| |
CX2SA > ISS 31.03.07 04:33l 80 Lines 3653 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 4179_CX2SA
Read: GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: ISS STATUS REPORT #07-16
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EAM<DB0SMG<DB0RES<F5GOV<F6DAA<F4BWT<
IW2OAZ<CX2SA
Sent: 070331/0133Z @:CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA #:4179 [Minas] FBB7.00e $:4179_CX2SA
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA
To : ISS@WW
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*International Space Station Status Report #07-16*
*6:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, March 29, 2007*
*Expedition 14 Crew*
HOUSTON - The Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the April
arrival of a new station crew by boarding their Soyuz TMA-9 craft and
taking a 24-minute flight from one station docking port to another.
Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin guided the Soyuz away from the
Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module and docked it to the aft
port of the Zvezda module. The move frees the Zarya port for the arrival
of the Expedition 15 crew aboard the Soyuz TMA-10, scheduled to dock to
the station on April 9.
Tyurin undocked the Soyuz from Zarya at 5:30 p.m. CDT and redocked to
the Zvezda port at 5:54 p.m. CDT as the station and the Soyuz flew 210
miles above the east coast of South America. Minutes later, hooks and
latches engaged between the Soyuz' docking probe and Zvezda's docking
port to attach the craft firmly to the station. During the time from
undocking to redocking, the crew traveled about a third of the way
around the world.
To prepare for Thursday's undocking and relocation, Commander Michael
Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Tyurin and Sunita Williams shut down
key station systems and configured the complex for autonomous operations
in the unlikely event they would not be able to redock.
Prior to undocking, Tyurin activated the Soyuz’ backup battery as a
precaution when the prime spacecraft battery indicated a slightly lower
voltage reading. It was quickly determined that the voltage drop was due
to the activation of some Soyuz systems, and the prime battery soon
returned to its normal voltage output.
Late Thursday into early Friday, the crew will open the hatch to the
Soyuz, re-enter the station and reactivate systems for regular activity.
Friday will be an off-duty day for the crew as they readjust their sleep
cycles, which were changed to accommodate the Soyuz move.
Further preparation for the Soyuz relocation included the undocking and
discarding of the ISS Progress 23 cargo craft from the aft Zvezda port
on Tuesday, March 27, making room for the Soyuz to redock. That activity
went smoothly; the ISS Progress undocked at 1:11 p.m. CDT and re-entered
Earth's atmosphere at 5:44 p.m.
Additional work for the crew this week included a first for the
Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites
(SPHERES) experiment. The experiment uses 8-inch diameter spherical
satellites that fly within the station cabin. The satellites test the
basics of formation flight and autonomous docking that could be used in
future spacecraft. The battery-powered satellites use carbon dioxide to
fuel 12 thrusters as they fly in the cabin. During a weekend "Saturday
Science" session, Williams conducted a SPHERES experiment run. This was
the first time three satellites flew together in tests. Investigators
for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, deemed the
experiment highly successful.
Back on Earth, Expedition 15 cosmonauts Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and
Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, along with spaceflight participant Charles
Simonyi, a U.S. businessman, prepared for their April 7 launch at the
Baikonur Cosomodrome, Kazakhstan.
For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities,
visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-
###
----
Sent via sarex@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
