Status Report

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 15 January 2010

By SpaceRef Editor
January 15, 2010
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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 15 January 2010
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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

FE-1 Suraev began the day with the regular daily checkup of the aerosol filters at the Elektron O2 generator. [The filters were installed by Maxim on 10/19/09 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). Photographs are to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]

FE-4 Kotov & Suraev cleaned up after yesterday’s EVA-24 spacewalk. Specifically, Oleg & Maxim –

  • Held an EVA debrief/close-out conference with ground personnel at ~5:00am EST,
  • Removed the BK-3 portable oxygen repressurization tanks (primary & backup) from the DC1 BSS (Orlan Interface Unit),
  • Repressurized the interior from the BNP portable repress tank #7 in the DC1 until empty,
  • Removed the BNP portable repress tank from the SM Work Compartment (RO) and relocated it to Soyuz TMA-17/21S,
  • Removed the Orlan BRTA radio/telemetry unit batteries,
  • Took post-EVA radiation readings of the “Pille-MKS” dosimeters carried by the spacewalkers in their Orlan suits,
  • Put the EVA medical kits back in storage,
  • Downlinked EVA-24 digital photography,
  • Set up the first 825M3 Orlan battery for complete discharge/recharge,
  • Removed the US EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) lights, video camera, REBA battery & electric power cable from Orlan-MK for return to CDR Williams,
  • Refilled the Orlan feedwater bladders as required,
  • Configured the Orlan-MK suits for drying out, and
  • Took their post-EVA PMCs (Private Medical Conferences), via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Oleg at ~12:05pm, Max at ~1:15pm.

FE-5 Noguchi had Day 3 with the Generic HRF (Human Research Facility) Blood & Urine Activities for the first onboard session with the new routine, modified from the past NUTRITION w/Repository protocol, continuing the 24-hr urine collections started yesterday. Samples were stowed in the MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). [The operational products for Blood & Urine collections for the HRP (Human Research Program) payloads have been revised, based on crew feedback, new cold stowage hardware, and IPV capabilities. Generic blood & urine procedures have been created to allow an individual crewmember to select their payload complement and see specific requirements populated. Individual crewmembers will select their specific parameter in the procedures to reflect their science complement. Different crewmembers will have different required tubes and hardware configurations, so they should verify their choice selection before continuing with operations to ensure their specific instruction.]

In the Kibo module, Noguchi checked on yesterday’s troubleshooting of the MI (Marangoni Inside) Core with Elmer’s glue, today verifying silicone oil with pressure gauge, plus ground support checking for air tightness, then re-installing the MI Core into the FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility) MI body and closing out the maintenance activity.

CDR Williams inspected & photographed the CVB (Constrained Vapor Bubble) module with the science sample on the FIR (Fluids Integrated Rack), checking for bubbles to verify the module’s integrity (i.e., no leakage, cracks or broken materials after launch). [The CVB, with the LMM (Light Microscopy Module), is designed to determine, through optical interferometry, specific fluid characteristics under micro-G conditions that are crucial for the design & engineering of heat pipes for space applications (such heat pipes could be made to use capillary flow to induce CVB flow, eliminating the need for wicks and providing large weight savings). The LMM allows the identification of microorganisms with a broad suite of optical diagnostics including fluorescence microscopy.]

TJ Creamer inspected and verified MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) items inside each box module of Dewar 3 of MELFI 1 & 2. [TJ’s report: “Inventory completed; all was as expected.”]

Oleg Kotov 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.

At ~4:05am EST, the crew held the regular (nominally weekly) tagup with the Russian Flight Control Team (GOGU), including Shift Flight Director (SRP), at TsUP via S-band/audio, phone-patched from Houston and Moscow.

At ~8:00am, Williams, Creamer & Noguchi tagged up with the Expedition 23 crew to discuss future handover details.

At ~10:20am, Jeff, TJ & Soichi conducted a teleconference with stowage/packing experts at MCC-H to discuss 20A prepack specifics. Afterwards, TJ had 2 hrs set aside to gather and prepack cargo to be returned on 20A.

At ~11:15am, Maxim linked up with TsUP/Moscow stowage specialists via S-band to conduct the weekly IMS (Inventory Management System) tagup, discussing inventory & stowage issues, equipment locations and cargo transfers.

The crewmembers worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise on the TVIS treadmill (FE-1, FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-1, FE-4, FE-5, FE-6), and T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-5, FE-6).

Later, Jeff transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on ARED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today were Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes, Egypt (weather was predicted to be clear at the time of this overpass. Looking slightly to the right of track for Lake Nasser, a large reservoir formed after completion of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River in 1970. Imagery of the lake shorelines was requested to track water levels and shoreline change over time), Ascension Island, Atlantic Ocean (scattered clouds may have been present in the vicinity of Ascension Island. Looking slightly to the right of track for the island. The island has a history of association with space-based activities – particularly as a communications and satellite-tracking hub. Overlapping mapping frames of the island were requested), Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Dynamic Event. A major earthquake occurred in southern Haiti during late afternoon on Tuesday, 1/12. The earthquake has caused large amounts of damage to the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and the death toll is expected to be high. Looking to the left of track for the island of Hispaniola; Port-au-Prince is located along a deep embayment on the western side of the island. Imagery of the Port-au-Prince urban area and adjacent hills was requested. There may have been clouds over the eastern portion of the island, but the area over Port-au-Prince should have been mostly clear), and Santa Maria Volcano, Guatemala (ISS had a nadir-viewing overpass of this active volcano. The symmetrical cone of the stratovolcano is located to the southwest of the city of Quezaltenango, and has a large, oblong crater along the southwestern face of the cone. An active lava dome, Santiaguito, is located within the crater. Overlapping mapping frames of the volcano flanks and summit, particularly the crater region, were requested).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:35am EST [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 337.5 km
Apogee height – 342.5 km
Perigee height – 332.6 km
Period — 91.28 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.65 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007373
Solar Beta Angle — -13.6 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.77
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 95 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 63,926

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
01/21/10 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S relocation (from SM aft to MRM-2, undock 5:04am, dock ~5:26am)
01/23/10 — PMA-3 relocation (from Node-1 port to Node-2 zenith)
02/03/10 — Progress M-04M/36P launch
02/05/10 — Progress M-04M/36P docking (~11:32pm EST)
02/07/10 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 “Tranquility”+Cupola (launch 4:39am EST)
03/18/10 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S undock/landing
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/18/10 — STS-131/Discovery/19A – MPLM(P), LMC (launch ~1:30pm EST)
04/02/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S launch – Skvortsov (CDR-24)/Caldwell/Kornienko
04/04/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————–
04/27/10 — Progress M-03M/35P undock
04/28/10 — Progress M-05M/37P launch
04/30/10 — Progress M-05M/37P docking
05/14/10 — STS-132/Atlantis/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM-1 (~2:00pm EST)
05/10/10 — Progress M-04M/36P undock
05/31/10 — Soyuz TMA-17/21S undock/landing
————–Three-crew operations————-
06/14/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S launch – Wheelock (CDR-25)/Walker/Yurchikhin
06/16/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————–
07/xx/10 — US EVA-15
07/xx/10 — Russian EVA-25
06/28/10 — Progress M-06M/38P launch
07/02/10 — Progress M-06M/38P docking
07/26/10 — Progress M-05M/37P undock
07/27/10 — Progress M-07M/39P launch
07/29/10 — Progress M-07M/39P docking
07/29/10 — STS-134/Endeavour (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS-02) (~7:30am EST)
08/30/10 — Progress M-06M/38P undock
08/31/10 — Progress M-08M/40P launch
09/02/10 — Progress M-08M/40P docking
09/15/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S undock/landing
09/16/10 — STS-133/Discovery (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) (~12:01pm EST)
09/18/10 — STS-133/Discovery (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) docking
09/22/10 — STS-133/Discovery (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) undock
09/30/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch – Kelly (CDR-26)/Kaleri/Skripochka
10/xx/10 — Russian EVA-26
10/26/10 — Progress M-07M/39P undock
10/27/10 — Progress M-09M/41P launch
10/29/10 — Progress M-09M/41P docking
11/15/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S undock/landing
11/18/10 — ATV2 launch– Ariane 5 (ESA) U/R
11/30/10 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S launch – Kondratyev (CDR-27)/Coleman/Nespoli
12/15/10 — Progress M-08M/40P undock
12/17/10 — ATV2 docking
02/08/11 — Progress M-09M/41P undock
02/09/11 — Progress M-10M/42P launch
02/11/11 — Progress M-10M/42P docking
03/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-22/26S launch
xx/xx/11 — Progress M-11M/43P launch
05/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S launch
12/??/11 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton

SpaceRef staff editor.