NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 April 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Easter Sunday – Crew off duty. Ahead: Week 7 of Increment 27.
HAPPY EASTER! С праздником Пасхи!
[Note: Russia’s Orthodox Church observes Easter (Pasha) this year also today, on the basis of the Julian calendar and the “paskhalias” – i.e. special “paschal” lunar tables – with khristosovanie traditions like triple kiss exchange and red eggs.]
Upon wake-up, FE-1 Samokutyayev performed the regular daily check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O2 (oxygen) generator. [Maxim Suraev installed these filters on 10/19/09 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). Sasha inspects the filters again before bedtime tonight, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]
FE-2 Borisenko terminated charging the battery for the KPT-2 BAR TTM-2 anemometer/thermometer, initiated last night, and put the equipment back in storage. [Objective of the Russian BAR-EXPERT science payload is to measure environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, air flow rate) and module shell surface temperatures behind SM panels and other areas susceptible to possible micro-destruction (corrosion), before and after insolation (day vs. night). The payload uses a remote infrared thermometer (Kelvin-Video), a thermohygrometer (Iva-6A), a heat-loss anemometer/thermometer (TTM-2) and an ultrasound analyzer (AU) to determine environmental data in specific locations and at specific times. Activities include documentary photography with the NIKON D2X camera and flash.]
Afterwards, Andrey checked out proper communications between the BSPN Payload Server and the RSS1 laptop, and then downloaded data accumulated from the GFI-7 Molniya-GAMMA experiment mounted externally since the Russian EVA-28. [GFI-17 “Molniya” FOTON-GAMMA investigates atmospheric gamma-ray bursts and optical radiation in conditions of thunderstorm activity.]
Alex Samokutyayev conducted the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM (Service Module), including the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP-Moscow. [This 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].
Sasha also performed 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 reporting to TsUP.
FE-3, FE-5 & FE-6 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), Paolo at ~4:55am, Cady at ~8:30am,Ron at ~11:50am EDT.
At ~6:00am EDT, Dmitri, Alex & Andrey conducted a special crew-requested TV conference with the Dean of Star City Church, exchanging Easter Holiday greetings. [Via S-band/audio & Ku-band/video.]
At ~6:40am, Borisenko & Samokutyayev supported a Russian PAO TV event, downlinking greetings for recording at TsUP for the Grand Opening of the Moscow Planetarium on June 12, 2011. [Moscow Planetarium will re-open on June 12, 2011, after a 17-year long renovation. “…Cosmonauts, like the entire nation, have been waiting for this day the long 17 years, since the Planetarium has been closed. This is a remarkable and symbolic sign that the Planetarium is reopening in a year when the entire world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first human flight to space. We are extremely proud that this person was our fellow countryman, Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin. Most likely many of you know that in the Big Star Hall of Moscow Planetarium the first Cosmonaut Corps, with Yuri Gagarin as a member, received a training course on how to find their way around in space. In the past 50 years space technologies made a huge leap forward, and we, today’s cosmonauts, are getting space flight training in a totally different way. But still, for every cosmonaut Moscow Planetarium was and still is a special place, where it all had begun. Our sincere best wishes to everybody who was a part of this great undertaking, the rebirth of Moscow Planetarium.”]
At ~11:25am, in observance of Orthodox Easter, the three Russian crewmembers received a phone call from the Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill I, from TsUP-Moscow.
At ~12:55pm, Kondratyev, Borisenko & Samokutyayev held a ham radio session with students from Kurchatov High School #1. [Student questions: “Do you ever have unforeseen situations during the flight, and how do you resolve them? How does the planet EARTH look like from space? What sensations to you have in weightlessness? Can you predict natural disasters from space, like the recent one in Japan? Do you have any free time? What do you do? Would you like for your children to become cosmonauts? How much the look of stars and planets from Earth is different from that in space? What did you dream to see in space? Did your dream come true? What is the most difficult job on the ISS?.]
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-3, FE-6), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-3, FE-5, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-1, FE-2, FE-5) and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-2).
No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 5:42am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 347.5 km
Apogee height – 349.5 km
Perigee height – 345.6 km
Period — 91.49 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0002963
Solar Beta Angle — 43.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.74
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 48 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 71,243
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations————-
04/26/11 — Progress M-09M/41P deorbit ~9:15am
04/27/11 — Progress M-10M/42P launch
04/29/11 — Progress M-10M/42P docking (DC-1 nadir)
04/29/11 — STS-134/Endeavour launch ULF6 (ELC-3, AMS) ~3:47:49pm EDT
05/01/11 — STS-134/Endeavour docking ~1:31pm
05/11/11 — STS-134/Endeavour undocking ~6:23am
05/13/11 — STS-134/Endeavour landing (KSC) ~9:28am
05/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-20/25S undock/landing (End of Increment 27)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S launch – M. Fossum (CDR-29)/S. Furukawa/S. Volkov
06/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations————-
06/xx/11 — ATV-2 “Johannes Kepler” undock (SM aft)
06/21/11 — Progress M-11M/43P launch
06/23/11 — Progress M-11M/43P docking (SM aft)
06/28/11 — STS-135/Atlantis launch ULF7 (MPLM) ~3:30pm EDT NET
06/30/11 — STS-135/Atlantis docking ULF7 (MPLM) NET
07/27/11 – Russian EVA #29
08/29/11 — Progress M-11M/43P undocking
08/30/11 — Progress M-12M/44P launch
09/01/11 — Progress M-12M/44P docking (SM aft)
09/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-21/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
10/02/11 – Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/25/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/28/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking (DC-1)
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/02/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
12/27/11 — Progress M-14M/46P launch
12/29/11 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
02/29/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
03/05/12 — Progress M-12M/44P undock
03/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov
04/01/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
05/05/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – launch on Proton (under review)
05/06/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
05/07/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) – docking (under review)
05/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/31/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/18/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/02/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
10/04/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/16/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/12 — Soyuz TMA-08M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/02/12 – Soyuz TMA-08M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-07M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-12M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-12M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-11M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————-
