NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 5 September 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 and FE-2 Reiter had another four hours scheduled between them for collecting discarded equipment and trash and stowing it in Progress M-56/21P, using an uplinked disposal list and tracking dispositions in the IMS (Inventory Management System).
Pavel Vinogradov also worked on prepacking selected cargo for return to Earth on Soyuz TMA-8/12S.
Thomas Reiter continued his comprehensive audit/inventory of Russian hardware in the FGB, started yesterday, checking and verifying entries on an uplinked summary table listing over 300 items.
FE-1 Williams conducted the second session with the CFE (Capillary Flow Experiment) payload in the Lab MWA (Maintenance Work Area), today using the Vane Gap-1 hardware for the fluid tests. [CFE has applications to the management of liquid fuels, cryogens, water-based solutions and thermal fluids in spacecraft systems. Vane Gap (VG) is one of three CFE experiments, the others being ICF (Interior Corner Flow) and CL (Contact Line). Each of the CFE experiments is represented with two unique experimental units, all of which use similar fluid-injection hardware, have simple and similarly sized test chambers, and rely solely on video for highly quantitative data. Silicone oil is the fluid used for all the tests, with different viscosities depending on the unit. Differences between units are primarily fluid properties, wetting conditions, and test cell cross section. For example, today’s VG investigates the critical wetting condition that arises between interior corners that do not actually make contact, in particular, the corner and gap formed by an interior vane and the interior wall of a propellant tank, or between the intersection of vanes in a complex vane network.]
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Vinogradov and Williams conducted another standard fit check of the Kazbek couches, the contoured shock absorbing seats in the Soyuz 12S (the first one was performed on 7/26). They also were to verify that the Stowage/Transportation Cover (KUTE) of Reiter’s IELK (Individual Equipment & Liner Kit, Russian: USIL) is located in the TMA-8 Orbital Compartment (BO). [For the fit check, crew members remove their cabin suits and don Sokol KV-2 suit and comm caps, getting into in their seats and assessing the degree of comfort and uniform body support provided by the seat liner. Using a ruler, they then measured the gap between the top of the head and the top edge of the structure facing the head crown. The results were reported to TsUP. Kazbek-UM couches are designed to withstand g-loads during launch and orbital insertion as well as during reentry and brake-rocket-assisted landing. Each seat has two positions: cocked (armed) and noncocked. In cocked position, they are raised to allow the shock absorbers to function during touchdown. The fit check assures that the crewmembers, whose bodies gain in length during longer-term stay in zero-G, will still be adequately protected by the seat liners for their touchdown in Kazakhstan, either emergency or regular return (12S serves as CRV (crew return vehicle} in the event of a contingency. In July, it was discovered that Reiter’s Kazbek-UM was without a suit restraint for 12S deorbit and landing. A proper Kazbek-UM suit restraint was scheduled to be delivered on Mission ISS-12A with 13S as a backup.]
Continuing his support of on-going CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly) troubleshooting, Jeff Williams checked the condition of the Process Air Supply hose at the bottom of the Lab starboard CCAA (Common Cabin Air Assembly) air conditioner and confirmed that the flexhose was indeed disconnected from its Hydraflow coupling. With a Go from the ground, Jeff reconnected the line to the coupling. [A disconnected process air supply hose could have caused the high inlet temperature problem with the CDRA, with more data becoming available during a CDRA run later today. Ground teams are still troubleshooting the CDRA low delta pressure and stuck check valve issues. The most probable cause for those issues is a clogged sock filter. Sock filter inspection and cleaning will be scheduled in the near future.]
The FE-1 also completed the regular weekly audit/inventory of the available CWCs (Contingency Water Containers) and their contents, to keep track of onboard water supplies.
In preparation of 12A, Thomas started, and later terminated, the recharging of photo/TV camcorder batteries in the battery charger in the Lab.
During Daily Orbits 3 & 5, Vinogradov and Reiter conducted another set of VHF (Russian: UKV) communications tests over RGS (Russian ground site).
Jeff Williams worked on the SSC (Station Support Computer) File Server laptop, recovering corrupted weekly log files. [This infrequent anomaly will be addressed in the new SSC software load developed for Increment 15.]
In the Service Module (SM), Pavel performed the routine daily SOZh environment control & life support systems (ECLSS) maintenance, including the ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables.
Working on the IMS, Thomas updated/edited its standard “delta file”, including locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
All crewmembers worked out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the, TVIS (CDR, FE-1, FE-2), and RED resistive exerciser (FE-1, FE-2). The CDR’s 2.5-hr. workout again was on TVIS/aerobic only (Day 3).
Afterwards, Jeffrey transferred the 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 of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
With Progress 21 oxygen (O2) stores now depleted, the cabin air was refreshed yesterday with 5 mmHg O2 from 22P. Also yesterday, the Elektron O2 generator was successfully started and is currently running nominally.
At ~6:30am EDT, the crew downlink televised messages of greetings to TsUP/Moscow for the participants of the 70th Anniversary of the K.E. Tsiolkovsky Memorial Museum. [“…We know that many cosmonauts visited your beautiful city and the little house where Tsiolkovsky lived for over 30 years…Our best wishes to you on your Anniversary! May this house stand forever on the Oka bank, may ancient Kaluga, the birthplace of cosmonautics, become ever more beautiful.”]
Overnight, starting at 1:00am EDT and running for seven hours, MCC-Houston and its Moscow support group (HSG) conducted another BCC (Backup Control Center) dry run in test mode, with no involvement of the ISS crew or vehicle. [Purpose of this periodic exercise is to demonstrate BCC functionality under Russian assets while providing proficiency training for HSG personnel at the HSR (Houston Support Room) and TsUP-Moscow specialists. The ISS EMCC (Emergency Mission Control Center), located in Russia, comprises TsUP/Moscow as the Lead Control Center, coupled with HSR at TsUP. The BCC facility provides a command and control capability from TsUP if the EMCC must be activated. This is the case in situations that render MCC-Houston unable to provide telemetry, voice, and command capability for extended periods. EMCC is also used when the threat of severe weather results in evacuation of the MCC-H building for extended periods. In such an emergency, both Russian servers (CMD/command & TM/telemetry) are transitioned from MCC-H connectivity to BCC configuration, after which only the BCC can connect to the CMD and TM ports. An actual contingency requiring switchover to the BCC occurred on 10/2/2002 when Hurricane Lili forced MCC-H to shut down at 4:00am EDT, and more recently during the severe Hurricane Katrina emergency.]
No CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets today.
To date, over 250,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first six years of the ISS, about 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:
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):
- 09/06/06 — STS115/12A launch (12:29pm EDT)
- 09/08/06 — STS115/12A docking (8:39am EDT)
- 09/14/06 — STS115/12A undocking (10:42am EDT)
- 09/17/06 — STS115/12A landing (7:59am EDT)
- 09/18/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch, 0:08am EDT (Expedition 14 + VC11) — 12A dependent
- 09/20/06 – Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking, 1:28am EDT — 12A dependent
- 09/28/06 – Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking & landing — 12A dependent
- 10/10/06 — 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)
- 11/22/06 — Russian EVA-17
- 12/14/06 — STS-116/12A.1 launch
- 12/16-23/06 — STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS – 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 – 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
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.
