NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 December 2005

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2005) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.  Saturday — off-duty day for Bill McArthur & Valery Tokarev, except for housekeeping and voluntary work. 

The crew completed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning, wearing protective garment.  [“Uborka”, normally done every Saturday, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other surfaces and the FE’s sleep station with “Fungistat” disinfectant and cleaning fan screens to avoid temperature rises.]

FE Tokarev prepared and downlinked log files from Laptop 2 to support ground analysis of an offnominal deactivation of the CO (carbon monoxide) part of the Russian gas analyzer (GA) in the Service Module (SM).

For his first “Saturday Science” activity today, the Science Officer took a training session (OBT) for the CBOSS-FDI (Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems-Fluid Dynamics Investigations) experiment and then constructed a paper tube to aid in upcoming CBOSS-FDI photography.

McArthur also completed the standard weekly maintenance on the TVIS (Treadmill with Vibration Isolation & Stabilization) in the SM, primarily checking the condition of the SPDs (Subject Positioning Devices) and recording time & date values.

Both crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer.  [Valery s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill in unmotorized mode and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 1 of the first set).]

Afterwards Bill transferred the 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 from the workouts, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

Working from his “time available” task list, Tokarev performed his third session with the biomedical MBI-9 “Pulse” experiment, preceded by setting up the equipment.  [Execution of the medical cardiological assessment is controlled from the Russian payload Laptop 3, using a set respiration rate (without forced or deep breaths) and synchronizing respiration with computer-commanded “inhale” commands. First, arterial blood pressure is measured with the “Tensoplus” sphygmomanometer, followed by the “Pulse” test to record the ECG (electrocardiogram) and a report to TsUP in the next comm pass.]

At ~8:30am EST, the crew held their regular weekly planning conference (WPC) with the ground, discussing this week’s “Look-Ahead Plan” (prepared jointly by MCC-H and TsUP/Moscow timeliners), via S-band/audio, reviewing upcoming activities and any concerns about future on-orbit events.

Ground-based troubleshooting continues on the RPCM (Remote Power Controller Module) 3A-E on the S0 truss, whose RPC-18 tripped yesterday, removing power from MT (Mobile Transporter) RPCM MT3A-A and associated loads. Analysis of dumped data indicated an over-current event.  [The RPCM in question experienced a POR (power-on reset) earlier this year (4/15), but no RPC trip was indicated. RPCM MT3A-A was recently (11/7) removed and replaced during EVA due to tripped RPC-12. Currently, redundant heaters are available, so there’s no immediate impact. MT3A-A and MT loads downstream of it remain unpowered. With the exception of the open RPC-18 (“close” command is inhibited), commanding to RPCM S03A-E is unrestricted.]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Twelve — 10th)

Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology (HRF GASMAP): Next week the Science Officer will perform the GASMAP Routine Health Check, the same activity as last month. The GASMAP Team will be on console to support.

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Human Research Facility/Refrigerated Centrifuge (RC): Continuing.

Pulmonary Function System (PFS): Continuing.

Advanced Ultrasound (ADUM): Continuing.

Renal Stone (RS):  Continuing.

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces during Space Flight (FOOT):  Complete for this Increment.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS is powered off.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS is powered off.

Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-3 (BCAT-3): Continuing.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. New MISSE-5 “suitcase” deployed and unfolded during EVA outside on the U.S. Airlock.

Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT):  Nothing new.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM): Planned for February.

Serial Network Flow Monitor (SNFM): Complete.

Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement (FMVM): Nothing new.

Space Experiment Module (SEM): Nothing new. Experimenters and kids are working to get the next two satchels on ULF1.1.

Miscible Fluids in Microgravity (MFMG): MFMG payload operations are finished.

Educational Payload Operations (EPO):  Bill McArthur was thanked for his second EPO-Demo, this time on Supplies. “It was a great opportunity to see the CTB’s, food containers, and different areas of the ISS. We have already been receiving a great deal of positive feedback. We are looking forward to the next EPO event.”

Crew Earth Observations (CEO):  As of 12/13, the ground has received a total of 5,841 of CEO images for review and cataloging, including 1,341 frames this past week alone. Investigators are very pleased with the crew’s responsiveness to their target requests. A recent image of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, will be published on NASA/GSFC s Earth Observatory website this weekend. “Thanks for your fine effort despite the lack of many good target opportunities so far this Increment. We are confident conditions will improve with time. Don t hesitate to let us know if there are any special targets you would like us to help you to acquire.”

Today’s CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward ( in ram ), were Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (nadir pass over this small, hard-to-see capital city. Previous images in the database were taken during Expedition 8. Nadir view. The light gray cityscape and airport are visual cues), Somali Coast (Dynamic event. Another session looking left and right along the arid coast was requested), and Internal waves, North Patagonian Shelf (looking aft and left of track for possible internal waves).

To date, over 177,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS.

 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 12 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-12/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 12 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.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 11:34am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 349.9 km
• Apogee height — 357.0 km
• Perigee height — 342.8 km
• Period — 91.54 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0010517
• Solar Beta Angle — 13.1 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 60 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 40456

Upcoming Events (all dates Eastern):

• 12/21/05 — Progress M-55/20P launch (1:38pm EST)
• 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking (2:54pm EST, at DC1)
• 01/09/06 — 100 days for Expedition 12
• 02/02/06 — Russian EVA-15
• 03/03/06 — Progress M-54/19P undocking & reentry
• 03/22/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S launch (Exp. 13 + Marcus Pontes/Brazil)
• 03/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S docking (DC1)
• 04/01/06 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S undocking & return (Exp. 12 + Marcus Pontes)
• 04/06/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S relocation (DC1 to FGB nadir port)
• 04/09/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking & reentry
• 04/10/06 — Progress M-56/21P launch
• 04/12/06 — Progress M-56/21P docking.

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.