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23 June 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 21 Jun 2003

Part 2 of 2

Educational Payload Operations (EPO):  Will resume activities next
month. 

Crew Earth Observation (CEO):  The first Lewis & Clark target of the
Missouri River at Omaha-Council Bluffs will be published on Earth
Observatory  this weekend (website see below).  A very nice shot!
The ground will continue work at refining descriptions of these
challenging historical targets over the coming weeks to better help
the crew spot them and let them know when to get them. Today's
optional CEO 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 Tigris-Euphrates, Turkey (the crew's descending [NW
to SE] pass ran the length of the Tigris-Euphrates valleys. Looking
either side of track for views of land use and especially water
control systems like dams, reservoirs, canals, levees, and irrigation
complexes), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes (as the crew approached this
target area from the northwest, they were to look right of track,
trying for views of the new lakes forming and spreading in the desert
west of the Nile.  Also looking at the upper end of Lake Nasser for
changes in water color and lake level), Gulf of Maine plankton (there
was marginal weather this pass, but the crew was to take advantage of
this opportunity to document this active area of plankton blooms.
Research vessels are "chalking" the plankton and then tracking it
with satellite and ship as they are physically mixed and biologically
grazed from the system.  The patches are several kilometers in
length, and should be quite visible from space.  Looking right of
track and trying to keep some coastal features in view for reference
purposes), and Fort Mandan, ND (LEWIS & CLARK SITE: Clouds were
expected to close in from the south, but this pass may still have
been in time for this site.  This is where the expedition spent the
winter of 1804-5 and where Sacagawea and her husband joined the
group.  The site is near the present town of Stanton. Looking left of
track and south of the large reservoir, Lake Sacagawea. Stanton is on
the west bank of the Missouri near where it turns sharply from south
to east). 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/

ISS Orbit  (as of this afternoon, 3:14am EDT [= epoch]):

Mean altitude -- 388.3 km
Apogee -- 393.0 km
Perigee -- 383.6km
Period -- 92.32 min.
Inclination (to Equator) --  51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0006963
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.60
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 80 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98)  -- 26172
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times,
see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

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