VSPLESK (“Burst”) science payload on a handrail at SM RO (large diameter section); and
6. Removing the BIORISK-MSN (BIO-2) experiment container 1 (of three) from the DC1 for return to the station (BIORISK-MSN, with three containers, was installed during EVA-19 on 6/6/07).

With FE-2 Chamitoff in the Soyuz Descent Module (SA), closing of hatches between PkhO & SM RO (Work Compartment) and between PkhO & DC1 will be at ~12:00pm, followed by suit donning, preliminary & final leak checks of suits, BSS and hatches, staged depressurization of DC1 with crew prebreathing, Orlan transition to autonomous battery power and EVA hatch opening at ~1:14pm for egress.]

In the Soyuz Descent Module (SA), Sergey Volkov made preparations for Gregory’s stay by readying its ASU toilet facilities and preparing and placing procedural/informational radiograms.

In the DC1, the CDR configured CCPKs (Crew Contamination Protection Kits, Russian: PNST), intended to protect the spacewalkers from FORP (Fuel/Oxidizer Reaction Products, e.g., N-nitrosodimethylamine, NDMA), i.e., incompletely-burnt fuel residue on the SM hull from yaw/pitch thruster plumes. [Protective gear kits for use during and after the EVA in case the Orlans are inadvertently contaminated, are extensively equipped with wet wipes, dry towels, goggles, IPK gas masks and half masks, latex gloves, high performance filters, trash containers, etc. The crew review today included detailed instructions what to do if any spacesuit contamination is detected after the EVA. Towels used for wiping gloves etc. will be thrown overboard in retrograde direction (i.e., against flight direction).]

Chamitoff “turned around” the Kodak DCS 760 EVA camera by initiating charging two batteries for it and later configuring the camera for operation.

Meanwhile, OIeg retrieved three Russian “Pille-MKS” radiation dosimeters, recorded their dosages and equipped each Orlan (in pocket on left calf) with a radiation sensor (A0309 & A0310). [A third sensor, A0307, will be placed in the SM for background readings, and a fourth, A0308, is on standby. Also, Oleg transferred the ID-3 personal dosimeters, normally worn on the flight suit, to the chest pocket of the Orlan’s lining (near the DIDB), later to be returned to the flight suits. After the EVA, readings from all dosimeters will be recorded and downlinked.]

In the Soyuz SA, Volkov prepared the SOA Atmosphere Purification Unit for Greg by replacing the used P5 cartridge with a fresh cartridge (P4).

Kononenko also broke out and set up the equipment for tomorrow’s planned “Urolux” biochemical urine test (PZE MO-9), readying the kit with fresh test strips in the ASU toilet facility. [MO-9 is conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for IMG (Integrated Medical Group) PHS evaluation as part of the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program. The data are then entered in the Medical Equipment Computer (MEC)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]

In preparation for the uncrewed period, the FE-1 later deactivated the AST Spectrometer of the Matryoshka-R (RBO-3-2) radiation payload. [RBO-3-2 is using the ESA/RSC-Energia experiment ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS/ALC) with its Spectrometer (AST) and ALC equipment, temporarily located in the FGB on panel 429 (normally in DC1).]

Greg Chamitoff had ~70 min set aside for unpacking & stowing cargo items delivered on STS-124/1J in their final ISS locations.

The FE-2 also set up two SONY PD100 camcorders in the Lab and Node-1 to provide situational awareness during the uncrewed period tomorrow (viewing only, not recording). [To get the longest view, the cameras are “zoomed out” with a Wide Conversion lens attached. The camcorders were positioned to provide most the encompassing view of the modules, each one using one of the module power outlets.]

The USB cameras on the Lab SSC (Station Support Computer) laptops were positioned such that areas not covered by the Lab PD100 video cam can be viewed from the ground.

To provide an SSC laptop for his stay in the Soyuz SA, Chamitoff powered off SSC-5 and its “cobalt brick” power supply for temporary transfer to the Soyuz spacecraft and also collected freshly charged batteries from four Lab SSC Clients for use in the Soyuz during the Russian EVA, replacing them in the laptops temporarily with stowed batteries.

Gregory also conducted another one of the periodic offloadings of the Lab CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly) dehumidifier’s condensate tank, filling a CWC (Contingency Water Container, #1054) with the collected water slated for processing. No samples were required. [Estimated offload time before reaching the tank’s neutral point (leaving ~6 kg in the tank): ~30 min. Condensate collection continues to be performed by the CCAA while the Russian SKV-2 air conditioner is off, awaiting its overdue Khladon (Freon-218) refill. SKV-1 has been nonfunctional for a long time.]

Also in preparation for the spacewalk, the FE-2 closed the protective Lab science window shutter (to be verified closed prior to attitude control handover to RS thrusters tomorrow at ~10:30am).

With the U.S. CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly) deactivated by the ground this morning (~9:00am-3:00pm) and its cooling no longer required, Chamitoff demated and took down the ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System/Low Temperature Loop) jumper at the CDRA-supporting LAB1D6 rack.

The two spacewalkers will have their regular pre-EVA PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Sergey at ~2:25pm EDT, Oleg at ~2:40pm.

At ~11:40am, Gregory too had his regular PMC.

The FE-2 conducted today’s routine maintenance of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM, including ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables.

The crew completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR, FE-1). Afterwards, Oleg transferred the exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) laptop for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

At ~1:00pm, Chamitoff will power up the SM’s amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, and power supply) and at 1:05pm conducted a ham radio exchange with the Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences (DASS) at the Kuwait Science Club.

At ~2:05pm, Sergey & Oleg are scheduled to support a PAO TV event by downlinking a message of greetings and well-wishing to the participants of the 2nd International Workshop-Conference Cosmotrans 2008 on Satellite Technologies for Rail Road Transportation, to take place in Moscow on 7/24. [It is expected that almost 200 delegates representing Russian Railway limited partnership, Ministries of Transportation & Defense; Academy of Science, leading science, research, design and development institutions, production, and foreign companies will participate in the conference. Expected for the conference opening ceremony are S. B. Ivanov, Chairman of RF Government; A. N. Perminov, the Head of Roskosmos; A. V. Borodko, Head of Russian Cartography; V. I. Yakunin, President of Russian Rail Roads, and other VIPs. ISS crew: “…Greetings from Expedition 17 of the International Space Station! We are happy that the achievements in cosmonautics find practical application in the cutting edge development of such strategic industries as Russian rail road systems. Every time, when we watch our country’s expanses from orbit, we can appreciate the importance of the rail road network in maintaining the integrity of Russia’s economy by connecting the most remote areas, and the impact of its efficient operation on the country’s economic development. We hope that space technologies-based GLONASS satellite navigation system, satellite communication, and Earth remote probing systems will have a profound impact on improving rail road transportation safety, improve passenger and cargo traffic control, and environmental protection measures..”]

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

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, 8:37am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 344.4 km
Apogee height — 350.9 km
Perigee height — 337.9 km
Period — 91.42 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0009689
Solar Beta Angle — 56.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.75
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 53 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 55283

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).