International Space Station Status Report #62 - 2002

2004
Report #62
4 p.m. CST, Friday, Nov. 19, 2004
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

The Expedition 10 crew eased into the second month of its six-month stay
onboard the International Space Station by working on science experiments
and preparing for the arrival of a new cargo ship.

The Station is now orbiting at an altitude of 222 statute miles, nearly two
miles higher than at the start of the week, following a Russian
ground-commanded reboost of the complex Wednesday using the engines of the
Russian Progress resupply ship docked to the Zvezda Service Module. While
the engine firing to raise the Station's altitude lasted the planned
duration of 9 minutes and 9 seconds, the use of fuel from one of the
Progress' two fuel tanks rather than the fuel tank on Zvezda resulted in a
slightly lower performance of the engines, leaving the Station slightly
below its expected final altitude from the reboost.

While the lower altitude does not impact operation of the Station, a team of
Russian system experts has been set up to investigate the cause and
determine if any action will be required to compensate for the lower
altitude. Options under consideration include a second reboost early in
December or a possible one-day change in the launch of the next resupply
ship, ISS Progress 16, scheduled to lift off Dec. 23 from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Also during the week, Expedition Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy
Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov conducted science experiments,
checked Russian Orlan spacesuits and performed routine Station housekeeping
activities.

On Monday, the crew completed ultrasound scans as part of the Advanced
Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity experiment (ADUM). This experiment,
first performed during Expedition 5, is designed to determine the ability of
astronauts in space to conduct exams using this onboard medical device. If
successful, the experiment may have widespread applications in emergency and
rural health care on Earth.

A second experiment was conducted this week in the Destiny Laboratory. Known
as the Serial Network Flow Monitor (SNFM), the experiment uses
crew-installed software to monitor communications and analyze the amount of
data flowing between payloads. In other science work, Sharipov collected
samples for the PLANT experiment and participated in two Russian programs: a
medical operations test dubbed HEMATOKRIT that measures red blood cell count
and SPRUT, a study of human body fluids.

Throughout the week, Sharipov also worked on two Russian Orlan spacesuits.
He removed parts from one suit that has exceeded its lifetime on orbit and
will be discarded next month when the ISS Progress 15 cargo ship is undocked
for disposal. He also tested a new Orlan suit that he will wear during a
pair of spacewalks with Chiao in January and March.

On Tuesday, the crew talked with students at a middle school in
Gaithersburg, Md. The event was held with the Department of Education to
highlight the benefits of international relationships and cooperation during
the fifth annual International Education Week.

Both crewmembers conducted routine Station maintenance activities including
a cleaning of an atmosphere scrubbing system electronics box and the
experiment rack areas of the Destiny Lab. Chiao also installed fireport
labels and both took part in crew medical officer skills training. Chiao
spent time Friday taking inventory of U.S. items that also will be disposed
in the Progress resupply ship next month.

The crew wrapped up the week with a ham radio pass with students in Mare,
Italy. Over the weekend, the crew will enjoy some off-duty time, private
family conferences and a few small tasks such as battery charging and
routine housekeeping.

Next Wednesday, the thrusters on the ISS Soyuz 9 return craft mated to the
Pirs Docking Compartment will be test-fired in advance of the planned
undocking of the vehicle by the crew on Nov. 29 for its redocking to the
Zarya module. The brief relocation flight will free up Pirs for sole use as
an airlock for the two spacewalks early next year.

Information on the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future launch
dates, as well as Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the Earth,
is available on the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

The next ISS status report will be issued on Friday, Nov. 26, or earlier, if
events warrant.



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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info