Updates ISS UPDATES

[SiberianTiger]

The change of command video:

 

[SiberianTiger]

Found this curious, the ISS is aerobraking:
http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/reports/iss_reports/2009/09212009.html

MRM-2 Altitude Strategy: For the docking of the Russian 5R/MRM-2 (Mini Research Module 2) on Soyuz-U on 11/12, ISS altitude needs to be lowered. The attempt will be made to achieve the reduction by removing the SA (Solar Array) biases originally implemented to reduce orbital drag. An additional drag component could be added by positioning the Starboard SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) suitably. Later, a reboost will be required to recover the lost altitude but this can be accomplished by the Shuttle during mated operations with STS-129/Atlantis/ULF3 in November. The SA positioning would save about 75-150 kg of propellant. [“Night Glider” drag reduction biasing of the solar arrays with BGAs (Beta Gimbal Assemblies) has been in use since the early days of ISS ops.]

 

[tblaxland]

Not so long ago they used aerobraking for a collision avoidance manoeuvre. That was done whilst the shuttle was docked and they manoeuvred the whole stack into an attitude that gave them higher drag.

 

[tblaxland]

This could have gotten unpleasant:

Urine Leak: On 10/18 (Sunday), the crew informed TsUP-Moscow of a urine leak of approximately 0.5 L from a defect EDV-U in the SM ASU toilet facility. After closing the leak with tape, the crew prepared the EDV-U for disposal and installed another EDV-U in the ASU, which remains functional. [According to toxicological standards, urine is rated at Tox level 2, with some health risks for the crew and potential hardware damage.]

For info, Salizhan Sharipov with an EDV-U (thanks to Suzy's great site for the links):

 

[Spicer]

That guy looks awfully proud.

"You've just plugged a piss leak in the International Space Station! What are you going to do next?"

"Shave the Unibrow" says the cosmonaut.

 

[Suzy]

Maksim Suraev is keeping a blog (in Russian), posted at the Roskosmos site.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Maksim Suraev is keeping a blog (in Russian), posted at the Roskosmos site.

I just hope thst someone else will write more meaningful notes about his flight. But it's still good for a kick off at official Roscosmos site (would be totally nice if they had also stopped chacing down "unauthrorized" bloggers who know too much, forcing them to delete contents and discouraging space people to keep blogs of their own).

 

[Suzy]

I just hope thst someone else will write more meaningful notes about his flight. But it's still good for a kick off at official Roscosmos site (would be totally nice if they had also stopped chacing down "unauthrorized" bloggers who know too much, forcing them to delete contents and discouraging space people to keep blogs of their own).

There was someone from TsUP who had a Blogger (?) blog a few months ago (I can't remember the link), but he vanished after a few entries

 

[tblaxland]

I just hope thst someone else will write more meaningful notes about his flight.

I was kind of thinking the same thing but I thought maybe it was just Google translator not doing a great job.

But it's still good for a kick off at official Roscosmos site (would be totally nice if they had also stopped chacing down "unauthrorized" bloggers who know too much, forcing them to delete contents and discouraging space people to keep blogs of their own).

A strange policy, what do they have to fear?

 

[SiberianTiger]

A strange policy, what do they have to fear?

Technology leaks, of course. "They" always do. And them aren't the only ones who do, surely: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1931321,00.html

 

[tblaxland]

I don't see NASA shutting down any space blogs for fear of technology leaks. As I understand it the concerns with Nozette relate to the military side of his career (LLNL/NRL/DARPA) not anything to do with NASA. Isn't Roscosmos a civilian agency like NASA?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Isn't Roscosmos a civilian agency like NASA?

A civilian agency headed by a Gen. Col. in active service. They are also in charge of placing orders for all military space hardware production and launching (thus similar to what USAF do) and the related ground infrastructure production, building and upkeep (not sure which agency in the USA does that).

However, it's not Roscosmos who carry out security control. There is a number of state-owned enterprises called 'secure'. Any job applicant there should sign a non-disclosure liability contract which usually prohibits publishing of any details concerning one's job in any form unless specially authorized. A position of a Cosmonaut is simply one of these.

 

[tblaxland]

A civilian agency headed by a Gen. Col. in active service. They are also in charge of placing orders for all military space hardware production and launching (thus similar to what USAF do) and the related ground infrastructure production, building and upkeep (not sure which agency in the USA does that).

Launching (including launch vehicle integration) and ground services are provided mostly by ULA.

 

[tblaxland]

This is a device I haven't heard of until now:

For measuring structural dynamics during the upcoming checkout of the new FWED (Flywheel Exercise Device), Thirsk relocated the IWIS RSU (Internal Wireless Instrumentation System Remote Sensor Unit) to the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), and CDR De Winne removed the SAMS SE (Space Acceleration Measurement System / Sensor Enclosure) from the TCQ (Temporary Crew Quarters) for mounting it temporarily on the forward foot of the FWED.

Anyone know when it will be launched? The webpage for it has a launch countdown on it - currently at 1839 days and counting up!

 

[Star Voyager]

This is a device I haven't heard of until now:

Anyone know when it will be launched? The webpage for it has a launch countdown on it - currently at 1839 days and counting up!

Now it's at 1109 days and counting up :huh:. Odd...

 

[DaveS]

This is a device I haven't heard of until now:

Anyone know when it will be launched? The webpage for it has a launch countdown on it - currently at 1839 days and counting up!

It says checkout, not launch. Which means it's already up there.

 

[tblaxland]

It says checkout, not launch. Which means it's already up there.

OK, so when was it launched?

 

[Suzy]

English translation of Cosmonaut Maksim Suraev's blog at RT

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Unity's port CBM hatch leading into PMA-3 has been opened! :thumbup:

(The following has been adapted from ISS Daily Report 3rd Nov 2009):

Bob Thirsk began the day by terminating the overnight leak check of PMA-3.

Afterwards, Thirsk & Jeff Williams opened Unity's port CBM hatch to PMA-3 and removed the hatch center disk cover, two CPAs (Controller Panel Assemblies), and the PMA target assembly.

Afterwards, Jeff Williams closed Unity's port hatch to help minimize the humidity levels in the PMA. It will be opened again tomorrow to continue work. To prevent condensation in PMA-3, PMA activities can only be performed during certain Beta angles since the module’s heaters were not connected during STS-128. The acceptable Beta window opened on 29 Oct & closes on 9 Nov.]

 

[Suzy]

"Poisk Module: Brief Description" at Roskosmos; also 2 diagrams (though not English-translated).

Poisk, also known as the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2), is a new Russian docking module of the International Space Station. Its original name was Docking Module 2 (Stykovochniy Otsek 2 (SO-2)), as it is almost identical to Pirs already on the station.

It will be added to the zenith port of the Zvezda module, and will serve as an additional docking port for Soyuz and Progress spacecraft and as an airlock for spacewalks. Poisk will also provide extra space for scientific experiments, and provide power-supply outlets and data-transmission interfaces for two external scientific payloads to be developed by the Russian Academy of Sciences. The mass of the module is 4,000 kg. It has a diameter of 2.6 m and length of 4.6, providing 12.5 cubic meters of internal volume.