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21 May 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 20 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.   Week 3 for Increment 7 is underway.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko started the day by terminating the
bake-out/regeneration cycle for adsorption bed #1 of the BMP
micropurification unit and switching it back to Purify mode.  Later,
he initiated regeneration on filter channel 2.  [The regeneration of
the air purifier filter beds is repeated every 20 days.  Each bakeout
to space vacuum takes about 24 hours.]

Malenchenko then placed the new Russian laptop 3 in service (the old
one was configured for Regul-Packet comm and is now called
"Laptop-Packet"), setting it up for the biomedical MBI-9 "Pulse"
experiment, which he performed before his physical exercise.  [These
tests are done monthly.  Execution of the medical cardiological
assessment is controlled from the laptop, using a set respiration
rate (without forced or deep breaths) and synchronizing respiration
with computer-commanded "inhale" commands.  Before the experiment,
arterial blood pressure and heart rate is measured with the
"Tensoplus" sphygmomanometer.  Results were reported to MCC-M during
a subsequent tag-up with a ground specialist.]

FE/SO Edward Lu powered up the HRF GASMAP (Human Research
Facility/Gas Analyzer System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology) for
its new 30-day functionality test.  After a ten-hour run, the system
was to be powered down again.

Ed Lu undertook the monthly water sampling for in-flight
chemistry/microbiology analysis, using approved Russian sampling
procedures with the U.S. WS&A (water sampler & archiver) for
collection and the WMK (water microbiology kit) for processing within
6 hrs. of the collection. [Samples were taken in the SM at the
potable water SRV-K hot port and from the EDV container of the SVO-ZV
water supply system.] 

Malenchenko performed routine maintenance on the SM toilet system
(ASU), replacing its E-K pretreat container plus hose with a new
assembly and discarding old one.  Yuri also recorded the SPKU counter
reading of the SP toilet flush system before and after filling the
E-K hose for downlink. [E-K contains five liters of pre-treat
solution, i.e., a mix of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), CrO3 (chromium oxide,
for oxidation and purple color), and H2O (water).  The pre-treat
liquid is mixed with water in a dispenser (DKiV) and used for toilet
flushing.]

Ed Lu terminated the recharging of the first of two EMU/spacesuit
batteries in the BSA (battery stowage assembly), started yesterday,
and initiated the process on the second battery.

In preparation for next week's (5/28) EMU don/doff dry-run, both
crewmembers then reviewed the EMU C&W (caution & warning) system and
the procedures for operating the SAFERs (simplified aid for EVA
rescue). 

After recharging the Russian DVCAM (digital video camera) battery,
the CDR prepared the video footage of the Soyuz thruster plumes
during the 5S deorbit burn, the Earth's limb and a portion of Turkish
landmass recorded on 5/4 with the geo-physical GFI-1 Relaksatsiya
("relaxation") experiment. Later, at 11:55am EDT, he downlinked it to
TsUP/MCC-M.  [Relaksatsiya, using an UV (ultraviolet) camera with
spectrometer at SM window #9, deals with the study of the
chemoluminescent chemical reactions and atmospheric light phenomena
(emissions) that occur during high-velocity interaction between the
exhaust products from space vehicles and the atmosphere at orbital
altitude and during the entry of space vehicles into the Earth's
upper atmosphere.  Purpose of the 5/4 experiment was to record the
TMA-1 thruster plumes (by UV-video) at 9:12pm and the emission layer
of the atmosphere at the Earth's limb at 9:17pm.]

Ed performed the daily routine maintenance of SOZh life support
systems, while Yuri prepared the daily IMS (inventory management
system) "delta" file for updating the IMS database.

Both crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise program on
TVIS, RED expander, CEVIS cycle and VELO ergometer with load trainer.

The Science Officer was thanked in the morning for yesterday's
successful InSPACE run in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox).
[As Ed reported, and the video camera showed, formation of the
desired paramagnetic microstructures was most visible during the
periods of steady magnetic field strength.  During the initial steady
period, the pattern formed from the chains tips, followed by some
apparent structure development after that. Pattern changed again
later, with the largest microstructures looking thicker after the
field frequency changed from 2 Hz to 0.66 Hz.  These are entirely new
and as yet unexplained observations.] 

During the day, TsUP was scheduled to perform another test correction
of the SM's BINS strap-down navigation/guidance system via S-band
comm, using Zvezda's solar sensor (SD251K) and infrared horizon
sensor (IKV256K). [Today's test correction, in LVLH -YVV attitude,
did not require free drift or attitude change.  BINS is a
platform-less (or, in NASA parlance, "strap-down") inertial
navigation system (INS), which uses a complex mathematical model of
spatial relationships (axes, rotations, angular velocities and
accelerations) instead of the gyro-stabilized and gimbaled platform
of a more conventional INS.  To check and correct the unavoidable
drift of the internal reference orientation, the standard procedure
was to take optical sightings of reference stars; attitude rates are
obtained from the GIVUS high-accuracy state sensors.  Today, periodic
updates of the BINS come from the U.S. GPS (global positioning
system).] 

Ground investigation continues of the IAC (internal audio controller)
which on 4/5 (and previously on 12/6/02) transitioned from IAC-2 to
IAC-1 and back to IAC-2 after a few minutes.  On 5/16, during a
checkout of this issue, IAC-1 detected a PBIT error during a power on
self test (POST), which was cleared, followed bysuccessful S/G
(space-to-ground) voice checks on IAC-1. IAC-2 is nowthe prime IAC.
[If IAC-2fails and FDIR (failure detection, isolation, and recovery)
kicks in, IAC-1 will attempt to become active, possibly experiencing
another PBIT error that would cause FDIR to transition back to IAC-2.
Further assessment is underway.] 

Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, now no longer
restricted by the Lab science window ruled off-limit due to flight
attitude (although lighting conditions are worsening in the northern
hemisphere and improving in the southern), were Dakar, Senegal (city
just left of track.  Also, dust was reported exiting the Sahara in
the region.  Oblique views should capture this relatively light
aerosol loading), Patagonian Glaciers (light improving rapidly at the
bottom of the orbit.  Unusual clearing on the Pacific side of the two
southern Andean ice sheets, where little detailed imagery of glacier
end-point lobes is available.  Detailed nadir views requested),
Anatahan volcano, N Marianas (Dynamic event.  Looking right ~3
degrees from track. Low sun angles in this early morning opportunity
perhaps revealed ash in the atmosphere), Seattle, Washington (city at
night; nadir pass), Jakarta, Indonesia (city at night; nadir pass),
El Paso, Texas (city at night; nadir pass), Hyderabad, India (city at
night; nadir pass), Baghdad, Iraq (city at night; nadir pass; should
have had enough lights on to identify the city), and Rome, Italy
(city at night; nadir pass). CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov 

 - Continued -

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