NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 October 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. Underway: Week 3 for Expedition 12.
FE Tokarev performed Part 1 of his first onboard “Profilaktika” (MBI-8) preventive health maintenance fitness test series, starting with the VELO stationary cycle ergometer. [Valery will do two additional parts of the test, one with the NS-1 Load Trainer tomorrow, the other with the TVIS treadmill on 10/26. Test procedure for MBI-8 is identical to the Russian MO-5 assessment, but in addition to the nominal procedure it calls for the use of the TEEM-100M gas analyzer with breathing mask and a subjective evaluation of physical exertion levels during the test. The lactate blood test was done twice at the end of the session, using the ACCUSPORT analyzer and REFLOTRON-4 accessories. Results were entered on a log sheet. TEEM and ECG (electrocardiograph) data were transferred to the Laptop 3, also on a tape cassette (Cardiocassette-2000), and prepared for later downlink via Regul-Packet comm. Results were also called down to specialists standing by at TsUP.]
With just two more weeks to go until their two-man/no-IV spacewalk on 11/7, the crew is increasingly focusing on EVA preparations this week and next. Today they started preparing the U.S. Airlock, where CDR McArthur ended the charging procedure on one EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) battery in the BSA (battery stowage assembly, initiated on 10/22, and started it on the second. [EMU checkout is scheduled for tomorrow (previous O2 contamination concerns having been resolved), followed by EMU don/doff review on Wednesday, EVA dry-run training on Thursday, and EVA-4 delta-SORR (Stage Operations Readiness Review) on Friday (10/28).]
The Russian Elektron, successfully restored to service on 10/22 after five hours of troubleshooting, has been generating oxygen (O2) nominally over the weekend in 32 amp mode. The machine was shut down this morning and purged with nitrogen (~4:20am EDT) to allow another regeneration of the BMP micropurification unit that currently uses the same vacuum exhaust line as the Elektron (the latter for venting hydrogen).
Afterwards, Valery initiated the regeneration cycle on absorbent bed #1 of the 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.]
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The FE conducted a routine health check on the Russian telephone/telegraph subsystem (STTS) on its primary string, and later switched it over to nominal mode on the backup string. [The “Voskhod-M” STTS enables telephone communications between the SM, FGB, DC1 Docking Compartment and U.S. segment (USOS), and also with users on the ground over VHF channels selected by an operator at an SM comm panel, via STTS antennas on the SM’s outside. There are six comm panels in the SM with pushbuttons for accessing any of three audio channels, plus an intercom channel. Other modes of the STTS include telegraphy (teletype), EVA voice, emergency alarms, Packet/Email, and TORU docking support.]
Working off his discretionary “time available” task list, Tokarev did the daily routine maintenance of the Service Module (SM)’s Environment Control & Life Support System (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU) and also the weekly inspection of the air/liquid condensate separator apparatus (BRPK).
The FE also worked on the computerized IMS (Inventory Management System), updating and editing the database.
The crew again had one hour each set aside on today’s schedule for ISS familiarization and adaptation, to help in adjusting to their new surroundings and activities. [This “free” session has become a valuable standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two/three weeks.]
McArthur performed the regular monthly maintenance of the TVIS treadmill, mainly consisting of an inspection of the Russian and US tie-down harnesses for any damage.
The CDR also completed his regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine, with Valery’s exercise accounted for by his MBI-8 “Profilaktika” run on the VELO bike this morning.
Afterwards, Bill 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).
At ~7:35am EDT, McArthur set up the SM’s amateur radio equipment (Ericsson VHF transceiver, headset, power supply) for an ARISS session and at 7:40am conducted a 10-min. ham radio exchange with students at Tomioka Elementary School in Urayasu City, Chiba Japan. [The school, founded in 1979, has more than 1000 students in 29 classes. Urayasu City is known for its “Tokyo Disney Land” amusement park. The city, which is located by the ocean, also used to be a famous fishing town.]
At 10:15am, the crew held a teleconference with a U.S. Congressional Delegation touring the Johnson Space Center and calling Bill and Valery from the Flight Control Room.
Later, at 1:35pm, McArthur and Tokarev also downlinked two video messages of greetings, one to West Point for the Army-Navy game, the other in observance of the 5th Anniversary of permanent human occupancy of the ISS (since 11/2/2000).
After the discharge of the P6 2B1 battery for its periodic reconditioning, the operation is currently in a planned 72-hr. hold, at the end of which its recharge will be initiated.
SAMS (Space Acceleration Measurement System) continues to be down. Its recovery will be attempted in the near future with a hard disk swap.
No CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets uplinked for today.
To date, over 177,000 of CEO 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.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:38am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 346.6 km
- Apogee height — 347.4 km
- Perigee height — 345.9 km
- Period — 91.47 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0001172
- Solar Beta Angle — 35.8 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.74
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 90 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 39602
Upcoming Events (all dates Eastern):
- 10/26/05 — Test Reboost (four Progress 19 thrusters on manifold #2; 0.25 m/s delta-V)
- 10/27/05 — EVA-04 Dry Run
- 10/28/05 — EVA-4 Delta-SORR @ JSC (Stage Operations Readiness Review)
- 11/02/05 – 5th Anniversary of permanent ISS occupancy
- 11/07/05 — EVA-4 (U.S.)
- 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
- 12/20/05 – Progress M-54/19P undocking & reentry
- 12/21/05 – Progress M-55/20P launch
- 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking
- 01/09/06 — 100 days for Expedition 12.
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.
