NASA ISS On-Orbit Status Report 15 September 2010
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
At wake-up, CDR Alex Skvortsov conducted the regular daily early-morning check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O2 generator which Maxim Suraev had installed on 10/19 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). [The CDR again inspects the filters before bedtime tonight, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]
All crewmembers started out with the periodic pre-breakfast session of the Russian biomedical routine assessment PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement, using the IM mass measurement device. Kornienko set up the IM and later stowed it away. The three Russian station residents, Alex, Mikhail & Fyodor, also completed the PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement protocol. [For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" for MO-8 measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember’s mass is calculated by the computer and displayed. MO-7 Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. ]
Upon wake-up, FE-2 Caldwell-Dyson closed out the 24-hr urine collections for her 4th onboard NUTRITION / Repository / Pro K protocol and undertook the associated generic blood collection, with FE-6 Walker assisting with the phlebotomy as operator. This was Tracy’s final (FD180) blood sampling. FE-2 then set up the RC (Refrigerated Centrifuge) for spinning the samples prior to stowing them in the MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). [The operational products for Blood & Urine collections for the HRP (Human Research Program) payloads have been revised, based on crew feedback, new cold stowage hardware, and IPV capabilities. Generic blood & urine procedures have been created to allow an individual crewmember to select their payload complement and see specific requirements populated. Individual crewmembers select their specific parameter in the procedures to reflect their science complement. Different crewmembers will have different required tubes and hardware configurations, so they should verify their choice selection before continuing with operations to ensure their specific instruction.]
Tracy also concluded her 5-day session of the medical protocol Pro K (Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery) after the urine pH spot test, her 5th onboard run, with the final controlled diet and diet logging. Photo documentation was part of the activity. [Under Pro K, the crewmember measures and logs the pH value of a urine sample, to be collected the same time of day every day for 5 days. The crewmember also prepares a diet log and then annotates quantities of food packets consumed and supplements taken.]
CDR Skvortsov & FE-3 Kornienko spent several hours with prepacking cargo and loading it on the Soyuz TMA-18/22S spacecraft for their 9/23 departure.
FE-5 Yurchikhin meanwhile worked on unloading & transferring of cargo from Progress 39P.
In the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), FE-4 Wheelock temporarily relocated cargo bags from specific locations to make room for the planned MARES (Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System) commissioning.
Skvortsov retrieved the US HMS IMAKs (Health Maintenance System / ISS Medical Accessory Kits) from Progress and turned them over to Doug Wheelock for unpacking and stowage. [The IMAKs contain personal items for Doug & Shannon as well as resupply for the onboard Blood Analyzer Pack.]
The other US cargo carried on Progress are fresh passive FMK (Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit) samplers, to be deployed after their retrieval in the Lab and SM (Service Module), to catch any atmospheric formaldehyde on a collector substrate for subsequent analysis on the ground.
Wheels started another sampling run with the EHS GC/DMS (Environmental Health Systems Gas Chromatograph / Differential Mobility Spectrometer), deactivating the system ~5 hrs later. [This was the 23rd session with the GC/DMS unit #1004, after the previous instrument (#1002) was used for approximately 100 runs. Also known as AQM (Air Quality Monitor), the system is controlled with “Sionex” expert software from the SSC-12 laptop. The AQM demonstrates COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) technology for identifying volatile organic compounds, similar to the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer). This evaluation will continue over the course of several months as it helps to eventually certify the GC/DMS as nominal CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) hardware].
In the JAXA Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), Wheelock supported Tsukuba flight controllers by verifying a ground-commanded checkout of the CB (Clean Bench) Microscope. Video of the checkout was downlinked through VCU (Video Control Unit) & IPU (Image Processing Unit). [Crew support included starting and stopping CB ventilation as required by the ground, and reconfiguring the hardware at the end to standby mode.]
During the ground checkout of CB, Wheels also collected the periodic cabin air samples with the GSC (Grab Sample Container) in the SM, Lab & COL for prepacking and return to the ground on Soyuz 22S.
Yurchikhin conducted another 30-min. photography session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining NIKON D3 photos with Nikkor 80-200 mm lens and the SONY HD video camcorder on oceanic water blooms, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop.
In the MRM2 “Poisk” module, Yurchikhin performed R&R (removal & replacement) maintenance on the TVU Terminal Computing Device hardware. [TVU-2 has been down since early March. TVU-1 provides redundancy in systems commanding.]
Moving later to the MRM1 “Rassvet” module, Fyodor completed the periodic maintenance on the module’s ventilation system by cleaning Group B dust filters, SKPF1 & SKPF2 filters and the GZhT heat exchanger grille.
FE-3 Kornienko had his share in the current round of the monthly preventive maintenance of RS (Russian Segment) ventilation systems, working in the Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok (FGB) to clean the mesh screen of its central ventilation fan TsV1 and the detachable fan screens of the three SOTR gas-liquid heat exchangers (GZhT1,2,3), plus the fixed VT7 grill of GZhT4.
For FE-6 Shannon Walker, today was water sampling & processing time aboard the station, during which she –
- Performed the periodic changeout of the TOCA WWB (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer / Waste Water Bag, new bag: #1032) in Node-3;
- Conducted the (approximately) weekly WRS (Water Recovery System) sampling with the TOCA, after first initializing the software and priming (filling) the TOCA water sample hose [After the approximately 2 hr TOCA analysis, results were transferred to the SSC-5 (Station Support Computer 5) laptop via USB drive for downlink, and the data were also logged];
- Collected “Week 27” water samples in the SM for in-flight and ground analysis, taking them from the SRV-K Warm, SRV-K Hot and SVO-ZV taps [Collected were from SVO-ZV: 1 microbial in-flight sample (125 mL), 1 colorimetric water quality in-flight sample (20 mL); from SRV-K Warm: 1 post-flight archival sample (500 mL) [ULF5 return], 1 microbial in-flight sample (125 mL); from SRV-Hot: 1 microbial in-flight sample (125 mL)];
- Took water samples from the PWD (Potable Water Dispenser)’s Ambient & Hot “leg” [From Ambient: 1 microbial in-flight sample (125 mL), 1 TOCA in-flight sample (250 mL), 1 post-flight archival sample (500 mL) [22S return], 1 colorimetric water quality in-flight sample (60 mL) for in-flight silver detection (SDTO/Station Development Test Objective) using C-SPE (Colorimetric Solid-Phase Extraction) analysis; from Hot: 1 post-flight archival sample (500 mL) [ULF5 return]; and
- Processed the inflight SM & PWD water samples with the WMK MCD (Water Microbiology Kit / Microbial Capture Devices) for microbial traces, and the CDB (Coliform Detection Bag) for inflight coliform indications (Magenta for Positive, Yellow for Negative) [1 microbial in-flight sample from SRV-K Hot, 1 microbial in-flight sample from SRV-K Warm, 1 microbial in-flight sample from SVO-ZV, 1 microbial in-flight sample from PWD-Ambient. The activity must be conducted within 6 hrs after water collection from the PWD line. The visual T+2 Day microbial (bacterial & fungal) analysis of the potable water samples will be performed on 9/17.]
CDR Skvortsov performed periodic service on the SM SRVK-2M system by replacing its BKO multifiltration unit with a spare, discarding the old unit and updating the IMS (Inventory Management System). (Last time done: 8/18). [BKO contains five purification columns to rid the condensate of dissolved mineral and organic impurities. It has a service lifetime of ~450 liters throughput. The water needs to be purified for proper electrolysis in the Elektron O2 generator.]
Afterwards, Alex conducted the periodic inspection of the SRV-K2M Condensate Water Processor’s sediment trap insert (VU). [The Russian SRVK-2M converts collected condensate into drinking water and dispenses the reclaimed potable water.]
Working in COL on the ESA BLB (Biolab), Tracy Caldwell-Dyson supported run-in tests of the ATCS (Automatic Temperature Controlled Stowage) areas 1 & 2 by first introducing, then removing thermal masses for temperature checks.
In other activities, Tracy Caldwell-Dyson –
- Removed the four orange-colored snubber alignment guides at the T2 treadmill which had protected the device from disturbances due to the reboost this morning,
- Inspected the joints of the T2 snubber arm stacks to track the structural integrity of the hardware following unisolated exercise activities,
- Supported ground-commanded tests of the Prime and Backup TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter) detectors at their current location (at SM panel 327) by powering down the Backup instrument, swapping its position with that of the Prime TEPC and turning on the latter [This allowed the ground to gather comparative radiation data from the Prime unit while it is in the exact same configuration that the Backup TEPC was in],
- Conducted the periodic status check & maintenance, as required, of the CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) payload in the Lab, and
- Set up the demo equipment for another session of the experiment series called “Kids in Space” and conducting the student experiment entitled “Water Absorption Flight Procedures #40”, assisted by Doug Wheelock with video camcorder & photo documentation [The “Kids in Space” suite of experiments was developed and written by 6th grade students to demonstrate Newton’s Laws of Motion both on ISS and in the classroom].
With Fyodor Yurchikhin taking documentary photography, Mikhail Kornienko terminated the BTKh-14/BIOEMULSIYA experiment, deactivating the KT Container & inserting Bioreactor #02 in KRIOGEM-03 (at +4 degC) for safekeeping. [The Bioemulsion experiment is developing faster technologies for obtaining microorganism biomass and biologically active substance biomass for creating highly efficient environmentally pure bacteria, enzymes, and medicinal/pharmaceutical preparations.]
In the DC1 Docking Compartment, Kornienko serviced the biotechnical BTKh-26 KASKAD (Cascade) payload, removing it from the TBU Universal Bioengineering Thermostatic Container, performing the mixing process in the KT thermostatic container and returning it to the TBU, set at +29 degC. FE-5 Yurchikhin photographed the action.
Skvortsov serviced the running BTKh-40 BIF experiment, transferring it from the TBU (at +29 degC) to the KRIOGEM-3M thermostatic container (at +4 degC).
Afterwards, Alex retrieved the BTKh-27 ASTROVAKTSINA (Astrovaccine) payload from its storage in a Bioecology case and also transferred it to the KRIOGEM-03M at +4 degC.
Mikhail monitored the operation of the running Russian SSTV (Slow Scan TV) equipment of the MAI-75 experiment as part of OBR-3 (Obrazovanie-3, Education 3) ops, returning to it several times during the day and later closing it out. [This is essentially an ARISS (Amateur Radio from ISS) ham radio set-up with Kenwood TM D700 Transceiver and Kenwood VS-N1 (Visual Communicator) gear for downlinking photographic images of the overflown terrain to ground stations (MAI, Kursk, Star City & other stations around the world). To date, there have been 7 runs with MAI-75 on board the ISS. The payload is named after the renowned MAI (Moscow Aviation Institute) whose reputation is based on the large number of famous aviators and rocket scientists that received their academic education here. Among the alumni are Academicians and Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Over 100 General and Chief Designers earned their degree at MAI, with famous rocket scientists like Makeyev, Mishin, Nadiradze and Yangel. MAI also fostered 20 Pilot-Cosmonauts, almost 100 famous test pilots, Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia. The amateur radio (ham) equipment aboard the ISS for downlinking SSTV imagery is a MAI product.]
In the MRM2, FE-3 activated the MPI Multifunction Indicator Panel on TsUP Go as a functional test.
FE-6 Wheelock supported ground-commanding of the CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment) equipment by turning on the MPC (Multi-Protocol Converter) high-definition TV system and shutting it off about 3 hrs later. [CFE has applications to the management of liquid fuels, cryogens, water-based solutions and thermal fluids in spacecraft systems. ICF (Interior Corner Flow) hardware is one of three CFE experiments, the others being Vane Gap (VG) and Contact Line (CL). Each of the CFE experiments is represented with two unique experimental units (1,2), all of which use similar fluid-injection hardware, have simple and similarly sized test chambers, and rely solely on video for highly quantitative data. Silicone oil is the fluid used for all the tests, with different viscosities depending on the unit. Differences between units are primarily fluid properties, wetting conditions, and test cell cross section.]
Later, Doug broke out & set up the equipment for his and Shannon Walker’s U.S. PHS (Periodic Health Status) without Blood Labs exam, scheduled tomorrow, a clinical evaluation of both crewmembers, with Wheels and Shannon taking turns as subject and CMO (Crew Medical Officer). [The assessment used the AMP (Ambulatory Medical Pack), stethoscope, oral disposable thermometer and ABPC (Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff) from the ALSP (Advanced Life Support Pack). All data will be logged on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer). The PHS exam is guided by special IFEP (In-Flight Examination Program) software on the MEC laptop.]
Skvortsov did the daily IMS (Inventory Management System) maintenance by 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).
Later, Alexander completed 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.]
The CDR also performed the periodic checkout & performance verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways. [Inspected IP-1s are in the passageways SM PrK (Service Module Transfer Tunnel)–RO (SM Working Compartment), PrK–Progress, DC1–Progress, PkhO (SM Transfer Compartment) – RO, PkhO–DC1, PkhO–FGB PGO, PkhO-MRM2, FGB GA-MRM1, FGB PGO–FGB GA, and FGB GA–Node-1.]
Tracy, Sasha & Misha again had an hour each set aside for personal crew departure preparations, standard pre-return procedures for crewmembers.
At ~4:15am EDT, Skvortsov, Kornienko & Yurchikhin supported a Russian PAO TV event, downlinking messages of congratulation to (1) the staff of the Museum of Cosmonautics in Rostov-on-Don / Science and Research Facility Vertical at Space Instrumentation Science and Manufacturing Facility Kvant which were opened on 9/11/2009 with Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin, Yuri Usachev & Alexander Lazutkin present, and (2) the Clinical Hospital #83 under Russia’s Federal Bio-Medical Agency, which is turning 25 on 9/23/2010. [The hospital staff is playing an active role in providing medical support to cosmonauts, their families, and Cosmonaut Training Center employees.]
At ~10:20am EDT, Caldwell-Dyson & Wheelock joined for a PAO TV interview on The Weather Channel (Mike Bettes).
The crew completed today’s 2-hr. physical workout protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-3/2x, FE-5), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-2, FE-4, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-4, FE-6) and VELO ergometer bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-5). [T2 snubber arm inspection is no longer needed after the last T2 session of the day but is now regularly being done once a week after the last T2 session.]
Reboost Update: A one-burn reboost of ISS was performed successfully this morning at 5:04am EDT using the Progress 39P DPO rendezvous & docking thrusters. Burn duration was 8 min 46 sec; delta-V: 1.25 m/s (4.09 ft/s). Mean altitude gain: 2.19 km (1.18 nmi). Purpose: Set up phasing for 22S Soyuz landing on 9/23 (Eastern) and 24S launch conditions on 10/7. This reboost along with another one in mid-October sets up phasing for 40P Progress launch on 10/27 and a string of consecutive FD3 launch opportunities for STS-133/ULF5 starting on 11/1.
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today were La Paz, Bolivia (weather wais predicted to be clear over this important Bolivian city located to the southeast of Lake Titicaca. La Paz houses most of the governmental departments of the country, making it the administrative capital city [the constitutional capital city being Sucre]. Overlapping frames of the urban and surrounding rural area were requested), Hurricane Julia, Atlantic Ocean (Dynamic Event. Looking to the right of track for Hurricane. The storm should have well-developed flow banding and potentially a well-developed eye wall structure, at the time of ISS overflight. Suggested was use of a short lens to obtain imagery of the overall storm structure), and Hurricane Igor, Atlantic Ocean (Dynamic Event. Looking to the right of track for Hurricane Igor, which is predicted to remain a major hurricane at the time of ISS closest approach. The storm should have well-developed flow banding and eye wall structure. Suggested was the use of a short lens to obtain imagery of the overall storm structure).
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Six-crew operations—————–
09/23/10 — Soyuz TMA-18/22S undock/landing – 9:35pm/11:55pm EDT (End of Increment 24; Wheelock/CDR-25)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/08/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch – Kelly (CDR-26)/Kaleri/Skripochka
10/10/10 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/26/10 — Progress M-05M/37P undock
10/27/10 — Progress M-08M/40P launch
10/29/10 — Progress M-08M/40P docking
11/01/10 — STS-133/Discovery launch (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) ~4:33pm EDT
11/12/10 — Russian EVA-26
11/17/10 — Russian EVA-27
11/30/10 — Soyuz TMA-19/23S undock/landing (End of Increment 25)
————–Three-crew operations————-
12/14/10 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S launch – Kondratyev (CDR-27)/Coleman/Nespoli
12/16/10 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
12/20/10 — Progress M-07M/39P undock
01/24/10 — Progress M-08M/40P undock
01/28/10 — Progress M-09M/41P launch
01/31/10 — Progress M-09M/41P docking
02/xx/10 — Russian EVA-28
02/26/11 — STS-134/Endeavour (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS-02) ~4:19pm EDT – “target”
03/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-20/24S undock/landing (End of Increment 26)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-22/26S launch – A. Borisienko (CDR-28)/R.Garan/A.Samokutayev
04/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-22/26S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
04/26/11 — Progress M-09M/41P undock
04/27/11 — Progress M-10M/42P launch
04/29/11 — Progress M-10M/42P docking
05/xx/10 — Russian EVA-29
05/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-21/25S undock/landing (End of Increment 27)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S launch – M. Fossum (CDR-29)/S. Furukawa/S. Volkov
06/01/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
06/21/11 — Progress M-11M/43P launch
06/23/11 — Progress M-11M/43P docking
08/29/11 — Progress M-11M/43P undocking
08/30/11 — Progress M-12M/44P launch
09/01/11 — Progress M-12M/44P docking
09/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-22/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-24/28S launch – D.Burbank (CDR-30)/A.Shkaplerov/A.Ivanishin
10/02/11 – Soyuz TMA-24/28S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/20/11 — Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/21/11 — Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/23/11 — Progress M-13M/45P docking
11/16/11 — Soyuz TMA-23/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/30/11 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit
12/02/11 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
12/??/11 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton.
12/26/11 — Progress M-13M/45P undock
03/14/12 — Soyuz TMA-24/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/26/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Valkov
03/28/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
05/15/12 — Soyuz TMA-25/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/29/12 – Soyuz TMA-27/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/31/12 – Soyuz TMA-27/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/09/12 — Soyuz TMA-26/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/23/12 — Soyuz TMA-28/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O. Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
09/25/12 – Soyuz TMA-28/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
10/07/12 — Soyuz TMA-27/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-29/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
11/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-29/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-28/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-30/34S launch.
03/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-30/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
