NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 October 2004
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2004) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. >>>Once again, we have five humans aboard the station, even if only for eight days: Leroy Chiao, Salizhan Sharipov, Yuri Shargin, Gennady Padalka and Michael Fincke.
Soyuz TMA-5/9S docked smoothly at the DC1 “Pirs” Docking Compartment this morning at 12:16am EDT under manual pilot control, achieving successful contact and capture. Hatches were opened at 3:13am, followed by crew transfer and installation of the QD (quick disconnect) BZV clamps (~3:35am). [The station came into the 9S crew’s sight at a few kilometers distance, and at 400 m the spacecraft began its nominal fly-around. However, at the end of the flyaround (11:59:30pm) the Soyuz’ Kurs-A autopilot went into failure mode with an abort burn due to excessive closure speed at the range of only <50 m. The Kurs-A aborted when Soyuz' braking thrusters did not activate as expected, but it is unknown at this time if the issue was caused by either the flight software or hardware. (Footnote: The Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft is the first equipped with two additional forward-pointing braking thrusters {#27, #28} besides the two engines {#17, #18} already near the Orbital Module's docking ring). The transition to manual control by Soyuz CDR Sharipov was nearly immediate (12:00:42am) and seamlessly smooth, attesting to Sharipov's excellent training. Successful "kasaniye" (contact) was achieved at 12:15:32am. "Sborka" (closing of Soyuz & DC1 hooks & latches) followed automatically shortly thereafter. For the docking, the Russian Service Module (SM) thrusters were disabled for Soyuz volume pressurization & clamp installation and returned to active attitude control after sborka. Before hatch opening, the crew performed leak checks of the Soyuz modules and the Soyuz/ISS interface vestibule, doffed their Sokol suits, then replaced the Soyuz ECLSS LiOH cartridges and put the spacecraft into conservation mode.]
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
In preparation for the 9S arrival, Mike Fincke had earlier configured the onboard TV and communications system for the event.
Fincke had also installed and activated the IWIS (internal wireless instrumentation system) with its RSU (remote sensing unit) in the SM, to obtain, along with the externally located SDMS (structural dynamics measurement system), acceleration data during the docking. IWIS was later torn down, and its data will be downloaded later. [IWIS implementation ran into a snag when it became necessary to temporarily take the RSU back to the Node for reprogramming, then return it to the SM for data take. This was the first time an RSU was used in the SM, and it is possible that the distance was too far to achieve sufficient RF (radio frequency) signal strength to perform remote initialization and data download. However, all desired data appears to have been captured and downloaded successfully.]
After the arrival and crew greetings, CDR Padalka reestablished nominal comm configuration (STTS), and the crew immediately began with payload transfers.
As a high-priority transfer, Gennady moved the newly arrived BIO-10 “Intercellular Interaction” payload to the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) in the Lab and subsequently activated bio sample cultivation. [The BIO-10 Mezhkletochnoe vzaimodeistvie (Intercellular Interactions) activities were documented photographically with the Nikon D1 digital still camera.]
Yuri Shargin transferred the active BTKh-10 Konyugatsiya (Conjugation) experiment, which deals with the processes of genetic material transmission using bacterial conjugation, to the SM, storing its Biokont-T container with the Recomb-K hardware in the Kriogem-03 freezer.
Padalka and Shargin also transferred and set up the new set of NEUROCOG experiment equipment, including the KOGNI kit and Halley instrument. [The ESA/Spain experiment NEUROCOG, used already by VC-5 Pedro Duque in his “Cervantes” program, investigates the integration of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive cues in the perception of body position in space.]
Leroy Chiao initiated and in the course of the day completed the dryout of the 9S crew’s Sokol spacesuits, followed by the gloves.
At ~4:20am, Fincke activated the CDRA (carbon dioxide removal assembly) in the U.S. Lab.
CDR Padalka and VC-7 FE Yuri Shargin swapped out Yuri’s IELK (individual equipment & liner kit, Russian: USIL) between the two Soyuz vehicles, 214 & 215, including the tailored Sokol spacesuit after its dryout, and installed his personal seat liner in his couch in 8S. [A crewmember is not considered transferred until her/his IELK, AMP (ambulatory medical pack) and ALSP (advanced life support pack) drug kit are transferred. After today’s installation of the VC-7 IELK, Shargin is now considered 8S crew, and Expedition 10 has technically begun its residence aboard ISS.]
The Expedition 9 crew taped and downlinked a 30-minute video tour of the station. The video surveyed the overall station configuration and stowage situation. This video, not a scheduled activity for the crew, was completed it on their personal time.
At ~6:20am, after the more pressing payload activations, the five crewmembers went through the usual contingency evacuation drill, to acquaint the visitors with the general interior layout and sharpen their readiness for possible station evacuation in the two Soyuz vehicles (one docked at the DC-1, the other at the FGB nadir port) in case of an emergency.
The two crews began regular cargo transfers from Soyuz-215 to the ISS using the IMS (inventory management system) with its BCR (barcode reader) and an uplinked tally list of stowage locations.
The U.S. crewmembers completed a total of 30 minutes of dedicated handover time and 2h 20m of functional handover time. For example, as part of handover activities, Fincke and Chiao went through a regular battery maintenance cycle for the U.S. EMUs (extravehicular mobility units) on batteries #2045 & #2046 by initiating their discharge in the U.S. Airlocks BSA (Battery Storage Assembly). [For the operation, Mike first reconfigured an SSC (station support computer) laptop for automated battery maintenance. After end of the discharge/recharge cycle, the SSC was reset for nominal ops.]
At 12:30pm, the crews were scheduled for the regular (once every two weeks) teleconference with the JSC Astronaut Office (Kent Rominger), via S-band S/G.
Before sleep time, the Elektron oxygen generator was deactivated and purged with nitrogen, in preparation of the planned periodic regeneration cycle of the BMP micropurification unit (10/17-18) that currently uses the same vacuum vent valve as the Elektron. [High-priority IFM (inflight maintenance) of the Elektron is scheduled for Monday, 10/18, to install the newly delivered gas analyzers (three for H2, one for O2).]
Sleep period began at a shifted 2:00pm.
Ahead for Soyuz 8S:
- Hatch close — 10/23 (Sat), ~2:00pm;
- Undocking from FGB — ~5:05pm;
- Entry burn — ~7:40pm;
- Landing — ~8:32pm.
CEO images can be viewed at these websites:
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 9 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, 9:19am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 361.3 km
- Apogee height — 367.4 km
- Perigee height — 355.2 km
- Period — 91.77 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0009063
- Solar Beta Angle — -40.8 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.69
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 120 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 33738
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.
