ISS On-Orbit Status, 05-09-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 5 Sep 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. To get some extra rest after the last two busy days, the crew
this morning enjoyed a 1.5 hr sleep cycle extension, with wakeup set for
3:30am EDT instead of 2:00 am. Sleep begins tonight at the regular 5:30pm.

The station residents' workday today was dominated by the troubleshooting
plus midterm checkout of EMU/spacesuit #3005, a 4 hr. task involving both
crewmembers. For the cooling verification portion of the procedure, Ed Lu
had to put on Don Pettit's LCVG (liquid cooling ventilation garment),
connected to the multiple water connector (MWC) of the HUT (hard upper
torso) while operating the temperature control valve in various positions.
[Certification of the U.S. spacesuits is dependent on regular maintenance.
While on orbit, this is defined as a modified (mid-term) checkout within 369
days of the latest EVA, last mid-term checkout, or ground-based PIA
(pre-installation acceptance test). EMU #3005, currently the prime suit for
EV1/Ed Lu, has not been used for EVA since its launch on STS-113/11A on
11/23/02. The last PIA completion date for it was 9/29/02, giving it a
369-day expiration date of 10/4/03. EMU #3013 was used last time in April
this year and is not due for its checkout yet, although more troubleshooting
on its cooling system is required.]

Because the EMU checkout was done in the Joint Airlock (A/L), MCC-H had
activated the air conditioner (CCAA, common cabin air assembly) at 5 am. It
was turned off afterwards. Also, for the duration of the EMU ops
TsUP/Moscow temporarily disabled the 400 MHz (megahertz) PRD transmitter of
the Russian/German Global Timing System (GTS). [GTS electronics are
installed in the Service Module (SM), with two transmitters broadcasting a
time signal at 400.1 MHz (1 watt) and 1428 MHz (0.5 watt) straight downward
(nadir) for worldwide clock synchronization. Because the 400 MHz signal
interferes with the WVS (Wireless Video System) and very likely also the
SSCS (Space-to-Space Communication System), both used for spacewalks, the
GTS 400 MHz transmitter is inhibited during EVAs, including EMU checkouts,
involving the A/L.]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko powered down the GFI-10 Molniya-SM-LSO geophysical
experiment which had been running at SM window #2, by deactivating the two
French computers EGE 1 and EGE 2, the LSO 06 instrument and the Russian RBS
power outlet. Removal and stowage of the equipment if scheduled for
tomorrow. [Molniya-SM/LSO automatically records storm phenomena and other
related events in the Earth's equatorial regions. The experiment is
controlled from the EGE-1 laptop, loaded with orbital sighting predictions
using an up-to-date NORAD tracking TLE (two-line element) provided by NASA.
Objective of LSO was to study rare optical phenomena occurring in the upper
layers of Earth's atmosphere, so-called "sprites" (i.e., puzzling glow
phenomena observed above thunderstorm clouds). LSO was originally part of
Claudie Haigneré's French "Andromeda" payload package of taxi mission 3S
that could not be performed as planned during Increment 4 due to an ISS
flight attitude conflict.]

Malenchenko then completed the geophysical GFI-8 "Uragan" experiment to
observe night atmospheric emissions with the Earth in the background, using
the Fialka-MV-Kosmos equipment of the GFI-1 Relaksatsiya experiment still
mounted at SM window #9 from yesterday's observation of Progress 11P
thruster plumes. After a 15 min. run, Yuri archived and backed up the data,
deactivated the equipment and removed it for subsequent stowage in the FGB.

Later today, Yuri is scheduled to power off the gas analyzer (GA) in the
Soyuz TMA-2/6S, report down to MCC-M and stow the GA in the descent module
for return to Earth.

The Science Officer conducted the daily routine maintenance of SOZh life
support systems (including ASU toilet facilities) and performed the regular
status checkup of the autonomous Lab payloads.

Both crewmembers worked out on TVIS treadmill and RED resistive exerciser.

Progress 11P undocking from the DC-1 nadir port yesterday occurred at 3:42pm
EDT. Both the IWIS (internal wireless instrumentation system) and the
externally located SDMS (structural dynamics measurement system) were
activated and obtained acceleration data during the undocking. The data
will be downlinked next week. [The crew also photographed and took video
of the departing vehicle. Much later, at 6:33pm, 11P performed a
three-minute maneuver burn (delta-V 12 m/s) designed to establish its own
orbit for earth observations and to support the Relaksatsiya experiment from
SM window #9.]

By pre-stored command sequence, TsUP deactivated the SM's GIVUS
high-accuracy attitude sensors and BOKZ star sensors on Daily Orbit 10 and
took over control authority from the U.S. CMGs for the subsequent 15-min.
maneuvering to sun-oriented XPOP attitude (x-axis perpendicular to orbit
plane) at 9:02am. After the change, control was returned to the USOS at
9:36am.

For later this month, 9/16-22 (when the solar Beta angle happens to exceed
40 deg), Moscow has requested an attitude change to LVLH YVV/"Barbecue"
(local vertical/local horizontal, y-axis in velocity vector) to support
testing of the Russian ASN satellite navigation system, comparable to our
GPS. Results of these September tests could require additional testing in
October (Beta also 40 deg). The proposal is currently under study at
MCC-H. [Note: Normally preferred attitude at these high Betas is XPOP.
Last July, LVLH YVV was tested in the mid-Beta angle range (close to 40
deg), gathering temperature and power data for analysis.]

At 12:30pm, MCC-H conducted remote-commanded troubleshooting of RPCM (remote
power controller module) Z14B-A whose RPC-1 had indicated an overcurrent
trip (i.e., a "blown fuse") on 8/20. To help clear and reset the RPC
circuit breaker, Moscow supported the activity by activating and
deactivating power converter units (transformers) in the FGB (ARCU #53) and
SM (SNT #21).

The IBM 760XD laptops, which were replaced with the newer NGL A31p ThinkPad
machines, are scheduled for reload with new SSC Client software, to account
for the Expedition 8 crew, starting tomorrow (9/6). Transition loads for
the next Increment will be transferred to the NGLs from the Next Generation
Support Disk (NGSD). Next week (9/9), the remaining NGL in the Lab will be
tested as new SSC VT (videoconference terminal) machine. [The on-orbit
test will use the "MS NetMeeting for Video Teleconferencing" application, a
SONY camera (DSR-PD100A) as a video input device (rather than video tape as
before) and a BOSE headset with mike (Aviation X ANC, AHC-02) for the audio
portion.]

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 Casablanca, Morocco (looking a touch left on the coast),
Yellowstone River mouth (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: On the 1805-6 return trip, the
explorers divided their forces and Clark took the Yellowstone River. They
planned to meet back at Fort Union, 450 mi east, at the Yellowstone-Missouri
confluence. The explorers met up more than a year later, on Aug 12, 1806),
Fort Mandan, ND (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: The expedition spent the winter of
1804-5 here. The site is near the present town of Stanton. Looking on the
south side of the large reservoir, Lake Sacagawea. Stanton is on the west
bank of the Missouri near where the river turns sharply from south to east),
Chicago, Illinois (the crew may have been able to get the entire urban
region in two 180mm-lens images for research purposes), Hurricane Fabian, W
Atlantic (Dynamic event. Looking about four degrees left of track. The
hurricane remains a Category 3 storm with 105 kt winds, heading just west of
Bermuda), Lower Amazon River Basin, and Bogotá, Colombia (this was as good
as this Andean city in the equatorial zone ever appears in terms of cloud
cover). 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 1:35pm EDT).

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

Elektron O2 generator is powered Off (O2 being supplied by Progress 12P).
Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in Manual Mode 5/3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is
Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major
constituents analyzer) is operating. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent
bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is
On; SKV-2 is Off.


SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742; temperature (deg C) --
27.3; ppO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- data invalid.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 761; temperature (deg C) --
19.3.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 752; temperature (deg C) -- 21.7.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 743.25; temperature (deg C) -- 22.8 (shell); ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 745.02; temperature (deg C) -- 23.0; ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 745.12; temperature (deg
C) -- 23.5; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 22.6, ppO2 (mmHg) -- 168.5; ppCO2
(mmHg) -- 4.0.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 23.6
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 19.8.

(n/a = data not available)

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B
both in AutoTrack mode (solar tracking).
SM batteries: Battery #2 is failed and off; battery #7 is in Capacity
Restoration (ROM) mode; all other batteries (6) are in "Partial Charge" mode
(battery #1 is degraded).
FGB batteries: Battery #1 is disconnected; battery #5 is in "Cycle" mode;
all other batteries (4) are in "Partial Charge" mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 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-2 MDM is Off; PL-1 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available: 3998 kg (8814 lb) as of 9/4 [SM(755) +
FGB(2891) + 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: -9.0 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist).
Solar Beta angle: 10 deg (magnitude increasing).

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).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 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,7:30am EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 381.6 km
Apogee 385.6 km
Perigee -- 377.6 km
Period -- 92.2 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0005929
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.62
Solar Beta angle: 10 deg (magnitude increasing).
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 200 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 27354
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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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

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