Space Station Status Report #52 7 November 2000

The Expedition
One crew today completed the installation of electronics into a key
like support system aboard the International Space Station and exercised
on a new treadmill system as they completed one week in space since
launch Oct. 31.

Expedition One
Commander Bill Shepherd, Soyuz Commander Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer
Sergei Krikalev reported the installation of the final cables to the
Russian Elektron system, which produces oxygen by breaking down water
through the process of electrolysis. The Elektron is expected to be
activated on Thursday and become the primary source of oxygen generation
onboard. Up to now, per the preflight plan, Shepherd, Gidzenko and Krikalev
have been burning one oxygen producing canister each day per crew member
to maintain the proper level of oxygen in the ISS modules.

Meanwhile, Gidzenko
and Krikalev completed the installation of a television monitor for
a manual backup rendezvous system in the Zvezda module called TORU.
The system would be used to guide an unmanned Progress resupply ship
in for docking to the ISS in the event the Progressí automated
navigation system failed. The next Progress will be launched to the
ISS November 16 with a docking planned two days later. The expedition
crew will unload the Progress so it can be jettisoned one day after
the launch of the Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-97 mission, providing
the proper clearance for Endeavourís linkup to a newly installed
docking port on the ISS.

The crew for that
flight – Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Mike Bloomfield and Mission Specialists
Joe Tanner, Marc Garneau and Carlos Noriega – is at the Kennedy Space
Center this week to simulate the final hours of the countdown. It is
the final trip to Florida before the scheduled launch November 30 on
the next ISS assembly flight to install the large U.S. photovoltaic
solar arrays on the station. The arrays will make the ISS the most powerful
vehicle ever to fly in space.

Before the crew
began its sleep period today, Shepherd reminded flight controllers in
Houston that he and his crewmates had completed their first week in
space and would hold a ìsmall celebrationî to mark the milestone.
The trio will be awakened around 10 p.m. beginning another night of
work to setup their home in space.

The ISS continues
to operate in excellent shape at an altitude of 237 statute miles. Mission
commentary on NASA Television will resume at 11 tonight with the next
Expedition One status report planned for Wednesday afternoon or sooner
if developments warrant.

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