ISS On-Orbit Status 3/26/03<br /><br />All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below.<br /><br />The crew awoke to compliments for yesterday's good work, especially the<br />downlinked video discussing the use of Soyuz for crew return and landing (to<br />be used on NASA-TV on 5S landing day).<br /><br />Before breakfast (1:40am EST), CDR Kenneth Bowersox started on the FOOT<br />(foot/ground reaction forces during space flight) experiment, performing<br />basic calibration exercises with video (VTR initiated by ground command),<br />before starting the day-long experiment. [Wearing black Lycra biking tights<br />with 20 electrodes and shoes fitted with insoles that measure impact forces<br />on the bottom of the foot for the 12-hr session, Bowersox first performed<br />electromyography calibration (EMG, electric muscle currents recording), then<br />completed a typical on-orbit day while reaction forces against the ISS<br />structure were recorded passively on 14 channels to determine how much<br />stress his legs and feet endure. This provides better understanding of the<br />bone loss and muscle mass loss experienced by astronauts in zero-G (on Mir,<br />for example, cosmonauts lost as much bone mass in a month as post-menopausal<br />women do in a year). The experiment is led by the biomedical engineering<br />department at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.]<br /><br />FE-1 Nikolai Budarin had more servicing work in the Russian segment (RS),<br />starting with preventive maintenance in the FGB (funktsionalnyi-grusovoi<br />blok) module for a thorough cleanup of the removable screens of its three<br />GZhT gas-liquid heat exchangers (done last by Bowersox on 2/25).<br /><br />Budarin then worked in the transfer tunnel (PrK) of the Service Module (SM)<br />and the Progress cargo module (GrO) to prepare for tomorrow's task of making<br />hard-wire connections between the Progress' Kurs-A antenna (AKR-VKA) and the<br />SM's Kurs-P system. [This internal test set-up is used for checking out the<br />Kurs-P radio system via hard-wire instead radio frequency linkage. Kurs-P<br />(passive) will be needed for the upcoming docking of Soyuz 6S, and Kurs-A<br />(active) in Progress 11P will be removed prior to the cargo ship's undocking<br />and deorbit.]<br /><br />Afterwards, Budarin performed IFM (in-flight maintenance) in the SM,<br />locating suitable cabling and connecting the U.S. food warmer (FW) as per<br />nominal config layout.<br /><br />As another inventory audit, in support of future onboard LAN (local area<br />network) troubleshooting, Budarin was asked to make a list of all equipment<br />plugged in to RS onboard power outlets (PBS), i.e., in SM, FGB and DC-1,<br />with an identification of each item and its particular outlet. The list was<br />to be downlinked via Regul packet.<br /><br />Nikolai also conducted his regular daily checkup of the BIO-5<br />Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth experiment.<br /><br />After yesterday's R&R (removal & replacement) of the local temperature<br />sensor commutator LKT4B2 TA251 in the SM, MCC-M/TsUP today ran a test of the<br />LKT4B2 and its BITS2-12 onboard telemetry connection during Daily Orbit 14<br />(7:40-9:15am EST), with data-output-to-control-system mode (VD-SU) turned<br />off. [VD-SU exchanges data between BITS and the onboard computer system and<br />is always turned off when BITS parts are replaced. The testing also required<br />the temporary power-down of the Elektron and the SKV air conditioner.]<br /><br />TsUP, on Daily Orbit 2, also uplinked a software patch to the SM computer,<br />correcting the new vers. 7.01 code to trigger the alarm signal for smoke if<br />it is reported by two smoke detectors (SDs), rather than just by one.<br /><br />FE-2/SO Don Pettit undertook the scheduled Week 17 water sampling for<br />in-flight chemistry/microbiology analysis, using approved Russian sampling<br />procedures with the U.S. WS&A (water sampler & archiver) for collection and<br />the WMK (water microbiology kit) for processing within 6 hrs. of the<br />collection. [Samples were taken in the SM at the SRV-K cold port and from<br />the EDV container of the SVO-ZV water supply system.]<br /><br />At 6:00am, MCC-H commanded a calibration run of the onboard VOA (volatile<br />organics analyzer) which usually lasts about 3.5 hours. Air sample data were<br />then taken by the VOA at about 9:30am.<br /><br />Bowersox and Pettit started preparatory work for the Stage EVA2, scheduled<br />for 4/8, starting with a checkout of EVA tools, particularly the<br />all-important powered PGT (pistol grip tool), and proper tool<br />configurations.<br /><br />Joy among the EVA battery folks: The EMU (extravehicular mobility unit)<br />battery recharge on 3/24-25 went so well that the second set ofEMU batteries<br />will not be subjected to the previously considered discharge/recharge cycle.<br />[A maintenance charging cycle on the first two EMU batteries,728J & 575J, is<br />still required, later in the day.]<br /><br />A planned tag-up by Bowersox with ground specialists to discuss safety and<br />other inventory details of the yellow-tagged items was deferred. [Yellow<br />caution tags designate onboard equipment for which the safety certification<br />process for USOS (U.S. segment) or RS has not been completed.]<br /><br />Nikolai conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh life<br />support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Don prepared the<br />daily IMS inventory delta file and Sox completed the regular payload status<br />checkup in the Lab.<br /><br />All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program on RED<br />(resistive exercise device), TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and<br />stabilization), CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation), and VELO<br />bike with load trainer.<br /><br />At 4:45am EST, amateur radio operator Don Pettit chatted with students of<br />Higashi Kaneko Junior High School in Japan's Iruma District. A list of<br />questions collected from the students had been uplinked beforehand. Later,<br />at 2:04pm, Pettit fielded a second ham radio session, this time with<br />students at the primary school of Selnica-ob-Dravi (Selnica on the Drava) in<br />the Republic of Slovenia. [The school is over two hundred years old and<br />today has 474 students. The parish of Selnica lies 12 km west of Maribor,<br />the second largest town in Slovenia (after its capital Ljubljana).]<br /><br />Early preparations are underway for developing the carefully documented<br />handover procedures for both segments between the current Expedition 6 crew<br />and the two-man crew of Expedition 7, Edward Lu and Yuri Malenchenko. [To be<br />launched on Soyuz 6S on or about 4/26, Lu und Malenchenko were crewmates on<br />STS-106/ISS-2A.2b in September 2000, the third ISS logistics/outfitting<br />mission, during which they performed a successful 6-hr. EVA. Malenchenko is<br />a veteran Mir cosmonaut and "emergency-tested". As Mir Commander, in early<br />September 1994 he accomplished manual TORU docking of the cargo ship<br />Progress M-24 to the station, after several failed automatic docking<br />attempts in August.. Malenchenko and Kazakhstan-cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev<br />then performed two EVAs to inspect the (undamaged) space station where it<br />had been struck by M-24 and by Soyuz TM-17 (after its undocking in January),<br />as well as Mir's "Safora" control mast. In October '94, Malenchenko had to<br />cope with a serious power and attitude control failure of the station's core<br />module due to electric capacity overload. They returned in November '94,<br />after 125 days, with visiting guest cosmonaut Ulf Merbold, whose launch on<br />Soyuz T-20 would not have occurred without Malenchenko's Progress/TORU<br />docking.]<br /><br />Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, currently restricted by<br />flight rule constraints limiting the use of the science window in the Lab,<br />were Angolan Biomass Burning (with remarkably clear weather conditions over<br />Angola and Namibia this pass, the crew was to look left of track for views<br />of burns scars from previous seasons), and Nairobi, Kenya (even though good<br />views of the Kenyan capital are not possible this pass, the crew was asked<br />to look right of track for the small target of Mount Kilimanjaro and to try<br />for as tight a view as possible of the small, retreating ice fields on this<br />isolated volcanic peak).<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 12:45pm 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) -- 27.2;<br />ppO2 (mmHg) -- 183.1 (suspect); ppCO2 (mmHg) -- 2.4 (data suspect).<br />SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 751; temperature (deg C) --<br />20.9.<br />FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 752; temperature (deg C) -- 23.0.<br />Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 739.44; temperature (deg C) -- 23.4 (shell); ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.<br />U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 741.79; temperature (deg C) -- 22.3; ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a;<br />Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 741.89; temperature (deg<br />C) -- 21.5; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 22.1, ppO2 (mmHg) -- 165.6; ppCO2<br />(mmHg) -- 4.0.<br />PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 23.7<br />PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 12.2<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: 49.5 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, 6:49am EST [= epoch]):<br />Mean altitude -- 390.0 km<br />Apogee -- 395.7 km<br />Perigee -- 384.4 km<br />Period -- 92.36 min.<br />Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg<br />Eccentricity -- 0.0008381<br />Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59<br />Solar Beta Angle: 49.5 deg (magnitude decreasing)<br />Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 80 m<br />Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 24810<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