This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3\11 ISS On-Orbit Status 11-03-2003
Part 2 of 2

The GNC software upload will also include the new PPL (pre-positioned 
load) file with larger rate divergence threshold values as an interim 
solution to the RGA (rate gyro assembly) dilemma issue observed last 
week (see 3/8 Status Report) and still "latched" in the C&W
(caution & 
warning) system.

The Russian software upgrade to the 7.01 version is on standby, 
pending the conclusion of the U.S. R3 GNC step-up. Start date for 
Russian code transition is still 3/17 (next Monday).

ISS flight attitude, currently in earth-"fixed" LVLH (local 
vertical/local horizontal), will be maneuvered back to XPOP (x-axis 
perpendicular to orbit plane) Thursday night, immediately after the 
second Progress thruster test.

The Stage EVA by Sox and Don has been shifted from 3/25 to early April
(tentative date: 4/2 or 4/4). [For acceptable communications coverage, 
the EVA needs LVLH attitude, which would have required maneuvering 
from XPOP and back. Since ISS will go to LVLH anyway in early April, 
delaying the EVA to that period conserves valuable attitude maneuver 
propellant. Preferred date would have been 4/3, but MCC-Moscow 
requested that day for its periodic solar array efficiency test (one 
already had to be skipped), for which 4/3 apparently offers rare 
optimum conditions of near-zero Beta angle and XPOP.  Further study is 
underway.]

Also in the continuing interest of conserving precious onboard 
propellants, the U.S. P6 solar array wings 2B and 4B continue to "fly" 
in dual-angle directed position such that they are feathered in "night 
glider" configuration, in order to reduce aerodynamic drag during the 
eclipse portion of the orbit. To date, this has worked fine, but it 
remains to be seen whether it contributes noticeably to propellant 
conservation.

During yesterday's troubleshooting of the IMV (intra-module 
ventilation), Bowersox discovered in the FGB a collapsed section of 
fabric air duct, which, when stretched out, oscillates in the air 
stream and causes the noise reported by the crew. A video of the duct, 
which Sox temporarily restrained with a rope, was provided to Moscow 
for analysis. [Since the recent IMV fan cleaning in the Lab and Node, 
ventilation airstream has been stronger in the USOS than in the RS, 
which probably caused the duct oscillation.]

Carbon dioxide partial pressure (ppCO2) in the Lab was 3.9 mmHg this
morning. Vozdukh continues to run nominally in manual mode. CDRA 
activation has not been required.

A hard-disk drive (HDD) failed last week in the U.S. PCS (portable 
computer system) laptop in the SM and was replaced. Also, two RPCM 
(remote power controller module) "health" flags popped up in the USOS. 
One is already refreshed, the other was being looked at this morning.

MCC-H Flight Surgeon requested OCA comm. downlink of accumulated MEC
(medical equipment computer) files for CEVIS (cycle ergometer with 
vibration isolation), HRM (heart rate monitor), RED, TVIS, and FFQ 
(food frequency questionnaire) nutrition log.

In the interest of conserving precious resources, Budarin completed 
another extensive 3-hr. IMS inventory audit in the FGB "Zarya" module, 
of up to 40 items shown on the IMS database as stowed behind Panel 
227. Audit objective was to update the status of dust 
collector/filters and cartridges as well as U.S. hardware 
availability.

Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were 
Angolan Biomass Burning (this was a well-illuminated pass in fair 
weather over southwestern and southern Angola. Although no active 
burning was anticipated, the crew was to take advantage of nadir views 
to map burn scar patterns for previous seasons), Industrialized 
Southeastern Africa (warm, stable high pressure grips southern Africa. 
Looking of industrial aerosol build-up in oblique views either side of 
track), Recife, Brazil (ISS had a nadir pass over this easternmost 
port city of Brazil), Havana, Cuba (this was a very good pass for the 
Cuban capital. As ISS approached the coast from the NW, the crew was 
to look just right of track for details of the city and its port 
facilities), Guadalajara, Mexico (nadir pass over Mexico's second 
largest city. Besides the urban area of the city, crew was to try to 
document the heavy resort development around Lake Chapala just 
southeast of Guadalajara), and Tuamotu Archipelago (resuming detailed 
ISS/CEO documentation of this archipelago. This pass, in high 
illumination, tracked over the denser, western portion of this group. 
Crew was to use the long lenses to capture details of the coral reef 
structures in nadir views).

CEO images can be viewed at the websites
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:03am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 388.9 km
Apogee -- 396.8 km
Perigee -- 380.9 km
Period -- 92.33 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.00118
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 190m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 24576

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, 
see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

 - End of File -
================

---