ISS On-Orbit Status, 10-01-2004

ISS On-Orbit Status 10 Jan 2004

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below.

Leak Test Activities -- Update & Preview (ref. On-Orbit Status report 1/9):
Onboard operations to isolate and identify the cause of the slight pressure
drop of the past days are continuing according to the plan worked out
jointly by U.S. & Russian specialists, checking all potential causes
associated with, in order of priority


operations occurring when leak rate changes have been observed (i.e.
disturbed dynamic seals to space),
disturbed static seal locations,
undisturbed static and dynamic seal locations, and
structure penetrations.

After the easy-to-do ULD (ultrasonic leak detection) checks on 1/6 on
hatches, windows, etc. in both the U.S. (USOS) and Russian (RS) segment,
with no panel removal or rack rotations, the crew yesterday checked (and
exonerated) the Vozdukh, BMP micropurification unit, TCS thermal control
system pneumatic panels, and SKV-2 Freon vent line in the RS.

Today, the crew closed off the Progress vehicle for leak checks.

Next steps, tomorrow, will be isolation of the Joint Airlock (A/L) and of
the Soyuz plus DC-1 docking compartment (Soyuz hatch kept open for access
safety). By end-of-day tomorrow, all most-likely components and modules will
have been checked. Plans are to repressurize ISS on Monday morning with A/L
HPT nitrogen to 14.3 psi, depending on when 13.91-psi pressure is reached
(but analyses of equipment not certified below that pressure are continuing
around the clock for potential relaxation of the constraint).

Beyond that, preparations are underway for a possible isolation of USOS and
RS from each other, currently set for 1/14 (Wednesday). Configuration
options are being discussed, including one that would also isolate the FGB
from the Service Module (SM). A preliminary 6-page list of items to be
brought from the USOS into the RS prior to isolating the segments has been
uplinked for crew comment.

[Note: Pressure decay checking for the individual ISS modules/segments
requires varying monitoring times, from several hours to several days,
depending on the different volumes involved (e.g., in cu.feet: RS -- 6411;
A/L+Node -- 3009; Lab --3451), to some extent also on air temperatures.]

At ~7:00am, after verifying proper handle position on pressure relief valves
on the involved SM and DC-1 hatches, the crew started isolation and leak
monitoring activities on the Progress 12P and its docking assembly
(vestibule), closing the hatch to the SM and watching pressure for 5 hours,
with checks every ~30 minutes. Systems are to be returned to nominal
configuration at ~1:00pm.

Tomorrow, the Soyus plus DC/"Pirs" combination will be checked, i.e.,
closing the DC-1 hatch to the SM and watching pressure for 10 hours, with
checks every hour. Systems are to be returned to nominal configuration
thereafter. [Note: for safety, there never will be more than one hatch
closed between crew and Soyuz.]

Isolation and pressure checking will also be implemented for the A/L,
scheduled for tomorrow morning. [This is more involved since it requires
some equipment removals and relocations, termination of IMV (intermodular
ventilation flow), installation of VRA (vent relief assembly) power cable,
deactivating the duct smoke detector, enabling the PCA (pressure control
assembly) for pressure monitoring by the ground, and closing the Node
starboard hatch to the A/L.]

CDR/SO Michael Foale, assisted for some time by FE Alexander Kaleri,
performed the regular 3-hr. Saturday task of station cleaning. ["Uborka
stantsii" focuses on removal of food waste products, cleaning of
compartments with vacuum cleaner, wet cleaning of the SM dining table and
other surfaces with disinfectants ("Fungistat") and cleaning of fan screens
to avoid temperature rises.]

Mike Foale conducted the regular daily maintenance of the SOZh environment
control and life support system in the SM, today including the periodic
inspection of the active BRPK-1 air/liquid condensate separator system.

This was the second day for the current renal (kidney) stone experiment
session, the second for Expedition 8, with Sasha and Mike collecting urine
samples throughout the day and keeping their dietary/metabolic log entries
up to date. Mike also took photographs of the equipment. [Part of the
investigation, preceding the sampling, is the random ingestion by the
"subjects" of either potassium citrate or placebo tablets at dinnertime.]

The crew conducted the weekly planning conference with the ground,
discussing next week's "Look-Ahead Plan" (regularly prepared jointly by
MCC-H and MCC-M planners), via S-band/audio.

A preliminary detailed 11-page list of U.S. items currently certified and
approved to be disposed of on Progress 12P was uplinked to the crew. [The
list, which provides locations and packing instructions, will be followed
later by a high-level packing list from MCC-Moscow via radiogram, with
internal 12P locations. Packed bags will be temporarily stowed until
direction is given by TsUP to pack the items into the Progress.]

A PFC (private family conference) was scheduled for FE Kaleri, via Russian
VHF/audio.

The crew worked out on TVIS, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer.

After running for several hours yesterday, the Elektron oxygen generator
again shut down. Air bubbles in the system continue to be the suspected
cause.

The crew burned two more SFOG (solid-fuel oxygen generator) candles today,
one at ~5:45am, the other at 9:00am. This brings the number of candles that
have so far been used since 12/31 to 20 (2 units/day). [Of the remaining 122
SFOGs (Russian: TGK), three have failed to ignite in their generators, and a
fourth has a damaged seal and is unusable. The onboard TGK supply comes from
two batches, both of which have reached the end of their original certified
life, but all evaluations and reviews necessary for continued use of the
TGKs are complete.]

Upcoming Events:

12P Undock -- 1/28/04
13P Launch -- 1/29/04
13P Dock -- 1/31/04

Today's CEO targets, in the current XPOP attitude constrained by flight rule
to fewer near-vertical targets due to shutter closure, were Mt. Kilimanjaro
(the ground noted a recent long oblique picture of this key site. Today's
pass was a near-nadir view. The massif should have been visible between
scattered fair weather cumulus), Sahelian haze (Dynamic event. Stations
across West Africa from Mali to the Congo River are reporting diminished
visibility. Low sun angles on this pass will allow imaging of the haze
[probably mainly smoke from fire-season burning]: looking left and right of
track. A dust storm persists in the Chad basin with blowing toward the
orbiter s track: looking left. Oblique images are best for capturing subtle
atmospheric haze loadings), Kinshasa, Congo (Zaire) (looking nadir and
slightly left for this capital city of nearly 6 million [expected to rise to
10 million in ten years time]. Kinshasa is larger than the entire population
of the Republic of Congo on the north side of the Congo River. Kinshasa lies
on the south side of the Congo River where the river widens into a feature
known as Stanley Pool. White water at the rapids on the downstream side of
Stanley Pool can probably be seen), Cape Town, South Africa (looking
slightly left of nadir. The entire urban region of 2.7 million people can
probably be captured within two 180-mm-lens frames), Caracas, Venezuela
(nadir pass over this port city from which large quantities of oil destined
for the US are shipped), Howland Island, Pacific (this 1.5 mile-long island
is surrounded by a coral reef. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle
of the west coast, named after Amelia Earhart), andPatagonian Glaciers
(PRIORITY (400mm lens): The inland [Patagonia] flanks of the Andes were
expected to be cloud free. Detailed images of glacier surface features were
requested since the ice is known to be moving at unprecedented speeds
[crevasse patterns should change accordingly]. Laser altimetry and ground
surveys show significant thinning [by more rapid flow due to sub-ice melt
water increase] in most of the dozens of southern Andes glaciers in the last
30 years).

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/



--
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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info