NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 12 July 2005

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2005) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

CDR Krikalev took his third physical test with the cardiological experiment Study of the Bioelectric Activity of the Heart at Rest (PZEh MO-1), with FE/SO Phillips assisting as CMO. [During the 30-min. test, the crew tagged up with ground specialists on a Russian ground site (RGS) pass on Daily Orbit 14 (~5:30am EDT) via VHF and downlinked data from the Gamma-1M ECG (electrocardiograph) for about 5-6 minutes.]

The CDR performed major in-flight maintenance in the Service Module (SM): the successful change-out of one of the module s eight 800A batteries. A new accumulator, from FGB stowage, replaced the failed battery #1,- a 1.5-hr task. [Its charge/discharge electronics (ZRU) had been deactivated by TsUP/Moscow via command radio link (KRL) before and was later reactivated. The old battery was prepared for disposal in Progress 18.]

The FE/SO had another 1.5 hrs. for hardware/cargo prepacking for return on the Shuttle. Later in the day, the crew was scheduled for a pre-pack teleconference with ground specialists.

Krikalev used the Russian AK-1M sampler in the SM & FGB for air sampling and looking for Freon, followed by a check for CO (carbon monoxide) in the SM with the IPD-CO Draeger tubes sampler. Later in the day, Phillips collected air samples at the centers of Lab and SM with the Dual Sorbent Tube (DST), which replaced the old SSAS (Solid Sorbent Air Sampler). (Last time done: 6/15) [Comparison of pre- and post-arrival samples can provide an understanding of gases brought on board by the visiting vehicles, such as STS-114 on Friday.]

Sergei worked on the Russian BMP harmful impurities removal system, starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. Before sleep time today, the channel 2 bake-out will be terminated. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP currently still uses the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen).]

In the A/L, John Phillips terminated session 2 of the EVA EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) batteries recharging and stowed the batteries in the A/L. [Two charge sessions were required to complete all needed storage units. With LF-1 arriving this week (7/15), supporting the three scheduled Shuttle-based EVAs (in Shuttle EMUs) requires fully charged EVA batteries, some for actual use and others for backup. This includes the EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) batteries and the NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries for the PGT (pistol grip tool), REBA (rechargeable EVA battery assembly) and EHIPs (EMU Helmet Lights).]

John set up the RWS (Robotics Workstation) V10 video system in the Lab to cover assembly operations. [After docking, two video cables from the Orbiter will be dragged through the hatches by the Shuttle crew. The Dual Canon Lithium-ion battery charger can continue to be used for camcorder battery charging in this config until the V10 cameras are needed during the docked stage.]

The CDR took the periodic accuracy readings of Russian air pressure measuring instruments as a checkout of the manometers. [For the checkout, Sergei moved four Russian MV vacuum pressure gauges to the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft to compare their readings with those in Soyuz. A variance of plus/minus 2 mmHg is acceptable.]

Also in the Soyuz s Orbital Module, Krikalev performed the monthly cleaning of the screen/grid of its fan & air heater assembly (BVN) to assure adequate air ventilation for the relocation of the spacecraft to the FGB nadir-facing port (ASPB).

The FE conducted the weekly and monthly maintenance on the TVIS treadmill, primarily checking the condition of the SPDs (subject positioning devices) and recording time & date values. The monthly inspection includes a checkup of the Russian and US tie-down harnesses for any damage. [The roller bearings under the treadmill belt have reached the end of their projected life. Since a new treadmill assembly will arrive on LF-1/STS-114, engineers have decided not to replace the roller bearings (which would require ~12 crew hours) but have instructed the crew instead to include a 5-minute check on the belt each week until the new hardware can be installed. A newly designed US harness will arrive on STS-114, to be evaluated on orbit by John, while Sergei will continue using the Russian harness and do a comparison evaluation.]

Sergei collected the monthly sensor readings of the Pille-MKS radiation dosimetry experiment, with its ten sensors placed at various locations in the RS (port cabin window, starboard cabin window, ASU toilet facility, control panel, etc.). (Last time done: 6/15).

Working off his voluntary task list, the CDR had another session with the “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program, focusing the Nikon D1X digital camera with f400 or 800 mm lens from an SM window on targets specified by an uplinked list. [Today’s targets included the condition of the Ussuriysk taiga, the Ussuri River valley, Pamir Glaciers, Tien Shan and the largest glaciers of Pobeda Peak, the S coast of Taman, and Krasnodar Territory, showing deforestation on mountain slopes]

Krikalev also did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU). Later, working off his voluntary time available task list, he prepared the IMS (inventory management system) delta file for automated export/import top the three IMS databases.

Both crewmembers conducted their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer. [Sergei s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 2 of a new set).]

Afterwards, John transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as 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 ~8:30am EDT, over RGS (Russian ground stations), the crew downlinked congratulatory greetings to TsUP/Moscow to honor the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the successful Soyuz/Apollo docking conducted under the joint US/Soviet Apollo/Soyuz Test Program (ASTP). This remarkable event will be commemorated on July 26 at a gala meeting in the auditorium of the Russian Federal Space Agency with a playback of the ISS crew s message. [ Thirty years have passed since that moment when Soviet cosmonauts Aleksey Arkhipovich Leonov and Valery Nikolayevich Kubasov, and US astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton for the first time shook hands on orbit. The whole world watched the Soyuz and Apollo flight very closely and with admiration. The first international flight of the US and Soviet space vehicles, when they docked, and cosmonauts moved from one vehicle to another, manifested itself as a cutting edge technical achievement& Our experience served as a good foundation in carrying out big Russian-American manned space exploration programs: Mir-Shuttle, Mir-NASA, building and operation of the International Space Station with participation of leading nations, and implementation of new initiatives in joint space research. ]

Today or tomorrow, TsUP/Moscow will make another attempt at transferring fuel (unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine, UDMH) from Progress 18P to the FGB, via SM, after yesterday s scheduled transfer had to be aborted due to what appears to have been command uplink problems at the RGS Shelkovo. The communication problem has meanwhile been resolved, and the transfer of approximately 155 kg of oxidizer (nitrogen tetroxide, NTO) planned for today was successfully completed.

Launch countdown of STS-114 continues to be marching toward 3:51pm EDT tomorrow. Weather outlook shows a slight increase of the probability of a weather delay during countdown — 40%, up from 30% yesterday — due to the possibility of showers or a thunderstorm, which is typical for this time of year at the launch site.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Internal waves, South China Sea (some clouds were predicted for the South China Sea, but conditions are otherwise good for internal wave photography. Looking to the left of track for the sunglint point), Aswan Airport, Egypt (for this second run, the target was to be acquired under nadir or near-nadir viewing conditions through the 17″ SM window, or if not available, one of the better 9″ SM windows. The 800 mm lens and manual focus was to be used to take the sharpest possible image. The GMT day and time of the SM window session, and the SM window used were to be recorded. This target has been screened by CEO operations personnel for Flight Rule Constraints, clear weather conditions, crew awake periods, and favorable illumination parameters [i.e. close to local solar noon], Beni River dynamics, Bolivia (weather was predicted to be clear over west-central South America. Overlapping nadir frames along the river course will aid in monitoring channel changes and floodplain conditions), and Internal waves, Azores, Atlantic (internal wave patterns may have been visible to the SW of the Azores).

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography/

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 11 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-11/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 11 Flight Crew Plans can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/

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, 7:02am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 354.5 km
• Apogee height — 357.2 km
• Perigee height — 351.8 km
• Period — 91.63 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0004066
• Solar Beta Angle — 34.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 60 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 37950

Some Increment 11 Main Events (not final):

• LF-1/STS-114 launch — 7/13 (3:51pm EDT) 18-day window opens;
• LF-1/STS-114 dock — 7/15 (12:26pm EDT), adding 110,713 kg to ISS mass;
• LF-1/STS-114 undock — 7/23 (9:23am EDT);
• LF-1/STS-114 landing @ KSC — 7/25 (11:01am EDT);
• Soyuz TMA-6/10S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — 8/5;
• Progress M-54/19P launch TBD;
• Progress M-53/18P undock — TBD;
• ULF1.1/STS-121 launch — NET 9/9 (launch window opens);
• ULF1.1/STS-121 dock — 9/11;
• ULF1.1/STS-121 undock — 9/19;
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch — 9/27;
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S dock — 9/29;
• 12A/STS-115 launch — NET 2/16/06;
• Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — ~10/15;
• 12A.1/STS-116 launch — NET 4/23/06;
• 13A/STS-117 launch — NET 7/13/06.

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.