NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 25 September 2010
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – crew rest day. Sleep: 1:35am EDT this morning; Wake: 2:00am tomorrow morning.
Yest posadka! (We have Landing!) Welcome back home, Tracy, Alex and Mikhail! After 177 days 1 hr 19 min in space (175d 23h 58m docked to ISS), Soyuz TMA-18/22S, carrying Exp-24 crewmembers Alexander Skvortsov (Russia), Mikhail Kornienko (Russia) and Tracy Caldwell-Dyson (USA), landed successfully at 1:23am EDT this morning (local time: 11:23am) in central Kazakhstan near the city of Arkalyk (51.01N, 66.57E). The crew was in excellent condition. The descent capsule remained upright. The return was delayed one day due to a problem with docking hooks on the ISS side (see yesterday’s report). [TMA-18 (#228) undocked from the MRM2 (Mini Research Module 2) Poisk port last night at 10:02pm, after the crew had performed leak checks of the vestibule area between the SM and the Soyuz spacecraft, of their Sokol suits and of the hatch between the Descent Module (SA) and Orbital Module (BO). Three minutes after physical undocking, Soyuz performed a 15 sec separation burn. The actual de-orbit burn of 4 min 17 sec duration came at 12:31:17am, resulting in a 115.2 m/sec deceleration. Tri-module separation occurred at 10:56:10am. 16 sec after the separation command, software pitched the Instrumentation/Propulsion Module (PAO) in the rear to a specific angle (-78.5 deg from reference axis) which, if the PAO would have remained connected to the SA/Descent Module, would have resulted in enough heating on the connecting truss to melt it, thus ensuring separation. Atmospheric entry followed at 12:59:12am and nominal parachute deployment at 1:07:42am. Following initial observation by Russian SAR (Search & Recovery) personnel, the Soyuz vehicle landed at 1:23am. The crew was flown by helicopter to Karaganda where Tracy “TC” Caldwell-Dyson boarded the waiting NASA Gulfstream-III airplane which today is bringing the crewmember back to Houston (with 2 refueling stops),- the second direct return for USOS crewmembers. Sasha Skvortsov & Misha Kornienko meanwhile were flown on the GCTC Tu-154 back to Chkalovsky airfield of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center at Zvesdniy Gorodok (Star City).]
Remaining on board for Increment 25 are CDR Douglas Wheelock (USA), FE-5 Fyodor Yurchikhin (Russia) & FE-6 Shannon Walker (USA). They are having a free day today, getting back on regular wake/sleep cycle tomorrow (Sunday, 9/26).
Tasks currently listed on the crew’s “job jar” job roster are –
For Wheels & Shannon:
- MARES (Muscle Atrophy Resistive Exercise System) hardware stowing [MARES is currently in need of troubleshooting due to a power issue],
- Operational Products review [a periodic assessment by the crew (after about 1 month into their stay) of their ops products such as Daily Summary, Execute Notes, One Time Use Notes & Stowage Notes) in order to suggest improvements if required],
- WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment) KTO/Solid Waste Container replacement,
- WHC EDV-U/Urine Container replacement;
For Fyodor:
- Another Uragan (hurricane) earth observation/photography session.
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Twenty-Four — Week 16).
2-D NANO Template (JAXA): No report.
3-D SPACE: No report.
AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.
ALTEA DOSI (NASA/ASI): This ISS backup radiation monitoring system remains non-operational.
APEX (Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit) -Cambium: No report.
APEX-TAGES (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System): No report.
BCAT-4/5 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 4/5): No report.
BIOLAB (ESA): “Our thanks to Tracy for all her work this week on the BIOLAB activities. The Nitrogen pressure test and the rotors illumination unit temperature test were successfully performed on 9/20. The BIOLAB Glovebox (BGB) temperature performance test was successfully performed on 9/21. The BIOLAB Thermal Control System (TCS) and incubator temperature test started on 9/22 and are on-going.”
BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.
BISPHOSPHONATES: 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 (JAXA Cell Biology Experiment Facility)/SPACE SEED: No report.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): No report.
CERISE (JAXA): No report.
CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment): No report.
CSI-3/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): Ongoing.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), MDCA/Flex: “On 9/16, two test points from the science matrix were successfully performed. Test points were performed with heptane fuel at a 0.7 atm chamber environment of 17% O2, 45% CO2, and 38% N2: • Test #1 – Droplet diameter of 3.5 mm, with no support fiber. Good deployment and ignition; ignited but quickly extinguished as expected for this test condition. • Test #2 – Droplet diameter of 4 mm, with no support fiber. Small bubble in droplet; ignited but quickly extinguished as expected for this test condition. In addition to these test points, the CIR team performed several operations to assess the characteristics of the contamination on the fiber, needles and igniter tips. We attempted to scrape the fiber contamination with the needle, which had minimal effect and no success in removing the hair. We then dispensed fuel and let it sit on the needle. The fuel seemed to soften the contamination, which appears to be at least slightly soluble in the heptane. After the fuel evaporated, the igniters were used to heat the contamination. This was successful in significantly reducing the amount of visible contamination, including elimination of the hair. No flames were observed during the heating process. The CIR team plans to conduct one additional set of heptane test points with the remaining fuel in the reservoir. Further test point operations are on-hold until a better understanding on the contamination is developed and an appropriate response can be implemented.”
Commercial Photo (JAXA): No report.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): No report.
CubeLab: Final data collection completed on Friday, 9/3, followed by power down; last operations before HTV2 stage
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DECLIC (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids & Crystallization, CNES/NASA): No report.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
DOSIS (Active Measure, ESA): No report.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): No report.
EDR (European Drawer Rack, 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): Activated in support of CARD.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA): (Kids in Space): No report.
EPO LES-2 (ESA): No report.
EPO COMMERCIAL (JAXA): Photo session was performed on 7/22.
.
EPO 3-min Video (JAXA): No report.
EPO J-Astro Report (JAXA): No report.
EPO Dewey’s Forest (JAXA): Closed out on 3/15.
EPO Space Clothes (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Hiten (Dance, JAXA): No report.
EPO-5 SpaceBottle (Message in a Bottle, JAXA): “Shannon and Wheels: Quick look Video delivery to PI was completed on 9/17. Very good one! Thank you for your activity. Main session (EVA) is scheduled during ULF5 dock. And we are looking forward to the EVA results in the next increment too.”
EPO Moon Score (JAXA): No report.
EPO Try Zero-G (JAXA): No report.
EPO Kibo Kids Tour (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Paper Craft (Origami, JAXA): No report.
EPO Poem (JAXA): No report.
EPO Spiral Top (JAXA): No report.
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.] “Thank you, Tracy, for completing all the commissioning activities for ERB-2. ERB-2 is now ready for filming sessions.”
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
FACET (JAXA): “10th run was completed on 9/15. Cell Cartridge rotation and C/O#2 were completed on 9/22.”
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): No report.
FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device, ESA): No report.
GENARA-A (Gravity Regulated Genes in Arabidopsis A/ESA): No report.
GEOFLOW: No report.
HAIR (JAXA): No report.
HDTV System (JAXA): Was delivered by HTV1.
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): It was 1 year ago that HREP was installed at EFU#6 on the JEM-EF. Since then, the RAIDS team has made near continuous observations of the Earth’s thermosphere and ionosphere with eight sensors that span the extreme ultraviolet through near infrared spectral region (55-870nm) to image and scan the Earth’s atmospheric limb. The HICO team has collected over 1,700 hyper-spectral scenes of selected regions of interest as well many events that have occurred in the past year from Haiti to the Gulf Oil Spill. Thanks for the fantastic year!
Some images from the HICO team on recent results and observations are uplinked separately.
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: No report.
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: Successful contact with University of Western Australia performed by Shannon Walker.
IV Gen (Intravenous Fluids Generation): No report.
KID/KUBIK6: No report.
Kids in Micro-G: All runs are completed and videos look great! Thanks to everyone for doing a great job on these student-designed experiments!!
KUBIK 3 (ESA): No report.
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): No report.
Matryoshka-2 (RSA): Acquiring science data in JAXA’s Kibo.
Marangoni UVP (JAXA): No report.
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): No report.
MDCA/Flex: See under CIR.
MEIS (Marangoni Experiment for ISS) in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): No report.
Microbe-1 (JAXA): No report.
Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.
MMA (JAXA/Microgravity Measurement Apparatus): No report.
MISSE-7 (Materials ISS Experiment): MISSE-7 is operating nominally and all Science data continues to be downlinked.
MPAC/SEED (JAXA): Completed on 19A FD4.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox-Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment): No report.
MSL (Materials Science Laboratory, ESA): No report.
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC-1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
MYCO 2 (JAXA): Caldwell, Wheelock, and Walker performed on 8/30.
MyoLab (JAXA): Completed on 4/20.
NANOSKELETON (Production of High Performance Nanomaterials in Microgravity, JAXA): Returned on 19A.
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.
PADIAK: 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): PCG had arrived with 39P, has been installed in the PCRF and experimenting is going on nominally.
PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): See PCG.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
POLCA/GRAVIGEN (ESA): Complete.
Pro K: No report.
RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.
RadSilk (JAXA): Samples were returned to ground on ULF3.
RST/Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS): "Wheels and Shannon, thank you for recording video and taking photos during your Reaction Self Test sessions this week! They look good and will be very helpful to the Reaction Self Test team. Thanks again for participating! ”
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): The experiment (observation) has been resumed from 8/23.
SHERE (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment): Complete.
SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device): No report.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): “Shannon and Wheels: We are targeting Monday to start your first week of Sleep log entries for Increment 25. We will also be downlinking your last set of log entries on Monday. Shannon: As a heads up, we have scheduled you to perform the monthly Sleep Actiwatch download to retrieve actigraphy data from your Actiwatch as well as Tracy’s and Wheels’. You will also be initializing a different Actiwatch for Scott Kelly to use when he arrives on 24S.”
SMILES (JAXA): 8th re-cooling attempt is underway.
SODI/IVIDIL (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in Liquids, ESA): No report.
SODI/DSC (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Diffusion Soret Coefficient): “Just before the end of the reference cell run on 9/16, there was a trip of the MSG ESEM 4B outlet. The SAMS power cable was demated from this outlet and SODI was then powered up nominally. The actual science runs were started on 9/20 with the parameters for aggregation temperature, stirring time and aggregation time provided by the science team. 36 runs have been completed so far. The science team reported from analyzing the data of the first 12 runs that they are seeing very good and clear. They have noted clear differences in the variance and the power spectra.”
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): Sun visibility window ended on 9/14.
SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): No report.
Space-DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System): No report.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): No report.
SPICE (Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment): No report.
SPINAL (Spinal Elongation): No report.
SWAB (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): No report.
TASTE IN SPACE (ESA): No report.
THERMOLAB (ESA): “Thank you, Shannon, for completing your third THERMOLAB session. The teams on the ground confirm receiving good data from your session.”
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
TRIPLELUX-B (ESA): “Our thanks to Tracy for performing the ERNOBOX power reconfiguration and the filter bypass on 9/16 which was a reconfiguring of the cables so that the VHF signal from the external antenna can be fed directly to the receiver. The command list file uplink was performed on 9/22.”
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
VASCULAR (CSA): No report.
VCAM (Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Module, NASA): No report.
VESSEL ID System (ESA): Acquiring data. Command list file uplink performed on 9/8.
VESSEL IMAGING (ESA): Acquiring data. Command list file uplink performed on 9/1.
VO2max (NASA): “Shannon: Great job on Tuesday’s VO2max session! Your efficiency with the hardware setup and calibrations is impressive. Data analysis will begin soon. Thanks for your hard work and participation in VO2max!”
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): Through 9/20, the ground has received a total of 4,784 frames of Exp-24 CEO imagery for review and cataloging. “We are pleased to report your acquisition of the following targets with times corresponding to those of our daily CEO Target Request lists: Astana, Kazakhstan – target had more cloud than was anticipated – we will continue trying for this one; Mississippi Delta Region – good detailed session with sun glint enhancement – under evaluation; and Hurricane Julia, Eastern North Atlantic – several good oblique views that indicate the presence of dust entering the circulation. One of your views of a part of the striking landscape of the Es Safa Volcanic Field located to the southeast of Damascus, Syria was published on NASA/GSFC’s Earth Observatory website this past weekend. This is an excellent documentary view of features and processes of this large volcanic field. In addition, your heads up view of the Twitchell Canyon Fire, central Utah on GMT Day 263 was posted the next day on the Natural Hazards page of Earth Observatory. Your image proved superior in detail and content to other satellite imagery acquired and submitted at that time. Thanks for your prompt download of this dynamic event photography. Kudos to the crew!”
CEO photo targets uplinked for today were Kilauea Volcano, HI (ISS had a near nadir-viewing pass over Kilauea Volcano. The volcano has been active recently; plumes of steam and ash may have been visible. Overlapping mapping frames of the volcano were requested. The volcano was located slightly to the left of track), Tbilisi, Georgia (weather was predicted to be clear over this capital city. Tbilisi is located in the southern Caucasus region on the banks of the Kura River. Overlapping mapping frames of urban and surrounding rural area were requested), Astana, Kazakhstan (looking to the left of track for this capital city. Overlapping mapping frames of the urban and surrounding rural area were requested), and Typhoon Malakas, western Pacific (Dynamic Event. Typhoon Malakas was predicted to pass close by the islands of Japan, and to be at Category 3 strength at the time of ISS approach. Looking ahead and to the left of track for the storm to obtain good views of the storm’s eye).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:43am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 355.0 km
Apogee height – 359.6 km
Perigee height – 350.3 km
Period — 91.64 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006948
Solar Beta Angle — -49.9 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 186 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 67,925.
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/08/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch – Kelly (CDR-26)/Kaleri/Skripochka
10/10/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/26/10 — Progress M-05M/37P undock
10/27/10 — Progress M-08M/40P launch
10/29/10 — Progress M-08M/40P docking
11/01/10 — STS-133/Discovery launch (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) ~4:33pm EDT
11/12/10 — Russian EVA-26
11/17/10 — Russian EVA-27
11/30/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S undock/landing (End of Increment 25)
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/14/10 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S launch – Kondratyev (CDR-27)/Coleman/Nespoli
12/16/10 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
12/20/10 — Progress M-07M/39P undock
01/24/10 — Progress M-08M/40P undock
01/28/10 — Progress M-09M/41P launch
01/31/10 — Progress M-09M/41P docking
02/xx/10 — Russian EVA-28
02/26/11 — STS-134/Endeavour (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS-02) ~4:19pm EDT – “target”
03/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S undock/landing (End of Increment 26)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-22/26S launch – A. Borisienko (CDR-28)/R.Garan/A.Samokutayev
04/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-22/26S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
04/26/11 — Progress M-09M/41P undock
04/27/11 — Progress M-10M/42P launch
04/29/11 — Progress M-10M/42P docking
05/xx/10 — Russian EVA-29
05/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S undock/landing (End of Increment 27)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S launch – M. Fossum (CDR-29)/S. Furukawa/S. Volkov
06/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
06/21/11 — Progress M-11M/43P launch
06/23/11 — Progress M-11M/43P docking
08/29/11 — Progress M-11M/43P undocking
08/30/11 — Progress M-12M/44P launch
09/01/11 — Progress M-12M/44P docking
09/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-22/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-24/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
10/02/11 – Soyuz TMA-24/28S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/20/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/21/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/23/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/02/11 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/??/11 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton.
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
03/14/12 — Soyuz TMA-24/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Valkov
03/28/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
05/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/12 – Soyuz TMA-27/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/31/12 – Soyuz TMA-27/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/09/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/23/12 — Soyuz TMA-28/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O. Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
09/25/12 – Soyuz TMA-28/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/07/12 — Soyuz TMA-27/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-29/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
11/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-29/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-28/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-30/34S launch.
03/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-30/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
