Russian Navigation Computers in Stable Condition

The Russian computers aboard the International Space Station are back in near normal, stable operation. Two of three channels of each computer are operating. A third channel is believed to be functioning well, but currently in standby.

The Mission Control Center in Moscow has restarted all Russian systems except the Elektron oxygen generation system, which has been powered but not yet started.

Flight controllers are planning to test Russian thrusters on Monday as they maneuver the station and Space Shuttle Atlantis to a water dump attitude.

The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex.

Crews Work Together on Station, Shuttle


Image above: The International Space Station's new S3/S4 truss and solar
arrays are viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis' robotic arm.
Photo credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 15 and STS-117 crews continue to conduct joint operations aboard the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Throughout the week, the two crews have been activating the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment that was attached to the station on Monday.

The STS-117 crew has conducted three spacewalks to prepare the new segment for activation and to retract arrays on the Port 6 (P6) truss. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The S3/S4, which is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds, contains a new set of solar arrays that will increase the station’s power-generation capabilities. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun.

In addition to a new truss segment, NASA Astronaut Clayton Anderson joined the Expedition 15 crew on Sunday, replacing Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Anderson arrived at the station as a member of Space Shuttle Atlantis’ crew. Atlantis docked to the station on Sunday. Williams spent six months as an Expedition crew member.

STS-117 arrived at the station June 10 and is scheduled to undock June 19.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Navigation Computer Passes Test

Flight controllers in Moscow conducted a test to check the ability of the Russian segment’s terminal computer to fire thrusters and maintain attitude of the International Space Station.

Russian and U.S. mission managers gave the computer a passing grade. U.S. managers then gave the STS-117 crew approval to undock space shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday.

The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex.

STS-117 Stay at Station Coming to a Close


Image above: The International Space Station's new S3/S4 truss and solar
arrays are viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis' robotic arm.
Photo credit: NASA TV

STS-117’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the station at 10:42 a.m. EDT Tuesday, leaving the station with a new truss segment and crew member.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after space shuttle Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (PS) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The S3/S4 is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds. Its solar arrays will increase the station’s power-generation capabilities. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun.

Source: NASA - Space Station

STS-117 Leaves Station With New Truss, Crew Member


Image above: The International Space Station's new S3/S4 truss and solar
arrays are viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis' robotic arm.
Photo credit: NASA TV

When the STS-117 crew members undocked space shuttle Atlantis at 10:42 a.m. EDT today, they left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

Russian Navigation Computer Passes Test

On Monday, flight controllers in Moscow conducted a test to check the ability of the Russian segment’s terminal computer to fire thrusters and maintain attitude of the International Space Station.

Russian and U.S. mission managers gave the computer a passing grade. U.S. managers then gave the STS-117 crew approval to undock space shuttle Atlantis today.

The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex.

Source: NASA - Space Station

STS-117 Leaves Station With New Truss, Crew Member


Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle
Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: NASA TV

When the STS-117 crew members undocked space shuttle Atlantis at 10:42 a.m. EDT Tuesday, they left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

Russian Navigation Computer Passes Test

On Monday, flight controllers in Moscow conducted a test to check the ability of the Russian segment’s terminal computer to fire thrusters and maintain attitude of the International Space Station.

Russian and U.S. mission managers gave the computer a passing grade. U.S. managers then gave the STS-117 crew approval to undock space shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday.

The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Commander Helps Managers Plan for Future Computer Repairs


Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle
Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin carried out troubleshooting efforts on Russian segment’s central computer and terminal computer on Thursday. This procedure will not impact operation of the two channels of each computer that have been in control of Russian system operation since the restart on June 15.

The troubleshooting procedure is designed to help Russian mission managers further assess their plans for repair of the computer systems, including possible replacement of components with new hardware to be flown on the next Progress supply ship due to arrive at the station on July 24.

Meanwhile, the space shuttle crew that left the station Tuesday received an extra day in space. Bad weather forced flight controllers to wave off Thursday attempts. STS-117 is scheduled to land at 2:18 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

STS-117 left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 14 flight engineer Suni Williams uses a digital still camera to expose a photo of her helmet visor during a February 2007 spacewalk. Also visible in the reflections in the visor is a solar array wing. During the spacewalk, Williams and mission commander Michael Lopez-Alegria reconfigured the second of two cooling loops for the Destiny laboratory module, secured the aft radiator of the P6 truss after retraction and prepared the obsolete Early Ammonia Servicer for removal this summer.

During her stay aboard the space station, Williams set a new record for the longest duration spaceflight by a woman, surpassing Shannon Lucid's mark of 188 days, 4 hours set in 1996.

Image credit: NASA

+ Full Resolution (2.34 Mb)


Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Station Crew Back to Business


Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle
Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: NASA TV

The space station’s newest member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, is busy at work with his Expedition 15 crewmates Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov. Anderson replaced Suni Williams who returned home Friday, June 22, aboard space shuttle Atlantis after a 195-day stay in space.

Williams stayed in space longer than any woman before her. She and her shuttle crewmates returned to Houston the day after Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Meanwhile, science and maintenance continue aboard the International Space Station. Anderson has been taking blood and urine samples to study nutritional countermeasures to the effects of microgravity. Yurchikhin and Kotov have been working on a communications system in the Zvezda service module and reconfiguring a toilet in the docked Soyuz vehicle among other tasks.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Computer Troubleshooting Continues on Station


Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle
Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: NASA TV

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov continue troubleshooting computers that had failed while Space Shuttle Atlantis was docked to the International Space Station. Flight controllers have narrowed down the probable cause. However, a final cause is still being determined. The computers reside in the Russian segment of the station and help control its attitude.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson has been working in the U.S. segment of the station. In the Destiny laboratory, Anderson has been performing leak checks on the Microgravity Science Glovebox. He also has been stowing spacewalk tools in the Quest airlock.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) press release is reproduced below:

Longueuil, Quebec, June 27, 2007 – The Canadian Space Agency is proud to announce that Dextre, the third and final element of the Mobile Servicing System which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), was delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida last week. Dextre, a two-armed robot essential for maintaining and servicing the ISS and developed by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), left their facility in Brampton, Ontario, on June 18 for the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida.

At KSC, Dextre will be housed in the Space Station Processing Facility and will undergo a series of final flight verification tests until it is ready to be launched to the space station as part of Mission
STS-123 in February 2008.

The Mobile Servicing System is made up of a Mobile Base System on which Canadarm2 is transported along the length of the ISS. As the final element, Dextre will provide increased versatility performing ISS maintenance activities while attached to the end of Canadarm2. With its 15 degrees of freedom, it will be able to perform hundreds of maintenance tasks that would normally be accomplished with spacewalks by astronauts on the International Space Station.

In 1998, the adventure of the International Space Station, involving 15 countries from around the world, began. Since then, three Canadian astronauts have visited the ISS and a fourth, Dave Williams, is planned to visit in August. The Canadarm2 and the Mobile Base have been successfully delivered and installed on the ISS, in 2001 and 2002 respectively, and are essential tools for all space station assembly missions. As we look up into the night sky, all Canadians should be proud of Canada's achievements in space knowing that without our contribution, construction of the ISS wouldn't have been possible.

For more information on Dextre, pictures of its voyage and housing at KSC, as well as information on Canada's Mobile Servicing System, visit the CSA website at: www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/iss/canada.asp .

Source: CSA Press Release

Maintenance Continues, First Shuttle-Mir Docking Observed


Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle
Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: NASA TV

Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson continues working in the U.S. Quest airlock maintaining cooling loops in the American spacesuits. Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin, space station commander, and Oleg Kotov, flight engineer, are working in the Russian segment of the International Space Station replacing converter units in the Zarya module.

The first time a space shuttle docked to a space station was on June 29, 1995. Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian Mir space station on mission STS-71. Twenty years earlier, an American spacecraft docked with a Soviet capsule in orbit during the Apollo-Soyuz program.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Performs Science Experiments, Station Maintenance


Image above: Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson works
with the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) as
part of the Nutritional Status Assessment (NUTRITION) experiment
in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew members began a new week of science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson rearranged and consolidated frozen biological samples in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS to conserve space and make room for future samples. He also spent some time gathering hardware and prepacking items for return on space shuttle Endeavour in August.

Meanwhile cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer, continued to perform extensive troubleshooting of computers in the Russian segment of the station.

The crew also conducted preparations for the next spacewalk planned for July 20. Anderson recharged the first set of spacesuit batteries, and then he and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin reconfigured their spacesuits.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

July 3, 2007. S.P. Korolev RSC Energia,
Korolev, Moscow Region – Baikonur launch site, Kazakhstan

Preparations are continuing at the Baikonur launch site for the launch of Progress M-61 logistics spacecraft, which is currently scheduled for launch on August 2, 2007.
Earlier, the launch of the spacecraft was moved from August 6 to July 23 to accommodate a prompt delivery of replacement computers to ISS.
Testing and isolation of faults that on June 11-12, 2007, caused glitches in the on-board computers on the Russian Segment of the International Space Station, and the follow-up detailed analysis revealed the need to deliver to ISS some additional hardware. The hardware is intended for restoring the normal operation of the computers and precluding interfacing systems from affecting their operation. Since some additional time was required for its development, manufacturing and testing, including tests in the integrated simulator of the Service Module Zvezda at the RSC Energia plant, S.P. Korolev RSC Energia managers and engineers suggested a new date for the launch.
Moving the launch of the logistics spacecraft to this date will also allow to meet earlier commitments with respect to the Japanese space agency to deliver to the space station the equipment needed to perform work under the Japanese program of space experiments.
Today, after having passed a cycle of electrical tests on the on-board systems, Progress M-61 is now under testing in the vacuum chamber.

For information:
On the night of June 11 to 12, 2007, it was detected on board the ISS Russian Segment that the channel availability of the central and terminal on-board computers was removed, and beginning on June 12, the loss of secondary power for the channels of these computers was observed. The computers were brought back on line in a temporary configuration using the hardware available on board.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia - News

The contract release is reproduced below:

July 3, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-25

NASA Awards Contract for Space Station Hardware

HOUSTON - NASA has signed a $46 million fixed price basic contract with S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Public Corporation, also known as RSC Energia, in Korolev, Russia, for various hardware items and their integration into the International Space Station.

The basic contract includes $19 million to purchase a Russian-designed toilet system with a privacy enclosure and additional space station equipment. The additional equipment includes a spare depress air pump used to conserve air when the crew exits the Quest airlock for a spacewalk; technical and engineering support for the mechanism that allows shuttles to dock with the station; software updates for the station's inventory management system; and certification of additional computer hardware for use on the station.

The toilet system, similar to the one already in use in the station's Zvezda Service Module, is needed for the planned expansion from three to six crew members in 2009. The system will be able to automatically transfer urine to a U.S. device that can generate potable water.

The contract runs through December 2011 and includes funds to procure equipment necessary for routine maintenance.

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Contract Release C07-28

How to Manage Floating Fluids in Space

Six months is a long time to be away from home. But Astronaut Sunita Williams had plenty of work to keep her busy during her stay on the International Space Station, including a group of experiments she dubbed "lava lamp."

"I call it the 'lava lamp' experiment because some of the fluid is pink, and we hang out watching it with video and pictures," she wrote in her mission log. "If only we had a black light."

While the Capillary Flow Experiments (CFE) are mesmerizing, they actually have nothing to do with lava or lamps. They are a suite of three experiments designed to investigate how fluid flows in microgravity. The results will help engineers design more efficient fluid management systems, such as fuel tanks, cooling systems and water recycling systems, for future space missions.


Image above: Williams performs the Capillary Flow Experiment on the
International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The Problem with Microgravity

On Earth, fluid management systems rely on gravity. In your car, for instance, a pipe runs from the bottom of the fuel tank to the engine. Gravity positions the fuel at the bottom of the tank, and the fuel pump forces it through the pipe and up to the engine. But in space, where gravity is virtually absent, fluids aren't so predictable. Propellants float around inside of tanks, and water drops bounce about recycling systems. This makes designing fluid management systems for spacecraft a difficult endeavor.

"It's been a challenge since the 1950s," said project scientist Bob Green of NASA's Glenn Research Center. "Once you're in orbit, there's always an uncertainty about where the fluid is in the tank. As the tank drains and less fluid is left inside, it sometimes becomes a bigger problem."

To compensate, engineers have developed devices called vanes and screens. Vanes are grooves designed to guide fluid through a tank, and screens filter out bubbles. Both devices use capillary forces to position the fluid, or create "capillary flow." This scientific term describes the way the surface of a fluid responds when it comes in contact with a solid. Capillary flow occurs when the adhesive forces between the solid and the fluid are different than the cohesive forces within the fluid.


Image above: Contact Line 2 is one of six Capillary Flow Experiment units.

"A classic example of capillary flow is when you stick a tiny tube in a beaker of water," Green said. "The water will rise into the tube due to capillary action." The same effect causes porous materials, like paper towels and soil, to absorb water.

On Earth, the force of gravity typically overwhelms the capillary force, reducing the fluid rise to millimeters. But in space, where the force of gravity is nearly zero, capillaries such as vanes and screens carry fluids much higher. Scientists still have a lot to learn about the phenomenon in order to use it to its full potential. In fact, spacecraft have always flown with extra fuel, because some of it remains in the tank unaffected by the capillary devices.

A team of researchers from Portland State University, Purdue University, NASA's Glenn Research Center and Zin Technologies developed the Capillary Flow Experiments to help solve this problem.

Capillary Flow Experiments

The pink fluid that reminded Williams of a lava lamp is actually silicone oil floating inside a Plexiglas container. The experiments are comprised of six such containers, each simulating shapes and conditions commonly found in fluid management systems for space.

Since the first units launched in January 2004, astronauts Michael Fincke, William McArthur, Jeffrey Williams and Michael Lopez-Alegria all have operated at least one of them. During her long stay aboard the station, however, Sunita Williams worked with the Capillary Flow Experiments more than twice as many times as any other astronaut, earning herself a regal title from the team.

"Suni has operated the experiments nine times," said NASA Glenn project engineer Chuck Bunnell. "That's why we call her the Queen of CFE."

During operations, the team of scientists and engineers watched the astronauts conduct the experiments on a live video feed from NASA Glenn's Telescience Support Center. As they watched the fluid flow, they made changes to the procedures in real time by sending feedback to payload communications.

"The operations are the fun part," said Bunnell. "They're the culmination, like when you finally reach the peak of the mountain you've been climbing."

Principal Investigator Mark Weislogel and Co-Investigator Steven Collicott flew to Cleveland to participate in the first several operations. They watched the rest on live video from their offices at Portland State University and Purdue University.

"Watching the live downlink, we get the feeling of being able to perform the experiments ourselves," Weislogel said. "That's one of the great things about the space station. With shuttle experiments, you had one shot. But on ISS we've been able to benefit from trial and error, and we've collected much more data than we expected."


Image above: Weislogel (left), Bunnell and Green (right) watch the
experiment operations on live video in NASA Glenn's Telescience Support
Center.
Credit: NASA

Weislogel and Collicott will review the videotapes of the experiment operations and spend the next 12 to 18 months analyzing the data before publishing the results in scientific journals. So far, they are pleased with the preliminary findings, which they say could change the way engineers design liquid fuel tanks, fuel lines, intravenous drips, cryogen storage tanks, thermal control systems, water purifiers and waste management systems for space applications.

That's not all. "The capabilities developed from capillary experiments have given us new tools to evaluate similar systems on the ground," Weislogel said. He believes results from the Capillary Flow Experiments also could be applied to designs for very small fluid systems on Earth, such as electronic cooling loops, fuel cells and medical fluid processing.

As for Williams, her reign over the "lava lamp" ended on June 22, when she came home on Atlantis with the crew of STS-117. But, to this team of scientists, she will always be known as "The Queen of CFE."

More Information:
+ NASA Glenn ISS Research

Jan Wittry (SGT, Inc.)
NASA's Glenn Research Center

Source: NASA - Space Station - Station Science

Crew Performs Science Experiments, Station Maintenance


Image above: Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, is featured in
this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crew member on the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew members are continuing their work with science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson rearranged and consolidated frozen biological samples in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS to conserve space and make room for future samples. He also spent some time gathering hardware and prepacking items for return on space shuttle Endeavour in August.

Meanwhile cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer, continued to perform extensive troubleshooting of computers in the Russian segment of the station.

The crew also conducted preparations for the next spacewalk. Anderson recharged the first set of spacesuit batteries, and then he and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin reconfigured their spacesuits.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Talks to Students, Conducts Experiments


Image above: Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin performs
in-flight maintenance on telemetry hardware in the Zvezda Service
Module of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

After enjoying a light-duty day on July 4, the Expedition 15 crew members resumed work this week with science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin performed analysis on air samples collected inside the orbiting complex on Tuesday to check the station's atmosphere for microbial contamination.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson worked with the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS), installing tubes on the water pumps for two modules. The EMCS is combination centrifuge and growth chamber experiment that studies methods of growing plants in space for future long-duration missions to the moon or Mars.

In preparation for an upcoming spacewalk, Anderson completed recharging the first set of spacesuit batteries and began recharging the second set.

Later Anderson took a break from his work and spoke with math and science students at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Software Upgrades and Spacesuit Preparations Aboard Station


Image above: Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin performs
in-flight maintenance on telemetry hardware in the Zvezda Service
Module of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 15 crew members this week completed preparing their spacesuits for a planned July 23 spacewalk. The crew also continued evaluating the computers on the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

On Monday, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson reconfigured the spacesuits they will use during the upcoming spacewalk. Anderson also recharged two sets of spacesuit batteries.

Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov visually inspected and photographed cables and connectors on the Russian computers. Although there is no conclusive evidence of what caused the problems during shuttle Atlantis’ visit last month, the inspections did yield some valuable information for further study.

In addition, the crew and flight controllers completed software upgrades this week for computers on the U.S. and Russian segments. The upgrades to the U.S. computers will allow the addition of the Harmony node, the European Space Agency's Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo Experiment Module during upcoming shuttle flights.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Continues to Resolve Software Problems


Image above: Fyodor Yurchikhin wears communication headgear as he
does maintenance on telemetry hardware in the Zvezda Service Module.
Photo credit: NASA

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov continued to monitor the upload of new software into the Russian segment computers. Meanwhile Flight Engineer Clay Anderson helped them stow items no longer needed on the station in the ISS Progress 24 cargo craft. The Progress craft is scheduled to undock on Aug. 1.

Kotov and Anderson each completed mandatory computer-based Crew Medical Officer proficiency training. The training session is done once a month.

Late Friday, Anderson delayed his sleep period to handle a file-server crash. Flight controllers and Anderson worked hard for several hours to repair the Station Support Computer File Server. The server was reloaded with Expedition 15 software and all functions were restored with no impact to station operations.

Anderson also set up and activated the EarthKAM hardware for a new session. The camera is at the Lab science window and takes pictures by remote operation from the ground, without crew interaction. EarthKAM is an education program that enables thousands of students to photograph Earth from space. The student requests are uplinked to a laptop, which then activates the camera at specified times and receives the digital images from the camera for subsequent downlink.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

July 9, 2007. Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev, Moscow Region – Baikonur launch site, Kazakhstan.

The S.P. Korolev RSC Energia’s proposed date for the launch of Progress M-61 logistics spacecraft to the International Space Station was agreed to by the RF Federal Space Agency.
The spacecraft processing at the Baikonur launch site continues. Scheduled electrical power-up tests on the spacecraft systems and integrated tests have been completed. Anechoic and vacuum chamber tests have been carried out. Final operation to prepare the spacecraft for fuelling and placing deliverable hardware and cargoes on board are under way.
The launch of the spacecraft is scheduled for August 2, 2007 at 21:32 Moscow Time.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia

Expedition 15 Conducts Emergency Exit Drill


Image above: The profile of the atmosphere and a setting sun are featured
in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crew member on the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew members conducted a mandatory emergency exit drill Tuesday to simulate their response to a rapid depressurization of the station. Russian and U.S. specialists were standing by at both control centers for questions and comments. During the drill, the group proceeded through a series of checkpoints, determining and verifying various settings, measurements and configurations. They stepped through the process of preparing the ISS Progress 24 cargo ship for undocking and moved along the emergency exit path toward the docked Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson conducted his first seven-day Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight experiment session by completing a questionnaire.

Anderson also completed his first session with a cognitive assessment experiment by performing a psychological evaluation exercise. The exercise is a timed questionnaire test of cognitive abilities routinely performed by astronauts onboard the station.

The crew also continued to monitor the loading of new software into the Russian segment system computers.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

New Oxygen Generation System Activated


Image above: The International Space Station moves away from Space
Shuttle Atlantis on June 19, 2007.
Photo credit: NASA

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson activated the new Oxygen Generation System (OGS) in the U.S. Lab, augmenting the ability to produce oxygen for the complex from the Russian Elektron system. The new system will be vital in its future support of a six-person crew beginning in the spring of 2009. Anderson installed a hydrogen sensor and configured the OGS rack. Activities also performed from the ground include powering up the rack, configuring the software and testing a timer, followed by several hours of activation and checkout.

The station residents continued packing discarded items in the ISS Progress 24 cargo craft that will be cast off on Aug. 1. With all trash gathered and stowed from the U.S. side, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov collected and stowed the Russian segment excess hardware and waste. The jettison of the craft will make room at the Pirs Docking Compartment for the arrival of the new ISS Progress 26 resupply vehicle on Aug. 5.

The crew also participated in an educational event at Johnson Space Center Wednesday. The event was by and for Texas Aerospace Scholars, Clear Lake High School students, interns, co-ops, and STS-118 crew members Scott Kelly, Barbara Morgan and David Williams.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Oxygen Generation System Activation Continues


Image above: The International Space Station moves away from Space
Shuttle Atlantis on June 19, 2007.
Photo credit: NASA

The startup of the U.S. Oxygen Generation System (OGS) on Wednesday in the Destiny Laboratory of the station encountered minor technical issues not uncommon for brand new hardware. The OGS is part of the Environmental Control and Life Support System and will be used to augment the Russian Elektron oxygen-generation system. The OGS software periodically shut down the system because sensors measuring fluid flow may be calibrated to very sensitive levels. Work will continue through Friday to permanently activate the OGS.

The crew also began a procedures review for the spacewalk on July 23 by Flight Engineer Clay Anderson and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin.

Yurchikhin set up the Russian biomedical pilot experiment. The experiment tests piloting skills while flying simulations with a laptop and a stopwatch control. This is the first time the experiment has been performed during Expedition 15.

Additional computer troubleshooting was conducted by Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov. The Russian segment software upgrade is continuing and Yurchikhin installed bypass jumper cables and performed connector continuity checks.

Kotov also continued stowing the Russian segment’s excess hardware and waste on the ISS Progress 24 cargo ship, to be jettisoned on Aug. 1.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Oxygen Generation System Producing Oxygen


Image above: The International Space Station moves away from Space
Shuttle Atlantis on June 19, 2007.
Photo credit: NASA

The U.S. Oxygen Generation System (OGS) is up and running and producing oxygen. After a day of fits and starts with the new system Thursday, environmental systems officers spent the night resetting software system limits on fluid flow and sensor readings that caused multiple shutdowns of the OGS yesterday. Perseverance paid off Friday morning when the ECLSS console reported that the OGS had passed all of its tests and was producing oxygen as planned. The OGS is running in a "test mode." It is expected to be shut off later today. Flight controllers plan to turn the OGS on periodically, probably once a month, until the point two years from now when it will be turned on to support a six-person crew.

The crew is also continuing preparations for the spacewalk on July 23 by Flight Engineer Clay Anderson and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Oxygen Generation System Producing Oxygen


Image above: Astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer,
poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit in the Quest
Airlock of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The U.S. Oxygen Generation System (OGS) is up and running and producing oxygen. After a day of fits and starts with the new system Thursday, environmental systems officers spent Thursday night resetting software system limits on fluid flow and sensor readings that caused multiple shutdowns of the OGS Thursday. Perseverance paid off Friday morning when the ECLSS console reported that the OGS had passed all of its tests and was producing oxygen as planned. The OGS is running in a "test mode." It is expected to be shut off over the weekend. Flight controllers plan to turn the OGS on periodically, probably once a month, until the point two years from now when it will be turned on to support a six-person crew.

The crew is also continuing preparations for the spacewalk on July 23 by Flight Engineer Clay Anderson and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin.

The three crew members performed calf volume and body mass measurements. These tests provide a rough index of body deconditioning in zero-gravity and the effectiveness of countermeasures.

An error condition in the EarthKAM camera required early termination of the current session.

Yurchikhin continued work on the Russian computers, while Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov continued gathering and transferring excess equipment and trash to the ISS Progress 24.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Prepares for Spacewalk, STS-118


Image above: Astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer,
poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit in the Quest
Airlock of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson are gearing up for next Monday’s spacewalk. The crew has been configuring spacewalk tools and reviewing spacesuit systems. The July 23 spacewalk will be Anderson’s first and Yurchikhin's third.

In advance of space shuttle Endeavour visiting the International Space Station in August, the crew has been packing items for return to Earth on the shuttle. Clay Anderson has also been practicing Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver (RPM) photography with a digital camera. The RPM imagery is taken of the shuttle’s thermal protection system as it approaches the station.

The U.S. Oxygen Generation System (OGS) has been deactivated for approximately 90 days. Reactivation of the OGS will not occur until after Expedition 16 arrives at the station in October.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

The press release is reproduced below:
Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

Jennifer Morcone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

July 17, 2007

RELEASE: 07-157


New NASA System Will Help Space Station Crews Breathe Easier

A new oxygen generation system tested between July 11 and 14 aboard the International Space Station will allow the orbiting laboratory's crew size to increase in 2009.

The hardware is part of the station's environmental control and life support system and will be used to augment the Russian Elektron oxygen generator. With the increased capability to produce oxygen, the station can better support six crew members as they work and live aboard the outpost. The station currently supports a three-person crew.

During normal operations, the new system will generate about 12 pounds of oxygen per day, enough for six people. However, it can provide as much as 20 pounds of oxygen per day, enough for as many as 11 people. It is designed to replace oxygen consumed through breathing or lost during experiment use and airlock depressurization. During last week’s test, which started Wednesday and ended Saturday, the system generated approximately 10 pounds of oxygen.

"The successful activation and operation of this new system during its test run is an important step toward establishing a truly international space station," said Mike Suffredini, manager of the space station program. "With this system's oxygen-generating capacity, we can expand the station's crew, providing more opportunities for our partner countries and unlocking more possibilities for research that will open new pathways for future exploration."

The 1,800-pound, refrigerator-sized component was delivered on space shuttle Discovery's STS-116 mission in December 2006 and installed in the space station's Destiny laboratory. Since then, several elements of hardware and software have been added to the station to support the new system's operation. The last required part, a hydrogen vent valve, was installed during a spacewalk on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 mission in June.

Work performed by space station Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson and software updates to U.S. computers earlier in July completed preparations for the system's activation and operation.

The new system produces oxygen by tapping into the station's water supply. Through the process of electrolysis, it splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The oxygen is delivered into the crew cabin, while the hydrogen is vented overboard through the hydrogen vent valve. In the future, NASA engineers will recycle the hydrogen for water production from carbon dioxide.

Currently, oxygen on the station comes from four sources: the Russian-built Elektron system, Russian supply vehicles, storage tanks in the U.S. Quest airlock and solid fuel oxygen generators called candles.

The new oxygen generation system in the U.S. Destiny laboratory is one of two primary components in the station's regenerative environmental control and life support system. The other component, the water recovery system, is planned to be installed on the space station in 2008. Periodically, NASA will activate and operate the new oxygen generator to ensure the system remains ready for its integration with the water recovery system.

The two new systems were to be included in the space station's Node 3 module, targeted for launch in 2010. However, mission managers decided to launch them earlier as part of a strategy to increase the station's crew to six people in 2009.

The oxygen generation system was designed and tested at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International in Windsor Locks, Conn. The Boeing Co. of Chicago provided laboratory integration, including the development of mechanical equipment, electrical equipment and computer software.

For more information about the International Space Station, its crew members and their missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Press Release 07-157

Expedition 15 Readies for Reboost, Spacewalk


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight Engineer
Clay Anderson work with a spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

A docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters on July 21 and 23 raising the International Space Station’s orbit. The reboost provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. The Progress firing also clears the station after the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) is jettisoned during a July 23 spacewalk and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118. In advance of the reboost, the crew is testing the command and data telemetry of the Russian computers.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

The Expedition 15 crew is also preparing for the July 23 spacewalk. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson are familiarizing themselves with the SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue) jetpacks they will wear on their U.S. spacesuits.

During the spacewalk one of Anderson’s tasks is to jettison the 1,400-pound EAS. Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov is reviewing Canadarm2 procedures as he prepares to become the first cosmonaut to solely operate the robotic arm during Monday’s spacewalk.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalk Dry Run Planned for Thursday


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight Engineer
Clay Anderson work with a spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew on Thursday will do a dry run of its spacewalk planned for Monday. The crew is also configuring the Quest airlock systems.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson will put on their U.S. spacesuits for Thursday’s dry run activities. Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov will test his robotic skills and maneuver the station’s robotic arm, Candarm2, to a pre-determined position. During Monday’s spacewalk one of Anderson’s tasks is to jettison the 1,400-pound Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS).

A docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters on July 21 and 23 raising the International Space Station’s orbit. The reboost provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. The Progress firing also clears the station after the EAS is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalk Dry Run Activities Today


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight Engineer
Clay Anderson work with a spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA


The Expedition 15 crew is performing a dry run of its spacewalk planned for Monday. The crew is also checking the Quest airlock and spacesuit systems.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson have put on their U.S. spacesuits for today’s dry run activities. Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov is testing his robotic skills while maneuvering the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, to a pre-determined position. During Monday’s spacewalk one of Anderson’s tasks is to jettison the 1,400-pound Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS).

A docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters on July 21 and 23 raising the International Space Station’s orbit. The reboost provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. The Progress firing also clears the station after the EAS is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Completes Spacewalk Dry Run Activities


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight Engineer
Clay Anderson work with a spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew performed a dry run of its spacewalk planned for Monday. The crew also checked out the Quest airlock and spacesuit systems.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson put on their U.S. spacesuits for Thursday’s dry run activities. Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov tested his robotic skills and maneuvered the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, to a pre-determined position. During Monday’s spacewalk one of Anderson’s tasks is to jettison the 1,400-pound Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS).

A docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters on July 21 and 23 raising the International Space Station’s orbit. The reboost provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. The Progress firing also clears the station after the EAS is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalkers to Jettison Ammonia Reservoir

07.20.07

Two International Space Station crew members will remove and jettison a refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir Monday during a six-hour-plus spacewalk from the Quest Airlock.

The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at about 6:30 a.m. EDT.


Image above: Cosmonaut Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (left),
Expedition 15 commander representing Russia's Federal
Space Agency, and astronaut Clayton C. Anderson,
flight engineer, work with an Extravehicular Mobility
Unit (EMU) spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Clay Anderson will be the lead spacewalker, EV1, and will wear the spacesuit with red stripes. Fyodor Yurchikhin, the cosmonaut and station commander, will be EV2 and wear the all-white suit. Cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, in the U.S. laboratory Destiny, will operate the Canadarm2.

After leaving the airlock and setting up equipment, the first task is installation of a television camera stanchion. The spacewalkers will take it from an external stowage platform and then install it on the Earth-facing side of the station's main truss at the interface Starboard 0-Port 1 (S0-P1) truss segments.

Next they will move to separate tasks. Anderson will reconfigure a power supply for an S-Band Antenna Assembly, and then set up and get on a foot restraint at the end of Canadarm2. Yurchikhin will replace a circuit breaker, called a remote power controller module. It will ensure power redundancy for a move of the Mobile Transporter rail car on the station's truss.

Back together, Anderson and Yurchikhin will remove flight support equipment, where the camera stanchion had been mounted, and an attached Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism. Together they have a mass of about 212 pounds.

While Anderson jettisons them from the end of the arm, Yurchikhin will move to the Z1 truss, where he will disconnect and stow cabling associated with the ammonia reservoir, called the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS).

The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December. The EAS has to be removed before the P6 truss can be moved to the end of the station's main truss.

With Anderson still on the arm, both crew members will move to the P6 Truss and release its remaining connections to the station. Once it is free, Anderson will hold it while the arm maneuvers him to the jettison point, below the right side of the ISS main truss.

The EAS weighs a little over 1,400 pounds on Earth. The jettison will be much like that of the stanchion equipment. Anderson will shove the EAS opposite the station's direction of travel at a minimum velocity of about seven inches (17 cm) per second.

A few hours later, Russian thrusters will reboost the station to provide clearance from the EAS. The reboost also will prepare for the Aug. 2 launch of the Progress 26 cargo carrier and the Aug. 7 launch of Discovery to the station.

The final scheduled spacewalk task is cleaning the Earth-facing docking port, or Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) of the Unity node. That is being done in preparation for the relocation of Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), scheduled for late August.

The move is being made to clear the PMA-3's present position, on the starboard CBM of Unity, for a series of events that will culminate with the arrival of the Harmony node and its preparation to receive future space shuttles.

After cleanup Anderson and Yurchikhin will re-enter the Quest Airlock and conclude the spacewalk a little after noon.

The spacewalk is the first for Anderson and the third for Yurchikhin.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Crew Ready for Monday's Spacewalk


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight Engineer
Clay Anderson work with a spacesuit in the Quest Airlock of the
International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew held its final spacewalk tagup with spacewalk specialists on Friday. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson will wear U.S. spacesuits for Monday's spacewalk. Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov will maneuver the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, assisting the spacewalkers.

Anderson's first spacewalk and Yurchikhin's second is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. EST. During the spacewalk Anderson will jettison the 1,400-pound Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS). Other tasks planned for the 6 hour-35 minute spacewalk include installing a video stanchion, jettisoning a video stanchion frame and cleaning the Unity Node's nadir common berthing mechanism.

Prior to the spacewalk, a docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters twice raising the International Space Station’s orbit. The reboost provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. The Progress firing also clears the station after the EAS is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Conducting Spacewalk


Image above: Flight Engineer Clay Anderson exits the airlock at the start
of today's spacewalk.
Photo credit: NASA

Two International Space Station crew members have begun a spacewalk that includes removal and jettison of a refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir.

The scheduled 6½-hour spacewalk from the Quest Airlock began at 6:24 a.m. EDT Monday.

Astronaut Clay Anderson is the lead spacewalker, EV1, wearing the spacesuit with red stripes. Fyodor Yurchikhin, the cosmonaut and station commander, wearing the all-white suit, is EV2. Cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is in the U.S. laboratory Destiny to operate the Canadarm2.

After the spacewalk, a docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters raising the International Space Station’s orbit. This reboost, along with a reboost performed Friday, provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. Today's Progress firing also clears the station after the Early Ammonia Servicer is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Conducting Spacewalk


Image above: Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, at the end of the station's
robotic arm, jettisons the Early Ammonia Servicer.
Photo credit: NASA TV

Two International Space Station crew members have begun a spacewalk that includes removal and jettison of a refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir.

The scheduled 6½-hour spacewalk from the Quest Airlock began at 6:24 a.m. EDT Monday.

Astronaut Clay Anderson is the lead spacewalker, EV1, wearing the spacesuit with red stripes. Fyodor Yurchikhin, the cosmonaut and station commander, wearing the all-white suit, is EV2. Cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is in the U.S. laboratory Destiny to operate the Canadarm2.

After the spacewalk, a docked Progress 25 cargo craft will fire its thrusters raising the International Space Station’s orbit. This reboost, along with a reboost performed Friday, provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. Today's Progress firing also clears the station after the Early Ammonia Servicer is jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalk to Jettison Ammonia Reservoir Under Way

07.23.07

Two International Space Station crew members have begun a spacewalk that includes removal and jettison of a refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir.

The scheduled 6½-hour spacewalk from the Quest Airlock began at 6:24 a.m. EDT Monday.

Astronaut Clay Anderson is the lead spacewalker, EV1, wearing the spacesuit with red stripes. Fyodor Yurchikhin, the cosmonaut and station commander, wearing the all-white suit, is EV2. Cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is in the U.S. laboratory Destiny to operate the Canadarm2.

After leaving the airlock and setting up equipment, the first task is installation of a television camera stanchion. The spacewalkers will take it from an external stowage platform and then install it on the Earth-facing side of the station's main truss at the interface Starboard 0-Port 1 (S0-P1) truss segments.


Image above: Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (left) and Flight
Engineer Clay Anderson install a camera stanchion during the
spacewalk.
Photo credit: NASA TV

Next they will move to separate tasks. Anderson will reconfigure a power supply for an S-Band Antenna Assembly, and then set up and get on a foot restraint at the end of Canadarm2. Yurchikhin will replace a circuit breaker, called a remote power controller module. It will ensure power redundancy for a move of the Mobile Transporter rail car on the station's truss.

Back together, Anderson and Yurchikhin will remove flight support equipment, where the camera stanchion had been mounted, and an attached Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism. Together they have a mass of about 212 pounds.

While Anderson jettisons them from the end of the arm, Yurchikhin will move to the Z1 truss, where he will disconnect and stow cabling associated with the ammonia reservoir, called the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS).

The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December. The EAS has to be removed before the P6 truss can be moved to the end of the station's main truss.


Image above: Flight Engineer Clay Anderson jettisons the Early
Ammonia Servicer.
Photo credit: NASA TV

With Anderson still on the arm, both crew members will move to the P6 Truss and release its remaining connections to the station. Once it is free, Anderson will hold the EAS while the arm maneuvers him to the jettison point, below the right side of the ISS main truss.

The EAS weighs a little over 1,400 pounds on Earth. The jettison will be much like that of the stanchion equipment. Anderson will shove the EAS opposite the station's direction of travel at a minimum velocity of about seven inches (17 cm) per second.

A few hours later, Russian thrusters will reboost the station to provide clearance from the EAS. The reboost also will prepare for the Aug. 2 launch of the Progress 26 cargo carrier and the Aug. 7 launch of Discovery to the station.

The final scheduled spacewalk task is cleaning the Earth-facing docking port, or Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) of the Unity node. That is being done in preparation for the relocation of Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), scheduled for late August.

The move is being made to clear the PMA-3's present position, on the starboard CBM of Unity, for a series of events that will culminate with the arrival of the Harmony node and its preparation to receive future space shuttles.

After cleanup Anderson and Yurchikhin will re-enter the Quest Airlock and conclude the spacewalk a little after noon.

The spacewalk is the first for Anderson and the third for Yurchikhin.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Station Crew Completes Successful Spacewalk


Image above: Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, at the end of the station's
robotic arm, jettisons the Early Ammonia Servicer.
Photo credit: NASA TV

Two International Space Station crew members Monday successfully wrapped up a 7-hour, 41-minute spacewalk that saw the removal and jettison of a refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir.

During the spacewalk Flight Engineer Clay Anderson and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin also installed a television camera stanchion, reconfigured a power supply for an antenna assembly, and performed several get-ahead tasks.

Riding on the end of the space station's robotic arm maneuvered by Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, Anderson jettisoned the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) by shoving it opposite of the station's direction of travel.

After the spacewalk, the docked Progress 25 cargo craft fired its thrusters raising the International Space Station’s orbit. This reboost, along with a reboost performed Friday, provides the proper phasing for an upcoming Progress 26 launch and docking. Monday's Progress firing also cleared the station after the EAS was jettisoned and provides flight day three rendezvous opportunities when space shuttle Endeavour arrives on mission STS-118.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1 and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

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National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Preps for Shuttle Arrival


Image above: Astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer,
waves to the camera while participating in a session of extravehicular
activity as construction continues on the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA

The Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station continued Wednesday with post-spacewalk activities and preparations for the arrival of space shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-118 in August.

Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin conducted a scrub of the spacesuit cooling loops in the Quest airlock. He also reconfigured spacewalking tools for use during the STS-118 mission.

Flight Engineer Clay Anderson practiced techniques that he will use to photograph Endeavour's thermal protection system as it performs a rendezvous pitch maneuver or back flip as it approaches the station.

On Monday, Anderson and Yurchikhin conducted a 7-hour, 41 minute spacewalk. Anderson jettisoned a 1,400 pound, refrigerator-size ammonia reservoir known as the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) by pushing it opposite of the station's direction of travel. Anderson and Yurchikhin also installed a television camera support or stanchion, reconfigured a power supply for an antenna assembly, and performed several get-ahead tasks.

The Progress 24 cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment on Aug. 1, burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere as it deorbits. Progress 26 is scheduled for launch on Aug. 2 and will reach the station on Aug. 5. Two days later on Aug. 7, space shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch with a station rendezvous and docking planned for Aug. 9.

______________________________________

National Lab Report

In late May, NASA sent Congress a report that outlined a plan to use the U.S. segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The report discusses possible partnerships with other government agencies and private companies to conduct research aboard the station.
+ View the Report (96 Kb PDF)

Source: NASA - Space Station

2006-2007 International Space Station Science: Looking Back and Ahead…

07.25.07

It was an exciting year in 2006 and 2007 fo