NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 August 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.
Following station inspection and morning hygiene, before breakfast and first exercise, CDR Krikalev and FE/SO Phillips performed another session of the periodic Russian biomedical assessments PZEh-MO-7 (calf volume measurement) and PZEh-MO-8 (body mass measurement), using the newly installed mass measurement device (IM), later breaking it down for stowage. [Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference points, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM “scales” measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember s mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.]
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Sergei Krikalev initiated the regeneration cycle on absorbent bed #2 of the Russian harmful impurities removal system (BMP). Later tonight, the bake-out to space will be terminated and the vent valve closed. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours; it is not being conducted during crew sleep. The BMP is currently still using the same vacuum vent valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen), which is still inactive (a new Liquid Unit will be delivered on Progress 19 on 9/10).]
The CDR removed the supplementary portable air repressurization bottle (BNP) from the repress line of the Service Module (SM) s work compartment (RO), where he had installed it on 8/11 for EVA-14, and put it back in stowage.
Sergei also returned remaining EVA tools and equipment to their stowage places, updating the IMS (Inventory Management System) accordingly. The hardware for the payloads Matryoshka , MPAC&SEED and Biorisk , as well as 35-mm film, are remaining in temporary stowage in the DC1 Docking Compartment (Russian: SO) for their eventual return to Earth on Soyuz-216/10S on 10/11.
As a special high-priority item, the CDR worked on the Russian Vozdukh CO2 scrubber, replacing its no. 2 vacuum valve package (BVK) after spending some additional time on modifying a tool for the activity. A test activation of Vozdukh was scheduled later in the day, after remating the BITS2-12 telemetry connectors.
The crew completed the post-EVA cleanup by working on resetting the SM PkhO Transfer Compartment and DC1 to their nominal pre-EVA condition, with comm link from DC1 temporarily configured as necessary.
Phillips conducted the monthly PEP (portable emergency provisions) audit and inspection, supported by the IMS. [The audit involved verification that PFEs (portable fire extinguishers), PBAs, 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. There are a total of 5 PBAs in the U.S. segment (USOS). There is only one EHTK, in the Lab.]
The FE also had another hour set aside for unpacking and stowing cargo delivered by the Shuttle on LF-1.
Krikalev prepared and set up the Russian MO-21 Ecosphera air sampler and incubation equipment for the atmospheric microbial air sampling scheduled tomorrow, starting the recharge of its power supply unit and activating the Cryogem cooler, set at +37 degC. [MO-21 determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies.]
Phillips performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including the ASU toilet system.
At ~12:45pm EDT, the crew conducted an interactive educational PAO event with school children gathered at the Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, OH, led by the museum s Director of Education and Special Projects. The crew used floating food items to demonstrate zero-G. Questions had been uplinked beforehand. [ How do you eat on the ISS and what is your favorite food? ; Do you sleep at night or in the daytime? ]
At ~1:05pm, Sergei Krikalev sent down a video greeting to the residents of Kazan on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of this city of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan on 8/30. There will be public festivities, and, as Sergei noted in his message, the crew will see the lights of the millennium celebration on that day.
Quick-look data from the PCS-STES/DCAM payload (Protein Crystal Growth-Single-locker Thermal Enclosure System/ Diffusion-Controlled Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity) returned by STS-114/Discovery (and now back at New Century Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) indicate that all the hardware functioned nominally throughout the mission, which lasted for an unprecedented 981 days on the ISS with continuous operation for 23,540 hours. [The experiment was focused on the production of highly ordered protein crystals of very large size as required for neutron diffraction analysis. Crystals obtained include the proteins Albumin, Xylose Isomerase, Nucleosome Core Particle, Ferritin/Apoferritin, Thaumatin, Glucocerebrosidase, and possibly others.]
Station attitude continues in XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane), until 9/2, and the P6 solar array wings are set to dual-angle autotrack, with BGA (Beta gimbal assembly) 2B at -36 deg, 4B at +36 deg angle.
Undocking/disposal of Progress M-53/18P and launch of Progress M-54/19P, reviewed today at the SORR (Stage Operations Readiness Review), are currently set for the following dates (all times EDT):
- 9/07/05 — 18P Undocking (6:23am)
- 9/08/05 — 19P Launch (9:08am)
- 9/10/05 — 19P Docking (10:49am).
19P will deliver to the ISS 800 kg propellants; 110 kg gas (oxygen/air, thanks to 14 additional gas tanks installed externally for an extra delivery capability of 60 kg of O2); 300 kg water; 1230 kg dry cargo, comprising 139 Russian cargo items (including a new Elektron-VM Liquid Unit and 16 SFOG candles) and 83 NASA items (including two IBM 760XD laptops).
Other major Soyuz/Progress events:
- 10/01/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S Launch
- 10/03/05 — 11S Docking
- 10/11/05 — 10S Return
- 11/18/05 — 11S Relocation
- 12/21/05 — 20P Launch
- 12/23/05 — 20P Docking
Today’s CEO photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Fires, Mozambique (Dynamic Event. It is the dry season in Mozambique, and hundreds of small fires have been burning along the coast and in the interior of the country. Looking to the right of track for smoke plumes or burn scars), Fires, Central America (Dynamic Event. Numerous fires have been burning in central South America over the past several days. Looking to the right of track for smoke plumes flowing southwards over the central portion of the continent. Burn scars may also be visible in the same area), Hurricane Hilary, E. Pacific Ocean (Dynamic Event. Hilary is the strongest eastern Pacific storm yet seen for the 2005 hurricane season. Looking to the left of track for the eye and cloud banding of this Category 2 storm), and Supertyphoon Mawar, W. Pacific Ocean (Dynamic Event. Peak wind speeds for Mawar are predicted to reach 160 knots/hour, making it a “supertyphoon”. It is predicted to make landfall near Kyoto, Japan within 72 hours. Looking to the left of track for the eye and cloud banding).
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:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 11 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-11/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 11 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.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:41am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 353.3 km
- Apogee height — 354.1 km
- Perigee height — 352.6 km
- Period — 91.61 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0001157
- Solar Beta Angle — 48.5 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 82 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 38611
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.
