ISS On-Orbit Status, 11-07-2004

ISS On-Orbit Status 11 July 2004

****Jacques van Oene note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as
presented here - and is only for NASA internal use !!!, is the Report as
posted by NASA, and that has NO ??? copyright... If it has any copyright,
SpaceRef.com is also violating the NASA copyright by posting it on their
website....I removed the stuff that SpaceRef.com is putting in it, and which
has nothing to do with te original report....Final note for the readers of
my postings, if you want me to stop posting them to sci.space.news or
sci.space.station please say it here on the newsgroup or say it to the
sci.space.news moderator and I will stop posting, I do this only for a
service to the newsgroup, not to harm anybody, is a hobby for me
also....****


All ISS systems continue to function nominally except those noted previously
or below. Sunday -- second weekend rest day aboard ISS. Ahead: Week 11 of
Increment 9.

The crew was thanked for their spectacular "Saturday Science" video
downlinks of yesterday's In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) activity.
Early in the morning, working off the Russian discretionary task list prior
to his physical exercise, CDR Padalka performed another session with the VC6
"Delta" program's ETD experiment (Investigation of the Coordination of Eye
and Head Movements). [After a calibration with the calibrating unit, the
experiment investigated horizontal eye and head movement coordination,
measured Listing's plane, and determined the orientation of the
vestibulo-ocular coordinate system, using five target marks on the
horizontal plane. Each step required another prior calibration run, using
visual target cues or the calibration unit.]

In preparation for tomorrow's scheduled Fluid Merging Viscosity Measurement
(FMVM) payload activities, FE/SO Mike Fincke used the scopemeter to check
the charging state of the Maglight battery for the video setup. [The
experiment, which merges droplets of eight fluids of known viscosity from
syringes on a Nomex thread inside the MWA (Maintenance Work Area)
containment system, records the growing fluid spheres for each of five
coalescence steps with a video camera for subsequent size and time
determinations on the ground. Purpose of the experiment is to determine the
feasibility of measuring viscosity of various substances under containerless
conditions (made possible by micro-G) using the method of relaxation (or
merging) of two spheres of liquids to one sphere.]

Padalka conducted the routine inspection of the Service Module's SOZh life
support system, with the weekly data collection of toilet flush counter
readings, inspection of the SP urine collection and pretreat assembly, and
SVO water supply status counter readings, all for calldown to TsUP/Moscow.
Today's maintenance task also included the regular weekly inspection of the
BRPK air/condensate water separator system.

Mike Fincke, who enjoys working with the ham radio equipment, was provided
with a list of several potential opportunities for amateur radio contacts
today. [Opportunities covered such regions as Australia, Alaska, Central
US, the Caribbean, Central & South America (Brazil), India, China, Japan,
South & Central Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Southern Europe
and Southern Russia.]

The crew completed a full workout on the TVIS treadmill, RED exerciser and
VELO bike with load trainer.

Mike had another private teleconference with his family (PFC), via
S-band/audio.

Flight attitude of the ISS still is LVLH YVV (local vertical/local
horizontal; y-axis in velocity vector, i.e. flying "sidewise"), to be
continued until 7/16 (next Friday night)

Today's optional CEO photo target, 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), was Internal waves, Tuamotu Archipelago
(the sun angle was very low for this pass, but the weather should have
improved. Looking left of track for glint among the Austral Tuamotu
Archipelago). [Note: With the exception of sun glint views and occasional
aerosol features, no targets were recommended today with a sun angle less
than 20 degrees. Experience with photos acquired under such conditions
indicates that while some useful information can be obtained through hefty
image enhancement, the images themselves are not of much value or interest
to the general user and they are usually very difficult to recognize,
locate, and catalog. None of current sites of interest had adequate
illumination for this day. Almost all glint sites were covered by clouds.].

CEO images can be viewed at these websites:


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

See also the website "Space Station Challenge" at:


http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 9 crew visit:


http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/.../ndxpage1.html at
NASA's Human Spaceflight website.


ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 10:43am EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 359.9 km
Apogee height -- 364.0 km
Perigee height -- 355.8 km
Period -- 91.7 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.631 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0006114
Solar Beta Angle -- 73.5 deg
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.70
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 20 m (!)
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 32215




For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times,
see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html. In addition,
information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can be
found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA's Human
Spaceflight website. The current location of the International Space Station
can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center.




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

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info

"Jacques van Oene" wrote in
:

original report....Final note for the readers of my postings, if you
want me to stop posting them to sci.space.news or sci.space.station
please say it here on the newsgroup or say it to the sci.space.news
moderator and I will stop posting, I do this only for a service to the
newsgroup, not to harm anybody, is a hobby for me also....****


Please continue posting them! I always (at a minimum) skim them to see
what's new...

--
Reed

"Reed Snellenberger" wrote in
message .119...
Please continue posting them! I always (at a minimum) skim them to see
what's new...

Same here. You find info here that is not easy to find in the "popular
media".

Jeff
--
Remove icky phrase from email address to get a valid address.

....Final note for the readers of
my postings, if you want me to stop posting them to sci.space.news or
sci.space.station please say it here on the newsgroup or say it to the
sci.space.news moderator and I will stop posting, I do this only for a
service to the newsgroup, not to harm anybody, is a hobby for me
also....****


Keep posting please I enjoy reading your writings.

Norman Silverstone

original report....Final note for the readers of my postings, if you
want me to stop posting them to sci.space.news or sci.space.station
please say it here on the newsgroup or say it to the sci.space.news
moderator and I will stop posting, I do this only for a service to the
newsgroup, not to harm anybody, is a hobby for me also....****


Please continue posting them! I always (at a minimum) skim them to see
what's new...

Ditto! You truly are providing a great service!

Keep them coming....

Dave...

"Vincent D. DeSimone" wrote in message
...

original report....Final note for the readers of my postings, if you
want me to stop posting them to sci.space.news or sci.space.station
please say it here on the newsgroup or say it to the sci.space.news
moderator and I will stop posting, I do this only for a service to the
newsgroup, not to harm anybody, is a hobby for me also....****


Please continue posting them! I always (at a minimum) skim them to see
what's new...

Ditto! You truly are providing a great service!