NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 3 September 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – Crew half-day off duty.
As part of the regular Daily Morning Inspection, FE-1 Samokutyayev performed the routine checkup of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel.
CDR Borisenko continued the 2nd test series of the Russian ASN-M Satellite Navigation System, which requires him to monitor communications between the RSK2 A31p laptop with the test program and the three active ASN NPM-1, NPM-3 & NPM-4 navigation electronics modules every 2 hrs during work hours. [The objective of the test is to confirm that array configurations for ATV docking in negative Solar Beta angles do not create unacceptable multipathing for the ASN RGPS (Relative Global Positioning System). Both TRRJs (Thermal Radiator Rotary Joints) and both SARJs (Solar Alpha Rotary Joints) plus the 1B, 2B, 3A & 4A BGAs (Beta Gimbal Assemblies) were placed in Directed position for this test (i.e., not autotrack). The test will include 4 different array configurations, with periods of autotrack in between for power generation recovery. The test is planned to be complete late tomorrow evening.]
The six crewmembers joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). As part of today’s Uborka, FE-5 Furukawa took documentary photographs of the RGSH AORG (Return Grid Sensor Housing add-on screens) at COL D0 before and after going over them with the vacuum cleaner (to be compared with pictures taken during previous cleaning to establish the quantity of debris captured during the week). [“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 sleep stations 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 Uborka house cleaning, FE-1 Samokutyayev completed regular maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP) and the BMP Harmful Contaminants Removal System grille in the SM. Before the cleaning, all fan screens were photographed for ground inspection.
FE-4 Volkov completed 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.]
At ~8:35am EDT, the crew held the regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners), via S-band/audio, reviewing upcoming activities and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
Borisenko deactivated the GA/gas analyzer (KM0305M1) in the Soyuz TMA-21/26S (#231) spacecraft, docked at MRM2 Poisk, and FE-4 Volkov did the same in “his” Soyuz TMA-02M/27S (#702), docked at MRM1 Rassvet. [The GA’s were activated on 8/30, which is done periodically to check the cabin air in the Descent Modules.]
FE-3 Garan 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, Ron 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.]
For today’s VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) activities, FE-6 Fossum filmed more 3D scenes with the European ERB-2 (Erasmus Recording Binocular 2) camera. [After first charging batteries for the ERB-2, Mike took the camera from its multi-use bracket on the EDR (European Drawer Rack), adjusted its settings and then filmed onboard scenes. Afterwards, FE-6 remounted ERB-2 at the EDR and turned on the E2 OUT2 switch of the EDR’s ESEM4 (Exchangeable Standard Electronic Module 4) for downlinking. The stereoscopic ERB-2 has produced the first live 3-D video images in the 50-year history of spaceflight aboard the ISS for ESA’s Research & Technology Center in the Netherlands.]
Having selected two VolSci tasks, FE-5 Furukawa first serviced the CBEF (Cell Biology Experiment Facility) in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), wiping out the inside of the Micro-G IU (Incubator Unit) and sample tray, then the 1G IU and its centrifuge.
For the second activity, a JAXA EPO (Education Payload Operation), Satoshi was to compose a five-line Space Poem in Japanese on his feelings in space. [The activity included writing the poem down in large Japanese letters for subsequent video viewing, then reading the poem at an ATU (Audio Terminal Unit) and explaining its background while exposing it to the JPM INT-P internal camera, with Ron Garan taking supportive photography at the JPM window showing Earth and/or ISS external structure. Satoshi later closed the Kibo window again.]
Volkov performed the daily inspection of the recently activated Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) payload with its LADA-01 greenhouse and ensured proper watering of the KM A32 & A24 root modules. [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)],
At ~10:15am EDT, Mike Fossum had his weekly PFC (Private Family Conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop).
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (CDR, FE-1, FE-4), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-3, FE-4, FE-5, FE-6), and T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR, FE-3, FE-5, FE-6).
Jobs listed for Andrey, Sergei & Sasha today on the Russian discretionary “time permitting” task list were –
. Another ~30-min. run of the GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program with the NIKON D3X digital camera with Sigma AF 300-800mm telelens, aiming for Krasnaya Polyana, Kolka glacier, Volga river delta. Caspian Sea, the southern coast of Lake Baikal, Etna volcano, Stromboli volcano, the Belarusian Test Range, Darwin, and Arenal Volcano,
. 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,
. A ~15-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining NIKON D3 photos with Nikkor 80-200 mm lens and the SONY HD video camcorder on record color bloom patterns in the waters of South-Eastern Pacific, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop, and
. Preparation & downlinking of more reportages (written text, photos, videos) for the Roskosmos website to promote Russia’s manned space program (max. file size 500 Mb).
Weekly Science Update (Expedition Twenty-Eight — Week 24)
2D NANO Template (JAXA): No report.
3D SPACE: Complete.
AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.
ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.
ALTEA SHIELD (NASA/ASI): On 8/31, 2 Silicon Detector Units (SDU’s) went offline for the same measurement axis. The minimum science requirement of 20 cumulative days of science acquisition has already been met, in fact ~33 days cumulative days of measurements have been collected.
AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer): All AMS payload and laptop science operations are nominal. AMS has a component which is near its lower operational limit in temperature, but is able to self-heat by operating its subsystem. AMS will continue to monitor the temperature, and will work with VIPeR for modeling the component thermal response in future environments.
APEX (Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit) -Cambium: No report.
APEX-TAGES (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System): No report.
Asian Seed 2010 (JAXA): Returned on ULF6.
BCAT-4/5 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 4/5): No report.
BIOLAB (ESA): No report.
BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.
BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.
BISPHOSPHONATES: No report.
BXF-Facility (Boiling eXperiment Facility, NASA): No report.
BXF-MABE (Microheater Array Boiling Experiment, NASA): No report.
BXF-NPBX (Pool Boiling Experiment, NASA): 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-2 (JAXA Cell Biology Experiment Facility)/SPACE SEED: No report.
CCISS (Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS): No report.
CERISE (JAXA): No report.
CCF (Capillary Channel Flow): No report.
CFS-A (Colored Fungi in Space-A, ESA): No report.
CSI-3/CGBA-5 (CGBA Science Insert #2/Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5): No report.
CGBA-2 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2): Complete.
CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack), MDCA/Flex: No report.
Commercial (Inc 23&24, JAXA): No report.
Commercial (Inc 25 & 26, JAXA): Sample returned by ULF6.
CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2): No report.
CsPins (JAXA): No report.
CubeLab: No report.
CW/CR (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) in EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System): Complete.
DECLIC-ALI (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids & Crystallization-ALICE-like, CNES/NASA): No report.
DomeGene (JAXA): Complete.
DOSIS (Dose Distribution Inside ISS, ESA): No report.
EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students): No report.
EDR (European Drawer Rack, ESA): No report.
EKE (Endurance Capacity by Gas Exchange and Heart Rate Kinetics During Physical Training, 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): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Sesame Street): No report.
EPO (Educational Payload Operations, NASA) (Kids in Micro-G): No report.
EPO LES-2 (ESA): No report.
EPO GREENHOUSE (ESA): No report.
EPO 3-min Video (JAXA): No report.
EPO J-Astro Report (JAXA): On 8/27, FE-5 Satoshi completed JAXA Report 7 and Report 8.
EPO Dewey’s Forest (JAXA): Closed out on 3/15.
EPO Space Clothes (JAXA): Complete.
EPO Hiten (Dance, JAXA): No report.
EPO Lego Bricks (NASA, JAXA): “Great work on the Lego Bricks payload, Ron and Satoshi! As students go back to school, these educational activities will serve as inspiration as they solve problems, investigate, explore and discover our world and beyond. We at NASA on the ground and the Lego Group are thrilled with your expertise and excitement seen in the video footage. The videos will be posted to the NASA portal as well as www.legospace.com for use in classrooms around the world. Thank you for all your hard work.”
EPO-5 SpaceBottle (Message in a Bottle, JAXA): No report.
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): Voluntary Weekend Science activity on 9/3.
EPO-6 Spiral Top 2 (JAXA): No report.
EPO-7 Doctor Demo (JAXA): On 8/20, FE-5 Satoshi completed EPO-7 as Voluntary Science. All of imagery and voice data was downloaded successfully. Thank you so much.
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.] “Dear Mike, many thanks for your time during last weekend to support ERB-2 video footages data transfer and subsequent data downlink via the EDR rack. All the movies are confirmed on ground and are being post-processed.”
ETD (Eye Tracking Device): Completed.
FACET-2 (JAXA): No report.
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): FSL activation is on-hold pending engineering assessment of the recent faulty boot-up events. No activities during Week#18 to #23, awaiting the analysis of the engineering teams.
FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device, ESA): No report.
GENARA-A (Gravity Regulated Genes in Arabidopsis A/ESA): No report.
GEOFLOW-2 (ESA): GEOFLOW-2 runs will be resumed only when ESA will have a clear forward plan for FSL.
HAIR (JAXA): No report.
HDTV System (JAXA): No report.
Hicari (JAXA): No report.
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): HICO has taken 3925 images to-date. The most recent HICO images include the coast of Cyprus, part of Lake Victoria, Sydney Harbour in Australia and part of the California coast. RAIDS is collecting secondary science including nighttime atmospheric disk photometry, spectra and temperatures. Extreme Ultra Violet airglow spectroscopy and optical contamination studies are also being performed.
HydroTropi (Hydrotropism & Auxin-Inducible Gene Expression in Roots Grown under Microgravity Conditions/JAXA): No report.
ICE CRYSTAL (JAXA): Complete.
ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): “Satoshi, the ICV PIs have indicated that the primary data for the experiment was only slightly affected by the 24 hour loss of the waist Actiwatch during your recent ICV Ambulatory Monitoring session. The Actiwatch data is used for interpretation of the data obtained from the Holter so, while the information is valuable, we should be able to interpolate and thus the impact of this loss on the science is expected to be small. We very much appreciate all of your efforts on behalf of ICV!”
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: No report.
ISSAC (ISS Agricultural Camera, NASA): Images taken by ISSAC of the flooding in Minot, ND on 6/24 were uplinked to the crew as a false color composite with three spectral bands; near infrared, red, and green bands.
IV Gen (Intravenous Fluids Generation): No report.
KID/KUBIK6: No report.
KUBIK 3 (ESA): No report.
LMM/PACE-2 (Light Microscopy Module / Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment): We have finished powered operations with the PACE Particle Samples. Next, we plan to observe and image the PACE Tissue Samples.”
LOCAD-PTS (Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System): No report.
Marangoni Exp (JAXA): 24th run was completed on 12/22.
Marangoni DSD – Dynamic Surf (JAXA): Payload name was change from Marangoni DSD to Dynamic Surf.
Marangoni UVP (JAXA): No report.
MARES (Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System, ESA/NASA): From NASA: “Mike & Satoshi, thanks for all your hard work on replacing the MARES bolts and the successful activation of MARES. This completes the NASA commissioning of MARES and it is ready to be used by the next crew.” From ESA: Mike and Satoshi, thank you so much for all your diligent time spent on the 2 MARES activities this week. All the teams both on NASA and ESA side are so excited that the electronics troubleshooting had a positive outcome and that all the bolts could be replaced so very smoothly by you! It was a pleasure following you! We are so happy these issues are out of the way!”
Matryoshka-2 (RSA): No report.
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
MDCA/Flex: Late last week and early this week, CIR/MDCA performed methanol and heptane test points at three different chamber atmospheres. Three test points are going to be repeated sometime in the near future since the fuel droplet kept drifting out of the field of view of our cameras. Therefore, only eight test points counted towards the science matrix.
MEIS (Marangoni Experiment for ISS) in JAXA FPEF (Fluid Physics Experiment Facility): No report.
Microbe-2 (JAXA): Sample returned by ULF6.
Micro-G Clay (JAXA EPO): Complete.
MISSE-8 (Materials ISS Experiment 8): MISSE-8 is operating nominally. This week PASCAL has continued nominal commanding that produced IV curves of the solar cells. IV curves are plots of the current versus voltage for solar cells and tell a lot about how these are performing. The SpaceCube experiment is running code for new radiation hardening by software.
MMA (JAXA/Microgravity Measurement Apparatus): No report.
MPAC/SEED (JAXA): Completed on 19A FD4.
MSG-SAME (Microgravity Science Glovebox-Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment): No report.
MSL (Materials Science Laboratory, ESA): “Thank you Mike for the exchange of the MSL cartridge on 8/29 and your related crew note! All ran smoothly for the processing of the cartridge. Early 8/31 morning, the SCA was nominally solidified according to science team requirements.”
MTR-2 (Russian radiation measurements): Passive dosimeters measurements in DC-1 “Pirs”.
MULTIGEN-1: Completed.
MYCO 3 (JAXA): No report.
MyoLab (JAXA): Completed on 4/20.
NANOSKELETON (Production of High Performance Nanomaterials in Microgravity, JAXA): Returned on ULF6.
NEURORAD (JAXA): No report.
NEUROSPAT (ESA/Study of Spatial Cognition, Novelty Processing and Sensorimotor Integration):
NOA-1/-2 (Nitric Oxide Analyzer, ESA): Complete.
NUTRITION w/REPOSITORY/ProK: “Another great session, Ron. The barcodes that you placed in crew notes have been received. Your hard work and dedication to the science is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your participation. We look forward to seeing you on the ground. Happy Landings!”
ODK (Onboard Diagnostic Kit, JAXA): On 8/24, FE-5 Satoshi completed Diagnostics Kit Demo part 1.
PADIAC (Pathway Different Activators, ESA): No report.
PADLES (JAXA, Area PADLES 3/4; Passive Area Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiment in Space): On 6/14 completed installation of 17 Dosimeters in JPM and JLP.
PASSAGES (JAXA): No report.
PCDF-PU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility – Process Unit): No report.
PCG (JAXA, Protein Crystal Growth): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
PCRF (Protein Crystallization Research Facility) Reconfiguration (JAXA): See PCG.
PLSG (Plant Signaling, NASA/ESA): No report.
PMDIS (Perceptual Motor Deficits in Space): Complete.
POLCA/GRAVIGEN (ESA): Complete.
Portable PFS: No report.
Pro K: No report.
RadGene & LOH (JAXA): Complete.
RadSilk (JAXA): No report.
Robonaut (NASA): “Mike and Satoshi, thank you for your assistance with Robonaut operations this week. You helped us take several important steps in the initial checkout phase of the experiment, including verifying the force sensors in the arms, the motion stop functionality and readying Robonaut for its first motion. The ground team is certainly learning a lot and we hope to have you putting Robonaut in motion soon.”
RST/Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS): “Ron, Mike and Satoshi, thank you for participating in Reaction Self Test!”
RYUTAI Rack (JAXA): No report.
SAIBO Rack (JAXA): As Voluntary Weekend Science activity on 9/3, Satoshi completed CBEF micro-g unit and 1-g unit clean up.
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): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SHERE II (Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment II): No report.
SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device): No report.
SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): No report.
SMILES (JAXA): Continuing telemetry monitoring.
SODI/IVIDIL (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in Liquids, ESA): No report.
SODI/COLLOID (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Colloid): No report.
SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): Currently in Sun Visibility Window#44, which started on 8/24. SOLAR has avoided acquiring science during the MSL venting event for SCA processing on 8/30. On 8/31, a shorter tracking duration than expected was noticed, apparently due to shadowing. This had some minor impact on a science script run for SOLACES. Otherwise both SOLSPEC and SOLACES are acquiring science data.”
SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): No report.
Space-DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System): No report.
Space Food (JAXA): No report.
SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite): No report.
SPHINX (SPaceflight of Huvec: an Integrated eXperiment, ESA): No report.
SPICE (Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment): No report.
SPINAL (Spinal Elongation): No report.
SPRINT: No report.
SS-HDTV (Super Sensitivity High Definition Camera, JAXA): On 8/26, Satoshi completed download via MPC for Recording-1 (Earth night view during passage over Japan main islands).
STP-H3 (Space Test Program – Houston 3): MHTEX has completed diagnostics on the evaporators by varying the heaters for each evaporator. All evaporators were turned off and the system is being reprimed at 45 deg C this week. Canary has taken data during the Materials Science Research Rack and Combustion Integrated Rack VES-USAGE events. VADER has increased the voltage in the high emissivity state to the cycling VEDs in an effort to excite a greater change. VADER plans to continue in this state for the next month. DISC has taken more images this week and is processing images that were taken in previous weeks.
SWAB (Characterization of Microorganisms & Allergens in Spacecraft): No report.
TASTE IN SPACE (ESA): No report.
THERMOLAB (ESA): “Mike, the THERMOLAB science team confirmed that your data session of 8/26 was a success, the data are great and have the full power they expected. The cooldown phase was really great. So big thanks! Ron, the THERMOLAB science team confirmed that your data session of 8/25 gave very good data and the new pair of double sensors worked very well, so big thanks!”
TRAC (Test of Reaction & Adaptation Capabilities): Planned.
TREADMILL KINEMATICS: “Satoshi, thanks for another great session. Awesome Fossum, thank you for a flawless session!”
TRIPLELUX-B (ESA): No report.
ULTRASOUND: Planned.
UMS (Urine Monitoring System (NASA): No report.
VASCULAR (CSA): No report.
VCAM (Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Module, NASA): No report.
VESSEL ID System (ESA): Acquiring science data with NorAIS receiver.
VESSEL IMAGING (ESA): No sessions possible due to Ultrasound anomaly.
VIABLE (eValuatIon And monitoring of microBiofiLms insidE the ISS Payload Touch, NASA): No report.
VO2max (NASA): No report.
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): “Your images of Hurricane Irene continue to be very popular! A session of your still imagery taken on 8/24 as you flew over the central Caribbean Sea and the island of Hispaniola was converted into a video and posted on the International Space Station’s Web Page
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/Irene-Video.html.
Very nice context views of the hurricane! Nicosia, Cyprus; Southern African Fires; and Antananarivo, Madagascar are all currently under review. Your night-time view of several of the oldest cities of northwestern Europe was published on NASA/GSFC’s Earth Observatory website this past weekend. The scale of the image captured cities from Milan, Italy to London, England. Your imagery continues to fascinate!”
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were Podgorica, Montenegro (looking at nadir or a touch right just after crossing the Adriatic Sea, for this capital city of 151,000 people. Podgorica lies inland immediately north of Lake Scutari, the main visual cue. Podgorica is the largest city in Montenegro, a small state that reestablished its independence in 2006), Chisinau, Moldova (looking near nadir for Chisinau [population 665,000], whose white structures and airport stand out against field-covered hills), and Prague, Czech Republic (looking left of track near an irregular wooded area. Prague [1.3 million people] is a major gray zone set in an extensive agricultural area, just east of a major wooded area).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:13am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 385.3 km
Apogee height – 393.7 km
Perigee height – 377.0 km
Period — 92.26 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0012319
Solar Beta Angle — -20.0 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.61
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 112 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 73,313
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/15/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S undock — 8:37pm EDT
09/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/26S landing — 12:01am EDT (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/xx/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking — UNDER REVIEW
10/xx/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch — UNDER REVIEW
10/xx/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking — UNDER REVIEW
10/xx/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin — UNDER REVIEW
10/xx/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2)
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/17/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon — Target date
12/xx/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit — UNDER REVIEW
12/xx/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
01/xx/12 — Progress M-13M/45P undock — UNDER REVIEW
01/xx/12 — Progress M-14M/46P launch — UNDER REVIEW
01/xx/12 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1) — UNDER REVIEW
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————-
