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26 Jun 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 25 Jun 2003

Part 1 of 2

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

CDR Yuri Malenchenko completed a major IFM (in-flight maintenance) to
restore the functionality of the VFS-3M video-photometric system of
the Russian Molniya-SM (GFI-10) geophysical experiment payload.  The
IFM was supported by tagups with a ground specialist.  [Major tasks
of the activity were replacement of the battery on the VFS-3M
processor board, replacing the hard drive and resetting the BIOS
parameters in the electronics module, then testing the new disk drive
via the Agate display monitor, with optional replacement of the
Fujitsu magneto-optical drive if found necessary.  In January this
year, a test of the VFS-3M twin-lens video-photometric system had
revealed a failure of the computer subsystem of the VFS electronics
module (ME).  The  task today was a second attempt to restore the
system, after Nikolai Budarin had already worked on it on 3/31.  The
Molniya VFS-3M is used for studying atmospheric, ionospheric and
magnetospheric electromagnetic interaction related to storms and
seismic activities.] 

Malenchenko deferred planned work on the hardware upgrade of the BRPK
condensate separation and pumping units.  The plan is to replace the
old pipe conduits, including safety valves, with new units.  [The
latter have no filters and use higher safety valve trip pressures.
Purpose of the upgrade is to prevent unwanted flow of the fluid
through the bypass line during condensate transfer cycles.]

The crew performed the second part of this week's maintenance work on
the RED (resistive exercise device) to swap out the Flexpacks of the
two RED canisters with new units flown up on 11P.  Today's 3-hr. IFM
operation dealt with canister #1010.  [Can #1009 had received its new
Flexpack on 6/23.  The replaced Flexpack units will be inspected to
ascertain how many good packs are available for use as spares when
the current Flexpacks fail.  The inspection is scheduled as a task
list item between today and the weekend, and will be hard-scheduled
during Week 9.  The replaced units from 1009 and 1010 will be used in
canisters 1001 and 1003 in a separate IFM once these cans are
considered failed.] 

FE/SO Ed Lu also conducted the periodic (every other week) inspection
of the RED and monthly bolt tightening (as required).

Dr. Lu collected and stowed the two passive FMK (formaldehyde
monitoring kit) sampling badges which he had deployed in the Lab and
SM on 6/23. 

Then, he unstowed and installed the equipment for the U.S. PHS
(periodic health status) with blood labs exam, scheduled for
tomorrow.  Yuri similarly set up the test equipment for tomorrow's
periodic Russian MO-10 "Hematokrit" testing.  [While PCBA analyzes
total blood composition, MO-10 particularly measures the hematocrit
(red blood cell mass) value of the blood (as a well-known phenomenon
of space flight, red blood cell mass {normal range: 30-45%} tends to
go down over time). 

Ed also conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh
environment control & life support system and prepared the daily
"delta" file for updating the inventory management system (IMS).

Yuri completed his regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2
("Plants-2") payload which experiments with growth and development of
plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2 greenhouse.

At 12:25pm EDT, the crew successfully conducted an interactive
audio/video PAO ship-to-ship call with the crew of the "Aquarius"
underwater research facility of the NEEMO 5 (NASA Extreme Environment
Mission Operations) mission from June 16-29.  [Aquarius, similar in
size to the ISS Service Module (SM) and owned by NOAA, is the only
undersea research laboratory in the world.  The 45-ft long by 13-ft
wide habitat sits on the ocean floor three miles off Key Largo,
Florida, near deep coral reefs, 62 ft beneath the surface.  The
four-member NASA crew is headed by former ISS astronaut Dr. Peggy
Whitson who, having spent 185 days in space, is well experienced to
compare life in space with life under water.  The other crewmembers
are Clay Anderson, Dr. Garret Reisman and Dr. Emma Hwang.]

The Science Officer was thanked for his excellent job with
yesterday's completely successful Ultrasound activity.  [The
ultrasound video quality was sufficient for effective remote guidance
and image capture for both clinical capabilities and potential
research purposes.  This first demonstration of the ability to
conduct remote guidance to/from the JSC Telescience Support Center
(TSC) has great potential for future HRF (human research facility)
research experiments, and also as a backup resource for Space
Medicine objectives.] 

The crew completed their regular 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 reported that his heart rate monitor (HRM) battery has failed
and that he has donned a new HRM, sent up on 11P/Progress.  The old
HRM will be returned to Houston for refurbishment.  [The HRMs are
pulse-sensitive wrist watches worn by the crew to monitor heart rate
and control exercise level during daily workout.  They are the same
as those flown on the Shuttle.  The accurately measured heart rate is
transmitted to receivers located on the TVIS treadmill, CEVIS
ergometer, etc.] 

Moscow continues to study further troubleshooting of the
Klest-140ST-M TV camera mounted externally on the SM aft end,
pointing rearward (+X direction for SM).  [This camera is used for
rendezvous and docking with the SM aft port.  Impacts of a failure to
be determined.] 

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 Barcelona, Spain (nadir pass), El
Paso, Texas (nadir pass), Weeks Creek, California (landslide research
site: to document this small site the ground suggested a detailed
nadir mapping swath from the coast inland as far as San Francisco
Bay), Guangzhou, China (panoramas of this metropolitan region
situated on the great estuary of the Pearl River), Manila,
Philippines (regional views left of track of Pinatubo volcano and
coastline environment of Manila), Himalaya Mts (Dynamic event.  Cloud
free conditions for this pass along the western sector of the
Himalaya chain), Singapore (synoptic view of the southern tip of the
Malay Peninsula, Strait of Malacca and Sumatraright of track),
Eastern Mediterranean haze (somewhat reduced visibility reported
along track at Venice, Athens and Beirut airports.  Crew was advised
to shoot left and right of track for any detail in fair-weather
photochemical smog accumulations), Tel Aviv, Israel (panoramas of the
Levant, left and right of track), and Tucson, Arizona (oblique view
[looking right] of this major fire that has burned 250,000 acres and
200 homes.  The blaze is slowly being brought under control on the
steep slopes of the Catalina Mts). 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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