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3 Jun 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 28 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

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

Before breakfast and physical exercise, CDR Yuri Malenchenko and
FE/SO Edward Lu conducted their first round of the Russian crew
health-monitoring program's medical assessment MO-9/Urinalysis.
Tomorrow, the crew will complete the PHS (periodic health status)
exam and perform the clinical evaluation.  After the sessions,
Malenchenko stowed the equipment.  [MO-9 is biochemical urinalysis,
conducted regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs),
and it is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA
for US crewmembers for PHS evaluation as part of the "PHS/Without
Blood Labs" exam.  The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro
diagnostic apparatus "Urolux" developed originally for the Mir
program. ] 

Later in the day, the CDR set up and installed the equipment for
tomorrow's PHS without blood labs exam, the first for Expedition 7.
[PHS, guided by the IFEP (in-flight examination program) software on
the MEC (medical equipment computer), is performed once every 30 days
for each crewmember and two weeks before landing and as clinically
indicated.  PHS evaluations alternate between the one with blood labs
and the one without (today's).  The tests are recorded on the MEC
(medical equipment computer), and physical exercise should then
follow.] 

Ed Lu performed the 24-hr. data registration of the body-worn
acoustic dosimeters deployed yesterday, along with a third unit set
up statically. Readings will again be taken tonight before sleep
time.

Lu retrieved the two previously (5/26) deployed sampling badges of
the FMK (formaldehyde monitorin kit) and returned them to storage.

Yuri Malenchenko worked in the Service Module (SM) where he removed
the failed no. 8 storage battery and replaced it with the spare 800A
from the FGB.  The ZRU charge/discharge unit #8 was deactivated by
TsUP/MCC-Moscow beforehand and later reactivated.  [The old battery
was pre-packed for disposal in Progress.  The SM has one more battery
failed (#4) and one with degraded capacity (#2), out of eight total.]

The crew terminated the EMU battery discharge cycle started
yesterday, installed the METOX (metal oxide) CO2 absorption canisters
in the EMU/spacesuits, and set up the video camcorder, with tapes in
both VTRs (video tape recorders), while the ground configured the EVA
communications and tracking system preparatory to the EMU fit check
and don/doff dry-run in the Airlock.

The EMU test began at about 8:50am EDT and lasted several hours.
Objective was to check out the equipment and provide the crew with
training for preparing for a two-person EVA without IV
(intravehicular crewmember) support, should it become necessary
during Increment 7.  Ed Lu ran into a problem with his LCVG (liquid
cooling ventilation garment), for which he could not establish
cooling water flow,- perhaps due to a kinked tube in the slightly
oversized garment.  The exercise was terminated, and the issue is
being looked at on the ground.  Having become quite hot, Ed Lu also
had difficulty with solo doffing of the HUT (hard upper torso),
requiring assistance from Yuri (whose LCVG worked well and who
accomplished all don/doff objectives).

In the SM, Malenchenko completed battery cycling for the Russian
segment (RS) laptop #2.

Yuri also performed his regular daily monitoring/servicing of the
BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 zero-G plant growth experiment, checking water
level in the Lada-2 greenhouse water container and the seed status.

Ed Lu conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh life
support system (including ASU toilet facilities), and completed the
regular status checkup of the autonomous Lab payloads (PCG-STES010,
SAMS, MAMS). 

The reason for yesterday's curtailment of the Science Officer's
session with the InSPACE (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic
Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment was an offnominal
pressure indication of the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) during
its activation.  The test run was deferred for lack of time until a
full run can be completed.  [After activation, telemetry indicated a
lower-than-expected delta-pressure for the MSG work volume.  The MSG
work volume usually exhibits a slight increase in pressure after fans
are turned on.  In this case, no increase was indicated. Additional
data files were downloaded, and an assessment is underway.] 

MCC-H, with SpaceCommand, is closely monitoring three predicted
conjunctions (close encounters) with the Megsat satellite (object
#25722) on Friday, 5/30.  [Times of closest approach (TCAs) are
3:22pm EDT (20.8 km), 4:55pm (1.2 km), and 6:27pm (23.8 km).
Relative speed: 6000 m/s.] 

With solar Beta angle now under 60 deg and decrasing, ISS continues
in XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) flight attitude.  Next
planned attitude change, back to LVLH (local vertical/local
horizontal) is on 6/7 (Saturday), followed by an adjustment to
docking attitude for the Progress 11P docking on 6/11.

After the TsUP-controlled test of the on-board Kurs automatic
approach/docking radar, scheduled for today, fueling of the next
Progress vehicle at Baikonur can begin.  Launch of 11P/Progress
M1-259 (M1-10) is set for 6/8 (Sunday) at 6:34am EDT.  The cargo ship
will fly a three-day ascent profile, with docking scheduled for 6/11
(Wednesday) at 7:11am EDT.  Linkup will be radially at the FGB nadir
port (Progress 10P remains at the axial SM aft-end port).  Total mass
of 11P: 6934 kg (15287 lbs). 

One of the station's two PCUs (plasma contactor units) has been on
Discharge for a number of days, for characterization of its
performance, viz., discharge current, under multiple flight attitude
conditions, both in and out of eclipse (Earth's shadow).

Today's CEO targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight
rule constraints on the use of the Lab nadir/science window, were La
Paz (nadir pass over this high city.  The airport is on the high
plateau, even though most of the population lives in a warmer
adjoining canyon.  Very clear views N and especially S, over the salt
lakes of the high Andean desert.  The salt lakes appear bright white
due to salt accumulation--which is mined and shipped out by burro to
population centers), Mariana Islands (as ISS passed over this island
chain, crew was to look also for the active Anatahan volcano right of
track about 1.5 degrees), Nairobi, Kenya (although the city was at
nadir and not viewable through the science window, the crew may have
been able to get an oblique view of the Kilimanjaro volcano right of
track about 1 degree [a formal science site for tropical glacier
studies].  The southern footslopes of the volcano are the center of
Tanzania's coffee industry, which was set up in German colonial times
before WWI), and Puerto Rico (obliques may have been obtainable of
the urban growth along the coast, and the coral reefs). CEO images
can be viewed at the websites http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of 1:15pm EST).

 - Continued -

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