NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 September 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – Crew off duty.
FE-4 Sergei Volkov performed the routine checkup of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of the regular Daily Morning Inspection.
CDR Fossum serviced the running BCAT-5 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-5) experiment, checking camera operations during the day and changing the camera battery in the morning and before sleeptime (change required after 8 hrs). [The new experiment run is with a Harvard University phase separation sample using a different setup than for the recent crystal samples 9 & 10, mainly requiring an SSC laptop with EarthKAM timing software, power cables and camera USB cable. For illumination, the Mini-MagLite and Flash batteries do not need to be changed yet, but the camera will need a freshly charged battery. After Mike started the run by mixing the sample (#4) for phase separation and taking test photos, the EarthKAM software on the SSC-13 laptop began taking pictures of Sample 4 for 13 days at different intervals throughout the run. This requires camera battery changes twice a day and image check with a battery change once per day. BCAT-5 is operating in the JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) because some time ago the crew deemed the US Lab too crowded for running it.]
In the SM, Volkov supported the ongoing tests of the TEKh-39 LCS (Laser Communications System, Russian: SLS) by copying the test data collected overnight from the RSE-SLS A31p laptop to the RSS2 laptop for data downlink.
Fossum, Volkov & Furukawa joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). [“Uborka”, usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM (Service Module) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations 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 Uborka house cleaning, FE-4 completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP). Before the cleaning, all fan screens were photographed for ground inspection.
Afterwards, Volkov inspected the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) payload with its LADA-01 greenhouse and verified proper watering of the KM A32 & A24 root modules. [Rasteniya-2 researches growth and development of plants (currently wheat) under spaceflight conditions in the LADA greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems, Russian: IMBP).]
Sergei also conducted the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. This included 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 calldown. [SOZh servicing 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].
In Node-2, FE-5 Furukawa used the vacuum cleaner on the vents of the OpsLAN Servers LS1 & ISS-SERVER1 in bay O3, to ensure optimal performance.
The CDR turned on MPC (Multi Protocol Converter) routing and started data flow, downlinking CFE results from 9/15 and the video of the Robonaut EPO (Educational Payload Operation) from 9/22, with POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) routing the onboard HRDL (High-Rate Data Link).
After the overnight ground-commanded payload operations on the CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), Mike Fossum installed the three PaRIS (Passive Rack Isolation System) lock-down alignment guides on the rack in the Lab at S3 to protect its ARIS (Active Rack Isolation System) from external loading (dynamic disturbances) over the weekend.
Mike also reconfigured the WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment) from feeding the internal EDV-U container to supplying the UPA (Urine Processor Assembly) directly for processing. [After yesterday’s R&R (remove & replace) of the failed FCPA (Fluids Control & Pump Assembly), the ground was not able to reactivate the UPA, and it remains in shutdown over the weekend. The current thinking is that the problem is due to an override issue rather than a connection or other hardware issue. Usually when the UPA is deactivated, the WHC is configured to use an internal EDV. However, to conserve EDVs, Mike today temporarily integrated the WHC with the UPA.]
Servicing the MSL (Materials Science Laboratory), Fossum performed Sample Exchange-2 #2 in the SQF (Solidification & Quenching Furnace), removing a used SCA (Sample Cartridge Assembly) and replacing it with the next test sample (SETA 23). Due to spatial constraints, the nearby CEVIS exercise device, with seat moved back, could not be used during the MSSR (Material Science Research Rack 1) activity, which was video-monitored from the ground via MPC. [The ESA/NASA MSRR-1 provides a powerful multi-user MSL with diverse EMs (Experiment Modules) so that many material types, such as metals, alloys, polymers, semiconductors, ceramics, crystals, and glasses, can be studied in micro-G to discover new applications for existing materials and new or improved materials. MSRR experiments are coordinated by international teams that share different parts of the samples.]
Satoshi prepared JAXA EPO (Educational Program Operation) Report Nr. 10, i.e., writing another short report showing ordinary life in space which, it is expected, will attract children and the general public’s attention for future human space exploration. [JAXA EPO Report 10 is intended for THE MAINICHI newspapers, with the topic “On the Crew Medical Officer”.]
At ~8:35am EDT, the three crewmembers held the regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners), via S-band/audio, reviewing upcoming activities and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
At ~10:05am, Sergei had his weekly PFC (Private Family Conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop).
At ~11:35am, Sergei, Satoshi & Mike joined for a Russian PAO TV downlink, transmitting TV messages of greetings to two events,- (1) the graduates of the Ministry of Defense Institutions of Higher Learning on 10/1 at the Krasnoznamensk Officers’ Club Auditorium, to honor the graduates who have come to the G. S. Titov Main Test Center to continue their military service, and (2) the participants of the XXII Assembly of the International Black Sea Club, to be held 10/2 in Azov, addressing issues associated with the implementation of space activity results by the Black Sea nations. The members of the International Black Sea Club are municipal organizations from Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Romania, and Ukraine.
Tasks listed for Sergei Volkov on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” job for today were –
* Continuing the preparation & downlinking of more reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb),
* Another ~30-min. session for Russia’s EKON Environmental Safety Agency, making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions on Earth using the NIKON D3X camera with the RSK-1 laptop,
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-5), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-5), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-4).
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Twenty-Nine — Week 1)
2D NANO Template (JAXA): No report.
3D SPACE: Complete.
AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.
ALTEA SHIELD (NASA/ASI): To date, ~44 cumulative days of science acquisition have been acquired at its current location. On 9/20, ALTEA Silicon Detector Unit #5 (SDU#5) voltage went out of limit but it came back up 3 minutes later and is within the expected limits since then. No science impact.
AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): To date, AMS has collected data from over 5.5 billion cosmic rays during 4 months of all nominal operations.
APEX (Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit) -Cambium: No report.
APEX-TAGES (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System): No report.
Asian Seed 2010 (JAXA): Returned on ULF6.
BCAT-4/5 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 4/5): “We’re rather excited about the angled BCAT-5 sample 9 and sample 10 pictures that were taken yesterday by astronaut Mike Fossum. Some of the sample 9 pictures were seen by Cathy Frey, BCAT Operations Lead, over the link during BCAT Ops. We’re also looking forward to the pictures from Sample 4, which is currently running. We’re continuing to check DIMS for pictures to forward to the BCAT science teams for feedback and analysis (that is, when we’re not busy replacing the ceiling tiles that got knocked out from all the jumping up and down)”.
BIOLAB (ESA): No report.
BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.
BISPHOSPHONATES: No report.
BXF-Facility (Boiling eXperiment Facility, NASA): No report.
BXF-MABE (Microheater Array Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
BXF-NPBX (Pool Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
CARD (Long Term Microgravity: Model for Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease, ESA): No report.
CARDIOCOG-2: Complete.
CB (JAXA Clean Bench): No report.
CBEF-2 (JAXA Cell Biology Experiment Facility)/SPACE SEED: No report.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): No report.
CERISE (JAXA): No report.
CCF (Capillary Channel Flow, NASA): “Mike: Thank you very much for removing the stray optical surface cover for CCF along with re-aligning the MSG camera on Monday (9/19). The video and still images from both the CCF and MSG cameras are much improved! For the remainder of this week, we continued running both subcritical and critical flow test points. The basic science of CCF is to look at flow in a wedge-shaped channel (the blue colored chamber in the video). The purpose of these tests is to measure the flow limits in this geometry, i.e. there is some maximum flow rate in the channel at which the free surface (or gas/liquid interface) will “collapse” and gas bubbles are ingested in the liquid flow in the channel. These are also referred to as critical flow points. In addition, at flow rates below these critical points, there are a number of interesting phenomena, such as oscillations of the free surface that we are interested in capturing. We’ll try to get you some video or still images of this type of data in the next week or so.”
CFE-2 (Capillary Flow Experiment 2, NASA): No report.
CFS-A (Colored Fungi in Space-A, ESA): No report.
CSI-5/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #5/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): “Thank you Satoshi for your excellent work on the CSI-05 installation and the first planting on 9/20. We appreciate all the care you took with the procedure and showing us each flask as you did the planting. The first round of plantings is off to a great start! All six flasks that were planted have germinated. The roots in space are growing distinctively different than the ground controls. The roots on the ground are growing, for the most part, in the downward direction. In space the roots are growing in different directions – many appear to be growing horizontally in the gel rather than vertically.”
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), MDCA/Flex: No report.
Commercial (Inc 23&24, JAXA): No report.
Commercial (Inc 25 & 26, JAXA): Sample returned by ULF6.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): No report.
CsPins (JAXA): No report.
CubeLab: No report.
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DECLIC-ALI (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids & Crystallization-ALICE-like, CNES/NASA): No report.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
DOSIS (Dose Distribution Inside ISS, ESA): No report.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): No report.
EDR (European Drawer Rack, ESA): No report.
EKE (Endurance Capacity by Gas Exchange and Heart Rate Kinetics During Physical Training, ESA): No report.
ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2): Planned.
EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): No report.
ENose (Electronic Nose): No report.
EPM (European Physiology Module): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Sesame Street): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Kids in Micro-G): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Earth/Moon/Mars Demo): “Mike, you did a great job teaching from space with the Earth/Moon demo! The challenge to the students to make a scale model of Earth and Mars was a nice touch. The videos of the Earth/Moon demo and the Robonaut demo will be edited and made available on NASA education websites for educators and students. Thanks for your dedication to education.”
EPO LES-2 (ESA): No report.
EPO GREENHOUSE (ESA): No report.
EPO 3-min Video (JAXA): No report.
EPO J-Astro Report (JAXA): On 9/15, Satoshi completed JAXA Report 9.
EPO Dewey’s Forest (JAXA): Closed out on 3/15.
EPO Space Clothes (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Hiten (Dance, JAXA): No report.
EPO Lego Bricks (NASA, JAXA): Clutch Power Test, Living and Working Interiors, Space Shuttle, and Hubble activities have been completed.
EPO-5 SpaceBottle (Message in a Bottle, JAXA): No report.
EPO Moon Score (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Try Zero-G (JAXA): Try ZERO-G #2 was performed on 9/22. Some Japanese children who suggested the experiment contents attended this session at SSIPC.
EPO Kibo Kids Tour (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Paper Craft (Origami, JAXA): No report.
EPO Poem (JAXA): No report.
EPO-6 Spiral Top 2 (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Doctor Demo (JAXA): On 9/19, Satoshi completed all activities of Doctor Demo #2, and video data were successfully downloaded.
EPO-7 Green Tea Preparation (JAXA): On 9/21, Satoshi completed EPO7/Green Tea, and the video data were successfully down loaded. The experiment will accomplish two purposes- scientific by recording images which will later be used to generate computer graphics, and cultural as the green tea is a symbol of Japanese tradition.
EPO-7 Video (JAXA): On 9/20, Satoshi completed JAXA Video #2 using the 3D Camera.
ERB-2 (Erasmus Recording Binocular, ESA): [ERB-2 aims are to develop narrated video material for various PR & educational products & events, including a 3D interior station view.] No report.
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
FACET-2 (JAXA): No report.
FERULATE (JAXA): No report.
FIR/LMM/CVB (Fluids Integrated Rack / Light Microscopy Module / Constrained Vapor Bubble): No report.
Fish Scales (JAXA): Completed on FD7/ULF-4 and returned on STS-132.
FOAM STABILITY (ESA): No report.
FOCUS: No report.
FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory, ESA): The FSL Hybrid Test has been declared successful and on 9/20, the GEOFLOW-2 science program was resumed. On 9/22 a problem with the FSL VMU led to the abort of the GEOFLOW-2 run.
FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device, ESA): No report.
GENARA-A (Gravity Regulated Genes in Arabidopsis A/ESA): No report.
GEOFLOW-2 (ESA): On 9/20, GEOFLOW-2 run has been started, but some issue with the MVIS data acquisition has been encountered, leading to the abort of the science run. Ground teams have analyzed the problem and with the support of CSA team, the GEOFLOW-2 runs have resumed on 9/22. Unfortunately, a problem with the FSL VMU later on 9/22 has led to the abort of the science run.
HAIR (JAXA): No report.
HDTV System (JAXA): No report.
Hicari (JAXA): No report.
Holter ECG (JAXA): No report.
HQPC (JAXA): Was delivered by 34P.
HREP (HICO/Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean & RAIDS/Remote Atmospheric & Ionospheric Detection System/JAXA): HICO has taken 4088 images to-date. The most recent HICO images include Eastsound, WA, part of the Gulf Coast of Florida, Lake Okoboji in Iowa, Ise Bay in Japan and the English Channel. RAIDS is collecting secondary science including nighttime atmospheric disk photometry, spectra and temperatures. Extreme Ultra Violet airglow spectroscopy and optical contamination studies are also being performed.
HydroTropi (Hydrotropism & Auxin-Inducible Gene Expression in Roots Grown under Microgravity Conditions/JAXA): No report.
ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.
ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): No report.
IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.
INTEGRATED IMMUNE: “Mike & Satoshi, thanks to all of you for a successful blood draw on 9/14. The PI team is looking forward to analyzing the data.”
InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): No report.
IRIS (Image Reversal in Space, CSA): No report.
ISS Amateur/Ham Radio: On 9/22 Satoshi contacted Kiroli Elementary in West Monroe, Louisiana. Satoshi answered at least 19 questions during the event. Statistics for events to date are: 1 in Increment 29; 7 for Furukawa; 15 for Exp28 crew; 103 in 2011; 669 Project count total.
ISSAC (ISS Agricultural Camera, NASA): ISSAC successfully started its worldwide ops (24×7) on 9/20. Overall nominal imaging week, captured ~70 targets and downlinked all the required frames. Of these 70 targets, 60% – North America, 15% – South America, 7% – Africa, 5% – Europe and 13% – Asia. Next Week: ISSAC will temporarily (~15 days) lose light in North America after 9/29 and therefore will temporarily shut down our system (no ops) between 9/30-10/9. This temporary shutdown will allow ISSAC team to catch up on our data processing and delivery, image processing analysis and staffing adjustments. ISSAC will resume its nominal worldwide ops (24×7) on Oct 10.
IV Gen (Intravenous Fluids Generation): No report.
KID/KUBIK6: No report.
KUBIK 3 (ESA): No report.
LMM/PACE-2 (Light Microscopy Module / Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment): We have finished powered operations with the PACE Particle Samples. Next, we plan to observe and image the PACE Tissue Samples.”
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): No report.
Marangoni Exp (JAXA): No report.
Marangoni DSD – Dynamic Surf (JAXA): Payload name was change from Marangoni DSD to Dynamic Surf.
Marangoni UVP (JAXA): No report.
MARES (Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System, ESA/NASA): No report.
Matryoshka-2 (RSA): No report.
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
MDCA/Flex: “Mike: Nice work replacing the MDCA Fuel Reservoir. You have become quite efficient with your workaround for the water QDs! Also, you are a pro at opening and closing the Combustion Chamber. Excellent! You replaced the fuel reservoir containing heptane; now we can continue with our test points with heptane fuel in helium-diluted ambient environments. Results from these tests will provide information on the effectiveness of various fire suppression agents and allow the effective, efficient design of future spacecraft fire suppression systems.
MEIS (Marangoni Experiment for ISS) in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): No report.
Microbe-2 (JAXA): Sample returned by ULF6.
Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.
MISSE-8 (Materials ISS Experiment 8): MISSE-8 is operating nominally. The SpaceCube experiment is running code for new radiation hardening by software. PASCAL did not command this week. MISSE 8 has been assessing the impacts of the space environment (vacuum, solar radiation, atomic oxygen, micrometeorites and thermal cycling, etc.) on materials and processor elements since its arrival to the ISS on board STS-134 in May 2011.
MMA (JAXA/Microgravity Measurement Apparatus): No report.
MPAC/SEED (JAXA): No report.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox-Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment): No report.
MSL (Materials Science Laboratory, ESA): “On 9/21, the SETA-2 SCA Exchange activity has been deferred due to a P/L MDM issue. This activity is now rescheduled on time (thanks Mike for volunteering your free time, much appreciated!) to avoid any ripple effect of the SCA processing schedule currently planned for Week#02.”
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC-1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
MYCO 3 (JAXA): On 9/22, Mike and Satoshi completed sample collection.
MyoLab (JAXA): Completed on 4/20.
NANOSKELETON (Production of High Performance Nanomaterials in Microgravity, JAXA): No report.
NEURORAD (JAXA): No report.
NEUROSPAT (ESA/Study of Spatial Cognition, Novelty Processing and Sensorimotor Integration): No report.
NOA-1/-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): Complete.
NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY/ProK: No report.
ODK (Onboard Diagnostic Kit, JAXA): On 9/19-9/20, Satoshi completed brain wave measurement and data saving.
PADIAC (Pathway Different Activators, ESA): No report.
PADLES (JAXA, Area PADLES 3/4; Passive Area Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): No report.
PASSAGES (JAXA): No report.
PCDF-PU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility – Process Unit): No report.
PCG (JAXA, Protein Crystal Growth): Returned on 26S on 9/16.
PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): See PCG.
PLSG (Plant Signaling, NASA/ESA): No report.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
POLCA/GRAVIGEN (ESA): Complete.
Portable PFS: No report.
Pro K: No report.
RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.
RadSilk (JAXA): No report.
Reaction Self Test (RST/Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS): No report.
Robonaut (NASA): No report.
RYUTAI Rack (JAXA): No report.
SAIBO Rack (JAXA): No report.
SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): No report.
SAMPLE: Complete.
SCOF (Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, JAXA): No report.
SEDA-AP (Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SHERE II (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment II): No report.
SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device): No report.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): No report.
SMILES (JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SODI/IVIDIL (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in Liquids, ESA): No report.
SODI/COLLOID (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Colloid): No report.
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory, ESA): No report.
SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): No report.
Space-DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System): No report.
Space Food (JAXA): No report.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): No report.
SPHINX (SPaceflight of Huvec: an Integrated eXperiment, ESA): No report.
SPICE (Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment): No report.
SPINAL (Spinal Elongation): No report.
SPRINT: No report.
SS-HDTV (Super Sensitivity High Definition Camera, JAXA): “On 9/18, Mike and Satoshi successfully completed four sessions of a Live Event. This TV program was widely broadcasted by NHK and included Aurora and Lightning. They were so beautiful. Great thanks to you.”
STP-H3 (Space Test Program – Houston 3): MHTEX is running nominally since the restart last week with the new Hybrid Evaporator. MHTEX will be run in a steady state mode for the next couple of weeks with minor adjustments as necessary. Canary downloaded files from previous data takes this week. VADER has increased the voltage in the high emissivity state to the cycling VEDs in an effort to excite a greater change. The VADER team is assessing the options to either remain in this state longer or change the voltage level for next week. DISC has taken more images this week and is processing images that were taken in previous weeks.
SWAB (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): No report.
TASTE IN SPACE (ESA): No report.
THERMOLAB (ESA): “Dear Mike, thank you for performing your 5th session last Monday. Unfortunately due to CEVIS software anomaly, the full exercise level could not be reached, so while it is confirmed that we got good THERMOLAB data during your cool-down period, it has been decided to include a repeat of the THERMOLAB science acquisition as part of your VO2Max repeat next week.
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
TREADMILL KINEMATICS: “Ron, thank you so much for making up the previous session and being the trooper you are!”
TRIPLELUX-B (ESA): No report.
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
UMS (Urine Monitoring System (NASA): No report.
VASCULAR (CSA): No report.
VCAM (Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Module, NASA): No report.
VESSEL ID System (ESA): Acquiring science data with NorAIS receiver, however interrupted between 9/17 and 9/19 due to a ground anomaly. Command Time Table (CTT) uplink was not required this week.
VESSEL IMAGING (ESA): No sessions possible due to Ultrasound anomaly.
VIABLE (eValuatIon And monitoring of microBiofiLms insidE the ISS Payload Touch, NASA): No report.
VO2max (NASA): No report.
VLE (Video Lessons ESA): No report.
WAICO #1/#2 (Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels; ESA): No report.
YEAST B (ESA): No report.
CEO (Crew Earth Observation): “Greetings to the crew of Increment 29-30 from your CEO team! Please don’t hesitate to contact us or provide feedback if there is anything we can do to assist you to achieve success with our payload. Through 9/20 we have already received 1,840 of your CEO frames for review and cataloging. We are pleased to report your acquisition of imagery this week with times corresponding to those of our CEO Daily Target Lists for the following targets: Monaco, Monaco – these frames were acquired in an automated session and unfortunately there were more clouds than we anticipate – we will continue to request this target; Rome, Italy – these were also in an automated session and only a couple of these offered even context views of this target; and Volga – Ural Delta – you did acquire frames with partial coverage of the Volga Delta only – these are still under cataloging and review for content meeting our target requirements. In our backlog of reviewing increment 28-29 imagery we are also pleased to report your acquisition of useful imagery meeting our site requirements for Baghdad, Iraq – this site can be removed from our list now. Better still you successfully acquired our first-ever Astronaut photography of the Bigach Impact Crater, Kazakhstan. This imagery will prove invaluable for helping crews locate this feature for more detailed views in the future – kudos to the crew for acquiring this very challenging target. Within the same photo session for Bigach, was your beautiful view of sand dunes in the Junggar Basin of Northwestern China that was published on the NASA/GSFC’s Earth Observatory website this past weekend. The illumination within this view nicely illustrates a complex landscape where the erosional forces of both wind and water are at work in a desert setting. Nice shot!”
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Munich, Germany (by ESA request for this capital city in the state of Bavaria. Looking slightly left of track towards the center of the oldest part of this city of 1.4 million), Sofia, Bulgaria (the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia is located in the western part of the country within in a broad valley of the Balkan Mountains. ISS had a nadir pass in late morning with fair weather and approach from the WNW. As ISS tracked SE over the Balkan Peninsula, the crew was to look for this metropolitan area of nearly 2 million. CEO was seeking a context view that includes the entire city), Khartoum, Sudan (Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan, with a population of over five million. As ISS tracked SE, the crew was to look left of track at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. The dark lines of the rivers in the light-toned desert landscape are their visual cues. Shooting for context views to capture the entire city at the joining of these two rivers), and Hurricane Hilary (DYNAMIC EVENT: Hurricane Hilary became the eastern Pacific’s 8th named tropical cyclone this season early on 9/21. Since that time, it has rapidly strengthened to a Category 4 storm with maximum winds of 125kts as it moved west at 8kts on 9/23. As ISS tracked southeastward, the crew was to look obliquely left of track for this hurricane. By then, Hilary is forecasted to continue moving west and to maintain Category 4 strength, but possibly weakening to a strong Category 3 storm. Trying for either broad views of the storm as a whole or, if an eye is still visible, trying for detailed views of its structure).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:31am EDT [= epoch])
* Mean altitude – 383.4 km
* Apogee height – 390.7 km
* Perigee height – 376.1 km
* Period — 92.22 min.
* Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
* Eccentricity — 0.001075
* Solar Beta Angle — -17.6 deg (magnitude decreasing)
* Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.61
* Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 112 m
* Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 73,641
* Time in orbit (station) — 4691 days
* Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 3978 days
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations (Increment 29)————-
10/05/11 — ISS Reboost
10/29/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/30/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
11/01/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking
11/14/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/22/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon — Target date
12/26/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit — (date “on or about”)
12/28/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1) — (date “on or about”)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
TBD — Progress M-13M/45P undock
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P launch
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
02/29/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
TBD — 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————-
