ISS On-Orbit Status 1/30/03<br /><br />All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously<br />or below.<br /><br />Wake-up was at the regular 1:00am EST, followed by post-sleep activities and<br />breakfast (begin of sleep time: 4:30pm).<br /><br />FE-1 Nikolai Budarin and CDR Kenneth Bowersox worked on the Progress 9P<br />spacecraft, installing the docking mechanism (StM) of the cargo vehicle's<br />SSVP docking and internal transfer system. [The SSVP on Progress (and Soyuz)<br />is of the "probe and cone" ( "classic") type, to distinguish it from the<br />structurally more robust hybrid ASP type used on ISS for connecting Russian<br />modules together. Besides acting as structural and mechanical connection<br />allowing passage of crew and cargo, it also has connections for power, data<br />(command and control), gases and fluids (propellants).]<br /><br />Afterwards, Budarin deinstalled and removed no-longer-needed electronic<br />equipment from the Progress, viz., a local signal switch device (LKT/TA251)<br />of the BITS onboard telemetry system, with its ROM memory (PZU), for return<br />to Earth and recycling on a future Progress.<br /><br />The crew continued stowing disposable cargo on Progress, while video-taping<br />the activities with the U.S. Sony PD-100 DVCAM. The recording was then<br />downlinked via Ku- and S-band at 7:10am.<br /><br />Budarin conducted his regular daily maintenance checkup of the Russian BIO-5<br />Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth experiment. Later, he copied<br />its accumulated photo/data files to a floppy disk for transfer to the<br />Russian Laptop 3 and subsequent downlink via Regul-Packet.<br /><br />FE-2/SO Don Pettit terminated the regeneration cycle on the first EMU Metox<br />(metal oxide) CO2 filter in the Airlock's bake-out oven, then started it on<br />the second canister.<br /><br />Early in the morning, Pettit took carbon dioxide partial pressure (ppCO2)<br />readings of the cabin air in Lab and SM with the portable ACS CDMK<br />(atmosphere control system/CO2 monitoring kit). A second data take is<br />scheduled for shortly before sleep time. [ppCO2 levels have shown a gradual<br />increase, going above the lower limit of 5.3 mmHg over the last weekend. The<br />crew has been instructed to resume daily CDMK readings (morning and evening)<br />for the near-term, while specialists investigate the cause. The Service<br />Module (SM) CO2 sensor is reading ppCO2 levels well below the Lab MCA (major<br />constituent analyzer) and CDMK measurements (see Systems Status, below).]<br /><br />Air samples were collected by Pettit in the Lab, SM, and Node with the MAS<br />(microbial air sampler) kit for bacterial and fungal analysis, to be<br />performed on Days 2 and 5 of incubation in Petri dishes. The collected<br />samples were photographed by Bowersox for the record.<br /><br />Sox then conducted surface sample swabs in the Lab, SM and Node with the SSK<br />(surface sample kit), for cultivation. The colony growth on the sampling<br />slides will be analyzed after two and five days of incubation. The<br />activities and SSK samples were photographed by Don for the record<br /><br />Troubleshooting continues on the ER3 ARIS (Express rack 3/active rack<br />isolation system), after the crew was unable to perform the pushrod<br />calibration on 1/28. [Under investigation is a possible issue with the new<br />software load (file transfer from the ER3 memory unit {EMU} to the ARIS<br />controller). To protect the ARIS hardware, the ARIS alignment guides need to<br />remain installed until the problem is fixed. Some crew support may be<br />requested for tomorrow (Friday).]<br /><br />Early in the morning, Don Pettit powered up the HRF (human research<br />facility) for checking out the FOOT (foot/ground reaction forces during<br />space flight) experiment's montage file, which he then copied for downlink.<br />The HRF computer's data files were subsequently downlinked on ground<br />command, and the HRF was deactivated again.<br /><br />Pettit also worked on the EarthKAM (EK), changing its optics to the 180-mm<br />lens. Unattended (ground-commanded) uplink and downlink of EK payload<br />control and data files through OCA took place throughout the day. [The EK<br />team, on behalf of the 29 participating middle schools across the USA,<br />Mexico and Japan, sent up sincere thanks for the crew's support in setting<br />up EK on the OpsLAN (operations/local area network). So far, the ground has<br />commanded and received over 280 spectacular images of the Earth, and two<br />favorite ones were uplinked for the crew's perusal. EarthKAM images can be<br />found at<br />http://datasystem.earthkam..ucsd.edu/cgi-bin/datasys/ek_images_station ].<br /><br />Budarin completed the regular daily task of SOSh life support systems<br />maintenance, and performed the periodic routine inspection of the BRPK<br />air/condensate water separator in the SM, while Pettit took care of the<br />daily IMS database update file preparation.<br /><br />A Lab RPCM (remote power controller module), which powers the VTR1 (video<br />tape recorder #1), has tripped open. VTR1 was declared "off limits" until<br />the problem is resolved. [Telemetry revealed no evidence ofa VTRovercurrent<br />that would have tripped the fuse. Although this could simply be a nuisance<br />trip, the signature is similar to a problem seen in the past, which<br />eventually led to a POR (power-on reset). This would require the ground to<br />run a specific nominal procedure, with the VTR off.]<br /><br />Early in the morning, MCC-H and its support group in Moscow (HSG) performed<br />a BCC (backup control center) dry-run in test mode, with no involvement of<br />ISS crew or vehicle. [In test mode, HSG (as BCC) was to send a single<br />not-for-uplink PPCP (preplanned command packet) to MCC-M/TsUP, then to<br />cancel it after successful transmission. MCC-H was to play back the ACT<br />(American contingency telemetry) recorded during the Hurricane Lili<br />contingency operations last year (when MCC-H was shut down at 4:00am EDT on<br />10/2), with HSG confirming successful receipt. TsUP commanding to the<br />Russian segment (RS) via U.S. S-band, as well as MCC-H-to-TsUP flow of<br />status telemetry were also not affected.]<br /><br />Another water venting from the Lab condensate collection tank is tentatively<br />scheduled for Friday next week (2/7), when tank contents are predicted to<br />reach the upper limit of 100 lbs. During the dump, the Lab window shutter<br />will be closed by the crew to protect it against contamination. [According<br />to applicable Flight Rule, the condensate tank should preferably be<br />off-loaded into a CWC (contingency water container) for processing/recycling<br />in theRS. Currently, however, US condensate can not be processed until about<br />April this year due to previous failures of the Russian SRV-K water<br />processor system. The excess water must therefore be vented overboard<br />(dual-stream, to cancel out propulsive reaction on the vehicle), in LVLH<br />(+XVV) attitude.]<br /><br />Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were Mekong<br />River Delta (pass crossed the entire width of the delta from southwest to<br />northeast. Detailed nadir mapping pass requested [looking a touch left for<br />sun glint views]), Saigon, Vietnam (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still<br />camera]. The city lies inland about 20 km on the easternmost river course of<br />the delta), Industrialized SE Africa haze (pass paralleled the Great<br />Escarpment: looking left for aerosol loadings on the plateau and right for a<br />probably different airmass on the coastal plain. Smog loadings should<br />increase with distance north from the coast as ISS approached the industrial<br />heartland of the Witwatersrand, off-track left ~1.5. [Nadir views of the<br />knot of mountains that make up the Kingdom of Lesotho are of great interest<br />since major new dams have been built to supply Johannesburg with water 250<br />miles to the north]), Delhi, India (looking right of track for the city<br />which lies on both banks of the upper Ganges [looking for converging pattern<br />of railroads/highways. Crew was also to shoot high obliques, looking right,<br />along the Himalayan Mt front, to document the remnants of major fog banks<br />that have dominated the Ganges Plain for weeks), Mt Cameroon (Dynamic event.<br />Unusual clear weather in the Bight of Benin should make this major volcano<br />visible [the volcano drops into the sea from 13000 feet]. Looking right for<br />recent lava flows as well as a major collapse canyon on the west side of the<br />volcano. There are almost no handheld images of Mt Cameroon), West Africa<br />dust (Dynamic event. ISS track crossed over the southern dust front of a new<br />outblow of Saharan dust. This plume was centered over the Guineas, aligned<br />SW. If possible, crew was to try to document the source region[s] of this<br />plume. Since the plume lies further south than most, sources probably lie in<br />the zone of disturbed Sahelian soils), and Bamako, Mali (looking slightly<br />right of track on the Niger River. ESC requested).<br /><br />CEO images can be viewed at the website<br />http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov<br /><br />U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:25pm EST).<br /><br />Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):<br />Elektron O2 generator is powered On (16 Amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is<br />Off. U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is On. TCCS (trace contaminant control<br />subsystem) is operating. MCA (major constituents analyzer) is operating. BMP<br />Harmful Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify<br />mode. RS air conditioner SKV-1 is On; SKV-2 is Off.<br /><br />SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 753; temperature (deg C) -- 23.7;<br />ppO2 (mmHg) -- 160.7; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- 2.5 (suspect).<br />SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 751; temperature (deg C) --<br />18.8.<br />FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 752; temperature (deg C) -- 21.3.<br />Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 738.16; temperature (deg C) -- 22.8 (shell); ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.<br />U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 740.78; temperature (deg C) -- 22.5; ppO2<br />(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a;<br />Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 740.88; temperature (deg<br />C) -- 19.0; shell heater temp (deg C) -- 20.5, ppO2 (mmHg) -- 164.1; ppCO2<br />(mmHg) -- 5.3.<br />PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 23.7<br />PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- 18.5<br />(n/a = data not available)<br /><br />Propulsion System (PS): Total propellant load available [SM(820) + FGB(2898)<br />+ Progress(0)] -- 3718 kg (8197 lb) as of 1/30/03. (Capability: SM -- 860<br />kg; FGB -- 6120 kg).<br /><br />Electrical Power Systems (EPS):<br />Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B<br />both in "blind" dual-angle mode (directed position).<br />SM batteries: Battery #7 is off line (failed); battery #2 is offline<br />(ROM/capacity restoration mode); all other batteries (6) are in "Partial<br />Charge" mode.<br />FGB batteries: Battery #2 is offline; all other batteries (5) are in<br />"Partial Charge" mode.<br />Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 and PCU-2 both in Standby mode.<br /><br />Command & Data Handling Systems:<br />C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.<br />GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup (new patches loaded on both).<br />EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is off.<br />LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.<br />PL-2 MDM is On (primary); PL-1 MDM is off (diagnostic<br />APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.<br />SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane 1 is<br />down (as of 11/14/02).<br />SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.<br /><br />Attitude Source:<br />3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).<br />State vector -- U.S. SIGI-1<br />Attitude -- U.S. SIGI-1<br />Angular rates -- U.S. RGA-1<br /><br />Flight Attitude:<br />LVLH TEA (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local<br />vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9.1 deg, roll: 0<br />deg]), CMG/TA (thruster assist) momentum management).<br />Solar Beta Angle: 16.2 deg (magnitude decreasing).<br /><br />Communications & Tracking Systems:<br />FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.<br />All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.<br />S-band is operating nominally.<br />Ku-band is operating nominally.<br />Audio subsystem operating nominally.<br />Video subsystem operating nominally, but VTR1 is off.<br />HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.<br /><br />Robotics:<br />SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF2 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both<br />strings.<br />MBS: KA power on both strings.<br />MT: latched at WS4, with KA power.<br />POA: KA power on both strings.<br />RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.<br /><br />ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 5:24am EST [= epoch]):<br />Mean altitude -- 387.7 km<br />Apogee -- 391.5 km<br />Perigee -- 383.9 km<br />Period -- 92.31 min.<br />Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.64 deg<br />Eccentricity -- 0.0005622<br />Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.60<br />Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 200 m<br />Solar Beta Angle -- 16.2 deg (magnitude decreasing)<br />Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 23951<br /><br />For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see<br />http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html