[sarex] EXP 9 STATUS 27 AUGUST 2004

[Arthur Z Rowe <n1orc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - Amsat A/C #31468

* Expedition 9 Prepares for Spacewalk, Works on Spacesuit 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/issreports/2004/iss04-49.html>*
The Expedition 9 crewmembers completed another busy week aboard the 
International Space Station. A large portion of their work centered on 
spacewalk preparations and spacesuit repairs. Early in the week, they 
performed the most complex spacesuit repair job ever conducted in flight 
on a U.S. spacesuit.

NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke successfully replaced a water pump 
in the suit's cooling system and performed other troubleshooting tasks 
on the suit, which had experienced cooling problems earlier this year. 
Tests indicate that the new pump is working perfectly. Engineers on 
Earth are analyzing data to determine if the spacesuit, which is known 
as an Extravehicular Mobility Unit, can be cleared for use.

Throughout the week, Commander Gennady Padalka and Fincke gathered tools 
and reviewed timelines in preparation for their Sept. 3 spacewalk. The 
excursion, which will be Expedition 9's fourth spacewalk at the ISS, is 
scheduled to begin at 11:50 a.m. CDT (1650 GMT). The spacewalk will use 
Russian Orlan spacesuits and be based out of the Pirs Docking 
Compartment. NASA TV 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/index.html>'s spacewalk 
coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. CDT (1530).

While the crew slept Wednesday night, Russian flight controllers fired 
the thrusters on the ISS Progress 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/elements/progress/index.html> 
15 in a maneuver to raise the orbit of the Station. The Progress raised 
the Station's orbit by 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers). This was the second 
maneuver using Progress 15, with a third scheduled for September. The 
Station's orbit is being raised to prepare it for the arrival of 
Expedition 10 in October.
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