Status Report

NASA Space Station On-orbit Status 19 July 2004

By SpaceRef Editor
July 20, 2004
Filed under , , ,
NASA Space Station On-orbit Status 19 July 2004
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All ISS systems continue to function nominally except those noted previously or below.   Underway: Week 12 of Increment 9.

Update on US EMU spacesuit troubleshooting:  FE/SO Michael Fincke smoothly completed today’s scheduled task to remove the failed water pump from EMU #3013 for inspection, still photography and video documentation.  No visible contamination was found.  Ground studies of  the downlinked imagery are underway.  Reassembly will be done at a later date.   [The suit was attached at the forward EDDA (EMU Don/Doff Assembly) in the “Quest” Airlock (A/L), and for the duration of Mike’s work the ground activated the A/L’s CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner.  After opening the backpack and its water pump housing, the FE tested the rotor and found it spinning freely, with no initial brake force but with a spot of very small “grittiness” as it spun.  The disassembled parts were clean-bagged and put in temporary storage.]

Update on Russian software upgrading:   On Go from TsUP/Moscow, CDR Padalka conducted a test of the comm linkage between the Service Module (SM)’s KTsP1 (Central Post computer #1), and the TVM (Terminal Computer) and TsVM (Central Computer) systems.  The test, consisting of uploading dummy files, was only partially successful.  Another test is planned for tomorrow, and the second attempt at uploading the new SM 7.02 software (s/w) to TVM and TsVM is still on schedule for Thursday (7/22) but may be postponed until after the Russian EVA-10 if it fails again.   [The first attempt at s/w uploading involved file transfers from KTsP2 to TVM & TsVM.  The dummy files used for the current tests had to be modified over the weekend for KTsP1.]

Fincke continued the previous maintenance cycle on EMU batteries #2045 & #2046 by initiating their discharge in the A/L’s BSA (Battery Storage Assembly).   [For the operation, Mike first reconfigured an SSC (station support computer) laptop for automated battery maintenance.  Later, the SSC was then reset for nominal ops.]

Previous Reports

ISS On-orbit Status [HQ]
ISS Status [JSC]
Shuttle Processing [KSC]

Padalka 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 (6/16/04), 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

Gennady also continued work on the new storage enclosures behind wall panels in the FGB, preparing the area and installing the cargo containers, designed to prevent stowed items from floating around freely, in Zones 24B and 39.  Afterwards, the CDR conducted an audit of the equipment listed in the IMS (inventory management system) as being stowed behind FGB panels 219 and 309.

Mike Fincke conducted the regular status checkup of the Increment 9 autonomous payloads in the Lab and also the daily preparation of the IMS inventory “delta” file, while Gennady took care of the daily routine inspection of the SM’s SOZh life support system.

The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer.  The FE performed the prescribed weekly maintenance check of the treadmill and its SPDs (subject positioning devices) as well as its time & date settings.

At 10:05am EDT, the crew set up the PAO TV equipment and prepared for the subsequently conducted interactive downlink event on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America”, via Ku- and S-band.

U.S. and Russian specialists are working to come up with a joint plan for the most efficient use of the oxygen (O2) still stored onboard the Progress 14P.

A list of U.S. items that must be transferred to the RS (Russian segment) before hatch closure for EVA-10 has been uplinked.

Moscow reported full success on the replacement of the failed pump panel of the SM’s no. 2 (KOB-2) internal cooling system on 7/16, which continues to run nominally.  The SKV-1 air conditioner has been restarted and is also functioning OK, producing nominal amounts of condensate from air humidity.

Major upcoming events:

  • SSRMS maneuvers into EVA-10 obs position — 7/22 (Thursday afternoon);
  • Progress 14P undocking — 7/30;
  • Orlan EVA-10 from DC-1 docking compartment — 8/3 (Tuesday);
  • Progress 15P launch — 8/11;
  • Progress 15P docking — 8/13.

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.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) photo targets, limited in the current 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 Internal waves, Sulu Sea, Indonesia (packets typically propagate northward.  Looking left in the area surrounding the glint point), Internal waves, Amazon mouth (looking left and keeping up observation for fully two minutes, since wave packets have been observed 1300 km offshore.  Packets are “fine-scale” in this region of the Atlantic, with only 250-500 m separation between individual waves.  Also, seaward-propagating wave packets typically are spaced 24-30 km apart, compared with 45 km for shoreward-propagating packets.  Reasons for these differences are not understood), and Internal waves, Bahamas (looking left as the glint point across the archipelago).

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:

U.S. & Russian Segment Status  (as of today, 1:17pm EDT)

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

  • Elektron O2 generator is On (16A, =lowest setting).  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 still considered failed).  SFOG slot #2 fan suspect (not usable).
  • SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 25.4; ppO2 (mmHg) — 163.8; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.5.
  • SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.2.
  • FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.7.
  • Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 746.4; temperature (deg C) — 23.5 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  • U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 747.8; temperature (deg C) — 24.5; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  • Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):   Pressure (mmHg) — 747.9; temperature (deg C) — 20.6; shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  • (n/a = data not available)

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 #4 is off line; battery 1 is on line in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (4) 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): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
  • SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
  • FGB MDM-1 is Off (failed, 11/21/03); MDM-2 is Operational.

Propulsion System:

  • Total propellant load available: 3864 kg (8519 lb) as of 7/15/04;  [SM(552) + FGB(3312) + Progress M(0)].  (Capabilities: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

  • 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2’s RPC-17 failed 4/21/04; was replaced 6/30/04).
  • 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 7/26, then LVLH XVV.

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 Location NOW


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ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 6:28am EDT [= epoch]):

  • Mean altitude — 359.3 km
  • Apogee height — 363.6 km
  • Perigee height — 355.0 km
  • Period — 91.7 min.
  • Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
  • Eccentricity — 0.0006367
  • Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
  • Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 157 m
  • Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 32338

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.

ISS Altitude History

Apogee height Mean AltitudePerigee height

ISS Altitude History

SpaceRef staff editor.