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.

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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