NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 September 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. Sunday rest for the crew. Ahead: Week 21 of Increment 9. Day 155 in space for Expedition 9; also Day 1387 of permanent human station residency, and Day 2131 since first ISS launch (FGB/Zarya)
CDR Padalka conducted the routine inspection of the Service Module (SM)’s SOZh life support system, with the weekly data collection of toilet flush counter readings, inspection of the SP urine collection and pretreat assembly, and SVO water supply status counter readings, all for calldown to TsUP/Moscow. Gennady also attended to the periodic checkup of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus
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FE/SO Fincke received enthusiastic thanks for yesterday’s successful “Saturday Science” effort, which featured supplementary CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment) techniques in the Lab’s Maintenance Work Area (MWA). [According to the PI, both the breadth and depth of this particular experiment in micro-G have been increased dramatically by Mike’s research on this “Saturday Science”. Five independent research groups (three in Europe, two in the US) have been contacted to perform blind numerical predictions of both pinned and smooth cylinder interface conditions. These numerical comparisons are essential for the applications of these experimental results for the design of future spacecraft systems. The image analysis of the video data is underway.]
The CDR had a number of tasks added to his discretionary “job jar” list, at his choice. First, he unstowed and set up the equipment for another “Cardiocog” experiment, to be conducted on 9/20 and 9/22 (last time done: 7/5). [Originally part of Pedro Duque’s VC5 “Cervantes” science program, Cardiocog studies changes in the human cardiovascular system in micro-G, expressed in the peripheral arteries, and the vegetative regulation of arterial blood pressure and heart rate. For the experiment, the CDR, after removing his antistatic bracelet 12 hours before, will take systolic & diastolic blood pressure measurements and pulse data manually, using the Tensoplus sphygmomanometer, storing the data on the EGE-2 laptop.]
For the current session of the “Diatomeya” ocean observations program, Gennady today used the DSR PD-150P video camera and Nikon F5 digital still camera with 24/85-mm lens from SM windows #7 and #8 to collect photo and video data describing hydrobiological dynamics in the area of large currents crossing, typhoon wakes and drifting icebergs. [Today’s targets in the South Atlantic were the area of the underwater Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the near-shore Benguela upwelling and the region north of the Falkland Islands.]
Padalka also completed another daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment hardware in the Lada-5 greenhouse. Topping its water container off as required is an additional step included regularly in his task list.
As a long-term recurring item on the Russian task list, Gennady was to take photographs again of the PKZ-1V “Kromka 1-3” experiment tablet deployed on handrail 2614 of the DC-1 docking compartment (last time done: 8/22). [The Kromka tablet collects thruster plume effluents. The pictures are taken with the Kodak 760 digital still camera (DSC) from the EVA hatch #1 in the DC-1 docking compartment.]
Another task for Gennady today was to transfer new accumulated Matryoshka data tables from the BSPN Matryoshka server via the ISS Wiener laptop (due to faults on BSPN) to a PCMCIA flash card for subsequent downlink on OCA comm. [Matryoshka automatically takes measurements in the SM and DC-1 docking compartment for studies of on-orbit radiation and long-term dose accumulation, using six SPD dosimeters deployed throughout the Russian segment as well as in a spherical body-simulating Matryoshka-R phantom and a human torso model outside on the SM hull, mounted there during EVA-9 on 2/27/04.]
At 12:33pm EDT, Mike will have his regular PFC (private family conference) via S-band/audio and Ku-band/NetMeeting video.
The U.S. starboard TRRJ (Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint) continues to perform nominally in autotrack. The checkout of its new FDIR (Failure Detection, Isolation & Recovery) system delivered with the vers. R4 software load for the EXT (external MDM) will be performed tomorrow (9/20).
Both crewmembers completed their daily 2.5-hr. aerobic/anaerobic workout program on TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer.
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.
Today’s optional CEO photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by Flight Rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Aerosols, Bombay region, India (cloud cover is predicted to be scattered over Mumbai [Bombay]. Looking to the right of track for aerosol plumes generated by this mega city), Hurricane Karl, Central Atlantic Ocean (Dynamic Event. Hurricane Karl continues to churn through the mid-Atlantic. The storm is predicted to be Category 3 strength at the time of this overpass. Looking approximately 3-4 degrees right of track for the eye and banding features), and Ivan Damage, western Florida (Dynamic Event. The ISS pass brought the crew across central Florida and along the eastern seaboard. Changes to water color, presence of standing water, and vegetation patterns from the passage of Hurricane Ivan may have been visible to the left of track).
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.
Major upcoming events:
- Reboost — TBD (phase angle correction for 9S)
- Soyuz 9S launch — TBD (w/Leroy Chiao, Salizhan Sharipov, Yuri Shargin);
- Soyuz 9S dock — TBD;
- Soyuz 8S undock — TBD (w/Gennady Padalka, Michael Fincke, Yuri Shargin);
- Soyuz 8S land — TBD;
- Soyuz 9S relocate to FGB nadir port — 11/18;
- Progress 15P undock – 11/23;
- Progress 16P launch — 11/24;
- EVA-12 — 12/28;
- Progress 16P undock — 1/29/05;
- Progress 17P launch — 1/30/05;
- EVA-13 — 2/21/05;
- Shuttle/LF1 launch — NET 3/6/05;
- Shuttle/LF1 undock — NET 3/16/05.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:08am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 359.2 km
- Apogee height — 362.8 km
- Perigee height — 355.6 km
- Period — 91.73 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0005391
- Solar Beta Angle — 22.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 140 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 33313
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.
