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10 Apr 2003

ISS On-Orbit Status 9 Apr 2003

Part 1 of 3

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted
previously or below.  Space Day 137 for Expedition 6 (since STS-113
launch on 11/23/02).

Yesterday's outstanding extravehicular work by CDR Ken Bowersox and
FE-2/SO Don Pettit drew rave reviews from the ground (particularly
for their 10-12 hammer raps on the stuck MT lighting stanchion, a
no-frills but successful closure to countless "viewgraphs and action
items"). 

Before breakfast and first exercise, Bowersox and Pettit underwent
another session with the Russian biochemical urinalysis MO-9, getting
post-EVA data for medical comparison with the pre-EVA data of 4/7.
FE-1 Nikolai Budarin afterwards stowed the Urolux equipment.  [MO-9,
conducted before and after EVAs, also regularly every 30 days, is one
of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US
crewmembers for PHS (periodic health status) evaluation as part of
the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam.  The analysis uses the
sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus "Urolux" developed
originally for the Mir program.] 

Don Pettit activated the AR (air revitalization) rack, then started
the PuFF (pulmonary function in flight) equipment for a standard
post-EVA breathing test by himself and Ken Bowersox.  Later in the
day, Don powered the PuFF equipment down, leaving it deployed for the
time being.  [PuFF supports the continuing investigation of the
effects of long-term micro-G exposure and EVAs on the pulmonary
(lung) function, utilizing the GASMAP (gas analyzer system for
metabolic analysis physiology) in the Human Research Facility, along
with a variety of other PuFF equipment such as a manual breathing
valve, flowmeter, pressure-flow module, pressure and volume
calibration syringes and disposable mouthpieces.] 

Budarin worked on the "Wiener" power laptop in the Russian segment
(RS), upgrading the SUBA BSMM multiplex bus synchronization unit of
the Russian OpsLAN network with new software (rev. 1.2) from a CD-ROM
delivered on Progress.  [The code was first copied to the laptop.
Then, the BSMM was updated on the HDD (hard disk drive) with
MCC-Moscow support via S-band during several tag-ups.]

Bowersox and Pettit had another session with the SSRMS (space station
remote manipulator system), for about 30 min.  [SSRMS was maneuvered
from yesterday's EVA support viewing position to the FMS (force
moment sensor) data gathering position #1. The purpose of this
ten-step single joint maneuver was to move Canadarm2 away from
obstructing the Lab science window and to position the Tip LEE
(latching end effector) in a specific orientationwhich provides
desired lighting conditions to collect FMS data. A Tip LEE "fast
checkout", one of the remaining OCRs (on-orbit checkout
requirements), was deferred to the next Robotics day, Friday, 4/11.]

Pettit set up and performed the long-awaited re-activation of the
EarthKAM payload, which he installed at the Lab (nadir) science
window.   [EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school
students) is using an ESC 460C electronic still camera mounted at the
Lab's down-facing window, equipped with a 50mm lens (f1.4).  Powered
by 16Vdc from a 120 Vdc adapter, EarthKAM takes pictures by remote
operation from the ground, without crew interaction.  It is available
for Middle School-ers, who submit image requests and conduct
geographic research.  The requests are uplinked in a camera control
file to an SSC (station support computer) laptop which then activates
the camera at specified times and receives the digital images from
the camera's storage card on its hard drive, for subsequent downlink
via OPS LAN.] 

Bowersox meanwhile took care of two more cleanup items from
yesterday's EVA: EMU water recharge and Metox (metal oxide) CO2
adsorbent regeneration in the Airlock's Metox oven.  Tomorrow (4/10)
and Friday (4/11), the crew will also discharge all four EMU
batteries in order to preserve battery capacity. 

Budarin destowed three new biomedical harnesses (PKOs), brought up
on Progress, and replaced the old harnesses located in the Orbital
Module of the Soyuz TMA-1 (211) with them.

Nikolai also performed the regular routine inspection of the BRPK
condensate/air separator and then worked about an hour on preventive
maintenance in the FGB, cleaning the protective mesh screens of the
module's ventilation fans.

Bowersox did the periodic radio comm check with the Wallops ground
site, with MCC-H initiating the proficiency test call on VHF-1 (very
high frequency channel 1) upon ISS AOS (acquisition of sight) from
Wallops. 

Budarin started the 24-hr. regeneration cycle on absorbent bed 1 of
the BMP micropurification subsystem, a part of the air revitalization
system (SOGS), leaving channel 2 in Purify mode.

Today's routine servicing of the SOZh life support system (including
ASU toilet facilities) in the SM fell to Sox.  He also did the
regular Lab payload status checkup as well as the preparation of the
daily IMS inventory delta file.

The Russian Flight Engineer performed observations and photography
for the geophysical GFI-8 Uragan ("hurricane") program, as cloud
cover permitted. Areas of interest today were cities of Northern
Iraq, a perspective panoramic shot of the Caucasus range, and dust
storms of the Aral Sea. [Stated purpose of imaging Iraq is to record
effects of the ecological disaster resulting from the combustion of
petroleum products.] 

For Cosmonautics Day on Saturday (4/12), the crew downlinked another
cordial message of greeting, today addressing the City of St.
Petersburg.  The video was taken with the crew floating in front of
the St. Petersburg flag.  ["On this day we acknowledge with pride
that Russia remains the leading space power, despite the complex
domestic and international climates.  The St. Petersburg flag has
been onboard the International Space Station since November 2002.
This year, throughout Russia we will celebrate the tri-centennial of
your city's founding by Peter the Great.  We wish Happy Cosmonautics
Day to the administration and all the residents of the city on the
Neva.  From the bottom of our hearts, we wish you good health and
active productive work, as well as simple human happiness".]

"Kolya" (Nikolai) and his crewmates also used the ham radio equipment
to chat with Russian schoolchildren at Kursk, assembled at the
Russian National Olympics for Young Astronomers and Space Physicists
at the Kursk Polytechnic Museum.  A list with questions had been
uplinked last night.  ["Have you seen interplanetary space stations
and have you communicated with them?"] 

All crewmembers performed their daily program of physical exercise on
TVIS, CEVIS, and RED.

Onboard the ISS, all TCS (thermal control system) elements are back
in nominal configuration following yesterday's SPD (spool positioning
device) installations.

With the completion of the CMG (control moment gyro) reconfiguration
task yesterday, a number of MCS (motion control system) laptop
displays show incorrect RPC (remote power controller) status for
CMG-1 and -2 because they refer to pre-EVA RPC status.  The displays
will remain this way until Mission 12A.1.  Meanwhile, the CMGs'
power-on status can still be verified by the crew with an appropriate
software command. 

The CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) is currently running in addition to
the Vozdukh, in support of the Metox canister regeneration (which
produces CO2). 

 - Continued -

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