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17 May 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 16 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

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

End of week 2:  The crew has now really settled in, and, as MCC-H
uplinked this morning, "everyone is really happy with all
operations."

CDR Yuri Malenchenko conducted a one-hour inventory audit of Russian
segment (RS) docking assembly (StA) accessories kits flown to date.
[For the audit, Yuri looked for, and checked off, items such as hatch
cranks, crank extensions, handles, clamps, wrenches, screwdrivers and
valve plugs in the various RS modules (SM, FGB, DC-1, and Soyuz OM).]

FE/SO Edward Lu worked on EXPRESS Rack 4 (ER4), supporting
POC/Huntsville (Payload Operations Center) in troubleshooting the
rack's ELC (ER4 laptop computer) which has been "hung up" for several
days.  [Ed's help consisted in running a procedure to download ER4
laptop data to OCA and subsequently transmitting it on the comm
channel to the ground for troubleshooting at POC.]

POC is currently working an issue with ER1, which has stopped
communicating with its two autonomous payloads, SAMS (space
acceleration measurement system) and MAMS (microgravity acceleration
measurement system).  [This has been seen before, and it is expected
that rebooting the RIC (rack interface controller) later today will
restore the ER1 laptop's Ethernet connection.] 

Later, Ed Lu completed, for the first time, his weekly task of
filling out the FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), which keeps a log
of his nutritional intake over time on the MEC (medical equipment
computer). 

Ed also performed the periodic transfer of accumulated data files
from the CMS HRM (crew medical systems/heart rate monitor) to the
MEC, then deleted them on the HRM.  [Last time done: 5/9/03.]

Afterwards, he transferred storage files with exercise data from the
TVIS and RED exercise equipment to the MEC via PCMCIA cards (personal
computer memory card international association) for subsequent
downlink to Earth. 

The Science Officer set up the video hardware for recording imagery
of his subsequent general MedOps PFE (periodic fitness evaluation),
which checks up on blood pressure and electrocardiogram during
programmed exercise on the CEVIS in the Lab.  Readings were taken
with the BP/ECG (blood pressure/electrocardiograph), and Malenchenko
assisted his crewmate as CMO (crew medical officer).  The video
equipment was then stowed again.  [BP/ECG provides automated
noninvasive systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements while
also monitoring and displaying accurate heart rates on a continual
basis at rest and during exercise.  The video is required for
biomechanical evaluation of the subject and his equipment setup
during data collection.]

Yuri and Ed performed their daily physical exercise program on the
TVIS treadmill, RED expander, CEVIS cycle and VELO ergometer with
load trainer. The crewmembers also performed calibration of the RED
load settings.  [This is done by each every 24,330 cycles and after
cable replacements.] 

An exploratory "surgery" (IFM, in-flight maintenance) on the two
Flexpack canisters, removed from the RED on 5/9, is being considered
for next week. 

Malenchenko completed the regular periodic change-out of the urine
receptacle and filter insert in the ASU toilet facility in the SM,
disposing of the old units.  [Last time done: 5/7/03.]

Today it was Ed Lu's job to perform the daily routine maintenance of
SOZh life support systems, prepare the daily IMS (inventory
management system) "delta" file for updating the IMS database and
check up on the status of the Lab payloads.

Meanwhile, CDR Malenchenko performed his regular daily monitoring and
servicing of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") zero-G plant
growth experiment.  Today, he also collected plant samples by cutting
them at the base of their stems and placing them in silica gel bags
from the BIO-5 kit for return to Earth.

Yuri also had an IMS inventory tagup with ground specialists via
S-band, to clear up questions regarding recent equipment movements
and Soyuz 6S unloading activities.

Yesterday's one-hour fire drill/OBT (on-board training) was judged a
full success.  [During the OBT, one of the CSA-CPs (compound specific
analyzer-combustion products) was found to require battery
replacement.] 

The crew downlinked a congratulatory address to the Polytechnic
Museum in Moscow, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the
publication of the world's first science paper on space flight.  [The
paper, entitled "Exploration  of the Universe with Reaction
Machines", was written by Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky in
1896-1998 and published in May 1903 in Science Review magazine, Issue
no. 5.  The paper described the scientific principles of
interplanetary flight and also contains ideas on liquid propellant
rocket design, use of gyroscopes for automatic control of rocket
flight, the use of solar energy for attitude control, and the use of
electric thrusters.  Hermann Oberth's historic first book on space
travel, the 92-page "Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen" (The Rocket
into Planetary Spaces), appeared 20 years later.  The ISS onboard
library has several books by Tsiolkovsky, and his portrait hangs in
the SM.] 

Congratulatory greetings from the ISS were also sent down to the
management and employees of the Izhevsk Motor Works/AXION Holding
firm in Udmurtia Republic, on the occasion of its 70th birthday on
5/22, for having made "valuable contributions to the success of space
exploration and to the benefit of all Russia."  [The company supplied
instruments for ISS groundsite and onboard use.]

Both crewmembers again had an hour reserved on their schedule for ISS
familiarization and adjustment to their new surroundings and
activities. 

Work continues at MCC-H in preparation for providing additional U.S.
power to the RS next week via a third SNT (voltage and current
stabilizer units, i.e., transformers) if another one of the eight
800A batteries in the SM fails.  [Two storage units are already
failed (#4 and #8), but there is still hope that a third degraded
battery, #2, can be recovered by cycling and ROM (capacity
restoration mode).  An agreement has been reached between RSC-Energia
(responsible for SM) and Khrunichev-SC (responsible for FGB) to use
the remaining FGB spare battery in the SM, where it will replace
either #4 or #8.  Delivery of a new spare on 11P/Progress is TBD (to
be decided).] Last night's total Lunar Eclipse was photographed from
the ISS but the pictures turned out marginal due to poor viewing
angles. 

MCC-H is planning an EVA suit donning dry-run for the crew on 5/28,
to provide Ed and Yuri with training experience for a two-man, no-IV
spacewalk (just in case--no EVA is planned for Increment 7).  Some
preparatory checkout activities for the dry-run will be scheduled for
Monday-Wednesday next week.

A new procedure has been approved which lowers the interval between
EMU battery maintenance chargings from 85 days to 50 days.

 - Continued -

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