STATUS REPORT
Today’s target was the Lake Sevan area, with mountain slopes from the
westernmost point of the lake to the ridge line enveloping Sevan from
the north.]
Date Released: Thursday, September 15, 2005
Source: NASA HQ/SpaceRef/NASA Watch
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 15 September 2005
In preparation for the fifth data collection session with the FOOT
(Foot/Ground Reaction Forces during Space Flight) experiment by the
Science Officer, scheduled for tomorrow and Friday, the crew assembled
the equipment in the Lab, including preparations for the EMG
(electromyography) calibration with camcorder/video recording, which
is to precede the day-long ops. [Feedback from John’s last run was
uplinked by the FOOT team with strategic tips to avoid significant
signal dropouts on the EMG arm signals encountered during data
collection sessions 3 and 4.]
Phillips underwent another general MedOps PFE (periodic fitness
evaluation), a monthly 1.5-hr. procedure which checks up on blood
pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) during programmed exercise on the
CEVIS (cycle ergometer with vibration isolation) in the Lab. Readings
were taken with the BP/ECG (blood pressure/electrocardiograph) and the
HRM (heart rate monitor) watch with its radio transmitter, with
Krikalev assisting his crewmate. [BP/ECG provides automated
noninvasive systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements while
also monitoring and displaying accurate heart rates on a continual
basis at rest and during exercise.]
Periodic Russian water and condensate sampling with the KAV water
sampler was performed by CDR Krikalev on the RS water supply system
(SVO-ZV), for the purpose of monitoring water quality, checking
condensate composition and condensate water processor (SRV-K2M) system
performance, for formal clearance of the SVO for further operation.
[Samples for return to the ground were collected upstream of the
SRV-K2M’s purification column unit (BKO) and the water supply system
(SVO-ZV), each after first flushing the sampling hose. Water
consumption procedures: For potable water, the crew is to start with
the Progress 19 water tank #1 (BV1, 90 liters), then from BV2 (120
liters). Afterwards, U.S. potable water will be used. U.S. technical
water will be used to fill the de-ionized water container (KOV) of the
Elektron and for flushing.]
The FE conducted the weekly inventory audit of the available CWCs
(collapsible water containers) and their contents, to keep track of
onboard water supplies. [Updated “cue cards” based on John’s water
calldowns, are sent up every other week.]
John also conducted the periodic emergency VHF communications
proficiency checkout over NASA VHF (very high frequency) sites at
Dryden and White Sands, talking with Houston/Capcom, MSFC/POIC and
Moscow/Glavni (TsUP Capcom) in the normal fashion via VHF radio from a
handheld microphone and any of the U.S. segment ATUs (audio terminal
units).
Sergei did the daily routine maintenance of the SM’s environment
control & life support system (SOZh), including its toilet system
(ASU), while John prepared the regular daily IMS “delta”/update file
for automated export/import to the three IMS databases (at MCC-H,
TsUP, and Baikonur).
Both crewmembers completed their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise
program on the TVIS treadmill, RED resistive machine and VELO bike
with bungee cord load trainer, with John’s PFE session on the CEVIS
accounting for his workout today. [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 RED workouts, followed
by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).
Working off his discretionary “time permitting” task list, the CDR was
to perform another session of the “Uragan” (hurricane) earth-imaging
program, using the Nikon D1X digital camera with f800 mm lens.
[Today’s target was the Lake Sevan area, with mountain slopes from the
westernmost point of the lake to the ridge line enveloping Sevan from
the north.]
At 2:50am EDT, ISS attitude control was handed over to the Russian MCS
(motion control system) to allow the standard dynamic testing of
Russian thruster systems, after last Tuesday’s (9/13) installation of
the US-21 matching unit.
Control authority was returned to the U.S. segment (USOS) at 5:25am.
The tests were nominal. [TsUP conducted three different test firings
of the Progress DPO (approach & attitude control) thrusters for yaw
and pitch control and the Service Module (SM) MNFD thrusters for roll
control, each of 20 second duration: at 3:28am & 3:31am using Progress
DPO manifold #1 and SM manifolds #1, followed by #2, the other at
5:25am on Progress DPO manifold #2. After each thruster firing,
angular rates were measured to allow derivation of thruster efficacy.]
>From today through 9/18, Soyuz 216/10S systems status will be
conducted daily, reading specific parameters from the Soyuz’ manual
control panel (InPU) display F03 and filling out a standard form for
subsequent report to TsUP/Moscow.
Today’s CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets, in the current
LVLH attitude no longer limited by flight rule constraints on the use
of the Lab nadir/science window, were Betsiboka River delta, NW
Madagascar (Dynamic event. Clear weather was expected over this
estuary where dramatic change has occurred in the last fifteen years.
New islands have appeared and become vegetated, all due to intensive
soil erosion inland), Subglacial rivers, North Libya (long-buried
river courses [formed beneath glaciers 400 million years ago when
Africa lay astride the South Pole] are now being exposed by erosion.
They appear as dark lines snaking across the modern landscape.
Sediment in these channels hosts water and hydrocarbons in different
places. Images from low Earth orbit are expected to reveal the wider
regional pattern of these ancient river courses. Overlapping views
right of track were requested), and Hurricane Ophelia (Dynamic
event. This slow-moving storm is expected to remain a Category 1
hurricane, with its center over Cape Hatteras. ISS had a nadir pass).
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
Previous NASA ISS On-orbit Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA
Space Station Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Shuttle
Processing Status Reports can be found here. A collection of all of these
reports and other materials relating to Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle
fleet can be found here.
ISS Location NOW
Full Size/Update
Real Time ISS Tracker – More Links
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:21am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude — 350.3 km
Apogee height — 351.5 km
Perigee height — 349.2 km
Period — 91.55 min.
Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
Eccentricity — 0.0001954
Solar Beta Angle — -8.7 deg (magnitude increasing) Orbits per 24-hr. day —
15.73 Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 145 m
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) – 38988
Upcoming Events (all times EDT):
09/30/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S launch (~11:54pm)
10/03/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S docking (~1:20am)
10/11/05 — Soyuz TMA-6/10S landing (~9:06pm)
10/18/05 – ISS Reboost
11/18/05 — Soyuz TMA-7/11S relocation (from DC-1 to FGB nadir port)
12/21/05 – Progress M-55/20P launch
12/23/05 — Progress M-55/20P docking.
ISS Altitude History
Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility
dates/times, see
In addition,
information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can
be found at on NASA’s
Human Spaceflight website. The current location of the International
Space Station can be found at
at NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at