ISS Daily Report, 18-12-2002
Jacques van Oene
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously
or below.
After an early wake-up at 9:50pm (last night EST), the crew supported the
Soyuz/Progress/SM Kurs-P (passive) ring test several times during Russian
ground site (RGS) comm passes. [Afterwards, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin completed
post-test reconfiguring of the Kurs-P automated rendezvous and approach
radar system.]
CDR Ken Bowersox and FE-1 Nikolai Budarin conducted a major routine test of
STTS audio/communications workstations in the SM and FGB, which required a
path and VHF receiver test, followed by switching the STTS to its backup
string and checking it out with the ground. Also included in the procedure
was troubleshooting of sporadic failures of the VHF1 transmitter to activate
on pushing the "Push-To-Talk" or "Transmit" buttons. [The STTS audio
subsystem will continue to run on backup sets for two weeks until specific
directive to switch back to primary is given by MCC-M (TsUP).]
FE-2/SO Don Pettit completed the scheduled Week 3 potable water sampling and
on-orbit chemical/microbial analysis of the SM environment control and life
support system (ECLSS, Russian: SOSh) water supply system. As part of the
scheduled task, photographs were taken of the sampling ops. Later, Pettit
spent about an hour with in-flight processing of the water samples with the
CHeCS WMK (crew health care systems water microbiology kit).
Bowersox had his first practice run for the upcoming FOOT (Foot/Ground
Reaction Forces During Space Flight) experiment next week, performing an
electromyography (muscular electric signals) calibration.
At about 8:40am EST, Don Pettit installed both the EXPRESS Rack 3 (ER3)
laptop in preparation for ER3 activation and checkout tomorrow (12/19) and
the ARIS2 (active rack isolation system #2) snubber cup isolators.
FE-2 Pettit was scheduled for the long-awaited removal of the stripped screw
on the access cover, using the new carbide drill bits which came up on 11A.
He was also to conduct a test of the ARCTIC-1 cooling pump.
Bowersox was informed by the ARIS support team that his ZCG (Zeolite crystal
growth) activities yesterday did not disturb the sensitive ARIS rack because
of his being "very gentle with the rack. Great job!" [The ZCG experiment run
appears highly successful, and for the first time, ZCG researchers were made
aware of potential problems with excess bubbles (foaming). This had been
postulated, but until Sox's interaction, it could not be verified. Sox's
judgments were invaluable to ZCG and the success of this experiment is being
attributed directly to his actions.]
The daily routine servicing tasks of SOSh life support systems (incl. toilet
systems) maintenance and IMS inventory update file preparation were
performed by FE-2/SO Don Pettit.
CDR Bowersox transferred excess water from the Lab condensate tank to CWCs
(contingency water containers). Later, Pettit conducted a periodic checkup
of the onboard CWCs.
Between 12/17 and 12/30, FE-1 Nikolai Budarin is experimenting with
preventive treatment with Aspirin-Cardio, ingesting one tablet daily with
water after a meal.
Both PVCU (photovoltaic controller unit) MDMs are now fully re-loaded with
Revision 2 (R2) software. PVCU 4B is in the nominal configuration as Primary
computer. PMCU 1 (power management controller unit 1) is in Primary, and
PMCU 2 is OFF, also a nominal config. (In yesterday's Status Report, PMCU 2
was erroneously shown in Primary mode).
All crewmembers completed their daily physical exercise.
The crew received kudos from the ground on their first live PAO event
yesterday with Hutto Middle School, Hutto, TX. It went particularly well,
with the crew doing an excellent job fielding interesting questions from
middle schoolers.
Sleep period tonight begins at 2:30pm EST, a little earlier than normal, to
extend to wake-up tomorrow at the normal time.
Today's targets for the CEO (crew earth observations program) were
Congo-Zimbabwe Biomass Burning (fires continue to be reported in this
portion of southern Africa. The ISS pass was primarily along the Mozambique
coast: crew was to try for oblique and limb views to the left of track,
looking for smoke plumes and palls), Ganges River Delta (the crew had a good
pass over this target with good light and clear skies. They were to
carefully map the delta, most of which was just to the left of track,
particularly noting water color, sediment plumes and agricultural activity
during the dry season for this region), Western Mediterranean Dust (with a
huge Atlantic storm poised just to west of Portugal, strong southerly winds
are picking up dust over northwestern Africa. As the crew approached the
Tunisian coast, they were to look obliquely to the left of track for dust
clouds over the Mediterranean), Mount Etna (DYNAMIC EVENT: Although Mount
Etna's activity has subsided in recent weeks, crew was to document the
color, size and extent of the volcanic ash plume), Mexico City, Mexico (good
nadir pass over the Mexican capital. ESC [electronic still camera]
requested), and Atlanta, Georgia (nadir pass; ESC).
CEO images can be viewed at the website
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
U.S. and Russian Segment Status (as of yesterday).
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) and Thermal Control (TCS):
Elektron O2 generator is powered On (24 Amp mode). Vozdukh CO2 scrubber is
On. U.S. CDRA CO2 scrubber is Off. TCCS is operational. BMP Harmful
Impurities unit: Absorbent bed #1 in Purify mode, bed #2 in Purify mode.
Propulsion System (PS): Total propellant load available (SM + FGB +
Progress) -- 3792 kg (8360 lb) [as of 12/12/02].
Electrical Power Systems (EPS):
Both P6 channels fully operational. Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA) 2B and BGA 4B
both in dual-angle mode (directed position)..
SM batteries: Battery #2 in "Cycle" mode. Batteries #5 and 7 disconnected
(suspected failed) All other batteries (5) are in "Partial Charge": mode.
FGB batteries: Batteries #4 is off line; all other batteries (5) are in
"Partial Charge" mode.
Plasma Contactor Unit PCU-1 is in Standby; PCU-2 is in Standby.
Thermal Control Systems:
Air conditioner SKV-1 is Off, SKV-2 is On.
Command & Data Handling Systems:
C&C-1 MDM is prime, C&C-2 is back-up, and C&C-3 is in standby.
GNC-1 MDM is prime; GNC-2 is Backup (new patches loaded on both).
EXT-2 is On (primary), EXT-1 is off.
LA-1, LA-2 and LA-3 MDMs are all operating.
PL-1 MDM is On (primary); PL-2 MDM is off (diagnostic
APS-1 (automated payload switch #1) and APS-2 are both On.
SM Terminal Computer (TVM): 2 redundant lanes (of 3) operational. Lane 1 is
down (as of 11/14).
SM Central Computer (TsVM): 3 redundant lanes (of 3) operational.
Attitude Source:
3 CMGs on-line (CMG-1 failed).
State vector -- U.S. SIGI-1
Attitude -- U.S. SIGI-2
Angular rates -- U.S. RGA-1
Flight Attitude:
XPOP 3-CMG Momentum Management (yaw/pitch/roll = 0.52/-8.81/-0.04 deg)
Solar Beta Angle: -54.8 deg (magnitude increasing)
Communications & Tracking Systems:
FGB MDM-1 is powered Off; FGB MDM-2 is operating.
All other Russian communications & tracking systems are nominal.
S-band is operating nominally.
Ku-band is operating nominally.
Audio subsystem operating nominally.
Video subsystem operating nominally.
MCOR (medium-rate communications outage recorder) is operating nominally.
Robotics:
SSRMS/Canadarm2 based at MBS PDGF3 with Keep Alive (KA) power on both
strings.
MBS: KA power on both strings. MT: at WS7, with KA power. POA: KA power on
both strings.
RWS (robotics workstations): Lab RWS is Off; Cupola RWS is Off.
--
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Jacques :-)