NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 29 November 2012
ISS On-Orbit Status 11/29/12
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
After wakeup, FE-1 Novitskiy performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection and also .
FE-1 also completed the daily reboot of the Russian RS1 & RS2 laptops.
FE-2 Tarelkin rebooted the RSS1 & RSS2 laptops.
Next, Evgeny completed the periodic maintenance of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The process will be terminated at ~3:55pm EST. Bed #2 regeneration will be done tomorrow. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP’s regeneration cycle is normally done every 20 days (last time: 11/12 & 11/13.]
After activating the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) with video cameras, monitor and ancillary equipment, CDR Ford worked with the payload InSPACE and InSPACE3 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 3), conducting two successive runs of the experiment (#2, #8). [Steps included turning on MSG video cameras & monitor, verifying optical alignment of the cameras and configuring the MSG video recorders. Then, after switching the magnetic field to STEADY mode, Kevin swept & focused the field of view, later removed & stowed the video tapes from the MSG video recorders and inserted new blank tapes for the second run. After the last run, the MSG hardware and video drawers were deactivated.]
Oleg Novitskiy supported the current testing of the TEKh-39 LCS (Laser Communications System, Russian: SLS) in the SM by copying the test data collected overnight from the RSE-SLS A31p laptop to the RSS2 laptop for data downlink and log file dump.
Later, FE-1 also serviced the running experiment TEKh-22 “Identifikatsiya” (Identification) in the MRM1 Rassvet module by downloading the new batch of structural dynamics measurements of the IMU-Ts microaccelerometer to the RSE1 laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground via RSPI (High-speed Data Transmission Radio Link). [IMU-Ts is a part of the MRM1 SBI onboard measurement system, installed in PGO behind panel 104.]
After retrieving filled CWC-I (Contingency Water Container-Iodine) bags from stowage in PMM (Permanent Multipurpose Module), Ford worked on “degassing” them, i.e. removing any free air bubbles that may have been ingested since their last use. Requested were up to four containers which will be emptied into the WST (Water Storage Tank) in the following weeks. [The traditional procedure for “degassing” the container (by first draining, then refilling it with a fully charged water CWC) was replaced in 2004 by a rather ingenious new procedure developed and checked out on the KC-135 aircraft flying zero-G parabolas at JSC/Houston: Essentially, it involves the crewmember himself centrifuging the selected container by holding it away from the body and applying a slow rotation of ~15 rpm to himself, to separate air and water in the bag through centrifugal force, while simultaneously squeezing out the air by cinching down on bungee cords wrapped around the CWC.]
Later, Kevin performed the weekly 10-min. CWC inventory as part of continuing WRM (Water Recovery & Management) assessment of onboard water supplies. Updated “cue cards” based on the crew’s water calldowns are sent up every other week for recording changes, but this time the report was “no change” to the current card. [The current new card (33-0028) lists 21 CWCs (186.45 L total), including 4 empty bag, for the five types of water identified on board: 1. Silver technical water (1 CWC with 25 L, plus 2 empty bags); 2. Condensate water (3 CWCs with 9.8 L; plus 1 empty bag); 3. Iodinated water (12 CWCs with 149.15 L); 4. Waste water (1 empty CWC), and 5. Special Fluid (OGS) (1 CWC with 2.5 L). Other CWCs are stowed behind racks and are currently not being tracked due to unchanging contents. Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]. Other CWCs are stowed behind racks and are currently not being tracked due to unchanging contents. Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]
Evgeny undertook the periodic transfer of U.S. condensate water from CWC (#1043) to the RS (Russian Segment) for the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the designated KOV EDV container. Once filled, the EDV is connected to the BPK transfer pump for processing through the BKO water purification (multifiltration) unit. [The 40-minute procedure is specially designed to prevent air bubbles larger than ~10 mm from getting into the BZh Liquid Unit where they could cause Elektron shutdown.]
Novitskiy reviewed reference material on tomorrow’s outfitting task of installing and mating SUBA (Onboard Equipment Control System) cabling behind SM panels 339 & 222 to enable powering off the KL-211 video encoder using a single command of the BVS (Onboard Computer System). [The KL-211 (MPEG-2/Moving Pictures Expert Group 2) Encoder uses the RSS1 A31p laptop (for on-board monitoring the digital video) and a U.S. SSC (Station Support Computer) A31p laptop (for converting analog TV from Russian PAL mode to U.S. NTSC)./
Kevin Ford continued the job of preparing Ice Brick units for upcoming preservative storage needs, today retrieving 4 green (-32 degC) Bricks from stowage and inserting them in MELFI-1 Dewar 2 in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module, D4) for chill-down.
FE-2 took on the daily routine task of servicing 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.]
Tarelkin also completed 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).
Later, Evgeny set up the hardware for the Russian earth observation experiment TEKh-52 “Vizir” (Viewfinder) at SDM window #6 and activated it for a validation run, followed by data downlink via RSPI high-speed data link and ground specialist tagup. [For today’s tests, Tarelkin used easily identifiable earth targets for obtaining images which will then be processed by the ground for equipment alignment and precision characterization. Vizir uses the new SKPF-U hardware, a photo image coordinate reference system using ultrasound sensors, a NIKON D3X photo camera with AF300-800mm lens with PI emission platform for general target views, and the RSK1 T61p laptop with new software (Vers. 3.4), installed on 8/13.]
FE-2 also conducted the regular monthly maintenance of the TVIS (Treadmill with Vibration Isolation & Stabilization). [This requires inspecting the condition of harnesses, belt slats, corner bracket ropes, SLD (Subject Load Device) cables & exit pulley housing, IRBAs (Isolation Restorative Bungee Assemblies) and gyroscope wire ropes for any damage or defects, lubricating as required plus recording control panel time & date values, and making sure that the display cable and skirt were properly secured afterwards.]
At ~9:10am EST, the three crewmembers joined for the standard 90-min refresher OBT (On Board Training) simulated emergency drill. [Starting with Oleg & Evgeny in the RS and Kevin in the USOS (US Segment), the crew practiced initial crew actions in response to specific emergency cases, physically translated through ISS to the appropriate response locations provided by the simulator, and practiced procedure execution and associated decision making based on cues provided by the simulator. The crew used one Russian iPad, one US iPad and an SSC during the drill, with the iPads as primary tools for interfacing with the simulator and the SSC as backup to the iPads if required. Due to the two types of WAPs (Wireless Access Points) on ISS, the Russian iPad likely provided the best connectivity while traversing in the RS although the US iPad may also have maintained connection for the majority of the Russian modules. The OBT was followed by a 15-min tagup with ground specialists at ~11:50am.]
With its battery freshly charged overnight, Oleg configured the GFI-1 “Relaksatsiya” (Relaxation) Earth Observation experiment at SM window #9 for operation, and then used it to take more spectral and photographic imagery of Earth’s surface and atmosphere under ground commanding. Later, FE-1 closed out the experiment and dumped the data from Laptop 3 via the RSS1 terminal. [By means of the GFI-1 UFK “Fialka-MV-Kosmos” ultraviolet camera, SP spectrometer and SONY HVR-Z7 HD (High Definition) camcorder, the experiment observes the Earth atmosphere and surface from window #9, with spectrometer measurements controlled from Laptop 3. “Relaxation”, in Physics, is the transition of an atom or molecule from a higher energy level to a lower one, emitting radiative energy in the process as equilibrium is achieved.]
FE-2 Tarelkin verified proper function of the deployed Russian “Matryoshka-R” (RBO-3-2) radiation detectors by taking readings and checking date/time from the LULIN-5 electronics box located in the MRM1 near the spherical “phantom”. [A total of eight Bubble dosimeter detectors (dosimeters A41, A42, A43, A44, A45, A46, A47, A48) are deployed in the RS). The complex Matryoshka payload suite is designed for sophisticated radiation studies.]
Evgeny also had time set aside for a 30-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining HDV (Z1) camcorder footage of color bloom patterns in the waters of the South-Western Atlantic, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop.
Kevin converted the SSC10 laptop in the US Airlock to wired connection to allow analysis of the server’s HDD (Hard Disk Drive) by the ground.
Working on the RSK2 laptop in the RS, Oleg Novitskiy generated a log file of the installed program TEKh-51 VIRU (Virtual Instructions Application), filled out a log sheet and then downlinked both via RSPI.
Before Presleep (~2:30pm EST), Ford powers up the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and starts the Ku-band 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, Kevin turns MPC routing 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.]
Before sleeptime, FE-2 Tarelkin will initiate charging of the video camcorder battery for the TEKh-51 VIRU experiment using the DC-V700 camera charger.
At ~8:35am, the CDR Sunita powered up the SM’s amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, & power supply) and conducted a ham radio session with students at Liceo Linguistico & Scuola Media Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
At ~1:15pm, Kevin Ford conducted the regular IMS stowage conference with Houston stowage specialists.
The crew worked out on the TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR) and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-2). [Crewnote downlink from Kevin Ford: “T2 worked EXCELLENT today! Good to have it back.”]
Tasks listed for Evgeny & Oleg on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” job for today were –
• More preparation & downlinking of reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb),
• A ~30-min. run of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with the NIKON D3X digital camera with Sigma AF 300-800mm telelens and PI emission platform using the SKPF-U to record target sites on the Earth surface, and
• A ~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.
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were USA Southwest and Midwest cities at night (a pass forecast to be cloud free over the Plains States should have given the crew good night viewing of major cities, starting at El Paso-Cuidad Juarez as far as St. Louis), Yaounde, Cameroon (CAPITAL CITIES COLLECTION: Looking right for this capital city [population 1.8 million], which lies well inland from the coast. The city appears as a bright, devegetated patch in the rainforest. Forecast was scattered cloud to partly cloudy), and Conakry, Guinea (CAPITAL CITIES COLLECTION: Looking left for this capital city [population 1.93 million], which lies on a prominent cape, with an island immediately offshore).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:12am EST [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 411.3 km
Apogee height – 422.2 km
Perigee height – 400.3 km
Period — 92.79 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.65 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0016117
Solar Beta Angle — 9.7 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 16.5
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 65 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 80,369
Time in orbit (station) — 5123 days
Time in orbit (crews, cum.) — 4410 days.
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————– Inc-34: Three-crew operations ————-
12/19/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/21/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————– Inc-34: Six-crew operations ————-
02/11/13 — Progress M-16M/48P undocking
02/12/13 — Progress M-18M/50P launch
02/14/13 — Progress M-18M/50P docking
03/15/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————– Inc-35: Three-crew operations ————-
03/28/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
03/30/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
04/15/13 – Progress N-17M/49P undock
04/18/13 — ATV4 launch
04/23/13 — Progress M-18M/50P undock
04/24/13 – Progress M-19M/51P launch
04/26/13 – Progress M-19M/51P docking
05/01/13 — ATV4 docking
————– Inc-35: Six-crew operations ————-
05/14/13 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————– Inc-36: Three-crew operations ————-
05/28/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/30/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————– Inc-36: Six-crew operations ————-
07/23/13 – Progress M-19M/51P undock
07/24/13 – Progress M-20M/52P launch
07/26/13 — Progress M-20M/52P docking
09/11/13 — Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————– Inc-37: Three-crew operations ————-
09/25/13 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/O.Kotov(CDR-38)/S.Ryanzansky
09/27/13 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————– Inc-37: Six-crew operations ————-
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————– Inc-38: Three-crew operations ————-
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/M.Tyurin
11/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
12/18/13 — Progress M-20M/52P undock
————– Inc-38: Six-crew operations ————-
03/xx/14 — Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————– Inc-39: Three-crew operations ————-
