ISS Status Report 16 - 2005

Melissa Mathews
Headquarters, Washington March 28, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1272)

Rob Navias
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS05-016

The residents of the International Space Station completed a 4-hour,
30-minute spacewalk today. The crew installed communications equipment on
the exterior of the Zvezda Service Module and deployed a small satellite
experiment.

The equipment installation was part of the preparation for the maiden
docking of the European Space Agency's cargo carrier, the Automated Transfer
Vehicle (ATV). The ATV named "Jules Verne" is due to launch next year. With
no crew inside, Station systems were either deactivated or put in autonomous
operation for the duration of the spacewalk. Hatches were closed between the
U.S. and Russian segments of the complex in the unlikely event the crew
would not have been able to return to the outpost.

Clad in Russian Orlan spacesuits, Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science
Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov left the Station's
Pirs Docking Compartment airlock at 1:25 a.m. EST. They quickly set up tools
and tethers for their excursion, and Sharipov activated the Russian
Nanosatellite for later deployment.

The first primary task was the installation of three space-to-space
communications, known by the Russian acronym WAL, antennas on the forward
conical section of Zvezda. The S-band low gain antennas are part of the
Proximity Communications Equipment (PCE). They will be used for ATV and
Service Module interaction during future rendezvous and docking operations.
The first three antennas were installed on the aft end of Zvezda during
Expedition 9.

About two hours into the spacewalk, from a ladder attached to Pirs, Sharipov
deployed the foot-long, 11-pound Nanosatellite toward the aft end of the
Station. Chiao photographed its departure. The experiment contains a
transmitter. While it orbits Earth it is expected to help develop small
satellite control techniques, monitor operations and develop new attitude
system sensors. Russian experts informed the crew, they received a good
signal from the satellite two hours after its deployment.

The spacewalkers gathered the tools and equipment for the next task, as
Russian flight controllers inhibited thrusters from firing in the next
worksite. Once that was complete, the crewmembers were given approval to
move toward the aft end of Zvezda. Once in place, they installed a Global
Positioning System receiver. The receiver is also part of the ATV
communications hardware. It will give the approaching vehicle data about its
relative position to the Station during rendezvous operations.

Chiao and Sharipov also inspected and photographed an antenna used for
communications with the Service Module to confirm its position for Russian
technicians. Chiao photographed a previously installed laser reflector that
will also be used for ATV proximity operations. The crew continued to secure
cabling on Zvezda, as they worked their way back toward Pirs.

The two remaining gyros on the Station maintained attitude, or position in
space, without Russian thrusters until just before the end of the spacewalk.
They maintained attitude despite the recent loss of one of the three
functioning Control Moment Gyroscopes, because of a circuit breaker failure.
The Station drifted slightly without attitude control for less than 20
minutes. When Chiao and Sharipov reported they were a safe distance from
Zvezda's thrusters, the jets were reactivated and attitude was quickly
regained.

The crew entered Pirs and closed the hatch at 5:55 a.m. EST to complete
their spacewalk one hour ahead of schedule. After repressurizing Pirs, Chiao
and Sharipov were scheduled to return to the Station, remove their
spacesuits, reactivate systems and open the hatches to the U.S. segment. The
crew will begin its sleep period later this morning and enjoy a light-duty
day Tuesday.

It was the second spacewalk for Sharipov and Chiao's sixth. The pair logged
almost 10 hours of spacewalk time during the two Expedition 10 excursions.
Today's spacewalk was the 58th in support of Station assembly and
maintenance; 33rd staged from the Station itself; and the 15th from Pirs. A
total of 348 hours and 15 minutes of spacewalk time has been logged during
the Station's lifetime.

For more information about NASA, crew activities aboard the Station, future
launch dates and Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the Earth,
visit:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/


-end-


--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info