Status Report

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 7 Oct 2003

By SpaceRef Editor

October 7, 2003

Filed under ISS, ISS On-orbit status, NASA HQ, US

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 7 Oct 2003 — iss

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. As of this morning, the ISS has orbited Earth 27854 times.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko started the scheduled 24-hour recording of his ECG (electrocardiogram) under the Russian MedOps MO-2 protocol, wearing the five-electrode Holter harness which records his dynamic (in motion) heart function from two leads over the next 24 hours. FE/SO Ed Lu assisted in the donning of the harness.

Malenchenko then worked in the Service Module Transfer Compartment (SM PkhO), removing and replacing two panels (#204 & #404), delivered on Progress M-248/12P, for the SKV1 and SKV2 air conditioners.

Ed Lu deactivated, disassembled, and stowed the ESTER (Earth Science Toward Exploration Research) experiment, completing its operation for the current Increment.

Yuri Malenchenko installed a water sampler (KAV)on the SRV-K2M condensate water processor, part of the SM ECLSS (environment control & life support system), for collecting and sampling humidity/condensate samples.

As the Lab’s MCA (major constituents analyzer) continues on standby in Life Extending Mode, Ed Lu installed a fresh battery in the CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products), which is currently used for cabin air composition data takes, along with the CDMK (carbon dioxide monitoring kit) and the SM GA (gas analyzer).

Ed also unpacked and prepared the passive formaldehyde monitoring kit (FMK) sampling badges, for catching any atmospheric formaldehyde in the Lab and SM on a sampling substrate for analysis in JSC laboratory facilities (last time done: 9/23). Along with the FMKs, he unstowed and activated the SSAS (solid sorbent air sampler) in the center of the Lab.

Conducting another scheduled session with the Russian Uragan earth imaging program, the CDR focused the Nikon D1 digital camera with 400-mm lens on targets of nature and industry environment conditions of his choice. [Targets for Uragan today were landscapes of the Sahara desert from nadir to horizon without changing lens focal length, the city of Cairo, coast cities in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, volcanoes in Armenia [Aragat and Ararat], Lake Sevan and the city of Yerevan, the manmade Lake Chirkeiskoye, the Caspian Sea, and dust storms over the Aral Sea.]

The Science Officer conducted the sixth 30-day functionality (“health”) test of the HRF GASMAP (Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology). Last time done: 9/8. [After unstowing, cabling and powering up the equipment, Ed let it run for 3 hrs. in standby mode, then performed a health check and reconfigured the system for a 2-hr. low power rundown. Afterwards, about 6 hrs. after power-up, the GASMAP was deactivated, disconnected and stowed again.]

The crew had another session set aside to review and prepare their return on Soyuz TMA-2/6S on 10/28. They also conducted an in-depth review of the planned on-board program of the Visiting Crew-5 (VC5), arriving on Soyuz TMA-3/7S on 10/20 with Pedro Duque of Spain as VC5 flight engineer. [The program, ESA’s “Cervantes” project, consists of 20 commercial experiments. Most of the experiments (AGEING, ROOT, GENE EXPRESSION, CARDIOCOG-2, SYMPATHO-2, NEUROCOG-2, BMI-2, MESSAGE-2, 3D Camera, LSO-S, WINOGRAD, CHONDRO, VIDEO-2, APIS, THEBAS, and ARISS-2) will be performed on the Russian segment (RS), whereas PromISS-2, NANOSLAB-2, Crew Restraint and MedOps experiments will be conducted on the U.S. segment (USOS). Most of the experiments will be done by Duque, with some involvement by both expedition crews during eight experiments. Preparation of work sites for the VC5 “Cervantes” program is scheduled for Yuri Malenchenko on 10/17.]

As done previously by Budarin on TMA-1/5S, Yuri removed the two “Klest” (KL-152) TV cameras and their light units from the descent module of the Soyuz 6S. [The cameras are not required for the return of the Expedition 7 crew, and their removal increases 6S downmass (d/m) capability.]

Ed attended to the daily routine maintenance of the SM SOZh life support system (including ASU toilet facilities).

Both crewmembers worked out with their daily 2.5-h program of physical exercise, on TVIS treadmill and RED expander. Ed completed another TVIS data files download to the MEC (medical equipment computer).

During yesterday’s VHF (very-high frequency) communications proficiency checks with the CONUS ground stations at Dryden (DFRF), White Sands (WSC) and Wallops (WLPS), all ground interface checks were completed without issue, including between Houston’s Capcom and Moscow’s Glavni. [Static (white noise) garbled ISS comm at WSC. At WLPS and DFRF, comm was good when station VHF was constantly keyed (ISS transmit On without interrupt). VHF comm on two channels will be supporting Russian assets in the Service Module (SM) and Soyuz during the upcoming Soyuz 7S rendezvous on 10/20 and the return of 6S on 10/28.]

At 3:17pm EDT, attitude control will be handed over to the RS MCS (motion control system) for maneuvering the ISS to XPOP attitude (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) at 3:32pm. At 3:50 pm, control will return to the USOS CMGs (control moment gyros).

Today’s CEO (crew earth observation) targets, falling before the limiting XPOP attitude scheduled for later today, were Industrial SE Africa aerosol (ideal pass along the coastal escarpment mountains. Three air masses in view: plateau air left, high mountain air at nadir, and coastal plains air right of track), Angolan Biomass Burning (fires in southern Africa continue to make the news), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (nadir pass), Alexandria, Egypt (nadir pass), Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (detailed images of the intensive infrastructural developments taking place under track), Bamako, Mali (looking right of track on the Niger River. The city is best located at the point where major roads converge. Bamako lies on the south bank of the Niger), Madrid, Spain (nadir pass), Navassa Island (nadir pass. Crew was asked to shoot fringing coral reefs), Twin Hurricanes, off Mexico (Dynamic event. Two hurricanes, Nora and Olaf, are so close to one another that they are beginning to interact. This unusual meteorological situation has only been photographed once before in the handheld photography tradition [early 80’s]. Both storms were obliquely visible left of track, Olaf the closer), and Gulf of Maine plankton (crew was asked to shoot detailed images left, nadir and right of track of a ferry crossing to provide the high resolution images needed to complement simultaneous SeaWiFS satellite data [1 km resolution]. Scientists will be taking readings of salinity, color, turbidity, etc. of Gulf of Maine waters).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 2:00pm EDT).

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

Elektron O2 generator is powered On, 24A (air also being supplied by Progress 12P). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Manual Mode 5/3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is in Standby. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is off (Life Extending Mode). BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is Off; SKV-2 is Off.

SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 742; temperature (deg C) — 25.6; ppO2 (mmHg) — data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) — data invalid.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) — 761; temperature (deg C) — 20.2.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) — 756; temperature (deg C) — 22.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) — 757.88; temperature (deg C) — 22.2 (shell); ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) — 759.46; temperature (deg C) — 24.6; ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) — 759.56; temperature (deg C) — 23.48; shell heater temp (deg C) — 23.5, ppO2 (mmHg) — n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) — n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 22.1
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) — 19.9.

(n/a = data not available)

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in Blind/Triangle Mode (non-solar tracking, drag reduction).
SM batteries: Battery #7 has been replaced and is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (7) are in “Partial Charge” mode (battery #1 is degraded).
FGB batteries: Battery #6 is disconnected; battery #2 is in “Cycle” mode; all other batteries (4) are in “Partial Charge” mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-2 MDM is Off; PL-1 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 #2 dropped out 9/26.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available: 3899 kg (8596 lb) as of 10/2 [SM(755) + FGB(2792) + Progress M(352) + Progress M-1(0)]. (Capability: SM — 860 kg; FGB — 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source — U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source — RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

LVLH -YVV (local vertical/local horizontal = “earth-fixed”: z-axis in local vertical, -y-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -7.2 deg, roll: 0 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management. To be maneuvered to XPOP later today.

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.
Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-2 is prime).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #2/LEE A, with Keep Alive (KA) power on both strings.
MBS: KA 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, 7:48am EDT [= epoch]):