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10 June 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 9 June 2003

Part 1 of 2

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.  Week 6 of Increment 7 is underway.

In preparation for Progress 11P docking on Wednesday morning (6/11),
CDR Yuri Malenchenko and FE/SO Ed Lu performed a 2-hr. refresher
training on the TORU backup docking control system, involving the
review of pertinent on-board data files and the uplinked results of
rendezvous math modeling, as well as a tagup with a TORU
instructor.  [The teleoperated TORU system allows manual control of
Progress cargo ship docking.  If the primary automatic KURS system
should fail, Malenchenko would use the TV picture of the approaching
ISS as seen from the Klest-M video camera aboard Progress, and a hand
controller that provides steering signals to the Progress by radio
link.  The on-board training syllabus for all rendezvous approach and
docking phases includes off-nominal situations with failed comm
channels and loss of video picture.] 

Working from the Russian ISS Wiener laptop, Malenchenko performed the
second stage of the loaded a software upgrade (to vers. 1.2) for the
multiplex bus synchronization unit of the Russian OpsLAN network
(SUBA BSMM) from a CD-ROM.  Stage 1 of the upgrade was completed by
Nikolai Budarin on 4/24 (after his first attempt, at 4/9, had
failed).

Also in preparation for the Progress docking, the crew configured the
Russian segment (RS) Soyuz LIV video system to the US segment (USOS)
Ku-band assets for live TV coverage of the docking.  The transmission
setup was then checked out in a stand-alone test.  Ed Lu concluded
the activities by taking a video survey of the TV "drag-thrus", i.e.,
the cables routed temporarily through the hatches, for ground
inspection. 

After having switched filter bed 1 of the SM's harmful impurities
removal unit (BMP) to Regeneration cycle yesterday, Malenchenko today
terminated the bake-out, moding the channel back to Purify.  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.]

Yuri conducted his regular daily inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2
("Plants-2") payload which experiments with growth and development of
plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-2 greenhouse.

Later, Malenchenko dismantled the Molniya-SM/LSO payload at SM
window #3, deactivating the French-provided EGE1 laptop.  He then
stowed all hardware. [Objective of Molniya-SM, which Yuri installed
yesterday as a task list item, was to record storm phenomena and
other related events in the Earth's equatorial regions, similar to
the French LSO experiment, which looked for glow phenomena, called
"sprites", sometimes observable above thunderstorm clouds.]

In support of the Russian Diatomeya photo and video imagery of
bioproductive areas of the world's oceans, Malenchenko today focused
on the Caribbean and Sargasso seas.  [Yuri used the Nikon-F5 digital
still camera with f80mm focal length lens and a DVCAM 150 digital
video system, storing on a cassette.  Important targets, from the
oceanography standpoint, were sea bloom features (color-contrasting
features, TsKO) on the surface of the ocean (colored spots, bands,
swirls), and pronounced irregularities of the cloud cover along the
track.] 

At 2:00pm EDT, the Vozdukh carbon dioxide (CO2) removal system was
switched from manual mode 3/5 to automatic mode.  [In automatic mode,
the Vozdukh is controlled by the SM's BVS onboard computer complex in
conjunction with the BA automatic control unit, operating in
closed-loop control with the IK0501 gas analyzer.  The IK0501 was
successfully recalibrated by MCC-Moscow on 6/2 in a 45 min. activity
which brought its CO2 partial pressure readings into close match with
those of the U.S. MCA (major constituent analyzer).] 

The Science Officer completed the daily routine maintenance of the
SM's SOZh environment control & life support system as well as the
regular status checkup of the autonomous :Lab payloads, while the CDR
prepared the daily IMS inventory "delta" file.

Both crewmembers conducted their regular daily physical exercise
program of 2.5 hrs., and Ed Lu completed the weekly and monthly
maintenance of the TVIS treadmill.  [Replacement straps for the
degraded TVIS crew harness could not be loaded on the Progress 11P
before its launch on Sunday, 6/8.  The ground will work with the crew
to troubleshoot the equipment to extend its service life as much as
possible.  First task for the crew, in the "job jar": provide the
ground with photo and video documentation of the damaged harness
hardware.] 

Moscow reported that SAM battery #4 was successfully put back on line
and is now working nominally at 80 amp-hours.  This restores the full
complement of eight 800A batteries in the SM (but according to TsUP,
"it remains to be seen how #4 behaves").

Progress 11P continues its slow catch-up approach to the ISS, with
all systems reported to be nominal.  A third (and final) maneuver
burn (DV3, with 3 m/s delta-V) is scheduled for tomorrow morning at
7:45am EDT. Docking at the DC-1 airlock compartment is set for 7:17am
EDT on 6/11. 

Saturday's successful camera test for the Shuttle Viewing DTO
(development test objective) was judged highly satisfactory at MCC-H.
[Results of the tests are presently being evaluated.  They used the
MISSE (Materials ISS Experiment) at the Airlock endcone and the
starboard EVA toolbox #1 as targets simulating observing/mapping
conditions of a Shuttle orbiter's TPS tiles and RCC (reinforced
carbon-carbon) elements on orbit.] 

Today's optional CEO targets, no longer limited in the current LVLH
attitude and including the targets of the Lewis & Clark 200-year
memorial locations, were Hyderabad, India (this Indian megacity lies
in the Deccan Plateau, inland about 200 miles west northwest of the
delta of the Godavari River. As the crew approached from the SW, they
were advised to look right of track), Recife, Brazil (the ISS pass
was probably early enough in the day to limit fair weather cumulus
development.  Crew had a near-nadir view of South America's
easternmost city on the coast), Rome, Italy (the "Eternal City" lies
just inland, and was slightly to the right of track), Lake Poopo (as
the El Niņo rapidly wanes, CEO will continue to monitor conditions in
this lake and adjacent salars), Los Angeles, California (the crew had
a very nice pass over the LA basin, just left of track), Las Vegas,
Nevada (Vegas still will be sizzling at this hour, but with clear
weather and a nadir view), and the Mouth of Bad River, SD (LEWIS &
CLARK SITE: This small river joins the Missouri River from the west,
just opposite the city of Pierre and about 7 miles south of the dam
for large Lake Oahe.  Late afternoon thunderstorms were probably east
of this area by the time of the ISS pass). 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/

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

 - Continued -

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