NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 4 January 2005

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.   This afternoon at 3:45pm EST, ISS completes 35,000 orbits of Earth since launch of FGB/Zarya, having covered a distance of 1.480 billion km (925 million miles) or six times the distance to Mars and back.

After station inspection and morning hygiene, before breakfast and first exercise, CDR/SO Leroy Chiao and FE Salizhan Sharipov performed another session of the periodic Russian biomedical assessments PZEh-MO-8 (body mass measurement) and PZEh-MO-7 (calf volume measurement).  The FE set up the MO-8 “scales” equipment and later broke it down and stowed it away.   [Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference points, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures.  For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless (but not massless), the Russian IM “scales” measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants.  By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmembers mass is calculated by the computer and displayed].

FE Sharipov also had another session with the European Neurokog experiment, employing newly delivered equipment that he had unstowed and checked out on 12/12/04.   [Neurokog studies the effects of space flight on the perception and process of memorizing orientation and location in a virtual reality environment.  For this experiment, the subject crewmember wears a virtual reality headset and is free-floating in the cabin.  The subject is then asked to move through a virtual reality corridor , making twists and turns as needed, while recording EEG (electroencephalogram).  Salizhan first activated the EGE-2 computer, then equipped himself with the Halley head electrodes.  After doing the virtual turns/corridor episodes in fixed state (subject strapped down) and free-floating in zero-G called for by the Neurokog protocol, he downloaded the EEG data to a PCMCIA memory card for subsequent return to Earth, and dismantled the equipment.]

Using the MBI-8 “Profilaktika” equipment unstowed recently (11/24/04), Salizhan later today performs his first round of the Russian preventive health maintenance fitness test series, starting with the VELO stationary bike ergometer.   [There will be two more tests, one with the NS-1 Load Trainer tomorrow, the other with the TVIS treadmill on 1/6.  Test procedure is identical to the Russian MO-5 assessment, but in addition to the nominal procedure, it calls for the use of the TEEM-100M gas analyzer, measurement of the lactate level in the subject s blood with the AccuSport device, and subjective evaluation of physical exertion levels during the test.  Results are entered on a log sheet.  TEEM and ECG (electrocardiograph) data are transferred to the borrowed U.S. SSC6 IBM 760XD laptop, also on a tape cassette (Cardiocassette-2000), and prepared for later downlink via Regul-Packet comm.  The lactate levels were called down to specialists standing by at TsUP.]

The CDR/SO is to conduct the monthly potable water microbial sampling for in-flight chemistry/microbiology analysis, using jointly approved Russian sampling procedures with the U.S. WS&A (water sampler & archiver) for collection and the WMK (water microbiology kit) for treatment/processing within 6 hours of the collection (done at ~6:10am EST).  Sample analysis also included processing water samples in the MWAK (microbial water analysis kit) for inflight coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli) detection, at ~8:15am.  Before the activity, Leroy set up the video camera to record his microbiology water analysis for downlink and use on the ground as baseline test for future Russian Clarissa microbial analysis activities (Clarissa software was not yet used today).   [Results will be available after a two-day incubation period, in case of the MWAK after 4-6 days of incubation.  Since only one sample return bag remained available (due to the slip of 16P), one sample only was taken in the SM from the EDV container of the SVO-ZV water supply system.  Last time done: 12/6/04.]

Sharipov is scheduled to work on the Service Module (SM) water supply system, compressing the bladders of the Rodnik water storage tanks (BV1 & BV2) in the Progress 16P vehicle, a two-hour task, to transfer their contents into the SM water storage system.  The Rodnik tanks will later be used to store liquid waste (urine) from EDV-U containers for disposal.   [Each of the two spherical Rodnik tanks consists of a hard shell with a soft membrane (bladder) composed of elastic fluoroplastic, which is used to expel water from the tank by compressed air pumped into the tank volume surrounding the bladder.]

Chiao had another 40 min. set aside to finish up unloading 16P, transferring cargoes and inventorying items prior to stowage.

Leroy also filled out the regular weekly FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), his tenth, which keeps a log of his nutritional intake over time on special MEC (medical equipment computer) software.   [The FFQ records amounts consumed during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins.  IBMP-recommended average daily caloric value of the crew s food intake is 2200-2300 cal.  If larger quantities of juices and fruits are taken into account, the value can go to 2400-2500 cal.]

The crew will perform their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser, CEVIS cycle and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer.  Salizhan’s VELO exercise today was accounted for by his MBI-8 Profilaktika session (see above).

Afterwards, Leroy will transfer the daily TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC (medical equipment computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium.

The CDR is to conduct the bi-monthly inspection of the RED, which includes the squat harness of the machine, with canister cords and accessory straps, as well as the prescribed weekly maintenance check of the TVIS and its SPDs (subject positioning devices), with time & date settings.

Leroy is scheduled to complete the routine inspection of the SM’s SOZh life support system (including replacement of ASU toilet facility inserts) and to prepare the regular IMS (inventory management system) delta file for export/import to the IMS databases.

The Elektron is currently off.   After it shut down on 1/1, reactivation was not attempted until after yesterday s troubleshooting by Sharipov, who worked on removing any air bubbles in the pumping system.  When turned on, the machine ran for a short period of time and then shut down again.  TsUP/Moscow is currently developing new troubleshooting steps.

Station oxygen partial pressure (ppO2) remains at normal levels, after ISS cabin air was refreshed today with 3.24 kg of fresh O2 from Progress 16 stores.

The Vozdukh carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber continues to operate nominally after the crew worked on it over the weekend.  During its downtime, the U.S. CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) was active, working flawlessly.   [Vozdukh shutdown was accompanied by a failure flag on the Vozdukh control panel, which later cleared itself.  On TsUP direction, the crew closed all AVK vacuum valves.  On 1/3, Vozdukh was successfully reactivated, and CDRA was shut off.]

Overnight, MCC-Houston again changed the bias setting for the P6 PPS SAs (primary power system/solar arrays).  BGA (Beta gimbal assembly) 2B was set to 15 deg to provide shading for the MBS IMEA (mobile base /system/integrated motor electronics assembly), and BGA 4B bias was removed to support the P6 battery reconditioning.

The long-scheduled P6 battery reconditioning was initiated by MCC-H at ~9:00am EST on the 4B solar array s battery charge/discharge unit #1 (BCDU 4B1) that will continue for about a week to improve battery performance and assess battery health.  There are no crew actions associated with this activity, which was successfully performed on BCDU 4B2 last year starting on 10/25.  The BCDU 4B1 battery set is estimated to take 7 days for reconditioning and 16 hours for the subsequent capacity test.   [Crew intervention would be required for off-nominal events such as power channel loss or BGA (beta gimbal assembly) motor stall during an LOS (loss-of-signal, no-comm) period.  During the reconditioning, BCDU 4B1 will be offline and the 4B power channel will be supported in eclipse (darkness periods) by the other two BCDUs.  With one BCDU offline, channel 4B power levels will be limited to a max of 9.5 kW (normally limited to 12.2 kW).  Solar arrays will be in autotrack.]

Upcoming Key Events:

• ISS reboost (delta-V: 4 m/s) — 1/15/05;
• EVA-12 — 1/26/05 (Eastern)
• Progress 16P undocking & destructive reentry — 2/27/05;
• Progress 17P launch — 2/28/05.
• EVA-13 — 3/25/05;
• Soyuz 10 S launch — 4/15/05;
• Soyuz 9S undock — 4/25/05 (after 193 days on orbit, 191 days on board ISS).

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 10 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-10/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.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 6:36am EST [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 352.2 km
• Apogee height — 354.5 km
• Perigee height — 349.9 km
• Period — 91.58 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0003413
• Solar Beta Angle — 28.9 deg (magnitude peaking, going down again on 1/6)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 120 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34994

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.