Tue, Dec 09, 2003
ISS Status Report #03-62, 4 p.m. CST, Friday, Dec. 5, 2003
Expedition 8 Commander and NASA ISS
Science Officer Mike Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri
Friday wrapped up a busy week aboard the International Space
Station. ISS activities included scientific experiments ranging
from behavior of plasma dust subjected to radio waves in a vacuum
to investigation of stresses on the feet and legs during
spaceflight.
Kaleri completed the first run of the Russian Plasma Crystal-3
experiment on Thursday, after preparations on Monday and experiment
setup on Tuesday. The largely automated experiment studies
crystallization of plasma dust subjected to high-frequency radio
waves in a vacuum chamber.
On Tuesday, Foale spent much of his day in instrumented biking
tights for the Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Spaceflight
(FOOT) experiment. The Lower Extremity Monitoring Suit, the cycling
tights outfitted with 20 sensors, measured forces on Foale’s
feet and joints and muscle activity while he went about his
scheduled activities. Investigators believe the experiment will
provide additional information on reasons for bone and muscle loss
by people in space. That knowledge could lead to better ways to
minimize such problems.
Also completed during the week was spacesuit battery maintenance
– discharging and recharging the batteries, reloading of
laptop computers, continued participation by crewmembers in the
Renal Stone experiment, regular maintenance and standard crew
exercise sessions.
On Thursday crewmembers did an inspection of the Treadmill
Vibration Isolation System, the treadmill in the Zvezda Service
Module mounted on a sophisticated system that minimizes
transmissions of vibrations created by exercising crewmembers. Both
also ran on the treadmill with its Vibration Isolation and
Stabilization turned off. Instruments they had set up earlier in
Zvezda and the Unity node monitored vibrations produced.
Crewmembers have approval to use the TVIS in a modified
configuration.
They are scheduled to spend at least four hours on Tuesday and
four hours on Wednesday removing the TVIS from its housing for
inspection and possible repair of a stabilizing gyroscope. Today
Foale talked with TVIS experts at Johnson Space Center in
preparation for next week's work with the treadmill.
The TVIS and several other exercise devices aboard the ISS are
used about 2½ hours each day by each crewmember. The
exercise is designed to mitigate some of those negative effects of
long-term spaceflight.
On Tuesday Foale and Kaleri talked with CBS' "Osgood Files" and
with reporters from CBS Radio. Foale spent more than 15 minutes on
Thursday chatting with Sir David Frost for the BBC's "Breakfast
with Frost" program.
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