NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

ISS On-Orbit Status 08/05/10

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

>>>Note: The US PM R&R spacewalks to replace the failed ETCS Loop-A ammonia PM (Pump Module) have been rescheduled for 8/7 (Saturday) and 8/11 (Wednesday) to allow ground teams and crew additional preparation time.

Upon wake-up, CDR Skvortsov performed the regular daily early-morning check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O₂ generator which Maxim Suraev had installed on 10/19/09 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). [The CDR will inspect the filters again before bedtime, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]

Afterwards, Skvortsov & FE-3 Kornienko spent several hours continuing the transfer of excessed hardware and trash, stowing it on Progress M-06M/38P for disposal, based on an uplinked preliminary list of 127 items. [38P undocking is scheduled on 9/7.]

FE-2 Caldwell-Dyson & FE-4 Wheelock jointly continued preparations for their EVAs, configuring tools needed during the spacewalks not yet deployed in the A/L (Airlock) and readying numerous tethers (e.g., one 55-ft & three 85-ft safety tethers, four waist tethers & four D-ring extenders).

FE-6 Walker also had about one hour set aside for EVA tool building support.

Later, Tracy & Doug, joined in part by Fyodor Yurchikhin, conducted a 2.5-hr review of the latest uplinked EVA procedures. [EVA-15, the first of two spacewalks, is expected to last ~7 hrs. Wheelock (EV1) will “fly” with the PM on the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) operated by FE-6 Walker (suited as IV/Intravehicular Crewmember), Caldwell-Dyson will free-float.
Objectives for EVA-15 will be to –

• Demate connections and QDs (quick disconnects) on the old PM,
• Install PM jumper (to bypass PM and connect ATA (Ammonia Tank Assembly) at S1 to Loop-A),
• Install AGB (Adjustable Grapple Bar), currently on ESP-2 (External Stowage Platform 2), on old PM,
• Remove old PM at S1 and stow on POA (Payload ORU Accommodation) on the MT (Mobile Transporter) at WS2 (Worksite 2),
• Prepare spare PM (on ESP-2) for installation, and
• Install spare PM at S1 and make electrical & data connections.]

Afterwards, Tracy & Wheels worked in the A/L to continue preparing its EL (Equipment Lock) compartment for the first spacewalk.

Activities by Shannon Walker, who will be operating the SSRMS, included –

• A ~2.5h in-depth review of EVA Robotics procedures, including DOUG (Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics) files,
• Preparing RWS SSC (Robotic Workstation Station Support Computer) monitors in the US Lab to provide additional views during EVA,
• Updating SODF (Station Operations Data File) EVA Systems procedures with P&I (Pen & Ink) changes to include ammonia decontamination procedures plus an ammonia contamination cue card, and
• Tying in the DOUG application for SSRMS EVA support by connecting the DOUG SSC at the Lab RWS to the networked PCS (Portable Computer System). [DOUG is a frequently updated special software program running on the MSS (Mobile Service System) RWS laptops that provides a graphical birdseye-view image of the external station configuration and the SSRMS arm, showing its real-time location and configuration on a laptop during its operation.]

At ~1:25pm EDT, Wheelock, Caldwell-Dyson & Walker held a teleconference with ground specialists at MCC-Houston to discuss spacewalk particulars.

Alex Skvortsov performed the periodic extensive audit/inventory of all lighting units (SD1-7) in the RS (Russian Segment), supported by an uplinked detailed listing of 53 deployed lamps and another 55 spare lamps in FGB stowage bags. [The activity is intended to assess illumination in ISS RS modules and to plan delivery of lights to RS as well as to update the IMS (Inventory Management System) data base on the ground.]

After yesterday’s equipment and tool gathering, FE-5 Yurchikhin today began a major IFM (Inflight Maintenance) in the SM (Service Module), removing old SMOK condensate lines of the SOTR Thermal Control System and replacing them with new spares (last time done: September 2009). [Fyodor completed Part 1, replacing condensate line components between the SKV1 air conditioner and the NOK1 condensate pump, and Part 2, replacing SMOK components between SKV2 and NOK2. Tomorrow’s plan: Replacement of lines between NOK1 and NOK2, and between the KR1 control valve and the SK1 valve assembly. More to follow. The R&R involves around two dozen flexible hoses (ZSMOK) and line components.]

In the MRM2 Poisk module, FE-5 continued his daily service of the Russian Glavboks-S (Glovebox S) with the bioscience experiment ASEPTIC (BTKh-39), taking photography, then collecting surface and air samples from the Glavboks for stowage in the KRIOGEM-03 thermostatic refrigerator at +37 degC.

Alex conducted another ~30-min photographic session for the DZZ-13 “Seiner” ocean observation program, obtaining NIKON D3 photos and SONY HD video data on oceanic color bloom patterns in the waters of Central-Eastern Atlantic, then copying the images to the RSK-1 laptop.

The CDR also completed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]

Mikhail Kornienko did the daily IMS maintenance, updating/editing its standard “delta file” including stowage locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).

Misha had ~1h35m for shooting additional newsreel footage using the SONY HVR-Z7 #2 high-definition camcorder as part of the ongoing effort to create a photo & video imagery database on the flight of ISS-23/24 (“Flight Chronicles”). [Footage subjects generally include life on the station, personal hygiene, food intake, playing with water, enjoying weightlessness, exercise, moving about, station interior, Earth surface, space clothing, cosmonaut at work, station cleaning, etc. The photo/video imagery is saved digitally on HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) for return to Earth on Soyuz.]

FE-3 also continued the relocation of stowage items from “unauthorized” FGB locations to alternate sites.

Before sleeptime tonight, Sasha will be readying the hardware for the Russian geophysics experiment DZZ-12 Rusalka (“Mermaid”) near SM window #14 and charge its battery for another session tomorrow.

FE-2 & FE-4 had another standard pre-EVA PMC (Private Medical Conference), via S- & Ku-band audio/video, Wheels at ~12:50pm, Tracy at ~2:40pm EDT.

The crew worked out on today’s 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (FE-6), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (CDR, FE-5), ARED advanced resistive exercise device (FE-2, FE-3, FE-4, FE-6), T2/COLBERT advanced treadmill (FE-2, FE-4), and VELO bike ergometer with bungee cord load trainer (CDR). [T2 snubber arm inspection is no longer needed after every T2 session but must be done after the last T2 session of the day.]

WRM Update: For yesterday’s CWC (Contingency Water Container) water audit, the latest WRM (Water Recovery Management) “cue card” was used by the crew for reference. [The card (24-0007F) lists 126 CWCs (2,924.6 L total) for the five types of water identified on board: 1. technical water (27 CWCs with 1,127.6 L, for Elektron electrolysis, incl. 712.7 L in 17 bags containing Wautersia bacteria, 134.2 L in 3 clean bags for contingency use, 129.4 L in 3 bags still requiring sample analysis, 128.3 L in 3 bags for flushing only with microbial filter, and 23.0 L in 1 bag for flushing only; 2. potable water (5 CWCs with 215.4 L, of which 1 bag with 43.6 L requires sample analysis, 1 bag with 42.5 L are to be used with microbial filter & 129.3 L in 3 bags are good for contingency use; 3. iodinated water (84 CWCs with 1,550.1 L for reserve; 4. condensate water (11.3 L, in 1 bag with 5.0 L to be used with microbial filter, 1 bag with 6.3 L for flushing plus 6 empty bags; and 5. waste/EMU dump and other (1 CWC with 20.2 L & 1 empty bag). Wautersia bacteria are typical water-borne microorganisms that have been seen previously in ISS water sources. These isolates pose no threat to human health.]

CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today were Volga River Delta, Caspian Sea, Russia (in this nadir pass, most of the delta lied right of track. A series of overlapping images was requested), Muscat, Oman (near-nadir pass over this coastal city. Visual cue is the bay where the city is located. Muscat has been a trading port and way-station between Persia and East Africa for centuries), Nyiragongo Volcano, Rep. Congo (the weather in equatorial Africa is as cloud free as was ever seen. Trying for this volcano, right of track. Although relatively far off track, two large lakes right of track are good visual cues—Lake Edward very close to track, and Lake Kivu further away, just beyond the volcano. If the crew shot Kivu, they acquired the volcano. One of Africa's most notable volcanoes, Nyiragongo contained a lava lake in its deep summit crater that was active for half a century before draining catastrophically through its outer flanks in 1977. About 100 parasitic cones are located east of the summit, in a zone extending as far as Lake Kivu), Kigali, Rwanda (Kigali lies just downtrack of Nyiragongo Volcano and appears as a devegetated zone in the intensive agriculture of the hilly countryside. It lies the same distance off-track as the volcano, near a series of smaller, narrow lakes), and Havana, Cuba (looking far right on the north coast [nearer to track] of Cuba for this capital city. The city lies at a major bend in the coastline, which provided some protection from the prevailing easterly winds in the age of sail).

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:36am EDT [= epoch])
Mean altitude – 354.6 km
Apogee height – 359.3 km
Perigee height – 349.8 km
Period -- 91.63 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.65 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0007104
Solar Beta Angle -- -6.4 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.71
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 115 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 67,123.

Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
--------------Six-crew operations-----------------
08/07/10 -- ETCS PM EVA 1 (Caldwell/Wheelock)
08/11/10 -- ETCS PM EVA 2 (Caldwell/Wheelock)
09/07/10 -- Progress M-06M/38P undock
09/08/10 -- Progress M-07M/39P launch
09/10/10 -- Progress M-07M/39P docking
09/24/10 -- Soyuz TMA-18/22S undock/landing (End of Increment 24)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
10/08/10 -- Soyuz TMA-20/24S launch – Kelly (CDR-26)/Kaleri/Skripochka
10/10/10 -- Soyuz TMA-20/24S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
10/26/10 -- Progress M-05M/37P undock
10/27/10 -- Progress M-08M/40P launch
10/29/10 -- Progress M-08M/40P docking
11/01/10 -- STS-133/Discovery launch (ULF5 – ELC4, PMM) ~4:33pm EDT – “target”
11/10/10 -- Russian EVA-26
11/17/10 -- Russian EVA-27
11/26/10 -- Soyuz TMA-19/23S undock/landing (End of Increment 25)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
12/10/10 -- Soyuz TMA-21/25S launch – Kondratyev (CDR-27)/Coleman/Nespoli
12/12/10 -- Soyuz TMA-21/25S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
12/15/10 -- Progress M-07M/39P undock
12/xx/10 -- Russian EVA-28
12/26/10 -- Progress M-08M/40P undock
12/27/10 -- Progress M-09M/41P launch
12/29/10 -- Progress M-09M/41P docking
02/26/11 -- STS-134/Endeavour (ULF6 – ELC3, AMS-02) ~4:19pm EDT – “target”
03/16/11 -- Soyuz TMA-20/24S undock/landing (End of Increment 26)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
03/30/11 -- Soyuz TMA-22/26S launch – A. Borisienko (CDR-28)/R, Garan/A.Samokutayev
04/01/11 -- Soyuz TMA-22/26S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
04/26/11 -- Progress M-09M/41P undock
04/27/11 -- Progress M-10M/42P launch
04/29/11 -- Progress M-10M/42P docking
05/16/11 -- Soyuz TMA-21/25S undock/landing (End of Increment 27)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
05/31/11 -- Soyuz TMA-23/27S launch – M. Fossum (CDR-29)/S. Furukawa/S. Volkov
06/01/11 -- Soyuz TMA-23/27S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
06/21/11 -- Progress M-11M/43P launch
06/23/11 -- Progress M-11M/43P docking
08/30/11 -- Progress M-12M/44P launch
09/01/11 -- Progress M-12M/44P docking
09/16/11 – Soyuz TMA-22/26S undock/landing (End of Increment 28)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
09/30/11 -- Soyuz TMA-24/28S launch
10/02/11 – Soyuz TMA-24/28S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
10/20/11 -- Progress M-10M/42P undocking
10/21/11 -- Progress M-13M/45P launch
10/23/11 -- Progress M-13M/45P docking
11/16/11 -- Soyuz TMA-23/27S undock/landing (End of Increment 29)
--------------Three-crew operations-------------
11/30/11 -- Soyuz TMA-25/29S launch
12/02/11 -- Soyuz TMA-25/29S docking
--------------Six-crew operations-------------
12/??/11 -- 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – on Proton.
12/26/11 -- Progress M-13M/45P undock.