[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-6

["ARTHUR Z. ROWE" <N1ORC@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - Amsat A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-6*
*4 p.m. CST, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005*
*Expedition 10 Crew*

The Expedition 10 crew turned its attention to the Space Shuttle’s 
return to flight this week, spending several days pre-packing 
International Space Station items destined for return to Earth aboard 
Discovery.

Commander Leroy Chiao began the effort Feb. 1 and reported Friday that 
he has completed pre-packing all U.S. hardware identified for return, 
and that he and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov are working together 
to do the same for the appropriate Russian hardware. Chiao also 
completed an inventory of food supplies.

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer and Science 
Officer John Phillips will be on board the Station when Discovery 
arrives in May, and will work with the STS-114 crew to stow the return 
items after supplies and equipment being delivered have been 
transferred. The Expedition 10 crew’s pre-packing efforts will help 
ensure that the limited amount of transfer time available during 
Discovery’s visit is used efficiently.

Scientific research also highlighted the week, with Sharipov conducting 
three runs with the Russian Plasma-Crystal experiment, while Chiao 
worked with two student experiments. “Plazmennyi Kristall” is studying 
how plasma-dust crystals and fluids behave in microgravity when excited 
by radio waves. Sharipov set up the experiment, installing specimens and 
pumping the atmosphere out of its vacuum chamber so that telescience 
specialists on the ground could command its operations. Chiao installed 
the EarthKAM experiment on a bracket in one of the Station’s windows for 
its final Expedition 10 session. Students at 160 middle schools around 
the world have snapped more than 900 Earth observation images by remote 
control so far. Chiao also worked with the Space Experiment 
Module-Satchel experiment, which contains 11 sample vials, one each from 
schools around the United States, that are exposed to microgravity for 
three to six months. This is the first flight of the satchel carrier, 
which was delivered to the Station by the Progress 16 resupply ship.

Chiao also spent several hours working to restore the Space Integrated 
GPS/Inertial Navigation System (SIGI) to full functionality. The system, 
which supplies Global Positioning Satellite navigation information to a 
Station guidance and navigation computer, was working normally again 
after Chiao rotated out one of the Destiny Laboratory’s systems racks to 
gain access and update the system’s firmware programming.

The crew will have the usual light-duty weekend with cleaning and 
exercise on tap. Chiao, who is the NASA ISS Science Officer, can also 
choose from various research activities for his optional Saturday 
Morning Science session.

For more on NASA, the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future 
launch dates and Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the 
Earth, visit:

www.nasa.gov

The next International Space Station Status report will be issued on 
Friday, Feb. 11, or earlier if events warrant.
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