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17 Jun 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 16 Jun 2003

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.  Week 7 of Increment 7 is underway, and it is
Day 51 in space for the ISS crew.

Before breakfast, both crewmembers completed another session of the
periodic Russian medical experiment protocols PZEh-MO-7 (calf volume
measurement) and PZEh-MO-8 (body mass measurement).  CDR Yuri
Malenchenko set up the MO-8 "scales" equipment and later broke it
down and stowed it away.  [Calf measurements (left leg only) are
taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over
the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference points, to
provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness
of countermeasures.  For determining body ass in zero-G, where things
are weightless (but not massless), the Russian IM "scales" measure
the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a
mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring
constants.  By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the
unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a
known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and
displayed]. 

Malenchenko and Lu continued cargo transfer operations from Progress
11P, keeping track with the IMS (inventory management system).  They
also worked on updating of the ODF (Operations Data Files) with new
pages brought up by the cargo ship.

Both crewmembers completed their daily 2.5-h program of physical
exercise, on TVIS treadmill, RED expander and, for Yuri, on the
Russian VELO cycle ergometer with load trainer.  Ed Lu also performed
the weekly TVIS maintenance.

CDR Malenchenko installed the electronics box containing the US-21
matching unit in the Progress vehicle (TGK).  The installation was
then checked out by MCC-Moscow and the BITS telemetry reconnected.
[The US-21 matching unit connects the Progress motion control and DPO
thrusters systems to the SM, so that they can be commanded by the SM
computer system (BVS).  After bolting the box down, Malenchenko
hooked it up with the telemetry (TM) connector to the BITS2-12
onboard TM system, after the ground inhibited data output to the
VD-SU control system mode, powered off the BITS and deactivated BMP,
Elektron, and the Vozdukh and DC-1 SOTR (thermal system) control
algorithms. These systems were subsequently turned back on by TsUP,
which then conducted an electric activation test of the US-21 without
crew involvement.] 

FE/SO Edward Lu powered up the HRF GASMAP (Human Research
Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology) for
its second 30-day functionality test.  After a ten-hour run, the
system was to be powered down again.  (Last time done: 5/20).

The CDR conducted his regular care of the on-board nursery, i.e., the
daily monitoring/servicing of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 zero-G plant
growth experiment in the Lada-2 greenhouse.

Later, Yuri completed the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh
environment control & life support system as well as the daily
preparation of the IMS "delta" file while the Science Officer
performed the regular daily status checkup of autonomously running
Lab payloads (PCG-STES010, SAMS, MAMS).

Due to high levels of ethanol in wash and dry wipes transferred from
the Shuttle, the crew was asked to discontinue the use of these wipes
and to employ utensil rinse wipes and Russian wet towels as
alternatives for their personal hygiene needs.   [After high levels
of alcohol in the ISS condensate were noted for multiple expeditions,
specialists have been trying for quite some time to identify the
sources. A number of these have already been replaced on-board.
However, the source of the high content of the alcohol ethanol was
unknown until a recent call-down by the crew concerning the "Wash N
Dry Wipes", each of which contains 0.5 grams of ethanol. It is
estimated that usage of these wipes releases at least 3 grams of
ethanol into the ISS environment per day. Without considering other
potential sources of alcohol, this usage greatly exceeds the ISS
limit of 1 gram/day maximum release of alcohol into the air, which
was established to meet requirements for the Russian SRV-K water
processor (the scheduled change-out times of its componentsare based
on their capacity for alcohols).. For this reason, these
Shuttle-obtained wipes are not certified for use on ISS.] Today's
optional CEO (crew earth observation) targets, no longer limited in
the current LVLH attitude and including the targets of the Lewis &
Clark 200-year memorial locations, were Nile River Delta (the crew
had a good pass with most of this target area to the right of track.
Of interest here is the steady urbanization of an agricultural region
by Egypt's swelling population.  Looking for details of land use
infrastructure, encroachment on desert and wetlands margins, and even
atmospheric aerosol concentrations), Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey
(looking either side of track for features in this target region.
The struggle to harness and control critical water resources in this
region is manifested in dam/reservoir construction and other water
control structures.  Looking for lake water levels and expanding
agricultural areas), Eastern Mediterranean Smog (looking left of
track up the Italian peninsula and the basin of the Adriatic Sea for
aerosol plumes originating in the industrialized Po River valley
region further north), Western Mediterranean Smog (this was a
particularly nice descending pass with a view of the Po River valley
from the west.  As ISS crossed the Alps, the crew was asked to look
for the ever-present smog layers there), Eastern Pacific Stratus
Field (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET:  An extensive field of stratus clouds
covers the eastern Pacific off the coasts of northern Mexico and
California.  Cool sea surface temperatures, dry stable air aloft, and
light winds maintain such areas and produce dramatic cloud vortices
where the surface winds interact with islands and coastal
promontories.  Looking left of track for these features, trying to
maintain some land areas in the field of view for geographic
reference purposes), and Montana Box (LEWIS & CLARK SITE(S): Looking
to the left of track during this pass for the confluence of the
Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.  Here in the spring of 1805, against
the advice of their Indian guides, the explorers opted to use the
Missouri. By taking the Yellowstone their journey could have been
shortened by two months). 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/

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