[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-16

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

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - Amsat A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-16*
*5:30 a.m. CST, Monday, March 28, 2005*
*Expedition 10 Crew*

The residents of the International Space Station ventured outside today 
for a 4-hour, 30-minute spacewalk to install communications equipment on 
the exterior of the Zvezda Service Module and deploy a small satellite 
experiment. The equipment installation tasks were preparations for the 
maiden docking of the European Space Agency’s cargo carrier, the 
Automated Transfer Vehicle “Jules Verne,” due to launch next year.

Clad in Russian Orlan spacesuits, Expedition 10 Commander and NASA 
Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov left 
the Pirs Docking Compartment airlock at 12:25 a.m. CST and quickly set 
up tools and tethers for their excursion. Sharipov activated the Russian 
Nanosatellite for later deployment.

With no one left inside, Station systems were either deactivated or put 
in autonomous operation for the duration of the spacewalk. Hatches were 
also closed between the U.S. and Russian segments of the complex in the 
unlikely event the crew would not have been able to return to the outpost.

The first task was the installation of three space-to-space 
communications, or so-called WAL, antennas on the forward conical 
section of Zvezda. The S-band low gain antennas are part of the 
Proximity Communications Equipment (PCE) to be used for ATV and Service 
Module interaction during the future rendezvous and docking operations. 
The first three antennas were installed on the aft end of Zvezda during 
Expedition 9.

About 2 hours into the spacewalk, from a ladder attached to Pirs, 
Sharipov deployed the foot-long, 11-pound Nanosatellite toward the aft 
end of the Station as Chiao photographed its departure. The experiment 
contains a transmitter and while it orbits the Earth, is expected to 
help develop small satellite control techniques, monitor satellite 
operations and develop new attitude system sensors. Russian experts 
informed the crew they received a good signal from the satellite two 
hours after its deployment.

The spacewalkers gathered the tools and equipment for the next task as 
Russian flight controllers inhibited the Russian thrusters from firing 
in the crew’s next worksite area. Once that was complete, the 
crewmembers were given approval to move toward the aft end of Zvezda. 
Once in place, they installed a Global Positioning System receiver. The 
receiver is also part of the ATV communications hardware and will give 
the approaching vehicle data about its relative position to the Station 
during rendezvous operations.

While in the area for the installation of GPS cabling, Chiao and 
Sharipov also inspected and photographed the location of an antenna used 
for communications with the Service Module to confirm its position for 
Russian technicians. Chiao then photographed a previously installed 
laser reflector that will also be used for ATV proximity operations. The 
crewmembers continued to secure cabling on Zvezda as they worked their 
way back toward Pirs.

Despite the recent loss of one of the three functioning Control Moment 
Gyroscopes because of a circuit breaker failure, the remaining two gyros 
maintained the Station’s attitude without Russian thrusters until just 
before the end of the spacewalk. The Station drifted slightly without 
attitude control for less than 20 minutes. When Chiao and Sharipov 
reported they were a safe distance from Zvezda’s thrusters, the jets 
were reactivated and attitude was quickly regained.

The two spacewalkers entered Pirs and closed the hatch at 4:55 a.m. CST 
to complete their spacewalk an hour ahead of schedule. After 
repressurizing Pirs, Chiao and Sharipov were scheduled to return to the 
Station, remove their spacesuits, reactivate the ISS systems and open 
the hatches to the U.S. segment. The crew will begin its sleep period 
later this morning and enjoy a light-duty day Tuesday with a few system 
reconfiguration tasks scheduled.

It was the second spacewalk for Sharipov and Chiao’s sixth. The pair 
logged almost 10 hours of spacewalking time during their two Expedition 
excursions. Today’s spacewalk was the 58th in support of ISS assembly 
and maintenance, the 33rd staged from the ISS itself and the 15th from 
Pirs. A total of 348 hours and 15 minutes of spacewalking time has been 
logged in the Station’s lifetime.

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, April 1, or earlier if events warrant.

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