NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 15 September 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Underway: Week 22 of Increment 17.

Post-Hurricane Ike Update: JSC/MCC-H remains closed. Part of the building roof of Mission Control is damaged, but there was no flooding, and the Rideout Team of ~65 persons has kept computers up. Communications with ISS are open from JSC via the BCC (Backup Control Center) at MSFC/Huntsville (Link 10A), on single string (no redundancy). As of last night: “If JSC opens this week, it will be for limited operations and additional recovery only.” Efforts are underway to get in touch with all employees in outlying areas to ascertain their status, needs for assistance and return-to-work estimates.

CDR Volkov and FE-1 Kononenko conducted another session with the Russian biomedical MBI-15 "Pilot-M"/NEURO signal response experiment after setting up the workplace and equipment, with Volkov today’s subject and Kononenko assisting. Afterwards, the Pilot-M & Neurolab-2000M gear was left connected for Oleg’s session tomorrow. [MBI-15 requires a table, ankle restraint system, eyeball electrodes for an EOG (electrooculogram), and two hand controllers (RUO & RUD) for testing piloting skill in “flying” simulations on a laptop (RSK1) under stopwatch control, as well as for studying special features of the psychophysiologic response of cosmonauts to the effects of stress factors in flight.]

FE-2 Chamitoff ended his fourth run with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository by collecting a final urine sample upon wakeup for storage in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The sampling kit was then stowed away. [The current 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 MELFI), 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.]

Also on Gregory’s schedule for today was a two-hour activity of reloading three onboard PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), after their charging, with new applications,- two with BCR (Barcode Reader) software (replacing the previous “Dolphin” BCRs), the third with WINS (Wireless Network Survey) software.

Oleg Kononenko worked on the Service Module toilet systems (SM ASU), performing the monthly 30-min. maintenance/servicing of the facility, changing out replaceable ASU parts with new components, i.e., the urine receptacle (MP) and a filter insert (F-V). The old parts were discarded as trash.

Chamitoff performed the periodic routine maintenance on the prime CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products) instrument, changing out its battery and zero-calibrating the unit (to eliminate drift in the combustion sensor), before returning the CSA-CP to its original location at the SM Central Post.

Afterwards, Greg had another hour reserved for unpacking and stowing crew provisions delivered on the ATV-1 (Automated Transfer Vehicle), to consolidate like items, reduce wasted stowage space and make room for additional cargo coming up on ULF2. [Provisions include such items as athletic shoes, running shorts, T-shirts, sleep shirts, Nitrile gloves, disinfectant wipes, printer paper, office supplies and gray & Kapton tape. All moves were recorded with the BCR (Bar Code Reader) to update the IMS (Inventory Management System), except for pens and pencils.]

The FE-1 conducted an audit/inventory of equipment items stowed in the FGB behind panels, going by an uplinked listing of 48 items with serial numbers and bar codes. [The hardware includes such items as filters, BK-3M oxygen tanks, GA O2 gas analyzer for Elektron, pressure sensors, absorption cartridges, cables and “Pinguin-3” suits with shoes.]

Later, Kononenko and Volkov started a new round of periodic preventive maintenance of ventilation systems in the RS (Russian Segment). [Oleg worked in the FGB cleaning the ventilation screens of panels 201, 301 & 401, while Sergey spent time in the SM to change out the PF1-4 dust collector filters.]

After recharging the SONY HVR-Z1J digital high-definition camcorder’s battery, Kononenko downlinked the video footage of “Life on ISS” filmed last week for public viewing (on Russia’s “Vesti” 24 TV news channel in their “Kosmos” segment) to TsUP over RGS (Russian Groundsite) at ~1:33pm EDT.

The two cosmonauts performed the periodic (monthly) functional closure test of the Vozdukh CO2 (carbon dioxide) removal system’s spare emergency vacuum valves (AVK), in the spare parts kit. See CDRA item, below. [The AVKs are crucial because they close the Vozdukh’s vacuum access lines in the event of a malfunction in the regular vacuum valves (BVK) or a depressurization in the Vozdukh valve panel (BOA). Access to vacuum is required to vent CO2 during the regeneration of the absorbent cartridges (PP).

Greg Chamitoff meanwhile worked in the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) to prepare the future locations of the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) and HRF-2 racks for their relocation from the US Lab. [The two U.S. racks will be transferred to locations A4 & F4 later this month.]

In the SM, Oleg completed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS), today as a discretionary job from the “time permitting” task list. [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.]

Sergey performed the daily IMS 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).

Working off the Russian at-crew’s-discretion task list, FE-1 Kononenko conducted the regular status check of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 ("Plants-2") experiment which researches growth and development of plants (barley) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-13 greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems {Russian: IMBP}).

The crew completed their regular daily 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).

Later, Oleg transferred the exercise data files 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).

CDRA Failure: Yesterday, the U.S. CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly) was reported failed after Flight Controllers tried for 13 hours (allowing for cooldown) to get the CSV (CO2 Selector Valve), which selects between the two CDRA absorption channels, back into operation after it failed between its two positions (A/B). The crew then disconnected the ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System/Low Temperature Loop) cooling jumper. The failure of the CSV, which has drawn attention in the past because of “sticking”, also affected the correct function of the ASV (Air Supply Valve). With the CSV’s spring not able to hold the valve in either of its two positions, CDRA will not operate. The Vozdukh CO2 scrubber in the Russian Segment continues to run nominally. If it should turn out that Vozdukh cannot maintain CO2 partial pressure below ~4.5 mmHg, the crew has a large supply of LiOH (Lithium Hydroxide) absorber/filter canisters at hand.

Progress Docking: Progress M-65/30P continues to “hold” in orbit on its Flight Day 6. Docking, originally scheduled on 9/12, has been deferred until Wednesday (9/17), see new timeline below. To prepare for the docking and the associated reduction in solar array output, BCC Flight Controllers will command a series of power-downs on board (mostly shell heaters), power reconfigurations and attitude control handovers from CMGs to RS thrusters & back.

Timeline for Progress 30P Rendezvous & Docking on 9/17 (all times EDT):

• Correction burn DV5 (4.00 m/s) 3:22pm (9/16)
• ISS attitude handover to RS 11:10am (9/17)
• ISS mnvr to dock attitude 12:20-1:00pm
• Progress Kurs-A Activation (T1) 1:08:30pm
• SM Kurs-P Activation (T1) 1:10 :30pm
• Good Kurs-P data at 80 km 1:34:24pm
• Kurs-A/Kurs-P Short Test @ 15km 1:55pm
• Range = 9km – VHF-2 activation 2:00pm
• Range = 8km – Progress TV act. 2:00:44pm
• AR&D Flyaround mode start 2:17:17pm
• AR&D Stationkeeping start 2:26:17pm
• AR&D Final Approach start 2:34pm
• Local Sunrise 2:35:46pm
• RGS AOS 2:41pm
• 30P Docking at SM aft port 2:43pm
• Local Sunset 3:04pm
• ISS mnvr to US momentum mgmt. 3:03-3:43pm
• ISS attitude handover to USOS 4:25pm.

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, 8:10am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 352.9 km
Apogee height — 357.6 km
Perigee height — 348.2 km
Period — 91.60 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006976
Solar Beta Angle — 52.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 27 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 56274

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
09/17/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (~2:43pm EDT)
09/29/08 — ATV de-orbit (nighttime re-entry for observation from 2 NASA planes; 9:12pm)
10/01/08 — NASA 50 Years (official)
10/10/08 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4) 12:33am
10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft)
10/12/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch (~3:03am EDT; Lonchakov, Fincke, Garriott)
10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (FGB nadir port, ~4:51am)
10/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S undocking (DC1 nadir) & landing
11/12/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 launch – MPLM Leonardo, LMC
11/14/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 docking
11/20/08 — ISS 10 Years
11/25/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking & deorbit
11/26/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
11/30/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking
02/09/09 — Progress M-66/31P undocking & deorbit
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
02/14/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A docking
02/24/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A undocking
02/26/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A landing (nominal)
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
03/27/09 – Soyuz TMA-14/18S docking (DC1)
04/05/09 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S undocking
04/07/09 — Progress M-67/32P undocking & deorbit
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
05/27/09 — Six-person crew on ISS (following Soyuz 19S docking)
07/30/09 — STS-128/Atlantis/17A – MPLM(P), last crew rotation
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).