Space Ref
July 11 2005
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 July 2005
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as
presented here, contains additional, original material produced by
SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2005) to enhance access to related status
reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted
previously or below. Underway: Week 12 for Increment 11.
Before breakfast and exercise, CDR Sergei Krikalev and FE/SO John
Phillips completed their third session with the Russian crew health
monitoring program’s medical assessment “Biochemical Urinalysis”
(MO-9). Afterwards, the CDR stowed the hardware. [MO-9 is conducted
regularly every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one
of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for US
crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/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. Afterwards, the data are
entered in the medical equipment computer (MEC)’s special IFEP
software (In-Flight Examination Program).]
The crew had several hours blocked out for gathering & pre-packing
hardware and other cargo to be returned on the Shuttle. [An updated
list of ~83 Russian items for return was uplinked to assist in the
marshalling ops.]
The CDR serviced the Russian BMP harmful impurities removal system,
starting the “bake-out” cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the
regenerable dual-channel filtration system. Before sleep time today,
the bake-out will be terminated. [Regeneration of each of the two
cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew
awake periods. The BMP currently still uses the same vacuum vent
valve for regeneration as the Elektron (the latter for venting
hydrogen).]
The FE/SO deployed two passive FMK (formaldehyde monitoring kit)
sampling assemblies in the Lab (below CEVIS) and Service Module (SM,
most forward handrail), to catch any atmospheric formaldehyde on a
collector substrate for subsequent laboratory analysis. (Last time
done: 6/14).
In preparation for the LF-1 docked period, the crew assembled and
prepared the ETVCG (external television camera group) assembly for
its installation in the lower outboard position of the P1 truss
during EVA-3.
Krikalev took two photos of the Service Module (SM) aft-end passive
docking assembly (SSVP StA) used for the Progress M-53/18P linkup, a
standard practice after Russian dockings. These images, taken with
the Nikon D1X digital still camera, will be used to refine current
understanding of docking conditions. Later in the day, the pictures
were downlinked via OCA/S-band. [The objective is to take photo
imagery of the scratch or scuff mark left by the head of the docking
probe on the internal surface of the drogue (docking cone) ring, now
rotated out of the passageway. As other cosmonauts before him,
Krikalev used the Kodak 760 digital still camera to take two pictures
with the hatch closed down and downlinked them later via OCA.]
Working on the Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment,
Sergei today deactivated the greenhouse system for a sampling of the
plant growth, photographing the most developed root plant from the
root module. The image was then to be downlinked via Regul-Packet or
BSR-TM [Rasteniya researches growth and development of plants
(currently horse radish) under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-7
greenhouse.]
Krikalev also did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s
environment control & life support system (SOZh), including its
toilet system (ASU). Later, working off his voluntary “time
available” task list, he prepared the IMS (inventory management
system) “delta” file for automated export/import top the three IMS
databases.
Both crewmembers conducted their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise
program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine and VELO bike
with bungee cord load trainer. [Sergei’s daily protocol prescribes a
strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill and
one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 1 of a new set).]
Afterwards, John transferred the exercise data files to the MEC
(Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily
wristband HRM (heart rate monitor) data of the workouts on RED,
followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a
week).
Another item in today’s Russian “job jar” was a session with the
“Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging program, focusing the Nikon D1X
digital camera with f400 or 800 mm lens from an SM window on targets
specified by an uplinked list. [Today’s targets included the Far East
and the coastline of the Russian Federation, the Island of Sakhalin
with its coastline, the Kuril Island at low sun, Armenia and mountain
slopes from nadir to Lake Sevan, Dagestan with mountain valleys
towards Makhachkala, and Kazakhstan (environmental status at oil
fields in the eastern part of Mangyshlak peninsula.]
At ~11:24am EDT (DO-2), TsUP/Moscow prepared the Progress propellant
system (KDU) remotely for the subsequent prop transfer from the BG1
tank of 18P to the SM. Transfer of approximately 92 kg fuel (UDMMH)
was set to begin at ~1:00pm (DO-3), to be terminated at 3:25pm on
DO-4.
Over the weekend, the BVK-1 vacuum valve group of the Vozdukh carbon
dioxide (CO2) removal system failed three times. After the first two
times, it was restarted in Manual Mode. After the third failure, the
valve group was removed & replaced with a spare. Vozdukh was then
reactivated in Manual Mode and later transitioned into automatic
mode. At present, it appears to be functioning nominally.
Also during the weekend, SSC-8 (Station Support Computer #8), an A31P
ThinkPad laptop, suffered a screen failure. The computer is
functioning, but the screen is down. [That leaves one operational SSC
and the CPSD (Crew Personal Support Disk) machine in the Lab. There
are a several options to getting a second SSC functioning in the Lab
before STS-114 docking.]
Update on STS-114 Launch: Eileen Collins and Jim Kelly flew training
rounds in the STA (Shuttle Training Aircraft) today. Results of the
current L-2 meeting will be available later tonight in a scheduled
press conference (check KSC website). Launch weather outlook remains
unchanged from yesterday: expected is a 30% chance that weather may
prevent launch on Wednesday. In the event of a delay, the forecast is
slightly less promising, with the chance of weather violating launch
constraints rising to 40% on Thursday and Friday.
No CEO (crew earth observations) targets today.
CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 11 crew visit:
at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 11 Flight Crew Plans can be found at