NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 30 November 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
After wakeup, FE-1 Shkaplerov performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.
FE-2 Ivanishin concluded his first session of the standard 24-hour ECG (electrocardiogram) recording under the Russian MedOps PZE MO-2-1 protocol, started yesterday. [After the ECG recording and blood pressure measurements with the Kardiomed system, Anatoly doffed the five-electrode Holter harness that read his dynamic (in motion) heart function from two leads over the past 24 hours, recording data on the “Kardioregistrator 90205” unit. The examination results were then downloaded from the Holter ECG device to the RSE-Med laptop, controlled by the Kardiomed application. Later, the data were downlinked as a compressed .zip-file via OCA.]
CDR Burbank spent several hours on the scheduled updating of CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware. After working on the updates of the redundant CUCU strings and the primary & spare CCPs, the subsequent Dryden test of the CCPs was delayed due to frequency clearance issues. [The new software, version R3.2 was loaded into the CUCU from a DVD delivered on ULF7 and a patch from the thumb drive. CUCU is the SpaceX avionics box that is used for space-to-space communication with “Dragon” during rendezvous. CUCU contains two completely redundant strings, and each string needed a software update to the RIO (Remote Input/Output) control modules, the radio and the 1553 card. In addition, the firmware on the CCP had to be updated for both the primary and spare CCP. The software update was done with a T61p laptop, booted to the Linux operating system from the ULF7 DVD. Currently the soonest the delayed Dryden frequency test can be performed is 12/6, followed by 30 days in which the test can be performed. Background: The originally planned SpaceX Demo 2 & 3 missions have been merged. For the new “Dragon” Combined Demo, “Commanding from ISS” via the CCP will be demonstrated while the spacecraft flies 2.5 km under the ISS.]
For his on-going first Ambulatory Monitoring session of the ESA ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular) Alternate experiment, Burbank reached the midpoint at about 6:20am EST, after which he started the second 24h data collection period. [For the second 24 hr period, the Cardiopres was temporarily doffed and the HM2 HiFi CF Card and AA Battery were changed out to allow continuation of the session for another 24 hours. After data collection is complete, the Actiwatches and both HM2 HiFi CF Cards are downloaded to the HRF PC1, while Cardiopres data are downloaded to the EPM (European Physiology Module) Rack and transferred to the HRF PC1 via a USB key for downlink. The sessions are scheduled at or around FD14, FD30, FD75, FD135 and R-15 (there will be fewer sessions if mission duration is less than six months).
Anton Shkaplerov checked out proper MKSD Control & Data Acquisition Module communications between the BSPN Payload Server and the RSS1 laptop, then copied science & service data, accumulated from the GFI-17 Molniya-GAMMA (“Lightning-GAMMA”) experiment mounted externally since the Russian EVA-28, over to external media (16 GB flash card). Later (~10:00am EST), he initiated their downlink from the RSK1 laptop to the ground via OCA. [GFI-17 “Molniya” FOTON-GAMMA investigates atmospheric gamma-ray bursts and optical radiation in conditions of thunderstorm activity.]
FE-1 also performed his 2nd data collection session for the psychological MBI-16 Vzaimodejstvie (“Interactions”) program, accessing and completing the computerized study questionnaire on the RSE-Med laptop and saving the data in an encrypted file. [The software has a “mood” questionnaire, a “group & work environment” questionnaire, and a “critical incidents” log. Results from the study, which is also mirrored by ground control subjects, could help to improve the ability of future crewmembers to interact safely and effectively with each other and with Mission Control, to have a more positive experience in space during multi-cultural, long-duration missions, and to successfully accomplish mission activities.]
Anatoly Ivanishin configured the hardware for the Russian MBI-21 PNEVMOKARD experiment, then conducted the 1h5m session, his first, which forbids moving or talking during data recording. The experiment is controlled from the RSE-med A31p laptop and uses the TENZOPLUS sphygmomanometer to measure arterial blood pressure. The experiment was then closed out and the test data were downlinked via OCA. [PNEVMOKARD (Pneumocard) attempts to obtain new scientific information to refine the understanding about the mechanisms used by the cardiorespiratory system and the whole body organism to spaceflight conditions. By recording (on PCMCIA cards) the crewmember’s electrocardiogram, impedance cardiogram, low-frequency phonocardiogram (seismocardiogram), pneumotachogram (using nose temperature sensors), and finger photoplethismogram, the experiment supports integrated studies of (1) the cardiovascular system and its adaptation mechanisms in various phases of a long-duration mission, (2) the synchronization of heart activity and breathing factors, as well as the cardiorespiratory system control processes based on the variability rate of physiological parameters, and (3) the interconnection between the cardiorespiratory system during a long-duration mission and the tolerance of orthostatic & physical activities at the beginning of readaptation for predicting possible reactions of the crewmembers organism during the their return to ground.]
Later, FE-2 updated the ODF (Operations Data File) section on the Russian BVS Onboard Computer System, removing & discarding all pages and replacing them with new ODF pages delivered on Soyuz 28S.
In preparation for major PACE (Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment) payload installation work scheduled tomorrow, Dan Burbank had time set aside for reviewing reference material on the planned PACE LED (Light-Emitting Diode) base installation inside the LMM AFC (Light Microscopy Module / Auxiliary Fluids Container). [This will enable the ground to use the LMM Microscope to examine tissue and particle samples and also characterize the microscope for ACE (Advanced Colloids Experiment) scheduled to begin in 2012. The currently installed base, which Dan removed, only allowed for illumination of the samples from above (or epi-illumination). The PACE LED Base allows for illumination from below the samples (or trans-illumination). ACE Objective: To remove gravitational jamming and sedimentation so that it is possible to observe how order arises out of disorder and to learn to control this process. Small colloidal particles can be used to model atomic systems and to engineer new systems. Colloids are big enough (in comparison to atoms) to be seen and big enough that their evolution can be recorded with a camera. With a confocal microscope, templates, and grids, we can observe this process in 3-D and learn to control it.]
Later, Dan set up the US Lab camcorder to cover & record video of tomorrow’s PACE activities on the FIR (Fluids Integrated Rack).
Next, CDR installed the three PaRIS (Passive Rack Isolation System) lock-down alignment guides on the CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack) at Lab bay S3 to protect its ARIS (Active Rack Isolation System) from external loading (dynamic disturbances) from the reboost tonight.
Also for the reboost, Dan closed the protective shutters of the USOS (US Segment) windows, in the Lab, Node-3/Cupola & Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module) to prevent their contamination from SM engine effluents.
Anton conducted a 40-min audit/inventory of 6 kits of the Russian CMS (Countermeasure System), a component of the SKDS GANK-4M suite, used for testing the SM cabin air. [CMS uses preprogrammed microchips to measure for numerous contaminants such as O-Xylol (1,2-Dimethylbenzol, C8H10), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Formaldehyde, Isopropanol, Methanol, Toluene, Mercaptan, Sulphur Dioxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Phosgene, Ozone, Acetic Acid, Ammonia, Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitrous Oxides, Acetone, Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, etc.]
Anatoly completed the periodic transfer of U.S. condensate water from CWC (Collapsible Water Container, #1021) 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 will be 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.]
Afterwards, Ivanishin performed 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.]
Shkaplerov took care of 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).
Anton also had ~3 hrs allotted for more unloading of Progress 45P and transferring cargo to the ISS for stowage, guided by an uplinked loading plan. [Of the approximately 1166 listed entries on 45P, about 404 are USOS items. Progress M-13M is to remain docked at the DC1 for about 3 months, and its unloading continues as a long-term activity.]
Meanwhile, Anatoly continued IMS-logged cargo transfers from Soyuz 28S (#232), guided by an uplinked Cargo Loading manifest listing 147 items. [These transfers are being spread over the long-term, to maximize making use of Soyuz stowage room over time.]
Burbank had another time slot set aside for making entries in his electronic Journal on his personal SSC (Station Support Computer). [Required are three journaling sessions per week.]
The three crewmembers again had about an hour of free time each for general orientation (adaptation, station familiarization & acclimatization) as is standard daily rule for fresh crewmembers for the first two weeks after starting residence, if they choose to take it.
At ~9:20am EST, Dan Burbank had his standard weekly PMC (Private Medical Conference) via S- & Ku-band audio/video.
Before Presleep, Burbank will turn on the MPC (Multi Protocol Converter) and start 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, Dan will turn 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.]
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (CDR), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2), and ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2).
The Russian discretionary “time permitting” task list for Shkaplerov & Ivanishin today suggested 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).
ISS Reboost/Conjunction: A one-burn reboost of the ISS will be performed tonight at 6:11pm EST using the two KD engines of the SM’s ODU (Integrated Propulsion System) for a burn duration of 1m 2.68s and a planned Delta-V of 1.00 m/s, increasing mean altitude by 1.75 km. The purpose of the reboost is to set up proper phasing for 29S launch & rendezvous, as well as to test a new closed-loop guidance method which incorporates accelerometer data from the USOS (US Segment) in the Russian-executed maneuver. A 2nd reboost for 29S phasing is planned for 12/9. For an upcoming conjunction with space debris (Object 36438, COSMOS 2251 debris) on 12/2 (Friday) at ~11:51am EST, three options for today’s reboost were analyzed and the one at 6:11pm was chosen as best-case option to stay clear of the conjunction (radial miss distance). A final decision for go-ahead for TIG (Time of Ignition) tonight will be made later this afternoon. [If the reboost is called off (in case predicted radial miss distance to 36438 shrinks), a backup option exists on 12/2. Whether the reboost is made tonight or not at all due to 36438, there is still margin with the next scheduled reboost on 12/9 to meet the Soyuz launch criteria for a 12/21 launch & 12/23 rendezvous.]
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked for today were B.P. Structure, Impact Crater, Libya (ISS had a mid-morning pass in clear weather for this target with approach from the NW. B.P. is an exposed impact crater that is 2 km in diameter and is estimated to be less than 120 million years in age. Although small, it is somewhat distinctive because of its circular shape. A local visual cue is an S-bend ridge near the crater. At this time the crew was to map just left of track for views of this target), Northern Isle of France, Mauritius (HMS BEAGLE SITE: On April 29, 1836, Charles Darwin landed on the northern portion of what is now known as the island of Mauritius and remained there for a few days. The island is also famous as the home of the dodo, a large flightless bird driven to extinction – directly or indirectly – by humans during the 17th century. ISS had a mid-day pass with partly cloudy weather expected. At this time as the crew tracked over the Indian Ocean east of the large island of Madagascar, they were to look nadir for this target), St. Paul Rocks islets, Brazil (HMS BEAGLE SITE: Darwin and the Beagle briefly visited this isolated, equatorial Atlantic site in early February of 1832. This tiny group of islets and rocks is also known as the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago. The islands are of particular interest to geologists as they expose rocks associated with the Earth’s mantle above sea level. At this time the crew was to look just right of track for the islands as they approached the area from the NW. With late morning light and a few clouds they should have been able to photograph all of them in a detailed mapping pass), Roseau, Dominica (WORLD CAPITALS COLLECTION SITE: ISS had a mid-morning, nadir pass over this target with partly cloudy conditions expected. The island of Dominica lies near the center of archipelago of the Lesser Antilles. The small capital city [~15,000] of the island nation is located on the SW coast. At this time as ISS approached from the NW, the crew was to look nadir and try for detailed views of small city), and Paramaribo, Suriname (WORLD CAPITALS COLLECTION SITE: This capital city is located just inland from the coast on the west bank of the Suriname River estuary and has a population of about 250,000. ISS had a mid-morning pass with partly cloudy skies expected. As it approached the coast from the NW, the crew was to look towards nadir for single-frame views of this small city).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:58am EST [= epoch])
* Mean altitude – 390.6 km
* Apogee height – 410.9 km
* Perigee height – 370.3 km
* Period — 92.37 min.
* Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
* Eccentricity — 0.0029933
* Solar Beta Angle — 1.7 deg (magnitude bottoming out)
* Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.59
* Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 323 m
* Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 74,687
* Time in orbit (station) – 4758 days
* Time in orbit (crews, cum.) – 4045 days
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — ISS Reboost (SM main engine)
12/21/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/23/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
TBD — Progress M-13M/45P undock
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P launch
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
xx/xx/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon — (Under Review)
xx/xx/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
TBD — Soyuz TMA-22/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov — (Target Date)
04/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2) — (Target Date)
————–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/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
06/26/12 — HTV-3 launch (target date)
09/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
10/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————-
