Status Report

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 November 2007

By SpaceRef Editor
November 24, 2007
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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 November 2007
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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.   Saturday — Stage EVA day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko, FE-2 Tani.   Node-2 Harmony is ready to accept Columbus!

EVA-12 “Charlie” was completed fully successfully in 7 hrs 4 min, accomplishing all objectives & get-ahead tasks.  
As a consequence, Node-2 Harmony was fully activated by the ground, one day earlier than originally planned, enabling interior activations by the crew tomorrow.

During the spacewalk, CDR Peggy Whitson (EV1) and FE-2 Dan Tani (EV2), supported by FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko as intravehicular (IV) crewmember, connected and configured the second half of the Node-2 fluid, power, and cooling jumpers (the first half was accomplished on EVA-11 “Bravo” on 11/20).
Specifically, the spacewalkers –

  • Removed the portside S0 truss NH3 (ammonia) shunt jumper;
  • Configured vent tools, removed Node-2 fluid QD (quick disconnect) caps and vented & stowed the Port NH3 shunt jumper;
  • Relocated an APFR (Articulating Portable Foot Restraint) from Lab WIF-11 (Worksite Interface Fixture 11) to Lab WIF-12;
  • Relocated the 300 lbs (136 kg), 18.5 ft (5.6 m) Node-2 Loop B fluid tray to the Lab, attached it and deployed its hinged section;
  • Mated S0 fluid QDs, then opened S0 valves and 2 fluid QDs;
  • Connected two Node-2 fluid line heater cables;
  • Connected five Stbd avionics cables to Node-2;
  • Released Node-2 Stbd CBM (Common Berthing Mechanism) petal launch locks (8 latches);
  • Released Node-2 Port CBM petal launch locks (8 latches)  [Nadir CBM launch locks remaining closed at this time to prevent the unlatched petals from opening (due to lost pin)];
  • Mated backup SSPTS (Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System) umbilical (connector J16A) to PMA-2 (ctr P16)
  • Installed Lab/Node-2 gap spanner between two handrails (Lab & Node 2);
  • Removed Stbd SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) Cover 7 and two MMOD shields for inspection & photography;
  • Re-installed the CETA (Crew & Equipment Translation Aid) Light Fixture that had been temporarily moved out of the way; and
  • Cleaned up a Lab MMOD (micrometeoroid/orbital debris) shield installed on an earlier EVA.]  

[Official start time of the spacewalk was 4:50am EST, 70 minutes ahead of the timeline, ending at 11:54am.  Total EVA duration (PET = Phase Elapsed Time) was 7h 4min.  It was the 99th spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 71st from the station (28 from Shuttle, 49 from Quest, 22 from Pirs) totaling 429h 7m, and the 3rd for Expedition 16 (totaling 21h 15m).  After today’s EVA, a total of 119 spacewalkers (88 NASA astronauts, 21 Russians, and ten astronauts representing Japan-1, Canada-4, France-1, Germany-1 and Sweden-3) have logged a total of 617h 29m outside the station on building, outfitting and servicing.  It was also the 121st spacewalk by U.S. astronauts.  The 100th EVA dedicated to ISS assembly & maintenance will be conducted in December by Rex Walheim & Hans Schlegel, crewmembers of the STS-122/1E mission that will feature two additional EVAs (by Walheim/Schlegel & Walheim/Love). ] 

As a late-added task, Tani and Whitson inspected and photographed Bay 7 of the anomalous starboard (right-side) SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint).  They reported metallic, magnetic contamination on the main gear bearing’s outboard angled race ring, similar to debris Dan saw in Bay 12 during his inspection on 10A EVA-2, as well as pitting and abrasions on the bearing race ring but not on the gear teeth themselves.    [With the Bay 7 cover remaining removed (returned onboard in a bag), the stage is set for the IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team) to consider close-up video inspections of the damage site with the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) cameras.]

Prior to the spacewalk, FE-1 Malenchenko verified closure of the protective Lab window shutter. 

Malenchenko also completed the pre-egress reconfiguration of the Russian STTS (onboard telephone/telegraph subsystem) to its EVA settings.  After the crew’s return, Yuri reconfigured the STTS for nominal ops.   [The "Voskhod-M" STTS enables telephone communications between the SM (Service Module), FGB, DC1 Docking Compartment and U.S. segment (USOS), and also with users on the ground over VHF channels selected by an operator at an SM comm panel, via STTS antennas on the SM’s outside.  There are six comm panels in the SM with pushbuttons for accessing any of three audio channels, plus an intercom channel.  Other modes of the STTS include telegraphy (teletype), EVA voice, emergency alarms, Packet/Email, and TORU docking support.]

During the spacewalk, Yuri provided IV support and prepared the DCS 760 camera setup for post-ingress photographing of the EVA gloves.  CDR Whitson later downlinked the EVA imagery to the ground and reconfigured the DCS 760 for regular use (e.g., removing its thermal blanket).

The FE-1 also performed the routine servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM (Service Module).    [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]

After returning on board from outside, Whitson and Tani doffed the EMUs, after taking photographs of the gloves and overgloves while still pressurized.  As part of post-EVA tasks, the spacewalkers also reported on size fit of their EMUs and components.

Later, Peggy and Dan are scheduled for another session of the standard Russian crew health-monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis, after which Yuri restowed the Urolux equipment.    [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.  The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program.  Afterwards, the data are entered in the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]

Additionally, both spacewalkers also had their regular post-EVA PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) with the ground.

RPCM Failure:   The RPC-2 (Remote Power Controller 2) switch in RPCM (RPC Module) SO-1A-D powering the Node-2 ammonia (NH3) umbilical survival heaters failed to close after two tries.  If the cause is found to be a failed hybrid FET (Field Effect Transistor) as has been seen before, R&R (removal & replacement) of the RPCM is required.   [These heaters are needed only if the NH3 loop is shut down.]

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

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov  (about 700,000 NASA digital photographs of Earth are downloaded by the public each month from this “Gateway” site);
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 8:16am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 339.9 km
Apogee height — 340.7 km
Perigee height — 339.2 km
Period — 91.33 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0001107
Solar Beta Angle — 25.1 deg (magnitude increasing, to peak on 11/28 at 30.2 deg)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.77
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 133 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 51607

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Standard, some changes possible):
11/28/07 — ISS Reboost  (SDMS taking data)
12/06/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E launch — Columbus Module, ICC-Lite, ~4:31pm EST
12/08/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E docking
12/15/07 — STS-122/Atlantis undocking
12/17/07 – STS-122/Atlantis landing  ~12:29pm EST, or
12/18/07 — STS-122/Atlantis landing   ~11:27am EST
12/22/07 — Yuri Malenchenko’s Birthday
12/23/07 — Progress M-62/27P launch
12/26/07 — Progress M-62/27P docking (DC1)
01/31/08 — 50-Year Anniversary of Explorer 1 (1st U.S. Satellite on Redstone rocket)  [Check it out at http://usspace50.com/ ]
02/06/08 – Progress M-61/26P undocking (DC1) & reentry
02/07/08 — Progress M-63/28P launch
02/09/08 — Progress M-63/28P docking
02/14/08 — ATV-1 “Jules Verne” launch/Ariane V (Kourou, French Guyana)
02/14/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A launch/1J/A — SLP-SPDM, JEM ELM-PS (NET)
02/16/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A docking
02/27/08 — STS-123/Endeavour undocking
02/29/08 — STS-123/Endeavour landing
03/01/08 — Progress M-62/27P undocking (DC1) & reentry
03/06/08 — ATV-1 docking (SM aft port)
04/07/08 — Progress M-63/28P undocking (DC1) & reentry
04/08/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S launch
04/10/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S docking (DC1)
04/19/08 — Soyuz TMA-11/15S undocking (FGB nadir port)
04/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S relocation (from DC1 to FGB nadir port)
04/24/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J launch – JEM PM “Kibo”, racks, RMS.
04/26/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J docking
05/04/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J undocking
05/14/08 — Progress M-64/29P launch
05/16/08 — Progress M-64/29P docking (DC1)
07/29/08 — ATV-1 undocking (from SM aft port)
08/11/08 — Progress M-64/29P undocking (from DC1)
08/12/08 — Progress M-65/30P launch
08/14/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
09/13/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
09/15/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking (DC1)
09/20/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 launch – MPLM(P), LMC
10/01/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 undocking.
10/01/08 — 50th Birthday of NASA
10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
10/16/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (SM aft port)
04/??/09 — Six-person crew on ISS
04/15/09 — Constellation’s Ares I-X Launch.

SpaceRef staff editor.