NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 July 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.

CDR Gennady Padalka had his third session with the European Neurocog experiment, still on board from Pedro Duque’s VC5 “Cervantes” program last October.  Today’s activities focused on virtual rotation in free floating and fixed position passages while recording EEG (electroencephalogram).  A second session is scheduled for Thursday, 7/8.  [Assisted by FE Michael Fincke, Padalka 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 Neurocog protocol, he downloaded the EEG data to a PCMCIA memory card for subsequent return to Earth, and dismantled the equipment.]

Padalka also set up and took a 30-min. training on the ADUM (Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity) experiment, using the ADUM OPE (On-board Proficiency Enhancer), in preparing for his ultrasound scanning activities tomorrow.  Afterwards, he powered down the HRF PC (human research facility laptop).   [Subjects reviewed in the OPE demo were ordered by data acquisition for abdominal & bone scans, principles of remote guidance, principles of ultrasound, and anatomy.  Also, sample images for the planned bone scan ops on knee, heel, elbow and shoulder were uplinked for reference.]

FE/SO Michael Fincke completed another monthly potable water sampling for in-flight chemistry/microbiology analysis (Week 10), 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 later today).   [Sample analysis also includes processing water samples in the MWAK (microbial water analysis kit) for inflight coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli) detection.  Results will be available after a two-day incubation period, in case of the MWAK after 4-6 days of incubation.  Samples were taken in the Service Module (SM) in six bags, three from the potable water SRV-K hot port and three from the EDV container of the SVO-ZV water supply system, using new media syringes.  Last time done: 5/26.]

Gennady terminated the bake-out cycle on the BMP micropurification system’s channel 2 in the SM, moding the channel back to Purify.  This restored both filter beds to Purify mode.  [The regeneration of the air purifier filter beds is repeated every 20 days.  Each bakeout to space vacuum takes about 24 hours.]

The CDR conducted the routine maintenance/inspection of the SM’s life support system (SOZh) and switched the Vozdukh carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber to automatic mode.  He also prepared the regular inventory management system (IMS) “delta” file for downlink, now regularly carried on the Russian task list.

After Mike Fincke set up the video equipment and “scenery” for another PAO event, the crew downlinked three TV messages of greetings on Ku- and S-band.   [The first was intended for ESPN’s All Star Baseball Game Home Run Derby in Houston (7/12), the second for the celebration of the 35th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing (7/20), and the third for the National and JSC “Night Out” Events that feature neighborhood meetings for joined backyard viewing of the ISS passing overhead.]

In the evening, the crew had another 30-min. time slot for discussing results of the EVA-9B with ground specialists via S-band.

Since ~10:32am EDT this morning, MCC-Houston is conducting a 7-hr. monitoring test of the WETA (wireless video system external transceiver assembly) on the P1 truss through the Robotics’ VDS (video distribution system) via S-band.

There were no CEO (crew earth observations) targets uplinked for today.

Previous CEO images can be viewed at these websites:

• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

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.

U.S. & Russian Segment Status  (as of today, 1:49pm EDT)

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

• Elektron O2 generator is On.  Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On.  U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off.  TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating.  SM Gas Analyzer has been calibrated and is used for ppO2 & ppCO2 monitoring.  MCA (major constituents analyzer) is in Life Extending Mode (LEM).  BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.  RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On, SKV-2 is Off (SM panel mods completed 4/8; SKV-2 activation failed 4/20; is now functioning again).  SFOG slot #2 fan suspect (not usable).
• SM Working Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 25.4; ppO2 (mmHg) — 159.4; ppCO2 (mmHg) — 4.5.
• SM Transfer Compartment:  Pressure (mmHg) — 751; temperature (deg C) — 20.4.
• FGB Cabin:  Pressure (mmHg) — 752; temperature (deg C) — 22.7.
• Node:  Pressure (mmHg) — 754.1; temperature (deg C) — 22.9 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• U.S. Lab:  Pressure (mmHg) — 756.0; temperature (deg C) — 24.6; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock):   Pressure (mmHg) — 756.2; temperature (deg C) — 24.0; shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
• (n/a = data not available)
• PMA-1:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a
• PMA-2:  Shell heater temp (deg C) — n/a.

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

• Both P6 channels fully operational.  BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in directed position (Dual angle/”blind” mode, non solar-tracking, biased for drag reduction).
• SM batteries:  All batteries (8) are on line in “Partial Charge” mode.  
• FGB batteries:  Battery #5 is off line; all other batteries (5) are on line in “Partial Charge” mode.
• Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 is in Standby mode; PCU-2 is in Standby mode (will both be in Discharge for the EVA).

Command & Data Handling Systems:

• C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is backup, and C&C-3 is in standby.
• GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is backup.
• INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
• EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off (backup).
• LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
• PL-1 MDM is Off; PL-2 MDM is Operational.
• APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
• SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string 1 dropped out 11/22/03).
• SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3 dropped out 10/22/03).
• FGB MDM-1 is Off (failed, 11/21/03); MDM-2 is Operational.

Propulsion System:

• Total propellant load available: 3963 kg (8737 lb) as of 6/24/04;  [SM(552) + FGB(2772) + Progress M(639)].  (Capabilities: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

• 2 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2’s RPC-17 failed 4/21/04).
• State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
• Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
• Angular rate source — RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

• LVLH XVV (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management, until 6/28, following the EVA.

Communications & Tracking Systems:

• FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
• All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
• S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
• Ku-band is operating nominally (may require a mask).
• Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-1 is prime, IAC-2 is off).
• Video subsystem operating nominally.
• HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

• SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF/LEE A, operational on redundant string, off on prime.
• MBS: KA (keep alive) power on both strings. 
• MT: latched and mated at WS4. 
• POA: KA power on both strings.
• RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is Off.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 6:58am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 360.0 km
• Apogee height — 364.0 km
• Perigee height — 356.1 km
• Period — 91.7 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) —  51.6302 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0005858
• Solar Beta Angle — 57.9 deg
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.69
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 55 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98)  — 32134

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.