ISS-11 mission chronicle: July
Coverage of Expedition 11’s stay in orbit for July 2005.
A busy month as the Return-to-Flight launch of STS-114 Discovery launched on 26 July – the first flight to the ISS since STS-113 (23 November-7 December 2002).
1/7
Sergei did the regular morning inspection, and a monthly inspection of fuses and circuit breakers in Pirs. Sergei dismantled the MBRL, МБРЛ ATV satellite navigational equipment after successful ground testing. He worked on the Russian payload server (BSPN, БСПН). John did the daily SOZh maintenance while Sergei prepared the Inventory Management System files for export to their database and had a weekly tagup with specialists discussing IMS issues. The crew were scheduled for their weekly teleconference with the lead flight directors at Houston and TsUP via U.S. S-band/audio. Another oxygen repress from M-53 (8.0 mmHg); the ppO2 (oxygen partial pressure) is 160.1 mmHg; cabin pressure is 760.8 mmHg.
News & reports links
- 1/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- JSC Station Status Report: 1 July.
- CollectSPACE: “Live 8 from space”, forum topic. “Just read one of the newspapers in the UK, one of the astronauts aboard the ISS will be introducing some of the acts for the concert in Hyde Park in London. I hope it will be better than the concert, the cosmonaut’s name is Sergei Krikalyov, he will introduce Elton John.”
– Paul Prendergast
4/7
American Independence Day holiday weekend, so no reports for the previous two days (2nd and 3rd – presumably the person who does them took a break). Also a holiday today (4th July). Sergei performed Part 1 of his second round of the Profilaktika (MBI-8) fitness test experiment. He did the daily inspection of the horse radishes experiment in the Lada-7 greenhouse, and the SOZh maintenance. John had a 10-minute ham radio (lyubiteljskogo radio, любительского радио – or радиолюбитель in my dictionary) session with students in Japan (the Sputnik-SM Kenwood D700 amateur radio station is set up in Zvezda).
News & reports links
5/7
The usual Russian biomedical assessments (calf and body mass measurements) first thing this morning. Sergei took his second MBI-1 SPRUT-K test (how body fluids adapt in 0-g), and part 2 of his Profilaktika (MBI-8) fitness test. He did some work on the Rodnik water supply system in preparation for transferring fresh water from M-53. He and John had another Orbiter photography drill. John did the SOZh maintenance; Sergei the IMS delta file transfer. They both had a conference with the STS-114 Flight Control Team discussing the mission timeline.
Wakeup at 03:40 GMT. Most of the day was spent on cargo transfers from Raffaello. The Shuttle crew and John participated in a PAO event with various news channels. Sergei was apparently not included; he did the SOZh maintenance in the Russian segment and other daily tasks. (He is getting a bit ignored during this flight :-(.)
News & reports links
6/7
Sergei had his first session with the European Neurocog experiment. Day 3 for both crew of the kidney stone experiment session (involving collecting urine samples. One of the delightful aspects of being an astronaut or cosmonaut). Sergei performed part 3 of the Profilaktika fitness assessment. He and John continued equipment transfer from the Crew Airlock and packing hardware for return to Earth on STS-114. John did the SOZh maintenance, Sergei the IMS file transfer. Sergei worked on the Rasteniya-2 plants experiment (maintenance is done each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Progress M-53 successfully initiated a reboost burn at 02:58 GMT to position the ISS for STS-114 rendezvous on Flight Day 3.
News & reports links
7/7
Sergei completed a second session of the MO-5 cardio experiment and day 3 of the renal stone experiment. He transferred water supplies from M-53 to Zvezda. In the Soyuz Orbital Module he worked on ventilation fans V1 and V2, then did the SOZh maintenance. He and John had a 30-minute teleconference with the STS-114 crew. A NASA media conference is scheduled for the crew tomorrow.
News & reports links
From Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) news:
07/07/2005: The ISS orbit was raised yesterday
At 18 hours 58 minutes 10 seconds (Moscow Summer Time) by the means of transport cargo ship Progress M-53 was performed the single-impulse correction of the ISS orbit. The corrective pulse was 1.87 m/s. The orbital parameters after correction comprised:
- period, t: 91577;
- inclination i=51.663°;
- Hmax = 374.86 km;
- hmin = 354.16 km.
During these days the Station crew continues work on preparation for the encounter of the American ship Discovery, and also is preparing the necessary equipment for the return on it to the Earth. The orientation mode of station is supported by the means of Russian and American segments.
The health of the ISS commander Sergei Krikalyov and flight engineer John Phillips is good.
Russian version, Русская версия: Орбиту МКС подняли.
8/7
Sergei completed his first session with the European Neurocog experiment, then did the SOZh maintenance and set up the Elektron for a leak check. He and John completed the monthly CEVIS vibration isolator inspection. At 17:00 GMT the crew had a media press conference.
News & reports links
- 8/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- JSC Station Status Report: 8 July. (Station activities next week will be included in the twice-daily in the Shuttle mission status reports for the latter’s duration.)
9/7
Saturday: off-duty, with the usual 3-hour uborka, housecleaning, scheduled. Sergei collected CO2 partial pressure readings in Zvezda and Destiny. John did the SOZh maintenance. The crew conducted their usual weekly teleconferences.
News & reports links
10/7
Sunday: off-duty. Sergei checked up on the Rasteniya-2 Plants experiment, and was assigned several photography duties from his “job jar” (voluntary task list). “At ~10:15 a.m. EDT, Phillips and Krikalyov downlinked a message of greetings and congratulation in honor of the 50th anniversary of Disneyland.”
News & reports links
11/7
Before breakfast, the crew’s third “Biochemical Urinalysis” (MO-9) session (urine collecting – yuck) done every 30 days. Several hours were assigned for pre-packing return-to-Earth cargo. Sergei serviced the Russian BMP harmful impurities removal system. Sergei had some experiment photography assignments (including Uragan Earth photography), and did the SOZh maintenance. “Over the weekend, the BVK-1 vacuum valve group of the Vozdukh carbon dioxide (CO2) removal system failed three times. After the first two times, it was restarted in Manual Mode. After the third failure, the valve group was removed & replaced with a spare. Vozdukh was then reactivated in Manual Mode and later transitioned into automatic mode. At present, it appears to be functioning nominally.”
News & reports links
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №486:
12/07/2005/00:26 – Spacewalk is abolished
The spacewalk of the crew of the International Space Station according to the American program is abolished.
“The spacewalk of Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips planned in August in the interests of the American segment has been abolished,” reported Viktor Blagov, a key figure of Moscow Mission Control Center, today. Their reliefs – the ISS-12 crew – will carry out all works and scientific experiments for this spacewalk, the expert specified.
“Previously Krikalyov and Phillips already cleaned rubbish from the American airlock Quest, intended for the spacewalk in the American EMU spacesuits; however, they will not be able to use it according to the designation,” they said in TSUP. The fact is that an assistant – a third crew member – is required for the “entrance” into EMU. “They will have to await the German astronaut Thomas Reiter, who now will be able to fly on ISS only during September, when the second Shuttle leaves for orbit,” they explained at Roskosmos.
In the program of the 11th basic expedition two spacewalks were planned, they explained in TSUP. An extra-ship activity VKD in the interests of American segment had to be carried out during August, and according to the Russian program – during September, then exists after reception by the crew ISS of two Shuttles. The program was compiled before NASA declared about the shift of the planned March start of Discovery first on May, and then on July, which, correspondingly, moved the starting of Atlantis from July on September, ITAR-TASS reports.
Now Krikalyov and Phillips have to run only the Russian spacewalk program, even then, possibly, in a reduced version. “It is possible that the outlined on September launching of the Baumanets student satellite, created on the base of an expired Russian Orlan-M spacesuit, will be carried out by the crew of the 12th expedition,” noted Blagov.
According to him, it is planned that Krikalyov and Phillips will work in open space at the end of September for around an hour, for several days prior to the scheduled 27 September launch of the following expedition. The ISS -12 crew, composed of Russian Valerii Tokarev and American William McArthur, will leave for orbit from the spaceport Baikonur aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Together with them on ISS will fly the third space tourist, Gregory Olsen.
Russian version, Русская версия: Выход в открытый космос отменен.
12/07/2005/00:26 – The Shuttle crew, in the case of an emergency will stay on the ISS less than a month
Food products and water on ISS for nine people will be sufficient almost for the month. About this they stated in the NASA group in Moscow Mission Control Center. According to the source, “if in the course of the flight of the Shuttle Discovery are revealed any serious malfunctions, which cannot be made in space, crew will remain in orbit to the arrival of a rescue Shuttle.”
“In this case will be begun to operate the reserves of International Space Station,” refined the source. According to him, oxygen, food and water at the station for nine people (ISS crew of two people plus seven Shuttle astronauts of) will be sufficient for approximately a month. “Problems can arise with the toilet, whose reserves are not limitless,” he noted. The washroom at the Station, explained specialist, was calculated for a constant stay in orbit of two-three people, and on the Shuttle the entire life-support system was designed for the short (up to two weeks) flights.
But here problems with oxygen in orbit in connection with the arrival of the new tenants of the “orbital house”, in the opinion of specialists TSUP, will not likely arise. Besides the ISS reserves and the cargo ship Progress attached to it, oxygen tanks exist on board the Shuttle.
The commander of the crew working on the ISS, Sergei Krikalyov, even up to launch focused attention of management NASA to the serious problems with the subsistence, which can arise, if nine people for a long time are “trapped” at the station. He, in particular, asked NASA to examine the possibility of abridging the crew of Discovery to four people so that if necessary it would be to sufficient easily evacuate all those locating on the station with the aid of two three-seater Soyuz spacecraft. One such rescue capsule is constantly mated to the ISS. However, NASA management did not heed his agitations.
At the spaceport on Cape Canaveral (state of Florida) countdown has already begun before the launch of Discovery. The hours, which the last time were used almost 2½ years ago, when they counted off hours and minutes before beginning, completed by tragedy by the flight of Shuttle Columbia, was released is yesterday 18:00 hours USA East Coast time (on 11 July 02:00 MSK).
Now all operations on the preparation of Shuttle for the flight occur according to the timeline. The crew of Discovery, for which is in prospect to complete the first after the loss of Columbia flight in near-Earth orbit, already arrived at the spaceport. Launch is scheduled for 13 July on 15:51 (23:51 MSK). According to the forecast of meteorologists, there is 70% probability that during this day the weather will satisfy the necessary requirements.
On the whole, the flight of Discovery will become 114th in the space flight of American Shuttles. Seven astronauts will leave for orbit this time: commander Discovery, the first woman-commander of the Shuttle in the history of USA, Eileen Collins; Shuttle pilot James Kelly, and also mission specialists Japanese astronaut Soichi Nogumi and the Americans Wendy Lawrence, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas and Charles Kamard.
They must test several new technologies, which ensure flight safety, dock with the International Space Station and deliver water, spare parts and other loads, and also complete three space walks. The flight, according to plans, will be prolonged 12 days and will be completed on 25 July by landing at the Cape Canaveral spaceport at 11:01 (19:01 MSK). (ITAR-TASS report)
Russian version, Русская версия: Экипаж шаттла в случае аварии продержится на МКС меньше месяца.
11/07/2005/11:55 – The ISS crew prepared 9 tons of cargo for return to Earth
The present ISS crew, Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips, spent a large part of operating time over the past week dealing with collection and packing of items, to be returned to the Earth on board the cargo module Raffaello, reports Novosti.online.ru.
This module will be brought to the ISS by the Shuttle Discovery, which must leave for orbit on 13 July. In this module will be delivered to 8240 kg of cargo from the Earth to the Station. Discovery will mate Raffaello to one of the docking modules ISS, then they will unload it, and in the liberated space will load equipment, the results of scientific experiments and other loads, which were accumulated on the ISS over more than in 2½ years after the termination of Shuttle flights. Moreover into the return route to the Earth Raffaello will transport an even larger load – 8956 kg.
If the Discovery launch takes place in the time assigned, then it will be docked to the ISS on 16 July. Last week for the preparation for the docking, the ISS orbit was raised approximately 6.4 km. For this the engines of the Progress cargo ship attached to the station were fired for 7 minutes.
Russian version, Русская версия: Экипаж МКС приготовил для отправки на землю 9 тонн грузов.
12/7
Sergei completed a third session of the PZEh MO-1 cardiological experiment with John assisting. He changed out one of the eight 800A batteries in Zvezda (#1, failed). He and John collected air samples for testing. Sergei worked on the BMP harmful impurities removal system. He did the monthly cleaning of the Soyuz Orbital Modules BVN, БВН, fan & air heater assembly. He collected monthly radiation sensor readings, did the SOZh maintenance and Uragan Earth photography. “At ~8:30 a.m. EDT, over RGS (Russian ground stations), the crew downlinked congratulatory greetings to TsUP/Moscow to honor the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the successful Soyuz/Apollo docking conducted under the joint US/Soviet Apollo/Soyuz Test Program (ASTP).”
News & reports links
13/7
Sergei spent 90 minutes on the monthly Eye Tracking Device experiment (done in Pirs). He also had his first orthostatic endurance assessment sessionsession with the Russian Chibis suit. He charged batteries for the Kodak 760 cameras that will be used to photograph Discovery. He and John had another RPM training session later in the day. He replaced four dust filter cartridges in Zvezda (done monthly). The Motorola-9505 Iridium satellite phone (stored in Soyuz BO) was given its monthly recharging. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance and related chores.
“LF-1 Launch delayed: At about T-51 min, the LF-1 mission was declared a scrub for today. The scrub occurred when scheduled pre-launch simulations of the SSME ECO (Space Shuttle Main Engine/Engine Cutoff) sensors in the ET (External Tank) resulted in conditions which indicated a potential problem with one ECO sensor. This would violate an LCC (Launch Commit Criterion) which requires four good sensors (of four) at launch. The ECO sensors are critical for maintaining a steady flow of propellants to the SSMEs during ascent. A troubleshooting meeting is currently discussing the scrub, establishing a forward plan and identifying a new launch opportunity.”
News & reports links
- 13/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- MSNBC.com: “NASA calls off Shuttle launch”.
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №486:
13/07/2005/00:06 – Week on the ISS (4-10 July)
The information about the activities carried out on board the International Space Station during the past week, is placed on the site of MCC-Moscow. Materials are prepared according to the data of site SpaceflightNow.
The first day of the past week in the Basic Expedition 11 crew on the ISS consisted of light duties. On Monday 4th July, during Independence Day oF the USA, additional leisure was given to cosmonauts, and from the following day they again continued intensive work, first of all on the preparation for the arrival of the Shuttle Discovery. Commander Sergei Krikalyov and flight engineer John Phillips spent much time on transfer and equipment packing and results of the experiments, which will be returned to the Earth in the cargo module-container Rafaello – it is cargo near 9-TI of tons. Crew also freed up storage space in the docking module Quest. The flight engineer began to prepare American spacesuits for the three space walks planned during the joint flight of Shuttle and ISS. In order to ensure the proper conditions for the forthcoming Shuttle docking on 15 July, on 6th July was carried out the second of two planned corrections of the ISS’s orbit.
The commander conducted the replenishing of station oxygen from the tanks of the cargo ship Progress M-53, and he pumped water from the reservoirs of the Progress into the tanks of official module Zvezda.
Both cosmonauts participated in the second session of the RENAL experiment according to the estimation of the danger of formation of kidney stones under the conditions of space flight.
With the aid of the television cameras established at the station, it was possible for crew to photograph the movement of Hurricane Dennis across the USA, and to also make photographs of Hong Kong, apex of Kilimanjaro and delta of the Nile.
At the end of the week the crew conducted press conference with the journalists, who were being located in the Kennedy Space Center.
Russian version, Русская версия: Неделя на МКС (04–10 июля).
15/7
After the delaying of the Shuttle launch yesterday, today was an extra rest day for the crew. It was proposed to reschedule the Soyuz relocation for next week (19/7), so Sergei and John began preparations for this. Sergei carried out a hot-firing test of the Soyuz’s SUD, СУД motion control system. He later did the SOZh maintenance. The crew had their eighth regular (weekly) teleconference with the Flight Directors at Houston and Moscow.
News & reports links
- 15/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- JSC Station Status Report: 15 July. “With Discovery’s launch delayed, managers now plan to have the crew move the Soyuz next Tuesday from the Pirs Docking Compartment to the Zarya module to clear the way for a spacewalk planned in August. The move, originally planned to take place after Discovery’s mission, will free up the Pirs airlock for use by Krikalyov and Phillips during that spacewalk.”
16/7
Saturday: off-duty. 3 hours of uborka, Station cleaning. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance and downloaded some experiment data files to the ground.
News & reports links
17/7
Sunday; not quite off-duty because of preparations for the Soyuz move on the 19th. A 3-hour Soyuz training drill for Sergei and John for the relocation from the nadir ports of Pirs to Zarya. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance.
News & reports links
18/7
Start of Week 13. A shortened day so the crew could synchronize the Soyuz relocation with available Russian ground site VHF communication windows (available up to 20 minutes per orbit). Sergei and John began preparing the Station for unmanned mode (just in case something goes wrong and they have to de-orbit in the Soyuz, abandoning the ISS). “The relocation itself will begin with physical separation from the DC1 docking module at 10:35 GMT tomorrow morning. (At this time, Soyuz TMA-6 will back off, translate to the FGB and rotate around its long axis to index with the nadir port docking target. Final approach will begin at 11:08 GMT, with docking concluding the maneuver at 11:15 GMT. The maneuver times have been chosen to be within coverage of RGS [Russian ground sites]).”
News & reports links
- 18/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- MSNBC.com: “Space station crew takes a brief road trip”, James Oberg.
TsUP news:
Tomorrow the ISS crew will go for a flight on the Soyuz
(Based on materials from ROL.Ru, on 18 July, 2005)
Tomorrow on 19 July the ISS crew of Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips (John Phillips) will temporarily abandoned station. They have to undock the Soyuz spacecraft, on which they arrived flying to the ISS during April of this year. Until now, the Soyuz was mated to the nadir port of Pirs, and now it is planned to transfer and dock it to the Zvezda module in order to free Pirs for the planned exit of the crew into open space. This Soyuz redocking operation is always carried out in the manned regime.
The actual flight phase usually lasts about a half-hour. But before leaving the Station, the crew must preserve the ISS in the event that it is impossible to again dock the Soyuz, and it is necessary before the appointed time to return to the Earth. True, such an event has never yet happened. We hope that also it will not occur this time.
Russian version, Русская версия: Завтра экипаж МКС покатается на «Союзе».
19/7
The Soyuz relocation was carried out successfully. The crew had a longer working day (19 h 35 m, 11:50 GMT the previous evening to 19:25 GMT today) to accommodate Russian ground site passover times. The Station was prepared for unmanning, then the Soyuz undocked at 10:38 GMT and re-docked at 11:08 GMT with Sergei piloting. The crew re-entered the ISS at 12:58 GMT. There was a minor glitch when the “closed hatch” indicator did not come up after closing hatches between the ISS and Soyuz, but advice from TsUP resolved the problem.
News & reports links
- 19/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- NASA TV image: Soyuz TMA relocating.
- MSNBC.com: “Space station crew redocks Soyuz”.
- Spaceflight Now.com: “Station crew drives Soyuz to new docking port”.
Maneuvering in orbit
19/07/2005, TsUP-M press-service
In accordance with the outlined flight program on 19 July, 2005, is produced ship rejoining Soyuz TMA from the docking module Pirs to the Functional Cargo Block Zarya. The change to the formation of the International Space Station was carried out for the purpose of enabling further work in the open outer space (spacewalks).
Before undocking, Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips entered the ship and hatchways were shut.
At 14 hours 38 minutes Moscow time, Soyuz TMA separated from the station and then backed away from it to a distance of approximately 30 meters.
The craft commander Sergei Krikalyov performed further operations on mooring and docking with the use of the manual control system. Docking occurred at 15 hours 07 minutes 59 seconds. The time Soyuz TMA spent in autonomous flight was 30 minutes.
Work at the International Space Station continues. Both cosmonauts are healthy, they feel well.
Russian version, Русская версия: Маневрирование на орбите.
20/7
A crew rest day after the Soyuz relocation. Sergei reactivated some experiments that had been switched off. He did the SOZh maintenance and a weekly check of IP-1, ИП-1 airflow sensors in the Russian segment. The atmosphere was replenished with 8.7 mmHg of oxygen from the Progress. Sergei did a Uragan Earth photography session.
News & reports links
21/7
Sergei made preparations for a run of the Russian/German Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) experiment tomorrow. Later he partook in a live TV session with TsUP and the people involved in the experiment. He installed a closeout cover in Zarya (“The cover is a newly delivered swatch of imitation leather, 1473 × 736.6 cm in size, fastened with Velcro around its backside surface”). Sergei did the SOZh maintenance, and took an inventory of port crew quarters in Zvezda, then did another Uragan photo session.
News & reports links
22/7
Sergei began a new German/Russian TEKh-20 Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) payload experiment session. He later spent 3 hours cleaning Group-B ventilator fans and grilles in Zvezda, part of a new round of monthly preventative maintenance in the RS. John did the SOZh maintenance. A ventilator fan (VPRK, ВРПК) in the aft end of Zvezda was not working (reducing airflow from M-53), so it will need to be replaced. The crew had a 13-minute NASA digital satellite TV session with the Sun Sounds of Arizona TV station. Sergei did another Uragan Earth photography session. STS-114 launch is currently set for Tuesday 26/7 (in the U.S.).
News & reports links
23/7
Saturday: off-duty day. The usual 3 hours of uborka, housekeeping. Sergei and John’s 100th day in orbit since launch at Baikonur on 15 April. Sergei conducted a second Russian/German Plasma Crystal-3 (PK-3) payload experiment session. The crew had the usual weekly teleconferences (with ISS program management at Houston, and then with TsUP & Houston mission timeline planners). Sergei did the SOZh maintenance, some Uragan photography and checked the temperature of the snails experiment.
News & reports links
24/7
Sunday: off-duty. Sergei conducted a third experiment session for the Plasma Crystal-3 payload, then did the SOZh maintenance and a Uragan photography session.
News & reports links
25/7
Monday. Sergei and John did the PZEh-MO-7 (calf volume measurement) and PZEh-MO-8 (body mass measurement) experiments. A fourth Plasma Crystal-3 session for Sergei. Sergei was to replace emergency gas masks in Zvezda with three new IPK-1, ИПК-1 units brought on Progress M-53. He and John were scheduled for their weekly teleconference with Kent Rominger in the JSC Astronaut Office (so when did Sergei become an astronaut, and do they do a similar conference with the cosmonauts).
News & reports links
26/7
STS-114 lifted off on time at 10:39 a.m. EDT (14:39 GMT). Docking is scheduled for 7:18 a.m. EDT (11:18 GMT) on 28/7. Sergei conducted a fifth Plasma Crystal-3 session, then began charging the batteries for the Kodak 760 digital cameras that he and John will use to photograph the underside of the Orbiter during its Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. He cloned two hard drives with Zvezda software version 7.03 (I would like to know what sort of program this is). He then replaced the #1 BRPK, БРПК air/liquid condensate separator unit in the condensate water processor, and did another Uragan Earth photography session. John did the SOZh maintenance.
News & reports links
From the Plasma Crystal Experiment news section:
End of July 2005: Days before the docking of space shuttle Discovery (STS-114) to the International Space Station the 11th ISS crew performs the plasma crystal experiment “PKE-Nefedov” of the MPE Garching in orbit. Main experimenter is cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov (see picture →) who already performed the experiment as a member of the first ISS crew as the first physical experiment facility onboard the ISS in March 2001. This completes the circle: This 13th experiment session is expected to be the last one. The already finished successor of PKE-Nefedov, PK-3 Plus, will be launched to the Space Station in December 2005.
The fate of PKE-Nefedov is still undecided. If a return with a future space shuttle mission is not possible then the experiment will probably be “dumped”.
27/7
Preparations for tomorrow’s docking continued. Sergei prepared the cameras for photographing the Orbiter. He then did the SOZh maintenance. “At ~4:05 a.m. [08:05 GMT] the crew conducted a TV conference with the Soyuz-19 and Apollo crews of the joint US/Soviet ASTP (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project) ‘handshake in space’ that is observing its 30th anniversary.” The crew are synchronizing their sleep times with that of the Shuttle crew, so bedtime today and wake-up tomorrow is earlier by 2 h 20 m.
News & reports links
- 27/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- Spaceflight Now.com: STS-114 docking timeline. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time = GMT −4 hours.)
28/7
A Space Shuttle docked today at the ISS for the first time since December 2002. Discovery docked at 11:18 GMT after completing the RPM maneuver so Sergei and John could take photos of the Orbiter’s underside (no damage was detected from the photos later downlinked. Sergei operated the digital camera with the 800 mm lens; John the 400 mm lens). Sergei and John beforehand woke up at 02:39 GMT and completed final docking preparations. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance and the weekly maintenance reboot of Station laptop computers. Hatches were opened at 12:54 GMT. Welcome ceremonies: John rang the ship’s bell in Destiny, and Sergei presented the incoming crew with the traditional Russian bread-and-salt greeting. Sergei then gave the standard safety briefing for both crews. On board are now one Russian cosmonaut, six American astronauts, one Japanese astronaut and one Australian-born NASA astronaut (“our” Andy!!). Sleep period began at 19:39 GMT.
News & reports links
- 28/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- STS-114 MCC Status Report #05.
- NASA TV image: STS-114 crew are welcomed onboard.
29/7
Main event for the day was transferring the MPLM Raffaello from the Orbiter’s cargo bay to the Node on the ISS, which was done successfully. Sergei prepared equipment in the MPLM vestibule in the Node for ingress. Sergei and Wendy Lawrence pressurized the vestibule, conducted leak checks, then opened hatches around 15:00 GMT. John did the SOZh maintenance. At 16:30 GMT the Shuttle crew retired into their Orbiter, depressurizing it to 10.2 psi to support the upcoming EVA pre-breathe protocol. Bedtime was at 18:40 GMT. Wakeup at 04:10 GMT tomorrow.
News & reports links
- 29/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- STS-114 MCC Status Reports: #06; #07; #08.
- collectSPACE: “Racking up a record”.
- MSNBC.com:
- “Shuttle gap sets off station scramble”. “Facing a delay of uncertain duration before the arrival of the next Shuttle mission, astronauts on the International Space Station have been grabbing hold of anything extra they can beg, borrow or steal from the Shuttle Discovery to enhance the station’s long-term habitability, and even its survivability.” The Orbiter’s docking may be extended by one day (to 13 days) to support these activities; one being to fix the CEVIS motorized treadmill, which has kept breaking down. Extra light bulbs will also be scavenged from Raffaello (they keep burning out quick in the U.S. segment).
- “NASA may extend Discovery mission”.
From the Russian Federal Space Agency (FKA):
29/07/2005: The ISS crew consists of 9 people
Yesterday, at 15 hours 17 minutes (MSK) the reusable American ship Discovery, with seven astronauts aboard, docked on Thursday to the International Space Station (ISS).
Before the docking, the Shuttle carried out a maneuver in which it completed a “somersault” in orbit. During several minutes the cosmonauts, who work on the ISS, photographed the surface of American spacecraft.
The Shuttle is mated to the Destiny module of the ISS American segment.
The commander of the Shuttle Discovery is woman-astronaut and Colonel of the USAF, Eileen Collins, who has already visited space three times. The crew, which consists of six NASA astronauts and one astronaut of Japan, will have to verify the fitness of the Shuttle for work.
After the catastrophe of the Shuttle Columbia in 2003, the specialists of NASA developed a number of measures for flight safety, and also on the elimination of malfunctions on the Shuttle in space. The Shuttle delivered in orbit the Italian cargo module Rafaello and a new instrument for maintaining of attitude of station – a gyrodyne, to replace the one that malfunctioned, and also everything necessary for continuing the work of the ISS basic expedition.
Discovery will conduct a spaceflight of 12 days; for eight days of these the astronauts will work on the ISS. They will carry out three spacewalks; during one of them they will verify skin of Shuttle and, if necessary, work on the elimination of the emergent malfunctions will be conducted, being guided by recommendations from Earth. The launch of Discovery was the first after more than two-year-old interruption in the flights of American Shuttles from the moment of the loss of seven astronauts in the spacecraft Columbia.
“We hope that, according to the results of the first flight of the Shuttle Discovery, will be obtained the information, which will allow to launch the following ships. But if there occurs anything serious, we will fly two together, on the old scenario. At the end of August-September there will arrive associates from NASA and we will discuss questions of assignment by Russia additional services concerning the delivery cargo and crews,” reported Aleksei Krasnov, the chief for the administration for the manned programs of the Federal Space Agency. “The ISS crew will fly ‘two together’ for a minimum of half a year.”
“We greatly hope for the successful launching in the middle of 2006 of the European ATV cargo ship, which will deliver to the station a significant quantity of cargo, which will make it possible to increase resources for a stay in orbit of three people,” emphasized Krasnov.
Russian version, Русская версия: Экипаж МКС состоит из 9 человек.
30/7
Sergei achieved 2 years of accumulated time in space today!
He and John Phillips spent most of the day supporting Shuttle EVA-1 with the Canadarm-2 (SSRMS). While not thus occupied, they continued cargo transfers from the MPLM. Sergei did the SOZh maintenance. The Orbiter is to stay docked one extra day to facilitate cargo transfers. After studying the photos, the Orbiter has been cleared for re-entry.
News & reports links
- 30/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- STS-114 MCC Status Reports: #09; #10.
31/7
News & reports links
- 31/7 On-Orbit Status Report.
- STS-114 MCC Status Reports: ;#11; #12.