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ISS On-Orbit Status 2/23/03

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted 
previously or below. Sunday rest day for the crew (except for regular 
routine tasks plus some repair work) and Day 92 in space for 
Expedition 6. Russian holiday weekend "Defender of the Fatherland Day" 
continues. Ahead: Week 13.

FE-1 Nikolai Budarin performed the weekly collection of SP toilet 
flush and SVO water supply counter data for calldown to the ground, 
well as the periodic check-out of the Elektron oxygen generator's VM 
gas/liquid system for air bubbles. Routine replacement of the 
Elektron's BKO purification/multifiltration column is scheduled for 
tomorrow.

Later, Budarin completed the weekly inspection of the BRPK air/liquid
separator of the SRVK water processing system in the Service Module 
(SM).

Budarin today was scheduled to perform off-line testing on the suspect 
BVK-1 vacuum valve group on the failed Vozdukh carbon dioxide (CO2) 
scrubber. [To take the BVK off line, the ground first inhibited data 
output between the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system and the onboard 
computer system by turning off VD-SU mode, then powered off the BITS. 
Next, on MCC-M go-ahead Budarin disconnected the vacuum valve 
assembly, before BITS and VD-SU were reactivated. Testing of the valve 
package was then to follow, and if he found the BVK-1 to be failed, 
Budarin was to replace it with a spare unit, again on MCC-M go-ahead, 
prior to reconnecting to the BITS in VD-SU mode.]

R3 Computer Transition Status: All three C&C (command & control) MDMs, 
both GNC (guidance, navigation & control) MDMs and both INT (interior 
systems) MDMs are fully loaded and configured with their new software. 
File names for the PCS (portable computer system) laptop displays have 
been corrected on the primary C&C; work on the other computers is 
underway. PCS loading will be finished today by installing patch #2 
into the remaining units (including the spare).

FE-2/SO Don Pettit prepared the daily IMS inventory file system for 
auto export/import, and Nikolai performed the routine maintenance of 
the SOSh life support system.

Don also took the two daily CDMK (CO2 monitoring kit) readings of the 
ppCO2 levels in SM and Lab, as per Moscow's request last week.

All crewmembers performed their regular daily physical exercise on 
TVIS (treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization), RED 
(resistive exercise device) and VELO with load trainer.

The crew had their weekly PFCs (private family conferences), via U.S. 
comm assets.

In support of the ongoing Renal (Kidney) Stone experiment, a special 
item was placed on the crew's "job jar" task list for photographing 
the Renal log book entries and pill pallets' exterior labels and 
contents, followed by downlinking the images. This will save vital 
space for science downmass on Soyuz 5S.

Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations) program were
Bangladesh Smog (DYNAMIC EVENT TARGET: An extensive, persistent smog 
plume is noted by satellite over eastern India and Bangladesh. Crew 
was to look right of track to document this event), Mekong River Delta 
(the crew had a nice pass for context views of this large delta and 
the southern coast of Vietnam), Soufriere Volcano (DYNAMIC EVENT 
TARGET: Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat erupted on 
Feb. 16, 2003, sending a plume of ash and steam westward over the 
Caribbean Sea. Crew was to look left of track after crossing Puerto 
Rico to detect the volcanic plume moving off of this small island), 
and Newfoundland Ice Floes (with any break at all in the weather the 
crew will have had optimal illumination of this target area.  Looking 
left of track up the west coast of the big island of Newfoundland 
toward the Strait of Belle Isle for floes of sea ice lodged against 
the rugged western coast).

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

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:34am EST [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 391.4 km
Apogee -- 399.5 km
Perigee -- 383.3 km
Period -- 92.38 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.63 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0011921
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.59
Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours -- 100 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 24327

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide naked-eye visibility dates/times, 
see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html

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