FE-1 Nikolai Budarin worked on the Service Module's gas analyzer (IK0501), setting up the IG-Z analyzer unit for an O2 (oxygen) channel recalibration via line output voltage measurements, and to bring gas analyzer readings out of the deadband (183 mmHg). The work was supported by MCC-M during a Russian comm pass. IK0501 readings have been inaccurate for some time. [IK0501 analyzes the air flow pumped through it for humidity (H2O), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2), and converts its measurements into partial pressure values going to a monitoring laptop and, if they exceed limit values, to the caution and warning panel (PSS).]

In continuing the last round of Expedition 6's renal (kidney) stone prevention experiment activities, FE-2 Don Pettit today entered the program by starting his dietary intake log, while CDR Ken Bowersox and Budarin continued their parts by recording food intake and collecting urine samples throughout the day for a 24-hour period, then scanning each container label, recording their ID and stowing each sample for return to Earth. For Budarin, this finished his current session. [The NASA/JSC study investigates the effectiveness of specific medication in reducing or eliminating the risk of kidney stone formation in micro-G. In the course of the long-range experiment, the subjects take either potassium citrate or placebo tablets.]

Nikolai Mikhailovich conducted his daily checkup of the BIO-5 "Rasteniya-2/Lada-2" zero-G plant growth experiment.

New payload activities on the crew's "job jar" task list for the weekend, at the crew's convenience, include an abbreviated final session with the FOOT (Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight) experiment, and the repair activities for the ARCTIC-1 refrigerator/freezer, for which an updated 19-page list of procedures was uplinked. [For the ARCTIC troubleshooting, Pettit was asked to notify MCC-H before tackling the task, so that ground support can be readied.]

Don Pettit performed the preparation of the IMS inventory system for the daily automated export/import of updates.

All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program on TVIS, RED, and CEVIS.

The crew held their weekly teleconference with the ISS Program Office.

Target areas for the Russian Uragan earth imaging program on Budarin's task list for today, cloud cover permitting, were a possible Volga River dam overflow, flooding in the Krasnodar region, and shots of the Caucasuses, Carpathians and Eastern Russia. [For imaging the floodings of Ukrainian and Russian rivers, Nikolai was advised to use overlapping shots to gradually record hydrological conditions from the nadir to the distance without focal length change.]

Flight Control was advised by the Flight Surgeon that accumulated MEC (medical equipment computer) data files of HRM (heart rate monitor), IFEP (in-flight examination program), RED (resistive exercise device), WMK microbial analyses and FFQ (food frequency questionnaire) are ready for OCA downlink.

A preliminary cargo list (manifest) for return payload on 5S/Soyuz-211 (TMA-1) was uplinked for next week's scheduled loading activities. The limited downmass includes a number of US payload items, such as dosimeters, ZCG (Zeolite crystal growth) autoclaves, film rolls, a 1-Gb PCMCIA microdisk, and sampling wipes.

In accordance with the standard Russian preventative measures plan for return to gravity after long exposure to zero-G, Nikolai Budarin is following, since 4/17, a protocol of taking certain food supplements daily after breakfast and lunch, until landing day (5/4).

Science Update (Expedition Six -- 20th):

Great appreciation was expressed by Lead Increment Scientist Vic Cooley to the crew for completing many activities this week. Again, several InSPACE test runs were completed. The downlinked video data from those sessions "are very exciting and the PI is looking forward to interpreting all of the data". Also, the crew was able to complete the GASMAP 90 Day Health Check, as well as begin the final Renal Stone session for this increment. They started preparations for the ARCTIC repair next week by participating in a conference with the PD (payload developer), installing the MWA setup and removing ARCTIC from the EXPRESS Rack. They capped off this week by completing the final PuFF session of the increment. "This crew has shown a tremendous dedication to completing payloads activities and the Payloads community appreciates your efforts".

Extra-Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitors (EVARM): EVARM badge batteries have reached the end of their life, and no further data can be collected.

GASMAP/Pulmonary Function in Flight (PuFF): The GASMAP 90 Day Health Check this week was nominal and the error log data collected is being evaluated on the ground. There will be one final PuFF (non-breathing) activity on 4/21 (Monday) to address the data archive problem from March (much data, but not all, was copied to the Human Research Facility [HRF] PC because the hard drive was full).

Renal (Kidney) Stone Experiment: Completed for Increment 6. Bowersox and Pettit continue taking their stone-prevention (or placebo) pills. Third and final session is underway.

Human Research Facility/Workstation (HRF WS): Continuing.

Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Space Flight (FOOT): Nominal operations are complete.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Hardware is stowed. Activities for Increment 6 are complete.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS): SAMS is nominal. Currently analyzing data in support of InSPACE in addition to general characterization efforts toward tracking down numerous unknown disturbance sources.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS): MAMS is nominal. Currently analyzing data in support of InSPACE in addition to general characterization efforts toward tracking down numerous unknown disturbance sources.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES): Temperatures are nominal. Crystals are still growing.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions (InSPACE): InSPACE is up and running. The crew's suggestions helped greatly in maximizing the useful video data observed on the ground. The week started with a continuation of the largest particle size sample in the magnetorheological fluid, showing several surprises. Particularly striking were the labyrinth type structures, which the PI described as "very exciting and interesting". These structures seem to develop during the "pulse" mode. However, at the lower field strengths these structures were not visible during the pulse mode, but they were revealed when Pettit switched to "steady", as if the particles are swept towards the larger structures "opening a window in on the structure formation when the field goes to steady". The significant aggregate growth and coating of the particles on the wall that was observed with the largest particle sample needs to be examined. At the next smaller particle size there is a beautiful matrix of chain tips in the right view during the initial steady field phase. As the crew described it, it is as if looking in on-end on the magnetic field lines. Later, during the next mode change to "steady" there were thicker but fewer tip structures seemingly showing that the chains had coalesced into columnar structures. Plans are to go into more in-depth analysis on the present data and plan for the next runs.

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

Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG): ZCG has finished science operations for Increment 6.

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA): CGBA will be powered down next week. All data collected thus far indicate that CGBA is operating nominally.

EarthKAM (EK): The entire EarthKAM Team and the UCSD staff greatly appreciated everything the crew has done for them. So far, over 696 images requested by 71 middle schools across the globe were received on the ground. The participating students and teachers are excited with the results and continue to enjoy the images received. The UCSD undergraduate staff is happy to have taken part in the excitement of NASA and ISS. EK images can be viewed on the Internet at http://datasystem.earthkam.ucsd.edu/cgi-bin/datasys/ek_images_station

Crew Earth Observations (CEO): Review of the latest downlinked images shows that one of the crew's CEO views was taken almost simultaneously with a MODIS satellite image of a long complex dust plume. The plume emanates from the semiarid plains northeast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan extending westward for hundreds of km. The handheld image complements the contextual satellite image with excellent detail of the structure of the plume. Night photography continues to provide interesting images; especially a view of Houston, which indicated apparent fog haze; and a provocative image of the Nile River lights in the blackness of the unpopulated Western Desert. An ISS image of Po River valley smog streaming into the Adriatic Sea is being shipped to the NASA Earth Observatory website (see below).

Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, currently restricted by limited the use of the science window in the Lab including near-vertical targets from the city target list due to the current XPOP attitude, were Dakar, Senegal (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]), Lower Amazon River Basin (pass along northern shore of this vast estuary. Looking right for detailed views of the islands and shorelines that are suspected to change quickly), Havana, Cuba (nadir pass; ESC), Las Vegas, Nevada (nadir pass; ESC), Laysan reef (details of fringing coral reefs in this one of a string of atolls stretching NW from Hawaii), N Germany (Dynamic event. Weather remains unusually clear. Suggest panoramas looking north far up into the Baltic Sea), and North Sea dust, Great Britain (Dynamic event. Weather remains unusually clear. Highly unusual dust mass, originating in the Saharan desert, swirling over the North Sea. Hard-to-get panoramas of Britain also suggested). CEO images can be viewed at the websites http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:00am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 392.6 km
Apogee -- 397.1 km
Perigee -- 388.0 km
Period -- 92.42 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0006724
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.58
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 135 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 25184
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, see
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html