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8 July 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 7 July 2003

Part 1 of 2

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below. Week 9 for Increment 7 is underway, and this is
Day 74 in space for the crew.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko initiated another operations and measurement
session of the Molniya-SM/LSO hardware from SM window #3, with the
French-provided EGE-1 laptop running the latest NORAD orbital
parameters. Once Yuri started the recording session, the payload will
work automatically until 5:00am EDT on 7/11 (Friday). [Objective of
Molniya-SM, similar to the French LSO experiment, is to record storm
phenomena and other related events in the Earth's equatorial regions.
The experiment is controlled from the French EGE-1 laptop, loaded
with orbital sighting predictions using an up-to-date NORAD tracking
TLE (two-line element) provided by NASA. Objective of LSO was to
study rare optical phenomena occurring in the upper layers of Earth's
atmosphere, so-called "sprites" (i.e., puzzling glow phenomena
observed above thunderstorm clouds). LSO was originally part of
Claudie Haigneré's French "Andromeda" payload package of taxi mission
3S that could not be performed as planned during Increment 4 due to
an ISS flight attitude conflict.]

Malenchenko completed a scheduled search for a missing connector and
determined the length of the cable needed to connect a pressurized
commutation unit (BKG) of the intermodular radio link behind a
Service Module (SM) panel.

FE/SO Ed Lu conducted an IMS (inventory management system) audit of
on-board videocassettes, broken down in two tasks: a count of
general-use digital and 8mm videotapes, and a count of
payload-specific videocassettes. Data collected by the audit are
needed for upcoming Progress manifesting decisions.

After lunch (7:50am EDT), the crew performed a three-hour in-flight
maintenance (IFM) in the SM, replacing a relay unit in the VSB-1M
monoblock of the SM audio subsystem (STTS). Later, Malenchenko
activated the STTS for testing its VHF1 channel in its various
modes. [The "Voskhod-M" STTS provides for telephone communication
with users in the SM, FGB and U.S. segment (USOS), as well as with
users on the ground via VHF (very high frequency) channels selected
by an operator at the SM comm panel (PA). Also, buttons pushed at any
of the six comm panels in the SM allow access to any of three audio
channels, plus an intercom channel. The VSB-1M monoblock is an
integrated switching unit for selecting between primary and secondary
(backup) units of the VHF1 transmitter and receiver, and VHF2 simplex
and duplex receivers and transmitters. It has redundant interfaces to
the antenna feeder unit (AFU), the BRTS audio center, and the VSB
voice/telegraph signal separation unit.]

Both crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program. Ed
Lu also performed the weekly maintenance of the TVIS treadmill (a
five-minute task usually done just prior to power-down or end of
exercise session), and later conducted the periodic (every other
week) inspection of the RED (resistive exercise device).

Yuri Malenchenko completed 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. 

Yuri also conducted the daily routine maintenance of SOZh life
support systems, while Ed Lu prepared the daily IMS (inventory
management system) "delta" file for updating the IMS database and
tackled the regular daily status checkup of the autonomous Lab
payloads. 

At 4:25am EDT, the crew set up and conducted a 10-min. ham radio
session with young attendants at the Euro Space Center Space Camp in
Transinne, Belgium. [The Euro Space Center is a permanent exhibition
center devoted to space and located in the hilly Ardennes
country-side of Belgium. It also comprises a US-licensed Space Camp
(120 beds) where youngsters stay for a week to get "space training".]

At 5:05am, Yuri Malenchenko was scheduled to set up and downlink a
televised greeting to participants, guests and organizers of "Space
Day" at the IX International Exhibit of Youth Science and Technology
Projects EXPO-Science 2003 at the All-Russia Exhibition Center in
Moscow. [The event, on 7/13 (Sunday), is commemorating the 65th
anniversary of the city of Korolev, and more than 80 foreign
organizations are expected to participate in the exhibit. Motto: "The
fate of the planet is in the hands of the young".] 

Malenchenko unstowed (from SM & FGB) the Russian MedOps SZM-MO-21
experiment "Ecosphera" for setup, charging of its power supply and
connecting the Kriogem-03 refrigerator, for tomorrow's planned
microbial air sampling run. [The equipment, consisting of an air
sampler set, a charger, power supply unit, and incubation tray for
Petri dishes, determines microbial contamination of the ISS
atmosphere, specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora
counts and microflora composition according to morphologic criteria
of microorganism colonies.] 

Moscow continues to analyze data from the failed Klest-140ST-M
television camera mounted externally on the SM aft end, pointing
rearward (+X direction for SM). Upon activation during a recent
routine check, the electric circuit blew a fuse. A new test of the
camera is scheduled for 7/11 (Friday), using the same kind of fuse,
but on the backup circuit. According to Moscow, the potential need to
manufacture a new camera lends urgency to this activity. [Good
connectivity measurements by Malenchenko on 6/23 of the wiring, cable
network and connections to the SUBA (onboard equipment control
system) have been received and reviewed on the ground. This camera is
intended to be used for rendezvous and docking of the European ATV
(automated transfer vehicle) late next year at the SM aft port. If
the camera itself is failed, a new camera would need to be
manufactured, delivered on orbit and installed via an EVA/spacewalk
at an existing bracket on the aft end. Removal and replacement (R&R)
of the old camera is not considered practical since the EVA might
interfere with adjacent sensitive Kurs and other comm antennas.] 

Also on 7/11, MCC-M plans to conduct a test of the Russian Regul
radio control and communications system which is used for two-way
voice comm, digital command/program information and telemetry
transmission. [The antenna to be tested is located on SM solar array
#4, which will be deactivated for the occasion. Ensuring that the
Regul cabling is operational is important for its planned subsequent
swap with Kurs system cabling during one of the next EVAs, which also
will involve one of the Strela cargo cranes (GSt) mounted on the
DC-1. The swap appears necessary since TsUP is having problems with
the current Kurs cabling, which is showing intermittent signal loss.]

Last Friday (7/4), MCC-H completed its long-duration on-orbit thermal
characterization test on the station's S-band/string 1 subsystem
(started on 6/30). [The test involved powering BSP (baseband signal
processor) and XPDR (standard TDRSS transponder) heaters off and on
again after some time, to obtain temperature readings during various
orbit times, including recordings during LOS (loss-of-signal). The
objective was to correlate actual temperatures with thermal
engineering models which were found to "underpredict" real thermal
conditions. Results of phases 1 and 2 of the testing agree well with
current analytical predictions. Phase 3 data are still under study.]

In response to a crew report that the pull cords of the two RED
(resistive exercise device) canisters are of unequal length following
the recent IFM, ground specialists are now recommending
re-installation of the cables, possibly as early as 7/9 (Wednesday).

 - Continued -

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