[sarex] EXP 12 STATUS REPORT #06-6

[Arthur Rowe <azrowe80@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC- AMSAT A/C#31468


International Space Station Status Report #06-6
Friday, February 10, 2006
Expedition 12 Crew

After an almost six-hour spacewalk last week, the crew began the week 
with a little time off and then returned to science investigations, 
routine maintenance and equipment tests.

Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev 
spent the weekend restoring the station to its normal layout after the 
spacewalk.

They dried their spacesuits to be ready for future spacewalks and 
reconfigured station systems. The crew had off-duty time on Monday and 
Tuesday, and they completed post-spacewalk conferences with flight 
controllers and engineers.

Other work included standard ground communications checks with sites at 
White Sands, N.M., and Wallops Island, Va.

Tuesday, McArthur transmitted a narrated video tour of the station, 
offering viewers a look at the interior, equipment and stowed supplies.

On Wednesday, Tokarev prepared the Progress cargo spacecraft docked to 
the station's Pirs Docking Compartment for a thruster test. Tokarev 
checked the Progress's attachments for leaks to ensure they were 
properly sealed.

The Progress thrusters will be used to reboost the station's altitude on 
Saturday.

This test will be the first time thrusters of a Progress docked to Pirs 
are used for a reboost.

The station's Elektron oxygen generator was reactivated yesterday. The 
unit was shut down for the spacewalk, and the station used oxygen from 
tanks in the Progress.

Today, McArthur gathered data for the Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During 
Spaceflight experiment. It's designed to help develop ways to counteract 
lower body muscle and bone loss during long spaceflights.

He wore cycling tights outfitted with 20 sensors, which measure hip, leg 
and ankle joint angles and lower extremity pressures during the 
experiment. It's conducted on four separate days evenly spaced through 
the six-month mission.

For information about crew activities, future launch dates and station 
sighting opportunities on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

The next status report will be issued on Friday, Feb. 17, or earlier if 
events warrant.

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