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1\22 ISS On Orbit Status 22-01-2003
Part 1 of 2

ISS On-Orbit Status 1/22/03

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

Early in the morning, the crew performed the planned condensate water
venting of the WRM (water recovery and management) system and CWCs
(contingency water containers). [At 3:35am EST, FE-2/SO Don Pettit 
executed the handover from US CMGs to Russian MCS (motion control 
system) thrusters, which then maneuvered the station to YVV/"Barbecue" 
attitude (y-axis in velocity vector), with the dump performed from the 
Lab in a sector within about 60 deg from retrograde (negative velocity 
vector). Attitude was then changed back to XPOP (x-axis perpendicular 
to orbit plane), and the US CMGs resumed momentum management. In order 
to conserve propellants, the prop expenditure was to be carefully 
monitored on the Russian laptop.]

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin conducted the first experiment run with the 
Russian Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) payload, setting up the hardware and 
video recording, periodically monitoring readings of the pressure 
gauge, then performing testing and calibration of the equipment. The 
turbopump was to be deactivated again in the evening. [The experiment 
is performed on fine charged particles (plasma) which are studied 
inside the evacuated work chamber for mixture modes at various 
discharge power and pressure levels, residual charge after removal of 
charging (relaxation), wave dispersion in mixtures, particle 
agglomeration without plasma, etc.]

CDR Kenneth Bowersox began today's FOOT (foot/ground reaction forces 
during space flight) experiment by setting up the video equipment for 
taping his subsequent EMG calibration, before completing the data 
collection session.  [Wearing black Lycra biking tights with 20 
electrodes, and shoes fitted with insoles that measure impact forces 
on the bottom of the foot for the 12-hr session, Bowersox first 
performed electromyography (EMG, electric muscle currents) 
calibration, then completed a typical on-orbit day while reaction 
forces against the ISS structure were recorded passively to determine 
how much stress his legs and feet endure. This provides better 
understanding of the bone loss and loss of muscle mass experienced by 
astronauts in zero-G (on Mir, for example, cosmonauts lost as much 
bone mass in a month as post-menopausal women do in a year). The 
experiment is led by the biomedical engineering department at the 
Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.]

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin had two hours on his schedule to check out parts
recently removed from the air revitalization system's Vozdukh carbon 
dioxide (CO2) scrubber, viz., two dismantled VN vacuum pumps and the 
BVK-1 vacuum valve package, to determine their functionality and 
possible further usefulness.

Afterwards, Nikolai performed the routine inspection of the BRPK-2
air/liquid separator of the condensate water processing system.

After the recent replacement of the Russian VKS (auxiliary computer 
system) "Wiener" Power laptop with an ISS Wiener laptop, Budarin today 
terminated the transition test of the switchover. [The test checked 
out control of the BRI SmartSwitch router of the onboard Ethernet crew 
support network in the Russian segment, as well as of the network. The 
new computer had been left on since 1/10 to monitor SSR.]

The crew performed the mandatory OBT (onboard training) emergency 
egress drill in case of depressurization. [Objectives of the exercise 
are to exercise and review depress response procedures, practice crew 
coordination, review questions and crew comments on the ODF 
(operations data file) and ISS hardware, and ensure familiarity with 
emergency books storage location. The exercise, which follows a 
scripted scenario and does not require actual manipulation of 
hardware, involved all three crewmembers and took about one hours. For 
the case of an onboard fire and for emergency descent, there are other 
mandatory emergency drill OBTs.]

FE-2/SO Don Pettit was scheduled to take the 30-min. CBT 
(computer-based training) refresher course (video & audio) to hone his 
CMO (crew medical officer) proficiency. CDR Bowersox was scheduled for 
a "CMO sampler" session. [Pettit's proficiency training today involved 
Part 2 of the CHeCS HMS (crew health care systems/health maintenance 
system) CBT, viz., re-familiarization with skills and techniques 
required in procedures related to eye treatment and medication 
administration.]

Pettit deployed the FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit), two units each 
in the Lab and in the Service Module (SM). Don also collected cabin 
air samples with the GSC (grab sample container), which is performed 
once every month in each module and coordinated with FMK sessions 
during common sampling sessions. In addition, MCC-H was to remotely 
command a calibration run, followed by sampling, of the VOA (Volatile 
Organic Analyzer), which looks for potentially toxic volatile organic 
compounds in the atmosphere.

Bowersox transferred the "T+2 days" data from the microbiological 
analysis (growth test) of SRV-K2M potable water samples with the WMK 
(water microbiology kit) into the MEC (medical equipment computer).

Using the MEC laptop, Pettit performed troubleshooting on the O-OHA
(on-orbit hearing assessment) equipment, which had exhibited an 
anomalous hissing sound. [O-OHA is an EHS (environmental health 
systems) test to assess the efficacy of acoustic countermeasures. All 
crewmembers undergo the test periodically, using individually molded 
Prophonics ear plugs, Bose ANR (acoustic noise reduction) headsets, 
and a sound meter for background measurements. O-OHA involves minimum 
audibility measurements for each ear over a wide range of frequencies 
and sound pressure levels. To conduct the testing, the experimenter 
runs special "EarQ" software on the MEC.]

Planned inspection of SM window #2 was performed by Budarin yesterday.

At 11:45am EST, the crew joined in a live TV downlink to the NASA 
Glenn Research Center, in an educational event with students from 
Cleveland area elementary and middle schools.

Instructions were uplinked for the crew to prepare for a major 
upcoming IFM (in-flight maintenance), i.e., the planned installation 
of a two-pane window in the Node-to-Airlock hatch cover, replacing the 
plate which had carried the old ECOMM (early communications system) 
antenna. [The activity, which involves careful leak checking before 
and after the change-out, will be spread over five days and is listed 
as a "job jar" task item.]

Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were 
Buenos Aires, Argentina (nadir pass; ESC [electronic still camera]. 
Despite the size of the city [~13 million] it should be possible to 
cover the whole urban region within two frames, for best comparison 
with prior data), and Tuamotu Archipelago (ISS passed over the western 
end of the long double chain of islands. Crew was to look mainly left 
of track for nadir views).

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

(continued)

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