NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 7 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.
CDR Krikalev completed his second session of the MedOps protocol MO-5 of cardiovascular evaluation during graded exercises on the VELO cycle ergometer, assisted by John Phillips as Crew Medical Officer. [The assessment uses the Gamma-1 ECG equipment with biomed harness, skin electrodes and a blood pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to the cycle ergometer’s instrumentation panels. For the graded exercise, Krikalev worked the pedals after a prescribed program at load settings of 125, 150, and 175 watts for three minutes each. All measurements were recorded and telemetered during Daily Orbit 13 to TsUP, where a specialist controlled the workout via VHF tagup.]
The CDR completed the third and final day for the current renal (kidney) stone experiment session (the second for Expedition 11, of three), by collecting one final urine sample in the morning and finishing his dietary/metabolic log entries. The FE then stowed all equipment. [This long-range preventive medicine investigation features daily ingestion of either potassium citrate or placebo tablets. It is a double-blind research study by NASA/JSC, investigating statistically whether potassium citrate is as effective in zero-G in preventing formation of kidney stones as it is on the ground. The experiment requires keeping a metabolic diet log (food & fluid intake), followed by collection of urine samples several times per day during the three-day session, with collections ending today.]
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In the US Airlock (A/L), Phillips terminated the maintenance charging/discharging of EVA batteries, then initiated the charging process on the first set in the BSA (Battery Stowage Assembly). [Two charge sessions are required to complete all needed storage units, with the second session to start on 7/9. With LF-1 arriving next week (7/15), supporting the three scheduled Shuttle-based EVAs (in Shuttle EMUs) requires charging all EVA batteries, some for actual use and others for backup. This includes the EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) batteries and the NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries for the PGT (pistol grip tool), REBA (rechargeable EVA battery assembly) and EMU Helmet Lights.]
Time again for transferring the potable water supplies brought up by Progress 18 to the Service Module (SM). After hooking up the plumbing connecting the 18P water tank BV1 with the SM Rodnik BV1 tankage and an EDV container (for Elektron), Krikalev started the water transfer using a compressor pump via a GZhS gas/liquid separator, to remove air bubbles in the water. Transfer between the second set off tanks (BV2) of 18P and SM will be scheduled later. [Sergei closely monitored the transfer for bubbles every 30 minutes.]
After connecting the Lab LTL QD (low temperature loop quick disconnect) to support the subsequent work thermally, the crew spent several hours in the A/L to reconfigure it for the upcoming LF-1 operations and set up equipment and EVA tools assembled there yesterday by Phillips. Later in the day, John disconnected the LTL QD again. [The A/L Crewlock 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.]
In the Soyuz TMA-6/10S Orbital Module (BO), the CDR worked on the V1 and V2 fans of the ventilation system, checking on the functionality of V2 and, if it did not start, opening its service panel and perform troubleshooting on the ventilator (which Sergei had already worked on in May [5/31].)
The FE/SO performed the regular weekly maintenance reboot on all operational PCS (portable computer system) laptops.
Sergei did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system (ASU) and the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus. Today, he also conducted the weekly routine checkup of the IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS hatchways and FGB-to-Node tunnel and installed a temporary airflow sensor in the PrK-SU hatchway from the SM to Progress 18.
Later, working off his voluntary time available task list, he prepared the IMS (inventory management system) delta file for automated export/import top the three IMS databases.
Phillips conducted his regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine and CEVIS cycle ergometer, while Krikalev worked out on the TVIS, partly in compliance with today s MO-5 requirement (see above). [Sergei s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 1 of a new set).]
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).
Sergei took blank images with the available DCS (digital camera system) cameras that will be used for the LF-1 RPM (rendezvous pitch maneuver). The images were stored on a PCMCIA flash memory card for subsequent downlink to MCC-H. [Blank images are used to identify dead pixels for each camera.]
At ~8:15am EDT, Phillips and Krikalev held a 30-min. teleconference with the crew of STS-114/Discovery via S-band/audio.
Yesterday s station reboost successfully set up proper optimum rendezvous conditions for the entire LF-1 July launch window. Burn duration was nominal (7m 45s). Actual delta-V of the apogee burn was 1.9 m/sec (1.9 predicted) and mean altitude increase 3.3 km (3.3 predicted).
The crew is scheduled tomorrow at 11:00am EDT for a televised news conference with media representatives gathered at participating NASA Centers. [This will be another in-flight event utilizing the new NASA Television Digital Satellite System. Due to the signal encoding and decoding required, the new digital satellite system has a 5-second audio delay between ISS and ground reception, and vice versa, for which the crew is prepared.]
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 Internal waves, South China Sea (looking to the left of track within the Gulf of Tonkin for internal waves. The sunglint point was to the north of Hainan Island that forms the outer landmass bounding the Gulf), Xianggang (Hong Kong), China (this nadir pass and predicted clear weather conditions presented an opportunity for detailed mapping of this Asian megacity. Overlapping frames along the orbit track (SW to NE) across the urban center are desired for mosaicing and landcover classification), Nile River Delta, Egypt (weather was predicted to be clear over the entire Delta region. A series of overlapping nadir frames with the 180 mm lens provide a good context view of the current extent of urbanization), and Hurricane Dennis (Dynamic Event. Dennis was predicted to reach Category 2 strength by the time of this overpass, and an eye may have been visible. Looking to the left along track for the storm center. The storm should be relatively compact, so the use of lenses shorter than the 180mm was recommended for returning good results).
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, 10:57am EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 354.8 km
- Apogee height — 357.1 km
- Perigee height — 352.5 km
- Period — 91.64 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.000339
- Solar Beta Angle — 54.1 deg (magnitude decreasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.71
- Mean altitude gain in last 24 hours — 3300 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 37889
Some Increment 11 Main Events (not final):
- 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.
