ISS On-Orbit Status 3/25/03<br /><br />All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below.<br /><br />FE-1 Nikolai Budarin had a busy day working on Russian segment (RS)<br />subsystems. After breakfast, he started out deactivating the Russian laptop<br />1 and later turning on laptop 2 with the new software, both on MCC-M<br />go-ahead.<br /><br />Then, the Flight Engineer conducted his regular daily checkup of the BIO-5<br />Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth experiment.<br /><br />A larger task for Budarin was the replacement of a local temperature sensor<br />switch device (commutator, LKT4B2/TA251) in the Service Module (SM) with a<br />new spare. There are 11 of these LKTs behind various SM panels which<br />receive, convert and transmit temperature sensor data via the local analog<br />telemetry switch (LKA) to the database. [Before exchanging the TA251 boxes,<br />Budarin pulled their BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system connections, after<br />the ground had powered the BITS off. He equipped the new TA251 with the ROM<br />(read-only memory) unit (TA765B) from the old commutator, then installed it<br />on its mount. All BITS connectors were then remated for activation and<br />checkout by the ground.]<br /><br />Later, Budarin uninstalled an electronic part (APDG antenna switch) of the<br />TVS television system's AFU antenna feeder unit in the SM and replaced it<br />with a new unit.<br /><br />Another task completed by Nick today was a repair, scheduled for half an<br />hour, on the PVK-1 "Chibis" suit which is used by cosmonauts as part of<br />their preparations for returning into gravity. [Using scissors and gray<br />tape, Nikolai needed to fasten a loose insole with Velcro to the boot,<br />applying the tape at toe, center and heel. Chibis is a below-the-waist<br />reduced-pressure device (US: LBNP, lower body negative pressure), which<br />provides gravity-simulating stress to the body's cardiovascular/circulatory<br />system for reestablishing the body's orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the<br />Gauer-Henry reflex) after long-duration stays in zero-G.]<br /><br />For review by the crew, the ground uplinked a list of "yellow-tag" items,<br />i.e., onboard equipment which should have yellow caution tags to designate<br />them as equipment for which the safety certification process for the USOS or<br />RS has not been completed. [This includes items not certified for ISS<br />operations or cleared for only one segment but not the other, items which<br />could pose a safety hazard, and broken or expired items. The yellow-tag list<br />currently has<br />17 items. MCC-M has now added to the list Progress-delivered bladders for<br />storing liquid waste or water, which await their certification.]<br /><br />FE-2/SO Don Pettit activated and checked out the onboard "Net Meeting"<br />network for conducting meeting conferences including video conferencing.<br /><br />In Lab and SM, Don Pettit took air flow measurements using the Velocicalc<br />instrument preparatory to formaldehyde sampling with the FMK (formaldehyde<br />monitoring kit). [The data required from this test is the measured flow rate<br />and exact rack location where the flow rate is equal to or greater than 40<br />ft/min.]<br /><br />The crew was also asked by MCC-M to take ppCO2 (carbon dioxide partial<br />pressure) readings with the U.S. CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit) near the SM gas<br />analyzer, to assist in troubleshooting the latter.<br /><br />Pettit continued his work on the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), today<br />he shutting down the PFMI (pore formation and mobility investigation)<br />payload. [This involved a few circuit breakers, experiment power outlets,<br />and video drawer switch throws. After a number of MSG ground commands, he<br />then was to take the facility to Standby and power off the MLC (MSG laptop<br />computer).]<br /><br />In preparation for the upcoming nominal MSG research activity, Pettit did<br />preparatory work on the InSPACE payload (Investigating the Structure of<br />Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions). [He inspected five of six<br />coil assemblies, leaving out one damaged assembly (#CA-002). POC (Payload<br />Operations Center) also requested some video of the inspections via the Lab<br />camcorder.]<br /><br />CDR Ken Bowersox unstowed and set up the Foot (foot/ground reaction forces<br />during space flight) payload equipment, preparing it for EMG<br />(electromyography, i.e., muscular electric signals recording) and<br />calibrating it for tomorrow's day-long experiment run.<br /><br />Bowersox and Pettit completed about two hours of audit work in the Lab, as<br />first of three parts of a 6-hr. inventory. [Goal of the time-consuming but<br />very necessary activity is to audit various stowage locations in "Destiny"<br />and provide the ground information to update the IMS (inventory management<br />system) database on the basis of the actual on-orbit situation. The audit is<br />a continuation of the previous stowage location audits, using an uplinked<br />table organized the same as for the recent Node audit, with the crew simply<br />filling in "yes" or "no" for the presence of an item in each location.]<br /><br />Don conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh life support<br />system (including ASU toilet facilities). Nikolai prepared the daily IMS<br />inventory delta file and completed the regular inspection of the BRPK-1<br />air/condensate separator of the SRVK water processing system.<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 on the freshly repaired CEVIS<br />(cycle ergometer with vibration isolation).<br /><br />The crew downlinked a TV message for PAO use describing preparations for and<br />the elements of a crew's return and landing in a Soyuz vehicle in<br />Kazakhstan. The material will be used as background on landing day in May.<br /><br />Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program were<br />Patagonian Glaciers (this was probably the best pass of the day over<br />southern Patagonia. Looking left of track [northward] for context views of<br />most of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The second pass later in the day<br />bisected this target region. Crew was to try for context views of the ice<br />fields and larger glacier by looking either side of track), Industrialized<br />Southeastern Africa (as cooler high pressure builds into this region by the<br />time of this pass, aerosol buildups should have resumed over the<br />industrialized corridor of the Orange and Vaal River valleys. Looking<br />obliquely left of track to document the extent and density of smog palls),<br />and High Central Andean Glaciers (the ISS ascending [south-to-north<br />hemisphere] pass intersected the crest of the Andes perpendicularly. Crew<br />was to take advantage of some of the best weather in weeks to try for<br />context views of the small ice fields here, looking either side of track).<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 1:45pm 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 />SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 745; temperature (deg C) -- 27.4;<br />ppO2 (mmHg) -- 183.1; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- 2.3 (data suspect).<br />SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 751; temperature (deg C) --<br />21.1.<br />FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 752; temperature (deg C) -- 22.3.<br />Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 740.07; temperature (deg C) -- 23.3 (shell); ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.<br />U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742.09; temperature (deg C) -- 22.2; ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a;<br />Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 742.19; temperature (deg<br />C) -- 21.0; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 21.8, ppO2 (mmHg) -- 165.8; ppCO2<br />(mmHg) -- 3.9.<br />PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 24.4<br />PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 12.7<br />(n/a = data not available)<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 #8 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: 51.0 deg (magnitude decreasing).<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, 7:44am EST [= epoch]):<br />Mean altitude -- 390.1 km<br />Apogee -- 395.7 km<br />Perigee -- 384.5 km<br />Period -- 92.36 min.<br />Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg<br />Eccentricity -- 0.0008336<br />Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59<br />Solar Beta Angle: 51.0 deg (magnitude decreasing)<br />Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 90 m<br />Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 24795<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