NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 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.
Update on Elektron: Elektron is up and running nominally. Its operation continues to be monitored carefully as troubleshooting goes on. The planned removal & replacement of the BZh-5 Liquid Unit’s primary minipump was not done yet; it is on standby until everything else has been tried. Along these lines, CDR Padalka today was advised to test various adjustments of the Liquid Unit (e.g., pressure), as a result of which the Elektron has now been running nominally for several hours on the 32 amps power level.
Despite the unscheduled extra work represented by the Elektron troubleshooting, Padalka was able to complete the originally scheduled installation of additional cargo stowage enclosures behind wall panels in the FGB (area 25B) after first setting up the worksites. These enclosures prevent cargo items in the stowage areas from floating around freely. This task was originally added to Gennady’s “job jar” task list on 9/8 and hard-scheduled for today. [The enclosures are assembled from components in a kit delivered by an earlier Progress. Enclosed areas are identified as 25A, 25B, 28A & 29.]
FE/SO Mike Fincke has spent most of his working day on Part 2 of the biannual TVIS treadmill inspection. His efforts have not encountered any major obstacles but have been more tedious and time-consuming than expected. The activation and checkout run planned for today has been moved to tomorrow. [Fincke was commended for his great job on Part 1 yesterday. A particularly welcome accomplishment was his successful removal of the stuck forward right stabilizer, making more “drastic” deinstallation techniques unnecessary and facilitating further work.]
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
A newly uplinked document containing setup and maintenance procedures for POC (portable onboard computer)/ePCS (early portable computer system) laptops, to be used in any ISS module that supports an ePCS connection, was printed by Mike on the Lab printer.
The FE conducted the routine inspection of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system and prepared the regular IMS (inventory management system) delta file for automated export to the ground for database updating and subsequent re-import via OCA.
Gennady checked the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) plant growth experiment hardware in the Lada-5 greenhouse for topping off its water container if required, an item on his discretionary task list.
The crew performed their regular daily physical exercise.
At 3:20pm EDT, the crew is scheduled to conduct a live educational PAO exchange with students and educators from Kenna Elementary School in West Virginia at the National Guard Bureau. Questions from the students were uplinked beforehand. [“Gennady: Have you had any problems you didn’t expect?”]
Subsequently, the crew will also downlink a message of greetings to the famous Power Generation Science and Research Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the occasion of the institute’s 80th anniversary since its foundation. [The Institute is particularly known for having developed the storage batteries used on Salyut, Mir and ISS (both in SM and FGB). The crew’s message contains the wish that replacement of the 800A battery “will become a rare occurrence” soon. “This would allow us to devote more time to science.”]
In a second downlinked message to Russia, the crew will send greetings to the organizers, participants, judges and visitors of the Second Delphian games for the Youth of the GUS (CIS, Commonwealth of Independent States). [The objective of the Delphian games, which were first held in 2003, is to promote the practical idea of the games as the highest forum of arts, preservation and accumulation of cultural heritage of nations, development of multicultural bonds and friendship amongst the youth of the Commonwealth. The games are held in a contest form in fields such as piano, violin, singing, photography, music instruments, crafts, etc.]
A new list of options for the next Saturday Science program (9/25) was uplinked to Mike Fincke for his choice. [Suggested by POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) are an ISSI (In-Space Soldering Investigation) test, an MFMG (Miscible Fluids in Microgravity) test, BCSS-FDI TCM (Biotechnology Cell Science Stowage-Fluid Dynamics Investigation Tissue Culture Module) bubble removal ops, and an EPO (Educational Program Operation) Puzzles demo.]
Working off his discretionary task list, Padalka conducted another session of the Uragan earth-imaging program, using the Kodak 760 DSC (digital still camera) with 800mm-lens from SM windows #9, now available again in LVLH attitude. [Today’s task featured imagery of the western shorelines of Taiwan and Japan, the city of Beijing, the Arabian shoreline, the cities of Doha {east of Qatar}, Samarkand, Leninabad, Tel Aviv, and Damask, an oil film on the Caspian Sea with low sun angle, and the Panama Canal.]
Without requiring crew involvement, TsUP/Moscow ran another calibration test on the Soyuz descent module’s BILU linear accelerometer this morning on Daily Orbits 14, 15, and 1, for which the Soyuz structural dynamics test on 9/16 provided data.
Also without crew intervention, TsUP performed a system test on the Russian KL140-ST-M “Klest” television system, which uses a video camera in the Progress for the approach and docking phases of orbital rendezvous.
The extended testing of the Russian ASN-M satellite navigation system, which will run through 9/25 and requires daily telemetry monitoring, is continuing, controlled by the SM’s automated timeline sequencer (SPP). [When functioning, the ASN will use GLONASS satellites (the Russian GPS equivalent) to update the state vector (SV, position & velocity data) without using the ground (which up to now has to uplink daily SV updates) or requiring SV transfers from the U.S. segment (USOS) from time to time.]
Part 2 of the TRRJ (Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint) test was completed yesterday. [All TRRJ operations went very well, with the starboard TRRJ (Loop A) operating nominally in Blind Mode using both stored orbit and PPL data to direct the TRRJ position. The Loop A TRRJ was successfully moded to Autotrack where it will remain for the duration of the crew sleep period. Tomorrow’s TRRJ activities include testing of the Loop A TRRJ string switchover capability from String 1 to String 2 in the Autotrack Mode. The Blind Mode test using both stored orbit and PPL (pre-positioned load) data will then be repeated with the String 2 operational assets.]
Yesterday’s repressurization of the ISS cabin air with fresh oxygen from Progress 15P storage increased pressure by 10.8 mmHg.
Yesterday’s propellant transfer from the 15P resupply tanks to the FGB long tanks involved 86 kg of fuel (UDMH, unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine) and 150 kg of oxidizer (NTO, nitrogen tetroxide).
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 CEO photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by restrictions on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Aerosols, North China Plain (clear weather is present over eastern China. Looking to the right of track for aerosol plumes from Beijing and Tianjin), Delhi, India (this nadir pass provided an opportunity for high resolution photography of Delhi. The Delhi metropolitan area has low contrast relative to its surroundings; it is located at the convergence of several major highways that should be visible. Mapping of urban-rural fringe areas are useful for land cover change detection and climate modeling), Hurricane Karl, Central Atlantic Ocean (Dynamic Event. The eye of this storm should be visible to the left of track. A much smaller hurricane (Lisa) has formed in the wake of Karl and may have been visible to the right of track), and Hurricane Jeanne, western Atlantic Ocean (Dynamic Event. This pass brought the station almost directly over the eye of Jeanne as it heads towards eastern Florida. Looking to the left of track for the storm center and banding features).
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:
- Soyuz 9S launch — TBD — 10/11? (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.
U.S. & Russian Segment Status (as of today, 1:30pm EDT)
(n/a = data not available)
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
- Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in directed position (dual angle/blind mode, non solar-tracking, biased for drag reduction).
- SM batteries: All batteries (8) are on line in “Partial Charge” mode.
- FGB batteries: Battery #3 is off line; all other batteries (5) 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&DH)
- C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is backup, and C&C-3 is in standby.
- GNC-1 MDM (vers. R4) is prime; GNC-2 (vers. R4) 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 (PS):
- Total propellant load available: 4158 kg (9167 lb) as of 9/16/04; [SM(552) + FGB(3326) + Progress M(280)]. (Capabilities: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).
Attitude Control Systems (ACS):
- 3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2s RPC-17 failed 4/21/04; was replaced 6/30/04).
- State vector source — RS
- Attitude source — RS
- Angular rate source — RGA-1
Flight Attitude:
- LVLH XVV (local vertical/local horizontal = earth-fixed: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -7.2 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.
Communications & Tracking Systems (C&T):
- 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 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.
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ISS Location NOW |
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 9:53am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 359.0 km
- Apogee height — 362.7 km
- Perigee height — 355.3 km
- Period — 91.72 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0005548
- Solar Beta Angle — 13.1 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 33346
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.
