NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 9 September 2005

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

  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.

19P docking is scheduled for 10:49am EDT tomorrow morning, carried live on NASA TV.  [The third rendezvous maneuver, DV3, of 2.00 m/s delta-V was conducted today at 10:08am, over RSG (Russian ground stations) on Daily Orbit 1 (DO1). Earlier, the onboard Klest TV camera and transmitter were turned on for testing. Later, at 12:08 pm, the Progress TORU system was checked out by sending commands from the TORU panel at TsUP to the onboard system. Tomorrow at ~9:06am the active Progress KURS-A system will be activated for a self-test. Two minutes later the passive KURS-P on the SM will also be turned on. As KURS-A and KURS-P confer and “compare notes”, Klest TV camera & headlight are switched on at 8 km (~10:00am). Three successive braking burns lead into flyaround mode (400 m, ~10:19am), stationkeeping (160 m, ~10:28am), and final approach (~10:40am).  After its two-day “chase”, 19P will dock at the SM aft end on Saturday at ~10:49am. Its 2.5 tons of cargo include supplies for the ISS crew (food, batteries, office supplies, and clothes), water, oxygen, air, new spares, etc. For a summary of its manifest, refer to Wednesday s On-Orbit Status (09/07/05).]

In preparation for the Progress docking, CDR Sergei Krikalev and FE/SO John Phillips took the standard three-hour on-board training course with the TORU teleoperator system, which provides a manual backup mode to the Progress KURS automated rendezvous radar system. Afterwards, Sergei and John tagged up with TORU specialists at MCC-M (TsUP) via S-band audio.  [The drill included procedure review, rendezvous, docking data and rendezvous math modeling data review, fly-around, final approach, docking and off-nominal situations (e.g., video or comm loss). Two modes were simulated on the RSK1 laptop: 19P from stationkeeping range (30 m) in sunlight (insolation), and 19P in final approach in darkness (eclipse). The TORU teleoperator control system lets a Service Module (SM)-based crewmember perform the approach and docking of automated Progress vehicles in case of KURS failure. Receiving a video image of the approaching ISS, as seen from a Progress-mounted docking television camera ( Klest ), on a color monitor ( Simvol-Ts , i.e. symbol center ) which also displays an overlay of rendezvous data from the onboard digital computer, Krikalev would steer the Progress to mechanical contact by means of two hand controllers, one for rotation (RUO), the other for translation (RUD), on adjustable armrests. The controller-generated commands are transmitted from the SM’s TORU control panel to the Progress via VHF radio. In addition to the Simvol-Ts color monitor, range, range rate (approach velocity) and relative angular position data are displayed on the Klest-M video monitor (VKU) which starts picking up signals from Progress when it is still approximately 7 km away. TORU is monitored in real time from TsUP over Russian ground sites (RGS) and via Ku-band from Houston, but its control can not be taken over from the ground.]

CDR Krikalev configured the communications setup for covering the Progress docking, while FE Phillips activated the A31p laptop in the FGB and checked out the linkup of the Russian video system in the SM with the Ku-band equipment in the US segment. Later the function of the video downlink was tested. Afterwards John deactivated the A31p again.  [The A31p SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop used for the routing from the SM is located in the FGB since available cables are not long enough to extend to the Node. The video signal is fed from there via coaxial cable to the SSC Operations LAN (local area network) and from there into the Ku-band system for subsequent conversion from the Russian SECAM format to the American NTSC format on the ground.]

Sergei worked on a cable connection of the Russian Cryogem-03M glove box/cooler in the SM. The repair required disassembly and reassembly of an electrical connector on the unit s power cable.

The CDR performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s SOZh environment control & life support system, including the ASU toilet system and today also the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid condensate separator apparatus. Working off his discretionary task list, he also prepared the regular daily IMS delta /update file for automated export/import to the three IMS databases (MCC-H, TsUP, Baikonur).

Afterwards, John transferred the exercise data files to the MEC for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data of the RED workouts, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

A second item on Sergei s job jar list for today was another installment of the current session of the “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program, using the Nikon D1X digital camera with f800 mm lens. [From time to time a fire plume can be seen on Baikal Lake near Olkhon Island as a product of eruption from the bottom of the lake caused by enormous pressure of carbon material. This phenomenon can be identified from orbit only at night or at dusk. Taking into account the impact of petroleum products on Baikal Lake environment, it would be prudent to develop a procedure to photograph these plumes as indication of sources for contamination. Sergei’s task for the current range of coming opportunities is to locate Olkhon Island when ISS is passing over the southern part of Baikal Lake at dark or dusk with no visible clouds, and to find the brightest (possibly the only large) light spot of Khuzhir on the western shore of the island.]

Also on Krikalev s time available task list was the regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment, including filling its water canister for the Lada-7 greenhouse as required.

At ~9:50am EDT, the crew conducted their tenth regular (nominally weekly) teleconference with the Lead Flight Director at MCC-H and TsUP/Moscow via S-band/audio, with a phone patch between Houston and Moscow.

Later, at ~11:25am, John and Sergei had their standard weekly teleconference with the JSC Astronaut Office (Kent Rominger), via S-band S/G (space-to-ground).

The transitioning of the onboard PCS (Portable Computer System) A31p laptops to the new R9 software version will begin Monday next week (9/12) and extend over three days. If everything goes without hitch, crew action will only be required on Day 2 (Tuesday). At the focal point of the transition are the three C&C MDMs (Command & Control Multiplexer/Demultiplexers, i.e., computers).  [The upgrading of the PCS laptops requires files to be loaded to the Tier 1 C&C MDMs, which are in charge of a large number of Tier 2 MDMs (e.g., Internal, External, Payload, Power Management, RS Central Computer, Guidance/Navigation/Control, etc.). For a smooth transition without loss of C&C, loading activities will be switched between Primary, Standby and Backup MDMs as required. Three A31p laptops plus one spare hard drive have already been prepared ( ghosted) by the crew for the new software version. Altogether there are 12 R9-capable PCS A31p laptops available on board, three more than the minimum required to support the transition. Version R9 is very powerful, built on version R8 but with new laptop platforms (A31p ThinkPads), a new Operating System (Linux instead of Solaris), the Mission 12A baseline configuration plus two deltas (patches) for post-12A.1 and post-13A, improved performance, over 6400 displays (>130,000 data points monitored, >50,000 command instances, >17,000 navigation choices), etc.].

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 (images of lake levels at nadir and left of track [for Toshka lakes] were requested. The long-term trend of rising water levels in all these lakes seems to be reversing in the last six months), Internal waves, Patagonian Shelf (looking left toward the glint point, especially as the glint point moves offshore), Internal waves, Azores, Atlantic (looking left towards the glint point which will pass close to the islands), Hurricane Nate, W Atlantic (Dynamic event. Good panoramas of this tight Category 1 storm were possible left of track. Nate may become absorbed into Hurricane Maria [NE of Nate] to become Europe s first major fall storm), and Hurricane Ophelia, Florida (Dynamic event. The center of this Category 1 storm lies just east of the Florida peninsula, left of track. With weak steering winds, one scenario suggests Ophelia will move out into the Atlantic but return to its present position after five days).

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:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

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.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 7:37am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 351.2 km
• Apogee height — 352.4 km
• Perigee height — 350.0 km
• Period — 91.56 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0001779
• Solar Beta Angle — 21.0 deg (magnitude decreasing)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.73
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 56 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) 38894

Upcoming Events (all times EDT):

• 09/10/05 — Progress M-54/19P docking (10:49am).
• 09/30/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch (~11:54pm)
• 10/03/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S docking (~1:20am)
• 10/11/05 — Soyuz TMA-6/10S landing (~9:06pm)
• 10/18/05 ISS Reboost
• 11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
• 12/21/05 Progress M-55/20P launch
• 12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking.

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.