NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 27 July 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.

CDR Vinogradov, assisted by the FE-2, worked in the Progress-356/21P vehicle, dismantling the Kurs-A rendezvous & approach radar system of its motion control & navigation system (SUDN) and removing it from the transport drone, a 3-hr. job. These valuable components, stowed in the FGB, will be returned to Earth on the next Shuttle for reuse. [KURS-A is the active half of the Russian space program’s proven S-band radar system for automated flight, which measures relative motion parameters between Progress (or Soyuz) and the ISS during rendezvous operations, to enable the autopilot’s calculation of corrective impulses. The system’s passive transponder counterpart (KURS-P) is on the Service Module (SM), with one antenna each at the tip of the two solar array wings.]

FE-1 Williams continued his work on the MELFI (Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS) equipment, today inserting the 100 ML and 500 ML samples and relocating the 100 ML sample. [MELFI provides the ISS with refrigerated storage and fast-freezing of biological and life science samples. It can hold up to 300 liters of samples ranging in temperature from 4°C to a low of -80°C.]

The crew continued preparations for next week’s EVA-5 spacewalk, going through a SAFER CBT (Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue/computer-based training) session, printing the depress/repress cue card for the Airlock (A/L), tagging up with MCC-Houston via S-band, conducting an inspection of EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) boots and preparing for tomorrow’s EVA dry run.

Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter, the two designated spacewalkers, also configured the A/L E/L (Equipment Lock) and restowed the A/L C/L (Crewlock) after yesterday’s EVA tool prepping/familiarization.

After lunch, the crew will take the CHeCS (Crew Health Care Systems) emergency medical operations OBT (on-board training) drill, a 30-min. exercise to refresh the Crew Medical Officer (CMO)’s acuity in applying ACLS (advanced cardio life support) in an emergency. [This onboard training provides crewmembers the opportunity to work as a team in resolving a simulated medical emergency aboard the ISS. The training drill refreshes their memory of the on-orbit stowage and deployment locations, equipment etc. and procedures.]

Pavel Vinogradov will collect the weekly cabin air readings with the GANK-4M Real-Time Harmful Contaminant Gas Analyzer system of the SM SOGS (Pressure Control & Atmospheric Monitoring System). [GANK tests for Methane (CH4), Ammonia (NH3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Formaldehyde (HCHO), Nitrogen Oxides (NO, NO2), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Hydrogen Fluoride (HF), and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN).].

The CDR also performs the periodic (about twice a month) replenishing of the Elektron’s water supply for electrolysis, filling the KOV thermal loops’ EDV container with water from an EDV containing water from the BKO multifiltration/purification column unit. [The 40-minute procedure is specially designed to prevent air bubbles larger than ~10 mm from getting into the BZh-8 Liquid Unit where they could cause Elektron shutdown. In the procedure, the BKO water is carefully transferred with a pump (BP), located behind SM panel 420, from the EDV-1 through the air/liquid separator unit (GZhS) into the empty EDV-2 while the crewmember checks for any air bubbles accumulating in the GZhS (and, if visible, estimates their number, with no more than two 1 cm diameter bubbles permitted in EDV-2). Elektron water is also supplied from U.S. technical water in a CWC (collapsible water container) that is checked for its contents of air bubbles and is rejected if the estimated total air bubble volume is more than 30 cubic centimeters (1 cm air bubble is about 0.5 ccm). CWCs can hold condensate, technical or potable water. Raw condensate is either processed through the SRV-K condensate water processor system into potable water or is used directly for flush water in the ASU toilet system.]

Vinogradov is to complete the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, with the regular replacements in its toilet system (ASU), while Jeff Williams 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).

As all new station crews before him, Thomas Reiter has one hour set aside on today’s schedule for ISS familiarization and adaptation, to help in adjusting to their new surroundings and activities. [This unstructured and discretionary session has become a valuable standard requirement for new station occupants for the first two weeks.]

FE-1 is scheduled to conduct the regular weekly audit/inventory of the available CWCs (collapsible water containers) and their contents, to keep track of onboard water supplies.

The crew will work out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the new CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (FE-1, CDR), RED (FE-1), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR, FE-2). [Pavel Vinogradov’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, Williams transfers his, Pavel’s and Thomas’ exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

Gaseous oxygen (O2) remaining in Progress-356/21P is being used daily to refresh the ISS cabin atmosphere.

Still showing on the Russian task list for today is the search for the BPU electronic processor (converter-amplifier) box of the Beta-08 ECG (electrocardiogram) units #61 and #63.

In an effort to get ahead on prepacking for 12A, MCC-H has added a discretionary 12A Prepack task to Jeff Williams’ “job jar” task list.

Yesterday’s (12:58am) ISS reboost with Progress M-56/21 thrusters resulted in a delta-V of 0.78 m/s (planned: 0.78 m/s) and a delta-mean altitude of 1.31 km (planned: 1.36km). Burn duration was 3m 05s, using 56 kilograms (kg) of propellant

During the assembly of the crew assembled the FPMU (Floating Potential Measurement Unit) to the TVCIC (Television Camera Interface Converter) on 7/25, only 3 bolts (of 4) were used. The fourth bolt is missing. Ground teams are evaluating options to proceed with 3 of 4 bolts installed and are reviewing the on orbit inventory of spare bolts (perhaps from TVIS) for an acceptable substitute. The task remains planned for EVA-5 at this time.

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Baltimore Ecosystem, Maryland (ISS had a fine near-nadir pass in good light and fair weather over this LTER [Long Term Ecological Research site]. Of particular interest at this time was a detailed mapping of the smaller estuaries of upper Chesapeake Bay where spring and summer flooding rains have transported fresh sediment and organic materials), Shortgrass Steppe, Colorado (ISS had a near-nadir pass over most of the LTER site. It is a transition zone between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. Of interest here is the impact of land use and terrain features on native habitats. Trying for a contextual mapping pass with short lens settings), and Santa Barbara Coast, California (this is another coastal LTER site. Weather was expected to clear over this area as a moderate Santa Ana wind field develops over southern California. Excellent light and nadir view offer the opportunity for detailed baseline mapping of the perimeters of urban area. The area is suffering from a heat wave and small fires are active in the mountain areas).

To date, more than 198,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS, almost one third of the total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts.

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/CEO.html
• 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 13 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-13/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 13 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.

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern and subject to change):

• 08/03/06 — US EVA-5
• 08/28/07 — STS-115/12A launch (earliest)
• 08/30-09/06 — STS-115/12A docked mission w/ISS (earliest) – P3/P4 trusses
• 08/31/06 — Pavel Vinogradov’s birthday
• 09/13/06 — Progress M-56/21P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 09/14/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch (Expedition 14 + VC11)
• 09/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (SM aft port)
• 09/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking (FGB nadir port) & reentry
• 10/08/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 10/18/06 — Progress M-58/23P launch
• 10/20/06 — Progress M-58/23P docking (SM aft port)
• 10/31/06 — Russian EVA-17
• 12/14/06 — STS-116/12A.1 launch (earliest)
• 12/16-24/06 — STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS (earliest) – P5 truss
• 12/19/06 — Progress M-57/22P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 12/20/06 — Progress M-59/24P launch
• 12/22/06 — Progress M-59/24P docking (DC1)
• 01/22/07 — US EVA-6
• 01/26/07 — US EVA-7
• 01/31/07 — US EVA-8
• 02/06/07 — Progress M-59/24P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 02/07/07 — Progress M-60/25P launch
• 02/09/07 — Progress M-60/25P docking (DC1)
• 02/22/07 — STS-117/13A launch (earliest) – S3/S4 trusses
• 02/24-03/03/07 — STS-117/13A docked mission w/ISS (earliest)
• 03/08/07 — Progress M-58/23P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 03/09/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S launch (Expedition 15 + VC12)
• 03/11/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S docking (SM aft port)
• 03/19/07 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S undocking (FGB nadir port)
• ??/??/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 06/11/07 — STS-118/13A.1 (earliest).

ISS Altitude History

Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA’s Human Spaceflight website. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at http://www.spaceref.com/iss/tracking.html.