All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Underway: Week 18 of Increment 18.
CDR Fincke had Session 3 with the CRE-1 (Component Repair Equipment 1) hardware, working on the second test card. [Background & Objective: In an effort to minimize the logistical footprint required to support space exploration, NASA-wide studies are being conducted to determine practicality & feasibility of repairing failed hardware in space at the lowest possible hardware level. The current ISS electronics repair plan is to replace an entire ORU. However, ORU-level replacements will be logistically challenging for programs such as Constellation; thus, electrical repairs at a component level are seen as highly desirable. Electrical repair in microgravity using solder is the focus of this experiment. To help gather data needed to develop a capability of repairs with a smaller logistical footprint, this CRE-1 activity will use the materials in the CRE-1 Kit to attempt repairs to functional circuit cards, which will be returned to Ground for analysis. The procedure uses the US Soldering Iron Kit, ISS IVA Vacuum and the CRE-1 Kit contents (delivered on ULF2) to be set up on the MWA Work Surface Area, complete with the MWA Containment System. CRE-1 is SDTO (Station Development Test Objective) 17012-U.]
In the SM (Service Module), FE-1 Lonchakov had four hours set aside for deinstalling and stowing the ATV PCE (Automated Transfer Vehicle/Proximity Communications Equipment; Russian: MBRL) in the SM after the end-to-end testing conducted by the ground its BUAP, its connectivity with the BKS onboard cabling system, and the. [Deinstalled were the main MBRL components: the space-to-space radio “monoblock” (PCE Z0000), the BUAP antenna switching control box, and the ATV PU control panel. Afterwards, Yuri returned panels 225 & 226 in the SM to their initial configurations.]
FE-2 Magnus completed the standard sensor calibration on the CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen) units #1043 & #1059, delivered on 1J, using a calibration adapter (#1001) brought up on Progress 30P.
Magnus also serviced the WPA (Water Processor Assembly), performing the regular changeout of the TOCA (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer)’s waste water bag, then conducting the periodic WPA sample analysis in the TOCA after first priming (filling) the TOCA water sample hose. Results were transferred to SSC-7 (Station Support Computer 7) via USB drive for downlink and the data were also logged for calldown. [The current procedure is a work-around for TOCA’s failed catalyst.]
FE-1 Lonchakov 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, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and performing US condensate processing (transfer from CWC to EDV containers) if condensate is available.]
Sandy took care of the regular daily IMS (Inventory Management System) maintenance task by updating/editing the IMS standard “delta file” including stowage locations for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).
In the JAXA JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), the FE-2 checked out the pin-to-socket connections of an Ethernet cable on the CIR (Combustion Integrated Rack). All measurements matched expected results and the cable is good for this service. [The CIR rack Ethernet cable (“ARIS Ethernet J47” cable) had been determined to have an improper backshell clocking after its installation. Because of the possibility of an improper mechanical construction of the cable, Sandy today had to verify its electrical construction. Since the pin-to-socket checkout showed the cable to be correctly built, it was installed at the ER5 UIP (EXPRESS-5 rack/Utility Interface Panel). ER5 will be used for future checkout and operations of the DRUMS (Space Dynamically Responding Ultrasonic Matrix System) experiment.]
Magnus continued the current round of the monthly preventive maintenance of RS ventilation systems in the Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok (FGB), cleaning the grilles of its interior panels 201, 301, 401 and the mesh screen of its central ventilation fan TsV2.
Lonchakov unstowed, set up and checked out the DAKON-M hardware for the fourth run of the Russian experiment TEKh-15/IZGIB (“Bend”), taking documentary photography. The activity will require only visual control of hardware operations by the FE-1 three times a day and reporting to the ground. The third IZGIB session was conducted by Yuri on 2/12-14. [IZGIB has the objective to help update mathematical models of the ISS gravitation environment, using accelerometers of the Russian SBI Onboard Measurement System, the GIVUS high-accuracy angular rate vector gyrometer of the SUDN Motion Control & Navigation System and other accelerometers for unattended measurement of micro-accelerations at science hardware accommodation locations - (1) in operation of onboard equipment having rotating parts (gyrodynes, fans), (2) when establishing and keeping various ISS attitude modes, and (3) when performing crew egresses into space and physical exercises.]
At ~4:20pm EST, just before sleep time, Lonchakov will set up the Russian MBI-12 SONOKARD (Sonocard) payload and start his ninth experiment session, using a sports shirt from the SONOKARD kit with a special device in the pocket for testing a new method for acquiring physiological data without using direct contact on the skin. Measurements are recorded on a data card for return to Earth. [SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember’s physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
At ~9:30am, CDR Fincke powered up the SM's amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, & power supply) and at 9:35am conducted a ham radio session with students at Fassett Middle School in Oregon, Ohio. [Fassett Middle School, located in Oregon, Ohio started with the first school year in the fall of 1960. It was named after Miss Josephine Fassett, who was an outstanding figure in guiding the Oregon school system from the days of the one-room schoolhouse through an expansion program which led to the existing superior educational facilities. Currently there are 473 students at Oregon. Oregon has two middle schools that lead into its high school, Clay. The school is in the effective category, determined by the state and continually making more progress toward the excellent category. Questions were uplinked beforehand. “As an athlete I was wondering if your experiments have found any way to stop fast bone loss?”; “What type of experiments are you doing right now?”; “Do the people you work with know different languages to communicate with the other nationalities?”; “How do astronauts get electricity in space?”; “What happens when you go to the restroom in space: Where does it go?”; “How does your job affect our everyday life?”; “How much work and effort did it takes to become an astronaut?”; “What do you do when it’s your free time in space?”; “:What inspired you to become an astronaut?”; “How often do you hear from your family?”.]
The station residents completed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical workout program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE-2), TVIS treadmill (CDR, FE-1), ARED advanced resistive exerciser (CDR, FE-2) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (FE-1).
No CEO photo targets uplinked for today.
CEO photography can be studied at this “Gateway” website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov (as of 9/1/08, this database contained 770,668 views of the Earth from space, with 324,812 from the ISS alone).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 4:48am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 355.8 km
Apogee height -- 362.2 km
Perigee height -- 349.4 km
Period -- 91.66 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.64 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0009492
Solar Beta Angle -- -17.0 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.71
Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 62m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) -- 58805
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time, some changes possible!):
02/25/09 -- Review of STS-119/Discovery/15A launch date
TBD -- STS-119/Discovery/15A launch – S6 truss segment
TBD -- STS-119/Discovery/15A docking
TBD -- STS-119/Discovery/15A undocking
TBD -- STS-119/Discovery/15A landing
03/26/09 -- Soyuz TMA-14/18S launch
03/28/09 -- Soyuz TMA-14/18S docking (DC1)
04/07/09 -- Soyuz TMA-13/17S undocking
04/07/09 -- Progress 32P undocking & deorbit
05/12/09 -- STS-125/Atlantis Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission 4 (SM4)
05/15/09 -- STS-127/Endeavour/2J/A launch - JEM EF, ELM-ES, ICC-VLD
05/27/09 -- Soyuz TMA-15/19S launch
Six-person crew on ISS
08/06/09 -- STS-128/Discovery/17A – MPLM (P), LMC, last crew rotation
08/XX/09 -- Soyuz 5R/MRM2 (Russian Mini Research Module, MIM2) on Soyuz
09/XX/09 -- H-IIB (JAXA HTV-1)
11/12/09 -- STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 - ELC1, ELC2
12/10/09 -- STS-130/Endeavour/20A – Node-3 + Cupola
02/11/10 -- STS-131/Atlantis/19A – MPLM(P), LMC
04/08/10 -- STS-132/Discovery/ULF4 – ICC-VLD, MRM1
05/31/10 -- STS-133/Endeavour/ULF5 – ELC3, ELC4
12/XX/11-- Proton 3R/MLM w/ERA.
