Status Report

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 8 August 2008

By SpaceRef Editor
August 8, 2008
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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 8 August 2008
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p>All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Light-duty day for the crew of CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko & FE-2 Chamitoff.

In continuing support of the COL FSL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory/Fluid Science Lab) facility, the FE-2 completed the insertion of a blank DLT (Digital Line Tape) cartridge in the FSL VMU (Video Management Unit) tape recorder. [The activity, scheduled (and reported) yesterday (when FSL was powered off), was aborted and rescheduled for today since VMU tape insertion can only be done with the FSL powered on and tape removal only before FSL deactivation.]

Also in the COL, Chamitoff locked the FSL FCE (Facility Core Element) to fix it for the acceleration forces caused by the ATV reboost next week (scheduled for 8/13, ~3:430am EDT).

The CDR terminated the discharge/charge cycle on the second pair of NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries for the Russian BMD (Biomedical Device) PZE STIMUL-01 experiment, in preparation for an upcoming training session of physical stimulation/conditioning of the two cosmonauts. The first battery set was charged yesterday. [The neuromuscular myostimulator suit STIMUL-1, which uses electrical stimulation to contract and relax leg muscle fibers for conditioning, is part of the suite of BMS (Biomedical Support) systems under development at the Moscow IBMP (Institute for Biomedical Problems) for long-duration spaceflights including piloted Mars missions.]

In support of upcoming JAXA payload operations in the Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), Gregory prepared the MEU (Measurement Experiment Unit) for activation & checkout, inserting its cultivation chamber Bs and installing the MEU Bs in the CBEF (Cell Biology Experiment Facility) incubator. Later, after CBEF control start by ground commanding, Greg performed a visual inspection of the CBEF 1G door lock.

FE-1 Kononenko performed a controlled shut-down of the US EHS VOA (Environmental Health System-Volatile Organic Analyzer), leaving inlet & exhaust caps plus power switch in the same configuration. The VOA RPC (Remote Power Controller) was power-cycled from the ground.

Meanwhile, the CDR initiated (later terminated) an oxygen refresh of the cabin atmosphere with O2 from Progress M-64/29P.

The FE-2 conducted the regular bi-monthly reboot of the File Server SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop. [Rebooting the SSC requires about 15 sec of waiting between shutdown and turning it back on. It may take up to 15 minute for the File Server to fully complete the startup.]

Working from the Russian discretionary task list, Kononenko conducted the regular status check on the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 ("Plants-2") experiment which researches growth and development of plants (peas) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-13 greenhouse from IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems {Russian: IMBP}).

Sergey performed the routine daily servicing of the SM (Service Module)’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 and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]

The crew conducted 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 (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR, FE-1). Later, Oleg transferred the exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) laptop for downlink, including 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).

At ~8:15am EDT, Sergey, Oleg and Greg held the periodic crew conference with the Expedition 18 crew, via S-band/audio space-to-ground (S/G2) and Private 2. [This conference is scheduled once every two weeks, between the ISS crewmembers and Steve Lindsey, Head of the Astronaut Office.]

TVIS Update: Replacement of the treadmill roller bearings is still scheduled next week on 8/11 & 8/12. Ground engineers are working on a repair method for the belt tear that is durable and won’t cause further hardware damage. Before the roller bearing R&R and belt repair, to be performed in conjunction, the crew will be scheduled for a Repair Procedures Printout & Review activity. Delivery of a new tread belt has been proposed for manifesting on Progress 30P.

SPDM Update: Yesterday, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator “Dextre” had its first successful ground-commanded motion. Both arms’ OTCMs (ORU Tool Changeout Mechanisms) were satisfactorily checked out. Next SPDM checkout is planned for 8/11 (Monday).

MT Update: Today at ~2:05-3:35pm EDT, after inhibition of Russian thrusters, ground commanding will move the Mobile Transporter from WS-4 (Worksite 4) to WS-6 to provide additional views from the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) during the planned JEM RMS (Robotic Manipulator System) checkout planned for next week. Thrusters will be re-enabled at ~4:45pm. Later (time frame 8/27-29), the MT will be translated from WS-6 to WS-7 for performing grapple & power checkouts on the ESP-3 (External Stowage Platform 3), mounted on the zenith side of the P3 truss element. [ESP-3 is an external pallet that can securely hold up to seven ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units).]

CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets uplinked for today were Nile delta, Egypt (left of track, shooting a mapping swath of overlapping images following the line where the green agricultural lands meet the yellow desert sands), Saharan Dust, W Atlantic (Dynamic event. Visible Saharan dust reaching the western hemisphere is a relatively rare event [although diffuse Saharan dust is transported the Americas every month of the year]. Aiming left toward the horizon for images of the dust front. Best views were looking rearward roughly along the line of the dust front after ISS crossed cross the islands. Greg was to try to get any landmass into the views, such as Cuba or neighboring islands), Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (mapping swath of overlapping images was requested following along the Georgia coastline at nadir, to document several processes operating in these wetlands [the dynamic event haze front, off Florida, could be imaged looking right), and Mount Rainier, WA (Mt. Rainer is the largest volcano visible right of track and lies immediately inland of Tacoma and Seattle. Detailed images were requested).

CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 3/1/08, this database contained 757,605 views of the Earth from space, with 314,000 from the ISS alone).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:59am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 350.6 km
Apogee height — 357.6 km
Perigee height — 343.7 km
Period — 91.55 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0010312
Solar Beta Angle — -11.7 deg (magnitude increasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 40 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 55676

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible.):
08/13/08 — ATV Reboost (~3:30am EDT)
08/30/08 — Progress M-64/29P undocking, from FGB nadir
09/05/08 — ATV1 undocking, from SM aft port (loiter until ~9/25 for nighttime reentry/observation)
09/10/08 — Progress M-65/30P launch
09/12/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
10/01/08 — NASA 50 Years (official)
10/08/08 — STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
10/12/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (FGB nadir port)
10/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S undocking (DC1 nadir)
11/10/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 launch – MPLM Leonardo, LMC
11/12/08 — STS-126/Endeavour/ULF2 docking
11/20/08 — ISS 10 Years
11/26/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
11/28/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking
02/10/09 — Progress M-67/32P launch
02/12/09 — Progress M-67/32P docking
02/12/09 — STS-119/Discovery/15A launch – S6 truss segment
03/25/09 — Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
05/15/09 — STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch – JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
07/30/09 — STS-128/Atlantis/17A – MPLM(P), last crew rotation
05/27/09 — Six-person crew on ISS (following Soyuz 19S docking, May ’09)
10/15/09 — STS-129/Discovery/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/Discovery/ ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 — STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4 (contingency).

SpaceRef staff editor.