ISS On-Orbit Status, 01-10-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 1 Oct 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Week 22 for Expedition 7 is underway, and it was a day
particularly crammed with science work.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko performed another session with the biomedical MBI-9
"Pulse" experiment, after setting up the equipment. These MBI-9
cardiological tests are done monthly (last time performed: 8/22).
[Execution of the medical cardiological assessment is controlled from the
Russian payload laptop 3, using a set respiration rate (without forced or
deep breaths) and synchronizing respiration with computer-commanded "inhale"
commands. First, arterial blood pressure is measured with the "Tensoplus"
sphygmomanometer, followed by the "Pulse" test to record the ECG
(electrocardiogram), and a tag-up with ground specialists. After the test,
laptop 3 was reconfigured to its original settings.]

FE/SO Ed Lu stowed the PFMI (Pore Formation & Mobility Investigation)
hardware in order to prepare for PromISS hardware setup. PFMI has performed
almost flawlessly and has been a very successful investigation.

Dr. Lu later set up the PromISS-2 (Protein Crystal Growth Monitoring by
Digital Holographic Microscope #2, a study of fundamental processes
underlying protein crystallization) payload and installed it in the MSG
(Microgravity Science Glovebox), which was then turned off. [The experiment
studies fundamental processes underlying protein crystallization.]

The Science Officer also undertook a "get-ahead" training session with/for
the ESTER (Earth Science Toward Exploration Research) experiment. [Purpose
of the task was to determine if the combination of the EarthKAM system and
ESTER site generation software can acquire specified sites with a 400mm
lens. Accurate time keeping on the SSC (station support computers) and
ground computers are very important factors in the success of the
experiment, so the session was also to provide data on possible computer
timing drifts and how to adjust for them. On Increment 5, the 400mm lens
and 400mm lens with doubler were tested on the EarthKAM system. The main
purpose of that test was to look at the quality of the images acquired using
the lens on a mounted system. The 400mm images were good and no noticeable
ground smear was evident. The images using the 400mm lens with the doubler
had too much ground smear to be useful. Timing issues were not investigated
then.]

Ed Lu spent about half an hour on a procedures review for the upcoming EPO
(Educational Payloads Operation) demonstration. [The demo involves (1) a
rope with weights, to identify the center of mass (COM) of a dynamic system
and note its straight line travel through space regardless of other factors
that affect the system, (2) a spinning solid object of Ed's choice to
identify the COM of an object and note its straight line travel through
space regardless of the tumbling motion of the object, and (3) an inertial
rod (if time permitted and if this demonstration can be performed), in order
to demonstrate the stability achieved in a system by moving the mass
concentrations away from the COM.]

In an additional science activity, the SO reviewed the preparatory OBT
(on-board training) for the upcoming In Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI)
experiment. The ground team stood by in case he had any questions.

Yuri Malenchenko installed the Russian Cryogem-03M refrigerator equipment,
used for cold-storage of samples, in the DC-1 docking compartment and
activated it for testing.

The CDR initiated another operations and measurement session with
Molniya-SM/LSO hardware from SM window #3, with the French-provided EGE-1
laptop running the latest NORAD orbital parameters (TLEs, two-line
elements). Once Yuri started the recording session, the payload will work
automatically until its teardown on 10/6. [Objective of Molniya-SM,
similar to the French LSO experiment, is to record storm phenomena and other
related events in the Earth's equatorial regions. The experiment is
controlled from the French EGE-1 laptop, loaded with orbital sighting
predictions using an up-to-date NORAD tracking TLE (two-line element)
provided by NASA. Objective of LSO was to study rare optical phenomena
occurring in the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere, so-called "sprites"
(i.e., puzzling glow phenomena observed above thunderstorm clouds). LSO was
originally part of Claudie Haigneré's French "Andromeda" payload package of
taxi mission 3S that could not be performed as planned during Increment 4
due to an ISS flight attitude conflict.]

In the FGB module, Malenchenko removed M34-21 and M34-22 avionics subsystems
(UVV1 & UVV3 input/output devices) and took documentary photography of the
empty spaces obtained for future stowage.

In the DC-1 "Pirs", Yuri completed his sixth regular (monthly) checkup of
circuit breakers (AZS) on the BVP amp switch panel -- they should all be
On -- and the 14 LEDs of the fuses in fuse panels BPP-30 and BPP-36 (last
time done: 9/2).

Yuri also set up (and later closed down) charging of the Russian DVCAM (DSR
PD-1P) digital video camera battery.

At 9:11am EDT, a 6 min 50 sec reboost of the ISS was performed by Progress
12P, designed to lift the apogee of the station's slightly elliptical orbit
by 5.9 km to 388.8 km (perigee remaining at 375 km, i.e., mean altitude
increase = 2.9 km). Total delta-V: 2.2 m/sec, as planned. For the
maneuver, the ISS at 6:00am maneuvered from XPOP to LVLH. After the
reboost, ISS now remains in LVLH attitude, under U.S. CMG momentum
management.

Malenchenko conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh life
support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Lu completed the
regular routine status checkup of autonomous ISS-7 payloads in the Lab.
Both crewmembers worked out with their daily 2.5-h program of physical
exercise, on TVIS treadmill, RED expander, and VELO cycle with load trainer.

When SD-2 (smoke detector #2) in the Node was enabled today, latched data in
the NCS (Node control software) caused the fire message to briefly
annunciate and the automated fire response to trigger. The message cleared
as soon as the smoke detector provided updated data to the MDM
(multiplexer/demultiplexer, computer). The false fire reconfiguration
procedure was successfully executed by the ground, and the smoke detector is
now re-enabled.

The crew downlinked a video message of greetings to MCC-H intended for the
upcoming celebration of NASA's 45th Anniversary.

Today's CEO (crew earth observation) targets, taking into account the
current LVLH attitude, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark
200-year memorial locations, were Eastern Mediterranean Dust (crew was to
check for remnants of the dust event along the Egyptian coast), Western
Mediterranean Dust (as with the last storm, the new Atlantic storm racing
towards the Mediterranean should generate dust, this time off Tunisia),
Saharan Dust (Dynamic event. Patchy dust blowing off Mauritania into the
Atlantic Ocean. Looking obliquely right, and including any land details if
possible [e. g. Canary Islands]), High Central Andean Glaciers (weather as
clear as we have seen it in a while. Looking for ice caps on volcanoes that
pass near nadir for detailed views), Marietta, Ohio (LEWIS & CLARK SITE.
Nadir pass. Marietta, Ohio, is noted historically as the oldest settlement
on the Ohio River. It is located about ten miles upriver from Parkersburg,
West Virginia where the Muskingum River enters from the north and the Ohio
makes a large meander north. In the summer of 1803, on their way to St.
Louis, Lewis and Clark stopped here for a visit as it was one of the few
settlements they encountered on their way west), Moundsville W VA (LEWIS &
CLARK SITE. Nadir pass. Lewis stopped near present day Moundsville to view
"a remarkable artificial mound of earth" called the Indian Grave. He
described it as being 700 paces from the river situated on a small hill in a
large bottom. It was 310 feet in circumference at the base and 30 feet in
diameter at the top and being 65 feet tall. This mound had a 60 foot wide
ditch around it except for a 30 foot wide entrance to the mound. Near the
summit grew a great white oak that Lewis estimated to be 300 years old), and
Pittsburgh, PA (LEWIS & CLARK SITE. Looking a touch left. Shooting the
downtown area along the river. After being commissioned by President
Jefferson, Lewis moved to Philadelphia in early 1803. He took crash courses
in medicine, botany, zoology, and celestial observation. He studied maps and
journals of traders and trappers who had already reached as far up the
Missouri River as the Mandan villages in North Dakota). 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/

You know you live on the ISS when... ... you have figured out the cheat code
that unlocks Pong on the C&C MDM. (Upbeat uplink from Flight Control).



--
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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info