ISS On-Orbit Status, 20-07-2003

On-Orbit Status 20 Jul 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously.
Sunday, another rest day for the station residents. Ahead: Week 12 of
Increment 7. [Today 34 years ago, on July 20, 1969, the "Eagle" of Apollo
11 landed on the moon, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, while the
"Columbia" CSM mothership with Michael Collins kept circling the moon,
awaiting their safe return.]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko collected the weekly data readings of the Service
Module (SM)'s toilet flush counter readings (with inspection of the SP urine
collection and pretreat assembly) and SVO water supply status counter
readings, both for calldown to MCC-M/TsUP.

Malenchenko also conducted the periodic inspection of the Elektron oxygen
generator's VM gas/liquid system for obstructing air bubbles that may linger
after IFMs (in-flight maintenances).

Yuri terminated the bake-out cycle on the BMP micropurification system's
channel 2, moding the channel back to Purify. This restored both filter
beds to Purify mode. [The regeneration of the air purifier filter beds is
repeated every 20 days. Each bakeout to space vacuum takes about 24 hours.]

The CDR then performed the daily routine maintenance on the SOZh life
support system which comprises the water supply equipment, food supply
subsystem (SOP), and sanitary hygiene equipment (SGO). [Maintenance
generally consists of inspection of fluid lines/connections and filter
replacement.]

FE/SO Ed Lu prepared the daily delta file for automatic export/import to
update the IMS (inventory management system) database.

Malenchenko attended to his regular daily checkup of his BIO-5 Rasteniya-2
("Plants-2") experiment which investigates growth and development of plants
under spaceflight conditions in the SM's Lada-2 greenhouse.

Yuri Malenchenko held a teleconference with fellow cosmonauts at TsUP via
VHF/audio..

Both crewmembers worked out in their daily 2.5-h program of physical
exercise, on TVIS treadmill and RED expander.

The crew had their the weekly PFCs (private family conferences), via
S-band/audio.

Working off his Russian task list, the CDR today had another photography
session for the Diatomeya ocean observations program. [Today's target was
the Falkland-Patagonian fishing region.]

Today's CEO (crew earth observation) targets, no longer limited in the
current LVLH attitude and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark
200-year memorial locations, were Melbourne, Australia (nadir pass),
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (NIGHT PASS. Nadir view possible between cloud
masses), Brasilia, Brazil (nadir pass), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (nadir pass),
Las Vegas, Nevada (NIGHT PASS. Nadir pass), Phoenix, AZ (NIGHT PASS. Nadir
pass), Tucson, Arizona (NIGHT PASS. Nadir pass), Patagonian Glaciers
(looking on the "dry" eastern slopes for detailed views of glacier tongues
at the mountain front. Winds move clusters of icebergs from point to point
in the large glacier-foot lakes [lake depressions were cut by glaciers
during several ice advances in the last ice age], Baghdad, Iraq (NIGHT
PASS), Gui-shen, China (suggesting a broad, contextual view on this first
good pass. This will assist the ground later in locating more detailed
views. Looking nadir and a touch left along the coast of Bohai Bay), and
Ed's Hill, New Zealand (suggesting contextual view for this first good pass:
looking left along the coast of North Island). 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/



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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

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