[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-1

[Arthur Z Rowe <n1orc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - Amsat A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-1*
*4 p.m. CST, Friday, Jan. 7, 2005*
*Expedition 10 Crew*

The Expedition 10 crew began the New Year by embarking on biomedical 
experiments, unloading contents from the recently arrived Russian 
Progress cargo vehicle and troubleshooting the Station’s oxygen generator.

Commander and NASA Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer 
Salizhan Sharipov rang in the New Year Saturday to a special rendition 
of “Auld Lang Syne” offered from Mission Control. They also received 
greetings from Russian space officials in Moscow.

Today, the crew took time from its activities to observe the Russian 
Orthodox Christmas. They have a light weekend planned with only a few 
routine maintenance tasks scheduled.

The crew conducted a variety of biomedical experiments throughout the 
week, including the NEUROCOG experiment which studies how the body's 
sense of balance, or neurovestibular system, adapts to weightlessness. 
During the experiment, the crew member subject moves around the cabin 
wearing a virtual reality headset.

Chiao and Sharipov also offered a message of condolence to the victims 
of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami in southern Asia. Today Chiao and 
Sharipov took some time to discuss the progress of their mission with 
students at the Central Park Middle School in Schenectady, N.Y. (NASA 
Web TV)

On New Year's Day, the Station's Elektron oxygen-generation system shut 
down. The crew has had some success in recovering the operation of that 
system this week. The Elektron, which separates water into hydrogen and 
oxygen, is one of several systems that can be used to replenish oxygen 
in the Station cabin. Almost five months of oxygen reserves are aboard 
the Station in other systems.

With help from Russian technical experts, the crew early this week tried 
to purge gas from the Elektron lines, using both a manual pump and an 
electrical pump. The gas bubbles were believed to be causing pumps in 
the Elektron to shut down. As troubleshooting continued, the crew on 
Thursday replaced the electrolyte in the Elektron with that from a spare 
unit. The Elektron was then successfully restarted, although later that 
day the system was switched from a primary pump to a backup pump. The 
Elektron has continued to operate intermittently since.

While the Elektron was out of service on Tuesday, oxygen was added to 
the Station atmosphere from tanks on the Progress cargo craft.

Information on the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future 
launch dates and Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the 
Earth is available on the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

The next International Space Station Status report will be issued 
Friday, Jan. 14, or earlier if events warrant.
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