Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 Jun 2004

By SpaceRef Editor

June 16, 2004

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 Jun 2004 — iss

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

Early in the morning, right after breakfast, Michael Fincke deployed two acoustic dosimeters, one on each crewmember, for being worn for 24 hours (with a microphone on the shirt collar). A third dosimeter was deployed in the Lab for a 24-hr. static data take (last time done: 3/22). [Tonight, after about 15 hours of measurements, dosimeter data will be recorded and the hardware power-cycled, for another data take tomorrow morning after 8.5-hr. sleep. At that point, the crew will deploy the dosimeters statically in the station for the duration of the day, record measurements tomorrow night and stow the instruments. Acoustic data must be taken twice per Increment, each time for the duration of the 16-hour crew workday.]

Also before “savtrak” (breakfast) and physical exercise, CDR Padalka and FE/SO Fincke completed their second session of the Russian crew health-monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. CDR stowed the hardware afterwards. [MO-9 is conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the “PHS/Without Blood Labs” exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus “Urolux” developed originally for the Mir program. Afterwards, the data were entered in the medical equipment computer (MEC)’s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]

Both crewmembers in turn took their second periodic On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (O-OHA) test, a NASA environmental health systems examination to assess the efficacy of acoustic countermeasures. [The O-OHA audiogram test involves minimum audibility measurements for each ear over a wide range of frequencies and sound pressure levels, with the crewmembers using individual-specific Prophonics earphones, Bose ANC headsets and the SLM (sound level meter). To conduct the testing, the experimenter is supported by special “EarQ” software on the MEC (medical equipment computer). The baseline test is required not later than about Flight Day 14 for each new Expedition and is then performed once per month.]

In preparation for the upcoming spacewalk, the CDR replaced the portable air repress bottle (BNP) #9 in the DC1 docking module’s repress lines with tank, #7 from stowage in the “divan” of the Soyuz orbital module. [The replacement was made due to insufficient pressure in BNP #9, to ensure pressurization of DC1 with air during off-nominal situations.]

Padalka was busy most of the day transferring the stored potable water from the Progress-249/14P cargo ship to the Service Module (SM) Rodnik tankage. [First he connected hoses and the GZhS air/liquid separator unit for transferring the water, then initiated the automated transfer of the water, first from Progress tank #2 to SM tank #2, then from one #1 tank to the other. Each of the two BV tanks required 5 hrs of pumping, and Gennady monitored the GZhS for air bubbles every hour for the first 4 hrs and every 20 min. during the last pumping hour, periodically relieving air from the GZhS as required. Late in the evening, he is to terminate the activity and tear down the transfer hardware.]

Gennady retrieved the Motorola-9505 Iridium satellite phone from its location in the Soyuz TMA-4 descent module (DM) for its monthly recharging of its lithium-ion battery and started the 30-min. process. [For safety, before powering up the recharge unit, the telephone, as before (5/18/04), was put into a single CTB (crew transfer bag), which then was placed inside a triple CTB. As a slight modification of previous procedure, the crew was requested to perform an inspection on the two CTBs to ensure their integrity (internal damage to CTB zippers tested for Iridium battery recharging on the ground had allowed an intentionally triggered fire to penetrate through the zippers). The charging was monitored without taking the satphone out of the containment. Upon completion, Padalka removed the phone, placed it inside its SSSP Iridium kit and stowed it back in the DM’s operational data files (ODF) container.]

For today’s ADUM (Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Micro-G) session, Fincke set up the equipment, after which the crewmembers performed the ultrasound bone scans (“Scan Z”) on each other by taking turns as operator and subject. Afterwards the hardware was deactivated and the scan heads were cleaned and stowed as part of closeout operations. [After activation of the HRF (Human Research Facility) and the video tape recorder (VTR) by the ground early in the morning, Mike powered up the HRF computer and the ADUM hardware. The bone scans were taken of the subject’s shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle, monitored remotely from the ground via video on OCA comm. The data were recorded, and the scanning and post-scan activities were videotaped and still-photographed for downlink.]

Gennady conducted the daily routine maintenance on the SOZh life support system, comprising the water supply equipment, food supply subsystem (SOP), and sanitary hygiene equipment (SGO), while Mike completed the regular routine status checkup of the autonomous Increment 9 payloads and prepared the daily IMS (inventory management system) “delta” file for database update.

Both crewmembers completed their second of three 48-hr. inflight diet logging sessions for the BIOPSY experiment. As for the Renal (kidney stone prevention) experiment in the past, nutrition consumption is recorded three times a day, this time in a spreadsheet via the crewmember’s handheld PDA. [One of the human systems most affected by extended stays in space is the neuromuscular system. Past space missions have shown weightlessness can cause deterioration of muscle fiber, nerves and physical strength. The BIOPSY (Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle) experiment investigates the reductions in limb muscle size, force and power at the cellular level that are induced by microgravity. This research will determine how long it takes for micro-G to affect skeletal muscles, so predictions can be made regarding muscle changes that may occur on a roundtrip flight to Mars. To help establish the cellular effects of weightlessness, biopsies are taken from the calf muscle (gastronemius) and foot-flexing muscle (soleus) 45 days before launch, and again immediately upon return to Earth. MRI (magnetic resonance imagery) also is taken of the calf muscle 90 and 30 days before launch, and again one and 21 days after return to Earth.]

Fincke conducted the monthly maintenance of the CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), which deals mostly with an examination of the wire rope isolators for damage.

The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on CEVIS, TVIS treadmill, RED (resistive exercise device), and VELO ergometer with load trainer.

At 7:30pm EDT, ISS attitude control will be handed over to the Russian SUD motion control system, followed by a thruster-effected maneuver to the test attitude required for conducting the planned SM and FGB solar array efficiency testing. The test itself takes ~6.5 hrs, and attitude control returns to the U.S. segment (USOS) tomorrow morning at 2:05am. [The periodic Russian efficiency testing keeps track of the energy-output performance of the photovoltaics over time under the degrading effects of the space environment (mostly from ultraviolet radiation and atomic oxygen). Since the test requires the full power output of the solar arrays and the FGB itself does not have sufficient loads for drawing it, the U.S. side, on request, will increase U.S. loads via RACU 6 (Russian-to-American Converter Unit #6) up to 1238 W today, increasing and decreasing in steps of ~200 W each two minutes. MCC-Houston is taking advantage of this opportunity to conduct another calibration test on RACU 6 that is carrying the increased load. The procedure has been used three times before (4/3/03, 11/11/03, & 3/5/04.)]

Today’s CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets, limited in XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in “ram”), were Typhoon Dianmu, W Pacific (Dynamic event. This strong Category 3 storm is moving west but is expected to curve northward and hit Japan as a Cat 4 storm in the next few days. ISS passed over the predicted center of this large [500 miles across] and well-formed typhoon. It should have developed an eye by the time the crew saw it), Internal waves, Coast of Vietnam (looking right for possible internal waves), High albedo sea feature, France (Dynamic event. This light blue feature, a probable plankton bloom, is being imaged by the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite off the peninsula of Brittany. Looking right off the tip of the peninsula. Second pass [nadir]: probable plankton bloom off the peninsula of Brittany), Kabul, Afghanistan (nadir pass. Looking in the center of the large valley near the river), London, England, Great Britain (rare, clear weather expected. Nadir pass. Using as many 180-mm shots as needed to shoot the margins of the urban region), Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (strings of dams are being built in the mountainous sectors of these rivers. These may be more difficult to see than developments along the rivers downstream in the flatlands of Syria and Iraq. But the developments in the mountains of SE Turkey are the object of interest), Internal waves, Newfoundland (break in the cloud mass predicted. The glint point lied forward and a touch left as ISS crossed Newfoundland), and Saharan dust, Cape Verde Islands (Dynamic event. Dust event continues. Dust is high in the atmosphere, and probably derived from near Lake Chad where observers have seen dust activity in the last few days. This event, with visible dust over the central Atlantic, is undoubtedly delivering dust to northern S America and the Caribbean zone. Shooting any dust margins. Looking left to include the Cape Verde Islands as fixed points in any views).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at

http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. & Russian Segment Status (as of today, 1:40pm EDT)

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

Elektron O2 generator is On. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On. U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. SM Gas Analyzer has been calibrated and is used for ppO2 & ppCO2 monitoring. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is in Life Extending Mode (LEM). BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On, SKV-2 is Off (SM panel mods completed 4/8; SKV-2 activation failed 4/20; is now functioning again). SFOG slot #2 fan suspect (not usable).

SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 25.5; ppO2 (mmHg) — 147.6; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.5.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.2.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 756; temperature (deg C) — 23.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 746.34; temperature (deg C) — 24.1 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 749.07; temperature (deg C) — 24.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 750.07; temperature (deg C) — 24.8; shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.

(n/a = data not available)

PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a.

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in Autotrack (solar-tracking, “sun slicer”, i.e., drag reduction-biased by 47 deg).
SM batteries: All batteries (8) are on line in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #5 is off line; all other batteries (5) are on line in “Partial Charge” mode.

Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 is in Standby mode; PCU-2 is in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is backup, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off (backup).
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is Off; PL-2 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string 1 dropped out 11/22/03).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3 dropped out 10/22/03).
FGB MDM-1 is Off (failed, 11/21/03); MDM-2 is Operational.

Propulsion System:

Total propellant load available: 4002 kg (8823 lb) as of 6/10/04; [SM(552) + FGB(2811) + Progress M(639)]. (Capabilities: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

2 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2’s RPC-17 failed 4/21/04).
State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source — RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: 0.5 deg, pitch: -9.0 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist), until tonight (for the standard solar array efficiency test).

Communications & Tracking Systems:

FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
Ku-band is operating nominally (may require a mask).
Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-1 is prime, IAC-2 is off).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF/LEE A, operational on redundant string, off on prime.
MBS: KA (keep alive) power on both strings.
MT: latched and mated at WS4.
POA: KA power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 11:19am EDT [= epoch]):