NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 March 2011
Upon wake-up, CDR Kondratyev performed the regular daily check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O2 (oxygen) generator which Maxim Suraev had installed 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). [Dmitri will inspect the filters again before bedtime tonight, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]
Before breakfast & first exercise, Kondratyev took a full session with the Russian crew health monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis, one of 4 Russian crew health status assessments currently being conducted (the other three: MO-3 (Physical Fitness Evaluation), MO-7 (Calf Volume Measurement) & MO-8 (Body Mass Measurement). Afterwards, Dmitri closed out and stowed the Urolux hardware. [MO-9 is conducted every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for U.S. crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the “PHS/Without Blood Labs” exam, also conducted today. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally by Boehringer (Mannheim/Germany) for the Mir program. Afterwards, the data are entered in the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]
Later, the CDR serviced the running experiment TEKh-22 “Identifikatsiya” (Identification) in MRM1 (Mini Research Module 1) Rassvet, downloading the latest batch of structural dynamic data collected by the IMU-Ts microaccelerometer to the RSE1 A31p laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground via OCA. [IMU-Ts is a part of the MRM1 SBI onboard measurement system, installed in PGO behind panel 104.]
Dmitri also conducted the regular transfer of U.S. condensate water from a CWC (Collapsible Water Container, #1083) to the RS (Russian Segment) for the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the designated KOV EDV container. Once filled, the EDV was connected to the BPK transfer pump for processing through the BKO water purification (multifiltration) unit. [The 40-minute procedure is specially designed to prevent air bubbles larger than ~10 mm from getting into the BZh Liquid Unit where they could cause Elektron shutdown. BKO contains five purification columns to rid the condensate of dissolved mineral and organic impurities. It has a service lifetime of ~450 liters throughput. The water needs to be purified for proper electrolysis in the Elektron O2 generator.]
For Cady Coleman, the day began with the blood draw for the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) Vascular Blood Collection protocol, her first time, assisted by Paolo Nespoli as CMO (Crew Medical Officer). FE-6 then set up the RC (Refrigerated Centrifuge) for spinning the coagulated samples prior to stowing them in the MELFI-1 (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS 1), after recording the five blood tube bar codes.
Paolo Nespoli performed a checkout of all Ethernet/LAN connections at the MSG MLC (Microgravity Science Glovebox / MSG Laptop Computer), then rebooted the A31p laptop. [On 3/22, following Paolo’s BXF (Boiling Experiment Facility) set-up and MLC reconfiguring, the ground tried to download directory files from the MLC to verify the LAN (Local Area Network) connections, but all download attempts failed and eventually locked up the MLC. Today’s activity was part of troubleshooting this Ethernet/LAN issue.]
Cady later supported the ground in powering down the MSG. [PRO (Payload Rack Officer) sent commands to configure the RFCA (Rack Flow Control Assembly) and open the RPC (Remote Power Controller) for MSG deactivation.]
The three crewmembers joined up in the Soyuz TMA-20/25S (#230) spacecraft (docked at the MRM1 Rassvet module) for the standard 3-hr Soyuz Emergency Descent Drill, a regular procedure for each station crew. The exercise, which does not involve any command activation, uses computer simulation (Trenasher Spusk/”descent trainer”) on the RSK1 laptop, with a descent hand controller (RUS) in manual mode to set up reentry conditions and switch between modes. Operators were Dima & Paolo. [The onboard training (OBT) session, supported by TsUP instructor tagup, included a review of the pertinent RODF (Russian Operations Data Files), specifically the books on Soyuz Insertion & Descent Procedures, Emergency Descents, and Off-Nominal Situation Procedures such as manual undocking.]
After the drill, Kondratyev disconnected the RSK1 A31p laptop.
FE-5 Nespoli completed the regular monthly session (#3 of 5 total) of the CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) emergency medical operations OBT (Onboard Training), a 30-min. exercise to refresh his CMO acuity in a number of critical health areas. The video-based proficiency drill today focused on intravenous (IV) fluid infusion. [The HMS (Health Maintenance Systems) hardware, including ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) equipment, may be used in contingency situations where crew life is at risk. To maintain proficiency, crewmembers spend one hour per month reviewing HMS and ACLS equipment and procedures via the HMS and ACLS CBT (computer-based training). The training drill, each crewmember for him/herself, refreshes their memory of the on-orbit stowage and deployment locations, equipment etc. and procedures.]
The Italian Flight Engineer also continued HTV2 (H-II Transfer Vehicle 2) “Kounotori 2” cargo operations, now focused on final trash packing, followed by ground specialist tagup for debriefing at ~11:35am EDT. [Sayonara time for HTV2: Release is planned for Monday 3/28 at 11:45am EDT (Tsukuba/Japan: 3/29 at 12:45am), followed by HTV2 thruster activation at 11:45:30am and re-entry on 3/29 at ~11:09pm EDT.]
Preparatory to the HTV2 unberthing next Monday, Nespoli checked out the Lab & Cupola Robotics system. [After connecting the DCP UOP (Display & Control Panel / Utility Outlet Panel) power bypass cable at the Lab RWS (Robotic Workstation) and also powering up the Cupola DCP UOP in Node-3, Paolo tested the Lab & Cupola DCP switches and then calibrated the Lab & Cupola RWS hand controllers.]
In the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), Cady Coleman reconfigured two JAXA science racks by switching the UDC (Utility DC/DC Converter) power cable from the Hicari experiment MMA RSU (Microgravity Measurement Apparatus/Remote Sensor Unit) on the Ryutai Rack (after RSU deactivation) to the Hicari MMA on the Kobairo Rack, then powering up its MMA RSU.
Cady then performed another weekly 10-min. CWC (Contingency Water Container) inventory as part of the on-going WRM (Water Recovery & Management) assessment of onboard water supplies. Updated “cue cards” based on the crew’s water calldowns are sent up every other week for recording changes. [The current card (27-0014) lists 132 CWCs (2,679.7 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. technical water (16 CWCs with 675.4 L, for Elektron electrolysis, incl. 347.4 L in 8 bags containing Wautersia bacteria, 134.2 L in 3 clean bags for contingency use, 170.8 L in 4 bags for transfer into EDV-RP containers via US/RSA-B hose, and 23.0 L in 1 bag for flushing only; 2. potable water (no CWCs); 3. iodinated water (104 CWCs with 1,909.7 L for reserve, of which 642.2 L in 35 CWCs are listed as “expired”; 4. condensate water (67.3 L in 5 bags incl. 7.1 L in 1 bag to be used only for OGA, plus 5 empty bags); and 5. waste/EMU dump and other (27.3 L in 2 CWCs from hose/pump flush). Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]
Servicing the CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) in its ER (EXPRESS Rack), Cady installed two Compact Flash memory cards into CGBA, one in Master, the other in Slave, after powering the payload down and decabling it.
Afterwards, FE-6 continued her work on the WRS (Water Recovery System), accessing the RFTA (Recycle Filter Tank Assembly) of the WRS-2 rack and reconfiguring the setup for the periodic RFTA backfill with a QD (Quick Disconnect) hose, which was then stowed and the RFTA activity closed out. [RFTA fill from EDV-U was not performed.]
CDR Kondratyev completed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [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 filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]
Dima also took care of 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).
At ~4:10am, the three crewmembers held the regular (nominally weekly) tagup with the Russian Flight Control Team (GOGU/Glavnaya operativnaya gruppa upravleniya), including Shift Flight Director (SRP), at TsUP-Moscow via S-band/audio, phone-patched from Houston and Moscow.
At ~4:50am, Dmitri supported a Russian PAO TV event by participating in a taping of the Army Shop Show of Moscow’s Channel One. [Today, 3/24, Channel One’s The Army Shop Show and representatives of the Channel One News & Good Morning shows today visited Mission Control Moscow (TsUP) for a special performance with a music group, a vaudeville performer, a singer and a podium group, with Dmitri Kondratyev’s guest participation. Today’s taping will be aired on the Army Shop Show on 4/10, and the Good Morning Show will have a slot on Cosmonautics Day, 4/12.]
At ~10:10am, FE-6 Coleman conducted her regular IMS stowage conference with Houston stowage specialists.
At ~10:50am, Cady had her weekly PMC (Private Medical Conference), via S- & Ku-band audio/video.
At ~3:00pm, Cady, Paolo & Dima are scheduled for their regular weekly tagup with the Lead Flight Director at JSC/MCC-Houston.
At ~4:10pm EDT, Paolo Nespoli is scheduled for another VHF-1 emergency communications proficiency check over NASA’s VHF (Very High Frequency) stations, today with the VHF sites at Dryden (4:11:00pm-4:17:47pm) & White Sands (4:12:58pm-4:20:27pm), talking with Houston/Capcom, MSFC/PAYCOM (Payload Operation & Integration Center Communicator), Moscow/GLAVNI (TsUP Capcom), EUROCOM/Munich and JCOM/Tsukuba in the normal fashion via VHF radio from a handheld microphone and any of the USOS ATUs (Audio Terminal Units). [Purpose of the test is to verify signal reception and link integrity, improve crew proficiency, and ensure minimum required link margin during emergency (no TDRS) and special events (such as a Soyuz relocation).]
The crewmembers worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise on the TVIS treadmill (CDR), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (FE-5, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-5, FE-6) and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (CDR). [T2 snubber arm inspection is no longer needed after every T2 session but must be done after the last T2 session of the day.]
CEVIS Update: he CEVIS (Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation) exercise machine is still No Go as ground engineers investigate the “clicking” noise coming from the machine during operation. The crew uses T2 instead, until this issue is resolved.
PAS-2 Checkout: Russian ACS (Attitude Control System) thrusters were disabled from 9:30am-1:30pm while the ground performed a remote actuation checkout of the external PAS-2 (Payload Attach System) #2 involving actuation of the CLA (Capture Latch Assembly) and UMA IMCAs (Umbilical Mechanism Assembly Integrated Motor Controller Actuators).
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Falmouth, England (HMS Beagle Site. Looking slightly to the right of track for Falmouth, a port city located along the southwestern coast of England. Charles Darwin ended his famous voyage of discovery here in 1836. Overlapping mapping frames of the urban and surrounding rural areas were requested), Tripoli, Libya (some scattered cloud may have been present over the capital city of Libya. The crew had a nadir-viewing overpass over the city. Overlapping mapping frames of the urban area, taken along track, were requested), and Slate Islands Impact Crater, Ontario (weather remains clear over north-central North America, providing an opportunity to obtain high-resolution imagery of this impact structure. ISS had a nadir-viewing overpass of northern Lake Superior and the Slate Islands. The islands mark the center of a 30 kilometer in diameter impact structure that was formed approximately 450 million years ago. Overlapping mapping frames of the Slate Islands and Lake Superior shoreline were requested).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:04am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 353.2 km
Apogee height – 354.0 km
Perigee height – 352.5 km
Period — 91.60 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0001099
Solar Beta Angle — -38.1 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 129 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 70,757
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/28/11 — HTV2 unberthing (11:45am EDT)
03/29/11 — HTV2 deorbit (DOM3: ~10:37pm)
04/04/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S launch – A. Borisenko (CDR-28)/R.Garan/A.Samokutayev – 6:18:20pm EDT
04/06/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S docking – ~7:18pm EDT
————–Six-crew operations————-
04/19/11 — STS-134/Endeavour launch ULF6 (ELC-3, AMS) ~7:48pm EDT
04/21/11 — STS-134/Endeavour docking
04/26/11 — Progress M-09M/41P undock
04/27/11 — Progress M-10M/42P launch
04/29/11 — Progress M-10M/42P docking (DC-1 nadir)
05/01/11 — STS-134/Endeavour undock
05/03/11 — STS-134/Endeavour landing
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————-
06/10/11 — 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————-
