NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 30 December 2008

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

Before breakfast and exercise, all crewmembers completed a 10-min session with the periodic Russian MedOps test "Hematokrit" (MO-10), which measures the red cell count of the blood, with CDR Fincke acting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer, Russian: “Examiner”). It was the first session for Fincke, Lonchakov & Magnus. [The blood samples were drawn from a finger with a perforator lancet, then centrifuged in two microcapillary tubes in the M-1100 kit’s minicentrifuge, and its hematocrit value was read off the tubes with a magnifying glass. It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count (normal range: 30-45%) tends to go down over time. After the exam, the data were saved in the IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), and Lonchakov stowed the equipment.]

Mike Fincke & Sandy Magnus worked Part 2 of the two-day installation of the new ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device) on the “ceiling” of Node-1. [Individual installation steps included removing launch restraints with the “Makita” drill tool, installing both exercise rope and cable arm ropes, installing the cylinder flywheels, then the main arm, upper stop cables, liftbar, ARED display and all ARED cables. After installation completion and analysis of all documentary photographs by ground specialists, the crew will be given the Go for ACO (Activation & Checkout) which requires two more days.]

FE-1 Lonchakov meanwhile had 90 min. reserved for configuring the GFI-11/OBSTANOVKA (Environment) equipment in the DC1 Docking Compartment and performing the first electric field measurements with the Langmuir Probe on the external hull of the SM (Service Module). [Field voltages (mV) were scanned cell by cell with the Fluke 105B ScopeMeter oscilloscope, and the oscillograms on the screen recorded by photographing, plus the scanning values were logged in a table. The performance of the ScopeMeter was checked with the Elektronika MMTs-01 MultiMeter. All photographic records were then downlinked via OCA.]

Afterwards, the FE-1 had a brief teleconference with TsUP to discuss some questions in regards to a RBO-3-3/MATRYOSHKA-M radiation kit returned to Earth on ULF2.

Magnus used the MAS (Microbial Air Sampler) kit to obtain the periodic microbiology air samples from specific sampling locations including from Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) mid-module, and the SSK (Surface Sample Kit) to collect/incubate microbiology samples from two prime surface sites for return to ground.

With the Orlan EVA-21 completed last week (12/22) and the DC1 no longer required as an airlock, the Progress M-01M/31P cargo ship currently docked to the DC1 its nadir port can be accessed again. To this end, Yuri Lonchakov –

• Performed the usual one-hour leak check on both DC1-SU & SU-31P hatches,
• Opened the hatches (with RS thrusters inhibited during the opening activities),
• Installed the quick-release screw clamps which rigidize the docking joint,
• Installed the air heater/fan unit & air duct in the passageway, and
• Deactivated the Progress (i.e., SUBA/Onboard Equipment Control System & SOTR/Thermal Control System).

At 10:35am, Sandy conducted the periodic VHF-1 emergency communications check over NASA’s VHF (Very High Frequency) stations, today at the Dryden (10:42am–10:47am) and White Sands (10:43am–10:50am) stations, talking with Houston/Capcom, MSFC/PAYCOM (Payload Operation & Integration Center Communicator), Moscow/GLAVNI (TsUP Capcom), EUROCOM/Munich and JCOM/Tsukuba in the normal fashion via VHF radio from a handheld microphone and any of the USOS ATUs (Audio Terminal Units). [Purpose of the test is to verify signal reception and link integrity, improve crew proficiency, and ensure minimum required link margin during emergency (no TDRS) and special events (such as a Soyuz relocation).]

Yuri completed the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron oxygen generator’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the KOV EDV container with water collected in CWC (Contingency Water Container) #1050 from the Lab CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly) dehumidifier. [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.]

In the SM, the FE-1 performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS). [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 performing US condensate processing (transfer from CWC to EDV containers) if condensate is available.]

The FE-2 conducted the periodic status check on the running payloads CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) and ENose (Electronic Nose), both located in the ER-2 (EXPRESS Rack 2).

The crew had their periodic PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Sandy at ~9:15am, Yuri at ~11:50am, Mike at ~2:10pm EST.

At ~4:20pm, just before sleep time, Yuri will set up the Russian MBI-12 SONOKARD (Sonocard) payload and start his fifth experiment session, using a sports shirt from the SONOKARD kit with a special device in the pocket for testing a new method for acquiring physiological data without using direct contact on the skin. Measurements are recorded on a data card for return to Earth. [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.]

The station residents conducted their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR/2.5), TVIS treadmill (FE-1, FE-2/2.5), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

At ~3:40am EST, the crew held a 20-min. TV conference with Russian top management of RSC Energia, IBMP, GCTC (Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center) and TsUP.

Conjunction Update: Hourly tracking updates of the recurring Cosmos 2421 debris, with predictions quickly stabilizing (i.e., becoming more credible), showed its conjunction with ISS moving from inside the oblong Red zone to the Yellow and then to the Green tolerance box, with Pc (Probability of Collision) going to zero. The DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver) was called off before getting to the Flight Rule imposed cutoff of “no later than 2 orbits” prior to the selected time of ignition (TIG, 3:22am EST, with 0.5 m/s delta-V).

CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo target uplinked for today was Toshka Lakes, Egypt (looking left for general oblique views and detailed overlapping frames of lake shorelines. The lakes appear between the line of track and the prominent line of the Nile River).

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 9/1/08, this database contained 770,668 views of the Earth from space, with 324,812 from the ISS alone).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:42am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 353.5 km
Apogee height — 358.5 km
Perigee height — 348.5 km
Period — 91.61 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0007423
Solar Beta Angle — -8.2 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 51 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 57942

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
01/14/09 — ISS reboost w/SM thrusters
02/09/09 — Progress M-01M/31P undocking & deorbit
02/10/09 — Progress 32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress 32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A launch – S6 truss segment
02/14/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A docking
02/24/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A undocking
02/26/09 — STS-119/Endeavour/15A landing (nominal)
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
03/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S docking (DC1)
04/05/09 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S undocking
04/07/09 — Progress 32P undocking & deorbit
05/12/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
Six-person crew on ISS
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC, last crew rotation
08/XX/09 — Soyuz 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Soyuz
09/XX/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1)
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4
12/XX/11– Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.