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8 June 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 7 June 2003

Part 1 of 2

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.  Day 43 in space for Expedition 7.

The crew performed the regular weekly 3-hr. housecleaning.  [This
included removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments
with vacuum cleaner, wet cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining
table and other surfaces with "Fungistat" disinfectant and cleaning
fan screens to avoid temperature rises.]

CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu were thanked for using part of
their Saturday to support the camera test for the Shuttle Viewing
DTO (development test objective).  Ed started the activity at 6:30am
EDT by connecting the UOP-DCP (utility outlet panel to display &
control panel) power cable for the robotics/MSS (mobile service
system) and setting up the video system. [Activation of the analog
VTRs (video tape recorder #2) was performed by the ground, and Ed Lu
started and stopped the digital Sony V10 recorder.  The video tapes
were played back to the ground via Ku-band for several hours starting
at 1:50pm.  The viewing test supports the development of methods to
inspect (and repair if necessary) Shuttle orbiter TPS tiles and RCC
(reinforced carbon-carbon) elements on orbit utilizing ISS assets for
viewing/mapping of the orbiter surface.  Prior to docking, at the
"Rbar" position underneath the station, the orbiter would perform a
360-degree pitch-over maneuver to expose its entire surface
(top/bottom) to the ISS for video and still photography.  Today's
viewing targets, with their proper lighting windows, were the MISSE
(Materials ISS Experiment) at the Airlock endcone at 8:41-8:46am EDT,
and the starboard EVA toolbox #1 at 10:17-10:22am and 11:50-11:52am.]

Malenchenko performed a checkout of docking and internal transfer
system (SSVP) tools in the SM, in particular a hatch drive crank and
ancillary long extension bars for operating the manual hatch sealing
drive of the Progress hatch.  [The checkout included a fit check of
the extension poles with the hatch sealing drive shaft and a shaft
torque test of the assembly.  The SSVP is the "classic"
probe-and-cone type, consisting of an active docking assembly (ASA)
with a probe (SSh), which fits into the cone (SK) on the passive
docking assembly (PSA).  The ASA is mounted on the Progress' cargo
module (GrO), while the PSA sits on the docking ports of the SM, FGB
and DC-1.]

Yuri also conducted the daily routine maintenance of the SM's SOZh
life support system (including ASU toilet facilities), while Ed Lu
prepared the daily IMS inventory "delta" file.

At 9:30am EDT, the crew held their regular weekly planning conference
with the ground via S-band/audio, discussing next week's "Look-Ahead
Plan" (regularly prepared jointly by MCC-H and MCC-M planners).

The crew also had their weekly teleconference with ISS Program
management.

The results of the crew's second water microbial sampling show
improvement (less growth) compared to the first sample, due to some
flushing done before the sampling.  [The affected components of the
SVO-ZV water supply system will be replaced with new parts to be
delivered by 11P.  All in all, the potable water on board is still
good to drink, and the fix for the hardware will soon be on its way.]

Working from the Russian discretionary task list, Malenchenko
conducted another session of the Russian Uragan ("hurricane") earth
imaging program (GFI-8), using the Kodak DCS 760 digital camera with
f/800 focal length lens.  [Suggested targets were the city of
Abudzha, Cyprus and Turkey, the Kolka glacier in the north of the
Kazbek mountains, the Borjomi-Bakuriani region on the Kura River
(city of Bakuriani), and the Temirtau pits.  Uragan specialists in
Moscow had requested downlink of these images via U.S. OCA assets and
delivery to them as soon as possible.] 

Another addition to the Russian task list on a time-available basis
today and tomorrow was a session with the Diatomeya ocean observation
program. [Today Yuri used the Rubinar binocular telescope plus
videocamera, from SM window #9, to image the Red Sea and the Persian
Gulf, with the DVCAM set to 40x zoom.]

Overnight, starting at 11:44pm EDT, the station was maneuvered from
XPOP (yaw/pitch/roll angles = 0.5/-6.8/0 deg) to LVLH attitude
(-10/-7.2/0 deg). This attitude will be maintained until after the
Progress 11P docking on 6/11.

Launch of 11P/Progress M1-10 (259) from Baikonur is set for tomorrow
morning at 6:34:19 am EDT.  [Activation of AR&D (automated
rendezvous & docking) procedures will start on 6/11 at 4:47am,
followed by activation of Kurs-A (on Progress) at 5:30am and of
Kurs-P (on Service Module) at 5:32am. Power-down of U.S. segment
(USOS) systems will be at 5:00am, of Russian segment (RS) systems at
5:50am.  AR&D stationkeeping starts at 6:56am, at ~160m distance
below (nadir of) the starboard SM solar array.  For the final docking
procedure, starting at 7:07am, the Progress will approach from below
along the DC-1 ("Pirs") docking port axis, with nominal contact at
7:17am EDT.  At this time, ISS will mode to free drift until after
Progress hooks are closed (7:37am).]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Seven -- 5th): The past week
featured two science conferences with PI/PDs (Principal
Investigator/Payload Developers) which were good for payloads.  After
the InSPACE run on Wednesday (6/4), the two sessions planned for 6/5
and 6/6 were deferred due to lack of adequate Ku-band coverage in
XPOP and the need to have good coverage after the InSPACE coil
assembly change in the MSG.  A single run is scheduled for next week,
on 6/10. 

GASMAP:   Next health check is in mid-June.   Human Research
Facility/Workstation (HRF WS):   Continuing.

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI):  Waiting to begin
operations.

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS):  SAMS is nominal and
currently analyzing data in support of general characterization of
the ISS acceleration environment.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS):  MAMS is nominal
and currently analyzing data in support of general characterization
of the ISS acceleration environment.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System
(PCG-STES): PCG STES is operating nominally.  Some data files were
downlinked during the past week.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal
Emulsions (InSPACE):   The last test points required on the midsize
particle sample were completed.  Despite lack of real-time
Ku-coverage to confirm structure development, these runs are expected
to have yielded results similar to the previous runs, with this
sample showing scaling dependencies on the test parameters.  As a
consequence of this situation, the last two test points were
cancelled this week due to the very scarce Ku-coverage during the
operations; they are being rescheduling in more enhanced-Ku-coverage
time slots.  Next week, testing with the largest particle sample will
resume.  During Increment 6, the scientifically more interesting
structures were observed with this size sample. 

 - Continued -

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