ISS On-Orbit Status, 26-10-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 26 Oct 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Expedition 7 is one day away from their return home, and the count for their stay in space today stands at 183 days.

Using the MO-21 "Ecosfera" air sampler and incubation equipment, broken out and set up yesterday, CDR-7 Yuri Malenchenko performed a 40-min. data take of the Russian MO-21/"Ecosfera" air sampler and incubation equipment, collecting air samples for atmospheric microbial analysis to monitor sanitary-hygiene status, for return on 6S [MO-21 determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition according to morphologi
c criteria of microorganism colonies.]

Later in the day, FE-8 Alex Kaleri collected air samples in the station, first using the standard Russian AK-1M sampler device in the SM and FGB, then performing the second ammonia (NH3) sampling, using the Russian IPD Draeger tube device (after the first NH3 take by Malenchenko on 10/22).

Yuri Malenchenko completed the second and final 1.5-hr. close-out training session in the "Chibis" ODNT suit as part of his preparations for returning into gravity, today complete with telemetry of vital body readings to the ground. Ed Lu provided assistance. [The below-the-waist reduced-pressure device ODNT (US: LBNP) in the "Chibis" garment provides gravity-simulating stress to the body's cardiovascular/circulatory system for reestablishing the body's orthostatic tolerance (e.g., the Gauer-Henry refle
x) after the six-month stay in zero-G. Yuri's ODNT protocol today consisted of first downing 150-200 milliliters of water or juice, followed by a sequence of progressive regimes of reduced ("negative") pressure, set at -15, -20, -25, and -30 mmHg for five minutes each, then at -20, -25, -35 mmHg, 10 minutes in each mode, and at -25 mmHg for 5 min, while shifting from foot to foot at 10-12 steps per minute. The body's circulatory system interprets the pressure differential between upper and lower body as a
gravity-like force pulling the blood (and other liquids) down.]

Malenchenko deinstalled and removed the LKT local temperature sensor commutator (TA251M1B) of the BITS onboard telemetry system and its read-only memory (ROM) unit (PZU TA765B) from the Soyuz TMA-2/6S Orbital Module (OM), now no longer required (OM to be jettisoned tomorrow evening), and stowed the units for future reuse.

VCFE Pedro Duque worked close-out activities for ESA's Cervantes research program. [For the BMI blood pressure monitoring experiment, he did final collection & transfer of data to the EGE2 laptop and questionnaire entries, before deactivating BMI. In the Russian segment (RS), Pedro then set up the APIS (Analisis dwe Propiedades Inerciales de Solidos) experiment, with which he demonstrated the behavior of a rigid body rotating around its center of mass, showing the different types of motion. After the ac
tivities were video recorded, Duque deinstalled APIS. For the PromISS-2 experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), Duque changed out video tape #6 with #7. After downloading all Cervantes data from the EGE2 to an HDD (hard disk drive) for taking back home, the EGE2 was reconfigured for nominal operations after departure of the visiting crew by installation of a new HDD for the GFI-8 Uragan program and doing an ops checkout of the laptop.]

FE-8 Aleksandr Kaleri continued imagery of Pedro with the 3D (stereoscopic) camera, as well as regular video and photo recording of his onboard activities for documentary and PAO use on Earth. Later, the DVCAM 150 camcorder battery was recharged.

Sasha Kaleri performed the regular Sunday tasks of collecting the weekly counter readings of the SM's toilet flush system (with inspection of the SP urine collection and pretreat assembly) and SVO water supply status, both for calldown to TsUP/Moscow.

He also conducted the periodic inspection of the Elektron oxygen generator's VM gas/liquid system for obstructing air bubbles.

ISS-7 and ISS-8 crewmembers performed last handover operations, with transfer of PC control to Expedition 8. The activities also included signing of the formal equipment transfer documents.

Yuri Malenchenko and Ed Lu transferred their final return cargo to the Soyuz for stowage in the descent module. For Malenchenko, this included the long-running Biorisk-MSV experiment and the BTKh-12 "Bioekologiya" payload. [Biorisk units have been monitoring the cabin air in the SM. The battery-driven BTKh-12 studied the effects of cosmic rays, instantaneous radiation and flows of heavier charged particles on microbiological objects used in the Russian national economy, attempting to get high-performanc
e strains of microorganisms to manufacture petroleum biodegradants, means of plant protection, and exopolysaccharide used in the oil industry.]

Malenchenko also downloaded stored photo data files from the TP1 laptop to an HDD for return to Earth.

Pedro Duque again had half an hour set aside to work through and answer his email from "down home".

Malenchenko conducted the routine technical maintenance of the SM's SOZh environment control & life support system, incl. toilet equipment (ASU).

Assisted by Kaleri, Pedro Duque set up the TV equipment in the SM at 1:35am EST 3:00am and later downlinked two live TV interviews with German TV networks, one at 1:50am with Sat-1 TV, the other at 3:10am with RTL TV, with the ESA and Spanish flags as backdrop in the SM.

At 7:05am EST, Duque conducted a 10-min. amateur radio (ARISS) session with ham radio fans at the school Verbum Casa das Palabras in Vigo, Spain. [The students gathered at the school had won the national space competition launched by ESA. Represented were five Spanish classes and one Portuguese class.]

Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko was thanked by MCC-H for their hard work yesterday on successfully removing and replacing the EMU #3013 gas trap as planned. [The video footage of the ops, especially the close-up of the gas trap, helped considerably. The ground is looking forward to seeing the photos too. As of now, it appears that troubleshooting for EMU #3013 is done.]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Seven -- 25th/final): To the Expedition 7 crew from Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley: "Expedition 7 has been phenomenal. We have accomplished a significant amount of payloads activities. You guys captured great imagery for CEO and aided in the completion of an important EarthKAM session this summer. The EPO demonstrations will serve as valuable teaching tools for students nationwide. You were also subjects for a few of our experiments and impressed us with you inter
acting abilities, your handiwork with HPA; as well as your diligence in checking out the GASMAP. You also found time in your busy schedules to perform the Lab Payload Status Check on the PCG-STES and CGBA. Your patience and perseverance shone through when working with CBOSS, ISSI and the "Great Cable Hunt" for PFMI. The CSLM, InSPACE and PFMI payload developers received excellent data thanks to your efforts. The Payloads community would like to thank the Expedition 7 crew for their great work and welco
me the Expedition 8 crew to the wonderful World of Payloads on ISS." GASMAP: Completed.

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Ultrasound (USND): Completed.

Hand Posture Analyzer (HPA): Completed for this Increment.

In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSE): Completed for this Increment.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Completed for this Increment.

NANOSLAB: NANOSLAB was successfully concluded on 10/22. The experiment performed its mission nominally and all ten specimens have been processed and followed their foreseen temperature cycling. According to the first reaction of the PI, the results look great.

PromISS-2: PromISS-2 is currently operating nominally. The video is showing some excellent crystal formations.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): Ed Lu was thanked for his troubleshooting work on SAMS. The ground team is "putting their heads together", hoping to have words to the crew soon.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS has enabled HiRAP to capture acceleration data for the 6S undocking tomorrow.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Behaving nominally.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE): During 11 runs 19 test points were completed. Some of the most interesting phenomena (chattering and particle migration) occurred during the exploration of the higher frequency regimes that the crew performed during the last few sessions. These findings will influence future tests. For Expedition 8, at this time InSPACE is a reserve payload. If operations become a reality, the team looks forward to working with
Mike Foale.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.

Cellular Biotechnology Support Systems (CBOSS): Completed for this Increment.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM): Activities are completed for Increment 7.

Earth Science Toward Exploration Research (ESTER): Completed for this Increment.

Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures-2 (CSLM-2): Activities have been concluded for this Expedition.

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA): The GCF (Granada Crystallization Facility) will be removed from CGBA tomorrow for return on 6S.

Educational Payload Operations (EPO): Completed for this Increment.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO): There were no CEO target lists for this week during docking. However, ISS CEO imagery continues to be down linked. This week's Earth Observatory publication of CEO imagery is a beautiful view of the coastal sand dune field of northern Brazil. This striking feature with its unique habitat is now protected as the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park..

Upcoming Soyuz Events:

6S hatch closu 10/27 (Monday), 3:05pm Eastern.
6S undocking: 6:15pm Eastern, 2:15am (10/28) Moscow;
6S landing: 10/27 (Monday), 9:41pm Eastern, 5:41am (10/28) Moscow.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:15pm EST [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 379.4 km
Apogee -- 383.7 km
Perigee -- 375.1 km
Period -- 92.1 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0006409
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.63
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 100 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 28152
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html


Jacques :-)

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