NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 3 November 2004
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2004) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below
Before breakfast, CDR/SO Chiao performed the 24-hr. data registration of the acoustic dosimeters (two body-worn and one static) deployed yesterday. Readings will again be taken tonight before sleep time, after which Leroy will deactivate and stow the dosimeters. [Before turning the dosimeters back on again, their batteries were changed out. The dosimeters were then statically deployed for approximately 12 hrs in specified locations.]
FE Sharipov’s timeline today was dominated by the removal and replacement (R&R) of ten DS-7A smoke detectors of the “Signal-VM” fire detection system in the Service Module (SM). Last time done by Alex Kaleri on 11/13/03. [The R&R was necessarily accompanied by system deactivations/reactivations (such as the Elektron O2 generator and the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system’s VD-SU control system mode) from the ground plus local demating/remating of the TMI telemetry signal connectors by the crew. The new DS-7As were transferred from their FGB stowage, and the old units prepared and stowed for disposal.]
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Previous Reports ISS On-orbit Status [HQ] |
Leroy Chiao, supported by the ground, worked at the Lab’s AV-3 (Avionics 3) rack to perform the software upload of the #2 SIGI (space integrated GPS/inertial navigation system) with R2 firmware (GPS2). [Upgrading of GPS-1 is now scheduled for 11/16. GPS-1 is located in the aft starboard endcone of the Lab module, which requires rotating the S6 rack for the MT TCS/CCAA (moderate temperature thermal control system/common cabin air assembly) and perhaps the D6 rack, for a possible AAA (avionics air assembly) inspection, away from the wall. No switchover from the S6 CCAA air conditioner to the P6 CCAA is required since the former, as opposed to the latter, is currently not operational. Chiao was asked to check whether S6 can be rotated without requiring disconnecting four OpsLAN items currently located on it (A31p File Server, two A31p SSC Client laptops, one printer).]
The CDR completed the third part of the current BCAT-3 (Binary Colloid Alloy Test 3) science photography session. [Today’s video-recorded activity by the Science Officer consisted of photographing Sample 2 at the 100,000 sec interval, followed by hardware disassembly and stowage of the SGSM (slow growth sample module) in the Lab’s forward endcone. The images captured during the photo sessions are kept on separate PCMCIA memory cards until the ground confirms their successful archiving.]
Salizhan Sharipov finished his first session of diet logging for the BIOPSY (Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle) experiment. Similarly to the Renal (kidney stone prevention) experiment in the past, nutrition consumption was recorded three times a day, using the IMS BCR (inventory management system/bar code reader). [One of the human systems most affected by extended stays in space is the neuromuscular system. Past space missions have shown weightlessness can cause deterioration of muscle fiber, nerves and physical strength. BIOPSY investigates the reductions in limb muscle size, force and power at the cellular level that are induced by microgravity. This research will determine how long it takes for micro-G to affect skeletal muscles, so predictions can be made regarding muscle changes that may occur on a roundtrip flight to Mars. To help establish the cellular effects of weightlessness, biopsies are taken from the calf muscle (gastronemius) and foot-flexing muscle (soleus) 45 days before launch, and again immediately upon return to Earth. MRI (magnetic resonance imagery) also is taken of the calf muscle 90 and 30 days before launch, and again one and 21 days after return to Earth.]
Chiao completed the scheduled transfer of IMAK (ISS medical accessory kit) contents of extra medications delivered on Soyuz TM-5 (9S) to the U.S. medical kits, i.e., the AMP (ambulatory medical pack) and the ALSP (advanced life support pack).
Leroy also performed the daily routine maintenance of the SOZh environmental control & life support systems in the SM, which today included the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator. Salizhan, working off the Russian task list, prepared the daily “delta” file for updating the IMS (inventory management system) databases.
A second item on Sharipov’s discretionary “job jar” list for today was the periodic inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment that researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-5 greenhouse.
The crew completed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill, CEVIS ergometer bike, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer. Afterwards, the CDR again downloaded TVIS and RED exercise data files to the medical equipment computer (MEC) to support early review on the ground.
Upcoming Key Events: Current station attitude of sun-pointing XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) will be maintained until 11/16. Station reboost will then follow on 11/17 (backup opportunity 11/18). The Soyuz relocation is scheduled for 11/29 (no earlier than), preceded by a hot-fire test of its thrusters.]
Today’s CEO photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window (not applicable to other windows), which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Lake Poopo, Bolivia (weather was predicted to be clear over the central Andes during this overpass. Looking to the immediate right of track for Lake Poopo. Current and prior water levels in this lake provide information on climate change in the region. The lake is located along the eastern edge of the Altiplano and tends to have a greenish cast), and Internal waves, Patagonian Shelf (this overpass provided an opportunity for internal wave photography. The sunglint point was located to the left of track approximately midway between the South American coastline and the Falkland Islands).
CEO images can be viewed at these websites:
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 10 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 10 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.
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ISS Location NOW |
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:09am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 358.3 km
- Apogee height — 364.0 km
- Perigee height — 352.5 km
- Period — 91.71 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0008526
- Solar Beta Angle — 30.9 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 150 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34019
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.
