NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 25 January 2008
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. [To monitor the crewmembers’ sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew’s discretionary “job jar” task list.]
Upon wakeup, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his eighth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. [SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember’s physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
For his first session of the ESA/Russian biomed experiment “IMMUNO”, Yuri Malenchenko set up the IMMUNO urine collection hardware and took air samples with the IPD-NH3 Draeger tubes sampler, testing for ammonia (NH3) in the SM, then started the experiment. [IMMUNO is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit. Samples are secured in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end. Urine is collected during a 24-hour period, conventionally divided into two twelve-hour phases: morning-evening and evening-morning.]
At ~3:25am EST, the FE-2 again activated the VDS MPC (Video Distribution System/Multi-Purpose Converter) with its four downlinks to allow the ground to conduct HDTV (high-definition TV) playback and downlink operations. Later (~1:30pm), the MPC was powered off again. [The end-to-end test of the system, conducted by the crew and ground specialists on 1/17 to verify the MPC HDTV (Multi-Purpose Converter/High-Definition TV) capability all the way to the NASA TV satellite, was very successful, yielding an overall end-to-end audio latency (delay) for the MPC System of 3.2 seconds. This is the delay from the crewmember to JSC/MCC-H to NASA Headquarters and out to the NASA TV satellite in high definition (including, but are not limited to, CNNHD, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Discovery HD Theater), i.e. the sum total of the audio delay the interviewer and interviewee will "feel" during an interactive event. This Japan/JAXA originated system will be utilized soon for downlink messages and in-flight interviews based on client capability.]
CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani reviewed the POC DOUG (Portable Onboard Computer Dynamic Ubiquitous Graphics) software for the subsequent SSRMS activities, then conducted SSRMS operations by maneuvering the robotarm through an inchworm-like walk-off to the MT MBS (Mobile Transporter/Mobile Base System), detached it from Node-2 and re-based it (mathematically) on MBS PDGF-1 (Power & Data Grapple Fixture 1).
Afterwards, the MT was translated along its rail track to the Stbd SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) inspection position, with Russian thrusters disabled during this period (~7:45am – 10:10am).
FE-1 Malenchenko supported TsUP-Moscow in the last of four days of ASN-M Satellite Navigation System testing, first transferring raw ASN date from the recent (1/22) ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) approach rehearsals from Laptop3 to PCMCIA memory card and setting it up for data downlinking to TsUP for analysis and determination how the test is proceeding, then tearing down and disassembling the ASN/laptop raw data gathering setup for subsequent stowage. [The purpose of the week long testing is to confirm ASN-M hardware readiness for the upcoming ATV “Jules Verne” vehicle docking.]
Continuing her preparations in the Airlock for EVA-14 next week, CDR Whitson spent some time cleaning out the small EVA trash bag.
With the Elektron-VM O2 (oxygen) generator currently off, a 5-min cabin air refresh was to be performed by the FE-1 from Progress 27P storage (SrPK) as required.
Malenchenko had time set aside to take documentary photography of the current mounting location of the third REGUL-OS set (CA325) in the Service Module (SM) behind panel 338, to assess the feasibility of installing a new system in place of
