NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 4 May 2009
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Underway: Week 5 of Increment 19.
Today was water & air sampling time.
FE-2 Wakata started the day with the extended “Bisphosphonates” biomedical countermeasures experiment, today again ingesting an Alendronate pill before breakfast. [The Bisphosphonates study should determine whether antiresorptive agents (that help reduce bone loss) in conjunction with the routine in-flight exercise program will protect ISS crewmembers from the regional decreases in bone mineral density documented on previous ISS missions. Two dosing regimens will be tested: (1) an oral dose of 70 mg of Alendronate taken weekly starting 3 weeks prior to flight and then throughout the flight and (2) an intravenous (IV) dose of 4 mg Zoledronic Acid, administered just once approximately 45 days before flight. The rationale for including both Alendronate and Zoledronic Acid is that two dosing options will maximize crew participation, increase the countermeasure options available to flight surgeons, increase scientific opportunities, and minimize the effects of operational and logistical constraints. The primary measurement objective is to obtain preflight and postflight QCT (Quantitative Computed Tomography) scans of the hip. The QCT scans will provide volumetric bone density information of both cortical and trabecular (spongy) bone regions of the hip.]
CDR Padalka set up the pumping equipment and initiated the transfer of urine from EDV-U container in the Service Module (SM) to the Rodnik BV2 tank of Progress 32P. [Bladder compression of BV1 & BV2 had been completed on 3/2 by Yuri Lonchakov, who had also transferred the contents of five EDV-Us to the BV1 tank. Each of the spherical Rodnik tanks BV1 & BV2 consists of a hard shell with a soft membrane (bladder) composed of elastic fluoroplastic. The bladder is used to expel water from the tank by compressed air pumped into the tank volume surrounding the membrane and is leak-tested before urine transfers.]
FE-2 Wakata completed the T+5 day visual analysis & data recording of air and surface samples with the surface slides and Petri dishes of the MAS (Microbial Air Sampling) & SSK (Surface Sample Kit) collected on 4/29.
FE-1 Barratt performed the daily status check on the BCAT (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test) science payload, running by itself since 5/2. [The status check, conducted on the last image taken by the DCS 760 digital still camera which is controlled by EarthKAM software on an A31p laptop, is to verify proper image focus and camera alignment. The SSC (Station Support Computer) is taking photography of the phase separation occurring in the BCAT Sample 3, with the photo flash going off every half hour.]
Barratt also conducted IFM (In-Flight Maintenance) on the portside CCAA (P6 Common Cabin Air Assembly) in the Lab, inspecting and cleaning the TCCV (Temperature Control Check Valve). [The inspection and cleaning was done today as a result of the P6 TCCV air back flowing past the Port Common Cabin CCAA Inlet ORU. This occurs when the LAB1S6 CCAA is active, and the LAB1P6 CCAA is off.]
Koichi Wakata conducted the periodic WPA (Water Processor Assembly) sample analysis in the TOCA after first priming (filling) the TOCA water sample hose. After the approximately 2 hr TOCA analysis, results were transferred to SSC-7 (Station Support Computer 7) via USB drive for downlink and the data were also logged for calldown. [The current procedure is a work-around for TOCA’s failed catalyst.]
The FE-2 completed the regular sample collection from the WRS PWA (Water Recovery System/Potable Water Dispenser) ambient line in a small waste water bag (50 mL), in a larger postflight analysis bag (750 mL), a chemical post-flight analysis bag (500 mL), and in fourth bag (125 mL) for in-flight microbial analysis.
CDR Padalka & FE-1 Barratt conducted a teleconference with ground specialists to discuss the appropriate procedures for using the Soyuz 18S spacecraft thrusters in the event that a DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver) should be required in the time between Progress 32P undock on 5/6 and 33P docking on 5/12.
In the SM, Wakata additionally collected “Exp-19 Week 5” samples of potable water for chemical and microbial analysis from the SVO-ZV tap and the SRV-K Warm tap, the latter after preliminary heating of the water (two heating cycles) and flushing. [Collected were two 750 mL samples (for postflight chemical analysis) from each of three ports (SRV-K hot, SRV-K warm, SVO-ZV) for return on 2J/A. The flush water, collected in small waste water bags, was then reclaimed for technical use.]
Mike Barratt performed the regular service on the WPA (Water Processor Assembly), first offloading the WPA into one of the new CWC-I (Contingency Water Containers-Iodine, #1010) with the common H2O Transfer Hose (which took about 19 min) from the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser) Auxiliary Port, then flushing the system.
Gennady Padalka took the periodic readings with the Russian AOK GANK-4M Real-Time Harmful Contaminant Gas Analyzer system and calibrated the unit.
The CDR copied accumulated EXPOSE-R science data from the BSMM (Multiplex Bus Synchronization Unit) to a PCMCIA memory card in the RSS1 laptop. [The European EXPOSE-R experiment contains plant seeds and spores of bacteria & fungi. It was mounted outside the SM during the Russian EVA-21A on 3/11 after some earlier problems.]
Gennady & Mike again had time reserved for wrapping up Progress 32P loading. Afterwards, the CDR reported formally to TsUP-Moscow that the stowage of the cargo ship was finished. Padalka then salvaged the two-light SD1-7 lighting fixture of the Progress and transferred it to the station for reuse.
Barratt 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 and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]
Afterwards, the FE-1 also completed 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).
Koichi Wakata conducted a one-hour inventory/audit of EVA equipment stowed at various locations and in selected bags in the E/L (Equipment Lock). [Part of A/L stowage locations have already been audited by the previous Increment crew. Koichi’s work today completed the work started earlier. Afterwards, MCC-Houston was to be informed of any missing or additional items that were found.]
The crew completed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-1, FE-2) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).
Afterwards, Mike Barratt downloaded the exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on ARED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today.
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, 7:44am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude — 351.5 km
Apogee height – 357.6 km
Perigee height — 345.3 km
Period — 91.57 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0009138
Solar Beta Angle — 47.3 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 42 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 59907
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
05/06/09 — Progress M01M/32P undocking & deorbit
05/07/09 — Progress M-02M/33P launch (on Soyuz-U, 51st rocket of this type)
05/11/09 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
05/12/09 — Progress M-02M/33P docking
05/27/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
05/29/09 — Soyuz TMA-15/19S docking (FGB nadir)
Six-person crew on ISS
06/05/09 — Russian EVA-22
06/10/09 — Russian EVA-23
06/13/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
07/17/09 – Progress M-02M/33P undock & deorbit
07/20/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S relocation (from SM aft to DC1)
07/24/09 — Progress 34P launch
07/26/09 — Progress 34P docking (SM aft)
08/06/09 — STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC
09/01/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) launch – tentative
09/07/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) berth
09/30/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S launch
10/02/09 — Soyuz TMA-16/20S docking (SM aft, until MRM2 w/new port)
10/08/09 — H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1) unberth
10/11/09 – Soyuz TMA-14/18S undock
10/15/09 — Progress 35P launch
11/10/09 — 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Proton — tentative
11/12/09 — STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 – ELC1, ELC2
12/07/09 — Soyuz TMA-17/21S launch
12/26/09 — Progress 36P launch
02/03/10 — Progress 37P launch
02/??/10 — STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola — tentative
02/11/10 — STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC — tentative
04/02/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S launch
04/08/10 — STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1 — tentative
04/27/10 — Progress 38P launch
05/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S launch
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 — tentative
06/??/10 – ATV2 – Ariane 5 (ESA)
06/25/10 — Progress 39P launch
08/11/10 — Progress 40P launch
09/29/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch
12/??/11 — Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.
10/19/10 — Progress 41P launch
12/??/11 – 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton.
