Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 Aug 2003

By SpaceRef Editor
August 1, 2003
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NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 Aug 2003
iss

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.  Flight Control to crew on station systems:  “Everything is great.”    Day 99 in space for the Increment 7 crew (from launch on April 25, Eastern Time).

CDR Yuri Malenchenko conducted another experiment session with the Russian/German Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) payload, activating the evacuation turbopump, tagging up with ground specialists and starting the evacuation of the vacuum chamber (ZB) and PK-3 operations.  [The experiment is performed on plasma, i.e., fine particles charged and excited by RF/radio frequency power inside the evacuated work chamber.  Today, the experiment, after warming up for at least four hours prior to its start, was to be performed with mixtures of particles (dispenser A and B) and consists of two segments, viz.: search for modes with a strong particle agglomeration (small particles  dispenser A) in automatic mode (6 min.); and search for modes of mixture without voids in the center at various HF discharge power, and various number of particles in automatic mode (75 min.).]

Overnight, the ground uplinked an updated list of “yellow tag” items, including their constraints on usage aboard ISS, for an on-orbit review by the crew.  For certain newly certified hardware, Malenchenko was given the Go to remove the yellow tags.  [Yellow tags, more formally called “uncertified dual ops tags”, are used to identify items not certified for ISS Operations (cert and/or paperwork not complete prior to launch); items which have IP (international partner) segment-specific cert (can be used in one IP segment but should not be used in anther IP segment); items that could pose a safety hazard; and items that are broken or expired.  Blank yellow tags are flown so hardware can be tagged on-orbit as necessary.]

FE/SO Ed Lu was scheduled to activated the MSG (microgravity science glovebox) and take up work again with the CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Liquid/Solid mixtures #2) experiment.  [Today, he was to prepare CSLM-2 for SPU-6 (sample processing unit #6) processing scheduled to begin next week.  First, he removed SPU-1.  Because of the high humidity reading, this unit is believed to have water in the sample chamber and thus cannot be processed.  Next, he will exchange ECUs (electronic control units).  ECU-2 will be verified to be operational since it will be used for SPU-6 processing.  Finally, because of the bent plate on SPU-6, Ed will remove the rear shoulder pin screw on the CSLM-2 base plate.  He will then in all probability be able to install SPU-6 and secure it with the front thumbscrew.]

Lu also collected fluid samples from the ITCS (internal thermal control system), drawing them from the MTL (moderate temperature loop) port, for analysis with an ammonia test strip and return of a sample bag to the ground.

Regular daily routine tasks were performed by the Science Officer (SOZh life support system maintenance; Lab payload status checkup ) and the CDR (inventory management system [IMS] delta file preparation and IMS tagup with the ground).  Yuri also conducted the weekly BRPK-1 water condensate separator inspection.

Malenchenko attended to his regular daily checkup of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment which researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2 greenhouse.

On the operational PCS (portable computer system) laptops in the station, Ed Lu performed the regular once-a-week maintenance reboot.

Yuri had time scheduled for testing the newly replaced ROM (read-only memory) memory unit (PZU/TA765B) in a local signal commutator (LKT 1GZ) in the DC-1 docking compartment.

Also in the DC-1, Malenchenko completed his fourth regular (monthly) checkup of circuit breakers (AZS) on the BVP amp switch panel — they should all be On — and the 14 LEDs of the fuses in fuse panels BPP-30 and BPP-36 (last time done: 7/2).

Ed completed his twelfth weekly filling-out of the FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), which keeps a log of his nutritional intake over time on special medical equipment computer (MEC) software.

Both crewmembers were scheduled to work out according to their regular daily physical exercise program of 2.5 hrs on TVIS treadmill (aerobic) and RED exerciser (anaerobic). 

Ed Lu then is to transfer data files from the physical exercise equipment to the MEC (medical equipment computer) via memory card and RED log entries, for downlink on OCA comm.

Later, he also will perform the periodic transfer of accumulated data files from the wrist-band HRM (heart rate monitor) receiver stations to the MEC for downlink, then delete them on the HRM.  

Today’s schedule also calls for another weekly inventory audit by the SO of the available CWCs (contingency water containers) and their contents, to keep track of onboard water supplies.  [Last time done: 7/25.]

Yesterday, the Russian SKV-1 air conditioner performed another auto shutdown again.  It was restarted and is running nominally.  [Russian experts believe the shutdown was caused when the Service Module’s thermal loop (KOV) was commanded to switch from KOV-1 to KOV-2, which immediately failed during the transition and automatically switched back to KOV-1.  This in turn caused the SKV-1 to fail.  Further data analysis is required to completely understand the failure.] 

SM battery #2 completed the Capacity Restoration (ROM) process yesterday and was activated.  It is currently on line and functioning nominally.  [ROM consists of deep-discharge/charge cycles, followed by a two week deactivation period.]

Moscow/TsUP has turned off the Elektron oxygen generator system, to utilize the 50 kg of oxygen (O2) contained in the Progress 10P O2 tanks over the next several weeks.  [When the ppO2 (oxygen partial pressure) declines down to 160 mmHg, the crew will periodically cycle a valve until the ppO2 increases to 170 mmHg.  This regime will be followed until the 10P O2 tanks are emptied to ensure that it undocks on 8/28 with no wasted consumables.  For this transfer, the Moscow will rely on the U.S. MCA (major constituents analyzer) or CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) hardware to measure the 10mmHg pressure difference.]

Payload Operations Center (POC) reported that the space acceleration measurement system (SAMS) stopped communicating from one component to another component.  The crew was asked to reboot the hardware today.

At 1:30pm EDT, the crew will conduct a ham radio session with students of the International Space School Foundation at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).  [The International Space School Foundation promotes internationalism through the excitement and educational opportunities arising from the activities of JSC, its sister NASA facilities, and the Space Center Houston (SCH).  Students from various nations are invited to Houston during the summer months for a three-week school with activities based at JSC and SCH. These students are selected from high schools through a widely based open competition.  Male and female students from many races and religions from around the world have participated thus far.]

Later tonight, Ed Lu is also scheduled to talk with participants of the annual Air Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, via S-band/audio.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (a touch left of track on the coast.  Zanzibar Island should have been in the foreground.  A large Chinese fleet in the 1370s visits these East African ports, part of a Muslim-world trading system.  The Portuguese arrive in the 1490s, in direct competition with the Spanish for Oriental markets), Bangkok, Thailand (looking left of track at the head of the Gulf of Siam.  The city is smoggy and green and thus may be difficult to discern.  The center lies at the mouth of the Chao river that enters the gulf, ~10 mi inland), Guilin, China (a touch left of track), Urumqui, China (looking a touch left at the foot of the Tien Shan [north side].  This remote oil boom town is growing very fast), Colossus of Rhodes (looking left on the largest island off the Turkish coast, at the mouth of the main harbor.  The Colossus, finished in 282 BCE, stood about 33 m [110 ft] high.  When it fell after only 56 years, Pliny wrote that “few people can make their arms meet round the thumb.”), Lower Amazon River Basin (mapping strips requested along the shoreline of this vast estuary.  Looking left and right near nadir), and Gulf of Maine plankton bloom (looking right for reported discoloration in the gulf.  The bloom should appear turquoise, and is ~60km  across).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

SpaceRef staff editor.