Space Station Status Report #00-49 3 Nov 2000 5 p.m. CST
The first permanent
residents of the International Space Station (ISS) pressed ahead today,
installing key life support systems and additional communications equipment
in their first full day aboard the orbiting outpost.
Expedition One
Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei
Krikalev successfully installed the Russian Vozdukh system in the Zvezda
living quarters of the ISS today. The Vozdukh system is a regenerative
air-scrubbing unit that removes carbon dioxide and essentially vents
it overboard from the station. It will take the place of disposable
lithium hydroxide canisters initially being used by the crew to absorb
carbon dioxide. The Elektron system, a system that uses water to produce
oxygen for the crew to breathe, is scheduled to be installed on Monday.
It will be activated later. The crew is now using oxygen-generating
canisters to replenish the onboard atmosphere.
Shepherd spent
part of the day hooking up cables and laptop computers associated with
the Stationís Early Communications System, which when activated
in the Zvezda living quarters enabled the Expedition crew to have extended
conversations with flight controllers through U.S. satellites. The system,
which is working well, also lets the crew members send and receive electronic
mail files, images and video.
Krikalev worked
through the day to install a central computer in Zvezda which will be
used for a large share of commanding Russian module functions in this
early phase of ISS assembly. Although he encountered some difficulty
with the hookup of electrical cables, the computer was expected to be
activated soon.
Krikalev, who is
the first person to visit the ISS twice, joined Gidzenko to try to troubleshoot
a problem with one of Zvezdaís eight batteries, which has failed
to charge properly since it was installed by a visiting Space Shuttle
crew in September. Krikalev reported that one of the pins on the connector
for one of the batteryís electrical components appeared to be bent
or broken. Russian flight controllers said they would conduct further
analysis of the battery before any additional troubleshooting would
be conducted. Zvezdaís six operating batteries are producing more
than enough power for Station systems.
The crew plans
to work on Saturday and take a day off on Sunday. The normal work schedule
for Expedition crews will call for five-day work weeks with weekends
free.
Shepherd, Gidzenko
and Krikalev began their sleep period aboard the ISS at about 2 p.m.
Central time and will be awakened at about 10 p.m. tonight. The ISS
is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 237 statute miles with
its systems in good shape.
The next Expedition
One status report will be issued on Saturday near the end of the crew
work day.
