NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 12 September 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. The crew enjoys a well-deserved rest day today, due to last Saturday’s arrival of the Progress 19 cargo ship. Underway: Week 21 for Increment 11.
Crew wakeup time was back at the regular 2:00am EDT. Sleep time will begin at 5:30pm.
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In the Lab module, the Science Officer powered up the HRF GASMAP (Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology) and its laptop for another routine 30-day health check, his last for this Increment. Later in the day, John Phillips turned the equipment off again. [During the health check, the GASMAP AM (Analyzer Module) is powered on and runs for approximately 6 hours to maintain the integrity of the hardware. In addition, the CM (Calibration Module) tank values are logged to track gas usage.]
In the Service Module (SM), CDR Krikalev initiated the regeneration cycle on absorbent bed #1 of the Russian harmful impurities removal system (BMP). Later tonight, the bake-out to space will be terminated and the vent valve closed. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours; it is not being conducted during crew sleep. The BMP is currently still using the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen), which is still inactive.]
Sergei performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including the ASU toilet system and today also the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus. [Current ECLSS status: Vozdukh CO2 scrubber — ON (Auto mode); SKV-1 air conditioner — On (alternating weekly with SKV-2); SRVK condensate water processor — On; BMP harmful contaminants purification system – filter bed 1 regenerating; Elektron O2 generator — Off (O2 supplied from Progress 19 stores); CDRA CO2 removal unit — Off.]
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Service Module Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem, Book 2, Mission Operations Directorate, 9 October 2000 [PDF] According to this document’s introduction “This book contains information for the crew about procedures and rules for the atmosphere revitalization subsystem, Elektron, Vozdukh, Micropurification Unit, and Fire Detection and Suppression Subsystem operations, as well as their schematic and operation logic. This book is intended for well-trained crewpersons who have completed the full training course and simulations.” This 104 page document contains numerous graphics and diagrams describing contains detailed schematics of the Service Module’s life support systems and its operations. |
Both crewmembers completed 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 RED workouts, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
Working off his discretionary Russian task list, the CDR performed the regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment, including filling its water canister for the Lada-7 greenhouse as required.
At ~10:10am EDT, the crew held their regular weekly planning conference (WPC) with the ground, discussing this week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP/Moscow timeliners), via S-band/audio, reviewing upcoming activities and any concerns about future on-orbit events.
Until the Elektron oxygen (O2) generator is brought back on line with the new BZh-8 Liquid Unit, cabin atmosphere is refreshed with O2 from Progress tankage.
In the SM Sergei participated in a conference with TsUP/Moscow and the Russian scientific research ship “Cosmonaut Viktor Patsayev” (KVP) via VHF radio on Daily Orbit 3 (DO3). [A comm test between SM, Soyuz-216/10S and the KVP on VHF-2 (very high frequency #2) channel and the Soyuz SA-2 link was performed back in May (5/20) by Krikalev.]
At ~9:53am, MCC-H tested its real-time command uplink capability of a PPCP (Pre-Planned Command Package) to the U.S. segment via TsUP/Moscow and the Russian SM Regul system during RGS (Russian ground station) coverage.
The first day of the three-day transitioning of the onboard PCS (Portable Computer System) A31p laptops to the new R9 software version was successfully completed by the ground, without crew involvement. Tomorrow, crew support will be required. At the focal point of the transition are the three C&C MDMs (Command & Control Multiplexer/Demultiplexers, i.e., computers). [The upgrading of the PCS laptops requires files to be loaded to the “Tier 1” C&C MDMs, which are in charge of a large number of “Tier 2” MDMs (e.g., Internal; External; Payload; Power Management; RS Central Computer; Guidance, Navigation & Control, etc.). For a smooth transition without loss of C&C, loading activities need to be switched between Primary, Standby and Backup MDMs as required. Today’s work consisted of loading and reinitializing the Standby C&C and the Backup C&C with the new software. Tomorrow, the Primary C&C will be transitioned to Standby, causing the Backup C&C MDM to become Primary and PCS R9 to become active. The crew will then activate the Cupola PCS and verify it successfully boots up and connects to the C&C MDM. The Cupola PCS is an A31p that was previously loaded with the PCS R9 software. Three A31p laptops plus one spare hard drive have already been prepared (“ghosted) by the crew for the new software version. Altogether there are 12 R9-capable PCS A31p laptops available on board, three more than the minimum required to support the transition. Version R9 is very powerful, built on version R8 but with new laptop platforms (A31p ThinkPads), a new Operating System (Linux instead of Solaris), the Mission 12A baseline configuration plus two “deltas” (patches) for post-12A.1 and post-13A, improved performance, over 6400 displays (>130,000 data points monitored, >50,000 command instances, >17,000 navigation choices), etc.].
No CEO (crew earth observations) targets uplinked today.
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:
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.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 5:42am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 350.8 km
- Apogee height — 352.1 km
- Perigee height — 349.5 km
- Period — 91.56 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0001955
- Solar Beta Angle — 6.2 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 240 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 38940
Upcoming Events (all times EDT):
- 09/30/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch (~11:54pm)
- 10/03/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S docking (~1:20am)
- 10/11/05 — Soyuz TMA-6/10S landing (~9:06pm)
- 10/18/05 – ISS Reboost
- 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
- 12/21/05 – Progress M-55/20P launch
- 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking.
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.
