Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 26 Jun 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

June 26, 2003

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 26 Jun 2003 — iss

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.

After wake-up (2:00am EDT), before breakfast and exercise, CDR Yuri Malenchenko and Science Officer Ed Lu completed the periodic Russian MedOps test “Hematokrit” (MO-10), which measures red blood cell count of the blood. The crewmembers assisted each other in drawing the blood sample from a finger with a perforator lancet. [The samples were then centrifuged in two microcapillary tubes in the M-1100 kit’s minicentrifuge, and its hematocrit value was read off the tubes with a magnifying glass. It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count (normal range: 30-45%) tends to go down over time.]

Both crewmembers then underwent the IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) assessment with blood labs, each one acting first as CMO (crew medical officer) and then being the examined subject. Afterwards, Ed Lu completed data entry for both crewmembers and stowed the hardware. [The PHS exam includes blood analysis with the PCBA (portable clinical blood analyzer), MO-10 (see above) and clinical evaluation, guided by special software (IFEP, in-flight examination program) on the medical equipment computer (MEC). While PCBA analyzes total blood composition, MO-10 particularly measures the blood’s hematocrit.]

Part 2 of the PHS test, the Russian PZE MO-9 Urinalysis, is scheduled for tomorrow. For their second session with this biochemical urine test after begin of Increment 7, Malenchenko today set up the “Urolux” equipment and ran a functional test on it.

It was Ed’s turn to continue the latest round of periodic preventive maintenance of Russian segment (RS) ventilation systems, today in the “Pirs” DC-1 docking compartment where he changed out its two dust filters (PF1 & PF2) and cleaned the mesh screens of the V1 & V2 ventilator fans (last time done: 5/21).

Yuri Malenchenko later performed a periodic test of the PSS caution & warning (C&W) panel in the DC-1, to make sure that all light indicators illuminate and the high-frequency alarm tone is audible and has sufficient volume.

Ed Lu took CO2 measurements in the Service Module (SM) near the Vozdukh and in the Lab module, using the U.S. CDMK (carbon dioxide monitoring kit). [Intravehicular ventilation (IMV) between the USOS (U.S. segment) and RS is degraded due to debris collected on the fan inlet flow dividers. Direct air flow measurements are only possible by comparing partial pressures of air constituents between the segments, and ppCO2 is a good yardstick since an increasing ppCO2 in the Lab not reflected in the SM indicates that Vozdukh is not receiving the air from the Lab at an efficient rate. The CDMK data will help to establish an optimal fan-cleaning schedule.]

The CDR worked on the Rodnik water storage system of the Progress 11P, using a compressor to pressurize the tank bladder, as is required before liquid waste (urine) can be transferred from the SM’s ASU toilet system to the empty Rodnik tanks.

Malenchenko tended to his BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment which researches growth and development of plants under space flight conditions in the Lada-2 greenhouse. Later, he copied the accumulated photo/data files to a floppy diskette for transfer to the Russian laptop 3 and subsequent downlink via Regul-Packet.

Yuri also performed the regular inspection of the BRPK-1 air/liquid condensate separator. The planned upgrade of the BRPK condensate separation and pumping units has been cancelled for the time being since the two replacement parts could not be located yet on board (this task was erroneously reported as completed in the 6/24 on-orbit status report). [The plan is to replace the old pipe conduits, including safety valves, with new units. The latter have no filters and use higher safety valve trip pressures. Purpose of the upgrade is to prevent unwanted flow of the fluid through the bypass line during condensate transfer cycles.]

Ed Lu conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system and prepared the daily “delta” file for updating the inventory management system (IMS). [A major issue with the IMS that has just now surfaced and is being worked by the IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team), is the discovery by Moscow that the crew has not been able to locate about 200 items which are misplaced or “lost” by not being logged properly in the IMS database. MCC-M/TsUP has assessed the “missing” items and identified about 10 with considerable criticality for on-board operations. Primary concern on the ground is how the IMS inventory bookkeeping could get so much “behind time” in terms of the actual, current situation on board. Russian IMS database specialists are now joined by U.S. personnel to evaluate the issue, identify immediate needs with a priority on crew safety, and come up with a realistic plan at bringing the IMS up to date and prevent future deviations of this kind. The IMS database currently contains 22,363 items.]

Ed also conducted the standard 15-min. inspection and servicing of the food warmers, which are part of the CSS (crew support systems). [Food warmers, food trays, utensils, etc., are part of the food preparation hardware in the galley located in the SM. The food warmers are in recessed wells in the galley table which also has crew and equipment restraints. Besides the galley, the wardroom area also includes a potable water dispenser (for hot and ambient water for drink and food hydration), a trash container, and two refrigerators.]

After power-up of the HRF (human research facility) this morning, the PCMCIA memory card with rack data for transfer could not be installed in the primary slot of the HRF laptop. Insertion in the alternate slot worked, and data transfer proceeded nominally. Under investigation.

After power-up of EXPRESS Rack #2 (ER2) for a planned checkout of a new ARIS (active rack isolation system) remote console at JSC, the rack’s AAA (avionics air assembly) fan exhibited current spikes and a 20-30 RPM increase in rotor speed. The signature is being analyzed; The current plan is to keep ER2 up in support of next week’s ARIS console checkout.

The crew completed their regular daily 2.5-h program of physical exercise, on TVIS treadmill, RED expander and, for Yuri, on the Russian VELO cycle ergometer with load trainer.

At 11:30am EDT, the crew participated in a 20-min. live educational audio/video PAO event with education specialists at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL, to provide educational content for the MSFC-managed “NASAexplores” website. [Each week NASAexplores publishes two new articles about current NASA aerospace and space flight projects, which are then adapted to three different grade levels: Kindergarten to 4, 5 to 8, and 9 to 12. See http://nasaexplores.com .]

At 2:45pm EDT, Ed Lu set up and conducted a ham radio session with students at the Space Science Education Center of the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana at Hammond, Indiana. A list of the students’ questions had been uplinked beforehand.

The crew was commended on and thanked for yesterday’s excellent ship-to-ship event with the “Aquarius” Underwater Laboratory off Key West, FL, America’s “Inner Space” station currently commanded by ISS-Astronaut Peggy Whitson as part of NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Missions Operations)..

The crew also received kudos for the successful completion of the RED (resistive exercise device) Flexpack replacement in canisters #1009 and 1010. [Both replaced Flexpack units, to be installed in canisters 1001 and 1003 in a separate IFM, are still judged quite useable as spares.]

Moscow reported a problem with RS laptop #1. [After its failure during the recent Progress-259/11P docking, it could not be restarted yet since this requires a boot diskette is needed which the crew as to date been unable to locate. For the time being, payload control laptop #3 has been reconfigured as backup machine to laptop #2 which has primary station control.]

SM storage battery #4 continues to be off-line and is considered failed. [After some restorative cycling in early June, the 800A unit operated from 6/7 – 6/17, then rapidly lost its capacity. The remaining seven batteries in the SM are able to maintain positive power balance, and negotiations are underway with Khrunichev to use the spare FGB battery in case it should be needed.]

Moscow continues to analyze data from the failed Klest-140ST-M television camera mounted externally on the SM aft end, pointing rearward (+X direction for SM). Upon activation during a recent routine check, an electrical short occurred which appears to have been caused by the camera’s cabling inside the module, not the camera itself. [Good connectivity measurements by Malenchenko on 6/23 of the wiring, cable network and connections to the SUBA (onboard equipment control system) have been received on the ground and are being analyzed. This camera is intended to be used for rendezvous and docking of the European ATV (automated transfer vehicle) late next year at the SM aft port. If the camera itself is at fault, it would need to be replaced via an EVA/spacewalk.]

Science Officer Ed Lu recommended the ground to look into the possibility of a minor Flight Rule revision regarding usage restrictions on the Lab nadir window during XPOP attitude. A slight change may result in a considerable increase in viewing angles and viewing opportunity.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Western Mediterranean Haze (reports of reduced visibility in coastal cities of Spain: looking left of track for haze over the Med), Eastern Mediterranean Haze (looking left and right for industrial haze in the Adriatic Sea off Venice, where visibility is reduced today as high pressure persists), Berlin, Germany (cloudfree zone over north-central Europe: Berlin is immediately north of track and hard to see despite its great area, due to the great number of trees. We are trying to take advantage of optimal midsummer lighting at the top of the orbit), St. Louis, Missouri (nadir and a touch left), Detroit, Michigan (nadir pass), Eastern Mediterranean Dust (early morning sun and gusty winds should allow blowing dust to be documented off the Libyan coast, left and right of track), Los Angeles, California (nadir pass), Las Vegas, Nevada (nadir pass), The Dalles (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: Crew was to try mapping the lower Columbia River. Of particular interest is the area known as The Dalles, a great southward arc in the river before it cuts through the Cascade Range), Mekong River Delta (looking right for views of the delta. Even obliques are useful due to the power of the 400 mm lens. Changes in land use and coastline patterns are the objects of interest), Gulf of Maine plankton (ISS pass tracked along the southern side of the gulf: looking left for any color variation denoting spring plankton growth), and Lower Amazon River Basin (looking right for the islands of the estuary. Coastline change, rapid island migration and the extent of water color change out into the Atlantic Ocean are of interest [Amazon discharge reduces salinities in the ocean in an area as large as the Mediterranean]).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:14pm EST).

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

Elektron O2 generator is powered On (18 amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Manual Mode 3/5). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is operating. 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) — 28.7; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.7.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 745.16; temperature (deg C) — 24.3 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 746.84; temperature (deg C) — 23.1; ppO2 (mmHg) — 172.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.4.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 746.49 temperature (deg C) — 30.1; shell heater temp (deg C) — 25.0, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 24.7.
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 17.0.

(n/a = data not available)

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available: 3803 kg (8384 lb) as of 6/19 [SM(774) + FGB(2447) + Progress M(182) +Progress M-1(400)]. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in AutoTrack.
SM batteries: Battery #4 is disconnected (failed 6/16); all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #1 is in “Cycle” mode; 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-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
INT-1 is operating; INT-2 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-2 MDM is Off; PL-1 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

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:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = “sun-fixed” [yaw: 0.5 deg, pitch: -9.0 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist).Management.
Solar Beta angle: -23.7 deg (magnitude decreasing).

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-1 (internal audio controller #1) being analyzed after self-test error. IAC-2 is prime.]
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 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, 7:07am EDT [= epoch]):