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CX2SA > ISS 04.03.06 01:53l 90 Lines 4168 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 38567_CX2SA
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Subj: ISS EXP 12 STATUS REPORT #06-9
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Sent: 060303/2349Z @:CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA #:38567 [Minas] FBB7.00e $:38567_CX2SA
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA
To : ISS@WW
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A.C #31468
*International Space Station Status Report #06-9*
*1 p.m. CST, Friday, March 3, 2006*
*Expedition 12 Crew*
Entering the homestretch of a half-year mission, International Space
Station Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev
monitored the departure of one of two Russian cargo ships today.
Filled with trash and items no longer needed, the Progress 19 vehicle
undocked from the Zvezda living quarters module at 5:06 a.m. EST. Three
hours later, Russian flight controllers commanded its engines to fire to
put it on course to plunge into the atmosphere and burn up over the
Pacific Ocean. The cargo ship was docked to the station since September
2005.
The station's Progress 20 cargo vessel, which arrived in December 2005,
remains attached to the Pirs Docking Compartment.
Also this week, McArthur replaced the trace contaminant control system
in the Destiny Laboratory. The system removes impurities from the cabin
air. It experienced a slightly degraded performance over the past few
months, but is operating normally.
On Monday, McArthur will attempt to reconnect and activate the major
constituent analyzer in Destiny. It is a mass spectrometer that measures
compounds in the station's atmosphere. Efforts to activate the system
two weeks ago were unsuccessful due to what is believed to be damaged or
bent electrical connectors.
Once the device is activated, plans can resume for a crew “campoutö in
the Quest Airlock to test streamlined spacewalk preparation procedures.
The new procedures will shorten the time needed to cleanse nitrogen from
spacewalkers' bodies to prevent decompression sickness. For the test,
the crew will spend the night in Quest at a reduced pressure, lessening
the time needed to breathe pure oxygen in advance of a spacewalk.
The “campoutö technique will be used for the first time for spacewalks
on the STS-115 shuttle mission later this year. If the major constituent
analyzer is successfully activated, the campout test will be scheduled
around March 23.
McArthur continued preparations for the arrival of the next shuttle
mission. Discovery is targeted for launch no earlier than May on that
flight, designated STS-121. This week, McArthur put unneeded items in
racks earmarked for return to Earth aboard Discovery.
McArthur and Tokarev will soon begin preparations for a short trip from
the station. Managers have agreed on a tentative schedule on March 20
for the crew to relocate their Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft from the
Earth-facing docking port of the Zarya module to the aft docking port of
Zvezda. McArthur and Tokarev will undock from Zarya and conduct a
37-minute flight to re-dock at Zvezda. The move will clear the Zarya
port for the April 1 arrival of the Soyuz carrying the next station
crew, Expedition 13.
Expedition 13 is commanded by Pavel Vinogradov. Jeff Williams is NASA
Flight Engineer. Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes will fly with them to
the station for a short stay, returning to Earth a week later with
McArthur and Tokarev.
Next week, McArthur will brush up on his robotics skills, operating the
Canadarm2 for engineering tests. The arm also will be remotely commanded
by flight controllers in Houston. They will operate the arm to survey
one of two integrated umbilical assembly mechanisms on the mobile
transporter rail car. The assembly's cutting blade system malfunctioned
Dec. 16, severing one of two umbilicals on the transporter. The assembly
will be replaced on the second of the three spacewalks planned for
Discovery's mission. Controllers also will use the arm to survey a vent
port for the carbon dioxide removal assembly on the Destiny Laboratory.
For information about the station, including sighting opportunities, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
The next station status report will be issued Friday, March 10, or
earlier if events warrant.
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