NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 25 July 2004

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All ISS systems continue to function nominally except those noted previously or below.   Sunday — second weekend rest day.

CDR Padalka performed the daily routine inspection of the SM’s SOZh life support system, including the weekly data collection of the Service Module (SM)’s toilet flush counter readings, with inspection of the urine collection (SP) & pretreat assembly and water supply status (SVO) counter readings, both for calldown to TsUP/Moscow.

While working on the ECLS system, Gennady also started another regeneration cycle on the BMP harmful impurities removal unit’s absorbent bed #1, leaving channel 2 in Purify mode.  [The “bakeout” cycle in the filter beds is repeated every 20 days.  Each bakeout to space vacuum takes about 24 hours.]

The CDR downloaded accumulated log files from the Russian payload computer (BSMM) to the “Wiener” power laptop, then transferred two log files to the Packet (email) Laptop for downlink.   [TsUP/Moscow was to be informed when ready for the downlink.]

The crew performed their regular daily physical exercise on TVIS treadmill, RED resistive exerciser, and VELO stationary bike with load trainer.

Working off the Russian task list, the CDR set up his third operations and measurement session with the Molniya-SM/LSO hardware from SM window #3, with the French-provided EGE-1 laptop running the latest NORAD orbital parameters (TLEs, two-line elements).  Once Gennady started the recording session, the payload works automatically until 7/29.  It will then be restarted at that time until 8/1 and then torn down.

After starting another run of the task-listed session of the Russian Uragan earth-imaging program yesterday, Padalka today conducted the second part of the activity, using the Kodak 760 DSC (digital still camera) with 800mm-lens from SM windows #9. After the activities, he commanded the external shutter of window #9 closed again.   [Today’s task featured imagery of cities of the Far East, a panoramic view of the Himalayas, Cities of Sochi/Adler and mountain resort off of the sea at the headwaters of the Mzymta river, which runs upwards from the airport.  A series of shots showing, separately, the cities and the resorts, the Grushevskaya settlement: practically in nadir on the western bank of the channel, and a panoramic view of the Andes.]

POIC (Payload Operations & Integration Center) reported to Mike Fincke that the PI of ISSI (In-Space Soldering Investigation) was extremely pleased with yesterday’s solder tests during the “Saturday Science” program.  Useful science data was collected from all 18 tests, and Mike’s commentary will be very useful for evaluating results.  [“Timely replacement of the soldering iron battery was much appreciated, as well as your patience and diligence with handling the wire coupons.  Also, moving the coupons farther down into the vise grip seemed to help provide the desired rigidity and inclusion of the ruler will be a useful reference tool.  Gently squeezing the solder onto the loops with the pliers was critical to rapid heating and proper solidification and we will add that step to the procedures.  Moving the soldering iron tip closer to the solder was also important for good heating.  Finally, the extended heating of the “contact” coupons in the final 6 tests was crucial to successful merging of the two solder balls, and yielded surprising and exciting results.”]

Major upcoming events:

• EVA tool configuring and video review — 7/26;
• MO-5, Orlan-M suit prep, water sep in PkhO and DC1 — 7/27;
• Orlan-M leak checks and telemetry checks — 7/28:
• EVA procedures review, 14P undock prep — 7/29;
• Orlan training run, battery charging, camera prep — 7/30;
• Progress 14P undocking — 7/30 (2:06am EDT);
• EVA timeline review — 8/1;
• OpsLan reconfig, etc. — 8/2;
• Orlan EVA-10 from DC-1 — 8/3 (hatch open: 2:50am EDT);
• EVA debrief, etc. — 8/4;
• Progress 15P launch — 8/11 (1:01am EDT);
• Progress 15P docking — 8/14 (2:05am EDT).

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in “ram”), were Exmouth Gulf, W Australia (looking left about 2.5 degrees for several small coastal towns in this remote northwest tip of Australia.  Suggested was experimentation with the relatively wide field-of-view lens to locate the night target and determine exposures.  Tracking with the 400 mm lens may have been feasible. Cities off track will appear to move to more slowly than nadir targets and should be easier to photograph),Alice Springs, Central Australia(nadir pass),Baghdad. Iraq(looking slightly left),and Kuwait(nadir pass.  This session could have continued with Saudi Persian Gulf cities at nadir).

CEO images can be viewed at these websites:

• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 9 Flight Crew Plans can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 4:42am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 358.5 km
• Apogee height — 362.6 km
• Perigee height — 354.5 km
• Period — 91.7 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) —  51.63 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0006000
• Solar Beta Angle — 16.8 deg
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 32431

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.