International Space Station Status Report, 11-03-2005

International Space Station Status Report #05-13

3 p.m. CST, Friday, March 11, 2005

Expedition 10 Crew

The International Space Station crew unpacked its newest cargo ship this
week and prepared to replace a faulty component in the Quest Airlock with a
new unit delivered on the supply craft.
The Progress cargo craft arrived last week with a 160-day supply of food in
addition to spare parts and equipment for the Russian environmental control
system and toilet; cameras that will be used to photograph the underside of
Space Shuttle Discovery as it approaches for docking; and a new heat
exchanger for Quest. The replacement of the existing heat exchanger is
scheduled to be conducted throughout the week next week. The job will set
the stage to restore use of the Quest Airlock as a base for spacewalks using
U.S. spacesuits. The heat exchanger provides cooling for U.S. spacesuits
while they are connected to the airlock.
Expedition 10 Commander and NASA ISS Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight
Engineer Salizhan Sharipov also conducted some routine periodic maintenance
and inspection tasks, including strategic placement of sound measuring
devices that document noise levels. This typically is done twice during a
crew's six-month stay aboard the Station.

The second spacewalk for Chiao and Sharipov is scheduled for the early
morning hours of Monday, March 28. In preparation for that spacewalk, Chiao
moved the Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm into position for optimum camera
viewing of the planned work outside. Chiao also conducted several arm
maneuvers to use the cameras for review of the spacewalk worksites.

Sharipov this week set up an experiment gathering measurements of radiation.
He also worked with another experiment designed to study high-efficiency
strains of microorganisms for producing petroleum biodegradation compounds.
Both crewmembers took turns as patient and doctor on the Advanced Diagnostic
in Ultrasound in Microgravity experiment. The experiments studies the use of
remote ultrasound observation in space to allow doctors on the ground to
diagnose medical conditions.

The Station's Elektron oxygen-generating system has operated intermittently
during the past week. Sharipov is scheduled to perform a couple of hours of
further troubleshooting efforts on the device on Saturday. The problem has
not impacted the replenishment of oxygen in the Station cabin. The Elektron,
which converts water into oxygen, is one of several methods for replenishing
oxygen aboard the Station.

Information about crew activities on the Station, future launch dates and
Station sighting opportunities from Earth, is available on the Internet at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

The next International Space Station Status report will be issued on Friday,
March 18, or earlier if events warrant.
###

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