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20 Jun 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 19 Jun 2003

Part 1 of 2

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

CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu continued cargo transfer
operations from Progress 11P, tracking the movements with the IMS
(inventory management system).

Continuing preparations for the upcoming transfer of potable water
from the Progress 11P Rodnik tanks to the Service Module (SM) Rodnik
water tank, Malenchenko worked another half hour to disinfect water
hoses (A-R, R-R) and coupling adapters with a special solution from
an EDV container.  [Using a hand-operated pump and catch containers,
Yuri had to fill the hoses and adapters before they can be used, to
evacuate any air trapped inside.  The cleaning equipment was then
flushed and stowed.] 

Ed Lu completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh
environment control & life support system and prepared the daily IMS
"delta" file.

Malenchenko performed his regular daily inspection of the BIO-5
Rasteniya-2 ("Plants-2") experiment which researches growth and
development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2
greenhouse.  Later, he transferred the accumulated data files to a
floppy disk for storage, and took digital photos of the plants.
[The experimental seeds of two types of peas (a flagellate variety
with reds flowers, up to 27 cm high, and an acacia-leaf variety with
white flowers, up to 20 cm high) are planted between wicks in a root
tray, with environmental control powered on. Regular daily
maintenance of the experiment involves monitoring of seedling growth,
humidity measurements, moistening of the substrate if necessary, and
photo/video recording.]

Starting at 1:50am EDT on the Daily Orbit 1 (DO-1) Russian ground
sites comm pass, TsUP/MCC-M ran the standard leak checks on the
propellant lines between the Progress 11P, DC-1 docking compartment
and SM, in preparation for the upcoming remotely-controlled fuel and
oxidizer transfer activities. [The procedure, which also used DO-2,
-3, -4 and -5 comm passes, called for deactivation of the DC-1
thermal control system, activation of the local signal commutator
(LKT 1GZ) for signal transmission/downlink during the checks, opening
and closing of pressurization valves, and pressure monitoring in fuel
and oxidizer systems for any signs of a leak.] 

The crew performed their regular daily exercise regimen on TVIS,
CEVIS, RED and VELO bike with load trainer (for the CDR).

At 10:15am EDT, Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko participated in a 20-min.
televised PAO interview via Ku-band & S-band with CBS News (Bill
Harwood, Peter King).

Ed completed the setup of a new laptop, the first NGL (Next
Generation Laptop) machine, which Progress 11P delivered on 6/11.
After the successful setup, the ground began running a variety of
OCO (orbital check-out) tests to evaluate laptop component
performance in a microgravity environment. [The NGL test program will
run continuously for the next three weeks, logging data to the
Microdrive.  It is "self-healing" and written in DOS because of the
complete hardware control the DOS platform provides.  Any problem
detected willbe recordedin the logs, which are downlinked and
delivered to the program developers, to evaluate the NGL's
performance. Some problems will result in an automatic laptop
reboot.] 

The MCC-H Flight Control Team, with U.S. SpaceCommand, continues to
monitor the conjunction (close encounter) with debris from an Indian
PSLV launch vehicle (object #27099).  Time of closest approach (TCA)
is now projected to be 10:40pm EDT tomorrow (6/20) night, and radial
miss distance is predicted at 100 m (15 km down-track, 18 km
cross-track, i.e. out-of-plane), which is a concern.  [TsUP/Moscow
has been notified, and today's more accurate tracking by SpaceCommand
will determine the probability-of-collision zones (Red or Yellow) in
time for an avoidance burn tomorrow, if required.] 

A second conjunction, with Electron 1 debris (object #19993), is
predicted for Saturday (6/21), at a TCA of 8:23am EDT and 31.1 km
radial miss distance.  [Observations currently available are very
limited.  The object is very small, with a radar cross section of
~0.005 square meters.  Due to its high atmospheric drag, miss
distance data is expected to vary significantly.  Continuing to
monitor.] 

After some consideration of the limited on-board stowage space, the
PPA (pump package assembly) of the Lab's ITCS (internal thermal
control system) delivered on Progress 11P has been stowed in the
Node. 

The coolant flow blockage of Ed Lu's EMU (extravehicular mobility
unit) has not been cleared yet, and analysis of the problem is
continuing at MCC-H. [The leading theory of a lock-up by trapped air
will be tested this week on the ground.  Trapped-air blockage in
spacesuit coolant lines (if that's what it is) has been observed
before, but only as a minor issue and never to this extent.]

MCC-H continues to track onboard consumables status.  For the most
critical resource, water, actual supply appears to remain well above
the conservative "plan line".

Flight attitude continues in XPOP, until 6/30, when it will be
changed to LVLH (until 7/10).

Today's CEO (crew earth observation) targets, limited in the current
XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the Lab
nadir/science window, and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark
200-year memorial locations, were Nile River Delta (the crew had two
passes for this target today. During the first, the ISS flew NE to
SW, with lower light. Looking right of track, especially toward the
oasis and agricultural areas west of the delta and the Nile itself.
For the second pass, the best views were to the right of track.  Of
interest: the interaction of land use patterns in what was once a
predominantly agricultural area that is becoming increasingly
urbanized by Egypt's surging population),Three Forks, MT (LEWIS &
CLARK SITE: Nearing the end of their ability to use canoes for
transport, the expedition reached this site in July 1805. Here, three
rivers join to form the Missouri River, the Madison, Jefferson, and
Gallatin.  Crew was asked to look left of track for these three
rivers converging from the southwest through southeast to form a
larger, northward flowing Missouri River), and Tigris-Euphrates,
Turkey (looking left of track towards interior Turkey: Here numerous
dam sites on the headwaters of the Tigris-Euphrates are in various
stages of completion). CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov See also
the website "Space Station Challenge" at http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

 - Continued -

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