NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 26 August 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
As part of the regular Daily Morning Inspection, CDR Borisenko performed the routine checkup of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as well as the weekly checkup behind ASU/toilet panel 139 in the SM on a fluid connector (MNR-NS) of the SM-U urine collection system, looking for potential moisture.
FE-6 Fossum configured the PPFS (Portable Pulmonary Function System) hardware including MBS (Mixing Bag System) in COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), and then conducted his 3rd session with the VO2max assessment, integrated with Thermolab. Afterwards, Mike powered down, cleaned up and partially stowed the equipment, then downloaded the data to a PCS laptop. [The experiment VO2max uses the PPFS, CEVIS ergometer cycle, PFS (Pulmonary Function System) gas cylinders and mixing bag system, plus multiple other pieces of hardware to measure oxygen uptake, cardiac output, and more. The exercise protocol consists of a 2-min rest period, then three 5-min stages at workloads eliciting 25%, 50% & 75% of aerobic capacity as measured pre-flight, followed by a 25-watt increase in workload every minute until the crewmember reaches maximum exercise capacity. At that point, CEVIS workload increase is stopped, and a 5-min cool down period follows at the 25% load. Rebreathing measurements are initiated by the subject during the last minute of each stage. Constraints are: no food 2 hrs prior to exercise start, no caffeine 8 hrs prior to exercise, and must be well hydrated.]
Afterwards, Mike started another sampling run with the EHS GC/DMS (Environmental Health Systems Gas Chromatograph / Differential Mobility Spectrometer); deactivating the system ~5 hrs later. [Also known as AQM (Air Quality Monitor), the system is controlled with “Sionex” expert software from the SSC (Station Support Computer)-12 laptop. The AQM demonstrates COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) technology for identifying volatile organic compounds, similar to the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer). This evaluation will continue over the course of several months as it helps to eventually certify the GC/DMS as nominal CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) hardware. The procedure has been updated for this particular run to help the ground to troubleshoot what is believed to be a communication issue between SSC-12 and the AQM hardware that has been occurring recently. This updated procedure had Mike configure the SSC so that the software ran off of one CPU processor instead of two.]
After opening the Node-2 forward hatch and allowing time for ventilation, FE-3 Garan & FE-5 Furukawa had ~4.5 hrs between them for stowing cargo in the PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter-2, now no longer required for Shuttle dockings. The new stowage facility will alleviate part of the stowage situation on board. When finished, Garan closed the Node-2 fwd hatch. [Guided by an uplinked stowage list, the crew transferred cargo items into PMA-2, secured them with bungees and velcroed desiccant packs to some of the items to prevent condensate formation in some offnominal cases. Enough clearance was to be maintained between stowage and hatch mechanisms to allow future access. The cargo arrangement was also documented with one photograph for each layer.]
Andrey Borisenko did the daily routine inspection of the recently activated Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) payload with its LADA-01 greenhouse, checking for proper fan operation by testing the air flow from the ventilators BO A04 & BO A05 and verifying that both LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are lit, then watering the root modules KM A32 & A24 to the roper humidity level. FE-4 Volkov took documentary photography of setup & activities, [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).]
With the FSS Photospectrograph battery freshly charged, Andrey used the Russian GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with FSS science hardware at SM window #9 during a one-hour segment, taking pictures of targets along the flight track, including Tunisia, Mediterranean Sea, coastal area of Sicily, Etna, Stromboli volcanoes, natural & industrial FSS images of underlying surface to the limit under low light conditions of targets (to verify maximum allowable solar angle values above local horizon). [The FSS (Fotospektralnaya sistema) consists of an image recording module with lens and a spectroradiometer module with an electronics module. FSS includes the ME Electronics Module & MRI Image Recording Module.]
After the CDR’s Uragan session, FE-1 Samokutyayev set up the Russian DZZ-12 RUSALKA (“Mermaid”) hardware at SM window #9 for another sun-glint observation session, using the hand-held spectrometer (without use of the TIUS three-stage rate sensor), synchronized with the coaxially mounted NIKON D2X camera for taking snapshots, and later downloaded the data to laptop RS1 for subsequent downlink via OCA. The equipment was then torn down and stowed away. [RUSALKA is a micro spectrometer for collecting detailed information on observed spectral radiance in the near IR (Infrared) waveband for measurement of greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth atmosphere],
Working ~2h40m in the US Airlock, Ron Garan uploaded new charge parameters to the 4 BCMs (Battery Charge Modules) from an A31p SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop via a BCM-PCS (Portable Computer System) interface cable and a USB ThumbDrive. The new “smoothing” parameters improve the sensitivity of the BCMs to detect charge completion. Also updated were the printer code and execute tables for all BCMs. Updated BCM software will be installed at a later date. [In the past, there were overtemperature events when the BCMs did not terminate charging quickly enough. The new procedure, used first on 11/11/2010, allows for the update of the smoothing parameter on the BCMs.]
FE-3 also opened the protective window shutters of the Lab WORF (Window Observational Research Facility) for the ISSAC (ISS Agriculture Camera) equipment, so ground images can be captured today by ground commanding. At sleeptime tonight, FE-6 Fossum will close the shutters again. [ISSAC takes frequent visible-light & infrared images of vegetated areas on the Earth. The camera focuses principally on rangelands, grasslands, forests, and wetlands in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. The images may be delivered directly upon request to farmers, ranchers, foresters, natural resource managers and tribal officials to help improve their environmental stewardship of the land. The images will also be shared with educators for classroom use.]
FE-5 Furukawa completed the visual T+2 Days (44 +/- 4h) microbial (bacterial & fungal) analysis of SM & PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) water samples collected by him on 8/24, using the WMK MCD (Water Microbiology Kit / Microbial Capture Devices) for microbial traces, and the CDB (Coliform Detection Bag) for inflight coliform indications (Magenta for Positive, Yellow for Negative). [Crew downlink: “MCD: 82F, 0 colony observed; CDB: 82F, yellow (negative)”.]
After powering on the T61p PC1 laptop in COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), Mike downloaded the data from Satoshi’s 2nd (FD30) ICV Ambulatory session last Sunday (8/21), i.e., from two Actiwatch “Spectrum” units and two HM2 (Holter Monitor 2) HiFi CF cards. PC1 was then powered off.
FE-5 & FE-6 filled out their weekly FFQs (Food Frequency Questionnaires) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer). [On the FFQs, USOS astronauts keep a personalized log of their nutritional intake over time on special MEC software. Recorded are the amounts consumed during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins. The FFQ is performed once a week to estimate nutrient intake from the previous week and to give recommendations to ground specialists that help maintain optimal crew health. Weekly estimation has been verified to be reliable enough that nutrients do not need to be tracked daily.]
CDR Borisenko had the sad duty of disassembling & stowing the TBU (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat) and KRIOGEM-3 thermostatic containers which he had set up on 8/24 for the Russian bioengineering payloads aboard Progress 44P. These 13 valuable experiments (Tipologiya, Poligen, Matryoshka-R, Kaskad, Konyugatsiya, BIF, Aril, Membrana, Aseptik, Vynoslivost, Test, OChB, and Plazmennyi Kristall-3 Plus) were all lost with the cargo ship.
Afterwards, Andrey & Sergei worked 2 hrs inventorying/auditing stowage items in the SM & FGB (Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok) module, going by an uplinked roster listing 422 individual equipment (oborud) items.
Furukawa tore down and removed the MPEG-2 “scheme” setup of downlinking streaming video via Ku-band, which was to transmit video of the 44P docking, then deactivated the conversion A31p laptop in the Node-1. [The Ku-band video “scheme” for covering RS (Russian Segment) docking events converts the Russian video signal from the SONY HDV camera’s European PAL format to U.S. NTSC format and Ku-band from Node-1 & SM, for downlinking “streaming video” packets via U.S. OpsLAN and Ku-band. The activities are monitored on the SSC-2 (Station Support Computer 2) laptop at the SM Central Post with the NVIEWER application, and the VWS1 (Video Streaming Workstation 1) A31p laptop In Node-1 is used for both the conversion from PAL to NTSC and the “streaming” MPEG2 (Moving Pictures Expert Group 2) encoding.]
Satoshi also retrieved & stowed the four passive FMK (Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit) sampling assemblies, deployed by Ron on 8/24 in the Lab (at P3, below CEVIS) and SM (at the most forward handrail, on panel 307), to catch any atmospheric formaldehyde on a collector substrate for subsequent analysis on the ground. [Two monitors each are usually attached side by side, preferably in an orientation with their faces perpendicular to the direction of air flow.]
Sasha prepared the video files shot yesterday by Andrey & Sergei for another installment of the “The Orbital Station. Life on Orbit” video for return to Earth by transferring the footage to a disk. The video is intended for a documentary film to be prepared by the Roskosmos TV studio for the “Kultura” State TV channel. [Film authors are asking Russian ISS crew members to take video according to the uplinked scenario and to give an interview during a comm pass scheduled later.]
Volkov meanwhile had 2h40m set aside for filming more “Chronicle” newsreel footage using the SONY HVR-Z7 #2 high-definition camcorder as part of the ongoing effort to create a photo & video documentary database on the flight of ISS-28 (“Flight Chronicles”) for Telecanal Roskosmos. [Footage subjects generally include conducting experiments, current activities at the station, repair activities behind panels, exercise, cosmonauts looking out the window at the Earth, Earth surface, station interior, cosmonaut in zero gravity, leisure, life on orbit, personal hygiene, meals, station exterior, comm. passes with the ground, ham radio passes, station cleaning, spacesuits, space hardware, MRM1, MRM2, DC1, FGB, Soyuz & Progress, intermodular passageways, meeting a new crew, crewmember in space, medical experiments, handover activities, crew return preparations, farewell ceremonies, etc. The photo/video imagery is saved digitally on HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) for return to Earth on Soyuz.]
FE-5 configured the JAXA SSHDTV (Super Sensitive High Definition TV) recorder, converter and MPC (Multi Protocol Converter) and started the downlink of recently recorded Earth surface imagery.
In the Lab, Satoshi also demated the ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System Low Temperature Loop) at the CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly), required for yesterday’s CDRA checkout.
Working in the US WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment), Furukawa & Fossum later removed toilet pre-treat tank (E-K) #809039 with a new spare (#811051). [The Russian-provided E-K tank contains five liters of pre-treat solution, i.e., a mix of 36% H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), 9% CrO3 (chromium oxide, for oxidation and purple color), and 55% H2O (water), resulting in a TOX-2 classification. The undiluted pre-treat liquid is then mixed with water in a dispenser (DKiV) and used for toilet flushing.]
Andrey, Sergei & Sasha each had time aside for personal crew departure preparations; these are standard pre-return procedures for crewmembers.
Samokutyayev conducted 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, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]
Volkov took on the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) maintenance, updating/editing its standard “delta file” including stowage locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
At ~4:25pm, the six crewmembers are scheduled for their regular weekly tagup with the Lead Flight Director at JSC/MCC-Houston.
Before “Presleep” period tonight, Satoshi turns on the MPC and starts the data flow of video recorded during the day to the ground, with POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) routing the onboard HRDL (High-Rate Data Link). After about an hour, MPC was to be turned off again. [This is a routine operation which regularly transmits HD onboard video (live or tape playback) to the ground on a daily basis before sleeptime.]
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-6), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (CDR/2x, FE-1, FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-3, FE-4, FE-5), and T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-3, FE-5). The ARED workouts by FE-1 & FE-4 were video recorded for ground inspection.
WRM Update: A new WRM (Water Recovery Management) “cue card” was uplinked to the crew for their reference, updated with their latest CWC (Contingency Water Container) water audit. [The new card (28-0014K) lists 136 good CWCs (3,139.0 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. technical water (32 CWCs with 1,306.2 L, for Elektron electrolysis, incl. 872.3 L in 21 bags containing Wautersia bacteria and 390.8 L in 9 clean bags for contingency use; 2. Silver potable water (no CWCs); 3. Iodinated water (92 CWCs with 1,664.9 L (also 15 expired bags with 271.9 L); 4. condensate water (130.9 L in 8 bags, plus 2 empty bags); and 5. waste/EMU dump and other (37.0 L in 2 CWCs, incl. 20.2 L from hose/pump flush). Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Nicosia, Cyprus (ISS tracked northeastward over the eastern Mediterranean towards this target in mid-afternoon with clear skies below. This capital city of about 400,000 is located in the north central part of the island. At this time the crew was to look nadir for Nicosia and try for views of the entire urban area in a single frame), Mt. Etna (ISS had a near-nadir pass in mid-afternoon light with clear weather for this famous volcano located in eastern Sicily. Mount Etna has one of the world’s longest documented records of historical volcanism, dating back to 1500 BC. On 6/14 an ash cloud from Etna rose about 200 – 250 m above the rim. CEO staff also detected a small plume emanating from Etna in some of the recent ISS CEO imagery. Apparently Etna is going through a small eruptive phase whereby ash plumes have been observed to occur every 5 – 15 minutes. Researchers are interested in any plume event the crew may observe. At the uplinked time as it tracked northeastward over the western part of the island of Sicily, the crew was to try to capture the source and extent of any plume), Bucharest, Romania (ISS had a nadir pass over the Romanian capital city of nearly 2 million. Bucharest is located in the southern part of the country within a broad, agricultural plain north of the Danube River and south of the dark, forested slopes of the Transylvanian Alps. At this time, as ISS approached from the SW in fair weather, the crew was to look nadir for this target and try for views with the entire urban area within a single frame), and Major Hurricane Irene (Irene has maintained Category 3 status but still has some potential for further strengthening as it slowly recurves over the northern Bahamas today and begins to threaten the US east coast. ISS had a mid-afternoon pass today, well to the NW of the storm. At this time, looking right and trying for high-oblique, panoramic views of the extent and cloud structure of this mighty hurricane).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:38am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 386.0 km
Apogee height – 394.8 km
Perigee height – 377.2 km
Period — 92.27 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.001302
Solar Beta Angle — 17.8 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.60
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 58 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 73,188
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/07/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S undock (11:51pm)
09/08/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S landing (~3:08am) (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/21/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch (9:34pm) – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
09/23/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2) (~10:19pm)
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/25/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/28/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking (DC-1)
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/29/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock (a late January 2012?)
12/27/11 — Progress M-14M/46P launch (a late January 2012?)
12/29/11 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1) (a late January 2012?)
02/29/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
03/05/12 — Progress M-12M/44P undock
03/16/12 — 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————-
