NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 July 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.
After disconnecting the EGE-2 laptop from the new BSR-TM Regul interface unit (part of the Russian radio control & communications system) and reconfiguring it, Sergei Krikalev conducted his first session with the European Neurocog experiment. Activities featured virtual rotation in free floating and fixed position corridor passages while recording EEG (electroencephalography). The session was supported by tagup with ground specialists and videotaped. [Krikalev was equipped 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. The BSR-TM was then reconnected to the EGE-2.]
This was the third day for the current kidney stone experiment session, with Sergei starting and John ending collecting their urine samples and keeping their dietary/metabolic log entries up to date. Tomorrow will be the CDR s last day for this experiment run. [Part of the study, preceding the samplings, was the regular random ingestion by the subjects of either potassium citrate or placebo tablets at dinnertime, whose effects on kidney stone prevention over time in zero-G are being investigated by analysis of the collected samples.]
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CDR Krikalev performed the third and last part of the current MBI-8 Profilaktika (“countermeasures”) fitness assessment series, first with the usual blood tests (to determine lactate and creatine kinase levels in the blood with the AccuSport equipment), then by a physical exercise session on the TVIS treadmill, supported by tagup with a ground specialist. FE/SO Phillips was available as CMO (crew medical officer) to assist as required. [The TVIS test is identical to the MO-3 test performed on the treadmill in idling (non-motorized) mode with free choice of speeds within certain specified ranges (idle/walk/slow run/moderate run/fast run/walk/recovery). In addition to the nominal test procedure, MBI-8/Part 3 calls for the use of the TEEM-100M gas analyzer during the test, the blood lactate measurements, and subjective evaluation of physical exertion levels (using the Borg Perceived Exertion Scale, viz., 10 steps from very light over hard and very hard to maximum) during the test. At the end of the creatine kinase tests, the results were logged, copied from Cardiocassette-2000 recording to OCA for downlink, and reported to the ground via tagup.]
The crew had about 30 minutes set aside for equipment transfer from the Crewlock (C/L) compartment of the US Airlock (A/L) and for reconfiguring the A/L for the upcoming LF-1 operations. [The C/L will be depressed for the three LF-1 EVAs so that it can be used for emergency ingress and as an EVA tool staging area. The A/L configuration will be completed with additional items that will arrive on LF-1.]
Both crewmembers also continued previously begun prepacking of hardware slated for return on STS-114/Discovery. [An updated listing of as-yet-unpacked Russian cargo for Shuttle return was uplinked.]
Phillips did the daily routine maintenance of the Service Module (SM)’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU), while Krikalev, working off his voluntary time available task list, prepared the IMS (inventory management system) delta file for automated export/import top the three IMS databases.
Phillips completed his regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the CEVIS cycle ergometer, RED resistive exerciser and TVIS treadmill, with Krikalev s exercise accounted for by his MBI-8 Profilaktika run on the TVIS in the morning.
Afterwards, John transferred the 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).
The FE/SO also performed the periodic once-per-month inspection of the RED with canister cords and accessory straps as well as the canister bolts for re-tightening if required.
Working off the discretionary job jar task list, Krikalev worked on the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment, completing the regular periodic download of data & imagery collected of the experiment to the computer for subsequent downlink to the ground. [Rasteniya researches growth and development of plants (currently horse radish) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-7 greenhouse. The regular maintenance of the experiment (each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) involves monitoring of seedling growth, humidity measurements, moistening of the substrate if necessary, topping off the water tank if ~20-25% of the total amount (4 liters) remain, and photo/video recording. On Thursdays, but included on the voluntary task list today, data from the Lada greenhouse control unit are recorded on floppy disk for weekly downlink via REGUL-Packet or the new BSR-TM.]
Today s translational reboost burn (in flight direction) with the Progress 18 propulsion system was performed successfully at 10:58am EDT. Burn time of ~7 minutes was nominal. [The reboost supported the optimization of Flight Day 3 rendezvous opportunities for the STS-114 July 2005 launch window. Expected delta-V was 1.9 m/s.]
Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Mt. Kilimanjaro, Kenya (some scattered clouds were predicted around Mt. Kilimanjaro, but the summit is frequently visible above the clouds. Frequent photography of the summit glaciers is useful for tracking changes in snow cover and ice extent. Looking to the left of track for the summit), and Muglad Basin fans, SW Sudan (weather was predicted to be mostly clear over the Muglad Basin for photography of megafans. Looking for convoluted drainage patterns and the presence of wetlands; overlapping nadir frames are useful for mapping fan boundaries and habitats).
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:
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.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:37am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 351.7 km
- Apogee height — 352.8 km
- Perigee height — 350.6 km
- Period — 91.57 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0001625
- Solar Beta Angle — 58.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.72
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 60 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 37871
Some Increment 11 Main Events (not final):
- ISS Reboost — 7/6 (10:58am EDT; 1.8 m/s)
- LF-1/STS-114 launch — 7/13 (3:51pm EDT) 18-day window opens;
- LF-1/STS-114 dock — 7/15 (12:26pm EDT), adding 110,713 kg to ISS mass;
- LF-1/STS-114 undock — 7/23 (9:23am EDT);
- LF-1/STS-114 landing @ KSC — 7/25 (11:01am EDT);
- Soyuz TMA-6/10S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — ~8/16;
- Progress M-54/19P launch TBD;
- Progress M-53/18P undock — TBD;
- ULF1.1/STS-121 launch — NET 9/9 (launch window opens);
- ULF1.1/STS-121 dock — 9/11;
- ULF1.1/STS-121 undock — 9/19;
- Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch — 9/27;
- Soyuz TMA-7/11S dock — 9/29;
- 12A/STS-115 launch — NET 2/16/06;
- Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocate (from DC-1 to FGB) — ~10/15;
- 12A.1/STS-116 launch — NET 4/23/06;
- 13A/STS-117 launch — NET 7/13/06.
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.
