NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 9 May 2004
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously. Sunday — off duty for the new station crew. Also: Mother’s Day in USA & Europe. Ahead: Week 2 of Expedition 9. Tomorrow: Russia celebrates Victoria Day, another ochen bolshoe (very big) Holiday.
As standard Sunday tasks, CDR Padalka completed the weekly SOZh data collection of the Service Module (SM)’s toilet flush counter readings, with inspection of the urine collection (SP) and pretreat assembly, and water supply status (SVO) counter readings, both for calldown to MCC-M/TsUP. Gennady also performed the SOZh maintenance, which today included the regular weekly inspection of the BRPK air/condensate water separator system.
In the Airlock (A/L), FE/SO Michael Fincke terminated the bake-out process on the last two EMU Metox (metal oxide) canisters that still required regeneration.
Afterwards, Fincke deactivated the low temperature loop (LTL) of the internal thermal control system (ITCS) and later supported the deactivation of the CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner. [Yesterday’s ground-commanded configuring of the A/L CCAA ran into a snag that delayed the initiation of the Metox regeneration by about 90 minutes. Also, a small procedural error in monitoring a valve position (TCCV) resulted in the CCAA not being set for maximum cooling during the Metox regeneration. Nevertheless, A/L temperatures remained at or below the required lower temperatures during the Metox regen.]
Mike also performed the daily leak check of the Lab window’s inter-pane space, using the “Aeolus” scopemeter with pressure probe. [Past readings, dating back to March, have found a steady leak rate of ~27 Torr(0.52 psi) per day from the cabin into the interstitial “Volume D”).]
Gennady, working off the optional Russian task list, performed the first of two task-listed sessions of the “Diatomeya” ocean observations program, using the DVCAM-150 video camera and Nikon F5 digital still camera with 24/85-mm lens to collect photo and video data on cloud cover structure and color fields of bioproductive areas in ocean waters. The second run is scheduled for tomorrow. [Uplinked suggested targets today included the Indian Ocean to the N of Prince Edward Islands (convergence zone of warm & cold currents above a large underwater ridge), the South Atlantic to the S of Tristan da Cunha Islands (divergence zone {i.e., bifurcation area} of cold West Wind Drift in 4500m deep waters) and to the E of the coast of Argentina (convergence zone {bifurcation area} of warm & cold currents above the slopes and the center of Argentinean basin), and the Pacific Ocean (waters of volcanic and coral islands of Tuamotu).]
The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer. [Engineers continue to investigate the crew-reported problems with the TVIS control panel (resets to zero in motorized mode). While diagnostics is underway, Mike and Gennady are using the treadmill in passive mode, but with VIS (vibration isolation system) active.]
Today’s optional CEO (Crew Earth Observations) targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and condensation-prevention plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Biomass burning, Angola (Dynamic event. Thousands of fires have sprung up as summer rains end. ISS passed onshore over the central coastline of Angola: looking left towards the thickest savanna forests of Angola for panoramas of the burning. Oblique views are good data points in the effort to describe the extent and seasonality of burning on the planet), and Jarvis Island, equatorial Pacific (this 2-mile long island is surrounded by coral reefs which are the object of this target). >>Note: Generalized cloudy weather in South America and loss of light in North America are reducing the number of targets. Also, the trend is for the crew’s daylight-awake time to fall over both water-dominated hemispheres, the southern and the Pacific.
CEO images can be viewed at the websites.
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at
ISS Orbit (as of this noon, 2:52pm EDT [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude 360.9 km
- Apogee — 368.3 km
- Perigee — 353.5 km
- Period — 91.76 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.63 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0011005
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.69
- Mean altitude loss last 24 hours — 65 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ’98) — 31228
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, go to
