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07 May 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 6 May 2003

Part 1 of 2

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

Both crewmembers today had one hour set aside on their schedule for
ISS familiarization, i.e., to adjust to their new surroundings and
activities. This has become a standard requirement for new station
occupants for the first two weeks.

CDR Yuri Malenchenko destowed and started out on the Russian
biomedical Braslet-M/Anketa ("bracelet/questionnaire") test procedure
which has him evaluate a number of "bracelet" cuffs for their
usefulness in suppressing the adverse effects of micro-G for the
"newcomer" aboard the station during the acute phase of adaptation to
weightlessness.  [The "bracelets" are compression cuffs attached to a
belt and worn on the upper thighs over the coveralls, intended as
countermeasures against the initial micro-G effects of blood filling
(vascularity) in the upper torso (heaviness and blood pulsation in
the head), facial puffiness, nasal stuffiness, painful eye movement,
and vestibular disorders (dizziness, nausea, vomiting).  They create
artificial blood  accumulation in the upper thirds of the thighs,
causing some of the circulating blood volume to relocate from the
upper body to the lower extremities, thereby (hopefully) correcting
the adverse hemodynamic effect of micro-G and thus improving the
crewmember's working capability.  The actual compression cuff in the
Braslet-Ì units is a combination of alternating multi-layer tensile
and non-tensile elements, whose distension by body movements creates
elastic forces that produce the necessary pressure on the body
surface.] 

Malenchenko also performed the first session of the Russian
biomedical Pilot experiment (MBI-15) which uses a work table,
restraint system (ankle) and control handles for testing piloting
skill. 

FE/SO Edward Lu completed his first periodic cleaning of the VD1 and
VD2 air ducts in the DC-1 "Pirs" docking module.

In the Service Module (SM), Malenchenko deinstalled the IWIS RSU
(internal wireless instrumentation system/remote sensing unit) with
its radio antenna, now no longer needed after it was used to take
structural dynamics data resulting from the Soyuz undocking.

Ed Lu meanwhile downloaded the accumulated IWIS data to SSC (station
support computer) for downlink to the ground via OCA/S-band at a
later time. 

Malenchenko conducted his first periodic (every two months)
inspection of the pressure hull in the SM Working Compartment (RO)
behind panels 130, 134, 135, 138, and under the TVIS treadmill in
the "floor pit", looking for any moisture, residue, mold, corrosion,
and pitting.  [Yuri focused on hull shell and cold plates under the
SNT voltage and current stabilizers and STR thermal control system
pipes, using surface wipes to clean the area in question, describing
any discovered mold as to color, consistency (solid, crumbly,
powdery) and location, and photographing the hull surface with the
digital camera before and after the treatment.  Pictures were
prepared for downlink to MCC-H for forwarding to TsUP.  The last hull
inspection was performed by Nikolai Budarin on 2/26/03.]

Later, Yuri completed the regular maintenance/inspection of the
BRPK-1 air/liquid condensate separator.

Malenchenko had his first activity with the HRF (human research
facility), while Science Officer Lu installed the new Expedition 7
software on the MEC (medical equipment computer) and configured the
software for HRM (heart rate monitor software) watch device
accordingly. 

Afterwards, Ed completed his first U.S. MedOps crew nutrition
assessment by filling out the standard food frequency questionnaire
(FFQ) on the MEC desktop.

Ed Lu also performed the daily routine maintenance/inspection of SOZh
life support systems and prepared the daily IMS (inventory management
system) delta file to update the IMS database  [After the onboard
implementation of the new IMS software version 1.37 last year, all
outstanding IMS delta files can be automatically imported on the
station.  Crew support consists in executing a batch file that
performs the automated import (morning) and export (evening) via
links on the SSC start page.  The complex on-board inventory tracking
system coordinates four separate databases in close-to-real time:
onboard-ISS, MCC-Houston, MCC-Moscow, and Baikonur (Progress/Soyuz
loading).] 

Yuri and Ed also completed their daily physical exercise program, on
TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), RED
(resistive exercise device), and, for Yuri, on the Russian VELO
ergometer with load trainer

MCC-H is working on a troubleshooting plan for the failed SM PCS
(portable computer system) laptop, which should be available to the
crew on 5/8.  [One way to reduce the chance of failure during
critical PCS operation is to reboot the units frequently.]

A first draft of procedures for the upcoming mandatory Emergency
Egress OBT (onboard training) was uplinked to the crew by MCC-Moscow,
the lead for this event, to be conducted on 5/12 (Monday).  Rules
call for the emergency egress exercise to be performed by every new
station crew once within seven days after departure of the previous
crew.  [Its purpose is to familiarize the station residents with the
locations of emergency equipment and the position of valves used in
emergency situations, to work through the Russian Segment (RS)
deactivation procedures, and to develop crew emergency joint
measures.  Crewmembers are to verify ISS readiness for emergency
response by performing specific actions such as inspection of all
translation paths to the Soyuz CRV and determination of any
obstructions that would hinder an emergency egress, inspection of all
vehicle hatchways and determination if hatchways can be easily
cleared in the event of an emergency, reviewing and discussing
methods to disconnect air-ducts that run through Russian hatches
(without disconnecting any permanent hardware), determining the
accessibility of all communications panels and hardware, of all
emergency equipment, of specific ports, instruments and kits, and
confirming that specific valves are in the expected configuration.
The exercise is usually topped off by a debrief with the ground.]

The current flight attitude of LVLH (see below) will be maintained
until Sunday (5/11), then maneuvered again to XPOP.  Next attitude
change, to YVV/"Barbecue", will follow one week later (4/18).

Today's CEO (crew earth observations) targets, including cities
during daylight and at night (again available as targets in the
current LVLH attitude) were Madras (Chennai), India (nadir pass; ESC
[electronic still camera]), Damascus, Syria (nadir pass; ESC),
Western Mediterranean Dust (dust can be seen on satellite images
blowing north off the Libyan coast), Tunis, Tunisia (nadir pass;
ESC), Congo Basin (Dynamic event.  Unusually cloudfree conditions may
persist.  Trying for sunglint views [nadir] of the confluence of the
largest rivers, Congo and Ubangi. Contrast in sunglint views can
provide very high levels of detail in these dynamic rivers), St.
Thomas island, St. John island, and St. Croix island (coral reefs
around these small islands are part of a global reef mapping
project), Puerto Rico (coastal cities and reefs are the prime focus
of this target), Albuquerque, New Mexico (nadir pass; ESC), Yucatan
Fires (night target; many fires continue to rage in the Peten Forest
on the Mexico-Guatemala border [the New World's second largest
rainforest]), Dallas, Texas (night target; nadir pass), Salt Lake
City, Utah (night target; nadir pass), and Seattle, Washington (night
target; nadir pass). 
 - Continued -

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