NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 4 July 2008

STATUS REPORT Date Released: Saturday, July 5, 2008 Source: NASA HQ - Comments

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Independence Day holiday for the US of A, but a full workday for the crew.

Crew Sleep Cycle: Wake/sleep cycle remains right-shifted (5:30am - 9:00pm EDT).

Continuing preparations for the two upcoming Orlan EVAs, CDR Volkov & FE-2 Chamitoff held another 3-hr. training session in Soyuz TMA-12 to familiarize the American FE-2 with spacecraft ops during his isolation in the Descent Module (SA) during the EVAs. FE-1 Kononenko joined in the drill for some time. [With Sergey supervising, Gregory's hands- on training focused on equipment familiarization, working with Soyuz communications facilities, monitoring & interfacing with the Soyuz Neptun-ME console displays & controls, reviewing his tasks during his stay in the SA, assisting the CDR & FE-1 with leak checking, pressure equalization between Orbital Module (BO) and SA, BO/SA hatch opening, Orlan suit doffing if required, etc.]

After deferral of yesterday's MELFI (Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS) activity, Chamitoff today worked on the sample rearrangements in the Brayton-cycle freezer, swapping the latest blood and urine samples in their box modules between two dewars of different temperature, started on 7/2. [Sample vials, separated in bags, were swapped between Dewars 2 & 3 and Dewars 1 & 2. Rationale: The uncrewed station configuration during the upcoming Russian spacewalks will require MELFI being powered off for an extended period. Gregory's current configuration changes between dewars are intended to provide best possible protection of the science samples contained in them. Toward this aim, Greg is packing as much thermal mass ("coldness") into Dewar 2 to maximize the cold volume hold time.]

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