NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 4 December 2008
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. >>>Today is the Columbus laboratory’s 300th day in orbit.<<<
At ~4:00am EST, TsUP-Moscow conducted the standard dynamic firing tests with the newly arrived Progress M-01M/31P, for which FE-2 Magnus (at ~2:55am) closed the protective science windows shutters in the JAXA JPM (Japanese Pressurized Module) and US Lab. Electrical integration of 31P systems into the ISS RS (Russian Segment) was successfully tested yesterday. [The tests, which also checked ISS roll control (31P being radially docked at the DC1 Docking Compartment), were successful. For the firings, ISS attitude control authority was handed over to RS MCS (Russian Segment Motion Control System) at 3:40am and returned to US CMG (Control Moment Gyroscope) Momentum Management at 5:48am. The DPO-B (Approach & Attitude Control) thruster tests, intended to check 31P’s full integration into the ISS steering logic and ensure thruster functionality on both manifolds in providing attitude control, reboosts and DAMs (debris avoidance maneuvers), did not require any powerdowns. They are also used to determine which thruster manifold, of two jets each, will be considered the primary one for rebooss and DAMs. Later, Lab & JPM science window shutters were opened again.]
Afterwards, FE-2 Magnus powered down and stowed the IWIS (Internal Wireless Instrumentation System) sensors which were used to take structural dynamics measurements during the thruster firings.
In the SM (Service Module), FE-1 Lonchakov continued the outfitting & setting up of SUBA/Onboard Equipment Control System and SBI/Onboard Data Measuring & Storage System instruments with the new BSK-5V/Power Switch Assembly 5V (Blok cilovoiy kommutatsii-5V) for the upcoming Russian experiment IMPULSE, delivered on 31P. CDR Fincke assisted later with the mating of the instrument components to the BITS2-12/Onboard Telemetry Measurement System. [IMPULSE, along with the new experiment OBSTANOVKA (Environment), will be using ionosphere probes and a pulsed plasma source for making scientific measurements of ionosphere parameters and plasma-wave characteristics.]
As a relatively new regular activity after deactivation/reactivation of the BITS1-12 and VD-SU control mode, Yuri then checked the BRI Smart Switch Router computer and its new Ethernet connection to assess any impact of these activities on Ethernet comm. [BRI is part of the RS OpsLAN (Operations Local Area Network), with connections to the three SSC clients, the Ethernet tie-in with the US network, and a network printer in the RS.]
CDR Fincke continued his work on the WRS (Water Recovery System), connecting the UPA (Urine Processing Assembly) Compressor-M’s power cable to the EXPRESS Rack and starting the filling of the WSTA (Water Storage Tank Assembly) with pretreated urine from EDV-U container for processing.
Sandra Magnus set up the camcorder equipment for taking video of herself performing her first session of the general U.S. MedOps PFE (Periodic Fitness Evaluation) program on the CEVIS (Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation), filmed via VTR (Video Tape Recorder) by Mike Fincke who assisted as CMO (Crew Medical Officer). [The footage was downlinked afterwards for biomechanical evaluation of the exercising crewmember and assessment of the on-orbit setup of equipment during data collection and hardware status.]
In preparation for tomorrow’s scheduled ESP-3 (External Stowage Platform 3) relocation from the MCAS (Mobile Base System [MBS] Common Attachment System) to the zenith side of the P3 truss element UCCAS (Unpressurized Cargo Carriers Attachment System), Mike Fincke & Sandy Magnus conducted the usual one-hour review of DOUG (Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics) software. [The SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) was “walked” yesterday by ground commanding to the MBS PDGF-4 (Power & Data Grapple Fixture 4), then released its other end at the Node-2 PDGF and maneuvered into position for today’s MT (Mobile Transporter) translation to WS-7 (Worksite 7), performed by ground control at 11:40am-1:10pm. Tomorrow, Mike & Sandy will relocate the ESP-3 (External Stowage Platform 3) from the MBS MCAS to its permanent place on the P3 truss.]
The FE-2 received great kudos from the HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) team at the SSIPC (Space Station Integration & Promotion Center) at Tsukuba/Japan for completing all planned PROX HCP (Hardware Command Panel) functional checks yesterday, in one day.
In the US A/L (Airlock), the CDR set up EMUs (Extravehicular Mobility Units) #3004 & #3005 with their SCUs (Service & Cooling Umbilicals) and initiated the standard one-hour scrubbing process on the spacesuits’ cooling water loops, filtering ionic and particulate matter (via a 3-micron filter), then reconfigured the cooling loops and started the ~2hr biocide filtering. Scrubbing termination, disassembly of the EMU water processing kit and stowing the equipment followed. [Loop scrubbing, incl. iodination of the LCVGs (Liquid Cooling & Ventilation Garments) for biocidal maintenance, is done to eliminate any biomass and particulate matter that may have accumulated in the loops.]
Magnus completed the weekly 10-min. CWC (Contingency Water Container) inventory as part of on-going WRM (Water Recovery & Management) assessment of onboard water supplies. Updated “cue cards” based on the crew’s water calldowns are sent up every other week. [The new card (18-0006F) lists 38 CWCs (1,302.2 L total) for the four types of water identified on board: technical water (688.9 L, for Elektron electrolysis), potable water (530.4 L, incl. 174.6 L currently off-limit because of Wautersia bacteria), condensate water (36.2 L), waste/EMU dump and other (46.7 L). Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]
CDR Fincke’s first run with the MedOps experiment WinSCAT (Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows), originally hard-scheduled for today, was moved to Mike’s discretionary “job jar” task list. [WinSCAT is a monthly laptop-based time-constrained questionnaire test of cognitive abilities, routinely performed by astronauts aboard the ISS every 30 days before or after the PHS (periodic health status) test or on special CDR’s, crewmembers or flight surgeons request. The test uses cognitive subtests that measure sustained concentration, verbal working memory, attention, short-term memory, spatial processing, and math skills. The five cognitive subtests are Coding Memory – Learning, Continuous Processing Task (CPT), Match to Sample, Mathematics, and Coding Delayed Recall. These WinSCAT subtests are the same as those used during NASA’s long-duration bed rest studies.]
Sandy performed the periodic status check on the CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) payload, located in the ER-2 (EXPRESS Rack 2).
The FE-2 also completed the routine daily servicing of the SM’s 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.]
Later, Sandy had an hour to herself for general orientation (station familiarization & acclimatization) as is standard daily rule for fresh crewmembers for the first two weeks after starting station residence, if she/he chooses to take it.
The ISS crew completed their physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR, FE-2/PFE), TVIS treadmill (FE-1), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).
At ~1:20pm EST, CDR Fincke powered up the SM’s amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, & power supply) and conducted, at 1:25pm, a ham radio session with Quispamsis Elementary/Middle School, Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada. [Sessions providing information on topics directly related to the ARISS (Amateur Radio on ISS) have been made available to the student body and staff by various mentors. Coordination with the Education Office of the Canadian Space Agency has resulted in a variety of materials being made available. Future plans with the CSA include a visit from an Agency representative to both participating Schools. On a much lighter note, a QMS dance planned for the same week as the contact will have a "space" theme. It was expected that 500 students as well as staff from both schools, parents and friends were to be in attendance during the contact. Representatives from the School District and three of Government (Municipal, Provincial and Federal) were invited. Media coverage was expected to include Regional and National outlets for radio, television and press. Questions to Mike were uplinked beforehand. “Does it take a lot of physical effort to live and work in microgravity?”; “What is the best part of your job?”; “Was there anyone or anything that inspired you to become an Astronaut?”; “Can you describe one experiment that is going on in the Space Station?”; “What does it feel like in space?”; “What do you do with any free time that you have?”; “Do you think Astronauts will go to Mars?”; “At night can you see lights on Earth?”; “What is it you hear and see during a space walk?”; “What have you found to be the most difficult task to perform in space?”; “How is Dexter performing?”]
At ~2:15pm EST, the ISS crew held its weekly teleconference with ISS Program Management at JSC/Houston via Private S/G2, S-band/audio.
CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today were Lake Poopo, Bolivia (ISS had a nadir pass over this lake. It lies in the transitional climate between permanent Lake Titicaca to the north and the usually dry salt lakes Uyuni and Coipasa to the south. Poopo’s water levels respond to El Niño events in an opposite sense to coastal Peru: they drop when El Niño events occur and slowly rise in the years between El Niños. It is time to document the status of the lake again), Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii (looking just right of track for this and the next target, both on the big island of the Hawaiian chain where weather was predicted clear. Mauna Loa is among Earth’s most active volcanoes, having erupted 33 times since the first well-documented historical eruption of 1843. Its most recent eruption was in 1984. "Mauna Loa" means "Long Mountain," an appropriate name since the visible part of the volcano stretches for about 120 km from the southern tip of the island to the coastline near Hilo), and Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (looking further right, just beyond Mauna Loa. Detailed images were requested).
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, 8:37am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 354.0 km
Apogee height — 358.2 km
Perigee height — 349.7 km
Period — 91.62 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0006347
Solar Beta Angle — -33.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude gain in the last 24 hours – 8 m (31P thruster firings)
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 57534.
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
12/07/08 — Progress M-65/30P reentry (after 3 weeks autonomous flight for geophysical experiments)
12/22/08 — Russian EVA-21
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
07/30/09 — STS-128/Atlantis/17A – MPLM (P), last crew rotation
10/15/09 — STS-129/Endeavour/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P)
04/08/10 — STS-132/Endeavour/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1 (contingency)
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 (contingency).
