ISS On-Orbit Status, 12-12-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 12 Dec 2003

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

The crew was commended on yesterday's Robotics activities. They completed
more survey tasks than were expected. The parked Canadarm2 presently allows
continued viewing of the ISS zenith side from the ground. [Activities will
continue next week with an updated procedure that optimizes the SSRMS wrist
joint cluster configuration for future external surveys, with the arm based
at the MBS PDGF-1 (mobile base system--power & data grapple fixture #1).
Next week's activities will include the PDGF-1 walk-off (arm currently based
at PDGF-2).]

The crew was given the Go for resuming walking/running workouts on the TVIS
(treadmill with vibration isolation) at regular loads, after engineers
reviewed the video and data from yesterday's TVIS ACO (activation checkout).
[The treadmill can be used in nonmotorized (passive) mode, with yaw & pitch
axis stabilizers active and the roll-stabilizing gyro off, until March 1,
2004. During the last TVIS testing (12/4), structural dynamics loads on the
Service Module (SM) were determined with IWIS (internal wireless
instrumentation system) to be less than 5% of limit values; thus,
TVIS/passive mode does not pose an immediate fatigue issue to ISS structure.
An additional checkout with higher subject loading will be conducted in
February, to test for the increased subject loading in March due to the
crew's heavier TVIS workout load starting 30 days prior to their return to
Earth gravity.]

FE Alexander Kaleri performed routine maintenance on the SM toilet
facilities (ASU), replacing their pretreat container (E-K) plus hose with a
new assembly and discarding old one. Kaleri also recorded the counter (SPKU)
reading of the toilet flush system (SP) before and after filling the E-K
hose for downlink. [E-K contains five liters of pre-treat solution, i.e., a
mix of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), CrO3 (chromium oxide, for oxidation and purple
color), and H2O (water). The pre-treat liquid is mixed with water in a
dispenser (DKiV) and used for toilet flushing.]

Continuing the current round of monthly Russian Segment (RS) air ventilation
systems preventive maintenance, Kaleri worked one hour in
theFunktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok (FGB) for a cleanup of the protective mesh
screens of its TsV ventilation fans. The fans were powered off for the task
from the ground, later turned on again.

In preparation for next week's R&R (removal & replacement) work on the RS
SKV-2 air conditioner, which is to receive a new BTA heat exchanger, the
crew today conducted a careful review of the planned activities,
particularly the critical drainage and venting of the Freon-218 (Russian
name: Khladon-218) coolant to vacuum on 12/15. [Khladon is a toxic Level 1
hazard. To protect against a leak/spill during the SKV-2 R&R, the crew will
wear ZM half-masks with replaceable filter cartridges, currently stowed in
the FGB.]

CDR/SO Michael Foale conducted the second 30-day functionality ("health")
test of the HRF GASMAP (Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for
Metabolic Analysis Physiology) of Increment 8. Last time done: 11/11. [After
unstowing, cabling and powering up the equipment, Mike let it run for 2 hrs.
in standby mode to warm up, then performed a health check and reconfigured
the system for a 2-3hr. low power rundown prior to shutdown. Afterwards,
GASMAP was deactivated, disconnected and stowed again. The consecutive
real-time air sampling performed last time with PuFF software was not
required this time.]

Mike used the CDMK (carbon dioxide monitoring kit) to take the weekly
reading of the cabin air's current CO2 partial pressure, for calldown to the
ground (along with the battery status) for use in trending analyses. The
CDMK was then restowed at the SM Central Post.

In preparation for the startup and operation of the U.S. CCAA (common cabin
air assembly) air conditioner in the Airlock (A/L) on 12/15, to support the
SKV-2 R&R, the crew removed stowed equipment from the A/L aft location to
provide a 2-ft. clearance around the CCAA vents and smoke detector. [The
bags and a short EMU were placed temporarily (for about a week) in the Node
until further instructions.]

Sasha Kaleri prepared the daily IMS (inventory management system) "delta"
file for automatic export/import to update the database; he also performed
the daily routine maintenance of the SOZh life support system, while Mike
Foale attended to the regular routine status checkup of autonomous Inc. 8
payloads.

In his weekly tagup with IMS specialists at TsUP/Moscow, the FE discussed
open stowage issues, today focusing on the procedure for inventory
management of Orlan spacesuit equipment, better control in the use of
barcode labeling, and location/identification of specific items incorrectly
listed in the database.

The crew removed the hard-disk drive (HDD) from the LAB RWS (robotics
workstation) PCS laptop (which has a failed graphics card) and placed it
into the A/L PCS shell that had a failed hard drive. The station is now
again one PCS laptop above the Flight Rule limit for a minimum of two
working PCSs. "Ghosting" of another HDD with a copy load is scheduled for
11/18.

The regular once-a-week maintenance reboot on the two other operational PCS
laptops was performed by Kaleri, who also rebooted the OCA comm router
laptop (every two weeks).

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

Mike 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 deleting them on the HRM.

Kaleri completed another monthly sensor reading of the "Pille-MKS" radiation
dosimeter, with its ten sensors placed at various locations in the RS (port
cabin window, starboard cabin window, ASU toilet facility, control panel,
etc.). Pille dosage values were to be called down to MCC-M or downlinked via
Regul comm. [Last time done: 11/13.]

The Science Officer completed the microbial analysis of water samples
collected last week from the SM potable water ports with the U.S. WS&A
(water sampler & archiver) and the WMK (water microbiology kit) at the T+5d
incubation point and then loaded the data into the MEC.

At 9:00am EST, the crew set up and conducted a 10-min. ham radio session
with amateur radio fans at theBerufliche Schule des Kreises Nordfriesland
(Vocational School of Province Nordfriesland) in Niebull, in the most
northwestern part of Germany. [Questions by students were uplinked
beforehand. The Berufliche Schule in Niebull has 2600 students and 135
teachers.]

Other opportunities for ham radio passes have been identified for tomorrow
and Sunday (12/14) for Australia/New Zealand and Japan, and provided to the
crew. [Amateur radio activities are spearheaded by an organization formed by
national and international ham radio groups called ARISS (Amateur Radio
International Space Station). Russia has provided ports on the SM for radio
antennas and the new Kenwood "Sputnik" system, and ISS crews have trained to
operate the equipment. The first initial radio station was flown on
STS-106/2A.2b in September 2000 and transferred to the ISS. ISS operations
at present use voice and Packet, the Russian text-messaging device.]

At 10:05am, Foale and Kaleri held a lively PAO/educational TV exchange with
attendees at a "Centennial of Flight" Educational Event at the Wright
Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, NC, talking with students from
Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk schools and displaying a model of the Wright
Flyer (floating in zero-G), built by middle school students from Orono,
Maine. [The theme of the day's events, sponsored by NASA and the National
Parks Service, is "Igniting the Imagination", and the event is part of the
Centennial of Flight (CoF) celebration at the Wright Brothers National
Memorial, Dec. 12-17. CoF is a national celebration commemorating the first
powered, heavier-than-air flight by the Wright brothers on Dec. 17, 1903.]

The S1 truss segment's ETVCG (external TV camera group) camera sustained
another loss of video today. There have been several such occurrences over
the past week, all of which were successfully recovered with a power cycle.
This anomaly continues to be investigated.

CMG Watch: CMG (control moment gyroscope) operations continue to be closely
monitored. This morning (~3:30am EST), CMG3 spin motor current increased to
0.409 amp when the outer gimbal's angle moved from zero degrees to 45 deg,
then stabilized at 0.43 amps. This signature is similar to what was observed
earlier this week. It is expected tht when the outer gimbals angle returns
to near zero the current will return to 0.36A. Evaluation continues. [GN&C
(guidance, navigation & control) specialists have established specific
constraints for CMG temperatures and spin motor currents as well as
guidelines for mitigating risk and prolonging the life of the gyros. Anytime
the identified signatures occur, high-rate data dumps will be performed to
computer storage, then downlinked. As an example, if accelerometer output
from a CMG reaches 0.2 g, the CMG will be taken out of the active steering
loop, to ensure zero gimbal rates. If, in addition, the current drawn by its
spin motor is 0.5 amps or greater for five minutes, the rotor will be
commanded off. This guideline is derived from the experience with the failed
CMG-1, and there is a list of other precautionary "if-then" criteria.]

Consumables Watch: Onboard consumables remain in good shape, generally
tracking predictions well. [Water use remains slightly above the 2
liters/day projection, and six EDVs (132 liters) with H2O will be manifested
on Progress 13P. Food, both U.S. and Russian, will also be shipped up on 13P
(with 13P rations, US food is projected to last until March 20, 2004).
Propellant supplies are more than adequate, particularly since an originally
planned reboost in October was not performed (13P will bring 1300 kg props).
13P manifesting is also being conducted for two advanced SchRED (Schwinn
resistive exercise device) canisters capable of 75000 cycles, as well as for
two TVIS gyro bearings and other hardware, a new MCA (major constituents
analyzer), etc.]

Procedures for best utilization of the 21 kg (12 days) of oxygen (O2) supply
stored in Progress 12P have been worked out with Moscow in a 12P O2 Repress
Plan. [Current SM GA (gas analyzer) ppO2 reading is 150.4 mmHg; the U.S.
CSA-CP (compound specific analyzer-combustion products) indicated 157.5 mmHg
at last reading. These O2 partial pressure levels are sufficient for crew
health. 12P represses (or Elektron production increase) are not planned
until GA or CSA-CP shows ppO2 readings below 146 mmHg (allowable minimum:
120 mmHg). Next 12P repress is scheduled for next week (12/17), with MCA to
be activated ~12 hours before and calibrated ~6 hours before the repress.
Other steps follow; to be repeated until all 12P O2 is used up.]

Today's CEO targets, in the current LVLH attitude no longer limited by
flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were Mt.
Cameroon, Cameroon (Dynamic event: Equatorial cloud has migrated southward
so that ISS/CEO may have been be able to image lava flows on this major
active volcano that is seldom photographed. Looking just left for this high
mountain that slopes directly into the sea. Mt. Cameroon is part of a chain
of volcanoes that extends SW as a series of islands), Bamako, Mali (nadir
pass over Mali's capital city, just upstream of the inland delta of the
Niger River, and a center of Sahelian and cross-Saharan trade for
centuries), Tuamotu-Austral Islands (looking near nadir for atolls with
coral reefs), El Paso, Texas (nadir pass. Trying to include the larger
Mexican half of the urban region on the S side of the Rio Grande), Major
snow streak, Midwest (Dynamic event: Thick snow has fallen in a wide swath
from Denver to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), Melbourne, Australia
(orbital precession and sleep times have locked Australia out of targets
lists for months, except for occasional crossings. There is still enough
summer illumination for a shot of Melbourne), SE Australian floods (Dynamic
event, using 400-mm lens. Suggested was a nadir mapping swath to document
widespread flooding that made world headlines), Sydney, Australia (nadir
pass), Johnston Island Reef, Pacific (looking a touch left. Coral reefs are
the subject of interest on this 1000 yard-long atoll. During the 1950s and
1960s, the US Air Force conducted a dozen nuclear-test launchings. Two
missiles exploded over the runway. Since then, the US collected 60, 000
cubic yards of radioactive material. The Fish and Wildlife Service is
scheduled to gain oversight of the island in 2004 as a wildlife refuge),
Nihoa reef, Pacific (nadir pass), and Lake Eyre, Australia (water levels in
Lake Eyre have not been documented by handheld camera for many months).

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 1:20pm EST).

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

Elektron O2 generator is powered On, 20A. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is On (in
Manual Mode 5/3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is on Standby (ready in dual-bed
mode). 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 On; SKV-2 is Off.


SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742; temperature (deg C) -- 25.5;
ppO2 (mmHg) -- 149.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- 3.9.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 758; temperature (deg C) --
19.8.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 756; temperature (deg C) -- 21.7.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 747.71; temperature (deg C) -- 23.3 (shell); ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 749.97; temperature (deg C) -- 24.7; ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 750.07; temperature (deg
C) -- 26.8; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 24.5, ppO2 (mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2
(mmHg) -- n/a.
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 22.2
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 10.6

(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, "night glider"/"sun slicer" drag
reduction mode).
SM batteries: Battery #8, formerly known as #7, is still disconnected in
slot #8 for troubleshooting, off-line; all other batteries (7) are in
"Partial Charge" mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #5 is off (capacity restoration mode, ROM); battery
#1 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-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 1
dropped out 11/22).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3
dropped out 10/22).

Propulsion System:

Total propellant load available:3680 kg (8113 lb) as of 12/11/03 [SM (755) +
FGB (2573) + 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:

LVLH YVV (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local
vertical, y-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -89.9 deg, pitch: -8.9 deg, roll:
1.8 deg]), with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management.

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-1 is prime, IAC-2 is off).
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, 9:03am EST [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 371.7 km
Apogee -- 375.7 km
Perigee -- 367.7 km
Period -- 92.0 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0005921
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.65
Solar Beta angle: -59.6 deg (magnitude increasing).
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 55 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 28889
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html



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

Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

As an example, if accelerometer output from a CMG reaches 0.2 g, the
CMG will be taken out of the active steering loop, to ensure zero
gimbal rates. If, in addition, the current drawn by its spin motor is
0.5 amps or greater for five minutes, the rotor will be commanded off.

So what does "commanded off" mean? I would guess that it means that
the motor stops driving it and the wheel now spins freely, gradually
slowing due to friction. At least, at a first guess that would be
less of a strain on the hardware than the other alternative which
springs to mind, which would be to try to stop the wheel as quickly as
possible.

So if we are talking about gradually slowing due to friction, how long
does it take for a CMG to stop?