NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 March 2005

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2005) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

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

Preparations continued for the 3/28 space walk (EVA-13). CDR/SO Chiao installed the second (of 2) supplementary portable air repress bottles (BNP) in the repress line of the Service Module (SM)’s work compartment (RO).

In the DC1 docking compartment’s ZU-S battery charger, Chiao terminated the recharging of the first Orlan 825M3 28V-battery pack and started the process on the second pack.

Both crewmembers continued readying EVA equipment and tools. [Hardware preparations focused on assembly of the MBRL space-to-space radio and the ASN satellite navigation kits, including cables and clips, for the European ATV (automated transfer vehicle). The work was photo-documented.]

Other EVA preparations today included: (1) activating & inspecting the two Orlan spacesuits #25 and #27, (2) performing KVD pressure equalization valve functionality tests on the suits and their BSS interface units in the DC1 and in the SM’s spherical transfer compartment (PkhO) for backup, (3) Orlan gear preps, and (4) testing the EVA support panels (POV) in the DC1 and PkhO.

Tomorrow’s crew schedule will include installation of the US helmet lights on the Orlans, followed on Thursday by a suited & pressurized Orlan dry run, with attention to suit sizing. Suit donning on Sunday night is scheduled to begin at 11:10pm EST, with EVA-13 to commence on 3/28 at ~1:25am. Hatch closure is estimated for~7:12am.

After today’s EVA preps, Leroy prepared an equipment imagery file for downlink via OCA comm.

With the Elektron O2 generator still off, Salizhan worked on the Russian BMP harmful impurities removal system, starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. Before sleep time today, the bake-out will be terminated. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP is currently still using the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen).]

Cabin ppO2 (partial oxygen pressure), measure by the MCA (major constituents analyzer), is at 155.1 mmHg/Torr. The ppO2 Flight Rule limit of 146 mmHg (plus analyzer error band) would be reached in about ~35 hours if no action is taken. A repress with 8-10 mmHg O2 from Progress 17 is scheduled tomorrow.

The FE conducted a continuity check on the electrical wiring of the SM’s gas analyzer (GA).

Salizhan also performed the daily routine inspection of the SOZh life support system in the Service Module (SM), followed by a functionality check of the SRV-K2M condensate water processor, to test for quantity of condensate produced with one of the two SKV air conditioners running.

The crew performed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser, and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer. [Salizhan’s daily protocol currently prescribes a four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill and one hour on VELO (today: Day 2 of a new set).]

The CDR/SO then transferred the daily TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC (medical equipment computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium.

Leroy also completed the weekly TVIS maintenance, which generally checks the condition of the SPDs (subject positioning devices) and records timer data (time & date). [For running on the treadmill (motor-powered or passive), the crewmember wears a special harness with bungees that are hooked into the strut-like SPDs, one left, one right, to keep him centered and minimize the force transferred to the station during exercise, while keeping his feet in contact with the running surface.]

Working from the discretionary task list, the FE performed the regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment, including filling its water canister as required. [Rasteniya researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-5 greenhouse.]

During several DO (daily orbit) comm passes over RGS (Russian ground site), TsUP/Moscow performed testing of the onboard ASN-M satellite navigation equipment, running activation/deactivation sequences and uplinking various commands to change settings and variable values.

Ground-controlled testing (via pre-stored “cyclogram” or real-time RGS command) also involved a checkout of ACT (American Contingency Telemetry), including uplinking a PPCP (pre-planned command package) from MCC-H via TsUP.

Tests controlled from the Russian onboard command sequencer (SPP) were also conducted on the ESA/German commercial “RokvISS” robotics experiment, exercising its BSPN (biological coordination unit) server, CUP (communication unit for payloads) and OBC (onboard controller).

As reported, battery reconditioning activities for the P6 solar array 2B2 battery set were completed on 3/16. Today, the PPL (pre-positioned load) software to control charging of the reconditioned battery was uplinked. A capacity test for 2B2 is planned for 3/28 following the EVA. [The next reconditioning will be battery 2B1 starting on 5/31. The reconditioning of 2B3 is now scheduled to begin on 7/25.]

Both on-orbit VTRs (video tape recorders) continue to be unusable because of jittery and unusable video. Troubleshooting is underway at MCC-H. Two spare VTRs are available on ground.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Cairo, Egypt (weather was predicted to be clear for high resolution images of the Cairo metropolitan area. Of particular interest is the boundary region between Cairo proper and the surrounding agricultural areas. Urban agglomerations are expected to occur over time as the smaller cities in the Nile Delta region continue to grow outwards towards each other and Cairo [at the expense of agricultural land], Ice, Lake Superior (the Spring season is beginning in the Great Lakes region, but there may still be remnants of winter ice in Lake Superior. Looking to the left of track as ISS passed over the easternmost portion of the Lake for ice in the narrow Straits of Mackinac [the channel between Lakes Superior and Huron]), and Internal Waves, New Zealand (the crew had an opportunity for internal wave photography along the northwestern peninsula of North Island. Looking to either side of the peninsula [south of Cape Reinga] for the sunglint point).

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography/

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 10 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-10/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.

Upcoming Key Events:

• Reboost — 3/25 (5:00am EST; ~1.65 m/s, for 10S rendezvous & 9S landing phasing);
• EVA-13 — 3/28 (hatch open-1:33am EST; hatch close-7:12am);
• Soyuz TMA-6 (10S) launch — 4/15 with Expedition 11 (CDR Sergei Krikalev, FE/SO John Phillips & VC8 cosmonaut Roberto Vittori/ESA-Italy);
• Soyuz TMA-6 docking – 4/17;
• Soyuz TMA-5 (9S) undocking — 4/25 with Exp. 10 crew (after 193 days on orbit, 191 days on board ISS) and VC8 cosmonaut Vittori;
• LF1 (STS-114) launch — 5/15;
• Progress M-53 (18P) launch — 6/10;
• ULF1.1 (STS-121) launch — NET 7/12;
• Progress M-54 (19P) launch — 8/24;
• Soyuz TMA-7 (11S) launch — 9/27.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:55am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 355.3 km
• Apogee height — 357.8 km
• Perigee height — 352.9 km
• Period — 91.65 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.65 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0003617
• Solar Beta Angle — -11.3 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 36204

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.