Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 October 2007

By SpaceRef Editor
October 22, 2007
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NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 October 2007
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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Day 137 for Anderson. Underway: Week 1 of Increment 16. Crew rest day.

Crew wake/sleep cycle has “normalized”, Today’s wakeup – 1:00am, sleeptime – 4:30pm EDT.

By her voluntary choice, CDR Whitson conducted her first work with the CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment) payload, completing the detailed mapping of the CFE VG-1 Vane Gap 1) vessel. After a successful session, Peggy disassembled the equipment and stowed it. [CFE consisted of three experiments – CFE-CL (Contact Line), CFE-ICF (Interior Corner Flow), and CFE VG, for the study of different aspects of capillary flow of fluids in containers with complex geometries. Except for today’s run on the model of fuel tanks with locating vanes (to determine the maximum allowable vane gap and sensitivity to asymmetry), the CFE experiments have been concluded.]

In further preparation for the upcoming STS-120/10A docked period, the crew performed a 90-min. review of the 10A timeline, followed by a timeline teleconference with ground specialists via audio/S-band.

Peggy Whitson disconnected the UOP DCP (Utility Outlet Panel/Display & Control Panel) bypass power cable from the Lab RWS (Robotics Work Station).

The crewmembers worked out according to their regular daily 2.5-hr physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR), TVIS treadmill (FE-1, FE-2), RED resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-2), and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).

Afterwards, Clay Anderson transferred the crewmembers’ exercise data file 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 (done six times a week).

At ~7:45am EDT, the crew downlinked a PAO TV message of greetings for an upcoming Science Festival at Rice University, to be held on Saturday, 10/27, sponsored by Sally Ride, with Eileen Collins as keynote speaker. Special emphasis of the event will be on female students at Rice and the importance of their pursuing a future in science and math.

At ~12:10pm, FE-2 Clay Anderson supported a “Crew Choice” linkup with Grade K students, college students and faculty at Hastings College, Nebraska (Clayton’s school). Questions for the FE-2 were uplinked beforehand. [“Did you know you wanted to be an astronaut when you were in 6th grade?”; “I’ve heard reports that astronaut food is “gross”. Any truth to this?”; “What are the possible risks for not following the work-out routine?”; “While a student at Hastings College, did you ever think that one day you would be an astronaut for NASA and is that what you were striving for while working toward your undergraduate/graduate degrees?”]

Later today, Whitson and Anderson will have their weekly PFCs via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on the SSC-9 laptop), Peggy at ~1:25pm, Clay at ~5:05pm.

SARJ Anomaly: At ~10:36am, Flight Controllers in Houston started a 3-hr. test on the starboard Solar Array Rotary Joint (STBD SARJ) in order to troubleshoot the cause of some vibration observed on the STBD side of the station’s truss structure when the SARJ on that side rotates, combined with some off-nominal readings on some STBD SARJ parameters. After the test, the STBD SARJ remains “parked” at 240 deg angle until the wing feathering prior to 10A docking. [Purpose of the TAS (Torque-As-Stepper) test, which torqued the array through 360 deg with small angular steps, was to help in characterization of the SARJ’s friction. Both BGAs (Beta Gimbal Assemblies) and TRRJ (Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint) remained in Autotrack mode. The regular BGA Bias setting (for drag reduction) was zero to maximize power generation during the test.]

EWIS Update: Most cables for EWIS (External Wireless Instrumentation System) were successfully installed by the crew last Saturday (10/20). Last step was not completed, but it is on the “job jar” task list to be finished when the crew has time.

Conjunction: A possible ISS conjunction with space debris on 10/24 (Wednesday) at 8:59pm EDT is currently being assessed by station and Shuttle teams. Early prediction of miss distance: 25 km.

KOB-2 Heating Loop Pump Failure: The Russian TCS (Thermal Control System) in the Service Module (SM) experienced an off-nominal automatic switch from KOB-2 (heating loop 2) to KOB-1. Checkouts determined that one of two pumps on the 4SPN2 pump panel is not working. The KOB-1 loop is running nominally with two pumps functioning on its pump panel and nominal software algorithms. Specialists are considering installing two new pumps (delivered on 15S) for restoring both panels with two pumps functioning on each.

SRVK-2 Failure: Also in the SM, channel 2 of the SRVK-2 water processing/supply system failed during the last four days. SRVK-1 is operating normally. Assessment by RSC-Energia specialists is underway.

Correction: Re yesterday’s item on the offnominal ballistic re-entry of Yurchikhin, Kotov & Shukor in Soyuz TMA-10: Bowersox, Budarin & Pettit, who re-entered ballistically on 5/3/03 in TMA-1, were ISS Expedition 6, not Expedition 3. (See pictures from Kustanai yesterday, below)

No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today.

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (about 700,000 NASA digital photographs of Earth are downloaded by the public each month from this “Gateway” site); http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography

STS-120/Discovery Launch Update: The launch window opens tomorrow, 10/23, at 11:33am EDT and closes 10 min later, at 11:43pm. Optimal launch time is 11:38am.

  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting 10/23 launch: 60% (cumulus clouds, showers, low-cloud ceiling);
  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting 10/23 tanking: 10%;

24-hour delay:

  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting launch: 40%
  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting tanking: 10%

48-hour delay:

  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting launch: 40%
  • Probability of KSC weather prohibiting tanking: 10%

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 2:13am EDT [= epoch]):

  • Mean altitude — 342.1 km
  • Apogee height — 344.1 km
  • Perigee height — 340.1 km
  • Period — 91.38 min.
  • Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
  • Eccentricity — 0.0002994
  • Solar Beta Angle — -38.8 deg (magnitude increasing)
  • Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.76
  • Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours — 95 m
  • Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 51082

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern, some changes possible):

  • 10/23/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A launch — Node 2 “Harmony”, racks; P6 relocate from Z1 to P5 (11:38am EDT)
  • 10/25/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A docking (FD3/8:35am EDT) 5 EVAs, incl. Node 2 & PMA-2 external preps)
  • 10/26 (FD4) — EVA-1 (6:28am-1:08pm; Parazynski/Wheelock)
  • 10/26 (FE4) — Node 2 install onto Node 1 (~12:33pm)
  • 10/28 (FD6) — EVA-2 (5:58am-12:38pm; Parazynski/Tani)
  • 10/28 (FD6) — P6 remove from Z1 truss (~8:13am)
  • 10/30 (FD8) — EVA-3 (5:28am-12:38pm; Parazynski/Wheelock)
  • 10/30 (FD8) — P6 install on P5 truss (~6:03am)
  • 11/01 (FD10) — EVA-4 (4:28am-9:13am; Parazynski/Wheelock)
  • 11/02 (FD11) — EVA-5 (3:58am-10:38am; Whitson/Malenchenko)
  • 11/04/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A undocking (FD13/1:34am)
  • 11/04/07 — 2:00am: DST ends, ST begins
  • 11/06/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A deorbit burn 3:47am EST
  • 11/06/07 — STS-120/Discovery/10A landing @ KSC (FD15/4:50am EST)
  • 11/06/07 — PMA-2 relocation to Node 2 (PMA-2 umbilicals stowed on 10A EVA-4)
  • 11/08/07 — Node 2 (Harmony) plus PMA-2 relocation to front of Lab
  • 11/14/07 — US EVA-10
  • 11/18/07 — US EVA-11
  • 12/06/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E launch — Columbus Module, ICC-Lite
  • 12/08/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E docking
  • 12/15/07 — STS-122/Atlantis/1E undocking
  • 12/22/07 — Progress M-61/26P undocking (DC1) & reentry
  • 12/23/07 — Progress M-62/27P launch
  • 12/25/07 — Progress M-62/27P docking (DC1)
  • 01/31/08 — ATV-1 “Jules Verne” launch/Ariane V (Kourou, French Guyana)
  • 01/31/08 — 50-Year Anniversary of Explorer 1 (1st U.S. satellite on Redstone rocket)
  • 02/06/08 – Progress M-62/27P undocking
  • 02/07/08 — Progress M-63/28P launch
  • 02/09/08 — Progress M-63/28P docking
  • 02/14/08 — ATV-1 docking (SM aft port)
  • 02/14/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A launch/1J/A — SLP-SPDM, JEM ELM-PS
  • 02/16/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A docking
  • 02/27/08 — STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A undocking
  • 04/08/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S launch
  • 04/10/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S docking (DC1)
  • 04/19/08 — Soyuz TMA-11/15S undocking (FGB nadir port)
  • 04/23/08 — Soyuz TMA-12/16S relocation (from DC1 to FGB nadir port)
  • 04/24/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J launch – JEM PM “Kibo”, racks, RMS.
  • 04/26/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J docking
  • 05/02/08 — STS-124/Discovery/1J undocking
  • 05/14/08 — Progress M-64/29P launch
  • 05/16/08 — Progress M-64/29P docking (DC1)
  • 07/29/08 — ATV-1 undocking (from SM aft port)
  • 08/11/08 — Progress M-64/29P undocking (from DC1)
  • 08/12/08 — Progress M-65/30P launch
  • 08/14/08 — Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
  • 09/13/08 — Progress M-66/31P launch
  • 09/15/08 — Progress M-66/31P docking (DC1)
  • 09/20/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 launch – MPLM(P), LMC
  • 10/01/08 — (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 undocking.
  • 10/11/08 — Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
  • 10/14/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
  • 10/16/08 — Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (SM aft port)
  • 04/??/09 — Six-person crew on ISS
  • 04/15/09 — Constellation’s Ares I-X Launch.

SpaceRef staff editor.