[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-23

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

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-23*
*3 p.m. CDT, Friday, April 29, 2005*
*Expedition 11 Crew*

The new crew members of the International Space Station completed their 
first full work week today as they conducted routine maintenance, 
continued to settle in and practiced photography to be used when the 
Space Shuttle returns to flight.

Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer 
John Phillips were given time each day to orient themselves with the 
Station and where items are stowed. They also completed an emergency 
evacuation drill, a standard procedure for all new crews. The practice 
helps them learn the location of emergency equipment and departure routes.

Both crewmembers kept busy with Station maintenance and upkeep. Krikalev 
conducted troubleshooting of the Russian Elektron oxygen generation 
system and the condensate removal system. The Elektron remains off-line, 
with oxygen being supplied from tanks in the Progress cargo ship, one of 
several oxygen supplies available. The next infusion of oxygen into the 
Station’s atmosphere from Progress will take place early next week.

Krikalev also completed the transfer of water from the Progress cargo 
ship to storage tanks in the Zvezda module. Phillips updated the 
Station’s computer system with software specifically designed for this 
crew’s mission. He also installed a remote-controlled camera at the 
Destiny Lab’s Earth-facing window for a week’s worth of imagery from the 
EarthKAM experiment, which enables middle-school students around the 
world to take photos of selected sites on Earth. Thousands of students 
from more than 100 schools took part in this week’s operations.

Early today Krikalev and Phillips were informed that NASA managers 
rescheduled the launch of the Shuttle Discovery to no earlier than July 
13 on the STS-114 Return to Flight mission. The additional time is 
needed to complete a thorough analysis of the potential risks posed by 
several areas of possible ice debris from the Shuttle’s external fuel 
tank as well as an evaluation of several concerns found during recent 
launch preparations.

Today the crewmembers practiced with digital cameras the photographs 
they will take of Discovery as it approaches the Station for docking on 
the third day of the STS-114 mission. Phillips and Krikalev will have 
about 93 seconds of time available to use the cameras and high-power 
lenses to capture two sets of images of the Shuttle’s heat shield. 
Discovery Commander Eileen Collins will guide the Shuttle through a slow 
back flip to allow the Station crew to image both the top and bottom of 
the vehicle. The images will be quickly transmitted to the ground for 
analysis.

Krikalev and Phillips performed another step in preparations for the 
Shuttle visit this week as they cleared cargo from a hatch in the Unity 
module where a cargo container will be attached during that mission. The 
Station crew also conferred via space to ground communications with 
Discovery’s crew about the planned transfer and stowing of supplies.

Meanwhile, Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer 
Salizhan Sharipov, along with European Space Agency Astronaut Roberto 
Vittori of Italy, arrived at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in 
Star City, Russia Monday morning. They rested, reunited with their 
families and went through medical tests following their landing in a 
Soyuz spacecraft. Chiao and Sharipov are expected to return to Houston 
in mid-May.

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

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

The next ISS status report will be issued on Friday, May 6, or earlier, 
if events warrant.

###
----
Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe sarex" to Majordomo@amsat.org