ISS On-Orbit Status 9 Apr 2003<br /><br />All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below. Space Day 137 for Expedition 6 (since STS-113 launch on<br />11/23/02).<br /><br />Yesterday's outstanding extravehicular work by CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-2/SO<br />Don Pettit drew rave reviews from the ground (particularly for their 10-12<br />hammer raps on the stuck MT lighting stanchion, a no-frills but successful<br />closure to countless "viewgraphs and action items").<br /><br />Before breakfast and first exercise, Bowersox and Pettit underwent another<br />session with the Russian biochemical urinalysis MO-9, getting post-EVA data<br />for medical comparison with the pre-EVA data of 4/7. FE-1 Nikolai Budarin<br />afterwards stowed the Urolux equipment. [MO-9, conducted before and after<br />EVAs, also regularly every 30 days, is one of five nominal Russian medical<br />tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers for PHS (periodic health status)<br />evaluation as part of the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam. The analysis uses<br />the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus "Urolux" developed<br />originally for the Mir program.]<br /><br />Don Pettit activated the AR (air revitalization) rack, then started the PuFF<br />(pulmonary function in flight) equipment for a standard post-EVA breathing<br />test by himself and Ken Bowersox. Later in the day, Don powered the PuFF<br />equipment down, leaving it deployed for the time being. [PuFF supports the<br />continuing investigation of the effects of long-term micro-G exposure and<br />EVAs on the pulmonary (lung) function, utilizing the GASMAP (gas analyzer<br />system for metabolic analysis physiology) in the Human Research Facility,<br />along with a variety of other PuFF equipment such as a manual breathing<br />valve, flowmeter, pressure-flow module, pressure and volume calibration<br />syringes and disposable mouthpieces.]<br /><br />Budarin worked on the "Wiener" power laptop in the Russian segment (RS),<br />upgrading the SUBA BSMM multiplex bus synchronization unit of the Russian<br />OpsLAN network with new software (rev. 1.2) from a CD-ROM delivered on<br />Progress. [The code was first copied to the laptop. Then, the BSMM was<br />updated on the HDD (hard disk drive) with MCC-Moscow support via S-band<br />during several tag-ups.]<br /><br />Bowersox and Pettit had another session with the SSRMS (space station remote<br />manipulator system), for about 30 min. [SSRMS was maneuvered from<br />yesterday's EVA support viewing position to the FMS (force moment sensor)<br />data gathering position #1. The purpose of this ten-step single joint<br />maneuver was to move Canadarm2 away from obstructing the Lab science window<br />and to position the Tip LEE (latching end effector) in a specific<br />orientationwhich provides desired lighting conditions to collect FMS data. A<br />Tip LEE "fast checkout", one of the remaining OCRs (on-orbit checkout<br />requirements), was deferred to the next Robotics day, Friday, 4/11.]<br /><br />Pettit set up and performed the long-awaited re-activation of the EarthKAM<br />payload, which he installed at the Lab (nadir) science window. [EarthKAM<br />(Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is using an ESC 460C<br />electronic still camera mounted at the Lab's down-facing window, equipped<br />with a 50mm lens (f1.4). Powered by 16Vdc from a 120 Vdc adapter, EarthKAM<br />takes pictures by remote operation from the ground, without crew<br />interaction. It is available for Middle School-ers, who submit image<br />requests and conduct geographic research. The requests are uplinked in a<br />camera control file to an SSC (station support computer) laptop which then<br />activates the camera at specified times and receives the digital images from<br />the camera's storage card on its hard drive, for subsequent downlink via OPS<br />LAN.]<br /><br />Bowersox meanwhile took care of two more cleanup items from yesterday's EVA:<br />EMU water recharge and Metox (metal oxide) CO2 adsorbent regeneration in the<br />Airlock's Metox oven. Tomorrow (4/10) and Friday (4/11), the crew will also<br />discharge all four EMU batteries in order to preserve battery capacity.<br /><br />Budarin destowed three new biomedical harnesses (PKOs), brought up on<br />Progress, and replaced the old harnesses located in the Orbital Module of<br />the Soyuz TMA-1 (211) with them.<br /><br />Nikolai also performed the regular routine inspection of the BRPK<br />condensate/air separator and then worked about an hour on preventive<br />maintenance in the FGB, cleaning the protective mesh screens of the module's<br />ventilation fans.<br /><br />Bowersox did the periodic radio comm check with the Wallops ground site,<br />with MCC-H initiating the proficiency test call on VHF-1 (very high<br />frequency channel 1) upon ISS AOS (acquisition of sight) from Wallops.<br /><br />Budarin started the 24-hr. regeneration cycle on absorbent bed 1 of the BMP<br />micropurification subsystem, a part of the air revitalization system (SOGS),<br />leaving channel 2 in Purify mode.<br /><br />Today's routine servicing of the SOZh life support system (including ASU<br />toilet facilities) in the SM fell to Sox. He also did the regular Lab<br />payload status checkup as well as the preparation of the daily IMS inventory<br />delta file.<br /><br />The Russian Flight Engineer performed observations and photography for the<br />geophysical GFI-8 Uragan ("hurricane") program, as cloud cover permitted.<br />Areas of interest today were cities of Northern Iraq, a perspective<br />panoramic shot of the Caucasus range, and dust storms of the Aral Sea.<br />[Stated purpose of imaging Iraq is to record effects of the ecological<br />disaster resulting from the combustion of petroleum products.]<br /><br />For Cosmonautics Day on Saturday (4/12), the crew downlinked another cordial<br />message of greeting, today addressing the City of St. Petersburg. The video<br />was taken with the crew floating in front of the St. Petersburg flag. ["On<br />this day we acknowledge with pride that Russia remains the leading space<br />power, despite the complex domestic and international climates. The St.<br />Petersburg flag has been onboard the International Space Station since<br />November 2002. This year, throughout Russia we will celebrate the<br />tri-centennial of your city's founding by Peter the Great. We wish Happy<br />Cosmonautics Day to the administration and all the residents of the city on<br />the Neva. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish you good health and active<br />productive work, as well as simple human happiness".]<br /><br />"Kolya" (Nikolai) and his crewmates also used the ham radio equipment to<br />chat with Russian schoolchildren at Kursk, assembled at the Russian National<br />Olympics for Young Astronomers and Space Physicists at the Kursk Polytechnic<br />Museum. A list with questions had been uplinked last night. ["Have you<br />seen interplanetary space stations and have you communicated with them?"]<br /><br />All crewmembers performed their daily program of physical exercise on TVIS,<br />CEVIS, and RED.<br /><br />Onboard the ISS, all TCS (thermal control system) elements are back in<br />nominal configuration following yesterday's SPD (spool positioning device)<br />installations.<br /><br />With the completion of the CMG (control moment gyro) reconfiguration task<br />yesterday, a number of MCS (motion control system) laptop displays show<br />incorrect RPC (remote power controller) status for CMG-1 and -2 because they<br />refer to pre-EVA RPC status. The displays will remain this way until<br />Mission 12A.1. Meanwhile, the CMGs' power-on status can still be verified<br />by the crew with an appropriate software command.<br /><br />The CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) is currently running in addition to the<br />Vozdukh, in support of the Metox canister regeneration (which produces CO2).<br /><br />During three orbits today, a degradation assessment test was performed on<br />the U.S. solar arrays, similar to the Russian efficiency tests. Before the<br />test, the BGAs (beta gimbal assemblies) were moded to Autotrack (from fixed<br />dual-angle) to improve power generation during the test, and afterwards<br />returned to dual angle, with "night glider" drag reduction feathering. [For<br />the test, the solar array output is shunted (switched) such that the SSU<br />(sequential shunt unit) circuit current can be recorded to determine solar<br />array output capability. The amount of current shunted by the arrays will<br />decrease slowly over time as they degrade in the orbital environment. The<br />test is performed periodically (approximately twice a year) at a Beta angle<br />of 0 plus/minus 5 deg.]<br /><br />The second reboost by Progress 10P will take place tomorrow morning at<br />6:55am EDT. The burn, lasting for 11 min. to produce an expected delta-V of<br />1.48 m/s and 2.6 km altitude increase, is designed to meet Soyuz 6S launch<br />and Soyuz 5S landing constraints on orbital phasing. [As required by Flight<br />Rule criterion, there are no MMOD conjunctions predicted within 36 hours<br />after the burn.]<br /><br />Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, including near-vertical<br />targets from the city target list due to the current LVLH attitude, were S<br />Chad wetland (Dynamic event: river patterns in complex wetland are best<br />captured in sun glint--at nadir and a touch right), Amman, Jordan (nadir<br />pass over the Jordanian capital. ESC [electronic still camera]), Western<br />Mediterranean smog (smog accumulation likely in the Rhone valleyleft of<br />track in this coastal pass. Smog may have been more visible right of track<br />against the sea surface), Barcelona, Spain(nadir pass; ESC), Sabancaya<br />landslide site, Peru (nadir pass over this hazard site. Suggest detailed<br />images under and either side of track to document a long and oversteepened<br />hillside that is in danger of collapsing), and Newfoundland ice (Dynamic<br />event: Ice break up in the Gulf of St Lawrence combined with prevailing<br />westerly winds have resulted in a massive ice accumulation downwind, along<br />the western shore of Newfoundland. Also, crew was to look left to document<br />sea ice patterns in the Labrador Sea). CEO images can be viewed at the<br />websites http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and 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 /><br />Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16 Amp Mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is<br />On (manual mode 5). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is On. TCCS (trace contaminant<br />control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is<br />operating. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Regeneration<br />mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.<br /><br /><br />SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 735; temperature (deg C) --<br />27.2; ppO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid.<br />SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 751; temperature (deg C) --<br />19.3.<br />FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 752; temperature (deg C) -- 22.0.<br />Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 746.43; temperature (deg C) -- 22.0 (shell); ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.<br />U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 748.65; temperature (deg C) -- 22.5; ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a;<br />Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 748.76; temperature (deg<br />C) -- 21.1; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 20.9, ppO2 (mmHg) -- 171.8; ppCO2<br />(mmHg) -- 3.6.<br />PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 23.3<br />PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 21.1<br /><br />(n/a = data not available)<br /><br />Propulsion System (PS):<br /><br />Total propellant load available [SM(774) + FGB(2746) + Progress(474] ---<br />3994 kg (8805 lb) as of 4/3/03. (Capability: SM -- 860 kg; FGB -- 6120 kg).<br /><br />Electrical Power Systems (EPS):<br /><br />Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B<br />both in Autotrack (sun-following) mode.<br />SM batteries: Battery #3 is in "Cycle" mode; all other batteries (7) are in<br />"Partial Charge" mode.<br />FGB batteries: Battery #5 is disconnected; 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 /><br />C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.<br />GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 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.<br />SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.<br /><br />Attitude Control Systems:<br /><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 /><br />LVLH TEA (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local<br />vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9.1 deg, roll: 0<br />deg]), with CMG/ TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management).<br />Solar Beta Angle: -5.0 deg (magnitude increasing).<br /><br />Communications & Tracking Systems:<br /><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 /><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, 6:24am EDT [= epoch]):<br /><br />Mean altitude 390.9 km<br />Apogee -- 393.9 km<br />Perigee -- 387.9 km<br />Period -- 92.38 min.<br />Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg<br />Eccentricity -- 0.0004441<br />Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59<br />Solar Beta Angle: -5.0 deg (magnitude increasing)<br />Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 135 m<br />Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 25027<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