ISS On-Orbit Status, 17-10-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 17 Oct 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Today Expedition 7 has been in space 174 days.

Early in the morning before breakfast, the ISS crew set up the Russian TV
equipment in the Service Module (SM) and conducted an interactive TV
exchange with schoolchildren assembled at the opening ceremony of the 11th
International Space Olympiad of School Students at Korolev near Moscow.
Participants in the International Space Camp are from Russia, Greece,
Germany, Great Britain, and the USA. [ISS crew: "We are convinced that the
space trend will be a determining factor in your choice, your life, since
space is the future of humankind".]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu then spent several hours on
preparations for their return on Soyuz 6S on 10/27 (Monday), first focusing
on getting personal items and equipment ready.

They then worked on the Kentavr ("Centaur") garments, doing fit-checks and
adjusting them for their individual sizes. The suits are kept in the
habitation module of the Soyuz TMA until undock day. [The Russian Kentavr
garment is a protective anti-g suit ensemble to facilitate the return of a
long-duration crewmember into the Earth gravity. Consisting of shorts,
gaiters, underpants, jersey and socks, it acts as countermeasure for
circulatory disturbance, prevents crewmember from overloading during descent
and increases orthostatic tolerance during post-flight adaptation. Sizing
consists of adjusting lacing on the outer side of the shorts and on the
inner side of the gaiters to achieve a tight fit.]

After the Kentavr adjustments, Malenchenko and Lu tagged up with descent and
landing specialists at TsUP via Russian VHF to discuss medical aspects of
the return. [On the day of descent, besides the Kentavr, the crewmembers are
to don a medical belt with ECG (electrocardiogram) sensors and make sure
that they have taken water-salt additives. See Appendix, below, on how the
crew will experience the reentry in the Soyuz 6S Descent Module, a First for
Ed Lu and Pedro Duque.]

Malenchenko collected air samples in the SM and FGB for analysis, using the
standard Russian AK-1M sampler device. The samples were sealed in separate
container tubes, labeled and stowed for return to Earth on Soyuz.

Ed Lu spent several hours in the Joint Airlock (A/L). After MCC-H had
activated the CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner for his
presence and configured the LTL (low temperature loop) flow of the ITCS
(internal thermal control system), Lu disconnected and removed the LTL
jumper to allow coolant to flow to the CCAA heat exchanger. This prepared
the A/L for the subsequent work on the EMU/spacesuit equipment.

The SO then configured the EMU cooling system umbilical for collecting water
samples, which he packaged for return on Soyuz 6S for analysis, before
closing out the sampling activities.

Ed also had time allocated in the A/L to set up the removal and replacement
(R&R) of the failed gas trap of EMU #3013, scheduled for Saturday next week
(10/25). The new gas trap will be delivered by Soyuz 7S.

Yuri completed the third changeout of the battery unit of the European
Winograd student experiment (for growing "Winogradski" columns in the zero-G
environment toward the VC-5 period on 10/20-27) with a fresh battery. [Last
time done: 10/2. These battery replacements are required every 16 days.]

In the SM, Malenchenko worked two hours to prepare work areas and check
power outlets for the VC-5 "Cervantes" experiments, to be conducted by Pedro
Duque. [Biological experiments will be conducted on 10/20 in the AQUB-01
"Akvarius-01" payload. For the BTKh-32 "Embryon" (stem cell research) and
BIO-10 (intercellular interaction) experiments, Yuri activated the
Kriogem-03M freezer in the DC-1 module. The MESSAGE payload, comprising four
containers to be delivered on TMA-3, are to be placed in an area with
minimal temperature fluctuation, while for SYMPATHO access was cleared for
the Plasma-03 centrifuge. The French EGE-2 laptop was set up for the
experiments CARDIOCOG-2 (study of changes in the cardiovascular and
respiratory systems of humans in zero-G), NEUROCOG-2 (study how humans
perceive space, what role the sensory information of sight, balance, motion
and position plays in this, and how human perception is affected by
weightlessness), and BMI-2 (monitoring changes in blood pressure rhythms
over 24 hours).]

Both crewmembers performed their physical exercise on TVIS treadmill, RED
exerciser and CEVIS cycle ergometer.

Ed Lu conducted the regular monthly CEVIS inspection/maintenance.

Ed also transferred data files from the physical exercise equipment to the
MEC (medical equipment computer) via memory card and RED log entries, for
downlink on OCA comm. Later, he performed the periodic transfer of
accumulated data files from the wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) receiver
stations to the MEC for downlink, then deleted them on the HRM.

In the Lab, Yuri re-installed the UOP-DCP (utility outlet panel-to-display &
control panel) power bypass jumper cable for the Robotics/MSS (mobile
service system) in preparation for the video coverage on docking day.

The CDR also completed the regular daily routine tasks of SOZh life support
system maintenance in thre SM, while Ed Lu conducted the regular routine
status checkup of the autonomous Lab payloads (PCG-STES010 & CGBA).

Starting at 5:00am EDT this morning and running for several hours, MCC-H and
its support group in Moscow (HSG) completed another BCC (backup control
center) dry-run in test mode, with no involvement of the ISS crew or
vehicle. The telemetry playback was scheduled for 8:30am. [BCC utilizes the
HSG command server and telemetry server. In test mode, HSG (as BCC) sends a
single not-for-uplink PPCP (preplanned command packet) to MCC-M/TsUP, then
cancels it after successful transmission. MCC-M plays back ACT (American
contingency telemetry) recorded earlier, with HSG confirming successful
receipt. TsUP commanding to the Russian segment (RS) via U.S. S-band as well
as MCC-H-to-TsUP flow of status telemetry are also not affected, but MCC-H
has no real-time telemetry and command capability via Russian ground
stations (RGS) during the dry-run.]

Yesterday's ground-controlled test of the C&W (caution & warning) system,
intended to help develop more robust communications procedures for
maintaining Russian-to-US segment comm during emergency events, ran into
some temporary snags. [After things had returned to normal, the crew was
thanked for their patience and congratulated for having passed Flight
Control's "tolerance for tones test": "You are now certified to come home."]

Final launch preparations are proceeding at Baikonur for tomorrow's liftoff
of Soyuz TMA-3/7S with the Expedition 8 crew (Michael Foale & Alexander
Kaleri) plus Spanish guest cosmonaut Pedro Duque, at 1:38am EDT. [See
Appendix 1, below, for Soyuz 7S launch-and-ascent details.]

Upcoming Soyuz Events:

7S launch: 10/18 (Saturday), 1:38am Eastern, 9:38am Moscow, 11:38am
Baikonur;
7S docking: 10/20 (Monday), 3:20am Eastern, 11:20am Moscow;
7S hatch opening: 6:14am Eastern.
6S hatch closu 10/27 (Monday), 3:10pm Eastern.
6S undocking: 6:20pm Eastern, 2:20am (10/28) Moscow;
6S landing: 10/27 (Monday), 9:36pm Eastern, 5:36am (10/28) Moscow.

Today's CEO (crew earth observation) targets, limited in the current XPOP
attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science
window, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial
locations, were Marietta, Ohio (LEWIS & CLARK SITE. Noted as the oldest
settlement on the Ohio River, Marietta, Ohio, is located about ten miles
upriver from Parkersburg, West Virginia where the Muskingum River enters
from the north and the Ohio makes a large meander north. In the summer of
1803, on their way to St. Louis, Lewis and Clark stopped here since it was
one of the few settlements in existence at the time), Moundsville W VA
(LEWIS & CLARK SITE. On September 10th Lewis stopped [near present day
Moundsville, West Virginia] to view "a remarkable artificial mound of earth"
called the Indian Grave. Near the summit grew a white oak tree 13 1/2 feet
in girth that Lewis estimated to be 300 years old), Pittsburgh, PA (LEWIS &
CLARK SITE. Shooting along the Monongahela River as it winds through the
city. Lewis crossed the Appalachians in the summer of 1803, and supervised
the construction of his keelboat in Pittsburgh. He started down the Ohio
River on August 31), Eastern Mediterranean Dust (looking right towards the
Nile River delta), Denver, Colorado (nadir pass), Palmyra Atoll, Pacific
(nadir pass), Kingman Reef, Pacific (a touch left of nadir), Maro Atoll,
Pacific (a touch left of nadir), London, England (looking a touch left), and
Berlin, Germany (nadir pass).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

See also the website "Space Station Challenge" at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:50pm EDT).

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

Elektron O2 generator is powered On, 32A. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in
Manual Mode 5/3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is in Standby. TCCS (trace
contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents
analyzer) is off (in Life Extending Mode). BMP Harmful Impurities unit:
absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner
SKV-1 is Off; SKV-2 is Off.


SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742; temperature (deg C) -- 25.6;
ppO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 761; temperature (deg C) --
20.2.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 772; temperature (deg C) -- 23.0.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 758.19; temperature (deg C) -- 24.6 (shell); ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 760.67; temperature (deg C) -- 24.4; ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 760.88; temperature (deg
C) -- 24.8; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 25.4, ppO2 (mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2
(mmHg) -- n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 23.7
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 12.2.

(n/a = data not available)

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B
both in Directed Position (non-suntracking).
SM batteries: Battery #7 is enabled and will be tracked for the next few
weeks, still in slot #8; all other batteries (7) are in "Partial Charge"
mode (batteries #1 and #3 are degraded).
FGB batteries: Battery #1 is off; all other batteries (5) are in "Partial
Charge" mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-2 MDM is prime, C&C-1 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is Off; PL-2 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational; string #2
dropped out 9/26.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available: 3891 kg (8578 lb) as of 10/16 [SM(755) +
FGB(2784) + Progress M(352) + Progress M-1(0)]. (Capability: SM -- 860 kg;
FGB -- 6120 kg).

Attitude Control Systems:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source -- RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = "sun-fixed" [yaw: 0.5 deg,
pitch: -6.9 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist).

Communications & Tracking Systems:

FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
Ku-band is operating nominally.
Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-2 is prime, IAC-1 is suspect).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #2/LEE A, with Keep Alive (KA) power on
both strings.
MBS: KA power on both strings.
MT: latched and mated at WS4.
POA: KA power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is
Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:43am EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 380.4 km
Apogee -- 384.7 km
Perigee -- 376.0 km
Period -- 92.2 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0006465
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.62
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 120 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 28011
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html



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Appendix 1: Soyuz TMA-3 launch-and-ascent template:

Soyuz 7S will fly a standard 34-orbit (2-day) timeline template from launch
through docking. Actual day and time of launch must meet certain phasing
requirements vis-à-vis the target (ISS) in order for this to work.

Flight operations are highly automated, reliant on stored program command
timelines and standard command uplinks.

Soyuz and Progress follow the same basic timeline;

Soyuz crew activities are largely monitor-only functions, with a few
exceptions;

Consequently, many systems activities occur only when Russian Ground Sites
(RGS) are in line-of-sight (there are 5 RGS);

Rendezvous maneuvers are NOT constrained to occur over Russian tracking
network. Post burn telemetry and tracked is used for maneuver assessment.

Soyuz/Progress vehicles are controlled by a separate, dedicated flight
control team in MCC-Moscow (TsUP), not the ISS team.

Soyuz crew operates off the RODF (Russian orbital data file), i.e., five
books, covering Ascent/Descent, Orbital Flight, Off-Nominal Situations,
Reserve Modes, and Reference Materials, as well as standard radiogram
formats. Medical Kit and Portable Survival Kit instructions are translated
into English.

L-5 days:

Crew returned to Baikonur from Moscow where they had final medical;
Exercise, spacecraft briefing, flight plan briefing, Soyuz Manual Docking
simulation;
Practice using handheld laser for R and R-dot, P/TV Refresher.


L-2 days:

Traditional events (Commission meetings on mission readiness at Baikonur
Hotel)
Flight crew, backup crew, & flight surgeon, exercise, rest and study.

Day of Launch:

L-3 hours:
Crew dons suits in test room
RSC-Energia presentation everything GO with crew and vehicle (RSA); Words
from VIPs;

L-2.5 hours:
Crew takes bus to launch pad, "waters" tire about 200 meters from launch pad
(old Gagarin tradition);

L-2 hours:
Spacecraft ingress (through orbital module down into descent module);

Ascent to orbit:

Takes 9 minutes. At L+9:00 the Soyuz spacecraft separates from the burnt-out
booster, at 194 km altitude, 1710 km downrange from Baikonur;

Major crew action during ascent is to monitor pressures in the orbital
module (BO) and descent module (SA), confirm all booster separation, launch
escape system jettison and spacecraft separation.

Crew then monitors all automatic deployments (solar arrays, antennae, etc.),
reports on no leaks, probe extension, prop pressurization, and ECLS system
and health.

First orbit should be about 233 x 182 km (average = 207 km). From there, the
rendezvous profile follows the two-day standard timeline.



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Appendix 2: What will the Soyuz TMA-2/6S crew (Expedition 7 + Pedro Duque)
encounter during reentry/descent?

On descent day (10/27):

Special attention will be paid to the need for careful donning of the
medical belt with sensors and securing tight contact between sensors and
body.

During preparation for descent, before atmosphere reentry, the crew should
settle down comfortably in the seat, fasten the belts, securing tight
contact between body and the seat liner in he couch.

During de-orbit:

Dust particles starting to sink in the Descent Module cabin is the first
indication of atmosphere reentry and beginning of G-load effect. From that
time on, special attention is required as the loads increase rapidly.

Under G-load effect during atmosphere reentry the crew can expect the
following sensations:

Sensation of G-load pressure on the body, "burden in the body", labored
breathing and speech. These are normal sensations, and the advice is to
"take them coolly". In case of the feeling of a "lump in the throat", this
is no cause to "be nervous". This is frequent and should not be fought. Best
is to "try not to swallow and talk at this moment". Crew should check vision
and, if any disturbances occur, create additional tension of abdominal
pressure and leg muscles (strain abdomen by pulling in), in addition to the
"Kentavr" anti-G suit .

During deployment of drogue and prime parachutes the impact accelerations
will be perceived as a "strong snatch". No reason to become concerned about
this but one should be prepared that during the parachutes deployment and
change of prime parachute to symmetrical suspension swinging and spinning
motion of the Descent Module occurs, which involves vestibular (middle ear)
irritations.

It is important to tighten restrain system to fasten pelvis and pectoral
arch. Vestibular irritation can occur in the form of different referred
sensations such as vertigo, hyperhidrosis, postural illusions, general
discomfort and nausea. To prevent vestibular irritation the crew should
"limit head movement and eyes movement", as well as fix their sight on
motionless objects.

Just before the landing (softened by six small rocket engines behind the
heat shield):

Crew should be prepared for the vehicle impact with the ground, with their
bodies fixed along the surface of the seat liner in advance. "Special
attention should be paid to arm fixation to avoid the elbow and hand squat".

After landing:

Crew should not get up quickly from their seats to leave the Descent Module.
They are advised to stay in the couch for several minutes and only then
stand up. In doing that, they should limit head and eyes movement and avoid
excessive motions, proceeding slowly. They and their body should not take up
earth gravity in the upright position too quickly.



--
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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info