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19 May 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 18 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.  Begin of Week 3 for Expedition 7.

A Sunday rest day for the crew, with a few standard maintenance tasks
and some public affairs and family downlink fun.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko collected the weekly data readings of the SP
toilet flush and SVO water supply status counters for calldown to
MCC-M via S-band, then completed the periodic inspection of the
Elektron oxygen generator's gas/liquid system (VM) for the air
bubbles that sometimes linger after an IFM (in-flight maintenance).

Malenchenko also performed the daily routine tasks of SOZh life
support systems maintenance and checkup of the BIO-5
"Rasteniya-2/Lada-2" zero-G plant growth experiment.

Yuri then completed the regular inspection of the active BRPK-1
air/liquid condensate separator system in the Service Module (SM),
while FE/SO Edward Lu prepared the daily IMS (inventory management
system) delta file for automatic export/import to update the
database.

At 10:50am EDT, both crewmembers participated in two TV downlinks
with congratulatory greetings from the ISS, one to the annual
Eurovision-2003 song competition conducted by European TV networks,
the other to Russia on the occasion of the 300-Year Anniversary of
the city of St. Petersburg (Leningrad).  The city, which was founded
by Peter the Great as the Russian State Capital 300 years ago, today
is the "largest industrial, scientific and cultural center of Russia
and the world" (crew's scripted greeting message).

Lu and Malenchenko completed their daily physical exercise program,
on TVIS treadmill, RED expander, CEVIS bike and, for the CDR, on the
Russian VELO cycle ergometer with load trainer.

The crew had their weekly PFCs (private family conferences), via
S-band/audio.

Last night at 11:15pm EDT, as the solar Beta angle reached the 60-deg
limit, the station maneuvered from XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to
orbit plane) to the thermally more forgiving YVV/"barbecue" flight
attitude of earth-"fixed" LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal).
[Yaw 90.2 deg, pitch 10.8 deg, roll 3.2 deg.]

As a result of Ed Lu's EXPRESS Rack 1 and 4 (ER1 & ER4) activities on
5/16 (Friday), is was discovered that the ER4 RIC (rack interface
controller) has a software task that is suspended; it will require a
RIC reboot in the future.  [POC (Payload Operations Center) also
uplinked a description of cable hookups of ER1 in response to some
questions by Lu.] 

The crew will be reviewing an OBT (on-board training) course to
prepare for the upcoming Educational Payload Operations (EPO).  [The
CD-ROM walks Ed and Yuri through the mechanics of the three planned
EPO objectives using a slide presentation and some demonstration
videos.  The first two experiments, scheduled for Week 4, will
demonstrate paper airplane props and the Wright Flyer, topical for
the education community as we approach the 100th anniversary of the
Wright Brother's first flight.] 

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Seven -- 2nd): The crew was
commended by the Lead Increment Scientist on having accomplished a
lot already in their short time on orbit.  Their picture of the
Anatahan Volcano erupting was one of the first images captured, and
they relocated the BSTC, GSM and CGBA hardware.  Next week they will
"crank up" the MSG rack to begin InSPACE operations.  Also next week
MCC-H has planned a crew conference to review the revised increment
science plan and invite Lu and Malenchenko to identify any science or
education activities "out of the box" they may find rewarding if
there is time later in the increment.

GASMAP:   First 30 Day Health Check is scheduled for 5/20 (Tuesday).
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
efforts toward tracking down numerous unknown disturbance sources.

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS):  MAMS is nominal
and currently analyzing data in support of general characterization
efforts toward tracking down numerous unknown disturbance sources.

Protein Crystal Growth-Single Locker Thermal Enclosure System
(PCG-STES): Temperatures are holding steady (nominal).  Crystals are
still growing. Requires only regular status check by the crew,
including cleaning the filters.

Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal
Emulsions (InSPACE):   Three InSPACE test runs are scheduled for the
upcoming Week 3.  The nominal plan involves tests with Coil Assembly
005 which is installed in the MSG.  Prior operations with this Coil
that contains particles that are 0.4 microns in diameter have
resulted in structure formation that becomes masked quickly once the
mode is switched from steady to pulse.  As a result some additional,
but abbreviated monitor steps have been added that will direct Ed Lu
to switch to the steady mode so that the structures (hopefully)
become evident. 

Materials ISS Experiment (MISSE):  In progress.  Deployed outside.
Nominal and collecting data.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM):
Waiting to begin operations.

Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures-2 (CSLM-2):  Waiting to begin
operations.

 - Continued -

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