NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 17 December 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. >>>Today 105 years ago, the Wright Brothers conducted the first controlled, powered & sustained heavier-than-air human flight (1903). The feat, at Kill Devil Hills, NC, by Orville, lasted 12 sec and covered 120 ft.<<<

Use of the DC1 Docking Compartment as airlock for the upcoming EVA-21 on 12/22 requires it to be isolated from the Progress M-01M/31P cargo ship currently docked to it. To this end, FE-1 Lonchakov & CDR Fincke began their day with –

• Activating the Progress (i.e., SUBA/Onboard Equipment Control System & SOTR/Thermal Control System),
• Removing the air heater/fan unit & air duct from the passageway,
• Collapsing the duct and stowing it with the heater assembly in the Russian segment (RS),
• Removing the quick-release screw clamps which rigidize the docking joint (with RS thrusters inhibited during the clamp removal (3:00am-4:40am EST),
• Closing the DC1-SU and SU-31P hatches (~3:20am), and
• Performing the usual one-hour leak check on both hatches (ending at ~4:40am).

Other preparations in the DC1 by Lonchakov & Fincke for the suited dry-run on 12/19 (Friday) and the spacewalk on 12/22 (Monday) included –

• Configuring the STTS communications link to support their presence in “Pirs”,
• Performing ORU (on-orbit replaceable unit) installations on the Orlans, such as primary BK-3 oxygen (O2) tanks, batteries on BRTA radio telemetry units, LP-9 LiOH cans, moisture collectors & FOP feedwater filters, IK-0702 CO2 measurement unit filter, tool caddy, trash bags and tethers);
• Installing an additional BNP portable repress O2 tank assembly in the DC1 (in case the PkhO-SU pressure equalization valve fails to open),
• Resizing the Orlan-M spacesuits #26 & #27 according to an uplinked resize table (to be repeated as necessary during the dry-run and under reduced airlock pressure), and
• Preparing & gathering crew-preference US EVA tools and systems hardware.

In the US Airlock, FE-2 Magnus terminated the recharge of EMU battery #2037 in the BSA BC4 (Battery Stowage Assembly/Battery Charger 4) and stowed it for supporting the Russian Orlan-EVA.

Also in support of EVA-21, Sandy Magnus worked with Kapton tape, scissors and tape measure to jerry-rig an extension for the pull tab on the US REBA (Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly) which allows activation of the battery once it is installed in the Orlan-M.

Afterwards, Sandy retrieved EHIP (EMU Helmet Interchangeable Portable) light batteries #1028 & #1029 plus REBA battery #1008 and set them up for recharge. The process will be terminated tonight before sleep time and the batteries stowed for EVA-21.

The FE-1 conducted the periodic maintenance of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The process will be terminated tomorrow morning after crew sleep, followed by Bed #2 regeneration. (Last time done: 11/28-29). [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP’s regeneration cycle is normally done every 20 days.]

The FE-2 performed major IFM (Inflight Maintenance) on the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer) by –

• Removing the assembly from the CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) rack at LAB1S4,
• Changing out VOA components (N2 Dryer, O2 Scrubber, VOA Hard Disk, GC (Gas Chromatograph) Cooling Fan, Recirculation & Air-in Sieve Packs),
• Re-installing the VOA in the rack, and
• Removing Inlet & Exhaust caps.

[With its RPC (Remote Power Controller) switch ON, the VOA will be activated fro the ground.]

For cooling, Sandy afterwards hooked up MTL (Moderate Temperature Loop) jumpers to the CHeCS rack at the UIP (Utility Interface Panel) and Z-panel.

Yuri Lonchakov conducted monthly maintenance on the deactivated Russian IK0501 GA (Gas Analyzer) of the SOGS Pressure Control & Atmospheric Monitoring System by replacing its CO2 filter assembly (BF) with a new unit from FGB stowage (done last: 11/5), then reactivating the unit. The old filter was discarded.

The FE-1 performed more troubleshooting in the FGB to investigate an unexplained “smoke” indication light on the PSS status panel, today checking connectors behind panel 306 and associated instruments. [A check behind panel 429 on 12/13 failed to clear the issue.]

Sandy Magnus completed the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) 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). Afterwards, the FE-2 discussed IMS stowage ops with ground specialists in a 20-min. teleconference.

Mike Fincke continued the preparation for cold stowage in the MELFI (Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS) for future samples by completing the ninth ICEPAC insertion into the freezer after ULF-2, today retrieving another four -32 degC ICEPAC belts and placing them into Dewar 3, Tray A/Sections 3 & 4 and Tray B/Sections 1 & 4 for cooling down.

Afterwards, Mike conducted the periodic status check on the running payloads CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) and ENose (Electronic Nose), both located in the ER-2 (EXPRESS Rack 2). [ENose monitors the station’s interior for harmful chemicals such as ammonia, mercury, methanol and formaldehyde, running continuously and autonomously. It is the first instrument aboard ISS which can detect and quantify chemical leaks or spills as they happen. If successful, ENose might be used in future space missions as part of an automated system to monitor and control astronauts’ in-space environments. The shoebox-sized ENose contains an array of 32 sensors that can identify and quantify several organic and inorganic chemicals, including organic solvents and marker chemicals that signal the start of electrical fires. The sensors are polymer films that change their electrical conductivity in response to different chemicals, where the pattern of the sensor array’s response depends on the particular chemical types present in the air. The instrument can analyze volatile aerosols and vapors, help monitor cleanup of chemical spills or leaks, and enable more intensive chemical analysis by collecting raw data and streaming it to a computer at JPL’s ENose laboratory. The instrument, weighing less than nine pounds and requiring only 20 watts of power, has a wide range of chemical sensitivity, from fractional parts per million to 10,000 parts per million. Its data-analysis software can identify and quantify the release of chemicals within 40 minutes of detection. While ENose will look for 10 chemical types in this six-month experiment, it can be “trained” to detect many others.]

The FE-2 completed the routine daily servicing of the SM’s SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS). [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and performing US condensate processing (transfer from CWC to EDV containers) if condensate is available.]

Working from his discretionary “time permitting” job list, Yuri conducted the frequent status check on the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-1 ("Plants-1") experiment, verifying proper operation of the BU Control Unit and MIS-LADA Module fans (testing their air flow by hand). [Rasteniya-1 researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the LADA-14 greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems, Russian: IMBP).]

The station residents conducted 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 (CDR), TVIS treadmill (FE-1, FE-2), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-2, FE-1) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

At ~2:05pm EST, CDR Fincke conducted a 15-min. teleconference with Lee Archambault, CDR of the next Shuttle mission, STS-119/Endeavour-15A, in February ‘09.

ISS Reboost Test: Last night’s reboost test maneuver using the Progress 31P mid-ring thrusters was nominal. The thruster firing (duration: 9m 28s) took place at 10:58:50 pm EST and resulted in a delta-V of 0.49 m/s/1.61 ft/s (expected: 0.5 m/s/1.64 ft/s) and a mean altitude increase of 0.84 km/0.45 nmi (expected: 0.9 km/0.5 nmi). Attitude control authority will be handed over to Russian MCS (Motion Control System) at 9:10pm and returned to US Momentum Management at 11:45pm. [31P is docked to the DC1 nadir port, i.e., radially, and the burn was performed in LVLH +XVV attitude (local vertical-local horizontal/+X axis into the velocity vector, i.e., flying bow-forward), the first time for this type of translational maneuver. Purpose of this reboost was to test the Progress mid-ring (lateral) thrusters to support a DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver) when a Soyuz is docked to the SM aft port (17S is currently docked at the FGB nadir port). The test burn also started the phasing for the STS-119/15A and 32P launches.]

Conjunction Advisory: A new conjunction with space debris (Object 29406, SL-12) is being tracked with high priority for its closest approach tonight at 11:46pm EST, with at a radial miss distance of ~0.171 km. Due to late notification, it is too late for any decision on a DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver). More data will be received and evaluated in the next several hours. The conjunction had not been identified prior to the reboost test due to its extremely sparse tracking over the past few weeks.

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).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:22am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 354.3 km
Apogee height — 359.4 km
Perigee height — 349.2 km
Period — 91.63 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007626
Solar Beta Angle — -69.1 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
Mean altitude gain in the last 24 hours — 840 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 57738

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
12/19/08 — Russian EVA-21 Suited Exercise (wake 11:30pm 12/18; sleep 3:00pm 12/19);
12/22/08 — Russian EVA-21 (wake 9:30am; hatch opening ~7:15pm; sleep 7:10am 12/23);
02/09/09 — Progress M-01M/31P undocking & deorbit
02/10/09 — Progress 32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress 32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A launch – S6 truss segment
02/14/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A docking
02/24/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A undocking
02/26/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/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 32P undocking & deorbit
05/12/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
Six-person crew on ISS
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC, last crew rotation
08/XX/09 — Soyuz 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Soyuz
09/XX/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1)
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4
12/XX/11– Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.