NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 September 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. Station systems are ready for launch of Soyuz-217/11S tomorrow night (see below).

As a checkout toward Soyuz TMA-6/10S undocking on 10/10 (Eastern), the crew supported the standard ground-commanded test of the spacecraft s SUD motion control system, first pressurizing the String 2 section of the combined propulsion system propellant tanks & pressurization tanks (KDU), then conducting, at ~4:38am EDT, the standard 1-minute hot thruster firing test. The test took place on Daily Orbit 3 (DO3) over RGS (Russian ground sites), and initial indications are that it was nominal.  [KDU comprises both maneuver and attitude control engines of the Soyuz. For the test, station attitude was handed over to Russian thruster control at 4:32am, commanded to free drift at 4:20pm, and after the test back to XPOP TEA (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane/torque equilibrium attitude). Attitude control returned to USOS momentum management at 5:04am. During the test firing, the crew remained in the Soyuz Descent Module (SA), with its gas analyzer activated for safety.]

Sergei Krikalev performed Part 2 of his second onboard Profilaktika (MBI-8) preventive health maintenance fitness test started yesterday, today using the resistive NS-01 load trainer, keeping a log and supported by tag-up with medical support personnel at TsUP/Moscow. Part 3, on the TVIS treadmill, will conclude the assessment tomorrow.  [Today s Russian fitness test consists of four types of exercise, viz., neck tilting (back/forward), simultaneous forearm flexing, trunk extension, and trunk flexes. Each type of exercise consists of a series of 15 motions repeated two times. Load levels are selected by the ground and do not change from test to test. Total duration of the test is 13 min. Gas analysis and subjective evaluation of physical exertion levels are also performed as a part of this test, using the TEEM-100M gas analyzer, but no lactate level and creatine kinase blood testing as in previous runs.]

The CDR prepared equipment and work area for the Russian biomedical “Pilot” experiment (MBI-15), which requires a table, ankle restraint system and control handles for testing piloting skill in flying simulations on a laptop (LT 2) under stopwatch control. He then conducted the experiment for the second time this Increment, supported by tagup with ground specialists. Afterwards, John Phillips also performed the test. Later, Sergei transferred the data via PCMCIA card to the Russian RSK1 laptop, then deactivated, disassembled and stowed the Pilot-P gear.  [The test subjects performed three flight control modes (fixed, slow and fast free-flyer), each one five times, after checkout and calibration of the control handles. Results were reported to the ground.]

In addition to the Pilot data, Krikalev transferred all images and experimental results stored on digital cards and on the RSK1 laptop to three hard disk drives (HDDs), which are to accompany him to Earth in 10S.

Early in the morning, John Phillips started the regeneration process on Metox (metal oxide) CO2 adsorbent canisters #0020 & #0021 (used during LF-1 EVA1) in the Airlock’s Metox bake-out oven. [Both the CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal System) and the TCCS (Trace Contaminant Control System) were activated last night to support the activity. The FE is monitoring Metox regeneration temperature throughout the day and will terminate the process tonight before sleep time (5:20pm EDT). Total regeneration time: 14 hours.]

In the FGB, Sergei removed and replaced one of the six 800A storage batteries (no. 2), discarding the old unit for disposal in Progress.

FE Phillips off-loaded about 20 kg of condensate water from the Lab collection tank into a CWC (collapsible water container).  [After the crew s recent cleaning of IMV (intermodular ventilation) ducts, air flow between modules has significantly improved, with considerably reduced condensate generation in the Lab. The airflow problem appears to have been solved, but IMV continues to be monitored.]

Subsequently, John also conducted the weekly inventory audit of the available CWCs and their contents, to keep track of onboard water supplies.  [Updated cue cards based on John s water calldowns, are sent up every other week.]

Both crewmembers continued the longer-term task of surveying and organizing their equipment in preparation for their departure on 10/10.

Phillips completed the daily routine maintenance of the Service Module (SM)’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including the ASU toilet system, while Krikalev, working off the discretionary task list, prepared the regular daily IMS delta /update file for automated export/import to the three IMS (Inventory Management System) databases (MCC-H, TsUP, Baikonur).

John completed an hour s-worth of physical exercise on the TVIS treadmill. Sergei s exercise session today was accounted for by his MBI-8 Profilaktika fitness run on the VELO bike with load trainer. Afterwards, John transferred the exercise data files to the MEC for downlink.

The Science Officer was congratulated by the Principal Investigator of the FOOT (Foot/Ground Reaction Forces during Space Flight) experiment on his recent fifth and final session.  [Evaluation of the downlinked data shows that John s persistence, dedication, and the right hardware combination all contributed to the on-orbit success of this payload .]

At ~8:50am EDT, the CDR downlinked a video message with greetings to the participants of the opening ceremony of Space Week in Korea on 10/4, partly in Korean.  [ An Nyong Ha Sae Yo! Chook Ha Nam Ni Da! Hello! Congratulations or best wishes. The ISS crew welcomes the people of Korea to the space community and wishes for the success of this year s 2005 World Space Week Festival. ]

The crew also sent down an address of greetings to students on the opening of the First Conference for Educational Science and its contest Experiment in Space .  [The conference will open on 10/7 at the Moscow Palace for creative work of the youth and is partly sponsored by RSC-Energia. The best projects resulting from the contest will be recommended for implementation in space.]

This morning, RSC-Energia reported the Russian segment (RS) ready to receive the Increment 12 crew.  [Elektron O2 generator, currently working nominally on 24 amps, will be shut down before docking and reactivated on 10/5 or 10/6, according to TsUP/Moscow. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is nominal in automatic mode. Also running nominally: BMP harmful impurities removal system and SKV air conditioner. At the SM Central Post, Laptop 1 has developed a problem and has switched over to Laptop 2. Some problems with the RS TCS (thermal control system) had to be overcome: one pump in the DC1 docking module will need to be replaced, as well as another pump in the SM. Both KOV thermal loops are currently configured to provide adequate cooling to DC1 and SM.]

Soyuz TMA-7/11S Launch Preparations: At Baikonur, the Soyuz FG launch vehicle with attached payload section was rolled out before dawn and erected on Launch Pad 1 without issues (see timelines and pictures below). Launch time is 11:54pm EDT tomorrow night (9:54am on 10/1 local Baikonur time).

Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Typhoon Longwang, Okinawa (Dynamic event. This Category 3 storm is bearing down on Okinawa, when it is scheduled to be a Category 4 storm heading WNW towards the Chinese coast. Looking half left towards a well-formed eye. Like the US, China has experienced several major storms this year), Aral Sea, Kazakhstan (Dynamic event. Particularly clear weather exists and no handheld imagery has been received in some months. Looking left obliquely and shooting the north shoreline of the water body. Irrigation takeoff from the Amu Darya River has caused the coastline to retreat many miles southward toward the center of the Aral basin), and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (a mapping swath looking right was requested. Shooting as close to track as feasible in XPOP attitude).

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 11 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-11/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 11 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 morning, 7:20am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 348.8 km
• Apogee height — 350.0 km
• Perigee height — 347.6 km
• Period — 91.51 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0001802
• Solar Beta Angle — -53.5 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 100 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 39209

Expedition 12/Expedition 11 Flight Timelines:

• Soyuz 11S (Expedition 12+1; William McArthur, Valery Tokarev, Gregory Olsen):
• Launch — 9/30, 11:54pm EDT;
• Kurs-A & Kurs-P short test (15 km) — 10/3 (Mon.), 00:40am;
• Soyuz TV activation (8 km from ISS) — 00:47am
• Flyaround — 1:05-1:14pm;
• Orbital Sunrise — 1:10am
• Start Final Approach from Stationkeeping — 1:23am;
• Docking — 10/3 (Mon.), 1:32am EDT.
• RGS Loss of Signal (LOS) — 1:42am.
• Soyuz 10S (Expedition 11+1; Sergei Krikalev, John Phillips, Gregory Olsen):
• Undocking from FGB — 10/10 (Mon., Columbus Day), 5:40pm EDT (undock command);
• Sep Burn #1 (manual) — 5:46pm;
• Deorbiting Burn — 8:21pm (4 min 23 sec; delta-V 115.2 m/s);
• Landing before dawn — 10/10 (Mon.) 9:08pm EDT; 7:08am (10/11) local Kustanai/Kazakhstan;
• Sunrise at Kustanai landing site — 7:47am l [Note: Kazakhstan remains on Standard Time; thus: local time = GMT+5].

Other Upcoming Events (all times EDT):

• 10/18/05 — ISS Reboost
• 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
• 12/21/05 Progress M-55/20P launch
• 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking.

Soyuz-FG for 11S on 9/29/05:

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.