All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
After 12d 17h 57min in space,STS-120/Discovery today returned to Earth, touching down at KSC on the first landing opportunity at 1:02pm EDT, after 238 orbits, 6,250,000 st.mi. and a perfect ISS 10A mission, during which its seven-member crew conducted four EVAs, delivered a new Expedition 16 crewmember (FE-2 Dan Tani) and returned his predecessor (FE-2 Clay Anderson). It was the 120 th flight of a Space Shuttle and the 23 rd shuttle mission to visit the station. Welcome back, Discovery! Next up: STS-122/Atlantis on December 6 with the Columbus module - ESA's BIG day.
Before breakfast, CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Tani started the day with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (second for CDR & FE-1, first for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Yuri Malenchenko afterwards broke down for stowage. [Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.]
At ~2:30am EST, Yuri supported the ground's reactivation of the Elektron O 2 generator at 32 amps by monitoring the external temperature of its secondary purification unit (BD) for the first 10 minutes of operations to ensure that there was no overheating. [During nominal operations a gas analyzer is utilized to detect hydrogen (H 2) in the O 2 line (which could cause overheating) but is not included in the control algorithm until 10 minutes after Elektron startup.]
After the EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System) facility was powered down by ground command, Dan Tani manually closed the EMCS gas valves (must be done within 24 hours following the remote powerdown).
Dan also retrieved nine -32 degC ICEPAC belts from stowage and placed them into the MELFI (Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS) Dewar 3. [Tray A/Section 1 & 4; Tray B/Section 1 & 4; Tray C/Section 1, 2, 3 & 4; Tray D/Section 1.]
After the FE-2 had printed out the uplinked timeline/procedures for the EVA-5 by Whitson & Malenchenko on Friday (11/9), the crewmembers spent two hours reviewing the material, followed by a teleconference with ground personnel to discuss details. Afterwards, Peggy and Yuri checked out REBA (Rechargeable EMU Battery)-powered hardware in the Airlock and configured the EVA tools needed for the spacewalk.
[After the standard Campout in the A/L Thursday night, EVA-5 is scheduled to begin at approximately 6:00am EST. Expected to last about 6h 35m, its objectives are:
- Stow SSPTS (Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System) Cable;
- Stow PMA-2/Lab Umbilicals;
- Remove Lab CETA (Crew & Equipment Translation Aid) Light;
- Temp stow Node-2 Port & Starboard Tray Avionics;
- Install Node-2 PDGF (Power & Data Grapple Fixture) Horseshoe Connectors & harness;
- R&R RPCM 4B-C (Remove & Replace Remote Power Controller Module) on S0 truss;
- Remove ACBM (Active Common Berthing Mechanism) Cover/survey CBM;
- Mate S0/Node-1 SM Power Cable;
- Configure PMA-1/FGB H-Jumpers;
- Retrieve BSP (Baseband Signal Processor);
- Relocate N 2 VTE (Vent Tool Extender) bag; and
- Install Node-2 handrail.]
In support of the on-going EMU/spacesuit glove troubleshooting, the CDR had an hour set aside to inspect and photograph the two retrieved EVA APFRs (Articulating Portable Foot Restraints) #3 & #7 for any sharp edges that may have caused the glove damage.
Peggy also performed the regular monthly maintenance of the TVIS (Treadmill with Vibration Isolation & Stabilization), inspecting the condition of harnesses, belt slats, corner bracket ropes, IRBAs (Isolation Restorative Bungee Assemblies) and gyroscope wire ropes for any damage or defects, lubricating as required plus recording time & date values.
Dan completed the periodic check of active U.S. payloads, i.e., cleaning the ANITA (Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air) inlet plus inspecting and filter cleaning of the CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) incubator payload. [The incubator is controlled from the ground with automatic video downlinked to Earth.]
Terminating the 24-hr passive data collection period of the HRF CCISS (Human Research Facility/Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Control on Return from ISS) experiment, the FE-2 disassembled and stowed the CCISS hardware, used for his first two-day session.
Yuri Malenchenko set up the equipment for tomorrow's planned "Urolux" biochemical urine test (PZE MO-9), standard operating procedure for cosmonauts before & after each EVA.
FE-2 Tani connected the regular ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System/Low Temperature Loop) coolant jumper connection to the LAB1D6 rack in support of the ground-commanded activation of the U.S. CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly), and Houston lowered the temperature setpoint to the regular 9.4 degC. [CDRA activation took place at 6:35am-7:05am EST.]
Dan Tani also had another 60 minutes for general crew orientation (station familiarization & acclimatization), as is standard daily rule for the first two weeks after starting station residency.
The FE-2 performed the regular daily maintenance of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM, including routine ASU toilet facilities replacings.
Malenchenko did the daily maintenance of the IMS (Inventory Management System), updating/editing its standard "delta file", including locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
The crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (CDR, FE-2), TVIS treadmill (FE-1), RED resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-2), and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).
Dan then transferred the crew's exercise data file to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM data of the workouts on RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
No CEO (Crew Earth Observations) target uplinked for today.
CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (about 700,000 NASA digital photographs of Earth are downloaded by the public each month from this "Gateway" site);
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 8:19am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 342.0 km
Apogee height -- 343.8 km
Perigee height -- 340.3 km
Period -- 91.38 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.64 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.00007682
Solar Beta Angle -- -44.2 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.76
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours -- 125 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) -- 51339
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Standard, some changes possible):
11/09/07 -- EVA-5 (Peggy Whitson/Yuri Malenchenko); ~6:00am
11/12/07 -- PMA-2 relocation to Node 2 (PMA-2 umbilicals stowed on 10A EVA-5)
11/14/07 -- Node-2 (Harmony) plus PMA-2 relocation to front of Lab
11/20/07 -- US EVA-10 (Peggy Whitson/Dan Tani)
11/24/07 -- US EVA-11 (Peggy Whitson/Dan Tani)
12/06/07 -- STS-122/Atlantis/1E launch -- Columbus Module, ICC-Lite (NET)
12/08/07 -- STS-122/Atlantis/1E docking
12/15/07 -- STS-122/Atlantis undocking
12/18/07 -- STS-122/Atlantis landing
12/22/07 -- Progress M-61/26P undocking (DC1) & reentry
12/23/07 -- Progress M-62/27P launch
12/25/07 -- Progress M-62/27P docking (DC1)
01/31/08 -- ATV-1 "Jules Verne" launch/Ariane V (Kourou, French Guyana)
01/31/08 -- 50-Year Anniversary of Explorer 1 (1 st U.S. satellite on Redstone rocket)
02/06/08 - Progress M-62/27P undocking
02/07/08 -- Progress M-63/28P launch
02/09/08 -- Progress M-63/28P docking
02/14/08 -- ATV-1 docking (SM aft port)
02/14/08 -- STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A launch/1J/A -- SLP-SPDM, JEM ELM-PS (NET)
02/16/08 -- STS-123/Endeavour/1J/A docking
02/27/08 -- STS-123/Endeavour undocking
02/29/08 -- STS-123/Endeavour landing
04/08/08 -- Soyuz TMA-12/16S launch
04/10/08 -- Soyuz TMA-12/16S docking (DC1)
04/19/08 -- Soyuz TMA-11/15S undocking (FGB nadir port)
04/23/08 -- Soyuz TMA-12/16S relocation (from DC1 to FGB nadir port)
04/24/08 -- STS-124/Discovery/1J launch - JEM PM "Kibo", racks, RMS.
04/26/08 -- STS-124/Discovery/1J docking
05/02/08 -- STS-124/Discovery/1J undocking
05/14/08 -- Progress M-64/29P launch
05/16/08 -- Progress M-64/29P docking (DC1)
07/29/08 -- ATV-1 undocking (from SM aft port)
08/11/08 -- Progress M-64/29P undocking (from DC1)
08/12/08 -- Progress M-65/30P launch
08/14/08 -- Progress M-65/30P docking (SM aft port)
09/13/08 -- Progress M-66/31P launch
09/15/08 -- Progress M-66/31P docking (DC1)
09/20/08 -- (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 launch - MPLM(P), LMC
10/01/08 -- (NET) STS-126/Discovery/ULF2 undocking.
10/11/08 -- Progress M-65/30P undocking (from SM aft port)
10/14/08 -- Soyuz TMA-13/17S launch
10/16/08 -- Soyuz TMA-13/17S docking (SM aft port)
04/??/09 -- Six-person crew on ISS
04/15/09 -- Constellation's Ares I-X Launch.
