NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 31 May 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
ISS crew sleep schedule: Back to normal, but crew was given an additional 1.5 hrs of sleep this morning: Wake – 3:30am; sleep – 5:30pm.
At wake-up, Garan undertook another session with the Reaction Self Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self Test on the ISS) protocol, his 16th. [The RST is performed twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]
After wakeup, FE-1 Samokutyayev conducted the routine verification of yesterday’s automatic refresh of the IUS AntiVirus program on the Russian VKS auxiliary network laptops RSS1, RSS2, RSK1-T61p & RSK2. [Regularly on Mondays, automatic virus definition file updates are verified on the RSS2, RSS1, RSK1-T61p & RSK2 network laptops, while the non-networked laptops RSE-Med & RSE1 are manually updated. Antivirus scans are then started & monitored on RSS2 & RSE-Med. Results of the scans on RSS1, RSK1-T61p, RSK2 & RSE1 are verified on Tuesdays. Russian network laptops have software installed for automatic anti-virus update; fresh data is copied on RSK1-T61p & RRSK2 every time a computer is rebooted with a special login, and on RSS1 once daily. On Russian non-network laptops antivirus definition file update is done by the crew once every two weeks on Monday.]
CDR Borisenko spent several hours on continuing the routing & installing of cabling for the new Russian experimental SLS Laser Communications System in the SM (Service Module), first temporarily installing the BTLS-V (FA-634) block, then grounding it and mating cables to it and the SBI onboard measurement system for ground testing. The work was supported by ground specialist tagup via S-band.
In Node-3, FE-3 Garan disconnected the ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System / Low Temperature Loop) jumper for long-term CDRA deactivation and photo-documented the procedure for clarification.
Ron Garan, the new Spiderman, serviced the CGBA-5 Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) with its CSI (Science Insert), deactivating & decabling CGBA-5, accessing CSI-05, performing spider feeding activity, closing up CGBA, recabling and reactivating it. [SHAB (Spider Hab) video is monitoring for 24 hours after feeding activity unit. The spider is called the Nephila clavipes. It is also known as the “Banana Spider” because of its yellow banana shaped body. It is sometimes referred to as the “Golden Silk” or “Golden Orb” spider because its web has a golden hue when viewed in the sunlight. It is commonly found in the southern parts of the US, particularly Florida, but it can be found throughout all parts of the southern United States including Alabama and Texas. The two spiders in the habitats are juvenile females and are only about cm long. When female Nephila clavipes complete their last molt and become mature adults, they can be over 3 in. long and their webs over 3 ft across. (Unfortunately, these space spiders will most likely not live until adulthood nor will they get quite that large). To keep the spiders as healthy as possible for as long as possible, they are given a diet of wild type fruit flies. The fruit flies are provided a diet enriched with extra protein. The protein is ground-up dog food that is added to their normal diet of potato flakes. The spider scientists are interested in the Nephila clavipes because she builds a three-dimensional web on the ground that appears disorganized but is in fact very ordered. The hypothesis is these spiders will not build as much 3 dimension into their web given the absence of gravity. This may help scientists more clearly understand the purpose of the 3D web on Earth.]
Samokutyayev had ~4.5 hrs set aside for winding up repair, recovery & activation activities on the Russian Elektron O2 (Oxygen) generator, supported by ground specialist tagup via S-band. [Procedural steps included opening the maintenance door of the BZh Liquid Unit for inspection after yesterday’s repress with the BPA-1M Nitrogen Purge Unit, pressurizing the buffer tank, setting valves, activating the BZh with the BTs Circulation Unit and the BID Pressure Control Unit for pressure testing.]
Later, Sasha performed a software upgrade of the FSS science hardware of the Russian GFI-8 “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program from the RSK2 laptop, then used it at SM window #9 during a 30-min segment, taking pictures of the Pacific Ocean waters (USA, Mexico, Ecuador & Peru), volcanoes (Pichinco, Uaskaran), Argentina and Atlantic Ocean areas. [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. The FSS battery was set up for charging last night.]
Andrey Borisenko unstowed and retrieved equipment components for the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment, with the LADA-01 greenhouse, water containers, LADA control unit, root modules & accessories. Equipment setup, software update and checkout are scheduled tomorrow. [Rasteniya-2 researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the LADA greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems, Russian: IMBP).]
Later, Andrey worked in the Pirs Docking Compartment (DC1) on Russian EVA equipment (oborud), replacing the BUS-MK Control Unit (#150003) of the BSS-4 Orlan Interface Unit with a new spare (#150005) from stowage, supported by ground specialist tagup. [The BUS-MK is the Russian equivalent of the US Airlock’s OSCA (On-Board Spacesuit Control Assembly). The BUS supplies the Orlans with coolant and O2 while in the DC1, getting its O2 from four bottles manifolded to it. This Russian OSCA would also be used in the A/L to support A/L Orlan operations and contingency EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) operations (i.e., venting of EMU umbilicals during an ingress anomaly).]
Also in the DC1, the CDR performed troubleshooting of the Open Position sensor of the PGK hatch sealing drive of the DC1’s ASP passive docking assembly. [Off-nominal telemetry data apparently failed to report whether the SPP hatch is sealed or unsealed.]
Andrey also 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).
CDR & FE-1 had their weekly PMCs (Private Medical Conferences) via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Andrey at ~9:45am, Sasha at ~3:55pm EDT.
Before “Presleep” period, Ron will power on the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) and start 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 will 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-3), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-3), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (CDR), and VELO ergometer bike with load trainer (FE-1).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 9:56am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 343.0 km
Apogee height – 346.5 km
Perigee height – 339.5 km
Period — 91.40 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.65 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0005175
Solar Beta Angle — 8.1 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.76
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 476 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 71,813
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
06/01/11 — STS-134/Endeavour landing – ~2:35am EDT
06/07/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S launch – 4:12:45pm – M. Fossum (CDR-29)/S. Furukawa/S. Volkov
06/09/11 — Soyuz TMA-02M/27S docking (MRM1) – ~5:22pm
————–Six-crew operations————-
06/xx/11 — ATV-2 “Johannes Kepler” undock (SM aft)
06/21/11 — Progress M-11M/43P launch
06/23/11 — Progress M-11M/43P docking (SM aft)
07/08/11 — STS-135/Atlantis launch ULF7 (MPLM) ~3:30pm EDT
07/10/11 — STS-135/Atlantis docking ULF7 (MPLM)
07/27/11 – Russian EVA #29
08/29/11 — Progress M-11M/43P undocking
08/30/11 — Progress M-12M/44P launch
09/01/11 — Progress M-12M/44P docking (SM aft)
09/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-21/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
10/02/11 – Soyuz TMA-03M/28S docking (MRM2)
————–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————-
11/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/02/11 — Soyuz TMA-04M/29S docking (MRM1)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
12/27/11 — Progress M-14M/46P launch
12/29/11 — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
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————-
