NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 April 2005

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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. A long Sunday for the crew (18h 15m), from wakeup at 6:30pm EDT last night to sleep time today at 12:30pm. Today Expedition 10 completes 186 days in space (184 aboard ISS), with 8 days to go. Ahead: Week 26 of Increment 10.

Soyuz TMA-6/10S docked smoothly at the DC1 “Pirs” Docking Compartment last night at 10:20pm EDT under automatic “Kurs” control, using all four braking thrusters (to avoid the asymmetry of one thruster failing as happened during 9S docking, which required manual takeover by Sharipov), achieving successful contact and capture. Hooks were closed at 10:31pm. After successful leak checks on both sides, hatches were opened at 12:45pm (20 min. earlier than planned to allow more joint crew time), followed by crew transfer and installation of the BZV clamps (QD, quick disconnect) at ~1:06am. [After successful “kasaniye” (contact), automatic “sborka” (closing of Soyuz & DC1 hooks & latches) came shortly thereafter. For the 10S docking with Sergei Krikalev, John Phillips and Roberto Vittori, the Russian Service Module (SM) thrusters were disabled during 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, on ISS integrated power.]

After the arrival and crew greetings, FE-10 Sharipov reestablished nominal comm configuration (STTS), and the crew immediately began with payload transfers for Roberto Vittori’s VC8 ENEIDE science program. [Vittori is the first European astronaut to fly to the ISS for a second time, having made his first flight on the “Marco Polo” mission in 2002. His extensive research program during his 8-day stay on the ISS involves the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education. Today’s emphasis was on transfer of VC8 experiment equipment and samples from the Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS. Other payload equipment for the mission was delivered on the Progress M-52/17P supply ship, launched on 2/28. The ENEIDE mission is co-sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Defense and the Italian region of Lazio pursuant to an agreement between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (FKA/Roskosmos). Many of the experiments were developed by Italian researchers and built by Italian industry & research institutions. In addition to the experimental program of the ENEIDE mission, time has been set aside for Vittori to take part in communication/PAO activities, with an emphasis on (1) space for the betterment of human lives, (2) importance of Italian leadership in research and development, and (3) the development of a military space operations center in Rome.]

High-priority transfers by FE-VC8 Vittori involved the BOP (Bone Proteomoics) experiment to the AQUARIUS-B cooler and the exchange, later in the day, of its medium in the culture chamber. Other preparations were: transfer of VINO (Vines in Near Orbit) hardware and installation in the SM; setting up the EST (Electronic Space Test); transfer of the MICROSPACE (Microbial Life in Space) experiment package; activation & photo documentation of the LAZIO (Low Altitude Zone Ionization Observatory) payload; turning on the first egg collector of the CRISP-2 (Crickets in Space) payload in the KUBIK-AMBER incubator in the DC1; making another log entry for the MOP (Motion Perception) experiment; and taking photo & video recordings of hardware and operations.

Meanwhile, FE-11 John Phillips initiated and in the course of the day completed the dryout of the three 10S crew’s Sokol spacesuits, followed by the gloves.

FE-10 Salizhan Sharipov successfully activated the Elektron in 64 amp mode at ~3:40am. So far, the oxygen generator has continued to operate nominally.

CDR-11 Sergei Krikalev swapped out Roberto’s IELK (individual equipment & liner kit, Russian: USIL) between the two Soyuz vehicles, 9S & 10S, including the tailored Sokol spacesuit after its dryout, and installed his personal seat liner in his couch in 9S. He also relocated the ISS Emergency Book from the 10S spacecraft into the 9S vehicle. [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-8 IELK, Vittori is now considered 9S crew, and Expedition 11 has technically begun its residence aboard ISS.]

Salizhan Sharipov also transferred the TMA-6 payload container to the ISS.

At ~4:00am, after the more pressing payload activations, the five crewmembers “walked” through the usual emergency 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 a contingency.

CDR-11 Sergei Krikalev activated the BIO-10 “Intercellular Interaction” payload in the Cryogem-03 freezer, which Sharipov had turned on earlier, set to -22 degC. Sergei also transferred the sealed BIO-12 “Regeneration” experiment, which studies how zero gravity impacts structural and functional recovery of damaged organs and tissues in Planaria (water flatworms).

In addition, Sharipov and Krikalev set up the NEUROCOG experiment equipment, including the KOGNI kit and Halley instrument, for tomorrow’s use. [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.]

At 5:02am, the ground activated the CDRA (carbon dioxide removal assembly) in the U.S. Lab; it is currently operating in Dual-Bed mode. The CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner in the Lab is available to keep a temperature of 24 degC in the cabin on crew request.

Besides the VC8 experiments, the two crews began regular cargo transfers from Soyuz-216 to the ISS using the IMS (inventory management system) with its BCR (barcode reader) and an uplinked tally list of stowage locations.

The crewmembers also started the dedicated handover activities that will dominate, along with the VC8 science program, the week ahead. The US crewmembers Chiao and Phillips completed 1 hr 50 min of dedicated handover and 1 h of functional handover.

As part of the handover program, CDR-10 Chiao performed the daily routine inspection of the SOZh life support system in the SM and completed the weekly task of collecting toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP/Moscow.

Leroy also demonstrated the regular transfer of TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC (medical equipment computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium.

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:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 10 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-10/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 10 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.

Expedition 10 Flight Timeline:

• Soyuz 9S (Expedition 10+1; Leroy Chiao, Salizhan Sharipov, Roberto Vittori):
• Undocking from FGB — 4/24 (Sun.), 2:38pm EDT (undock command);
• Sep Burn #1 (manual) — 2:44pm;
• Deorbiting Burn — 5:18pm (4 min 23 sec, delta-V 115.2 m/s);
• Module Sep — 5:43pm;
• Atmospheric Entry — 5:46pm;
• Landing in darkness — 4/24 (Sun.) 6:09pm EDT; 3:09am (4/25) local Kustanai/Kazakhstan;
• Sunrise at Kustanai landing site — 5:16am. [Note: Kazakhstan remains on
• Standard Time; thus: local time = GMT+5].

Return to Flight:

• LF-1 (STS-114)/Increment 11 SORR (Stage Operations Readiness Review) — 4/20 (Wed.), at JSC;
• LF1 (STS-114)/Discovery launch windows (all times EDT), for FD3 docking:
• 5/15: 3:45 – 3:55pm;
• 5/16: 2:22 – 2:32pm;
• 5/17: 1:59 – 2:07pm;
• 5/18: 1:34 – 1:44pm;
• 5/19: 1:12 – 1:22pm;
• etc.

Note: For the May/June launch period, the daily 10-minute planar launch window (i.e., in ISS orbit plane) starts an average 23 minutes earlier each day, extends into early June and closes due to current constraints of Daylight Launch (6/7) or ET umbilical photo opportunity (6/3). Figures are approximate. There are additional opportunities for docking on FD4 (Flight Day 4), not planned. If STS-114 launches on 5/15, docking will be on 5/17 and undocking on 5/25.

Other Upcoming Main Events:

• Progress M-53 (18P) launch – 6/10;
• ULF1.1 (STS-121) launch — NET 7/12;
• Progress M-54 (19P) launch — 8/24;
• Soyuz TMA-7 (11S) launch — 9/27.

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.