NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 19 July 2008
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – mostly off duty for CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko & FE-2 Chamitoff.
Upon wake-up, Sergey Volkov terminated his sixth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session for the long-term Russian sleep study, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. [SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember’s physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
The crew performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the FE’s sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]
As part of the house cleaning, the crew also conducted regular maintenance inspection & cleaning on fan grilles in the FGB (TsV2), SM (VPkhO, VPrK, FS5, FS6 & FS9), DC1 (V3) screens and PF1/PF2 dust filters, as well as in the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory).
In addition, Volkov temporarily powered down the POTOK air filtration system for the periodic cleaning of its pre-filter, using the vacuum cleaner with narrow-slit nozzle attachment.
At ~10:20am EDT, the crewmembers conducted their regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week’s "Look-Ahead Plan" (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP timeline planners) via S-band/audio, reviewing the monthly calendar, upcoming activities, and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
Chamitoff retrieved and stowed the four passive FMK (Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit) sampling assemblies deployed by him on 7/17 in the Lab (at P3, below CEVIS) and SM (at the most forward handrail, on panel 307), to catch any atmospheric formaldehyde on a collector substrate for subsequent analysis on the ground. [Two monitors each are usually attached side by side, preferably in an orientation with their faces perpendicular to the direction of air flow.]
The FE-2 did another sample rearrangement in the MELFI (Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS), swapping blood and urine samples in their box modules between two Dewars of different temperature. [Sample vials were swapped between Dewar 1/Tray A/Sect.1.2 and Dewar 2/Tray A/Sects. 2 & 3.]
Greg also conducted the periodic ACO (activation & checkout) of the BPM (Blood Pressure Monitor) and ECG (Electrocardiogram) Recorder. [The BP/ECG ACO today, in preparation for next week’s PFE w/ OUM activity, included steps to correct some issues encountered during the previous use of the BP/ECG,.]
The two cosmonauts had their weekly PFCs (Private Family Conferences) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop), Oleg at ~8:50am EDT, Sergey at ~11:50am.
The three crewmembers conducted 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). Later, Greg 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).
For Oleg Kononenko, today’s Russian discretionary task list held one job – doing another session of the GFI-8 "Uragan" (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the D2X digital camera with the F800 telephoto lens. [Uplinked target areas were Patagonian glaciers and icebergs near South Georgia Island.]
For Sergey Volkov, a new discretionary task list job was another session for Russia’s Environmental Safety Agency (EKON), making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions using the Nikon D2X with the SIGMA 300-800mm telephoto lens.
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Seventeen — Week 13)
3-D SPACE: Third session for Greg Chamitoff will be planned in the near future.
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Measurements continue in the FGB module. Last memory card exchange was performed on 7/1. Next activities are planned on 7/22 for the rotation of the ALTEINO instrument and the exchange of the memory card. Subsequent data downlink is currently planned on 7/23.
ANITA (Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air): Continuing.
BCAT-3 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 3): Reserve.
CARDIOCOG-2: Completed.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): Reserve.
CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment): Reserve.
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Samples returned on 1J.
CSI-2/CGBA (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus): The Silicate Garden Hab S/N2 ground unit was activated at approximately 5:15pm EDT on 7/11. The flight unit was activated at approximately 1:25pm on 7/14 via remote command. There are 2 cameras in the flight unit imaging 2 chambers each for a total of 4 chambers on Side 1. Fibers continue to grow from the crystals in strange formations in the flight unit.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): Complete.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): Complete.
ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2): Planned.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations): Reserve.
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
EuTEF (European Technology Exposure Facility): On 7/16, EuTEF encountered a MIL-Bus error (this happened in a similar way in the past). The platform has to be powered cycled and all of the instruments have to be re-initiated. A DHPU (Data Handling Processing Unit) software patch is currently being developed to fix the link error issues encountered with DEBIE-2 and FIPEX instruments.– DEBIE-2: several 24hrs run were successfully performed between 7/13 and 7/15. Generic status: link error still in work. However a work-around allows for regular science data acquisition using an on-board IOP (Instrument Operations Procedure), but not yet in conjunction with any FIPEX IOP – a final software patch, which will enhance the present instrument capabilities, is under finalization on ground;– DOSTEL: On-going science acquisition;– EuTEMP: Currently inactive as planned;– EVC: foreseen EVC activation on 7/10 was not performed due to low temperatures;– EXPOSE: On-going science acquisition;– FIPEX: Weekly science script has been started nominally on 7/16. However after the EuTEF MIL-Bus error, this script was interrupted and has not been restarted yet; — MEDET: Continuously acquiring science data, but its temperature is very low. This instrument was also impacted by the EuTEF MIL-Bus error and will be restarted on 7/17; — PLEGPAY: Last runs were successfully performed on 7/9. Currently in READY mode, no science data acquisition on-going;– TRIBOLAB: The Ball-Bearing experiment 1/2/3 has been running since 6/16. On 7/10 it has been paused for Station activities. TRIBOLAB will be commanded into Thermal Stabilization Mode on 7/11 and then continue the Ball-Bearing experiment again on 7/12. TRIBOLAB went to NNM (Non Nominal Mode) on 7/14. The instrument was put back into Thermal Stabilization Mode on 7/16, but LAN connectivity with SOLAR has been lost since 6/25.
FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory): FSL is back and running. Further FSL commissioning activities remain to be done (see following item).
GEOFLOW: Additional optical check-out tests will be performed from ground on 7/22. The crew will then swap the optical target on 7/23, stand by until further optical modes checks (planned from 7/23 to 7/25. The GEOFLOW Experiment Container insertion into FSL is currently planned on 7/28. After some initial tests, the GEOFLOW science program is planned to be started on 7/29.
IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.
InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): In progress.
Integrated Immune: In progress.
KUBIK-FM1/ KUBIK-FM2 Centrifuge/Incubators: Completed.
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): Planned.
MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment): Ongoing.
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox): Complete.
NOA-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): In progress.
NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY: In progress.
PADLES (Passive Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): In progress.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): Ongoing.
SAMPLE: Complete.
SHERE (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment): In progress.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): In progress.
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): SOLAR is currently powered via the feeder#2 (survival) only and all instruments are off. Troubleshooting plan has been worked out and a crew activity has been planned for 7/21 to diagnose the connectivity between Columbus and SOLAR, making use of the ESA Multi-Purpose Laptop. Unfortunately all of the past Sun observation period data acquisition has been lost. These sun visibility windows closed on 7/7. The engineering teams on ground are awaiting the outcome of the troubleshooting activity on 7/21 to revive SOLAR, so that it is fully operational when the next Sun observation window starts on 7/30.– SOVIM: Instrument switched off pending above issue; — SOLSPEC: Instrument switched off pending above issue;– SOLACES: Instrument switched off pending above issue.
SOLO: Planned.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): In progress.
Swab (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): Complete.
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
WAICO #1 (Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels): The four ECs (Experiment Containers) of Rotor B are yet to be retrieved by the crew from the blocked Rotor B. BIOLAB could not be activated from ground yet, pending resolution of the Smoke Detector issue. A troubleshooting plan has been developed to recover all the BIOLAB functionalities. The remaining WAICO-#1 ECs will be disposed and replaced by six Reference ECs on Rotor B.
CEO (Crew Earth Observations): Through 7/15 the ground has received a total of 3,391 frames of CEO images for review and cataloging. New imagery received this week with times corresponding to CEO target request times included: Lake Poopo, Bolivia (interesting new imagery of the target is now under review); Jarvis Island, equatorial Pacific (only a solitary, late-shot frame of this isolated island); and Moorea Coral Reef, Tahiti (good imagery acquired, a bit late-oblique, and a touch soft). “As you are aware CEO target opportunities have been limited by low light and winter weather. It will take good fortune to spot even a large, bright iceberg under those conditions. We hope you may have better luck with the Polar Mesospheric Cloud opportunities. This lull is allowing us to work through our backlog. You shot excellent imagery of: Mount Rainer in with snow, the Red River Valley, the Tigris-Euphrates Delta, and much of the Afar Rift Zone target. Good work! We suggest technique-wise that you continue to practice with the long lens settings to improve consistency of focus, and continue to practice providing an overlap between successive images when mapping a feature or a regional target. The composition and quality of your images is high and we do appreciate you all your efforts.”
CEO photo targets uplinked for today were Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC) over Far Eastern Asia (DYNAMIC EVENT: Greg’s low light window of opportunity for this pass ran for about 10-12 minutes from the eastern China to the central Aleutian Islands. These will be high oblique views left of track towards the Earth’s limb), and PMC over Northeastern Europe (DYNAMIC EVENT: Chamitoff’s low light window of opportunity for this pass ran for about 10-12 minutes from the Algerian Coast to the central Ural Mountains of Russia. These were high oblique views left of track towards the Earth’s limb).
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, 5:36am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 344.2 km
Apogee height — 350.7 km
Perigee height — 337.7 km
Period — 91.42 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0009682
Solar Beta Angle — 72.2 deg (magnitude peaking)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.75
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 30 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 55360
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
07/23/08 — ATV1 reboost (~12:06pm EDT)
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).
