ISS On-Orbit Status 25 June 2004
All ISS systems continue to function nominally except those noted previously or
below.
Last night's Orlan EVA was aborted shortly after the crew's egress from the DC1
airlock. [After on-time hatch opening at 5:56pm EDT, Russian flight controllers
at TsUP/Moscow called the spacewalk off, ordering Gennady Padalka (EV1) and Mike
Fincke (EV2) back inside, when they noticed (and the crew confirmed) a
larger-than-expected pressure drop in the primary oxygen tank of Fincke's
Orlan-M spacesuit. After ingress, the crewmembers hooked up to suit umbilicals
and closed the hatch. After preliminary checks, TsUP announced a "No Go" for the
EVA at ~6:59pm. Total duration of the excursion was 14 min 22 sec. Hatches
between Russian (RS) and U.S. (USOS) segments were open at 8:27pm. The crew then
reversed all pre-EVA preparation steps in RS and USOS.]
Further troubleshooting and testing on Mike Fincke's primary O2 supply indicates
that the suit's injector mode selector valve did not seat fully when closed,
allowing O2 to flow rapidly thru the suit unnoticed by the crewmember. [The
injector activation LED (light-emitting diode) indicator on Mike's helmet did
not illuminate during the injector flow when the O2 selector handle was not
moved hard enough, as was a subsequent test confirmed. The suit pressure did not
increase during this period because the opening of the pneumatically controlled
relief valve is linked to injector activation, venting O2 at the same rate as
the injector supplies. Therefore, during the airlock depressurization Mike and
the ground did not notice the continuing high rate of O2 flowing through the
suit and the resulting tank pressure bleed-down until immediately after hatch
opening.]
The new (preliminary) EVA date (pending thermal analyses) is Wednesday, 6/30,
with hatch opening at ~5:40pm EDT and hatch closing at ~11:40pm. There is
general agreement that Mike Fincke's suit #26 (blue markings) continues to be
Go, when equipped with a fresh O2 bottle.
Wake-up time for the crew on today's shifted cycle was 8:00am EDT, with sleep
time set for tonight at the regular 5:30pm. For Saturday and Sunday, the crew
thus returns to the regular 2:00am-to-5:30pm cycle.
Shortly after post-sleep activities, CDR Padalka and FE/SO Fincke completed
their post-EVA session of the Russian crew health-monitoring program's medical
assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. Gennady then stowed the Urolux hardware.
[MO-9 is conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and
is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US crewmembers
for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part
of the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated
in-vitro diagnostic apparatus "Urolux" developed originally for the Mir program.
Afterwards, the data are entered in the medical equipment computer (MEC)'s
special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).]
At 10:40am, Padalka repressurized the station's cabin atmosphere with 15 Torr
(mmHg) of fresh air from Progress 14P, from the second tank (SrPK).
The CDR reactivated the Sputnik-SM ham radio hardware in the Service Module
(SM).
Afterwards, Gennady also collected the radiation measurements taken by the
"Pille-MKS" dosimeter sensors in the two Orlan suits and the static background
monitor in the SM.
FE/SO Fincke took the periodic CO2 partial pressure readings in the SM and Lab
using the U.S. CDMK (CO2 monitor kit), for calldown to MCC-Houston (along with
the battery status) for use in trending analyses. The ground also activated the
MCA (Major Constituent Analyzer) for the weekly readings.
Mike completed the regular daily maintenance/inspection of the SM's SOZh
environment control & life support systems, including routine ASU toilet system
replacements.
The crew discussed specifics of the crew's Orlan-M suit operations with ground
specialists in a two-hour tagup via S-band at 11:30am
The crew's regular weekly teleconference with the Flight Director is scheduled
for 3:40pm (S-band/audio).
Today's CEO (Crew Earth Observations) photo targets, in the current LVLH
attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab
nadir/science window, except for the shutter closure and condensation-prevention
plan (limited to 90 min. in 24 hours), were Los Angeles, California (ISS
approached from the NW with the coast near nadir. Shooting as many images as
needed to capture the margin of this large urban region), and von Karman cloud
vortices, Baja California (ISS passed down the inland side of the Gulf of
California. Looking right to the islands beyond the Baja peninsula for possible
cloud eddies. Conditions were setting up for these to form).
CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov.
See also the website "Space Station Challenge" at
http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/.
U.S. & Russian Segment Status (as of today,
12:30pm EDT)
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control
(TCS):
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
Both P6 channels fully operational. BGA (beta gimbal assembly) 2B and 4B both in
directed position (Blind mode, non solar-tracking, biased for drag reduction).
SM batteries: All batteries (8) are on line in "Partial Charge" mode.
FGB batteries: Battery #5 is off line; all other batteries (5) are on line in
"Partial Charge" mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 is in Standby mode; PCU-2 is in Standby mode.
Command & Data Handling Systems:
Propulsion System:
Attitude Control Systems:
Flight Attitude:
Communications & Tracking Systems:
Robotics:
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 9:33am EDT [= epoch]):
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html.
Elektron O2 generator is On. Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is Off. U.S. CDRA CO2
scrubber is Off. TCCS (trace contaminant control subsystem) is operating. SM Gas
Analyzer has been calibrated and is used for ppO2 & ppCO2 monitoring. MCA (major
constituents analyzer) is in Life Extending Mode (LEM). BMP Harmful Impurities
unit: absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode. RS air conditioner
SKV-1 is Off, SKV-2 is Off (SM panel mods completed 4/8; SKV-2 activation failed
4/20; is now functioning again). SFOG slot #2 fan suspect (not usable).
SM Working Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742; temperature (deg C) --
25.2; ppO2 (mmHg) -- 153.0; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- 2.5.
SM Transfer Compartment: Pressure (mmHg) -- 741; temperature (deg C) --
19.8.
FGB Cabin: Pressure (mmHg) -- 740; temperature (deg C) -- 21.7.
Node: Pressure (mmHg) -- 740.71; temperature (deg C) -- 23.6 (shell); ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
U.S. Lab: Pressure (mmHg) -- 742.59; temperature (deg C) -- 24.9; ppO2
(mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) -- n/a.
Joint Airlock (Equip. Lock): Pressure (mmHg) -- 742.69; temperature (deg C)
-- 22.8; shell heater temp (deg C) -- n/a, ppO2 (mmHg) -- n/a; ppCO2 (mmHg) --
n/a.
(n/a = data not available)
PMA-1: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- n/a
PMA-2: Shell heater temp (deg C) -- n/a.
C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is backup, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-2 MDM is prime; GNC-1 is backup.
INT-2 is operating; INT-1 is Off.
EXT-1 is On (primary), EXT-2 is Off (backup).
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is Off; PL-2 MDM is Operational.
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string 1
dropped out 11/22/03).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational (string #3
dropped out 10/22/03).
FGB MDM-1 is Off (failed, 11/21/03); MDM-2 is Operational.
Total propellant load available: 3963 kg (8737 lb) as of 6/2410/04;
[SM(552) + FGB(2772) + Progress M(639)]. (Capabilities: SM -- 860 kg; FGB --
6120 kg).
2 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed, since 6/6/02; CMG-2's RPC-17 failed 4/21/04).
State vector source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Attitude source -- U.S. SIGI-1 (GPS)
Angular rate source -- RGA-1
LVLH XVV (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local
vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: -9 deg, roll: 0 deg]),
with CMG/TA (thruster assist) Momentum Management, until 6/28, following the
EVA.
FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operational.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally (on string 2).
Ku-band is operating nominally (may require a mask).
Audio subsystem is operating nominally (IAC-1 is prime, IAC-2 is off).
Video subsystem operating nominally.
HCOR (high-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.
SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at Lab PDGF/LEE A, operational on redundant string,
off on prime.
MBS: KA (keep alive) power on both strings.
MT: latched and mated at WS4.
POA: KA power on both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is On (DCP connected); Cupola RWS is
Off.
Mean altitude -- 360.8 km
Apogee -- 364.5 km
Perigee -- 357.1 km
Period -- 91.8 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.6327 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0005462
Solar Beta Angle -- 6.8 deg
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.69
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 70 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 31963
Source: NASA