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echo: sb-nasa_news
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from: Hugh S. Gregory
date: 2003-02-25 23:42:00
subject: 2\05 Pt-1 ISS On Orbit Status 05-02-2003

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2\05 ISS On-Orbit Status 05-02-2003
Part 1 of 2

ISS On-Orbit Status 2/5/03

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted 
previously or below. Day 74 in space for the Expedition 6 crew.

After wake-up (1:00am EST), the crew began unloading Progress 
10P/M-47, after CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-1 Nikolai Budarin had removed 
the probe-and-cone docking mechanism (StM) of the cargo vehicle's 
docking and internal transfer system (SSVP). The unloading is 
accompanied by careful inventory auditing for the IMS (inventory 
management system).

Among the first items removed from Progress were the MSG (microgravity
science glovebox) parts, the PDC (power distribution controller) and 
ESEM3 (exchangeable standard electronic module 3). FE-2/SO Don Pettit 
began with their installation in the MSG rack, which was video-taped 
for the record.  Subsequent steps were establishment of rack cooling 
flow and power-up, followed by nominal MSG activation. This resulted 
in a circuit breaker trip, after which further activity was put on 
hold, pending investigation. MSG is powered down

10P also delivered new books with crew procedures covering changes of
existing ODFs (operations data files). [Bowersox had about 1.5 hrs 
scheduled today to transfer and insert the approx. 450 pages into the 
appropriate on-board books. CD-ROMs with the changes are scheduled to 
arrive with the next Soyuz flight in April.]

Nikolai Budarin transferred two newly arrived GCF-N payload units 
(Granada Crystallization Facility 02 or "N") from Progress 10P and 
installed it in the SM. The payload will be used for experiments with 
counterdiffusion crystallization of biological macromolecules. [The 
installation/stowage was photo documented with the Nikon D1 and the 
images were saved from the Compact Flash card to a laptop. Operations 
with the GCF are to be performed with personal protection gear: 
respirator, goggles, and surgical gloves. A previous GCF payload, 
delivered by 9P and later returned to Earth, was used by ESA guest 
cosmonaut Frank De Winne.]

Budarin also performed the regular daily checkup of the BIO-5
Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 ("Plants-2") plant growth experiment.

In the SM, Budarin changed out the CO2 filter unit (BF) in the IK0501 
gas analyzer, an automated system for measuring CO2, O2, and H2O in 
the air, as well as the flow rate of the gas being analyzed.

Bowersox tore down the TV routing connections to the USOS (U.S. 
segment) used yesterday to cover Progress approach and docking with 
U.S. Ku-band assets.

Don Pettit again took two carbon dioxide (CO2) readings in the SM and 
Lab with the U.S. CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit).

Bowersox performed the regular daily maintenance of the SOSh life 
support system and conducted the daily Lab payload status checkup. 
After the consumables audit (see following item), he also performed 
data entry in the IMS and prepared the daily update file for downlink 
to the IMS database.

As part of the intense ISS replanning efforts underway at MCC-M due to 
the current Shuttle stand-down contingency, the crew had an hour 
scheduled today for taking a careful audit of all onboard consumables 
(food, water, personal hygiene, etc.). The data will be assessed 
against actual usage rates to determine precisely what we need to fly 
up on Progress 11P in June (6/8).  [This effort is similar to what was 
done for 10P last Saturday, 2/1.]

Current consumable complement on board is sufficient through June '03. 
The limiting item is water (must be "pasteurized" for drinking), which 
depends on recovery of the Russian SRV-K water processing system to 
full operability. Removal and replacement (R&R) of the CFU (condensate 
feed unit) with the new unit delivered by 10P is scheduled for 2/9. If 
the CFU R&R is successful, 20 liters of U.S. water from the Lab 
condensate tank will be transferred to a CWC (contingency water 
container) on 2/10 for SRV-K processing.

If the R&R is unsuccessful, overboard dumping becomes necessary but 
will be done as late as possible. Every attempt will be made not to 
waste water, but storage is limited (have only three CWCs on board). 
Moscow has offered to store water in one of the two Rodnik water 
system tanks. Rodnik has been used to contain "silver water" (water 
treated with silver iodine) and urine.

Also being worked is the need to re-establish IMV (intermodular 
ventilation) between the USOS and RS, which currently is not working. 
Proper atmospheric circulation between the modules is required for 
control of ppCO2 (CO2 partial pressure), humidity, temperature, thus: 
condensation).

The CDRA (CO2 removal assembly) in the Lab was activated yesterday to
support crew exercise. [In order to limit CDRA usage, for conservation 
of lifetime and to minimize the necessary resetting of the ITCS LTL 
(internal thermal control system/low temperature loop) temperature 
setpoint, operation of Vozdukh is being reviewed for alternate manual 
mode instead of the current automatic mode, since the latter is 
controlled by the suspect SM gas analyzer. Adjustment of the U.S. CCAA 
(common cabin air assembly) is also being studied to help with the IMV 
issue, but CCAA works different than the Russian SKV air conditioner 
with respect to humidity control.]

Another issue under intense study, due to the Shuttle stand-down, is 
ISS altitude strategy. [Reboosts are Russian responsibility. MCC-M 
will do reboost with Progress 10P "as soon as possible and as high as 
possible", and MCC-H has waived the Shuttle-imposed altitude limit of 
370 km. The burn maneuver is planned for mid-February (2/10), with a 
delta-V of ~15 m/sec.  Reboost cannot be done later than 2/13 since 
ISS can't stay in current LVLH attitude beyond that date but must 
maneuver to XPOP (else not enough power from solar arrays). An 
additional reboost may follow in April (delta V ~3 m/sec), if required 
to adjust orbital phasing angle for Soyuz 5S reentry (5S) and Soyuz 6S 
launch in April (4/26). For 6S docking on 4/28, desired altitude is 
400 km (alternate: 398 km), but that will lastly depend on actual 
upmass specified for 6S. If no additional reboost after that, ISS will 
reach Shuttle docking altitude by 9/1. If no Shuttle by that time, 
will again reboost as much as required. If Shuttle flies in early 
Summer, we may require some retrograde deboost (lowering altitude), 
but that would be a small price to pay.]

CMG-2 (control moment gyroscope #2) has exhibited several temperature 
spike indications. While these have been seen before, their frequency 
has picked up. Ops specialists do not believe that we have a problem. 
[Currently, there are three CMGs working, and the station can live on 
2 CMGs if necessary.]

Progress 10P docking yesterday went well. Hatches were opened on time, 
right after the STS-107 ceremony at JSC. [During approach and docking, 
MCC-M/TsUP encountered two technical problems: (a) Docking was to be 
executed on Kurs antenna #2, but Progress autopilot kept switching to 
antenna #1 which had been under suspicion. Therefore, the latter was 
used at begin and end of the docking sequence, and it worked without 
problems, neither at far distance nor during prox ops; (b) one 
Progress control thruster (yaw) sent an off-nominal signal, after 
which the computer switched to the #1 thruster manifold for the 
docking. Issue is under investigation.]

(continued)

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