ISS On-Orbit Status 3/24/03<br /><br />All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below. This is Week 17 for Expedition 6, with four months behind it.<br /><br />Before breakfast and first exercise session, the crew started the day off<br />with the regular periodic Russian medical assessments MO-7 (calf volume<br />measurement) and MO-8 (body mass measurement, BMM). FE-1 Nikolai Budarin set<br />up the BMM mass measuring device, which uses calibrated springs to determine<br />the subject's mass in weightless space, and stowed it away after the tests.<br /><br />FE-2/SO Don Pettit began what soon may settle down to nominal science<br />operations for the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox). The newly installed<br />left AHU (air handling unit) fan was successfully checked out, while power<br />was also applied to the PFMI (pore formation and migration investigation).<br />[After the PFMI samples were removed from the thermal chamber and secured<br />inside the WV (work volume), the MSG started its 11 hrs. of operation,<br />intended as a long duration test run while the PFMI software is monitoring<br />the sample thermocouples. After the test run is terminated, MSG will return<br />to regular science ops with the InSPACE experiment (Investigating the<br />Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions), perhaps on<br />3/26 (Wednesday).]<br />Pettit also initiated discharge/recharge on EMU (extravehicular mobility<br />unit) batteries 728J and 575J, which recently did not accept the expected<br />capacity. [The batteries are GO for EVA, but they are being discharged and<br />recharged because ground engineers were concerned about long range impacts<br />to their life.]<br /><br />Nikolai Budarin performed the periodic functional closure test of the<br />emergency vacuum valves (AVK) of the Vozdukh CO2 removal system. [The AVKs<br />are critical because they close the Vozdukh's vacuum access lines in the<br />event of a malfunction in the regular vacuum valves (BVK) or a<br />depressurization in the Vozdukh valve panel (BOA). Access to vacuum is<br />required to vent carbon dioxide during the regeneration of the absorbent<br />cartridges (PP). During nominal operation, the AVK valves remain open.]<br /><br />Later, Budarin completed a major (4-hr.) preventive maintenance job on three<br />Orlan spacesuits (## 12, 14, 23) in the DC-1 "Pirs" docking compartment and<br />on the BSS Orlan interface units in the DC-1 and SM/PkhO compartment. The<br />work was supported by tag-up with a ground specialist via S-band. [The<br />activity consisted of activation of all three suits for assessment of their<br />interior shell condition and potential need for dry-out, also of<br />simultaneous degassing of the Orlans and DC-1 BSS (with BSS water hoses<br />remaining attached to the onboard heat exchanger), and final stowage of the<br />equipment.]<br /><br />Science Officer Pettit worked on ER2 (EXPRESS rack 2), which was powered up<br />by the ground for a number of checkout activities. [The current checkout<br />deals with an ARIS (active rack isolation system) software change made<br />several months ago. Don configured ER2 for control by the ARIS ICE POP<br />(isolation characterization experiment/payload on-orbit processor).<br />Afterwards, he removed the snubber cup isolators so POC (Payload Operations<br />Center) can conduct the ARIS' isolation capability tests.]<br /><br />CDR Ken Bowersox set up and activated the EVARM IV-CPDS (intravehicular<br />charged particle directional spectrometer), for taking EVARM (EVA radiation<br />monitoring) background radiation readings in the cabin. After subsequent<br />data transfer to the computer, the equipment was stowed again.<br /><br />Budarin conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh life<br />support system (including ASU toilet facilities) and prepared the daily IMS<br />inventory delta file. Nikolai also performed his regular daily checkup and<br />watering of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth<br />experiment.<br /><br />Pettit set up and tested onboard network systems for conducting meeting<br />conferences, involving Bose ANC headset and video camera connections.<br /><br />Later, Don worked on updating the onboard "Warning Book" hard copy,<br />inserting uplinked new procedures, which were also incorporated in the<br />electronic MPV (manual procedures viewer).<br /><br />MCC-H has concurred with the Russian-proposed optimum dates for the Progress<br />reboost burns of 4/4 and 4/10. They will require a total delta-V of 4.0<br />m/sec (2 m/sec per burn). Slipping the maneuvers to a later date would have<br />increased delta-V requirements.<br /><br />At today's IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team meeting), EVA planners also<br />confirmed 4/8 as the date for the planned Stage EVA2 by Bowersox and Pettit.<br /><br />All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program on RED<br />(resistive exercise device), TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and<br />stabilization), VELO with load trainer, and CEVIS (cycle ergometer with<br />vibration isolation).<br /><br />Yesterday's PFEs (periodic fitness evaluations) on the newly repaired CEVIS<br />were judged very successful. The PFE data were reviewed on the ground and<br />sent to the EVA specialists for deciding CEVIS prebreathe Go/No-Go.<br /><br />The new Russian software, vers. 7.01, will have different responses to<br />emergency situations than the previous software. The changes are being<br />reviewed by both sides.<br /><br />The crew, in response to a question, was provided with background on the<br />currently used continuous tone duration of the C&W (caution & warning)<br />system in the U.S. segment (USOS). [This mode was selected during Increment<br />3, changing from the original 5 seconds of tone duration, to resolve<br />inconsistent tone annunciation between the USOS and the Russian segment<br />(RS). Ground specialists still believe that the current continuous tone is<br />warranted. The crew's question was motivated by the recent numerous warnings<br />during the PPA thermal fluid pump repair.]<br /><br />Carbon dioxide partial pressure (ppCO2) level in the Lab was at 3.2 mmHg<br />this morning, trending downward. Vozdukh is operating nominally in manual<br />switchover mode. CDRA is off.<br /><br />Comm was lost last Friday with the SCU-1 ORU (sync control unit #1 on-orbit<br />replaceable unit)) of the video subsystem, leaving the subsystem on SCU-2,<br />i.e., without redundancy. Troubleshooting is underway.<br /><br />On the ground, upgrading of MCC-H to the new IBM servers is still going.<br />Flight control will return to nominal configuration tonight starting at<br />6:45pm EST. [During such computer modifications, flight control "swings" to<br />LSOS (limited station outage support) away from the regular consoles. During<br />the boot-up of the command server and restoration of operational data flow,<br />the ISS Flight Team temporarily operates from the WFCR (White Flight Control<br />Room, normally used for Shuttle), moving back tonight after verifying that<br />there are no issues. ISS will then be on the new IBM servers.]<br /><br />Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program (with<br />illumination is now, on Vernal Equinox, rapidly shifting from the Southern<br />to the Northern Hemisphere, and light soon too low for southernmost targets<br />like lower Patagonia) were Lake Eyre, Australia (the CEO ground team has no<br />recent images of this target area in this El Nino cycle. Looking left of<br />track for views of as much of the lake's mostly dry basin as possible), and<br />Industrialized Southeastern Africa (the ISS pass offered fine oblique views<br />of the South Africa's industrial corridor to the right of track. The crew<br />was to document the position and extent of smog palls there).<br /><br />CEO images can be viewed at the websites<br />http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and<br />http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov<br /><br />U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:18pm EST).<br /><br />Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):<br />Elektron O2 generator is powered On (24 Amp). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On<br />(manual mode 5). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant<br />control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is<br />operating. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed<br />#2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.<br /><br />Propulsion System (PS):<br />Total propellant load available [SM(774) + FGB(2746) + Progress(474] ---<br />3994 kg (8805 lb) as of 3/20/03. (Capability: SM -- 860 kg; FGB -- 6120 kg).<br /><br />Electrical Power Systems (EPS):<br />Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B<br />both in Directed Position (278 deg & 82 deg) to minimize aerodynamic drag.<br />SM batteries: Battery #7 is in "Cycle" mode; all other batteries (7) are in<br />"Partial Charge" mode.<br />FGB batteries: Battery #2 is off line; all other batteries (5) are in<br />"Partial Charge" mode.<br />Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 and PCU-2 both in Standby mode.<br /><br />Command & Data Handling Systems:<br />C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.<br />GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is Backup.<br />INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.<br />EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off.<br />LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.<br />PL-2 MDM is On (primary); PL-1 MDM is Off<br />APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.<br />SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being<br />upgraded.<br />SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Being<br />upgraded.<br /><br />Attitude Control Systems:<br />3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).<br />State vector source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)<br />Attitude source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)<br />Angular rate source -- RGA-2<br /><br />Flight Attitude:<br />XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = "sun-fixed" [yaw: -179.0 deg,<br />pitch: -8.8 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist) Momentum<br />Management.<br />Solar Beta Angle: 68.0 deg (magnitude increasing).<br /><br />Communications & Tracking Systems:<br />FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.<br />All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.<br />S-band is operating nominally.<br />Ku-band is operating nominally.<br />Audio subsystem operating nominally.<br />Video subsystem operating nominally (VTR1 is operable again).<br />HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.<br /><br />Robotics:<br />SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF with Keep Alive (KA) power on both<br />strings.<br />MBS: KA power on both strings.<br />MT: latched at WS4, with KA power.<br />POA: KA power on both strings.<br />RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.<br /><br />ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:06am EST [= epoch]):<br />Mean altitude -- 390.2 km<br />Apogee -- 395.8 km<br />Perigee -- 384.6 km<br />Period -- 92.36 min.<br />Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg<br />Eccentricity -- 0.0008261<br />Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59<br />Solar Beta Angle: 68.0 deg (magnitude increasing)<br />Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 100 m<br />Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 24779<br /><br />For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see<br />http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html