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ISS On-Orbit Status 1 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

Week 22 and  Day 159 for Expedition 6 (since STS-113 launch, 11/23/02
[157 days aboard ISS]).  On Earth: Space Day 2003.  And in space:
"The combined Expedition 6/7 crew functions together like a
well-oiled machine." (Flight Control to Crew).

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

Handovers continued between Expedition 6/7 crews.  Russian segment
(RS) handover statements were uplinked by MCC-M for FE-1 Nikolai
Budarin and CDR-7 Yuri Malenchenko to sign before return to Earth
(Saturday, 5/3).  [The statements certify ISS RS status as well as
cargo stowed for deorbit on Progress 247 (10P).]

To assist with the cargo transfers, MCC-M uplinked a detailed list of
return hardware and its exact location in the Soyuz-211/TMA-1 Descent
Module (DM). 

Budarin and Malenchenko completed the second and last day of the
Russian MBI-2 Deuraz ("Diuresis") experiment.  [Deuraz required the
two cosmonauts today to collect venous blood samples from each other,
followed by centrifugation to separate the blood into cells and
plasma, and finally closeout and stowage.]

Malenchenko continued the Russian BTX-10 "Conjugation" experiment,
which pursues development of new methods of engineering of new
recombinant strains of protein producers.  [Malenchenko again
monitored the run, replacing the ice packs with new ones from the
Biokont-T container.  He will do this daily until 5/3 for return on
5S/Soyuz.] 

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin set up the Russian MO-21 "Ecosphera" air sampler
and incubation equipment, for the atmospheric microbial air sampling
scheduled tomorrow, and started recharge of its power supply unit.
[MO-21 determines microbial contamination of the ISS atmosphere,
specifically the total bacterial and fungal microflora counts and
microflora composition according to morphologic criteria of
microorganism colonies.] 

The Vozdukh CO2 removal unit was temporarily deactivated for Budarin
to replace its two damaged (and temporarily repaired) power cables
with new ones brought up on Soyuz-212/6S.  Vozdukh was then turned
back on in Mode 5. 

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin, assisted by Malenchenko, terminated
regeneration for absorbent bed #2 of the BMP harmful impurities unit
and switched the channel back to Purify mode.  Both beds are now in
this mode again.  [The "bakeout" cycle in the filter beds is repeated
every 20 days.  Each bakeout to space vacuum takes about 24 hours.]

FE-2/SO Donald Pettit collected all 16 RAMs (radiation area monitors)
from the Service Module (6), Lab (5), Node (3) and Airlock (2) and
placed them in a Ziploc bag for stowage in the Soyuz 5S DM.

In preparation for tomorrow's planned robotics operations, CDR Ken
Bowersox, Don Pettit and the Increment 7 crew had a one-hour joint
review of SSRMS DOUG (space station remote manipulator system/dynamic
operational ubiquitous graphics) software.  [Since tomorrow, last day
before undocking, has a busy schedule and SSRMS operations are not
planned for Increment 7, performance of the robotics activities is
left to the crew's discretion.  They would involve initial DCP
(display & control panel) switch tests, MSS (mobile service system)
camera settings, a joint OCAS (operator commanded auto sequence) to a
Lab PDGF (power & data grapple fixture) pre-grapple position,
followed by grapple, release and a single joint maneuver to final
stow position.]

Malenchenko removed and replaced the two PS1/PS2 dust collector
filters in the FGB air ventilation system, disposing of the old
filters (last time done: 4/4/03).

FE-1-7 Edward Lu and Ken Bowersox worked on two EMUs (extravehicular
mobility units) in the Airlock, resizing them for the Increment 7
crew.

Lu and Bowersox also collected fluid samples from the ITCS (internal
thermal control system), drawing them from the MTL (moderate
temperature loop) port, for analysis with an ammonia test strip and
return of a sample bag to the ground.

Nikolai Budarin conducted his daily checkup of the BIO-5
"Rasteniya-2/Lada-2" zero-G plant growth experiment.

Don Pettit switched the EarthKAM camera from a 50mm to a 180mm focal
length lens.  [Ground team to crew: "EarthKAM is on its way to
setting a record for capturing images during ISS ops.  This has been
a terrific finish for Increment 6 and an awesome start for Increment
7.  We're anxious to get the 180mm images, since the detail is so
much greater than the 50mm images. Thanks for keeping a close eye on
our operations".] 

Nikolai Budarin continued yesterday's run of the Russian Uragan earth
observations program, using the Nikon D1 digital camera from SM
windows 5-8. [Targets of interest were the Rhine River and Danube
River valleys, cities of Regensburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava,
Budapest and Belgrade, panoramic shots of the Carpathian Mountains,
Bucharest, western and southern coast of the Black Sea,
Ankara/Turkey, the Amman-Baghdad highway along the northern lake
shore, El-Kuwait, and the coast of the Arab Emirates.] 

 - Continued -

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