NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 13 June 2003

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

After wake-up (2:00am EDT), CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu removed the probe-and-cone docking mechanism (StM) of the M1-10 cargo vehicle’s docking and internal transfer system (SSVP), stowing it out of the way.

The crew then began unloading of. Progress 11P.  The cargo transfer operations, based on an uplinked cargo manifest with stowage locations, are accompanied by careful inventory auditing for the IMS (inventory management system).

Earlier, Malenchenko performed his regular daily monitoring/servicing of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) zero-G plant growth experiment, checking water level in the Lada-2 greenhouse water container and the seed status.

Yuri also set up the video camera with the Rubinar binocular telescopic device with electronics, for a checkout in support of the Russian DZZ-2 Diatomeya ocean observation program and later downlinked the video footage to MCC-M/TsUP, before closing out the DZZ-2 TV system. 

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

Lu also performed the regular daily inspection of the SOZh life support systems, including ASU toilet facilities, and conducted the periodic status checkup of autonomously running Lab payloads (PCG-STES010, SAMS, MAMS), while Malenchenko later will prepare the daily IMS (inventory management system) delta file for updating the inventory database.

The Science Officer conducted another one of the weekly inventory audits of the available CWCs (contingency water containers) and their contents.  [Last time done: 6/6]. 

Ed is also scheduled to perform the periodic transfer of accumulated data files from the CMS HRM (crew medical systems/heart rate monitor) to the MEC (medical equipment computer) for downlink, then deleted them on the HRM. 

After their regular daily physical exercise on TVIS and RED, the crew will have their weekly teleconference with the ISS Flight Director at MCC-H.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) targets, no longer limited in the current LVLH attitude and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Eastern Mediterranean Dust and Smog (a hot, dry air mass persists over the eastern Med.  As ISS crossed the Egyptian coast, the crew was to look left of track towards the island of Crete and the coast of Turkey for evidence of smog layers, enhanced over the darker water), Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (numerous agricultural fires are being detected in satellite imagery over eastern Turkey.  Continuing looking left of track for smoke plumes and point sources), Eastern Mediterranean Dust and Smog (this was a very nice pass to look for aerosol plumes drifting over the basin of the Adriatic Sea. As ISS tracked across southern Italy, the crew was to look left of track), Gulf of Maine plankton (an opportunity this pass to acquire imagery concurrent with surface observations being conducted of plankton masses in the Gulf of Maine.  Although visibility was marginal, especially to the south, crew was to try for any views possible to the right of track between Massachusetts and Nova Scotia), Missouri R. sites (LEWIS & CLARK SITE(S): Trying for context views of the Missouri River NW of Kansas City.  Almost a dozen sites are in this area where early in the expedition, the explorers took to specially designed boats to take advantage of the navigable waterway), Montana Box (LEWIS & CLARK SITE(S): Looking to the right of track during this pass for the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.  Here in the spring of 1805, against the advice of their Indian guides, the explorers opted to use the Missouri.  By taking the Yellowstone their journey could have been shortened by two months!) and High Central Andean Glaciers (although nadir views may not have been possible, the weather is much better than usual over this target area.  Trying for oblique context views of the small glacier features, either side of track, but especially to the right).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/