ISS On-Orbit Status, 22-07-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 22 Jul 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Day 89 in space for the Increment 7 crew.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko continued work on restoring the Russian laptop 1, begun
on 7/8. [Today he was to create a backup HDD (hard disk drive) for laptop
1 using a boot-up floppy disk (for Norton Ghost 5.1D) on Russian laptop 2,
then "cloning" a new HDD (#6059) on the machine from the Norton Ghost 5.1D
disk, replacing HDD #6133.].

Preparatory to the task of decoupling the pipeline connected to the OK-19
port on the Russian NOK-1 condensate removal pump, Yuri was tasked to
perform visual assessment behind Service Module (SM) panel 201 to determine
if the pipeline can be decoupled. [The tip of the pipeline is 20 mm inside
the NOK nozzle, and to make this decoupling possible, the gap between the
pipeline and the nearest structural element in that area must be at least 25
millimeters.]

Yesterday's scheduled CSLM (Coarsening in Solid/Liquid Mixtures) experiment
run by FE/SO Ed Lu had to be terminated and deferred when too much humidity
was found inside the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) work volume.
Today's MSG CSLM activities were aborted. [The critical parameter of the
humidity problem turned out to be the dewpoint. Overnight the ground worked
on updating the CSLM-2 procedures and pulling together a plan for recovering
CSLM operations later this week.]

Yuri Malenchenko completed the regular weekly checkout of the IP-1 air flow
sensors which are installed in the various RS (Russian segment) hatchways
and the hatchway between FGB and Node.

For the CDR, Russian flight surgeons had prescribed the MO-5 MedOps
KARDIO-ODNT session, an involved cardiovascular test protocol of the human
pericardium (heart muscle) activity as well as primary parameters of central
and regional blood circulation at rest and under the effect of lower body
negative pressure (LBNP, Russian: ODNT). [The LBNP, generated by a
specially designed "Chibis" suit, applies suction on the lower body ranging
from 10 to 60 mmHg, thereby exerting a functional loading roughly equivalent
to 10-60 kg of force on the musculoskeletal system to test the body's
adaptation to prolonged exposure to microgravity. After an initial setup
period, during which a large number of electrodes are attached to the head,
body and extremities of the test subject, cardiographic readings on the
oscilloscope of the Gamma-1M medical complex are taken during one or two
Russian ground sites (RGS) comm passes, first without, then with the Chibis
suit. The complex experiment took several hours, and Yuri was assisted by Ed
Lu during the entire procedure.]

Ed completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh environment
control & life support system, and Yuri took care of the daily preparation
of the IMS "delta" file for download.

The Science Officer continued the planned week-long EMU (extravehicular
mobility unit) battery maintenance activities. [Today, charging of
batteries #2032 and #2033 in the BSA (battery stowage assembly) was
terminated, and the batteries were allowed to cool down for one hour. Next
step then was start of their discharge.]

Both crewmembers conducted their regular daily physical exercise program of
2.5 hrs., and Ed Lu performed the weekly maintenance/inspection of the TVIS
treadmill, with regular time & date check of the system. The TVIS exercise
sessions were video taped for downlink, and the TVIS files were transferred
to the MEC (medical equipment computer).

Later in the day, Malenchenko set up the "Urolux" equipment for his and Ed
Lu's next session with the Russian biochemical urine test (PZE MO-9), on
tomorrow's schedule for both crewmembers.

TsUP/Moscow is continuing checkout tests of the newly installed Russian ASN
satellite navigation antenna system, but technical problems with the system
have been encountered. The testing will be continued for the rest of this
week, with conclusions to be drawn by the end of the week. [Using GLONASS
satellites (the Russian equivalent of GPS), the ASN, when functioning, will
allow state vector (SV) updates without using the ground (which up to now
has to uplink daily SV updates) or requiring SV transfers from the USOS from
time to time.] Today's optional 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 Sao Paulo, Brazil (looking
slightly left for a general view of the urban region. It may be possible to
get the entire region into two 180-mm frames for the comparative study), SE
Africa aerosols (interesting pass along the SE coast of southern Africa.
Oblique views left of track may reveal vertical structuring of the
atmosphere, with different aerosol loading over the coastal plain versus the
often more polluted plateau air), Patagonian Glaciers (gap in winter storm
systems: looking at lower elevations for glacier tongues. Handheld images
taken with low sun have revealed all kinds of micro-topographic detail in
the ice of the glacier surfaces [crevasse systems and ridges usually related
to darker moraines within the ice]), Congo basin rivers (Dynamic event.
Very clear conditions remain over the Congo basin. Looking left of track
for glint images of the drainage pattern [glint disc is large in the winter
hemisphere]. The major question is what rivers and landforms develop where
much sediment is deposited along the rim of this enclosed basin), and Peru -
Machu Picchu (the ground has followed the crew's systematic homing in on
this small site. CEO now has good coverage along the interesting Yavero and
Apurimac River canyons, and a swath long the Urubamba River [at the foot of
the Machu Picchu site], yet to include the site.) 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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