Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 Feb 2004

By SpaceRef Editor

February 23, 2004

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 Feb 2004 — iss

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Underway: Week 18 of Increment 8.

Current sleep cycle continues for Michael Foale and Alexander Kaleri, with wake-up at 5:45am EST, sleep time at 9:15pm. This will change again after the EVA-9 on 2/26. [Hatch opening ~4:15pm EST; hatch closing ~9:45pm.]

Preparations continue for the two-man spacewalk on Thursday (2/26). Today, the crew set up and readied the Matryoshka payload equipment, to be taken out for external installation. Part of the task was to record video imagery for ground review. [Pictures uplinked by TsUP/Moscow illustrated how power and comm cables were to be secured on the Matryoshka multiplayer insulation cover. Matryoshka collects radiation measurements insides and outside the ISS for studies of on-orbit radiation and long-term dose accumulation. Today’s activities were supported by tagup with ground specialists via S-band. Note: Matryoshka is the name for the traditional Russian set of cute nestling dolls.]

Alex Kaleri, assisted by the CDR for about 1.5 hrs, removed no-longer-needed electronic equipment from the 13P cargo ship. [After Central Computer control was transferred from 13P thrusters to the Service Module (SM) yaw, pitch and roll thrusters, the US-21 matching unit and SKV-1 dehumidifier were deactivated, followed by disconnecting the cables of the BITS 2-12 onboard telemetry measurement system and turning off its VD-SU monitoring mode. The crew then unbolted and removed the Progress’ US-21 matching unit in its container box. BITS was later reactivated, as were SKV-1. The US-21, with its associated commutator gear, provides the electronic interface between the SM and the Progress for SM computer control of the Progress thrusters. With 13P being readied for separation and jettisoning, the valuable electronics were retained in storage, to be returned to Earth and recycled on a future Progress.]

The Elektron electrolysis machine is currently down, having failed again after running for ~30 hours over the weekend. A repress with air from Progress 13P is planned for tomorrow, with MCA (major constituents analyzer) activated. [Elektron will not be active during the EVA-9.]

Continuing the Elektron troubleshooting, Mike Foale set up equipment for leak-checking the water feed hose (A-R) between the KOV water container (EDV) and the Elektron-VM. [The leak check requires the temporary installation of a second EDV at the other end of the hose and its pump-down to 100 mmHg negative pressure with a Kolos-5D manual pump, followed by pressure stability monitoring with an MV pressure gauge.]

After US-21 removal from 13P, the crew installed the docking mechanism (StM) of the SSVP docking and internal transfer system in the hatchway between the Progress vehicle and the SM aft end. [The StM is the “classic” probe-and-cone type, consisting of an active docking assembly (ASA) with a probe (SSh), which fits into the cone (SK) on the passive docking assembly (PSA). The ASA is mounted on the Progress’ cargo module (GrO), while the PSA sits on the docking ports of the SM, FGB and DC-1.]

In further preparation for the spacewalk, Sasha Kaleri prepared the crew’s medical kit for the EVA, stocking it with selected medications and items collected from various onboard medical kits. The prepared EVA kit was then stowed in the DC-1. [The return of the newly added medications after the EVA to their individual designated locations in medical kits and the first-aid kit is timelined for 3/3.]

Mike Foale was tasked to print out the new EVA emergency guidelines after Moscow’s concurrence in them. [Deviations to the standard emergency procedures (in case of smoke/fire and depress) became necessary due to the off-nominal unmanned ISS configuration during the EVA-9, both for the pre-EVA & post-EVA configuration as well as for the period of EVA ops and crew isolation in the DC-1. In the former config, the Russian segment (RS) is open to itself except the Progress (which is ready for ground-commanded undocking if needed) but isolated from the U.S. segment (USOS); in the latter config, the RS is isolated from both the DC-1 and the USOS.]

FE Kaleri performed another major IFM (in-flight maintenance) in the SM, uninstalling its storage battery #8 that was declared failed on 2/4, and replacing it with a spare from FGB stowage. The 800A unit was placed in the right seat of the Soyuz 7S descent module, and the one transferred there earlier was stowed with other spares in the FGB. [The defunct #8 battery would act as ballast in the event of a two-crewmember Soyuz contingency return at the time of the EVA-9. If Soyuz is not required for a contingency, the battery will be removed again to make room for the third crewmember.]

Foale changed out the batteries of the Nikon D-1 cameras, to have them ready for the spacewalk. He was also reminded to make sure that batteries are fully charged for the video camcorder used for covering tomorrow’s EVA equipment and tools preparations.

Mike conducted the regular routine status checkup of the autonomous Increment 8 payloads in the Lab.

Sasha attended to his regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment which studies growth and development of plants (peas) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-4 greenhouse. The weekly downloading of data and imagery of the experiment is scheduled tomorrow.

The crew worked out on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer.

Today’s CEO targets (excluding Asia due to the current sleep cycle and North American and European targets due to winter weather conditions), constrained in XPOP attitude by flight rule to having the Lab science window only available for ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing in flight (“ram”) direction, were Havana, Cuba (nadir pass), Sao Paulo, Brazil (nadir pass), Los Angeles, California (nadir pass. The crew may have been able to acquire this target within two 180-mm-lens images), and Internal waves, Mexico (the East Pacific Ocean off southern Mexico and Nicaragua is known to be affected by internal waves, although the reason for their existence at this location is not understood. Images looking right towards the glint point may help explain the phenomenon).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at

http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:34am EST, 2/13).

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

Elektron O2 generator is Off. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Automatic Mode). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is on Standby (ready in dual-bed mode). TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. SM Gas Analyzer has been calibrated and is used for ppO2 and ppCO2 monitoring. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is in Life Extending Mode (LEM). BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On, SKV-2 is Off (repair now completed; to be tested ASAP).

SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 26.3; ppO2 (mmHg) — 159.5; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 3.8;
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.0.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 744; temperature (deg C) — 23.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 740.07; temperature (deg C) — 23.9 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 741.79; temperature (deg C) — 24.9; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 741.09; temperature (deg C) — 22.8; shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.9, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.5
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 10.2

(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, with 47 deg bias for drag reduction.
SM batteries: All batteries (8) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #3 is off (capacity restoration mode, ROM); all other batteries (5) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
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): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string 1 dropped out 11/22).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3 dropped out 10/22).

Propulsion System:

Total propellant load available: 4070 kg (8972 lb) as of 2/12/04 [SM(755) + FGB(2656) + Progress M(0) + Progress M-1(659)]. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source — RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

LVLH YVV (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, y-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -90 deg, pitch: -9 deg, roll: 1.7 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.

Communications & Tracking Systems:

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, with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
MBS: KA 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.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:12am EST [= epoch]):