Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 Jun 2003

By SpaceRef Editor
June 19, 2003
Filed under , , ,
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 Jun 2003
iss

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

CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu continued cargo transfer operations from Progress 11P, tracking the movements with the IMS (inventory management system).

Continuing preparations for the upcoming transfer of potable water from the Progress 11P Rodnik tanks to the Service Module (SM) Rodnik water tank, Malenchenko worked another half hour to disinfect water hoses (A-R, R-R) and coupling adapters with a special solution from an EDV container.  [Using a hand-operated pump and catch containers, Yuri had to fill the hoses and adapters before they can be used, to evacuate any air trapped inside.  The cleaning equipment was then flushed and stowed.]

Ed Lu completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system and prepared the daily IMS “delta” file.

Malenchenko performed his regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment which researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2 greenhouse.  Later, he transferred the accumulated data files to a floppy disk for storage, and took digital photos of the plants.   [The experimental seeds of two types of peas (a flagellate variety with reds flowers, up to 27 cm high, and an acacia-leaf variety with white flowers, up to 20 cm high) are planted between wicks in a root tray, with environmental control powered on.  Regular daily maintenance of the experiment involves monitoring of seedling growth, humidity measurements, moistening of the substrate if necessary, and photo/video recording.]

Starting at 1:50am EDT on the Daily Orbit 1 (DO-1) Russian ground sites comm pass, TsUP/MCC-M ran the standard leak checks on the propellant lines between the Progress 11P, DC-1 docking compartment and SM, in preparation for the upcoming remotely-controlled fuel and oxidizer transfer activities.  [The procedure, which also used DO-2, -3, -4 and -5 comm passes, called for deactivation of the DC-1 thermal control system, activation of the local signal commutator (LKT 1GZ) for signal transmission/downlink during the checks, opening and closing of pressurization valves, and pressure monitoring in fuel and oxidizer systems for any signs of a leak.]

The crew performed their regular daily exercise regimen on TVIS, CEVIS, RED and VELO bike with load trainer (for the CDR).

At 10:15am EDT, Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko participated in a 20-min. televised PAO interview via Ku-band & S-band with CBS News (Bill Harwood, Peter King).

Ed completed the setup of a new laptop, the first NGL (Next Generation Laptop) machine, which Progress 11P delivered on 6/11.  After the successful setup, the ground began running a variety of OCO (orbital check-out) tests to evaluate laptop component performance in a microgravity environment.  [The NGL test program will run continuously for the next three weeks, logging data to the Microdrive.  It is “self-healing” and written in DOS because of the complete hardware control the DOS platform provides.  Any problem detected willbe recordedin the logs, which are downlinked and delivered to the program developers, to evaluate the NGL’s performance.   Some problems will result in an automatic laptop reboot.]

The MCC-H Flight Control Team, with U.S. SpaceCommand, continues to monitor the conjunction (close encounter) with debris from an Indian PSLV launch vehicle (object #27099).  Time of closest approach (TCA) is now projected to be 10:40pm EDT tomorrow (6/20) night, and radial miss distance is predicted at 100 m (15 km down-track, 18 km cross-track, i.e. out-of-plane), which is a concern.  [TsUP/Moscow has been notified, and today’s more accurate tracking by SpaceCommand will determine the probability-of-collision zones (Red or Yellow) in time for an avoidance burn tomorrow, if required.]

A second conjunction, with Electron 1 debris (object #19993), is predicted for Saturday (6/21), at a TCA of 8:23am EDT and 31.1 km radial miss distance.  [Observations currently available are very limited.  The object is very small, with a radar cross section of ~0.005 square meters.  Due to its high atmospheric drag, miss distance data is expected to vary significantly.  Continuing to monitor.]

After some consideration of the limited on-board stowage space, the PPA (pump package assembly) of the Lab’s ITCS (internal thermal control system) delivered on Progress 11P has been stowed in the Node.

The coolant flow blockage of Ed Lu’s EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) has not been cleared yet, and analysis of the problem is continuing at MCC-H.  [The leading theory of a lock-up by trapped air will be tested this week on the ground.  Trapped-air blockage in spacesuit coolant lines (if that’s what it is) has been observed before, but only as a minor issue and never to this extent.]

MCC-H continues to track onboard consumables status.  For the most critical resource, water, actual supply appears to remain well above the conservative “plan line”.

Flight attitude continues in XPOP, until 6/30, when it will be changed to LVLH (until 7/10).

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Nile River Delta (the crew had two passes for this target today. During the first, the ISS flew NE to SW, with lower light. Looking right of track, especially toward the oasis and agricultural areas west of the delta and the Nile itself.  For the second pass, the best views were to the right of track.  Of interest: the interaction of land use patterns in what was once a predominantly agricultural area that is becoming  increasingly urbanized by Egypt’s surging population),Three Forks, MT (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: Nearing the end of their ability to use canoes for transport, the expedition reached this site in July 1805. Here, three rivers join to form the Missouri River, the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin.  Crew was asked to look left of track for these three rivers converging from the southwest through southeast to form a larger, northward flowing Missouri River), and Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (looking left of track towards interior Turkey: Here numerous dam sites on the headwaters of the Tigris-Euphrates are in various stages of completion).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:03pm EST).

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

  • Elektron O2 generator is powered On (18 amp mode).  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Manual Mode 3/5).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off.  TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating.  MCA (major constituents analyzer) is operating.  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 Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 28.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
  • SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.5.
  • FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.3.
  • Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 743.89; temperature (deg C) — 24.3 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — 171.9; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.0.
  • U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 745.62; temperature (deg C) — 22.9; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  • Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):  Pressure (mmHg) — 745.73; temperature (deg C) — 30.4; shell heater temp (deg C) — 25.1, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
  • PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 25.1.
  • PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 14.0.

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

  • Total propellant load available: 3803 kg (8384 lb) as of 6/19  [SM(774) + FGB(2447) + Progress M(182) +Progress M-1(400)].  (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

  • Both P6 channels fully operational.  BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in AutoTrack.
  • SM batteries:  Battery #4 is disconnected; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
  • FGB batteries:  Battery #4 is disconnected (failed); all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
  • Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

  • C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
  • GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
  • INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
  • EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
  • LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
  • PL-2 MDM is Off; PL-1 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.

Attitude Control Systems:

  • 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
  • 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).Management.
  • Solar Beta angle:  -27.4 deg (magnitude increasing).

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.
  • Audio subsystem is operating nominally [IAC-1 (internal audio controller #1) being analyzed after self-test error.  IAC-2 is prime.]
  • Video subsystem operating nominally.
  • HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

  • SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
  • MBS: KA 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, 7:45am EDT [= epoch]):

  • Mean altitude — 388.7 km
  • Apogee — 393.1 km
  • Perigee — 384.2 km
  • Period — 92.33 min.
  • Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
  • Eccentricity — 0.0006537
  • Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.60
  • Solar Beta Angle — -27.4 deg (magnitude increasing)
  • Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 300 m
  • Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 26105
  • For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
  •  http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

SpaceRef staff editor.