NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 January 2006
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2006) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
Onboard sleep cycle continues to be shifted 5 hours to the right (wake up 6:00am EST), to prepare the crew for next week s EVA-15 spacewalk (which begins at ~5:26pm EST).
After wakeup and before breakfast and first exercise, FE Tokarev and CDR/SO McArthur completed their sixth session with the Russian crew health-monitoring program’s medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. Afterwards, the FE recorded data and stowed the hardware. [MO-9 is conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the “PHS/Without Blood Labs” exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program. The data were entered in the Medical Equipment Computer (MEC) s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]
The crew had another 3 hours for locating and gathering equipment hardware and tools for EVA-15, e.g., the Russian Biorisk-MSN payload kit for external installation.
Tokarev and McArthur also prepared the RadioSkaf Microsatellite payload, an old Orlan spacesuit equipped with sensors and amateur radio gear. [Yesterday, the FE was unable to locate a RadioSkaf setup DVD (Digital Video Disk) delivered on Progress 20. U.S. EVA specialists, who had a copy at MCC-H, compressed and uplinked the instruction files to support the activity today.]
In the DC-1 Docking Compartment, FE Tokarev checked the readings on the MOSFET radiation sensor reader display of the Russian/European RBO-3 Matryoshka-R antroph-amorphous (human torso) “phantoms” located inside and outside the ISS. This is a regular long-range activity.
At ~3:00pm EST, Valery downlinked the video recordings of the EVA tool and hardware gathering performed earlier in the day and tagged up with ground specialists.
The crew spent about an hour to install the SSVP docking mechanism in the hatchway between Progress-355/20P and the DC1 Docking Compartment. These systems, which would allow remote-controlled undocking of the drone, will again be cleared out after the EVA, to enable trash loading. [The SSVP 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 DC1.]
On three occasions, the CDR collected condensate water samples upstream of the Gas-Liquid Mixture Filter (FGS) of the SRVK-2M condensate water processor into a temporarily installed KAV humidity condensate container (#6577), for return to Earth.
Working off his job jar task list, McArthur also updated/edited the standard IMS delta file , including locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
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Both crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer. After reviewing the crew s TVIS data, engineers have now removed Bill’s TVIS speed placard and increased Valery’s to 8.5 mph (13.7 km/h). [Valery s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill in unmotorized mode and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 3 of the first set).]
Afterwards, the CDR transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
The ground-commanded BCAT-3 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test) activity is continuing, taking time-lapse flash photography of BCAT sample 6 at the MWA (Maintenance Work Area) via EarthKAM camera and SSC-7 laptop. McArthur conducted a check of the alignment and focus of the camera on the sample and position of flash. The imaging is to continue until 1/26.
Valery checked the operation of the Japanese experiment GCF-JAXA (Granada Crystallization Facility) in the Russian TBU incubator, maintained at 20 degC, including a temperature check on its ART (automatic temperature recorder). [This daily monitoring/temp checking, carried on the Russian voluntary “time available” task list, will continue until 4/30.]
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At ~1:50pm EST, the crew used the Sputnik-SM Kenwood D700 amateur radio station in the SM to conduct a 10-min. ham radio session with students at Riverhead Central School District Aquebogue School, Aquebogue, NY. [Aquebogue School, one of four elementary schools in the Riverhead School District, has 486 students, from Kindergarten to Grade 4. This District is located on the eastern end of Long Island some 100 miles due east of New York City, NY. Riverhead SD is culturally and economically diverse, including farms, horse farms, vineyards as well as suburban developments and rural communities. The students throughout Riverhead have been preparing for this ARISS contact for three years, all things space have been incorporated through out the science curriculums. Art, poetry and story writing have sparked the students interest.]
Yesterday, ground controllers have started a second round of runs for the VOA (Volatile Organics Analyzer). A calibrant run, dilute sample run, and a full sample run are being performed with a reduced AAA (Avionics Air Assembly) fan speed of 27,800 rpm. These runs will collect engineering and science data on each sample run to determine the effects of the reduced AAA fan speed. A third and final run will be performed approximately 72 hours later.
Today’s CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Pyrenees Snow Pack (DYNAMIC EVENT: This pass ran the length of the Pyrenees Mountain range. Using short and medium lens settings to document this winter’s accumulated snow pack there), and San Juan Snow Pack (DYNAMIC EVENT: As ISS tracked southeastward from Great Salt Lake, the crew was to try to document the snow pack of the rugged San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado using short to medium lens settings).
Over 177,000 of CEO (Crew Earth Observation) images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS.
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 12 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-12/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 12 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.
Events Ahead (all dates Eastern; tentative):
- 02/03/06 — Russian EVA-15
- 02/11/06 — ISS Reboost Test (in MMOD avoidance mode)
- 03/03/06 — Progress M-54/19P undocking & reentry
- 03/30/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S launch (Exp. 13 + Marcus Pontes/Brazil)
- 04/01/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S docking (DC1)
- 04/24/06 — Progress M-56/21P launch
- 04/26/06 — Progress M-56/21P docking
- 06/19/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking & reentry
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.
