NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 July 2004
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2004) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally except those noted previously or below. Sunday — second weekend rest day aboard ISS. Ahead: Week 11 of Increment 9.
The crew was thanked for their spectacular “Saturday Science” video downlinks of yesterday’s In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) activity.
Early in the morning, working off the Russian discretionary task list prior to his 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 horizontal eye and head movement coordination, measured Listing’s plane, and determined the orientation of the vestibulo-ocular coordinate system, using five target marks on the horizontal plane. Each step required another prior calibration run, using visual target cues or the calibration unit.]
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
In preparation for tomorrow’s scheduled Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM) payload activities, FE/SO Mike Fincke used the scopemeter to check the charging state of the Maglight battery for the video setup. [The experiment, which merges droplets of eight fluids of known viscosity from syringes on a Nomex thread inside the MWA (Maintenance Work Area) containment system, records the growing fluid spheres for each of five coalescence steps with a video camera for subsequent size and time determinations on the ground. Purpose of the experiment is to determine the feasibility of measuring viscosity of various substances under containerless conditions (made possible by micro-G) using the method of relaxation (or merging) of two spheres of liquids to one sphere.]
Padalka conducted the routine inspection of the Service Module’s SOZh life support system, with the weekly data collection of toilet flush counter readings, inspection of the SP urine collection and pretreat assembly, and SVO water supply status counter readings, all for calldown to TsUP/Moscow. Today’s maintenance task also included the regular weekly inspection of the BRPK air/condensate water separator system.
Mike Fincke, who enjoys working with the ham radio equipment, was provided with a list of several potential opportunities for amateur radio contacts today. [Opportunities covered such regions as Australia, Alaska, Central US, the Caribbean, Central & South America (Brazil), India, China, Japan, South & Central Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Southern Europe and Southern Russia.]
The crew completed a full workout on the TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and VELO bike with load trainer.
Mike had another private teleconference with his family (PFC), via S-band/audio.
Flight attitude of the ISS still is LVLH YVV (local vertical/local horizontal; y-axis in velocity vector, i.e. flying “sidewise”), to be continued until 7/16 (next Friday night)
Today’s optional CEO photo target, 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), was Internal waves, Tuamotu Archipelago (the sun angle was very low for this pass, but the weather should have improved. Looking left of track for glint among the Austral Tuamotu Archipelago). [Note: With the exception of sun glint views and occasional aerosol features, no targets were recommended today with a sun angle less than 20 degrees. Experience with photos acquired under such conditions indicates that while some useful information can be obtained through hefty image enhancement, the images themselves are not of much value or interest to the general user and they are usually very difficult to recognize, locate, and catalog. None of current sites of interest had adequate illumination for this day. Almost all glint sites were covered by clouds.].
CEO images can be viewed at these websites:
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Previous NASA ISS On-orbit Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Station Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports can be found here. A collection of all of these reports and other materials relating to Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle fleet can be found here.
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 10:43am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 359.9 km
- Apogee height — 364.0 km
- Perigee height — 355.8 km
- Period — 91.7 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.631 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0006114
- Solar Beta Angle — 73.5 deg
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 20 m (!)
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 32215
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ISS Altitude History
Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html. In addition, information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA’s Human Spaceflight website. The current location of the International Space Station can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at http://www.spaceref.com/iss/tracking.html.
