NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 Oct 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.  Today, Expedition 7 has been in space for 180 days.

Handover activities between Exp. 7 and Exp. 8 continue to go well.  There were almost 3 hours allotted on today’s schedule for general handover, performed by Lu, Malenchenko, Foale and Kaleri, in addition to joint walk-throughs on specific tasks.

VCFE2 Mike Foale, who is using the IMS (inventory management system) and its bar code reader (BCR) with enthusiasm for the transfers, set up the base for the BCR by connecting its charger to a 28V power outlet and an SSC computer to allow both power charging and transfer of batch files created by the BCR.  [Generally, BCR operation uses wireless RF (radio frequency) mode.  Batch mode allows updating the IMS from the BCR with text files processed and transferred through special software.]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko completed the first day of the Russian MBI-2 Deuraz (“Diuresis”) experiment, for which he is the subject today and tomorrow.   [MBI-2 studies water-salt metabolism and volemic hormonal regulation during long duration spaceflight.  Today, Malenchenko was required to record toilet use time in the morning, perform urine sample collections throughout the day, and log meal and fluid intake on a record card.  Additional work, to be completed tomorrow, consists of collecting his venous blood samples, followed by centrifugation to separate the blood into cells and plasma, and finally closeout and stowage.]

Next, Malenchenko underwent the Day 1 protocol of the Russian MedOps tests MBI-11 Gematologia (“Hematology”) which investigate the decrease in red blood cell mass during long duration exposure to micro-G.  [Kaleri assisted in the test, drawing the blood samples for analysis with the special “Erythrocyte” kit after he and Yuri had donned protective goggles.]

At the Lab RWS (robotics work station), Mike Foale re-connected the UOP-DCP (utility outlet panel-to-display & control panel) bypass power cable for the MSS (mobile service system) for the subsequent handover (h/o) session.  FE/SO Ed Lu then guided him through the h/o, which included a DCP switch familiarization, Canadarm2 release and re-grapple of PDGF-1 (power & data grapple fixture #1) on the MBS (Mobile Base System), mounted on the MT (Mobile Transporter) on the S0 truss, MSS camera familiarization, and a video survey of BGA (beta gimbal assembly) shoulder bolts and 4-bar trigger cups.  [The BGA inspection was to check on any visible signs of possible back-out of the shoulder bolts (four per BGA) and to verify that both trigger cup fasteners are still in place on all visible trigger cups on each of two 4-bar assemblies (two cups on each 4-bar hinge, i.e., eight cups total per 4-bar assembly).]

Lu and Foale then initiated the discharge procedure on EMU (spacesuit) batteries #2032 & #2033 in the Airlock’s battery stowage assembly (BSA) after their 24-hr rest after yesterday’s termination of charging.  The SSC laptop required for the procedure was first reconfigured for the discharge, then restored by Ed and Mike to the original settings.  [The periodic charge/discharge cycle is a maintenance feature to restore the batteries’ capacity, prolonging their useful life.]

After a brief discussion with payload support personnel in Moscow via VHF of preliminary incubation results and progress, Pedro Duque performed today’s protocol of the MSS-2/MESSAGE experiment, installing sample #4 (of six) in the incubator.  [Incubated samples are stored in the Kriogem-03 freezer and their time of transfer is logged.  MSS-2 investigates microbial mobility and genetic processes in incubated Ralstonia metallidurans and Rhodosprillum rubrum bacteria cultures in zero-G.]

Other payload activities by Duque on the Cervantes program included the AGE payload (for which he set up video ops for subsequent recording, incl. of the changeout of its biocontainers), and first activation of ROOT.  [The latter initiated growth of Arabidopsis Thaliana stem cells to investigate changes in a cell nucleus during the process of new growth in micro-G.  ROOT’s biocontainers are using the Akvarius B-01 (AQUB-01) equipment delivered on 7S.  The run will be stopped on 10/27 and returned to Earth on 6S.]

Duque and Kaleri performed the European educational VIDEO-2 (VID-01) experiment, which uses the Russian DSR PD-150P digital video camcorder for recording demos of several basic physical phenomena, viz., Isaac Newton’s three motion laws, with narration.  [The demo made use of a Ziploc bag containing coffee and a syringe to fill one of two hollow balls with the brown liquid (to provide “mass”, as opposed to the other, “mass-less” ball).]

The two flight engineers also continued the video and photo imagery of Pedro’s onboard activities for documentary and PAO use on Earth.  Sasha later again had ten minutes set aside for recharging the DVCAM camcorder battery.

Duque performed another videotape exchange for the PromISS-2 experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox).  The experiment is operating nominally and the ground team is seeing “very nice and stable fringe patterns” in the downlinked video.

Soyuz CDR Aleksandr Kaleri returned to the Soyuz TMA-3 and deactivated its GA gas analyzer, whose operation is no longer required for the time being.

Kaleri also deinstalled and removed the Russian radiobiology experiment RBO-2 “Bradoz” in the SM and transferred it to the Soyuz 6S for return, taking photographs of the kits.   [Bradoz is an experiment developed by Moscow’s IBMP (Institute of Bio-Medical Problems) to detect integral absorbed doses of ionizing radiation using thermoluminescent detectors; it also uses plastic track detectors for recording fluxes and spectra of linear energy transfers of heavy charged particles, and utilizes biological objects to detect radiation damage to the genetic system.  Purpose of this research is to develop radiobiological dosimetry methods for more accurate assessment of biologically significant radiation dose commitments for humans during long-term space flight.  Space radiation, even in small doses, can damage not only the somatic but also generative tissues in the human body, making it crucial to quantitatively assess the genetic damage caused by space radiation.  The experiment consists of six assemblies, five Bradoz-1 kits and one Bradoz-2 unit.  They include thermoluminescent dosimeters made of lithium fluoride crystals, R-39-type plastic track detectors made of tissue-equivalent plastic, and packets with biological samples of dry seeds of higher plants. ]

VCFE1 Pedro Duque unstowed and set up a new crew restraint system in the Lab, a “knee-block” device, which he then tried out and evaluated for its suitability for long-duration work.  Afterwards, the restraint was disassembled and stowed.

Assisted by Kaleri, Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque set up the TV equipment in the SM at 3:00am EDT.  Later, he downlinked two live Spanish-language TV interviews, one at 3:15am with Antenna 3, the other at 4:50am with TeleCinco, both in Spain.  During the exchanges, Pedro displayed logos of both TV stations.

At 11:00am, the station residents participated in a joint crew news conference conducted with U.S. media at NASA centers and Russian media at TsUP/Moscow via “telebridge” hook-up.

NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe was made a call to the ISS crewmembers at 2:00am EDT via S-band/audio, with a reassuring mentioning of the current environmental monitoring situation.

Pedro Duque conducted a 10-min. amateur radio (ARISS) session with ham radio fans at the school Colegio CEIP de Seixalvo in Ourense, Spain.

The four crewmembers of Expedition 7 & 8 conducted their physical exercise on TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and CEVIS cycle ergometer.

Ed Lu completed the routine technical maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, while Yuri prepared the daily IMS “delta” file for automatic export/import to update the database. 

Pedro Duque had about half an hour set aside to work through and answer his email from “down home”.

Yesterday, MCC-H performed a ground-commanded checkout of the IAC 1 (internal audio controller #1), to verify whether the IAC 1 would function properly with the increasing amount of PBIT (passive built-in-test) faults recently observed.  The intent was to determine if IAC 1 could be considered aviable backup to the (currently prime) IAC 2.  During the test, additional PBITs occurred on IAC 1, causing the preliminary analysis of the results to be inconclusive. Ground specialists are continuing to evaluate.

Ed Lu collected cabin air samples in the Lab and SM with GSCs (grab sample containers), to be returned on 6S as high-priority items for instrument calibration, possibly along with SSAS (solid sorbent air sampler) samples.  Duque meanwhile worked again with the SSAS, taking samples in the center of the Lab, then deactivating the ops.   [While GSCs take a “snapshot” of current air composition, SSAS also provides a “historical” record of cabin air make-up over time.  Along with the air and water sample returns, a present there is sufficient water and air quality monitoring available onboard to ensure crew safety, and several steps are being taken to make sure it is maintained, centering on the effort to replace in a timely manner any equipment that is degrading.  The Russian onboard air analysis system (GA) has been freshly calibrated and is functioning, and a replacement U.S. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is being manifested on the next Progress flight.  The current situation is not seen to adversely impact the current Expedition over its duration or subsequent Expeditions. ]

No CEO (crew earth observations) during the joint ops phase.

Upcoming Soyuz-212 Events:

• 6S hatch closure: 10/27 (Monday), 3:10pm Eastern.
• 6S undocking: 6:20pm Eastern, 2:20am (10/28) Moscow;
• 6S landing:  10/27 (Monday), 9:36pm Eastern, 5:36am (10/28) Moscow.

Did you know that…
… the thermal control system’s loops A and B have each been operating on pump A almost continuously for the last 1050 days since activation on Flight 4A?

… that apump impeller spins at approximately 13, 600 RPM? (That’s 19,584,000 revolutions per day, and a grand total of 20.5 billion revolutions since activation per pump).

… that each thermal control system loop contains approximately 77.5 kg of ammonia? (At a pump flow rate of 915 kg/hr, the ammonia completes283.4 loop cycles per day. That means the ammonia has been circulated aroundeach loop 297,523 times since activation.)

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:41pm EDT).

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

• Elektron O2 generator is powered On, 32A.  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Manual Mode 5/3).  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Operating.  TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating.  MCA (major constituents analyzer) is off (in Life Extending Mode).  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.
• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 28.3; ppO2 (mmHg) — 160.9; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 2.4.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 765; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 772; temperature (deg C) — 22.7.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 761.06; temperature (deg C) — 22.5 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 763.0; temperature (deg C) — 24.8; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):   Pressure (mmHg) — 763.10; temperature (deg C) — 23.9; shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.2, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.7
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — 16.8.

(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 (non-suntracking). 
• SM batteries:  Battery #8, formerly known as #7, is off, still in slot #8; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode (batteries #1 and #3 are degraded). 
• FGB batteries:  Batteries #1 & #2 are off; 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-2 MDM is prime, C&C-1 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 #2 dropped out 9/26.
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational; string #3 dropped out 10/22.

Propulsion System (PS):

• Total propellant load available: 3891 kg (8578 lb) as of 10/16  [SM(755) + FGB(2784) + Progress M(352) + Progress M-1(0)].  (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 (y-axis in velocity vector, i.e. flying “sidewise”) [yaw: -90 deg, pitch: -8.9 deg., roll: 1.8 deg]), with CMG 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-2 is prime, IAC-1 is suspect).
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #2/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, 7:34am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 379.8 km
• Apogee — 384.2 km
• Perigee — 375.3 km
• Period — 92.1 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.000663
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.63
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 95 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 28105
• For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html