Space Station Status Report #53 8 November 2000
The Expedition
One crew today installed the final cables and sensors into the prime
oxygen-generation system aboard the International Space Station and
continued to set up laptop computers and communications gear as they
neared the end of a full week aboard the outpost.
ISS Commander Bill
Shepherd, Soyuz Commander Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev
reported that all of the gear associated with the Russian Elektron system
has now been hooked up with the activation of the unit planned for Thursday.
The Elektron uses the process of electrolysis to produce oxygen for
the crew, while venting hydrogen overboard. 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.
Krikalev successfully
reactivated the ISS air conditioner after it shut itself down due to
an excess amount of water in the condensate collection system. The condensate
unit absorbs moisture from the air and needs to be emptied periodically.
The unit was turned back on after a short outage and is operating normally.
Russian flight
controllers continue to prepare for the next Progress resupply vehicleís
launch next week from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Progress
is loaded with supplies and spare parts for the crew. Launch is set
for the night of November 15, U.S. time, at 7:32 p.m. CST (1:32 GMT
November 16). Docking to the Zarya moduleís nadir port is scheduled
for the night of November 17, U.S. time, at 9:07 p.m. CST (3:07 GMT
November 18). The Progress will be unloaded by the crew prior to the
launch of Endeavour November 30 on the STS-97 mission to deliver the
first huge U.S. solar arrays to the ISS.
The crew for that
flight – Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Mike Bloomfield and Mission Specialists
Joe Tanner, Marc Garneau and Carlos Noriega – spent several hours aboard
Endeavour today conducting a simulated countdown for their planned liftoff
in three weeks.
Before beginning
his sleep period, Shepherd told flight controllers that the ISS was
“beginning to feel like homeî. Tomorrow, the crew will mark
the completion of its first week on board the expanding facility.
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 Thursday afternoon or sooner
if developments warrant.
