Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 May 2004

By SpaceRef Editor

May 10, 2004

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 May 2004 — iss.21.jpg

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. A restful day for the crew because of Russia’s great Holiday yesterday (5/9). Happy 59th Victory Day, Gennady Ivanovich! Underway: Week 2 of Expedition 9.

As called for on the Russian task list, prior to physical exercise CDR Padalka performed another session with the VC6 “Delta” program’s ETD experiment (Investigation of the Coordination of Eye and Head Movements). [After a calibration with the calibrating unit, the experiment investigated eye and head movement coordination, measured Listing’s plane, and determined the orientation of the vestibulo-ocular coordinate system. Each step required another prior calibration run, using visual target cues or the calibration unit.]

FE/SO Michael Fincke terminated the BSA (battery stowage assembly) discharging of NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries for the EVA helmet lights (EHIP, EMU helmet interchangeable portable) started on Friday (5/7). He then initiated the final recharge for the batteries stowed in BC-3 and -4 (battery chargers #3 & #4). [BC-2 is now considered failed due to a short, leaving only two BCs (#3, #4) for battery charge/discharge ops. This impacts the EVA preps timeline]

Padalka completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system, while Fincke conducted the regular routine checkup of autonomous Increment 9 payloads.

The FE performed the task-listed inspection of the emergency lighting power sources (ELPS) in the Lab. [There are two ELPSs in the “Unity” module]

Mike also conducted the daily leak check of the Lab window’s inter-pane space (“Volume D”), using the “Aeolus” scopemeter with pressure probe. Today’s pressure reading was 417 Torr (mmHg), or 8 psi.

The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer. Fincke performed the prescribed weekly maintenance check of the treadmill and its wire ropes (dampers). [Engineers continue to investigate the crew-reported problems with the TVIS control panel (resets to zero in motorized mode). While diagnostics is underway, Mike and Gennady are using the treadmill in passive mode, but with VIS (vibration isolation system) active.]

The CDR, working off the optional Russian task list, performed the second of two task-listed sessions of the “Diatomeya” ocean observations program, using the DVCAM-150 video camera and Nikon F5 digital still camera with 24/85-mm lens to collect photo and video data on cloud cover structure and color fields of bioproductive areas in ocean waters. [Uplinked target suggestion for today was the Falkland-Patagonia offshore flow boundary in the South Atlantic, showing purple bloom bands 20×250 km in extent.]

Preparatory to the approaching hurricane season, since 10:00am EDT this morning and running for seven hours, the Control Centers at Houston, Huntsville, Goddard and Moscow are conducting a BCC/BAT simulation to test emergency procedures in the event of an evacuation of the MCC-H facility or a failure of S-Band comm, which would require either BCC (Backup Control Center) or BAT (Backup Advisory Team) to step in. [BCC is located in Russia, with MCC-M/TsUP as Lead Control Center coupled with the HSG (Houston Support Group) at TsUP in Korolev. BAT depends on the status of MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) and would not be usable if MSFC is also completely unavailable. An actual evacuation of MCC-H has happened before, when the facility had to be shut down in 2002 (on 10/2 at 4:00am EDT) during the Hurricane Lili contingency. Since then, there have been a number of BCC mode sim runs, the last on 5/6/04.]

Today’s CEO targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and condensation-prevention plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Kinshasa, Congo (this capital city can be located on the south side of the Congo River at Stanley Pool. The pool, a major visual cue, is a circular widening of the Congo River miles wide. Looking right. The sister capital city, Brazzaville, lies on the north bank. At ~4.4 million, Kinshasa’s population is larger than that of the entire country of Rep. Congo [Congo-Brazzaville] on the north bank of the Congo River. Folks paddle their canoes across the pool to get to big-city services in Kinshasa. The white water of rapids at the downstream end of the pool can be seen from space), Biomass burning, Angola (looking left and right for numerous fires that have started to burn in the thick savanna forests immediately south of the rainforest [the line between these vegetation types is sharp since the savannas are browner and the rainforests permanently green]. Oblique views will give a visual sense of the extent of the burning), La Paz, Bolivia (airport and poorer neighborhoods of La Paz lie on the flat, high, and cold Andean plateau. The city spills down a major canyon on the flank of the mountains to more temperate altitudes), and Pilcomayo R Dynamics, Argentina (ISS had an ideal mapping pass along the length of this unique river. The Pilcomayo has developed the largest known sediment fan on Earth. Second, the river is drying up on the lowland plain for reasons that are not easy to understand, but may relate to reduction of the slope of the river [induced by tectonics]. The drying point is not far from the Andes mountain front. Requested are images of both the active course and the past course [which extends hundreds of miles all the way to the major Paraguay River]. The river changes seasonally. Good weather may persist).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at

http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of today, 1:55pm EDT).

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

Elektron O2 generator is On. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On. U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. SM Gas Analyzer has been calibrated and is used for ppO2 & ppCO2 monitoring. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is in Life Extending Mode (LEM). BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On, SKV-2 is Off (SM panel mods completed 4/8; SKV-2 activation failed 4/20). SFOG slot#2 fan suspect (not usable).

SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 24.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — 156.6; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.4;
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 747; temperature (deg C) — 20.7.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 756; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 747.07; temperature (deg C) — 22.5 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 748.98; temperature (deg C) — 24.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 749.16; temperature (deg C) — 24.3; shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
(n/a = data not available)

PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a.

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in Directed position (blind, dual-angle mode with “night glider”/”sun slicer” drag reduction sweep, non solar-tracking” 2B @ 235 deg, 4B @ 125 deg.)
SM batteries: Battery #6 is off line; battery #4 is in Cycle mode (RTs); all other batteries (6) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #1 is off-line (capacity restoration mode, ROM); all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 is in Standby mode; PCU-2 is in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is backup, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off.
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is Off; PL-2 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string 1 dropped out 11/22/03).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3 dropped out 10/22/03).
FGB MDM-1 is Off (failed, 11/21/03); MDM-2 is Operational.

Propulsion System:

Total propellant load available: 3725 (8212 lb) as of 5/5/04; [SM(693) + FGB(2373) + Progress M-1(659)]. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

2 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2’s RPC-17 failed 4/21/04).
State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source — RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

LVLH YVV (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, y-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -90 deg, pitch: -9 deg, roll: 1.7 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.

Communications & Tracking Systems:

FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
Ku-band is operating nominally (may require a mask).
Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-1 is prime, IAC-2 is off).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF/LEE A, operational on redundant string, off on prime.
MBS: KA (keep alive) power on both strings.
MT: latched and mated at WS4.
POA: KA power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:53am EDT [= epoch]):