NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 15 June 2003
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. On this Sunday, the crew had an off-duty rest day, except for standard maintenance and optional task list jobs. Today the crew has completed 50 days (more than 7 weeks) on orbit (Today in 1978, Soyuz 29 carried two cosmonauts to Salyut 6, where they stayed 139 days)!. Congratulations, Yuri and Ed! (And Happy Father’s Day!).
CDR Yuri Malenchenko collected the weekly data readings of the Service Module (SM)’s toilet flush and water supply status counters for calldown to MCC-M, then completed the periodic inspection of the Elektron oxygen generator’s VM gas/liquid system for possible obstructing air bubbles.
Malenchenko conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Ed Lu prepared the daily IMS inventory “delta” file.
The CDR also conducted his regular care of the on-board nursery, i.e., the daily monitoring/servicing of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 zero-G plant growth experiment in the Lada-2 greenhouse.
Both crewmembers completed their daily 2.5-h program of physical exercise, on TVIS treadmill, RED expander and, for Yuri, on the Russian VELO cycle ergometer with load trainer.
The crew also had their weekly PFCs (private family conferences).
Today’s optional 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 Fires in eastern Turkey (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET: Satellite imagery continues to detect heavy smoke concentrations for agricultural fires in eastern Turkey. Looking left of track to observe the extent of the smoke and try to locate point sources were the fires are active), Mouth of Bad River, Fort Pier (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: The Bad River enters the Missouri River from the west near Pierre, SD. Look left of track for context views of the area near this 1805 campsite), Idaho and Montana Passes (LEWIS & CLARK SITE(S): This target area was the expedition’s first serious encounter with the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. The passes are difficult targets because afternoon cloudiness often obscures the higher elevations and there are few distinct landmarks or reference points. On this pass where clouds permitted crew was to try for context views of the mountains north of the Snake River and west of the Yellowstone River. Looking either side of track, concentrating on the most rugged looking terrain), and Lower Amazon River Basin (looking right of track for views of the southern part of the extensive Amazon River estuary. Features of interest include evolution of islands, water color, and the extent of sediment plumes into the Atlantic).
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/