Status Report

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 18 December 2011

By SpaceRef Editor
December 18, 2011
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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 18 December 2011

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Sunday – Crew off duty. Ahead: Week 5 of Increment 30 (three-person crew).

After wakeup, FE-1 Shkaplerov performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

At wake-up, CDR Burbank completed his 8th post-sleep session of the Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS) protocol. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]

Anton Shkaplerov 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].

For today’s chosen 2h10m VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) activity, Dan Burbank worked in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) on the JAXA MSPR (Multi Purpose Small Payload Rack), setting up the G1 video camcorder to cover his subsequent steps and then performing Checkout 3 of the VRU (Video Compression & Recording Unit), specifically the video playback downlink function of the equipment via Ku-band. Before sleeptime, Dan will deactivate the VRU/Hub, MPC (Multi Protocol Converter) and MPLT (MSPR Laptop) in MSPR and disconnect the cables from VRU and from the Video 2 terminal of the G1 camcorder. [MSPR VRU Checkout 3 is to verify the video playback function, the extraction function and the FTP transfer function of MSPR VRU. The crew controls MSPR VRU by using the MPLT. MSPR VRU Checkout 3 contains the video down-link from MSPR VRU.]

At ~2:30pm EST, Dan Burbank is scheduled for his weekly PFC (Private Family Conference), via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop).

The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (CDR), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-2), and T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-1).

Burbank’s “job jar” task list for today includes another survey of areas of concern surveyed by video in August showing non-standard stowage and various other items (e.g., flammable materials). These areas are to be inspected again. [Dan is to check if configurations have changed and the areas are no longer a concern or to make any necessary changes to make critical equipment accessible and to report when the job is done.]

Tasks listed for Shkaplerov & Ivanishin on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” job for today were –
* A ~30-min. run of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with the NIKON D3X digital camera with Sigma AF 300-800mm telelens, aiming for Hudson Volcano and the glaciers of Patagonia,
* A 10-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining HDV (Z1) camcorder footage of color bloom patterns in the waters of the South-Eastern Pacific, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop,
* Another ~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, and
* Continuing the 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).

No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:17am EST [= epoch])
. Mean altitude – 392.5 km
. Apogee height – 409.3 km
. Perigee height – 375.7 km
. Period — 92.41 min.
. Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
. Eccentricity — 0.0024818
. Solar Beta Angle — 17.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
. Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
. Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 83 m
. Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 74,968
. Time in orbit (station) — 4776 days
. Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4063 days

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/21/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit — 8:16:15am EST (7:16:15pm Baikonur)
12/23/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S docking (MRM1) — 10:23am EST
————–Six-crew operations—————-
01/18/12 — ISS Reboost (set up phasing for 46P)
01/24/12 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
01/25/12 — Progress M-14M/46P launch
01/27/12 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
02/07/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon launch — (target date)
02/10/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon berthing — (target date)
02/14/12 — Russian EVA
02/23/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon unberth — (target date)
03/16/12– Soyuz TMA-22/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov — (Target Date)
04/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2) — (Target Date)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
TBD — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – launch on Proton (under review)
04/24/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
04/25/12 — Progress M-15M/47P launch
04/27/12 — Progress M-15M/47P docking
TBD — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) – docking (under review)
05/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
06/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
06/26/12 — HTV-3 launch (target date)
09/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
09/28/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/12/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
11/28/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/19/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
04/02/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
04/04/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/16/13 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/31/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————-

SpaceRef staff editor.