Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 May 2004

By SpaceRef Editor

May 23, 2004

Filed under ISS, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 May 2004 — http://images.spaceref.com/news/iss.11.jpg

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously. Sunday — second off-duty day for the crew (actually the first…after yesterday’s off-nominal EMU activities). Ahead: Week 4 of Expedition 9.

Tomorrow morning Progress-260/13P undocks. Separation & departure are scheduled for 5:16:30am EDT. [Early in the morning ( ~2:15am) 13P will transfer from SM power to autonomous battery power. Station attitude control will be handed over to Russian thrusters at 3:25am, after which ISS maneuvers to duty attitude, later to undock attitude (4:46-5:03am). At 5:00am, the U.S. P6 solar array wings (SAWs) will be feathered in Directed position as protection against plume impingement. The ISS will mode to Free Drift at 5:15am, followed 90 sec later by 13P undocking, after which the SAWs are returned to Autotrack. Attitude control is handed back to U.S. CMGs at 6:00am.]

As standard Sunday task, CDR Padalka performed the weekly SOZh data collection of the Service Module (SM)’s toilet flush counter readings, with inspection of the SP urine collection and pretreat assembly, and SVO water supply status counter readings, both for calldown to MCC-M/TsUP.

FE/SO Mike Fincke performed the daily leak check of the Lab window’s inter-pane volume, using the “Aeolus” scopemeter with pressure probe.

The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer.

Fincke had his weekly PFC (private family conference), on S-band/audio.

A continuing job on Gennady’s task list is to keep a running account of available stowage areas in the FGB and DC1 modules, required for the upcoming Progress-249/14P cargo transfer activities.

POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center)/Huntsville is developing a troubleshooting plan for SAMS (Space Acceleration Measurement System). [Payload developers suspect a defective battery and would like the crew to check it for loose seating, to rule it out.]

The deferred SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) proficiency session for the crew is scheduled for 5/26 (Wednesday next week).

The current flight attitude of XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) will be maintained until tomorrow morning right before Progress 13P undocking.

CDR Padalka was requested perform a test of the Progress-mounted Klest-M video system, using two SM monitors (VKU2 and Simvol-Ts). Immediately after Progress separation, Gennady will also conduct a visual and photographic check from SM window #26 of both seals on the docking interface of the departing cargo ship and look for any abnormalities.

Update on EMU Cooling Troubleshooting: Besides the low coolant flow anomaly evidenced by EMU #3013 yesterday, the suit’s oxygen sensor indicated an initial gas leak from the primary O2 tankage. After jiggling of the O2 actuator by the crew to correct initially anomalous data displays, the leak later appeared to have stopped. A final O2 pressure check is scheduled for tomorrow to verify if cycling the O2 actuator may have reseated a stuck O2 shutoff valve. If the suit is shown to have an external O2 leak, it may be No Go for EVA even with restored cooling.

Today’s optional CEO targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, also excluding any night target viewing, were Chongqing, China (good opportunity to get a feel for Chinese cities. This major industrial city lies on the Chang River [Yangtze] where it flows along the south side of the great interior depression known as the Red Basin [home to more than 100 million people in China’s most populous province]), Tianjin, China (nadir pass over Beijing’s port, itself a major city that supplies all of China’s northern plains cities. Opportunity for a good general view of Beijing left of track at the foot of the plateau of Inner Mongolia), Bombay, India (nadir pass over India’s biggest port. Most of Indian’s tax revenues come from this one city), Bombay Region, India (looking left for any aerosol haze drifting out to sea. Shooting any margins that can be seen), Ganges River Basin (the blowing dust event was expected to continue. Shooting any air mass margins in sight, especially against the Himalaya Mts), and Toshka Lakes, Egypt (general views at nadir and right of track of Egypt’s most ambitious irrigation project in the southern desert. A string of four large lakes now appear dark blue against the desert sand. Rapid changes are occurring as the planned migration of 20-million people from the Nile valley begins).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites.

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at