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

Launch of STS-113/11A was scrubbed last night, as the ISS crew completed their 170th day in space, at T-5 min. due to rain showers at the TAL (transatlantic abort landing) sites of Moron and Zaragoza in Spain, while a full moon shone down on the launch pad in clear Florida skies. Next launch attempt will be tonight at 7:50pm EST (with docking on Monday at 4:26pm), but the outlook for Spain is not encouraging. Next launch attempt thereafter would be on Monday, 11/25.

For the crew, after wake-up at 8:45am EST this morning, the day's schedule had been updated overnight in concert with events.

For Science Officer Peggy Whitson, some task reshuffling made time for removing, at 1:15pm, the faulty PDC (power distribution control) box of the MSG (microgravity science glovebox). [Her work yesterday isolated the MSG failure to the PDC, which will need replacement. The unit will be temporarily stowed and returned on 11A. The plan is to get a new PDC built and onboard as soon as possible.]

At 10:15am, it was time again for the crew to perform the weekly 3-hr. station cleanup, now particularly motivated by the expected arrival of seven visitors. [The house cleaning focuses on removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, wet cleaning of surfaces with disinfectants and cleaning of fan screens to avoid temperature rises. Today's "wet" portion of the "uborka" (clean-up) included treatment of the SM dining table surface and the Node/PMA-1 hatch with "Fungistat" disinfectant.]

CDR Valery Korzun Treschev conducts the regular periodic inspection of the VP fan on the active SKV-1 air conditioner for visible moisture accumulation, and also the routine inspection of the BRPK-2 water condensate separator unit.

FE-2 Sergei Treschev is scheduled for the daily maintenance of the SOSh (ECLSS) environment control and life support system, while FE-1 Peggy Whitson conducts her regular payload status check in the Lab.

Also on today's crew schedule is the Russian MedOps MO-4 ODNT (lower body negative pressure, LBNP) training for Korzun and Treschev, working out while wearing the "Chibis" suit. The cosmonauts will "pomoshj" (assist) each other as they take their turns with the device.

At 1:35pm, Korzun and Treschev will downlink a special audio/video greeting via LIV TV to guests assembled at RSA (Rosaviakosmos) for celebrating the 45th anniversary of Special Police Department #4 of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, including former cosmonaut Pavel Popovich.

All crewmembers are scheduled for their daily physical exercise program on TVIS and RED.

Valery and Sergei were thanked by TsUP for their recent work on the laptop3 HDD (hard disk drive), successfully loading a special new program which audited the disk and collected files for the ground as first part of disk cleanup. [Next job for the cosmonauts during handover to the next crew will be an audit of the network and connecting the hardware to the onboard outlets, while passing on to Expedition 6 their experience in working with the onboard laptops.]

Troubleshooting continues on the TEPC, which on 11/17 registered radiation at the zero dosage level, then at an abnormally reduced level. [Downlinked data from the instrument fail to help with the investigation, which remains inconclusive even to the point of suggesting the unit may not have a problem. Questions were uplinked to the crew for further clarification. Even without TEPC, there is redundant radiation monitoring on board.]

Sleep period tonight begins at12:00 midnight EST.

Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley to crew: "Thank you for operating our payloads during this extension week of your Expedition. Installation of the ARIS hardware on ER-3 is a substantial get-ahead. The extra PuFF data take completes that experiment's requirements, and installation of the 400mm lens and lens doubler on the ESC (electronic still camera) allowed the Earth Observation scientists to preview the observation capabilitiesof a configuration similar to the Expedition 7 ESTER (Earth Sciencetoward Exploration Research) payload, which will be installed in the WORF (Window Observation Research Facility). Also, thank you for completing the Interactions and EVARM pre-reads.

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): Two more pre-EVA readings are planned before the first EVA and then one reading following each EVA thereafter.

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): Thanks again to the crew for what is hoped was their final "final" session..

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Complete (but Renal stone pill taking continues).

Interactions (NTXN): n/a

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): n/a

Commercial Refrigerator Incubator Module-Commercial Stelsys (STELSYS): Returned on 9A.

Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing (MEPS): Complete. Returned on 9A.

Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC): Complete. Returned on 9A.

Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA): Complete. Returned on 9A.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Thanks to the crew for their efforts in trying to get as much PFMI science accomplished as possible during this increment. Unfortunately, because of loss of MSG, processing of PFMI-11 on 11/20 could not be completed. The sample had melted, but had only grown about 6mm when the power was lost and unknown transient and coarsening effects will prevent obtaining useful science. The good news: Useful science from this sample can be obtained if given the opportunity to process it again.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS continues to collect acceleration data for vibratory characterization of the microgravity environment. Waiting for 11A docking as next significant microgravity event.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS continues measurement of microgravity environment in the quasi -steady regime for general characterization.

Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) Support: The crew's good work on the EXPRESS rack 3 (ER3) installation of ARIS hardware is greatly appreciated.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperature in STES is stable and extremely close to the set point. Looking forward to PCAM deactivation after 11A launch.

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE): In progress. Deployed outside. Nominal and collecting data.

Educational Payload Operations (EPO-5): Completed.

EarthKAM (EK): Peggy Whitson was congratulated for her "superb job" on focusing the lenses. This data set will allow the ground to start evaluating optimal lighting and subject matter for these lenses, especially with the 400mm lens on the automated EarthKAM system. Approximately 866 images were taken with this lens. The images were sharp, containing good detail of features. They are very usable for a wide range of applications. Approximately 130 images were taken with the 800mm lens. There was significant ground smear but features are still discernable. This data was well worth the run.

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): Samples stowed at ambient temp for return on 11A.

ARCTIC Refrigerator/Freezer 1 (ARCTIC-1): New drill bits will be coming up on 11A to help out with the trouble-shooting (stripped screw on access cover).

ARCTIC Refrigerator/Freezer 2 (ARCTIC-2): Waiting for ARCTIC-2 to return, so that the problem can be determined and another unit brought up.

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA/PGBA): The ground has closely monitored both PGBA and CGBA parameters, and both payloads seem to functioning well, although little or no plant growth seems to have occurred. The high humidity level in PGBA has been observed during the night cycle. Looking forward to the upcoming transfer of PGBA to 11A for return home, and the harvested seed plugs in Ziploc bag as well. CGBA will be powered off during its scheduled transfer time, and left on board ISS until the next opportunity to be brought home.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO): To crew: "This weeks pictures were phenomenal. We continue to be surprised at the images that are captured from ISS."
Today's optional target areas were Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (left and right of track. Fires should persist until summer rains finally extend southwards from the Congo basin. Second pass over central Zimbabwe. Crew was to shoot nadir and oblique views. The two, large man-made lakes on the Zambezi River were visible right of track), Tuamotu Archipelago (pass over the north end of the island chain. Second pass over the south end. Shoot coral reefs and atolls. Crew to Shoot coral reefs and atolls), Buenos Aires, Argentina (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera] requested. Crew to look for sediment in the Rio de la Plata estuary and its extension out to sea), Chao Iava, Chile (landslide hazard research site--on the western flanks of the Andes Mts. Crew was to shoot a mapping pass for best chance of capturing this small site), and Lake Eyre, Australia (looking right and documenting any water in the lake and surrounding feeder rivers).

CEO images can be viewed at the website:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:40am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 388.9 km
Apogee -- 398.1 km
Perigee -- 379.7 km
Period -- 92.33 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.64 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.001362
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59
Altitude loss -- 160 (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 22882
Current Flight Attitude -- LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -13 deg, pitch: -9 deg, roll: 0 deg]). LVLH until 11A docking.
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

Source: NASA