NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 31 October 2007
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Day 146 for Clayton Anderson. Flight Day 9 for STS-120/10A; Day 7 of Joint Ops.
ISS/Shuttle crew wake-up: 12:38am EDT. Sleeptime: 4:08pm (ISS), 4:38pm (Shuttle).
Mission Schedule Change: The IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team) this morning deferred EVA-4 from tomorrow to Friday (11/2). Top priority on board & ground has been re-directed from inspecting the Stbd SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) to fixing the ripped P6 4B Solar Array Wing (SAW) blanket as best as can be done, as long as the Discovery crews are on ISS. EVA-5 (Whitson/Malenchenko) may become a Stage EVA. Four special teams (Damage/root cause, EVA Assessment, Solar array constraints, Stage ops assessment) have been designated to study the situation and develop a new EVA-4 timeline for alleviating the current structurally unsound SAW condition. Stbd SARJ meanwhile remains in Directed (fixed) Position, out of Autotrack.
CDR Whitson assisted MS4 Paolo Nespoli in his first session with the ASI (Italian Space Agency) HPA (Hand Posture Analyzer) experiment by setting up the hardware and later tearing it down for stowage. [HPA is used to study the crew’s ability to use the upper limb in weightlessness. In zero-G, fatigue can have major effects on the hand and forearms of an astronaut. Thus, experiments based on the utilization of the upper limbs are assuming increasing significance in the framework of Human Physiology in space. By using different scientific protocols it will make it possible to determine the degradation in performance affecting the muscle-skeletal apparatus in weightlessness and help to facilitate studies on learning mechanisms for motor control. The results of such experiments can help to find methods of countering fatigue, thus maintaining the condition and improving the performance of astronauts, which is of greater importance with proposed longer-term missions. Such methods can also be used on Earth for the treatment of subjects with local traumas, muscle atrophy, or diseases of the CNS (Central Nervous System). The HPA, which was used before by Ed Lu and Mike Foale on Increments 7 & 8, consists of two dynamometers (HGD-PFD/Handgrip & Pinch Force Dynamometers) for measuring handgrip and pinch forces, together with a gloved instrumentated device (PAG/Posture Acquisition Glove) worn by the astronaut, which allows for measurement of the bending angles on individual fingers. PAG is attached to an electronic box (WEB/Wrist Electronic Box), which houses an inertial tracking system made up of accelerometers and gyroscopes in order to determine the linear and angular motion, rotation and acceleration of the hand and forearm in all directions.]
FE-1 Malenchenko spent about 90 minutes of major equipment servicing in the ASU toilet facility, changing out replaceable ASU parts with new components, viz., two receptacles (PR & MP), four hoses, a T-connector, an elbow fitting, an indicator, a filter insert (F-V), the pretreat container (E-K) with its hose. All old parts were discarded as trash. [E-K contains five liters of pre-treat solution, i.e., a mix of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), CrO3 (chromium oxide, for oxidation and purple color), and H2O (water). The pre-treat liquid is mixed with water in a dispenser (DKiV) and used for toilet flushing.]
Besides ASU maintenance, the FE-1 also performed the routine servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the Service Module (SM). [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers. Weekly SOZh reports (on Sundays) to TsUP/Moscow deal with number & dates of water and urine containers, counter readings of water consumption & urine collection, and total operating time of the POTOK air filtration system.]
Later, Malenchenko took CWC (Contingency Water Container) #1064 to the Russian Segment (RS) for the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron oxygen generator’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the KOV thermal loops’ EDV container. Once filled, the EDV was connected to the BPK transfer pump for processing. [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.]
Peggy Whitson continued outfitting work in Node-2, installing ITCS (Internal Thermal Control System) sampling adapters and DDCU (DC-to-DC Converter Unit) protective covers on two racks, on the deck (NOD2D4) and overhead (NOD2O4).
Also in Node-2, FE-2-16 Dan Tani removed AVM (Anti-Vibration Mount) launch brackets from Harmony’s CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly). [The CCAAs, located in the Lab, Airlock and now also in Node-2, remove excess heat & excess moisture from the atmosphere. Depending on the module heat loads, the atmosphere flow-rate can range from 8,490 to 14,150 L/min (300 to 500 cfm). The CCAA/air conditioners are designed to be repairable by ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units).]
Yuri Malenchenko conducted the regular task (currently daily) of checkout/verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways, including the SM- & FGB-to-Soyuz tunnels, the DC1-to-Progress and FGB-to-Node-1 passageway (this is especially important when the ventilation/circulation system has to cope with a larger crew on board, currently ten persons);
In the A/L, the CDR terminated the EVA-3 EMU battery recharge in the BSA (Battery Stowage Assembly). Also on her schedule was recharging four batteries for upcoming DCS760 digital cameras ops during EVA, while Clay was to take care of METOX (Metal Oxide) canister regeneration.
The two U.S. Flight Engineers, Anderson and Tani, joined for another 4 hrs of handover activities, used by Clay to familiarize his successor Dan with specific onboard tasks. In addition, there are “generic” handovers where crewmembers are joining to complete various designated standard tasks.
Yuri again had about 45 minutes for general station familiarization and acclimatization, as is standard daily rule for the first two weeks after starting station residency.
ISS crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-1), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-2), and RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2, FE-2-16).
Afterwards, Peggy transferred the crew’s exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equiopment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
Shortly before sleep time, FE-1 Malenchenko set up the new Russian MBI-12 SONOKARD (Sonocard) payload and started his second 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.]
At ~5:05am EDT, Yuri supported a PAO TV interview with the State TV Broadcasting Company’s “Kultura” Channel in Moscow, which observes its 10th Anniversary tomorrow (11/1). In that time, “Kultura” has aired many shows dedicated to space. [“When you are on the ground getting ready for your flight, do you watch TV Channel Kultura shows, and what appeals to you most of all in them?”; “Yuri, this is your fourth space flight. It is known that every minute of ISS residents is accounted for. Do you have any leisure time left under these conditions? If yes, how do you personally spend it?”]
At ~7:48am, all ten station residents participated in a PAO TV joint crew news conference with U.S. media at NASA Centers, European media at the Esperia Mission Information Center at Hotel Aleph in Rome, Italy, and Russian news media at TsUP-Moscow.
Afterwards, both crews also joined for the traditional all-crew photo shoot.
IV-CPDS Update: Troubleshooting attempts by Peggy Whitson on the IV-CPDS (Intravehicular Charged Particle Directional Spectrometer) yesterday by reformatting its memory drive were not successful. The instrument is considered hard-failed and will be returned on a future flight. [The IVCPDS was a secondary radiation detection measurement tool; the primary radiation measurement tool is the TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter).]
No CEO (Crew Earth Observations) target uplinked for today.
CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (about 700,000 NASA digital photographs of Earth are downloaded by the public each month from this “Gateway” site);
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:24am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 341.9 km
Apogee height — 343.7 km
Perigee height – 340.1 km
Period — 91.37 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0002712
Solar Beta Angle — -65.0 deg (magnitude decreasing, was highest ever!)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.76
Mean altitude gain in the last 24 hours — 110 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 51228
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern, some changes possible. Also: Stage 10A being re-assessed!):
11/02 (FD11) — EVA-4 (Parazynski/Wheelock)
11/04/07 — 2:00am: DST ends, ST begins
11/05/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A undocking (FD14/12:56am)
11/07/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A deorbit burn (FD16/4:09am EST)
11/07/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A landing @ KSC (FD16/5:11am EST)
TBD — relocation to Node 2 (PMA-2 umbilicals stowed on 10A EVA-4)
TBD — Node 2 (Harmony) plus PMA-2 relocation to front of Lab
11/14/07 — US EVA-10
11/18/07 — US EVA-11
12/06/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E launch — Columbus Module, ICC-Lite (NET)
12/08/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E docking
12/15/07 — STS-122/Atlantis undocking
12/18/07 — STS-122/Atlantis landing
12/22/07 — Progress M-61/26P undocking (DC1) & reentry
12/23/07 — Progress M-62/27P launch
12/25/07 — Progress M-62/27P docking (DC1)
01/31/08 — ATV-1 “Jules Verne” launch/Ariane V (Kourou, French Guyana)
01/31/08 — 50-Year Anniversary of Explorer 1 (1st U.S. satellite on Redstone rocket)
02/06/08 – Progress M-62/27P undocking
02/07/08 — Progress M-63/28P launch
02/09/08 — Progress M-63/28P docking
02/14/08 — ATV-1 docking (SM aft port)
02/14/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A launch/1J/A — SLP-SPDM, JEM ELM-PS (NET)
02/16/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A docking
02/27/08 — STS-123/Endeavour undocking
02/29/08 — STS-123/Endeavour landing
04/08/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S launch
04/10/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S docking (DC1)
04/19/08 — Soyuz TMA-11/15S undocking (FGB nadir port)
04/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S relocation (from DC1 to FGB nadir port)
04/24/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J launch – JEM PM “Kibo”, racks, RMS.
04/26/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J docking
05/02/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J undocking
05/14/08 — Progress M-64/29P launch
05/16/08 — Progress M-64/29P docking (DC1)
07/29/08 — ATV-1 undocking (from SM aft port)
08/11/08 — Progress M-64/29P undocking (from DC1)
08/12/08 — Progress M-65/30P launch
08/14/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
09/13/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
09/15/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking (DC1)
09/20/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 launch – MPLM(P), LMC
10/01/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 undocking.
10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
10/16/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (SM aft port)
04/??/09 — Six-person crew on ISS
04/15/09 — Constellation’s Ares I-X Launch.
