Updates ISS UPDATES

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 04/11/2011.

CDR Mike Fossum & FE-5 Satoshi Furukawa spent several hours in the US Lab checking out and operating Robonaut. [Activities included a review of procedures and a video depicting the operational envelope of the robot, setting up the camcorder in Node 2 to capture Lab cabin video of Robonaut ops, installing & cabling Robonaut & supporting hardware at its Port 2 seat track location, powering it up in conjunction with ground commanding and then taking it through its ground (POIC/Huntsville)-commanded motions via GUI, telnet windows and H&S (Health & Status) telemetry. Mike & Satoshi ran scripts for checking out the motion stop function with arms motored & moving, Robonaut Ready Pose plus Robonaut joints and force sensors in the arms & fingers. Robonaut was then powered down from Stow Pose, disassembled, uncabled and restowed in its M-03 Bag. Operational envelope of Robonaut's arms requires an oblate spheroid of free space 2.44 m (96 in.) diameter and 1.88 m (74 in.) high.]

Performing IFM (Inflight Maintenance) in the ESA COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), Mike Fossum used a ratchet to remove three tension rod/latch assemblies (of 8 total) from the COL hatch mechanism, disconnecting them from the hatch plate and stowing them. [These assemblies were previously disengaged.]

Conjunction Alert:
Flight controllers are tracking a new conjunction with Object #30353 (Fengyun 1C Debris). TCA (Time of Closest Approach): 11/06 (Sunday), 6:31 PM GMT. Concern is presently at Medium level. If a DAM (Debris Avoidance Maneuver) is required, TIG (Time of Ignition) would be ~4:13 PM GMT on 11/06.

Time Change:
The change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time will occur on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00 AM (local time). Clocks should be set BACK 1 hour.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 05/11/2011.

Conjunction Update:
FCT/Flight Controller Team has been tracking a new conjunction with Object #30353 (Fengyun 1C Debris). TCA (Time of Closest Approach): 11/06 (Sunday), 6:31 PM GMT. The object's miss distance has remained outside of the notification box for the past few updates. The PC (Probability of Collision) is now valid (meeting all criteria) and well below any action threshold. No action is necessary by the FCT or the crew.

 

[orb]

Florida Today - The Flame Trench: Next Station Crew Gets "Go" For Launch

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 07/11/2011.

Preparatory to the scheduled installation of a jumper cable for the SPDA (Secondary Power Distribution Assembly) at LA1B, CDR Mike Fossum powered down all equipment connected to the Lab UOP-6 (Utility Outlet Panel-6). This affected SSC-12 (Station Support Computer-12) and SSC-18 laptops plus the dual Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) battery charger.

Afterwards, Mike had 2h set aside for an IFM (Inflight Maintenance) of installing the Lab SPDA jumper and Node 1 Y-jumper to power the SPDA using Lab Payload Rack power (at Port 1). [The Lab SPDA jumper consists of two jumpers mated together with the connection taped over due to grounding concerns. One end was to be mated to the LA1B SPDA located in the Fwd Stbd Endcone, the other end to the Node 1 Y-jumper. One end of the 'Y' of the latter was then to be mated to the J1 connection at P1, the second end was capped. The IFM required safing steps, rotating the MELFI-3 (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS-3) rack at Starboard 1 down for access after demating its umbilicals, removing the shear panel in front of the SPDA at LA1B (38 fasteners), then installing the jumpers and reversing the activities (without re-attaching the shear panel). The temporarily deactivated Lab UOP-6 was powered up later in the day, and ground teams then were to recover the powered-down UOP-6 loads.]

RS Propellant Transfer:
Starting this morning at ~5:24 AM GMT, TsUP/Moscow transferred fuel (UDMH/unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine) from Progress M-13M/45P's propellant system via DC-1 (Docking Compartment-1) to the SM (Service Module) BG1 fuel tank of the ODU (Integrated Propulsion System). Tomorrow morning, at ~4:23 AM GMT, transfer of oxidizer (N2O4 or NTO, nitrogen tetroxide) to SM tank BO1 will be started.

KURS-P Test:
Also this morning, Russian ground controllers conducted a test of the KURS-P automated docking system via Regul VHF and RGS (Russian Ground Sites) using the Approach Test Program (CSB) to check out the recent (11/03) switch of the KURS antenna feeder cables to the SM +Y-side (MRM-2) for next week's Soyuz TMA-22/28S docking (11/16).

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 08/11/2011.

FE-5 Satoshi Furukawa printed out new SODF (Station Operations Data File) procedures for temporarily updating the 3 onboard Warning Books (Lab, SM, FGB). [These updates refer to the possible event of an EPS (Electrical Power System) bus failure for the time during which the new SPDA (Secondary Power Distribution Assembly) jumpers are installed. The jumper installation, done yesterday by Mike, was in response to observed MBSU-1 (Main Bus Switching Unit-1) firmware degradation, moving all Lab B1 DDCU (DC-to-DC Converter Unit) loads to a different power feed, to protect against the hardware becoming unpowered in case of an MBSU failure due to the old firmware.]

RS Propellant Transfer:
After yesterday's prop transfer from the Progress M-13M/45P cargo ship to the SM BG1 & BO1 tanks (ended 10:32 AM GMT), another transfer of oxidizer (N2O4 or NTO, nitrogen tetroxide) to SM tank BO2 will begin tomorrow at ~3:27 AM GMT, with BITS2-12 onboard realtime telemetry system and VD-SU mode off. [When VD-SU mode is deactivated and BITS is powered down, affected equipment must be turned off to avoid operation in the absence of real-time telemetry. The most notable impacts are:

1. Elektron oxygen generation system (shutdown by crew or ground),
2. SKV air conditioning system (shutdown by crew or ground).
3. Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal unit (no telemetry if in automatic mode, no impact if in manual mode).
4. BMP micropurification unit (automatically shutdown).
5. SRV-K condensate water processor (can be shut down by crew or ground, usually not required).
6. BRI data conversion unit (smart router) is power cycled when VD-SU mode is cycled. After VD-SU activation, the crew may execute a test to assess the impact of VD-SU mode cycling on the BRI,
7. No dP/dt (pressure change) detection in RS (Russian Segment) due to the lack of telemetry,
8. Fire & smoke alarms (audio only) will annunciate onboard in the SM through the C&W panel (PSS) speaker,
9. Total pressure alarms (audio only) will annunciate onboard in the SM through the C&W panel (PSS) speaker.]

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 09/11/2011.

RS Propellant Transfer:
After last night's fuel (UDMH/Hydrazine) transfer from the Progress M-13M/45P cargo ship to the SM BG2 tank (ended 11:11 AM GMT), another transfer of oxidizer (N2O4 or NTO, nitrogen tetroxide) to SM tank BO2 will begin tomorrow morning at ~12:56 AM GMT.

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Live coverage of ISS mission launch:

A Russian Soyuz TMA-22 air carrier will send a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on November 14 morning, including Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin and NASA astronaut Daniel Burbank.

The upcoming crew changeover will be completed in five days, the fastest in ISS history. The new crew’s mission is scheduled to last 124 days.

{...}

Why is it called (or was translated) "air carrier" here?

 

[Wishbone]

Translators are obviously overloaded by the garbage they are fed in the F-G affair.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 10/11/2011.

RS Propellant Transfer:
Last night's transfer of oxidizer (N2O4 or NTO, nitrogen tetroxide) from Progress M-13M/45P to SM tank BO2 was terminated this morning at ~8:38 AM GMT. This concluded the propellant unloading of 45P.

High Solar Beta Angle:
The solar Beta angle is currently at about -66 degrees. It peaks at -69 deg on 11/12. During this time, external hardware on the starboard side of the ISS is experiencing extremely high temperatures while the hardware on the port, zenith and nadir sides can see cold extremes. Steps have been taken to protect the involved systems.

Soyuz TMA-22/28S Launch Preparations:
At the Baikonur/Kazakhstan launch site preparations continue for the launch of the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft with the Expedition 30 crew to the ISS. In the LV Integration & Checkout Facility, the basic integration of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the upper composite has been completed.

 

[Tychonaut]

Earth imagery from ISS.

Photos and videos of Earth taken by ISS crew members. The videos of ISS cruising past, or over, the aurora are especially stunning.
Apologies if this has already been posted, but I couldn't find this particular site with the forum search engine.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 13/11/2011.

Phobos-Grunt Visibility:
The ISS crew was notified of viewing/photographing opportunities for the stranded Phobos-Grunt Mars probe from the DC-1 VL-1 and MRM-2 windows as it crossed the ISS trajectory this morning at 4:06:16 AM GMT and 4:52 AM GMT.

 

[orb]

Florida Today - The Flame Trench: Fresh Station Crew Aims For Midnight Docking

 

[orb]

Expedition 29/30 members have been welcomed aboard ISS, after successful docking of Soyuz TMA-22:

Florida Today - The Flame Trench: New Station Crew Ready For Quick Handover

 

[orb]

NASA: Maintaining Crew Health One Step at a Time

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Space station’s orbit to be raised by 6 km:

The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) will be raised on Friday by 6 km (3.72 miles) to 392 km (243.5 miles), a spokesman for Russia’s Mission Control said.

The orbit’s correction will be carried out with the use of thrusters of Russia’s Zvezda module.

“The thrusters will be switched on for 217 seconds starting at 08.07 a.m. Moscow time (04:07 GMT),” the official said. “As a result, the average orbit will be increased by six kilometers to 392.3 km.”

{...}

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 17/11/2011.

ISS Reboost:
A one-burn reboost of the ISS will be performed tomorrow morning at 4:07 AM GMT using the two KD engines of the SM's ODU (Integrated Propulsion System) for a burn duration of 3m 37s and a planned Delta-V of 3.42 m/s, increasing mean altitude by 5.95 km. The purpose of the reboost is to set up phasing for Soyuz TMA-02M/27S landing.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 18/11/2011.

At ~8:10 AM GMT, Sergey Volkov & Satoshi Furukawa spent ~2h on a teleconference with ground specialists to discuss the upcoming Soyuz TMA-02M/27S descent procedures and changes to the previous procedures, covering an update test of the RO DK (manual attitude control by digital loop) mode after undocking, and responding to the performance anomaly of DPO-B rendezvous & docking thruster #14 observed during the descent of Soyuz TMA-01M/24S (the first digital spacecraft version). [(1) An update/repeat of the RO DK test is necessitated by the fact that Soyuz 24S (#701) undocked from MRM-2, while 27S (#702, the 2nd digital version of the spacecraft), will be undocking from MRM-1. This requires a 40-deg roll maneuver during the test after initiation of stationkeeping at 50 m. (2) The off-nominal performance of thruster #14 on 24S during descent on 03/16/11 on orbit 17, a thrust underperformance of 40-60% nominal, had no impact on the nominal descent which uses the SKD main engine. Updates were now introduced in the control system for the event of an SKD failure during the execution of the de-orbit burn.]
Pete's note: Interesting that another post-undock test maneuver will be performed by Soyuz TMA-02M, as happened with Soyuz TMA-01M.

ISS Reboost Update:
This morning's ISS reboost by the two KD engines of the SM's ODU (Integrated Propulsion System) was performed on time (4:07 AM GMT) with a burn duration of 3 min 37 sec, yielding a delta-V of 3.55 m/s (planned: 3.40 m/s, i.e., a slight overburn but still within the tolerance range of +/- 5% of delta-V. The amount of propellant used was 468.6 kg. Mean altitude gain: 6.22 km (planned: 5.95 km). Afterwards, ISS was at a mean altitude of 392.6 km, with 418.8 km apogee & 366.4 km perigee height. Purpose of the reboost was to set up phasing for Soyuz TMA-02M/27S landing.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA's Expedition 30/31 Press Kit is now online (6.3 MB, PDF).

 

[orb]

Universe Today: Ron Garan’s Incredible ISS Timelapse: Coming Back Home

Ron Garan's Blog: Coming Back Down To Our Fragile Oasis

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[zerofay32]

Gotta love Peter Gabriel + Space flight.