NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 2 November 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. >>As of early this morning, the ISS has circled Earth 34,000 times since FGB/Zarya launch, covering a distance of 1.437 billion km (898.1 million miles).
Early in the morning, right after breakfast, CDR/SO Leroy Chiao deployed two acoustic dosimeters, one on each crewmember, for being worn for 24 hours (with a microphone on the shirt collar). A third dosimeter was deployed in the Lab for a 24-hr. static data take (last time done: 9/23). [Tonight, after about 15 hours of measurements, dosimeter data will be recorded and the hardware power-cycled, for another data take tomorrow morning after 8.5-hr. sleep. At that point, the crew will deploy the dosimeters statically in the station for the duration of the day, record measurements tomorrow night and stow the instruments. Acoustic data must be taken twice per Increment, each time for the duration of the 16-hour crew workday.]
FE Salizhan Sharipov completed his first of three 48-hr. inflight diet logging sessions for the BIOPSY (Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle) experiment. Similarly to the Renal (kidney stone prevention) experiment in the past, nutrition consumption is recorded three times a day, using the IMS BCR (inventory management system/bar code reader) [One of the human systems most affected by extended stays in space is the neuromuscular system. Past space missions have shown weightlessness can cause deterioration of muscle fiber, nerves and physical strength. The BIOPSY experiment investigates the reductions in limb muscle size, force and power at the cellular level that are induced by microgravity. This research will determine how long it takes for micro-G to affect skeletal muscles, so predictions can be made regarding muscle changes that may occur on a roundtrip flight to Mars. To help establish the cellular effects of weightlessness, biopsies are taken from the calf muscle (gastronemius) and foot-flexing muscle (soleus) 45 days before launch, and again immediately upon return to Earth. MRI (magnetic resonance imagery) also is taken of the calf muscle 90 and 30 days before launch, and again one and 21 days after return to Earth.]
|
Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
Chiao conducted Part 2 of the current BCAT-3 (Binary Colloid Alloy Test 3) science photography session. [After setting up the SGSM (slow growth sample module) in the Lab MWA at EXPRESS Rack 5 (ER5) yesterday and imaging Sample 1 (for which he received kudos this morning), the Science Officer today conducted the video-recorded activity of photographing Sample 1 at the 100,000 sec interval, followed by homogenization (with a bar magnet) and photography of Sample 2. The images captured during the photo sessions are kept on separate PCMCIA memory cards until their successful archiving on the ground is confirmed.]
After Chiao had set up the camcorder for today’s scheduled EPO (Educational Payloads Operation), he and Sharipov conducted (and video-recorded) a “guided tour” of the Lab module, comparing it and its equipment to ground-based laboratories. [The video, to be shared with NASA education programs, will be valuable resources for students and educators, and of course a great training aid for future station residents.]
The FE conducted a visual inspection of the control panel and its power cable connections of the Russian Vozdukh (SOA) CO2 removal system, behind Service Module (SM) panel 425, and ensured that the condensate water processor control panel (PURV-K) is correctly switched to its backup indicators.
In the FGB (Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok), Sharipov concluded the cleaning of the discharge needles in the IDZ-2 smoke detectors (SDs) started yesterday. [SDs #1 through #8 were cleaned yesterday, SD #9 today. SD #10 is failed. Following the cleaning, the SDs were reactivated in telemetry mode for two orbits, followed by full monitoring mode.]
Chiao performed the monthly IMS-based PEP (portable emergency provisions) audit and inspection (last time done: 10/1). [The procedure involves verification that PFEs (portable fire extinguishers), PBAs (portable breathing assemblies), QDMAs (quick-don mask assemblies) and EHTKs (extension hose/tee kits) are free of damage to ensure their functionality, and to track shelf life/life cycles on the hardware. PEPs are not removed from their locker unless obvious damage is discovered during the inspection. There are a total of 5 PBAs in the U.S. segment (USOS), viz., two in the Node, two in the Lab, and one in the Airlock.]
Salizhan completed a hardware performance check for the Russian Environmental Protection Service’s Ekon (KPT-3) experiment, which uses the Nikon D1 camera for observation and imaging of selected ground targets and stores the images on floppy disk in Laptop TP2 from USB flash memory cards.
The FE also performed the periodic replenishment of the Elektron’s water supply for electrolysis, his second, filling the KOV thermal loops EDV container with purified (deionized) water from the BKO multifiltration/purification column unit.
The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer. The TVIS and RED sessions were recorded today on video to support biomechanical evaluation of the exercising crewmember and assessment of the on-orbit setup of equipment during data collection.
Afterwards, the CDR performed the weekly TVIS maintenance, a five-minute task done usually just prior to power-down or end of exercise session, and then downloaded TVIS and RED exercise data files to the medical equipment computer (MEC).
The FE performed the daily routine maintenance of the SOZh environmental control & life support systems in the SM and prepared the daily “delta” file for updating the IMS (inventory management system) databases.
At 10:25am EST, the crew engaged in an interactive TV PAO downlink via Ku- and S-band with Fox News (Linda Vester) and Associated Press (AP) Television (Marcia Dunn) of seven minutes duration each.
Both crewmembers again had one hour set aside on today’s schedule for ISS familiarization, i.e., to adjust to their new surroundings and activities. [This “free” session has become a valuable standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two weeks.]
At 9:50 am EST this morning, the ground remotely updated the C&C (command & control) default load configuration on the C&C MDM. [Because one of the changes for this update involved a new version of the Rack Power Switch PPL (pre-positioned load), the PPL upload required a five-minute inhibition of all Rack Power Switch functionality. The crew was advised accordingly.]
The efficiency test of the Russian SM and FGB solar arrays was completed nominally on 10/31. U.S. and Russian power specialists will compare power draws seen by MCC-H and TsUP, which will aid the development of appropriate calibration coefficients for RACU (Russian-American Converter Unit) power draw values necessary to accurately coordinate Russian-to-US power transfer. Official results will be available in a couple of weeks.
Instructions were uplinked for tomorrow’s and next week’s scheduled SIGI (space integrated GPS/inertial navigation system) software upload with R2 firmware (GPS2). [The GPS-2 ORU, located in the Lab AV-3 (Avionics 3) rack), will be loaded tomorrow. GPS-1, scheduled for 11/12, is located in the Lab aft starboard endcone and requires rotating the rack for the MT TCS/CCAA (moderate temperature thermal control system/common cabin air assembly) away from the wall. No switchover from the S6 CCAA air conditioner to the P6 CCAA is required since the former, as opposed to the latter, is currently not operational.]
Upcoming Key Events: The current station attitude of sun-pointing XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) will be maintained until 11/16. Station reboost will then follow on 11/17, with backup opportunity on 11/18. The Soyuz relocation is scheduled for 11/29 (no earlier than), preceded by a hot-fire test of its thrusters. The new SIGI (space integrated GPS/inertial navigation system) R2 firmware upload activities are GO pending completion of safety procedural modifications.]
Today’s CEO photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window (not applicable to other windows), which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Salamat Basin fans, Chad (oblique photography of this megafan complex are useful for delineation of its extent and form. Looking to the left of track for highly contorted drainage patterns and presence of wetlands), S. Amazonian Fans, Brazil (weather is predicted to be mostly clear during this overpass. There is little image data available for these recently recognized megafans. Oblique photography of the southern Amazon River basin to the left of track is useful for delineation of the fan boundaries), and Internal waves, Patagonian Shelf (weather was predicted to be mostly clear during this overpass for internal wave photography. Looking to the left of track for sunglint; the exact position of the sunglint point can be effected by local viewing and atmospheric conditions. Any reflective enhancement of the water surface is useful, as subsequent image processing frequently extracts useful internal wave patterns).
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 10 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/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.
|
|
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:15am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 358.4 km
- Apogee height — 364.0 km
- Perigee height — 352.7 km
- Period — 91.71 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0008388
- Solar Beta Angle — 28.5 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 235 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34004
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.
