NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 25 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, sleep at 9:30pm), to prepare the crew for next week s EVA-15 spacewalk (which begins at ~5:26pm EST).

Flight Engineer (FE) Tokarev set up for his 17th NOA (Nitric Oxide Analyzer) session in the DC1 Docking Compartment and then conducted the weekly test, afterwards dumping the measurements from the RSE laptop to the ground via the BSR-TM telemetry channel.  [Purpose of the ESA VC9 payload ESANO1, consisting of the Platon analyzer and its power supply, is to monitor expired nitric oxide (NO) in the subject’s exhaled air to detect signs of airway inflammation and indications of venous gas emboli (bubbles) that may be caused by inhalation of pollutants on the ISS and increased risk of decompression sickness. The experiment sessions are being conducted once a week, with two NO measurements in the exhaled air (after rinsing out with Rodnik water) taken in each session through a bacterial filter. Today s measurement ops were recorded in the Platon log and supported by ground specialist tagup via S-band. To prevent skewing measurements, Valery has to prepare for the session by excluding food items containing nitrites and nitrates (such as in processed meat, assorted vegetables, stewed cabbage, etc.) from his diet for 24 hours before the weekly experiment.]

Commander/Science Officer (CDR/SO) McArthur continued his work on the PromISS-4 (Protein Crystal Growth Monitoring by Digital Holographic Microscope #4) experiment, today installing video tape #13 in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) video system.  [Video downlink of the crystal growth experiment continues. PromISS-4 evaluates the effects of microgravity on crystal quality, as compared to experiments in gel, and confirms that the removal of convection by the use of gels has a similar effect as microgravity. PromISS is a joint payload venture between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).]

In the Russian segment (RS), Tokarev took the weekly cabin air data with the GANK-4M Real-Time Harmful Contaminant Gas Analyzer system of the Service Module s pressure control & atmospheric monitoring system (SM SOGS), which tests particularly for NH3 (ammonia) and HCl (hydrogen chloride).

The crew had two hours set aside to press on in their preparations of next week s EVA-15. Today s activities focused on pulling together and staging all the tools and equipment required for the EVA and assembling the gear as a bundle (or cluster ) with restraint tethers on the standard Russian EVA integrated equipment carrier (KPU). [The size of the EVA bundle must not exceed a diameter of 1m in order to pass through the DC-1 docking compartment s EVA hatch (max. allowable diameter: 1 m). Using comm links from the DC-1, the crew tagged up with ground specialists and made a video tape of the preparation of the bundle which was subsequently (~3:15pm EST) downlinked for inspection. Tools on the caddy include hammer, screwdriver, cutter, extender, two PGTs (Pistol Grip Tools), the digital camera, and scissors.]

McArthur continued his water sampling in the RS, today collecting potable water samples from the BRP-M water distribution & heating unit, from the Hot tap, into an EDP sample container, and from the second spigot (lukewarm) into three drink bags. The water used for line flushing was disposed of into an EDV container.  [Curiously, there is no really cold water aboard the ISS.]

Tokarev performed a periodic status check and Nikon D1X photography on the Japanese/JAXA 3D-PCGF (3D Photon Crystals Growth Facility) experiment in the Russian glovebox container.

The FE also exchanged the PCMCIA memory card in the laptop (ALC) of the ESA/RSC-Energia experiment ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS) and dumped the spectrometer data for subsequent downlink via the OCA comm system. ALTCRISS was temporarily relocated from the DC1 Docking Compartment to the SM.  [ALTCRISS uses the ACT spectrometer employed by VC8 guest cosmonaut Roberto Vittori earlier this year in the DC1 for the Italian LAZIO (Low Altitude Zone /Ionization Observatory) experiment. Progress 20 delivered a new Nomex shielding belt, containing polyethylene bricks and two new dosimeters in a dedicated pocket.]

Continuing his activities to ready the Progress 20 vehicle, currently docked to the DC1, for remote commanded separation, Tokarev activated the cargo craft and deinstalled the ventilation air duct between it and DC1.

Valery s next activity was removal and inspection of the threaded quick-disconnect (QD) screw clamps on the DC1 side, which rigidize the mating surfaces. The interface was visually inspected and video-recorded with the U.S. DVCAM to make sure that there is no damage. [During this period, the thrusters were disabled and the automatic handover to RS inhibited. Procedures were in place for the unlikely event of the station going into free drift as a result of loss of CMG attitude control or a primary GNC MDM failure.]

The FE s third step was the closure of the DC1-20P transfer hatch and the subsequent extended-duration hatch leak checks.

McArthur performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU), and the weekly inspection of the air/liquid condensate separator apparatus (BRPK). Bill 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).

Both crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the CEVIS cycle ergometer, 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 4 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.]

A second discretionary task on the Russian work list for Tokarev was the regular inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-8 (“Plants-2”) experiment which researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions.

At ~9:25am EST, the crew downlinked two PAO TV messages, one for the National Basketball Association (NBA) for replay at the NBA All-Star game at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, on 2/19, the other to honor Apollo 14 Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell.  [The NBA All-Star Game, which will be broadcast in more than 200 countries, allows fans to enjoy the NBA s greatest athletes at their best. 120 players are listed on the online NBA All-Star ballot. Dr. Edgar Mitchell will receive an Ambassador of Exploration Award at a ceremony at the South Florida Science Museum on 2/5. That date is the 35th Anniversary of the Apollo 14 moon landing. The highlight of the ceremony will include the presentation of one of Mitchell s collected moon rocks to the museum.]

For the next five days starting today, a set of time-tagged commands will be uplinked once a day by MCC-Houston for BGA (Beta Gimbal Assembly) positioning. The purpose is to recondition the solar arrays for rotation.  [Directed position commands will be issued once every 2 hours with a 0.2 degree change in position each time. The commands will be structured to oscillate the arrays +/- 3 degrees so changes will not be visible to the crew.]

In order to reduce ullage pressure on the FGB (Functional Cargo Block) oxidizer tanks, TsUP-Moscow yesterday activated the nitrogen (N2) compressor to equalize pressure with the FGB fuel tanks. This activity was terminated today.

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 Torino, Italy (Dynamic Event. Weather was predicted to be clear over northwestern Italy. Regional context images of Torino [Turin] and the Alps will capture the urban/rural area and the Olympic event locations to the west), Salamat Basin fans, Chad (ISS [passed over the eastern Salamat basin. Looking for wetlands and narrow vegetation patterns that mark internal drainages and fan boundaries), Internal waves, Azores, Atlantic (cloud cover was predicted to clear to the west of the islands for internal wave photography. The sunglint point will be located to the right of track and to the SW of the islands. Linkage of internal wave features to a geographic feature [such as an island] using overlapping frames is very helpful in locating and cataloging the frames), and Florida Coastal Everglades, USA (this nadir pass brought the station over the southern tip of Florida. Overlapping along-track frames of the Florida coast are useful for assessment of wetland extent and land cover/land use change in this LTER [Long Term Ecological Research] site).

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:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

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.

ISS Orbit  (as of this afternoon, 2:20pm EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 346.8 km
• Apogee height — 353.3 km
• Perigee height — 340.3 km
• Period — 91.47 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0009692
• Solar Beta Angle — -67.3 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.74
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 60 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 41072

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 + Marcos 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.