ISS On-Orbit Status 4 Jul 2002

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except as noted previously or below.

The crew "sat back" and enjoyed a Fourth of July rest day in space, with only light duty.

CDR Valery Korzun used two Russian comm passes, at 2:08am and 3:44am EDT, to downlink his recent video recordings of the SM/Progress propellant line vacuum purge/vent (6/21), and Progress 7P undocking (6/26).  As usual, activation and deactivation of the LIV video system was done automatically by the Russian automated daily timeline system (SPP).

FE-2 Sergei Treschev broke out and set up the equipment required for the Russian MedOps Reflotron biochemical blood test (MO-11), consisting of the Reflotron IV analyzer, with accessories, power supply and Reflotron IV kit.  [Korzun and Treschev will perform the tests on each other tomorrow (7/5), preceded by each subject imbibing 250 ml of warm water or plain (unsugared) tea 20 minutes before taking the blood samples.]

All crewmembers performed their daily physical exercise program on TVIS (treadmill), RED (resistive trainer) and VELO (stationary bike).

Korzun performed the daily routine maintenance of the SM's environment control and life support system (SOSh), while Treschev prepared the daily IMS delta file, and Whitson conducted the "off-day" status check of the autonomous payloads in the Lab.

After it was noticed during the last few days that the downlinked video image from the US segment appears a little "hot" and washed out, the crew was asked by MCC-H to inspect the photo/TV camcorder equipment for possibly requiring an adjustment of settings.  The inspection also includes the lens for potential smudges.

Yesterday, an RPCM (remote power controller module) in the Lab suffered another "power-on" reset (related to the problem described in the 7/2 status report).  The reset caused all closed power controllers (switches) on this RPCM to open, which then alerted the crew with numerous caution messages.  The PCA (pressure control assembly), part of the Labâs environment control and life support system, were powered up again by MCC-H, as well as two Lab shell heaters. One power controller (RPC 1) on the RPCM, which supplies one of the redundant power feeds to the Lab Forward ELPS (emergency lighting power supply), is still not usable, but the ELPS continues to function on its other power feed.  Past experience with the power-on reset failure mode indicates that there should be no further problems with this RPCM, but the ground will continue to monitor.  

Target areas for the Russian "Uragan" earth observation program today included a landscape panoramic view of Central Russia and Moscow, Kursk, Voronesh, the Cadastre test range in Saratov Oblast, Kharkov, large urban centers in the south of England, London, Brussels, Bonn, Vienna, Budapest, the Etna Volcano, and the Strait of Gibraltar. The videotapings are done with the "Rubinar" instrument, a binocular telescopic device with ancillary electronics.  During the recording, the operator maintains a running commentary of the targets being observed.

For the Russian "Diatomeya" ocean observation program, today's targets were turquoise spots and bands above an undersea mountain range in the North Atlantic, fields of color in the surface waters of the northern front of the North Atlantic Current, a bioproductive area near Newfoundland, and the Florida Strait.

Today's targets for the U.S. CEO (crew earth observation) program were E. Mediterranean Dust and Smog (gusty winds continue over northern Africa in the wake of a departing storm system over the central Med. On this pass, between the toe of Italy and the Egyptian coast, the crew was to look well to the right of track for plumes of dust being swept northeastward over the coastal waters), Lake Nasser, Toshka Lakes; Egypt (of interest: looking for sun glint to the right of track this pass. Details of water bodies, especially canals and water control structures will be enhanced this special lighting situation), Angolan Biomass Burning (this was an excellent pass in clear weather in late afternoon sun. Instead of oblique views, as ISS reached interior Angola, the crew was to try for near-nadir views of individual fires or groups of fires, noting also the location and extent of burn scars), Canadian Rocky Mountains (some improvement weather was expected this pass, particularly on the eastern slopes. Of interest: using this high latitude pass to acquire detailed, near-nadir views of the small ice fields and glaciers there, using the long lenses of the ESC [electronic still camera]), Eastern United States (little relief is in sight for the poor air quality conditions in the northeast US as high pressure continues to hold. Crew was to try for oblique and limb views to the left of track, especially over the southern Great Lakes).
CEO images can be viewed at the website http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 7:05 am EDT [= epoch]):
Mean altitude -- 391.7 km
Apogee -- 396.9 km
Perigee -- 386.5 km
Period -- 92.4 min.
Inclination (to Equator) -- 51.64 deg
Eccentricity -- 0.0007726
Orbits per 24-hr. day -- 15.58
Altitude decrease -- 125 m (mean) in last 24 hours
Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. '98) -- 20672
Current Flight Attitude -- LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal = "earth-fixed": z-axis in local vertical, x-axis in velocity vector [yaw: -10 deg, pitch: 7.8 deg, roll: 0 deg]).

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

Thursday, July 4, 2002
Source: NASA HQ