ISS On-Orbit Status 25 Apr 2003<br /><br /> All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below. Day 153 for Expedition 6 (since STS-113 launch, 11/23/02).<br /><br />The crew completed the scheduled first (of two) descent drill/OBT (on-board<br />training) in the Soyuz TMA-1 (211), for which 3 hrs. had been set aside on<br />their schedule. During the OBT, CDR/Soyuz-FE1 Ken Bowersox occupied the<br />left seat, FE-1/Soyuz-CDR Nikolai Budarin the center seat, and FE-2/SO Don<br />Pettit the right seat of the DM (Descent Module). [Simulation steps<br />include: Soyuz activation, transfer hatch closing, transfer hatch seal<br />check, undocking prep, hatch seal monitoring, automatic undocking, settings<br />verification and descent program initiation. Changes introduced in the new<br />Soyuz design include the new "Neptune-ME" control panel ("glass cockpit"), a<br />the focal point of the training in order to ensure a thorough<br />familiarization with the actual displays used during return preparation and<br />descent. In the nominal case, reentry and landing will be fully automatic,<br />with manual override by Budarin only in a technical contingency. The second<br />training lesson, with the integrated E6/E7 crew, is scheduled for 5/2<br />(Friday), with Pettit's seat then occupied by Yuri Malenchenko, CDR of<br />Expedition 7.]<br /><br />The crew held a teleconference via S-band with the Russian medical support<br />group (GMO) to discuss what they can expect to experience during the<br />ballistic descent of the Soyuz 5S DM,- the first crew landing in the<br />modified TMA vehicle.<br /><br />After CDR Ken Bowersox connected the UOP power bypass cable of the RWS<br />(robotics workstation) to enable the SSRMS (space station remote manipulator<br />system) video system, he and FE-1 Nikolai Budarin set up and tested the<br />Ku-band configuration for the video transmission of Soyuz docking on 4/28<br />via USOS (US segment) assets and TDRS. There will also be Russian TV<br />downlink during RGS (Russian ground site) comm pass which will then be<br />relayed to MCC-H from Moscow. [The video setup via Ku-band also applies to<br />5S undocking (and is also generic for EVAs). Communications checks today<br />between the Soyuz TMA-1 and the Service Module (SM) were conducted via cable<br />extensions.]<br /><br />Budarin completed his regular daily 5-min. inspection of the BIO-5<br />Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth experiment.<br /><br />Nikolai also collected air samples in the SM, using the standard Russian<br />AK-1M sampler device, after disconnecting the Vozdukh atmosphere<br />purification unit at the BOA valve panel.<br /><br />Later, the Russian flight engineer collected water samples from the BRP-M<br />modified potable water dispensing and heating unit in the SM (from the hot<br />valve), in preparation for the subsequently performed R&R (removal &<br />replacement) of the purification beds (multifiltration unit) in the<br />condensate water recovery system (SRVK-2M). [The water samples were secured<br />in two EDP containers and prepared for return on Soyuz 211 (5S). The BRP-M<br />collects purified water from the SRV-K2 condensate water processor and heats<br />it to 80-95 degC, in the process sterilizing ("pasteurizing") it for safe<br />ingestion by the crew.]<br /><br />Super handyman Don Pettit was congratulated on the successful completion of<br />"a very daunting" ARCTIC-1 repair procedure, with which he "truly pushed<br />back the frontiers of what can be done in IFM (in-flight maintenance)!" The<br />last remaining test for Pettit today was an electrical isolation/continuity<br />test of the refrigerator/freezer disconnected from EXPRESS Rack 2.<br /><br />Don Pettit completed the daily routine task of SOZh life support systems<br />maintenance and prepared the daily IMS inventory update file, while Bowersox<br />performed the regular Lab payload status checkup.<br /><br />The crew also continued their cargo preparations for the upcoming handover<br />activities to the Expedition 7 crew on 4/28-5/3 and their own return on<br />Soyuz TMA-1 on 5/4.<br /><br />Pettit conducted another weekly inventory audit of the available CWCs<br />(collapsible water containers) and their condition. [Last time done: 4/18.]<br /><br />The Science Officer set up and activated the EarthKAM payload in preparation<br />for next week's operations. EarthKAM will remain idle and the Lab Window<br />Shutter closed until post-Soyuz docking.<br /><br />Ken Bowersox completed, for the last time, his weekly task of filling out<br />the FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), which keeps a log of his nutritional<br />intake over time. Don's last FFQ turn on the MEC (medical equipment<br />computer) was yesterday.<br /><br />All crewmembers worked out on TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and<br />stabilization), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), and RED<br />(resistive exercise device), completing their daily physical exercise<br />program. Due to the still unknown cause of the RED cable damage and the<br />re-use of old cords, inspection details and use of safety straps have been<br />added to the crew's daily RED exercise advisory notes.<br /><br />Launch of 6S/Soyuz TMA-2 is scheduled for tonight at 11:54pm EDT. For<br />details, see the Appendix, below.<br /><br />Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, currently restricted by<br />limited the use of the science window in the Lab including near-vertical<br />targets from the city target list due to the current XPOP attitude, were<br />Western Mediterranean Dust (looking left and right of track along the<br />African coast), Rome, Italy (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]),<br />Berlin, Germany (nadir pass; ESC), Taiwan Smog (the west side of Taiwan is<br />one of the smoggiest parts of the world. Looking right to record a<br />developing smog event on Taiwan's industrial western plains), Mekong River<br />delta (Dynamic event. Sun glint point passing over this large delta. High<br />contrast of glint views is ideal for mapping estuary coastal change), Salt<br />Lake, Utah (Dynamic event. Sun glint opportunity to document the dynamic<br />shoreline of the lake in detail), and Central America smoke (Dynamic event.<br />Starting over Houston, looking right for a large smoke cloud moving from<br />southern Mexico northwards. Views should have appeared for three minutes,<br />especially of the abrupt east-side margin of the cloud on approach to the<br />Yucatan peninsula). CEO images can be viewed at the websites<br />http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov<br /><br />Appendix: The standard Soyuz launch-and-ascent template is as follows:<br /><br />Soyuz (and Progress) fly a standard 34-orbit (2-day) timeline template from<br />launch through docking. Actual day and time of launch must meet certain<br />phasing requirements vis-à-vis the target (ISS) in order for this to work.<br /><br />Flight operations are highly automated, reliant on stored program command<br />timelines and standard command uplinks.<br /><br />Same basic timeline for both Soyuz and Progress;<br /><br />Soyuz crew activities are largely monitor-only functions, with a few<br />exceptions;<br /><br />Consequently, many systems activities occur only when Russian Ground Sites<br />(RGS) are in line-of-sight (there are 5 RGS);<br /><br />Rendezvous maneuvers are NOT constrained to occur over Russian tracking<br />network. Post burn telemetry and tracked is used for maneuver assessment.<br /><br />Soyuz/Progress vehicles are controlled by a separate, dedicated flight<br />control team in MCC-Moscow (TsUP), not the ISS team.<br /><br />Soyuz crew operates off the RODF (Russian orbital data file), i.e., five<br />books, covering Ascent/Descent, Orbital Flight, Off-Nominal Situations,<br />Reserve Modes, and Reference Materials, as well as standard radiogram<br />formats. Medical Kit and Portable Survival Kit instructions are translated<br />into English.<br /><br />L-5 days:<br />Crew returned to Baikonur from Moscow where they had final medical;<br />Exercise, spacecraft briefing, flight plan briefing, Soyuz Manual Docking<br />simulation;<br />Practice using handheld laser for R and R-dot, P/TV Refresher.<br /><br />L-2 days:<br />Traditional events (Commission meetings on mission readiness at Baikonur<br />Hotel)<br />Flight crew, backup crew, & flight surgeon, exercise, rest and study.<br /><br />Day of Launch:<br /><br />L-3 hours:<br />Crew dons suits in test room<br />RSC-Energia presentation everything GO with crew and vehicle (RSA);<br />Words from VIPs (i.e., Yuri Semyonov of RSC-Energia);<br /><br />L-2.5 hours:<br />Crew takes bus to launch pad, "waters" tire about 200 meters from launch pad<br />(old Gagarin tradition);<br /><br />L-2 hours:<br />Spacecraft ingress (through orbital module down into descent module);<br /><br />Ascent to orbit: takes 9 minutes. At L+9:00 the Soyuz spacecraft separates<br />from the burnt-out booster, at 194 km altitude, 1710 km downrange from<br />Baikonur.<br /><br />Major crew action during ascent is to monitor pressures in the orbital<br />module and descent module, confirm all booster separation, launch escape<br />system jettison and spacecraft separation. Crew then monitors all<br />deployments (solar arrays, antennae, etc.), reports on no leaks, probe<br />extension, prop pressurization, and ECLS system and health. First orbit<br />should be about 233 x 182 km (average = 207 km). From there, the rendezvous<br />profile