NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 9 May 2006

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2006) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.  Russian National Holiday: Victory Day, celebrating the end of the Great Patriotic War (World War II), and a crew off-duty day.

FE/SO Jeff Williams conducted the weekly TVIS treadmill routine maintenance plus recording time & date values.   [SBS (Series Bungee System) bungee and belt tension checks are only required every third month.]

The FE also completed the periodic (once per month) routine inspection of the RED (resistive exercise device) with canister cords, squat harness components, and accessory straps, and the canister bolts for re-tightening if required.   [The RED maintenance plan has recently been updated for the canister assembly with SchRED (Schwinn RED) Flexpacks.]

The Elektron O2 generator remains powered on, but is currently idling, i.e. moded to zero amps.  Yesterday, the cabin air was refreshed with 6.7 mmHg of oxygen from Progress 20 storage tank.   [For several days last week, the Elektron’s BZh-8 Liquid Unit has exhibited a slow pressure decay, until the crew, on 5/5, removed the system’s Pressure Measurement Unit.  Since then, pressure has stabilized, indicating that this unit is a possible cause for the pressure decay readings.  Ground investigation is continuing.]

Williams conducted the daily atmospheric status check for ppO2 (Partial Pressure Oxygen) and ppCO2 (pp Carbon Dioxide), using the CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products), CSA-O2 (CSA-Oxygen Sensor) and CDMK (CO2 Monitoring Kit).

The CDR performed the routine daily maintenance of the SOZh environment control & life support system in the SM, including the ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables.

Both crewmembers worked out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the TVIS treadmill (FE, CDR), RED resistive exerciser (FE) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).   [Pavel Vinogradov’s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill in unmotorized mode and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 2 of the first set).]

Afterwards, Jeff 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 CEVIS and RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

Working off his discretionary “time available” task list, Vinogradov conducted another session of the Russian “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the Nikon D1X digital camera with f400 mm lens and 2x teleconverter (thus, f800).   [Today’s targets were Pamir glaciers, the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Ala Tau facing Alma Ata City, the Irkut river valley stretching from Lake Hovsgol to Lake Baikal and the Baikal bank to the source of the Angara river, fires in Buryatia (already detected by crew), forests up to the Amur river, oil spills in the Caspian Sea, Aral dust storms, the settlement of Leninka (30 km south of Ust-Kamenogorsk), flooding in Ob and Biya river areas from Barnaul to Biysk, Teletsk Lake, silted estuary at northern coast of Azov Sea at Sivash swamps, the Taman peninsula, fields in the Rostov region, the Volga – Akhtubinsk delta, panoramic views of Ural mountains against the horizon, the Transcarpathian region, and the “Urga” National Park.]

During yesterday’s monthly safety inspection of onboard PEP (portable emergency provisions) equipment, the crew found no issues with these devices.   [As part of the activity, the FE installed a lock-out feature on the seven QDMAs (quick don mask assemblies) which prevents use of the one-handed donning feature.  This modification was required when ground testing and subsequent on-orbit inspection of QDMAs revealed defective mask silicone tubing which could rupture upon inflation, preventing a secure, hands-free seal to the crewmember’s face, albeit with no danger of injury.  The masks now require two hands to don, versus the normal one-handed method, but will retain the ability to be worn hands-free. There are 2 QDMAs in the Lab, 2 in the Node, one in the Airlock, and one in each of two PHA (Pre-breathe Hose Assembly) kits.]

The crew yesterday downlinked a TV message of congratulations to TsNIIMASh (Central Research Institute for Machine Building) in Korolev near Moscow on the occasion of its 60th Anniversary next Saturday (5/13) and observed in a special ceremony on 5/12.   [State-owned TsNIIMASh, today headed by Nikolay A. Anfimov (successor of Academician V.F. Utkin), is the first and largest national research and test center for spaceflight, the leading institute of the Russian Space Agency “Roskosmos” http://www.rosaviakosmos.ru for the development and operation of rocket and space technology.  Originally designated NII 88, TsNIIMASh was established in May 1946 as a main research design and production organization specializing in the development of long range ballistic missiles, air defense missiles and their propulsion units.  Working closely with many international projects today, including the ISS Program, the Institute is the home of TsUP, the well-known Russian Mission Control Center.]

A new suggestion for the next “Saturday Science” program for Science Officer Williams was uplinked for his perusal, dealing with the CBOSS FDI research complex (Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support Systems: Fluid Dynamics Investigation).   [Possible activities for 5/13 would lead off with FDI on-board training, followed by review of procedures and an then an activity of injecting a fluid into a TCM (Tissue Culture Module) for determination of FDI injection rate.]

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 Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes, Egypt (water levels in Lake Nasser and the Toshka lakes have declined recently. Documenting current water levels for comparison to previous imagery of the lakes), Glacial features – South Libya (imagery of this region will provide documentation of ancient sub-ice features which should be visible to the ISS crew as meandering river traces; mapping pass), Glacial features, North Libya (imagery of this region will provide documentation of ancient sub-ice features which should be visible to the ISS crew as meandering river traces; mapping pass), Berlin, Germany (the weather over this major European city is rarely clear enough for imagery, but according to the satellites it should currently stay clear for detailed views of the city), Sierra Madera Impact Crater (Sierra Madera is an impact crater that is 13 km in diameter and less 100 million years old.  The orbit track took the crew almost directly over the crater.  Looking for the uplifted center of the crater), Sudbury Impact Crater (Sudbury is one of the oldest and largest impact craters on the Earth.  Subsequent tectonic movement in the area has elongated the crater along the x axis.  Usually this area is cloud covered but it looked like the crew might have had a great opportunity to photograph this famous crater.  There are less than five images of Sudbury in investigators’ database.  Using the longer lenses as this crater is too large to be captured in a single frame with the shorter lenses), and Brent Impact Crater (weather may have been problematic on this one.  The crater is outlined by two prominent lakes.  The orbit track should have taken the crew directly over the impact crater.  Brent is 3.8 km in diameter and is approximately 400 million years old).

To date, more than 186,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS, almost one third of the total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts.

CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/CEO.html
• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography/

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 13 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-13/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 13 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.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 7:24am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 344.2 km
• Apogee height — 350.7 km
• Perigee height — 337.6 km
• Period — 91.42 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0009682
• Solar Beta Angle — -2.6 deg (magnitude increasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.75
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 115 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 42705

Significant Events Ahead (all dates subject to change):

• 05/20/06 — Progress M-56/21P loading complete; hatches closed
• 06/01/06 — Russian EVA-16
• 06/08/06 — ISS reboost with 21P for phasing (6:51pm EDT, delta-V 1.5 m/s)
• 06/19/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 06/24/06 — Progress M-57/22P launch
• 06/26/06 — Progress M-57/22P docking (DC1)
• 07/01/06 — NET STS-121/ULF1.1 launch
• 07/03-11/06 — NET STS-121/ULF1.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 07/??/06 — US EVA-5
• 08/28/07 — NET STS-115/12A launch
• 08/30-09/06 — NET STS-115/12A docked mission w/ISS
• 09/13/06 — Progress M-56/21P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 09/14/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch (Expedition 14 + VC11)
• 09/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (SM aft port)
• 09/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking (FGB nadir port) & reentry
• 09/??/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 10/18/06 — Progress M-58/23P launch
• 10/20/06 — Progress M-58/23P docking (SM aft port)
• 11/??/06 — Russian EVA-17
• 12/14/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 launch
• 12/16-23/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 12/19/06 — Progress M-57/22P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 12/20/06 — Progress M-59/24P launch
• 12/22/06 — Progress M-59/24P docking (DC1)
• 01/22/07 — US EVA-6
• 01/26/07 — US EVA-7
• 01/31/07 — US EVA-8
• 02/06/07 — Progress M-59/24P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 02/07/07 — Progress M-60/25P launch
• 02/09/07 — Progress M-60/25P docking (DC1)
• 02/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• 02/24-03/03/07 — NET STS-117/13A docked mission w/ISS
• 03/08/07 — Progress M-58/23P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 03/09/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S launch (Expedition 15 + VC12)
• 03/11/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S docking (SM aft port)
• 03/19/07 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S undocking (FGB nadir port)
• 03/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• ??/??/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 06/11/07 — NET STS-118/13A.1.

    (NET = no earlier than)

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.