ISS On-Orbit Status, 09-05-2004

ISS On-Orbit Status 9 May 2004

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted
previously. Sunday -- off duty for the new station crew. Also: Mother's
Day in USA & Europe. Ahead: Week 2 of Expedition 9. Tomorrow: Russia
celebrates Victoria Day, another ochen bolshoe (very big) Holiday.

As standard Sunday tasks, CDR Padalka completed the weekly SOZh data
collection of the Service Module (SM)'s toilet flush counter readings, with
inspection of the urine collection (SP) and pretreat assembly, and water
supply status (SVO) counter readings, both for calldown to MCC-M/TsUP.
Gennady also performed the SOZh maintenance, which today included the
regular weekly inspection of the BRPK air/condensate water separator system.

In the Airlock (A/L), FE/SO Michael Fincke terminated the bake-out process
on the last two EMU Metox (metal oxide) canisters that still required
regeneration.

Afterwards, Fincke deactivated the low temperature loop (LTL) of the
internal thermal control system (ITCS) and later supported the deactivation
of the CCAA (common cabin air assembly) air conditioner. [Yesterday's
ground-commanded configuring of the A/L CCAA ran into a snag that delayed
the initiation of the Metox regeneration by about 90 minutes. Also, a small
procedural error in monitoring a valve position (TCCV) resulted in the CCAA
not being set for maximum cooling during the Metox regeneration.
Nevertheless, A/L temperatures remained at or below the required lower
temperatures during the Metox regen.]

Mike also performed the daily leak check of the Lab window's inter-pane
space, using the "Aeolus" scopemeter with pressure probe. [Past readings,
dating back to March, have found a steady leak rate of ~27 Torr(0.52 psi)
per day from the cabin into the interstitial "Volume D").]

Gennady, working off the optional Russian task list, performed the first of
two task-listed sessions of the "Diatomeya" ocean observations program,
using the DVCAM-150 video camera and Nikon F5 digital still camera with
24/85-mm lens to collect photo and video data on cloud cover structure and
color fields of bioproductive areas in ocean waters. The second run is
scheduled for tomorrow. [Uplinked suggested targets today included the
Indian Ocean to the N of Prince Edward Islands (convergence zone of warm &
cold currents above a large underwater ridge), the South Atlantic to the S
of Tristan da Cunha Islands (divergence zone {i.e., bifurcation area} of
cold West Wind Drift in 4500m deep waters) and to the E of the coast of
Argentina (convergence zone {bifurcation area} of warm & cold currents above
the slopes and the center of Argentinean basin), and the Pacific Ocean
(waters of volcanic and coral islands of Tuamotu).]

The crew completed their daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS,
RED exerciser and VELO cycle with load trainer. [Engineers continue to
investigate the crew-reported problems with the TVIS control panel (resets
to zero in motorized mode). While diagnostics is underway, Mike and Gennady
are using the treadmill in passive mode, but with VIS (vibration isolation
system) active.]

Today's optional CEO (Crew Earth Observations) targets, in the current LVLH
attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab
nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and
condensation-prevention plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Biomass
burning, Angola (Dynamic event. Thousands of fires have sprung up as summer
rains end. ISS passed onshore over the central coastline of Angola: looking
left towards the thickest savanna forests of Angola for panoramas of the
burning. Oblique views are good data points in the effort to describe the
extent and seasonality of burning on the planet), and Jarvis Island,
equatorial Pacific (this 2-mile long island is surrounded by coral reefs
which are the object of this target). Note: Generalized cloudy weather in
South America and loss of light in North America are reducing the number of
targets. Also, the trend is for the crew's daylight-awake time to fall over
both water-dominated hemispheres, the southern and the Pacific.

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/

ISS Orbit (as of this noon, 2:52pm EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude 360.9 km
Apogee -- 368.3 km
Perigee -- 353.5 km
Period -- 91.76 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0011005
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.69
Mean altitude loss last 24 hours -- 65 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 31228

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, go
to

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html



--
---------------------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info