NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 23 October 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Day 10 of joint E17/18 operations. Last day in space for CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko, SFP Garriott.

The crew’s work/sleep cycle remains shifted for the Soyuz undocking: Wake-up – 8:00am EDT (from 10:00pm last night), sleeptime – 11:45pm.

For the biomed experiment INTEGRATED IMMUNE (Validating Procedures for Monitoring Crew member Immune Function), CDR-18 Fincke and FE-2 Chamitoff performed their Blood Collection and final Liquid Saliva collection, assisting each other for the blood draws. The Saliva Return Pouches and Blood Sleeves were then stored at ambient temperature on the Soyuz for return to ground. [IMMUNE protocol requires the collection to occur first thing post-sleep, before eating, drinking and brushing teeth, and all samples are stored at ambient temperature. Along with NUTRITION (Nutritional Status Assessment), INTEGRATED IMMUNE samples & analyzes participant’s blood, urine, and saliva before, during and after flight for changes related to functions like bone metabolism, oxidative damage and immune function to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects.]

The FE-2 retrieved and stowed the four passive FMK (Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit) sampling assemblies deployed by him on 10/21 in the Lab (at P3, below CEVIS) and Service Module (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.]

In preparation for the Soyuz departure tonight, Gregory also ensured proper closure of the protective window shutters in the Lab and Kibo module and powered down the SM Kenwood ham radio equipment, to prevent RF interference with the Soyuz radio comm.

Oleg Kononenko & Yuri Lonchakov closed out and transferred the last Russian biotech payloads for return on TMA-12. [Specifically: BIO-4 (Xenopus & BBC) BTKh-6, BIO-12/ REGENERATION, BTKh-29 (ZHENSHEN-2/Ginseng-2), BTKh-10/KONYUGATSIYA, TKhN-9 (KRISTALLIZATOR/Crystallizer), BTKh-1,-2, & -4 (GLICOPROTEID/Glycoprotein, MIMETIK-K, KAF, VAKTSINA-K/Vaccine), and BTKh-14/BIOEMULSION.]

Mike Fincke performed some troubleshooting for EarthKAM, after ground testing indicated that the EKAM Flight Software (FSW) does not download camera images when image processing within the camera takes longer than ~2.5-seconds.

With Soyuz TMA-12 no longer available as contingency CRV (crew return vehicle) for the coming Increment, Lonchakov transferred its three Emergency Procedures ODF (DAS EhP) books to the new CRV, TMA-13, docked at the FGB nadir port.

After several hours of final cargo transfers, CDR Volkov updated the IMS (Inventory Management System) with the transfer data.

In the JAXA Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), Gregory turned off the Argon gas supply from the CGSE (Common Gas Support Equipment) Upper GBUs (Gas Bottle Units).

Fincke collected the Actiwatch device of the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) study from VC-15 Garriott for temporary stowage. After downloading the data from his own Actiwatch to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop for subsequent downlink, Chamitoff also stowed his, Mike’s and the FE-1’s devices and turned off the SLEEP software. [To monitor his sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, crewmembers don the special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout this run. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.]

Preparations for the undocking will begin at about 3:00pm, with Volkov de-installing a lighting fixture (SD1-5M) from the Soyuz Orbital Module, for later reuse.

The CDR then enters the 16S Descent Module and performs the standard pre-undocking communications check, as Lonchakov in the SM configured the STTS comm system for undocking.

With the returning crewmembers all ingressed in the Soyuz spacecraft, Sergey & Oleg are to activate the spacecraft (~3:55pm), followed by closing the Soyuz and DC1 hatches, assisted by Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff. The departing Soyuz crew then starts the standard one-hour leak check on the Soyus-to-DC1 vestibule.

The return to Earth of the TMA-13 spacecraft tonight will proceed along the following general event sequence (all times EDT):

• ISS attitude control handover to RS — 6:20pm;
• ISS in free drift for DC-1 hooks open — 6:40pm;
• ISS in free drift for undocking — 8:12:30pm;
• Hooks Open command — 8:13:30pm; automatic undocking from DC-1 on DO15;
• Separation springs action (delta-V ~0.12 m/sec) — 8:16:30pm;
• Manual separation burn (15 sec, ~0.54 m/sec) — 8:19:30pm;
• ISS attitude control handover to US — 9:55pm;
• Deorbit Burn start (delta-V 115.2 m/sec) — 10:45:24pm;
• Deorbit Burn complete — 10:49:44pm
• Tri-Module separation (140 km) — 11:10:34pm;
• Atmospheric entry (102 km, with ~170 m/sec) — 11:13:32pm;
• Max G-load (34 km alt) — 11:20:09pm;
• Parachute deploy command (10.7 km alt) — 11:22:04pm;
• 16S Landing (DO1) — 11:37pm EDT; 6:37am Moscow DMT (10/24); 9:37am local Kazakhstan (10/24);
• Local Sunset — 7:18am (10/24), 6:18pm local.
  

• Downlinking the TV footage of the spacecraft departure to the ground,
• Disassembling the TV equipment which covered the spacecraft departure and returning its component to their regular places,
• Turning off the KUBIK-1 & -3 thermostatic containers,
• Performing the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM,
• Conducting the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) updating/editing,
• Completing the periodic checkout/verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways, and
• Initializing the SLEEP Actiwatch for Greg Chamitoff from the HRF-1 laptop,
  

The E18 crew also completes an adjusted 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-18, FE-1-18), and RED resistive exercise device (FE-2).

Afterwards, Greg transfers 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).

CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today were East Haruj Megafans (ancient, now defunct rivers [sourced in the Tibesti Mountains to the south of the site when the Sahara Desert was much wetter] have laid down vast spreads of sediment as a series of large fans hundreds of km long and wide. As rivers shifted position they produced networks of criss-crossing stream channels covering the entire surface of megafans. Earth’s megafans may be the best analog for widespread "intercrater plains" on Mars. This analog is being applied for the first time in ongoing research), and Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (the study area is a barrier island and marsh complex located on the central Georgia coast in the vicinity of Sapelo Island, located between Savannah and Jacksonville), and Sevilleta Wildlife Area, New Mexico (the Sevilleta Wildlife Area is primarily situated near either side of the Rio Grande River in central New Mexico. Detailed mapping views along the ISS track were requested.

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov <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).

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
11/02/08 — Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends
11/14/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 launch – MPLM Leonardo, LMC
11/16/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 docking
11/20/08 — ISS 10 Years
11/25/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking & deorbit (UNDER REVIEW)
11/26/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
11/29/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 landing (~1:25pm EST est.) (UNDER REVIEW)
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).