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1\21 ISS On Orbit Status 21-01-2003
Part 1 of 2

ISS On-Orbit Status 1/21/03

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted 
previously or below.

After wake-up (1:00am EST), morning inspection, morning hygiene and
breakfast, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin did the regular daily status checkup 
of the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") experiment, which 
studies plant growth in the zero-G environment.

Later, he worked on the Russian/ESA Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) payload 
which he had prepared yesterday. [After first powering up the 
turbopump for evacuating the PK chamber, he created a software 
installation diskette, instaled the s/w on the payload, and performed 
hardware testing. The turbopump was to be deactivated again in the 
evening.]

CDR Kenneth Bowersox set up the video equipment for filming TVIS 
(treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization) exercise during 
the day. In the evening, after the exercise sessions, the video 
hardware was stowed again.  [The schedule called for video of a full 
30-minute session, including at least 5 minutes of harness donning for 
each crewmember, with the entire body in the video frame during the 
workout. Of interest: running style and foot strike on the belt.]

Bowersox transferred a file of the FOOT (foot/ground reaction forces 
during space flight) experiment to a laptop for downlink and later set 
up for tomorrow's scheduled FOOT session, preparing the equipment for 
EMG (electromyography) calibration with video recording.

With FE-2/SO Don Pettit, Bowersox also completed a refresh review of 
the DOUG (dynamic operational ubiquitous graphics) software with new 
files for the upcoming Robotics operations on 1/23 (Thursday). Later, 
he checked out the SSRMS operator RWS (robotic workstation), taking 
pictures to verify the correct alignment of the RWS monitor video and 
electronic overlays. [DOUG is a sophisticated software program that 
provides a graphic birdseye-view graphical image of the SSRMS (space 
station remote manipulator system), showing its real-time location and 
configuration on a PC during its operation.]

Budarin worked on the Service Module (SM) ventilation system, 
replacing the four PF1-4 dust filter cartridges and completing the 
periodic preventive maintenance of the Group A ventilation fans.

Bowersox conducted the periodic 90-day health check of the GASMAP (gas
analyzer system for metabolic analysis physiology) payload. After the 
unit was powered up in the morning, it had to warm up for five hours 
before Sox could run the check, using the HRF (human research 
facility) computer. [The 90-day health check is essentially intended 
to verify that a vacuum has been maintained inside the GASMAP's 
analyzer module (AM) chamber. The instrument measures a crewmember's 
metabolic activity, in conjunction with exercise equipment, in a 
shirtsleeve, intravehicular space environment. It consists of a 
quadruple mass spectrometer, known as the AM, the calibration module 
(CM) and a stored gas supply. Today's procedure, an auto calibration, 
was different from the normal 90-day health check since it has been 
over one year since the last auto calibration.]

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin was scheduled for the two-hour task of changing 
out one of two BD database monoblocks (TA985M) of the BITS2-12 
on-board telemetry measurement system's. [The BD blocks, located 
behind an SM panel, receive data from local subsystems and store it, 
and also output data to the data acquisition program or onboard users 
in response to an address request. The removed TA985M was prepared for 
return to the ground.]

Budarin also performed the periodic functional test of the emergency 
vacuum valves (AVK) of the Vozdukh CO2 removal system. [The AVKs are 
critical because they close the Vozdukh's vacuum access lines in the 
event of a malfunction in the regular vacuum valves (BVK) or a 
depressurization in the Vozdukh valve panel (BOA). Access to vacuum is 
required to vent carbon dioxide during the regeneration of the 
absorbent cartridges (PP). During nominal operation, the AVK valves 
remain open.]

Yesterday morning, MCC-H noticed erratic behavior on the loop B
delta-pressure (dP) sensor of tank 2 of the ETCS (external thermal 
control system) ATA (ammonia tank assembly). [This ammonia loop on the 
P1 truss will not be activated until Mission 12A.1. Whereas dP should 
be zero, the sensor randomly showed spikes down to -8 kPa 
(kilo-Pascal) and up to 50 kPa (FDIR limit for a Caution message is 69 
kPa). The software that controls the tank pressure is currently 
inhibited, but Caution messages were inhibited even though it is 
believed that they would not cause a risk.]

FE-2/SO Don Pettit set up the PD100 video camcorder for observing the 
coil assemblies of the "InSpace" (investigating the structure of 
paramagnetic aggregates from colloidal emulsions) experiment, in order 
to check the individual coil assemblies for possible damage, leaks and 
bubbles as well as to ensure proper dispersion of particles in the 
fluid. [Purpose of the MSG (microgravity science glovebox) InSPACE 
experiment will be to obtain basic data on magnetorheological fluids, 
i.e., a new class of "smart materials" that can be used to improve or 
develop new brake systems, seat suspensions robotics, clutches, 
airplane landing gear, and vibration damper systems.]

The regular daily routine tasks were performed by Don Pettit (SOSh 
life support systems maintenance) and Budarin (IMS inventory delta 
file preparation).

The crew was thanked for their help yesterday with troubleshooting a 
problem with the DAIU (docked audio interface unit). Loop-back testing 
showed the DAIU itself to be healthy. Some more work is required by 
the ground.

On MCC-M go-ahead, the ISS cabin atmosphere was pressurized with fresh
oxygen (O2) from the Progress 9P O2 tank.

Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were 
Aerosols in SE Africa (mapping pass [near nadir, overlapping pictures] 
to cover fires and firescars in the forested coastal mountains of 
southern Africa), Tuamotu-Austral Islands (pass along the axis of the 
island chain. Detailed views of fringing coral reefs requested for 
global map), Cape Town, South Africa (nadir pass; ESC [electronic 
still camera]. Crew was to try to shoot the expanding margin of the 
urban region on the flat country far east of the city center [the port 
on Table Bay]), Johannesburg, South Africa (nadir pass. Shooting 
detailed near vertical views either side of track. ESC), and 
Patagonian Glaciers (this pass crossed the northern ice field. Ice 
tongues, especially on the east [less cloudy] side, show changes even 
during the course of a few seasons).

CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

(continued)

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