Allard Beutel<br />Headquarters, Washington July 16, 2004<br />(Phone: 202/358-4769)<br /><br />INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS04-021<br /><br /> Aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition 9 <br />crew concentrated on a host of scientific experiments and <br />routine systems maintenance work in a busy 13th week in <br />orbit.<br /><br />Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA ISS Science Officer Mike <br />Fincke conducted numerous biomedical experiments. They <br />participated in a Russian experiment named "Profilaktika," <br />which was designed to measure Padalka's cardiovascular <br />condition while he pedaled on a bicycle in the Zvezda Service <br />Module.<br />Fincke began working with the Fluid Merging Viscosity <br />experiment. This physical science experiment is studying <br />viscosity, a property that causes fluids to resist flowing <br />because of the internal friction created as the molecules <br />move against each other. Understanding the viscosity of <br />molten materials is important for everything from designing <br />laboratory experiments to industrial production.<br />Fincke also set up the Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle <br />school students (EarthKAM) hardware for another run. EarthKAM <br />is available for students who submit image requests and <br />conduct geographic research. The requests are uplinked in a <br />camera control file to a laptop computer. The computer <br />activates an onboard digital camera at specified times and <br />receives the digital images for subsequent downlink.<br />Details on Station science operations, managed by NASA's <br />Marshall Space Flight Center, can be found on the Payload <br />Operations Center's Web site at:<br /><br />http://scipoc.msfc.nasa.gov/<br /><br />The crew spent part of its week stowing trash in the Progress <br />resupply craft docked to the far end of Zvezda. The unpiloted <br />Progress will detach from the Station by Russian flight <br />controllers on July 30 and deorbited to burn up in the <br />Earth's atmosphere. A new Progress cargo ship is scheduled <br />for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on <br />August 11 for a docking to the Station on August 14. It will <br />carry food, fuel, water, and supplies for Padalka and Fincke <br />and for the Expedition 10 crew that is scheduled to launch to <br />the Station in October.<br /><br />On Thursday, Russian flight controllers were unable to upload <br />new software into the Zvezda's computers in preparation for <br />next year's maiden launch of the unpiloted European Automated <br />Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo ship that will operate in tandem <br />with the Russian Progress vehicles. Russian specialists are <br />analyzing what may have caused the unsuccessful upload and <br />plan to try again next Wednesday. The computers are operating <br />normally with the current load of software.<br /><br />Earlier today, Padalka replaced a pump assembly in Zvezda <br />that malfunctioned on Wednesday, causing the temporary loss <br />of one of two redundant loops that provides cooling for <br />Russian segment systems. The backup cooling system kept all <br />Russian systems operating at the proper temperatures until <br />the replacement work occurred. Both cooling loops are now <br />working normally.<br /><br />Padalka and Fincke also participated in a pair of simulated <br />emergency drills on board to maintain proficiency in handling <br />medical emergencies and the unlikely depressurization of the <br />Station cabin.<br /><br />Next week, Fincke plans to conduct additional troubleshooting <br />work on U.S. spacesuits with help from Mission Control. The <br />Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) have cooling problems, <br />which have tentatively been traced to pumps that circulate <br />water inside the suits. Fincke plans to remove and examine <br />one of the pumps. Repair parts for the suits are to be <br />launched next month aboard the next Progress supply craft.<br /><br />The next spacewalk, using Russian Orlan suits, is planned for <br />Aug. 3. During the spacewalk, the crew will retrieve science <br />experiments, install others, and prepare the outside of the <br />Zvezda module's docking port for next year's first flight of <br />the ATV. Next week, the crew will begin preparations for the <br />spacewalk and will review procedures for the excursion.<br /><br />For information about NASA and agency missions on the <br />Internet, visit:<br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov<br /><br />Information about crew activities on the Space Station, <br />future launch dates, and Station sighting opportunities from <br />Earth, is available on the Internet at:<br /><br />http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/