ISS On-Orbit Status, 14-07-2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 14 Jul 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below. Week 11 for Increment 7 is underway, and this is Day 81 in space
for the crew. Two weeks from now, on 7/28, continuous manned ISS operations
will reach 1000 days.

Before breakfast, both crewmembers completed another session of the periodic
(every two weeks) Russian medical experiment protocols PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume
Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement. CDR Yuri Malenchenko set
up the MO-8 "scales" equipment and later broke it down and stowed it away.

Later, Science Officer Ed Lu set up and then took the periodic O-OHA
(on-orbit hearing assessment) test, a NASA EHS (environmental health
systems) examination to assess the efficacy of acoustic countermeasures.
CDR Yuri Malenchenko followed suit. [The O-OHA test involves minimum
audibility measurements for each ear over a wide range of frequencies and
sound pressure levels, with the crewmembers using individual-specific
Prophonics earphones, Bose ANC headsets and the SLM (sound level meter). To
conduct the testing, the experimenter is supported by special "EarQ"
software on the MEC (medical equipment computer). The baseline test is
required for about Flight Day 14 for each new Expedition and is then
performed once per month.]

For tomorrow's scheduled Russian PZE MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis,
Malenchenko set up the "Urolux" equipment and ran a functional test and
calibration on it.

Ed Lu completed the third 30-day functionality ("health") test of the HRF
GASMAP (Human Research Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis
Physiology). Last time done: 6/16. [After unstowing, cabling and powering
up the equipment, he let it run for 3 hrs. in standby mode, then performed a
health check and reconfigured the system for a 2-hr. low power rundown.
Afterwards, the GASMAP was deactivated, disconnected and stowed again.]

Malenchenko performed another 40-min. data take of the Russian MO-21/
"Ecosfera" air sampler and incubation equipment, collecting air samples for
atmospheric microbial analysis to monitor sanitary-hygiene status. [MO-21
determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere, specifically the
total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and microflora composition
according to morphologic criteria of microorganism colonies.]

Yuri also continued the latest maintenance cycle on the Russian segment's
ventilation system, today replacing the four dust collector filters (PF1-4)
in the Service Module (SM) with new cartridges. Last time done: 6/10.

Yuri Malenchenko attended to his regular daily inspection of the
BIO-5/Rasteniya-2 ("Plants-2") experiment which studies growth and
development of plants (peas) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2
greenhouse.

The CDR also completed the regular periodic (weekly) inspection of the
active BRPK-1 air/liquid condensate separator in the SM.

Ed Lu conducted a detailed 2-hr. audit of the current on-board plug-in plan,
to verify the existing cable connections with their outlet and equipment
plug-in locations in detail to part number. [A list of the plug-in
configuration of various electrical equipment, as currently understood on
the ground, was uplinked for mark-up. The audit of equipment and its
cabling to this detail will eliminate the need for a weekly plug-in plan
audit.]

Malenchenko and Lu set up and reviewed the DOUG (dynamic operations
ubiquitous graphics) software version for tomorrow's 2.5 hours of
SSRMS/Robotics proficiency operations. [DOUG is a periodically updated
software program on the MSS (mobile service system) laptops that provides a
birdseye-view graphical image of the external station configuration and the
SSRMS (space station remote manipulator system) arm, showing its real-time
location and configuration on a laptop during its operation. Tomorrow's
robotics ops, for honing crew proficiency, will include some additional
characterization of the SSRMS force moment sensor (FMS). Data obtained
through the FMS characterization so far have indicated that the FMS data
fluctuates based on heating/cooling of the exposed EVA joint angle scale on
the wrist roll (WR) joint, near the latching end effector (LEE)/WR
interface. Data will be gathered during these operations to confirm this
theory before work is begun to develop a thermal protection kit to cover
this area.]

Yuri prepared the daily inventory management system (IMS) "delta" file for
updating the database and performed the routine maintenance of SM life
support systems (SOZh), while Ed took care of the daily status checkup of
autonomous Lab payloads (SAMS, MAMS, PCG-STES010).

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.

At 7:05am EDT, the Science Officer conducted an amateur radio (ham) session
with youngsters at a Space Camp in Izmir, Turkey. [The event was a Global
Friendship Youth Space Seminar at the Space Camp,"to share ideas and
strategies for promoting friendship and cooperation through space
education". Attending the summit, which lasts from 7/13-19, are 120
students of ages 12-16 from Azerbaijan, Greece, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.
A list of questions was uplinked ahead of time.]

At 11:25am EDT, the crew downlinked a TV message commemorating the
Centennial of Flight, to be celebrated with an Expo at New York's
Rockefeller Center from 7/29 to 8/18. [The Expo, which includes a NASA
exhibit and stage presentations, is designed to be inspirational,
educational and sensational, and will present the historical, political and
social growth of aviation, beginning with the first flight and leading up to
the most current achievements of the day, i.e., the ISS.]

On 7/11, the scheduled reconfiguration of the Regul-OS antenna feeder unit
(AFU) connection to the antenna feed in the SM had to be deferred again
since the appropriate cable connector has not yet been found. [The Regul
equipment is being tested in its old configuration, and a plan is being
developed by MCC-M to help the crew find the missing item.]

Last Friday (7/11), a test of the failed Klest-140ST-M television camera
mounted externally on the SM aft end, pointing rearward (+X direction for
SM), verified that the problem is with the camera and not the cable
connections. [This camera is intended to be used for rendezvous & docking
of the European ATV (automated transfer vehicle) late next year at the SM
aft port. If the camera cannot be restored to service, a new camera will
have to be manufactured, delivered on orbit and installed via an
EVA/spacewalk at an existing bracket on the aft end. Removal and
replacement of the old camera is not considered practical since the EVA
might interfere with adjacent sensitive Kurs and other comm antennas.]

Removal and replacement of the failed 800A battery #4 in the SM is scheduled
for next Thursday (7/17).

Claudette is still a tropical storm, with winds around 65 mph (75 mph are
required to classify as hurricane), off the Texan coast. Landfall is now
expected to be tomorrow night, in the Corpus Christi area. Effects on
JSC/MCC-H will probably be minimal, except for precipitation. [MCC-H is
prepared to shift ISS Flight Control from Houston to Moscow, should it be
required. This happened once before, when MCC-H was shut down last year (on
10/2 at 4:00am EDT) during the Hurricane Lili contingency. There have also
been a number of BCC mode sim runs.]

ISS continues to fly in XPOP attitude, to be returned to LVLH YVV/"barbecue"
when solar Beta angle reaches 60 deg (currently: 52.3).

Today's CEO targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule
constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, and including the
targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Guadalajara,
Mexico (nadir pass), Johnston Island Reef (detailed views of remote but
biologically productive atolls requested; nadir pass), and Buenos Aires,
Argentina (nadir pass). 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/

Besides the daily CEO (crew earth observation) target list, the station
residents were also provided with times of ISS equatorial night crossings
for observing the current equatorial-tropical storm zone.

U.S. and Russian Segment Status

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):

Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16 amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is
On (in Manual Mode 5/3). U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace
contaminant control subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents
analyzer) is operating. BMP Harmful Impurities unit: absorbent bed #1 in
Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode (unit is On). RS air conditioner SKV-1
is On; SKV-2 is Off.

Propulsion System (PS):

Total propellant load available: 3733 kg (8230 lb) as of 7/10 [SM(774) +
FGB(2777) + Progress M(182) +Progress M-1(0)]. (Capability: SM -- 860 kg;
FGB -- 6120 kg).

Electrical Power Systems (EPS):

Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B & 4B both
in directed position (Blind/triple-angle mode, non solar-tracking, i.e.,
fixed at 279 deg & 81 deg for drag reduction ["sun slicer"]).
SM batteries: Battery #4 is disconnected (failed 6/16); all other batteries
(7) are in "Partial Charge" mode. Batteries #1, #2 and #3 showing degraded
capacity.
FGB batteries: Battery #3 is offline; battery #2 is in "Cycle" mode; all
other batteries (4) are in "Partial Charge" mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 in Standby mode; PCU-2 in Standby mode.

Command & Data Handling Systems:

C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup.
INT-1 is operating; INT-2 is Off.
EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is Off (both now upgraded to R3).
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-2 MDM is Off; PL-1 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.

Attitude Control Systems:

3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source -- RGA-1

Flight Attitude:

XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane = "sun-fixed" [yaw: 0.5 deg,
pitch: -9.0 deg., roll: 0 deg]), with CMG TA (thruster assist).
Solar Beta angle: 52.3 deg (magnitude increasing).

Communications & Tracking Systems:

FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
Ku-band is operating nominally.
Audio subsystem is operating nominally [IAC-1 (internal audio controller #1)
being analyzed after self-test error. IAC-2 is prime.]
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.

Robotics:

SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF #1 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both
strings.
MBS: KA power on both strings.
MT: latched and mated at WS4.
POA: KA power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is
Off.

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:32am EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 386.4 km
Apogee -- 392.1 km
Perigee -- 380.7 km
Period -- 92.28 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0008433
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.60
Solar Beta Angle -- 52.3 deg (magnitude increasing)
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 100 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 26526
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html


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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

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