Space Station Science Operations status report for the week ending June 6, 2001
RELEASE: 01-201
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Expedition Two Science Operations
Status Report for the week ending June 6, 2001
An experiment to measure vibrations as small as a rotating fan or as
big as a docking spacecraft began its watchdog role on the orbiting
laboratory this week.
The Space Acceleration Measurement System II (SAMS-II) is designed
to measure vibrations that could degrade delicate microgravity experiments
on board the Station. Scientists need to understand the vibration
environment so they can better understand their experiment results and
perhaps compensate for the vibrations.
“For instance, if there is an experiment in EXPRESS Rack 1 in the
U.S. lab and a crew member is exercising on the treadmill in the Service
Module, we want to be able to tell scientists what disturbance levels they
can expect from that activity,” said Kevin McPherson, project manager for
Principal Investigator Microgravity Services at NASA’s Glenn Research
Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
The SAMS-II sensor activated Monday, June 4, is located in EXPRESS
Rack 2 in the Destiny lab module. Four additional sensors are located in
drawers in EXPRESS Rack 1 and are scheduled for activation next week. Since
1991, SAMS has flown on 20 Space Shuttle missions and operated on Russia’s
Mir space station for about four years – the longest operational U.S.
hardware on the former Russian outpost. It is one of two acceleration
measurement systems developed by the Glenn field center. The other — the
Microgravity Acceleration Measurement Systems (MAMS) — was activated
earlier and has recorded disturbances including the docking of a Russian
Progress resupply ship.
On Tuesday, June 5, Flight Engineer Susan Helms activated the third
of six growth cylinders in the Protein Crystal Growth Single Thermal
Enclosure System Unit 10. Every chemical reaction essential to life depends
on the function of the proteins and other biological molecules, some of
which will be studied as a result of this experiment. Analyses of
biological material samples grown on the Station may lead to improved
understanding of their structure and the biological processes that they
control. In microgravity, scientists hope that these materials can be grown
larger and more perfectly ordered than is possible on Earth.
The Expedition Two crew continued during the past week to maintain
and operate the orbiting laboratory’s science payloads as they prepared for
a spacewalk.
On Sunday, June 3, Helms performed tests with the Middeck Active
Control Expeirment (MACE II) space structures experiment. Flight Engineer
Jim Voss conducted the nutrient exchange required by the Advanced
Astroculture (ADVASC) plant growth experiment and did computer-based
familiarization to perform gas and condensate sampling on ADVASC. These
activities are required to feed the plants and understand growing conditions
inside the plant experiment. Video downlinked indicated the plants are
growing well. Also last weekend, Voss downloaded data from a portable
sensor for the Dosimetric Mapping (DOSMAP) experiment to characterize the
radiation environment on the Station.
On Friday, June 1, the crew transferred radiation data from the
Phantom Torso and Bonner Ball and DOSMAP experiments to storage computers on
board.
The crew’s week included additional Crew Earth Observations (CEO)
photography activities. CEO targets for June 6 through June 9 include the
Red Basin, Sechuan Province, China; Yellow River Delta near Beijing; Ganges
River Basin; Rift Triple Junction in Ethiopia; and expansion of the Suez
Canal system and agriculture east of the Canal; Central Philippine Islands;
Rukwa Transform, Tanzania; Yangtze River Delta; major urban industrial
centers in southeastern Africa; Kilimanjaro Tropical Glacier; and the Rift
Triple Junction in Ethiopia. These sites are of interest to scientists
studying global warming and agricultural and urban development.
The crew continued to fill out the computer questionnaire as part of
the Interactions study of crew relationships during long space missions.
Science payload activities later this week are expected to be
limited as the crew prepares for a 35-minute space walk. Several activities
are on a task list of optional items for the crew if they have time,
including: operations with the three expedition’s radiation experiments,
Interactions sessions, continued ADVASC maintenance activities and
photography and film loading for the Crew Earth Observations experiment.
Normal operations continue with the Destiny laboratory module’s three major
science facilities – the Human Research Facility and EXPRESS Racks 1 and 2.
In addition to the radiation experiments, other research currently operating
on the Station includes the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth, and
Experiment on the Physics of Colloids in Space. Science teams on the ground
are evaluating the impact of changes to the Space Shuttle launch schedule.
Of the 18 experiments planned for Expedition Two, one is completed,
one failed and was deactivated, 13 others have been activated and are in
progress, one is partially activated, one remains to be fully set up and
activated, and one remains to be launched this summer on the 7A Station
assembly mission.
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Editor’s Note: The Payload Operations Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages all science research experiment
operations aboard the International Space Station. The center is also home
for coordination of the mission-planning work of a variety of international
sources, all science payload deliveries and retrieval, and payload training
and payload safety programs for the Station crew and all ground personnel.
Contact
Steve Roy
Media Relations Department
(256) 544-0034
Steve.Roy@msfc.nasa.gov
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The Web
Status Report
http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/news/releases/2001/01-201.html
ISS Science Operations News
http://www.scipoc.msfc.nasa.gov/
SAMS Fact Sheet
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/PAIS/fs11grc.htm
PCG-STES Fact Sheet
http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/background/facts/pcgstet.html
Marshall Space Flight Center
Media Relations Department
(256) 544-0034
(256) 544-5852 (fax)
www.msfc.nasa.gov/news
