STS-98 Day 7 Highlights
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- On Tuesday, February 13, 2001, 6:00 a.m. CST, STS-98 MCC Status Report # 12
reports:
- Atlantis' astronauts were awakened shortly after 4 a.m. Central time
today to AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock", announcing the start of
Flight Day 7 on board the Shuttle. About two hours later,
International Space Station (ISS) flight controllers began a series of
critical tests to insure that the newly activated computers in the
Destiny Laboratory module of the ISS could take over control of the
orientation of the Station from Russian segment computers. It was the
first time that U.S. computers in Destiny provided control of the ISS,
an important first in Station operations to preserve propellent
previously used in orienting the ISS to the sun for the generation of
electricity.
- The Expedition One crewmembers - Commander Bill Shepherd, Pilot Yuri
Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev - were awakened a short
time before the tests began, having been granted two additional hours
of sleep after working late Monday night to continue the activation
and checkout of Destiny's systems. The so-called "control authority"
tests will continue throughout the week, as control of the Station is
handed back and forth between the Zvezda module and Destiny, verifying
that the new laboratory can provide command and control capability for
Station orientation through the operation of four large gyroscopic
devices housed on the Station's Z1 truss. The gyros were operating
perfectly early today, displaying good speeds and normal temperatures
as they worked to gently steer the Station to provide correct
alignment of the U.S. and Russian module solar arrays to the sun.
- Shepherd provided an ISS status report for flight controllers,
indicating that although there is a missing washer in Destiny, it will
not harm the Lab's systems thanks to a series of filters associated
with the air purification system in the new module. Shepherd also
reported that he has detected some loose wires on the treadmill
exercise device in the Zvezda module, but said the device remains
operational. The treadmill is designed to eliminate vibrations caused
by exercise which could disturb sensitive microgravity experiments.
- Overnight, space station flight controllers issued final commands to
tighten the bolts that secure a newly positioned docking port to the
Destiny laboratory. The docking port was attached to Destiny during
Monday's spacewalk. Flight controllers also continued commands to
complete the activation of the Atmosphere Revitalization Rack in Destiny.
- Commander Ken Cockrell and Pilot Mark Polansky will perform another
reboost of the Station today, using Atlantis' jet thrusters to slowly
raise the altitude of the ISS for future operations. Cockrell and
Polansky will then join Mission Specialists Marsha Ivins, Bob Curbeam
and Tom Jones for a few hours of off-duty time to relax and enjoy the
view of Earth from orbit. This afternoon, spacewalkers Curbeam and
Jones will set out the tools they will use Wednesday during the third
and final scheduled spacewalk of the mission, the 100th spacewalk in
U.S. spaceflight history. During the planned five-hour excursion,
Jones and Curbeam will attach a spare S-band communications antenna
assembly to the Z1 truss, photograph the base of the huge U.S. solar
arrays installed during the STS-97 mission in December, and practice
techniques which could be used in the future to assist an
incapacitated spacewalker.
- Hatches remain closed between Atlantis and the ISS. They will be
reopened following tomorrow's spacewalk for one more day of joint
operations inside Destiny on Thursday.
- Atlantis and the ISS are orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 230
statute miles with all systems operating in excellent shape.
- On Tuesday, February 13, 2001, 7:00 p.m. CST, STS-98 MCC Status Report # 13
reports:
- While the crew of the International Space Station continued to set
up the new Destiny Lab, the astronauts aboard Atlantis gave the
station another boost, prepared for a third spacewalk, performed some
inspections of the exterior and had a well-deserved break from what
has been a busy, productive pace.
- While the Space Shuttle crew had about a half-day break, the station
crew - Commander Bill Shepherd, Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev and
Pilot Yuri Gidzenko - continued their work powering up and checking
out laboratory systems. All of the lab's systems are working well,
except for one supplementary carbon dioxide removal system in which a
pump failed to operate when first powered on. Station flight
controllers quickly asked the crew to power off the system and are
continuing to troubleshoot the problem. There is no urgency in
activating the lab's supplemental carbon dioxide removal system - a
similar Russian system in the station's Zvezda module is working well
as has been the case throughout the station crew's stay.
- Also today, ground controllers for the first time switched control
of the station's orientation to electrically powered gyroscopes rather
than fuel-consuming thrusters. Use of the Control Moment Gyroscopes,
which are functioning perfectly, is a milestone in station assembly
that will conserve precious propellants aboard the complex. The
gyroscopes were installed on the station during a shuttle flight in
September 2000, but could not be used for control of the station until
key navigation electronics were delivered inside Destiny.
- During the day, Shuttle Commander Ken Cockrell once again set
Atlantis' thrusters to fire gradually in two extended sessions to
increase the station's altitude, the second and third sets of such
maneuvers during the mission thus far. The reboosts raised the station
and shuttle by another almost six statute miles today, to an orbit
with an average altitude of 230 statute miles. One more such reboost
is planned before Atlantis departs, leaving the station 16 statute
miles higher than when the shuttle docked.
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- Later in the day, Cockrell, assisted by astronaut Marsha Ivins,
powered up Atlantis' obotic arm to use its cameras to view areas of
what appeared to be bubbling paint on one station cooling
radiator. Engineers are evaluating what may have caused the condition,
but there is no significant concern and all station radiators are
continuing to function normally as they have since they were attached
last year. At the end of the day, the entire Atlantis crew reviewed
plans for tomorrow's third and final spacewalk scheduled for
astronauts Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam.
- Jones and Curbeam will exit Atlantis' cabin at about 9:18
a.m. Central to begin five hours of work outside the shuttle and
station. They will stow a spare communications antenna on the
station's exterior; double-check some connections between Destiny and
its attached docking port; release winches that had held a station
radiator in place; give the nine-story station a quick top-to-bottom
inspection and evaluate the ability of a spacewalker to carry an
incapacitated crew member.
- The shuttle and station crew will go to sleep at 8:13
p.m. Central. The shuttle crew will awaken at 4:13 a.m. Wednesday and
the station crew will awaken a half-hour later.
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