NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 25 April 2009
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – half-duty day for CDR Padalka, FE-1 Barratt, FE-2 Wakata.
The crew performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. [“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 FE’s sleep station 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 the house cleaning, Padalka conducted regular maintenance inspection & cleaning on fan screens in the FGB (TsV2), DC1 (V3), and SM (VPkhO, VPrK, FS5, FS6 & FS9).
Barratt performed the daily procedure of flushing the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) ambient line with ~50mL of water (into a towel/Ziploc bag). PWD water is currently cleared only for hygienic use. [While final analysis of the PWD sample results on the ground is still pending, experts recommend keeping water flowing in the line daily to help control microbial growth. The flushing will be done daily unless at least this amount has been dispensed for other activities during the day.]
Mike also completed regular service on the WPA (Water Processor Assembly), first offloading the WPA into a CWC-I (Contingency Water Container-Iodine, #1015) with the common H2O Transfer Hose (which took about 19 min) from the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) Auxiliary Port, then flushing the system. [PWD water can be used by the crew for hygiene but is still off limits for human consumption until results of the post-flight analysis of 15A-returned samples are available. Preliminary results of the sample analyses look good; the final report will be available on 4/28/09. It is likely that approval for consumption of PWD water will be given at that point.]
Wakata completed the regular bi-monthly reboots of the OCA Router and File Server SSC (Station Support Computer) laptops.
With the POIC (Payload Operations Integration Center)/Huntsville currently under power outage, FE-1 Barratt several times during the day performed status checks on critical payload equipment usually monitored from the ground, specifically on the –
* GLACIER (General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator) [comparing setpoint & actual temp, should remain below -95 degC],
* MERLIN (Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator), and
* MELFI (Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS) [checking on Dewars 1,2,3 – should remain below -90 degC, Dewar 4 should be at -2 degC, and gas bearing temp – should be below 40 degC.]
Gennady Padalka copied accumulated EXPOSE-R science data from the BSMM (Multiplex Bus Synchronization Unit) to a PCMCIA memory card in the RSS1 laptop. [The EXPOSE-R experiment contains plant seeds and spores of bacteria & fungi. It was mounted outside the SM during the Russian EVA-21 on 12/22/08.]
At ~10:00am EDT, the crew conducted their regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-Houston and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners) via S-band/audio, reviewing the monthly calendar, upcoming activities, and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
The CDR performed 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 and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]
The crew completed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-1), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-2), and ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2).
Afterwards, Koichi Wakata downloaded the exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on ARED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
Gennady today has six new job items on his Russian discretionary “time permitting” task list, leading off with a session of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the NIKON D2X digital camera to take 800mm-lens telephotos for subsequent downlinking on the BSR-TM payload data channel. [Uplinked targets for today were the Swiss Alps, the Allaline Glacier, and towns on the eastern seaboard of Italy after the earthquake.]
The second voluntary task for Padalka, spread over the next few days, was to remove eight ventilation fans in the SM and replace them with new units delivered on Progress. [Fans to be R&R’d are designated VPF1, VPF2, VV2RO, VPO5, VPO6, VPO11, VAP1, and VSU].
As third task item, the CDR was to conduct an audit of Russian photo equipment, specifically checking camera lenses for protective caps and searching for any missing caps, plus cleaning lenses with Lenspen rubber bulb and tissue paper.
Another discretionary job waiting for Gennady was to clean the CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) sensor matrix of the Nikon D3 & Nikon D3X digital cameras of any dust particles and check on the result.
As fifth item, the CDR’s “job jar” list shows another session for Russia’s Environmental Safety Agency (EKON), making observations and taking KPT-3 aerial photography of environmental conditions on earth using the Nikon D2X with the SIGMA 300-800mm telephoto lens. [Today’s target: African coastline water surface contamination and water surface contamination in Sovetskaya Gavan port.]
The sixth job suggestion for Gennady is trash gathering for disposal on Progress 32P, to be undocked on 5/6.
VolSci Preview: Two optional activities for the Voluntary Science program on 5/2 (Saturday) were suggested to Dr. Mike for his choice. [The choices are: (1) BCAT (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test): Find & photograph crystals (different colors) in samples 8, 9 and 10, then set up image on sample 4, verify focus and take multiple flash angle photos of sample 4. Next, homogenize sample 4 and take test photos. Sample 4 will run with automated EarthKAM photography for about 8 days. (2) BISE (Bodies In the Space Environment): Relative Contributions of Internal and External Cues to Self – Orientation, During and After Zero Gravity Exposure.]
UPA Failure: On Thursday (4/23) evening, the Urine Processing Assembly experienced a check valve fault for each of four consecutive runs, which appears to be a re-occurrence of the sticky check valve issues previously seen on the UPA. It had been determined before that the check valve is not required and will be removed. Since the UPA had lost the capability to process urine and the WSTA (Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly was 70% full, the crew has been directed to use the SM ASU toilet facility through this weekend. Specialists will convene to determine a forward plan which includes using the WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment) in manual mode, and developing IFM (In-Flight Maintenance) procedures to remove the valve.
TVM Update: Yesterday, TsUP/Moscow ground controllers performed a restart with context of the subset 1 of the Russian TVM (Terminal Computer System) in the SM. No changes were made to the hardware, software or firmware prior to restart, and the data were recorded. The TVM-1 failed out of set approximately 1h 20min later. Further restarts will be attempted in the future after specialists review the data and determine a forward plan. Meanwhile, TVM is running nominally on two subsets.
Solar Array Characterization Test: Overnight on 4/22-23, the DTF (Dedicated Thruster Firing) test for structural dynamics characterization of the S4 (Starboard-4) solar array truss was completed successfully by ground controllers. A similar DTF for the S6 truss is scheduled for next week.
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Nineteen — Week 3)
3-D SPACE: Ongoing. Mike Barratt completed his first session of 3D-SPACE. “Thank you for preparing and performing this experiment.”
AgCam (Agricultural Camera): “AgCam team reports your installation was successful and the system appears to be operating normally, except for a problem with measuring some of their Health and Status data. They expect to be able to do some additional testing of the system from the ground, hopefully next week. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, we may need your assistance to help recover. More next week.”
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.
ALTEA DOSI (NASA/ASI): Standing by.
BCAT-3/4 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 3/4): “We are particularly grateful to you, Dr. Mike, for your continued extra effort to make sure the setup is providing excellent images in the most challenging samples of BCAT4. We are looking at phase separation closer to the liquid-gas critical point than we think anyone else has seen—which is evidenced by the fact that, three weeks into the run, we’re only about halfway to complete separation. As a result, the contrast within the sample itself is lower than anywhere else we have observed, increasing the need for greater precision and care in the photography, both in focusing, alignment and lighting. You have risen to the challenge in an incredible way, delivering textbook-perfect photographs that are allowing us to observe structures that previously would not have been possible to see. We very much appreciate your attention to these small, but ultimately crucial-to-our-science details.”
Biological Rhythms (JAXA): Ongoing. Two runs are for Barratt, two are planned for De Winne.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): “Thanks, Mike, for completing the second BISE session as voluntary science. As usual, excellent work. This data will help scientists capture the kinetic of adaptation to microgravity. Breakthrough science! The next one is April 27 and we’ll be there too.”
BISPHOSPHONATES: Complete.
CARDIOCOG-2: Complete.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): Ongoing.
CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment): Reserve.
CSI-3/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): Complete.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack): “CIR has developed a maintenance procedure for the leaking water QD (quick disconnect) which involves isolating the QD from the system and exercising the poppets. This will be executed in conjunction with the MDCA Fuel reservoir change out when all procedure sign-offs and scheduling are completed. Once this is successfully completed, CIR will be able to perform the preparation steps to begin FLEX operations.”
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): Complete.
Commercial 2 (JAXA): Cosmo Flower mission was completed by Wakata (slipped from I-18)
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): Complete.
EDR (European Drawer Rack): The rack is continuously active in support of the PCDF (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility) experiment.
ELITE-S2 (Elaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2): Planned.
ENose (Electronic Nose): Operating.
EPM (European Physiology Module): Underway.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations): Reserve.
EPO J-Astro Report (JAXA): “The reports are very well received. Reading audience is enjoying the reports.”
EPO Space Clothes (JAXA): Space Clothes activity was completed by Wakata (slipped from I-18).
EPO Hiten (JAXA): Slipped from I-18.
EPO Kibo Kids Tour (JAXA): “Recorded video was screened on TKSC Open house event on Sunday and was received well. Number of visitors was almost doubled than last year. Thank you for your work.”
EPO Spiral Top (JAXA): Slipped from I-18.
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
EuTEF (European Technology Exposure Facility): Platform nominal. DOSTEL, EXPOSE, FIPEX, MEDET: On-going science acquisition – nominal; DEBIE-2: the instrument continues to generate empty science packets at regular intervals (of 30 to 34hrs). Science acquisition is pursued with regular power cycling of the instrument (work-around). EVC: attempts this week were not successful.
FACET (JAXA): “Beautiful facet crystal growth is observed. We will finish the experiments using Cell1 after 8 more experiments. We are planning a crew task to rotate the Experiment Cell to Start with Cell #2 which contains different composition of solution to explore more science.”
FSL (Fluid Science Laboratory): No report.
GEOFLOW: No report.
HDTV System (JAXA): To be launched by HTV1.
Holter (JAXA): One of two sessions for FE-2 is slipped from Increment 18. Scheduled on 5/21.
HQPC (JAXA): To be launched by 34P.
ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.
IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.
InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): Complete.
Integrated Immune: Complete.
KUBIK-FM1/ KUBIK-FM2 Centrifuge/Incubators: Completed.
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): Completed.
Marangoni Experiment for ISS in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): In progress.
MAXI (JAXA): Exposed Payload, to be launched on 2JA.
Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.
MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment): Ongoing.
Moon Photography from ISS (JAXA EPO): One run performed on the last day of Increment 18.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox): Complete.
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
NOA-1/-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): Complete.
NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY: Ongoing.
PADLES (JAXA, Area PADLES 3; Passive Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): Continuing radiation dose accumulation.
PCDF-PU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility – Process Unit): Growth cycle, EP4 cycle3 which is being repeated with an adapted temperature profile. The science team saw nucleation start at a higher temperature than predicted during the previous run of EP4 Cycle 3. The new profile starts measurements at a higher temperature after dissolution. This script also incorporates more gradual steps in temperature between different set points. This cycle was expected to end on 4/24.
PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): Complete.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
POLCA/GRAVIGEN (ESA): Complete.
RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.
SAMS/MAMS (Space & Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems): Ongoing.
SAMPLE: Complete.
SEDA-AP (JAXA): Exposed Payload,- to be launched by 2JA.
SHERE (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment): Complete.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): Ongoing.
SMILES (JAXA): Exposed Payload, to be launched by HTV1.
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): Currently in Sun observation window and acquiring science.
SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): No report.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): Reserve.
SPICE (Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment): Reserve.
Swab (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): Complete.
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
VLE (Video Lessons ESA): VLE-1 completed.
WAICO #1/#2 (Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels): Complete/Planned (2J/A Stage).
CEO (Crew Earth Observations): “Through 4/22, the ground has received a total of 3,179 of ISS CEO imagery for review and cataloguing. Many of the targets that we have requested thus far are quite challenging to locate the first time and the weather has been less than cooperative for us all this past week. We are continuing to work to improve the content of our target requests to help you recognize the features we are seeking. Please feel free to let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you in this effort. We have already noted that the quality and composition of your photos is very high and you have acquired many interesting photos. NASA/JSC/PAO is using your recent photo of Chicago’s Midway Airport. Meanwhile, your striking view of the flooding Bois de Sioux River on the North Dakota-Minnesota border will be published this weekend on NASA/GSFC’s Earth Observatory website. The GMT Day 109 image centers on the twin-cities area of Wahpeton, ND and Breckenridge, MN with the area still under snow. It nicely illustrates the extent of yet another round of severe flooding this season in the Red River watershed. Nice shot!”
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today were Mumbai aerosol, India (although Mumbai, the source of much smog haze, lied left of track, the haze drifts hundreds of km from source, often as a coherent mass. So the crew was to look both sides of track for such haze, on approach. If they saw haze, they were to shoot any margins to the smog mass, including coastlines where possible. Oblique look-angles reveal the smog best), Sky Islands, Sierra Madre, Mexico (looking right for general images of this large ecological area of moist mountain tops and arid valley floors. A major scientific interest in the sky islands relates to endemic species of plant and animal life on individual sky islands), and Lake Poopo, Bolivia (as a new El Niño starts up off the Peruvian coast, the coastal desert is famously flooded with too much rain, but the high Andes target area experiences a drying trend. Images looking right of the Andean saline and dry lakes will be a baseline from which to measure expected changes in lake levels, especially in Lake Poopo, the lake most sensitive to short-term climate change).
CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
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).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:33am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude — 352.0 km
Apogee height – 357.7 km
Perigee height — 346.2 km
Period — 91.58 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0008575
Solar Beta Angle — 3.5 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 54 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 59766
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
05/06/09 — Progress M01M/32P undocking & deorbit
05/07/09 — Progress M-02M/33P launch (on Soyuz-U, 51st rocket of this type)
05/12/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4) – 1:31pm EDT
05/12/09 — Progress M-02M/33P docking
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
05/29/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S docking (FGB nadir)
06/05/09 — Russian EVA-22
06/10/09 — Russian EVA-23
06/13/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
Six-person crew on ISS
07/17/09 — Progress 33P undock & deorbit
07/20/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S relocation (to DC1)
07/24/09 — Progress 34P launch
07/26/09 — Progress 34P docking (SM aft)
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC
09/01/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) launch – tentative
09/07/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) berth
09/30/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S launch
10/02/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S docking (SM aft, until MRM2 w/new port)
10/08/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) unberth
10/11/09 – Soyuz TMA-14/18S undock
10/15/09 — Progress 35P launch
11/10/09 — 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Proton — tentative
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/07/09 — Soyuz TMA-17/21S launch
12/26/09 — Progress 36P launch
02/03/10 — Progress 37P launch
02/??/10 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola — tentative
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC — tentative
04/02/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S launch
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1 — tentative
04/27/10 — Progress 38P launch
05/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S launch
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 — tentative
06/??/10 – ATV2 – Ariane 5 (ESA)
06/25/10 — Progress 39P launch
08/11/10 — Progress 40P launch
09/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch
12/??/11 — Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.
10/19/10 — Progress 41P launch
12/??/11 – 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton.
