All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below. Day 91 in space for Expedition 6.
This is an important holiday weekend for Russia. On Monday, 2/24, "Defender of the Fatherland Day" is observed in honor of WWII heroes. The ISS crew downlinked a greeting yesterday for today's holiday ceremony in Moscow's Kremlin Palace, and the crew will have half a day off on Monday.
The station residents had their regular off-duty Saturday, except for weekend routine tasks, necessary repair work and daily maintenance.
Following wake-up (1:00am EST), morning inspection, hygiene and breakfast, the crew completed the weekly 3-hr. house cleaning.
After yesterday's failure of the Russian Vozdukh CO2 (carbon dioxide) removal system, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin began preparations and testing for tomorrow's repair activities on the suspected vacuum valve group (BVK). [Destowed equipment included two spare BVK assemblies, an AP switching unit and assorted wrenches.]
The U.S. CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) in the Lab continues to operate in single-bed mode, to reduce ppCO2 until Vozdukh is recovered. [CDRA failed yesterday due to a stuck-open check valve in adsorbent bed 2. Since transient check valve failures have been seen in the past, CDRA performance is being monitored in order to determine if this particular failure is transient. Single bed ops require extra commanding in order to isolate the failed check valve such that cabin air is not vented overboard. Also, the vacuum vent line pressure needs to be monitored during CDRA operation. Instructions were uplinked for the crew in the event that cabin air is venting overboard and a Cabin Pressure Low caution is annunciated.]
FE-2/SO Don Pettit collected the two regular daily CO2 readings in the SM and Lab with the U.S. CO2 monitoring kit (CDMK) which is being used to calibrate Russian CO2 measurements.
CDR Ken Bowersox had half an hour reserved on his schedule for changing out newly uplinked ODFs (Operational Data Files) covering modified and new crew activities such as CDRA single-bed operations with failed-open check valve, EVA EMU (without IV) demo on 2/24, and cardiac defibrillator checkout on 2/27.
The daily routine inspection/maintenance of the SOSh life support system (incl. ASU toilet system) was completed by Nikolai Budarin, while Pettit prepared the IMS inventory system for database auto import/export. [With the new IMS vers. 1.37 software, the capability exists for the automated import of all outstanding "delta" files on the ISS. The crewmember executes a batch file that performs the automated import in the morning and export to the ground in the evening].
Ken Bowersox conducted the weekly download of exercise files from the TVIS treadmill, RED pulley machine and CEVIS cycle ergometer to the MEC (medical equipment computer). [The activity includes unstowing of logs, configuring the MEC, downloading the data, and stowing.]
The ground completed the R3 software transition. Bowersox was scheduled to provide support by replacing the remaining 8A-11A PCS laptops hard disk drives (HDDs) with the new 12A HDDs and running their installation procedure. [A minor snag with missing file names on the crew's PCS laptop displays was overcome yesterday by correcting file names in the Primary, backup and standby C&C MDMs.]
Science Update (Expedition Six -- 12th):
Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley expressed the payloads community appreciation for the ISS crew's work this week and for their patience. Ground teams continue troubleshooting on the MSG and Foot issues and hope to have steps for the crew to complete soon.
Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): Data downlinked yesterday (2/21) will provide excellent insight into the ISS environment for future missions.
GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): The next session is next week.
Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Completed for Increment 6. Bowersox and Pettit continue to take pills.
Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.
Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): Foot troubleshooting on the ground continues. Next session is tentatively planned for 3/4-5.
Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): On hold until MSG (microgravity science glovebox) is operational. Remaining in MSG until further notice.
Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS continues to collect acceleration data for vibratory characterization of the microgravity environment, including the recent reboost activities.
Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS continues measurement of microgravity environment in the quasi-steady regime for general characterization.
Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperatures are nominal.
Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE): On hold until MSG is operational.
Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.
Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG has finished science operations for Inc 6.
EarthKAM (EK): All activities complete for Increment 6.
Crew Earth Observations (CEO): A preview of ISS CEO imagery indicates beautiful night views of cities including Athens, Buenos Aires, Jidda, Bengazi and Rome. Investigators appreciate the crew's continued efforts to obtain good photos despite the limitations imposed by the current XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) attitude, which constrains the use of the science window in the Lab. Also, due to the current payload downmass limitations, only the electronic (digital) camera system is being used for CEO.
Today's CEO targets were North China Plain Smog (frigid, stable air masses and high fuel consumption contribute to severe air pollution over much of China during the winter months. With improving weather and lighting, crew was to look obliquely left of track to document aerosol distribution over this populous region of China), Eastern Mediterranean Smog (this pass ran the length of the Italian Peninsula and offered good viewing of smog buildup over the Adriatic Basin from the Po Valley to the coast of Albania. Looking obliquely left of track), Western Mediterranean Dust (a vigorous cold front is approaching the western Med. Looking left of track for wind-borne dust moving northward off the coast of Algeria), and NE US Snow Cover (continuing to monitor the melting of earlier heavy snows over the northeastern US. Crew was to try for views to the left of track over New York and southern New England).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:55am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 391.5 km
Apogee -- 399.8 km
Perigee -- 383.2 km
Period -- 92.39 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0012197
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 100 m
Solar Beta Angle -- -58.0 deg (magnitude decreasing)
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. ‚98) -- 24311
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html
