nasa iss expedition 17 press kit

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APRIL 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

MI S S I ON OVE R VI E W .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 E X PE D I T ION 1 7 C R E W .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MI S S I ON MI L E S T ONE S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 E X PE D I T I ON 1 7 S PA C E W A L KS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 R US S I A N S OY UZ T MA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7

S O Y U Z B O O S T E R R O C K E T C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 P R E L A U N C H C O U N T D O W N T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 A S C E N T / I N S E R T I O N T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 O R B I T A L I N S E R T I O N T O D O C K I N G T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 K E Y T I M E S FO R E X P E D I T I O N 1 7 / 1 6 I S S E V E N T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 E X P E D I T I O N 1 6 / S O Y U Z T M A - 1 1 L A N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 S O Y U Z E N T R Y T I M E L I N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: EXPEDITION 17 SCIENCE OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 T H E PA Y L OA D OPE R A T I ONS C E N T E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 I S S - 1 7 R US S I A N R E S E A RC H OB JE C T I VES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 E UR OPE A N E X PE R I MEN T PR OG R A M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 D I G I T A L N A S A T E L E VI SI ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 E X PE D I T ION 1 7 PUB L I C A FFA I R S OFFI C E R S ( PA O) C ON T A C T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7



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APRIL 2008 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

Mission Overview

Expedition 17: Global Science in Space

Attired in Russian Sokol launch and entry suits, cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (right), Expedition17 Flight Engineer; cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, Soyuz and Expedition 17 Commander; and South

Korean space flight participant So-yeon Yi take a break from training in Star City, Russia , to pose for a portrait. Kononenko, Volkov and Yi are scheduled to launch to the ISS in a Soyuz

spacecraft in April. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

On April 8, two Russian cosmonauts aboard the

Soyuz TMA-12 will launch to the InternationalSpace Station (ISS), joining an Americanastronaut as they oversee the continuingexpansion of the station.

Making his first flight into space, cosmonautSergei Volkov (SIR-gay VOHL-koff), a35-year-old Russian Air Force lieutenantcolonel, will command the Expedition 17

mission and the Soyuz spacecraft for launch

and landing. Volkov is the son of former Russian cosmonaut Alexander Volkov. JoiningVolkov is fellow Russian cosmonautOleg Kononenko (AH-leg Koh-no-NEHN-ko), anengineer for RSC-Energia, who will turn 44 inJune. He is also making his first flight. Their stay aboard the station is expected to last sixmonths.



2 MISSION OVERVIEW APRIL 2008

Volkov and Kononenko will join 40-year old National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA) astronaut Garrett

Reisman (REES-man), who was brought to thestation aboard shuttle Endeavour on theSTS-123 mission. Shortly after Volkov andKononenko arrive, Reisman will be replaced by46-year old NASA astronaut and first-time flier Greg Chamitoff (SHAM-eh-tawf), who willlaunch on Discovery's STS-124 mission.Chamitoff will return home aboard Endeavour on mission STS-126 in the fall.

The Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft will launch fromthe Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a

two-day flight to link up to the PirsDocking Compartment on the station. Joiningthem on the Soyuz is South Korean researcher and mechanical engineer So-yeon Yi(Soh-Yeeon-YEE), 29, who will spend ninedays on the station under an agreementbetween the South Korean government and theRussian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).

Yi will return to Earth on the Soyuz TMA-11capsule with Expedition 16 Commander PeggyWhitson, 48, and Flight Engineer and Soyuz

Commander Yuri Malenchenko (Muh-LEHN’-chen-ko), 46, landing in central Kazakhstan.Whitson and Malenchenko have been aboardthe station since October 2007.

Once they arrive, Volkov and Kononenko willconduct more than a week of handover activities with Whitson, Malenchenko andReisman, familiarizing themselves with stationsystems and procedures. They also will receiveproficiency training on the Canadarm2 roboticarm from the resident crew, engage in safety

briefings and receive payload and scientificequipment training.

The change of command ceremony will markthe formal handoff of control of the station byWhitson and Malenchenko to Volkov and

Kononenko, just days before the Expedition 16crew members and Yi depart the station.Malenchenko, at the controls of Soyuz, Whitson

and Yi will land in the steppes of Kazakhstan toconclude their mission. Yi’s mission will span11 days.

After landing, the trio will be flown fromKazakhstan to the Gagarin Cosmonaut TrainingCenter in Star City, for initial physicalrehabilitation.

The Expedition 17 crew will work withexperiments across a wide variety of fields,including human life sciences, physical

sciences and Earth observation, and conducttechnology demonstrations. Many experimentsare designed to gather information about theeffects of long-duration spaceflight on thehuman body, which will help with planningfuture exploration missions to the moon andMars. The science team at the PayloadOperations Center (POC) at NASA's MarshallSpace Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala.,will operate some experiments without crewinput and other experiments are designed tofunction autonomously.

South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi gets tested for fitting of her seat

she’ll use on her Soyuz flight to the ISS.



APRIL 2008 MISSION OVERVIEW 3

Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Sergei A. Volkov (right), Expedition 17 commander;NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff (center) and cosmonaut Oleg D. Kononenko, both flight

engineers, participate in a routine operations training session in the Space Vehicle MockupFacility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

With the addition of the European Columbusmodule to the station in February and the first of the Japanese Kibo module elements in March,new control centers in Oberpfaffenhofen,Germany, and Tsukuba, Japan, are beinginaugurated to integrate science activitiesconducted by the station crew.

Discovery's STS-124 mission will deliver the

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's(JAXA’s) large Kibo pressurized sciencemodule that will be attached to the port side of the Harmony connecting node. Volkov,Kononenko and Chamitoff also are expected togreet three Russian Progress resupply cargoships filled with food, fuel, water and supplies,augmenting the supplies that are beingdelivered on the maiden flight of the European

Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).The ATV’s docking port is the aft end of theRussian Zvezda Service Module.

The ISS Progress 29 cargo is targeted to reachthe station in May, ISS Progress 30 is slated for August and Progress 31 will reach the complexin September, about one month prior to thelaunch of the next resident crew, Expedition 18.

U.S. and Russian specialists are reviewingpotential spacewalk tasks for Expedition 17.Volkov and Kononenko are scheduled toconduct one spacewalk in Russian Orlan suitsfrom the Pirs Docking Compartment in July toinstall experiments on the hull of Zvezda. Other possible spacewalking work will be reviewed bystation program officials.



4 MISSION OVERVIEW APRIL 2008

Backdropped by the airglow of Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the ISS is seenfrom Space Shuttle Endeavour as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation. Earlier theSTS-123 and Expedition 16 crews concluded 12 days of cooperative work onboard the shuttleand station. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 7:25 p.m. (CDT) on March 24, 2008.



APRIL 2008 CREW 5

Expedition 17 Crew

The Expedition 17 patch is meant to celebratecurrent human achievements in space as wellas symbolize the future potential for continuingexploration. The Earth, represented at thebottom of the patch, is the base from which allspace exploration activities initiate. TheInternational Space Station, shown in low Earthorbit, illustrates the current level of spaceoperations. The arrow and star point outwards,away from the Earth, toward the wider universe

indicating the direction of future activities ashuman beings build on what has already beenaccomplished. The flags, representing thehome countries of the crew members, Russiaand the United States, are touching,highlighting the cooperative nature of the spaceprogram and symbolizing the merger of scienceand technical knowledge of these twoexperienced spacefaring nations.

Expedition 17 Patch



6 CREW APRIL 2008

Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (right), Expedition 17 Flight Engineer; cosmonaut Sergei Volkov,Soyuz and Expedition 17 Commander; and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi

are scheduled to launch to the ISS in a Soyuz spacecraft in April.Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

Short biographical sketches of the crew followwith detailed background available at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/



APRIL 2008 CREW 7

Sergey Volkov

Russian Air Force Lt. Col. Sergey Volkov will bemaking his first trip into space as commander of Expedition 17. He will command the Soyuzspacecraft to the station in April. Selected for training as a test cosmonaut in 1997, he hasbeen training for missions to the International

Space Station since 2000. He trained as thebackup for Expedition 7 and 13. He alsotrained for the primary crew of Expedition 11until the station missions were reorganizedfollowing the Columbia accident. He will returnto Earth in October.



8 CREW APRIL 2008

Oleg Kononenko

Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko will be making hisfirst trip into space. He will launch on a Soyuzspacecraft in April to serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 17. He graduated frompostgraduate courses specializing inautomation of control systems design. He wasselected as a test cosmonaut to the Cosmonaut

Corps of the Samara Central Design Bureau in1996 and assigned to RSC Energia CosmonautCorps in 1999. He has been training for missions to the International Space Stationsince 1998. He trained as part of the backupcrew for the third Soyuz taxi flight to the station.He will return to Earth in October.



APRIL 2008 CREW 9

Garrett Reisman

Astronaut Garrett Reisman made his first tripinto space aboard STS-123 to joinExpedition 16 in progress. He holds adoctorate in mechanical engineering. Selectedby NASA in 1998, Reisman has worked in theAstronaut Office robotics and advancedvehicles branches. He was part of the NEEMO

5 mission, living on the bottom of the sea in theAquarius habitat for two weeks. He will serveas a flight engineer and science officer duringExpedition 16 and Expedition 17 aboard station.He is scheduled to return on shuttle missionSTS-124.



10 CREW APRIL 2008

Greg Chamitoff

Astronaut Greg Chamitoff is making hisfirst spaceflight aboard STS-124 to joinExpedition 17 in progress. He holds adoctorate in aeronautics and astronautics.Selected by NASA in 1998, Chamitoff hasworked in the Astronaut Office robotics branch.He also served as the lead Capcom for Expedition 9 and as the crew support astronaut

for Expedition 6. He was part of the NEEMO 3mission, living on the bottom of the sea in theAquarius habitat for nine days. He willserve as a flight engineer and science officer during Expedition 17 and the transition toExpedition 18 aboard station. He is scheduledto return on shuttle mission STS-126.



APRIL 2008 CREW 11

So-yeon Yi Spaceflight Participant

During July 2000 to August 2000,So-yeon Yi worked for the Korean Instituteof Machine-building and Materials. FromMarch 2001, she participated in development,manufacturing and testing of hardwarein the Center of Nana Technologies of the Korean Science-Technical Institute. InDecember 2006, she was selected as an

astronaut candidate for the first South Koreanspace mission. Since that time she hasworked as a research fellow in the Departmentof Korean Astronaut Mission Project of the Korean Aerospace Research Institute. InSeptember 2007, Yi was assigned to train as aspaceflight participant.



12 CREW APRIL 2008




APRIL 2008 MISSION MILESTONES 13

Mission Milestones

(Dates are subject to change)

2008:

April 8 Expedition 17 launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on SoyuzTMA-12 with South Korean spaceflight participant

April 10 Expedition 17 docks to the International Space Station’s Pirs DockingCompartment on Soyuz TMA-12 with South Korean spaceflight participant

April 17 Change of command ceremony with departingExpedition 16 crew

April 19 Undocking and landing of Expedition 16 crew from Zarya Module and landing inKazakhstan on Soyuz TMA-11 with South Korean spaceflight participant

May 6 Relocation of Soyuz TMA-12 from Pirs Docking Compartment to Zarya Module

May 14 Launch of ISS Progress 29 resupply ship from Baikonur Cosmodrome,Kazakhstan

May 16 Docking of ISS Progress 29 to the Pirs Docking Compartment

May 31 Launch of Discovery on the STS-124/1J mission from the Kennedy Space Center

June 2 Docking of Discovery to ISS Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 (PMA-2); Reismanand Chamitoff swap places as Expedition 17 crew members

June 3 Installation of Kibo Pressurized Module to port side of Harmony connecting node

June 10 Undocking of Discovery from ISS PMA-2

June 13 Landing of Discovery to complete STS-124/1J

July 10 Russian spacewalk by Volkov and Kononenko

Aug. 7 Scheduled undocking of “Jules Verne” Automated Transfer Vehicle from aft port

of the Zvezda Service Module

Aug. 12 Launch of ISS Progress 30 resupply ship from Baikonur Cosmodrome,Kazakhstan

Aug. 14 Docking of ISS Progress 30 to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module

Sept. 9 Undocking of the ISS Progress 29 from the Pirs Docking Compartment



14 MISSION MILESTONES APRIL 2008

Sept. 10 Launch of ISS Progress 31 resupply ship from Baikonur Cosmodrome,Kazakhstan

Sept. 12 Docking of ISS Progress 31 to the Pirs Docking Compartment

Oct. 10 Undocking of ISS Progress 30 from the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module

Oct. 12 Launch of the Expedition 18 crew and a U.S. spaceflight participant on the SoyuzTMA-13 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Oct. 14 Docking of the Expedition 18 crew and a U.S. spaceflight participant on theSoyuz TMA-13 to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module

Oct. 23 Undocking of the Expedition 17 crew and a U.S. spaceflight participant from theZarya Module and landing in Kazakhstan on Soyuz TMA-12



APRIL 2008 SPACEWALKS 15

Expedition 17 Spacewalks

Cosmonaut Oleg D. Kononenko, Expedition 17 flight engineer representing Russia'sFederal Space Agency, participates in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test Article (SSATA) in the

Crew Systems Laboratory at JSC. Cosmonaut Sergei A. Volkov, commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, assisted Kononenko.

Presently there are no U.S.-based spacewalksscheduled during Expedition 17.

In early July, cosmonauts Volkov andKononenko will perform the station’s 20thRussian spacewalk in Orlan spacesuits toinstall a docking target for a new airlock calledthe Mini-Research Module 2. The MRM2 willreplace the Docking Compartment 1, or DC1 or Pirs, as the primary Russian segment airlock.

The new airlock will be delivered during theProgress 36P, targeted for 2009.

The MRM2, which is identical to the DC1, willbe docked to the zenith port of the Zvezdaservice module’s transfer compartment.

During the spacewalk, Volkov and Kononenkowill be working near the Zvezda and DockingCompartment 1.



16 SPACEWALKS APRIL 2008

The other major tasks for the spacewalkersinclude installing the scientific payload“Vsplesk” and the Strela crane Foot Restraint

Adapter that will hold crew members duringspacewalks. The spacewalkers also will

remove a scientific payload “Biorisk” container for return to Earth at a later date.

The Vsplesk, or Burst, experiment monitors theseismic effects of high-energy particles streamsin the near-Earth space environment.

This image illustrates the worksites that will be used during the station’s

20th Russian spacewalk to install a docking target for a new airlock.



APRIL 2008 RUSSIAN SOYUZ TMA 17

Russian Soyuz TMA

The Soyuz TMA spacecraft is designed to serveas the ISS's crew return vehicle, acting as alifeboat in the unlikely event an emergencywould require the crew to leave the station. Anew Soyuz capsule is normally delivered to thestation by a Soyuz crew every six months,replacing an older Soyuz capsule at the ISS.

The Soyuz spacecraft is launched to the spacestation from the Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket. It consistsof an orbital module, a descent module and an

instrumentation/propulsion module.

Orbital Module

This portion of the Soyuz spacecraft is used bythe crew while on orbit during free-flight. It hasa volume of 6.5 cubic meters (230 cubic feet),with a docking mechanism, hatch andrendezvous antennas located at the front end.The docking mechanism is used to dock withthe space station and the hatch allows entryinto the station. The rendezvous antennas are

used by the automated docking system — aradar-based system — to maneuver towardsthe station for docking. There is also a windowin the module.

The opposite end of the orbital moduleconnects to the descent module via apressurized hatch. Before returning to Earth,the orbital module separates from the descent

module — after the deorbit maneuver — andburns up upon re-entry into the atmosphere.

Descent Module

The descent module is where the cosmonautsand astronauts sit for launch, re-entry andlanding. All the necessary controls anddisplays of the Soyuz are here. The modulealso contains life support supplies and batteriesused during descent, as well as the primary andbackup parachutes and landing rockets. It also

contains custom-fitted seat liners for each crewmember, individually molded to fit eachperson's body — this ensures a tight,comfortable fit when the module lands on theEarth. When crew members are brought to thestation aboard the space shuttle, their seatliners are brought with them and transferred tothe Soyuz spacecraft as part of crew handover activities.

The module has a periscope, which allows thecrew to view the docking target on the station or

the Earth below. The eight hydrogen peroxidethrusters located on the module are used tocontrol the spacecraft's orientation, or attitude,during the descent until parachute deployment.It also has a guidance, navigation and controlsystem to maneuver the vehicle during thedescent phase of the mission.



18 RUSSIAN SOYUZ TMA APRIL 2008

This module weighs 2,900 kilograms(6,393 pounds), with a habitable volume of 4 cubic meters (141 cubic feet). Approximately

50 kilograms (110 pounds) of payload can bereturned to Earth in this module and up to150 kilograms (331 pounds) if only two crewmembers are present. The Descent Module isthe only portion of the Soyuz that survives thereturn to Earth.

Instrumentation/Propulsion Module

This module contains three compartments:intermediate, instrumentation and propulsion.

The intermediate compartment is where themodule connects to the descent module. It alsocontains oxygen storage tanks and the attitudecontrol thrusters, as well as electronics,communications and control equipment. Theprimary guidance, navigation, control andcomputer systems of the Soyuz are in theinstrumentation compartment, which is a sealedcontainer filled with circulating nitrogen gas tocool the avionics equipment. The propulsioncompartment contains the primary thermalcontrol system and the Soyuz radiator, with a

cooling area of 8 square meters (86 squarefeet). The propulsion system, batteries, solar arrays, radiator and structural connection to theSoyuz launch rocket are located in thiscompartment.

The propulsion compartment contains thesystem that is used to perform anymaneuvers while in orbit, including rendezvousand docking with the space station and thedeorbit burns necessary to return to Earth.The propellants are nitrogen tetroxideand unsymmetric-dimethylhydrazine. The mainpropulsion system and the smaller reactioncontrol system, used for attitude changes whilein space, share the same propellant tanks.

The two Soyuz solar arrays are attached toeither side of the rear section of theinstrumentation/propulsion module and arelinked to rechargeable batteries. Like the

orbital module, the intermediate section of theinstrumentation/propulsion module separatesfrom the descent module after the final deorbit

maneuver and burns up in atmosphere uponre-entry.

TMA Improvements and Testing

The Soyuz TMA spacecraft is a replacement for the Soyuz TM, which was used from 1986 to2002 to take astronauts and cosmonauts to Mir and then to the International Space Station.

The TMA increases safety, especially indescent and landing. It has smaller and more

efficient computers and improved displays. Inaddition, the Soyuz TMA accommodatesindividuals as large as 1.9 meters (6 feet,3 inches) tall and 95 kilograms (209 pounds),compared to 1.8 meters (6 feet) and85 kilograms (187 pounds) in the earlier TM.Minimum crew member size for the TMA is1.5 meters (4 feet, 11 inches) and 50 kilograms(110 pounds), compared to 1.6 meters (5 feet,4 inches) and 56 kilograms (123 pounds) for theTM.

Two new engines reduce landing speed andforces felt by crew members by 15 to30 percent and a new entry control system andthree-axis accelerometer increase landingaccuracy. Instrumentation improvementsinclude a color “glass cockpit,” which is easier to use and gives the crew more information,with hand controllers that can be secured under an instrument panel. All the new componentsin the Soyuz TMA can spend up to one year inspace.

New components and the entire TMA wererigorously tested on the ground, in hangar-droptests, in airdrop tests and in space before thespacecraft was declared flight-ready. For example, the accelerometer and associatedsoftware, as well as modified boosters(incorporated to cope with the TMA's additionalmass), were tested on flights of Progressunpiloted supply spacecraft, while the new




cooling system was tested on two Soyuz TMflights.

Descent module structural modifications, seatsand seat shock absorbers were tested inhangar drop tests. Landing systemmodifications, including associated softwareupgrades, were tested in a series of airdroptests. Additionally, extensive tests of systemsand components were conducted on theground.

Soyuz Launcher

Throughout history, more than 1,500 launches

have been made with Soyuz launchers to orbitsatellites for telecommunications, Earthobservation, weather, and scientific missions,as well as for human flights.

The basic Soyuz vehicle is considered a three-stage launcher in Russian terms and iscomposed of:

• A lower portion consisting of four boosters(first stage) and a central core (secondstage).

• An upper portion, consisting of the thirdstage, payload adapter and payload fairing.

• Liquid oxygen and kerosene are used aspropellants in all three Soyuz stages.

First Stage Boosters

The first stage’s four boosters are assembledaround the second stage central core. Theboosters are identical and cylindrical-conic inshape with the oxygen tank in the cone-shapedportion and the kerosene tank in the cylindricalportion.

An NPO Energomash RD 107 engine with four main chambers and two gimbaled vernier thrusters is used in each booster. The vernier thrusters provide three-axis flight control.

Ignition of the first stage boosters and thesecond stage central core occur simultaneouslyon the ground. When the boosters have

completed their powered flight during ascent,they are separated and the core second stagecontinues to function.

First stage separation occurs when thepre-defined velocity is reached, which is about118 seconds after liftoff.

A Soyuz launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.




Second Stage

An NPO Energomash RD 108 engine powers

the Soyuz second stage. This engine has four vernier thrusters, necessary for three-axis flightcontrol after the first stage boosters haveseparated.

An equipment bay located atop the secondstage operates during the entire flight of the firstand second stages.

Third Stage

The third stage is linked to the Soyuz second

stage by a latticework structure. When thesecond stage’s powered flight is complete, thethird stage engine is ignited. Separation occursby the direct ignition forces of the third stageengine.

A single-turbopump RD 0110 engine from KBKhA powers the Soyuz third stage.

The third stage engine is fired for about240 seconds. Cutoff occurs at a calculatedvelocity. After cutoff and separation, the thirdstage performs an avoidance maneuver byopening an outgassing valve in the liquidoxygen tank.

Launcher Telemetry Tracking & FlightSafety Systems

Soyuz launcher tracking and telemetry isprovided through systems in the second andthird stages. These two stages have their ownradar transponders for ground tracking.Individual telemetry transmitters are in eachstage. Launcher health status is downlinked to

ground stations along the flight path. Telemetryand tracking data are transmitted to the missioncontrol center, where the incoming data flow isrecorded. Partial real-time data processing andplotting is performed for flight following and

initial performance assessment. All flight datais analyzed and documented within a few hoursafter launch.

Baikonur Cosmodrome LaunchOperations

Soyuz missions use the Baikonur Cosmodrome’s proven infrastructure, andlaunches are performed by trained personnelwith extensive operational experience.

Baikonur Cosmodrome is in the Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia between45 degrees and 46 degrees north latitude and

63 degrees east longitude. Two launch padsare dedicated to Soyuz missions.

Final Launch Preparations

The assembled launch vehicle is moved to thelaunch pad on a railcar. Transfer to the launchzone occurs two days before launch. Thevehicle is erected and a launch rehearsal isperformed that includes activation of allelectrical and mechanical equipment.

On launch day, the vehicle is loaded withpropellant and the final countdown sequence isstarted at three hours before the liftoff time.

Rendezvous to Docking

A Soyuz spacecraft generally takes two days toreach the space station. The rendezvous anddocking are both automated, though once thespacecraft is within 150 meters (492 feet) of thestation, the Russian Mission Control Center justoutside Moscow monitors the approach anddocking. The Soyuz crew has the capability to

manually intervene or execute theseoperations.




Soyuz Booster Rocket Characteristics

First Stage Data - Blocks B, V, G, DEngine RD-107

Propellants LOX/Kerosene

Thrust (tons) 102

Burn time (sec) 122

Specific impulse 314

Length (meters) 19.8

Diameter (meters) 2.68

Dry mass (tons) 3.45

Propellant mass (tons) 39.63

Second Stage Data, Block A

Engine RD-108Propellants LOX/Kerosene

Thrust (tons) 96

Burn time (sec) 314


Length (meters) 28.75


Dry mass (tons) 6.51


Third Stage Data, Block IEngine RD-461

Propellants LOX/Kerosene

Thrust (tons) 30

Burn time (sec) 240


Length (meters) 8.1


Dry mass (tons) 2.4


PAYLOAD MASS (tons) 6.8

SHROUD MASS (tons) 4.5

LAUNCH MASS (tons) 309.53TOTAL LENGTH (meters) 49.3




Prelaunch Countdown Timeline

T- 34 Hours Booster is prepared for fuel loadingT- 6:00:00 Batteries are installed in booster

T- 5:30:00 State commission gives go to take launch vehicle

T- 5:15:00 Crew arrives at site 254

T- 5:00:00 Tanking begins

T- 4:20:00 Spacesuit donning

T- 4:00:00 Booster is loaded with liquid oxygen

T- 3:40:00 Crew meets delegations

T- 3:10:00 Reports to the State commission

T- 3:05:00 Transfer to the launch pad

T- 3:00:00 Vehicle 1st and 2nd stage oxidizer fueling complete

T- 2:35:00 Crew arrives at launch vehicleT- 2:30:00 Crew ingress through orbital module side hatch

T- 2:00:00 Crew in re-entry vehicle

T- 1:45:00 Re-entry vehicle hardware tested; suits are ventilated

T- 1:30:00 Launch command monitoring and supply unit prepared

Orbital compartment hatch tested for sealing

T- 1:00:00 Launch vehicle control system prepared for use; gyro instrumentsactivated

T - :45:00 Launch pad service structure halves are lowered

T- :40:00 Re-entry vehicle hardware testing complete; leak checksperformed on suits

T- :30:00 Emergency escape system armed; launch command supply unitactivated

T- :25:00 Service towers withdrawn

T- :15:00 Suit leak tests complete; crew engages personal escapehardware auto mode

T- :10:00 Launch gyro instruments uncaged; crew activates on-boardrecorders

T- 7:00 All prelaunch operations are complete

T- 6:15 Key to launch command given at the launch site

Automatic program of final launch operations is activated

T- 6:00 All launch complex and vehicle systems ready for launchT- 5:00 Onboard systems switched to onboard control

Ground measurement system activated by RUN 1 command

Commander's controls activated

Crew switches to suit air by closing helmets

Launch key inserted in launch bunker

T- 3:15 Combustion chambers of side and central engine pods purgedwith nitrogen




Prelaunch Countdown Timeline (concluded)

T- 2:30 Booster propellant tank pressurization startsOnboard measurement system activated by RUN 2 command

Prelaunch pressurization of all tanks with nitrogen begins

T- 2:15 Oxidizer and fuel drain and safety valves of launch vehicle areclosed

Ground filling of oxidizer and nitrogen to the launch vehicle isterminated

T- 1:00 Vehicle on internal power

Automatic sequencer on

First umbilical tower separates from booster

T- :40 Ground power supply umbilical to third stage is disconnected

T- :20 Launch command given at the launch positionCentral and side pod engines are turned on

T- :15 Second umbilical tower separates from booster

T- :10 Engine turbopumps at flight speed

T- :05 First stage engines at maximum thrust

T- :00 Fueling tower separates

Lift off

Ascent/Insertion Timeline

T- :00 Lift off

T+ 1:10 Booster velocity is 1,640 ft/sec

T+ 1:58 Stage 1 (strap-on boosters) separation

T+ 2:00 Booster velocity is 4,921 ft/sec

T+ 2:40 Escape tower and launch shroud jettison

T+ 4:58 Core booster separates at 105.65 statute miles

Third stage ignites

T+ 7:30 Velocity is 19,685 ft/sec

T+ 9:00 Third stage cut-off

Soyuz separates

Antennas and solar panels deployFlight control switches to Mission Control, Korolev




Orbital Insertion to Docking Timeline

FLIGHT DAY 1 OVERVIEWOrbit 1 Post insertion: Deployment of solar panels, antennas and

docking probe

- Crew monitors all deployments

- Crew reports on pressurization of OMS/RCS and ECLSSsystems and crew health. Entry thermal sensors are manuallydeactivated

- Ground provides initial orbital insertion data from tracking

Orbit 2 Systems Checkout: IR Att Sensors, Kurs, Angular Accels,“Display” TV Downlink System, OMS engine control system,Manual Attitude Control Test

- Crew monitors all systems tests and confirms onboardindications

- Crew performs manual RHC stick inputs for attitude control test

- Ingress into HM, activate HM CO2 scrubber and doff Sokols

- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink

- Radar and radio transponder tracking

Manual maneuver to +Y to Sun and initiate a 2 deg/sec yawrotation. MCS is deactivated after rate is established.

Orbit 3 Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establishLVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)

- Crew monitors LVLH attitude reference build up- Burn data command upload for DV1 and DV2 (attitude, TIGDelta V’s)

- Form 14 preburn emergency deorbit pad read up



Auto maneuver to DV1 burn attitude (TIG - 8 minutes) whileLOS

- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required

DV1 phasing burn while LOS


Orbit 4 Auto maneuver to DV2 burn attitude (TIG - 8 minutes) whileLOS


DV2 phasing burn while LOS





FLIGHT DAY 1 OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

Orbit 4

(continued)

Crew report on burn performance upon AOS

- HM and DM pressure checks read down- Post burn Form 23 (AOS/LOS pad), Form 14 and “Globe”

corrections voiced up




External boresight TV camera ops check (while LOS)

Meal

Orbit 5 Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 1

Report on TV camera test and crew health

Sokol suit clean up- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink


Orbit 6-12 Crew Sleep, off of Russian tracking range

- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network

FLIGHT DAY 2 OVERVIEW

Orbit 13 Post sleep activity, report on HM/DM Pressures

Form 14 revisions voiced up



Orbit 14 Configuration of RHC-2/THC-2 work station in the HM- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink


Orbit 15 THC-2 (HM) manual control test



Orbit 16 Lunch



Orbit 17 (1) Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establishLVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)

RHC-2 (HM) Test- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, delta V)



Auto maneuver to burn attitude (TIG - 8 min) while LOS

Rendezvous burn while LOS





FLIGHT DAY 2 OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

Orbit 18 (2) Post burn and manual maneuver to +Y Sun report when AOS

- HM/DM pressures read down- Post burn Form 23, Form 14 and Form 2 (Globe correction)

voiced up



Orbit 19 (3) CO2 scrubber cartridge change out

Free time



Orbit 20 (4) Free time


- Radar and radio transponder trackingOrbit 21 (5) Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 2

Free time



Orbit 22 (6) - 27(11)

Crew sleep, off of Russian tracking range- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network

FLIGHT DAY 3 OVERVIEW

Orbit 28 (12) Post sleep activity


- Radar and radio transponder trackingOrbit 29 (13) Free time, report on HM/DM pressures

- Read up of predicted post burn Form 23 and Form 14



Orbit 30 (14) Free time, read up of Form 2 “Globe Correction,” lunch

- Uplink of auto rendezvous command timeline



FLIGHT DAY 3 AUTO RENDEZVOUS SEQUENCE

Orbit 31 (15) Don Sokol spacesuits, ingress DM, close DM/HM hatch- Active and passive vehicle state vector uplinks


- Radio transponder tracking




FLIGHT DAY 3 AUTO RENDEZVOUS SEQUENCE (CONCLUDED)

Orbit 32 (16) Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish

LVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)Begin auto rendezvous sequence

- Crew monitoring of LVLH reference build and auto rendezvoustimeline execution



FLIGHT DAY 3 FINAL APPROACH AND DOCKING

Orbit 33 (1) Auto Rendezvous sequence continues, flyaround and stationkeeping

- Crew monitor

- Comm relays via SM through Altair established

- Form 23 and Form 14 updates

- Fly around and station keeping initiated near end of orbit

- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), DisplayTV downlink (gnd stations and Altair)


Orbit 34 (2) Final Approach and docking

- Capture to “docking sequence complete” 20 minutes, typically

- Monitor docking interface pressure seal

- Transfer to HM, doff Sokol suits

- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), Display

TV downlink (gnd stations and Altair)- Radio transponder tracking

FLIGHT DAY 3 STATION INGRESS

Orbit 35 (3) Station/Soyuz pressure equalization

- Report all pressures

- Open transfer hatch, ingress station

- A/G, R/T and playback telemetry





Typical Soyuz Ground Track




Key Times for Expedition 17/16 ISS Events

Expedition 17/SFP Launch

6:16:35 a.m. CT on April 8

11:16:35 GMT on April 8

15:16:35 p.m. Moscow time on April 8

17:16:35 p.m. Baikonur time on April 8

Expedition 17/SFP Docking to the ISS (Pirs Docking Compartment)

8:00 a.m. CT on April 10

13:00 GMT on April 10

17:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 10

Expedition 17/SFP Hatch Opening to the ISS




Expedition 16/SFP Hatch Closure to the ISS

9:00 p.m. CT on April 18


6:00 a.m. Moscow time on April 19

8:00 a.m. Kazakhstan time on April 19

Expedition 16/SFP Undocking from the ISS








Expedition 16/SFP Deorbit Burn

~2:48 a.m. CT on April 19

~7:48 GMT on April 19

~11:48 a.m. Moscow time on April 19

~13:48 p.m. Kazakhstan time on April 19

Expedition 16/SFP Landing




14:38 p.m. Kazakhstan time on April 19




Expedition 16/Soyuz TMA-11 Landing

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (center), Expedition 16 commander; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Leopold Eyharts (left) and Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, both flight engineers, pose for a photo in the hatchway between the Harmony

node and Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station

Following a nine-day handover with the newlyarrived Expedition 17 crew, Expedition 16Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko andSouth Korean Spaceflight Participant

So-yeon Yi will board their Soyuz TMA-11capsule for undocking and a one-hour descentback to Earth. Whitson and Malenchenko willcomplete a six-month mission in orbit, while Yiwill return after an 11-day flight.

About three hours before undocking, Whitson,Malenchenko and Yi will bid farewell to the newExpedition 17 crew Commander Sergei Volkov

and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, and toFlight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who arrived atthe station aboard shuttle Endeavour in March.The departing crew will climb into the Soyuzvehicle and close the hatch between Soyuz and

the Zarya module. Whitson will be seated inthe Soyuz’ left seat for entry and landing asengineer. Malenchenko will be in the center seat as Soyuz commander, as he was for launch in October 2007. Yi will occupy the rightseat.

After activating Soyuz systems and gettingapproval from Russian flight controllers at the




Russian Mission Control Center outsideMoscow, Malenchenko will send commands toopen the hooks and latches connecting Soyuz

and Zarya.

Malenchenko will fire the Soyuz thrusters toback away from Zarya. Six minutes after undocking, with the Soyuz about 20 metersaway from the station, Malenchenko willconduct a separation maneuver, firing theSoyuz jets for about 15 seconds to depart thevicinity of the complex.

About 2.5 hours after undocking, at a distanceof about 19 kilometers from the station, Soyuz

computers will initiate a deorbit burn braking

maneuver. The 4.5-minute maneuver to slowthe spacecraft will enable it to drop out of orbitand begin its re-entry to Earth.

About 30 minutes later, just above the firsttraces of the Earth’s atmosphere, computerswill command the separation of the threemodules of the Soyuz vehicle. With the crewstrapped in to the descent module, the forwardorbital module containing the dockingmechanism and rendezvous antennas and therear instrumentation and propulsion module,which houses the engines and avionics, willpyrotechnically separate and burn up in theatmosphere.

The Soyuz 15 (TMA-11) approaches the International Space Station, carrying NASA astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition 16 commander; cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Soyuz

commander and flight engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency;and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.




The descent module’s computers will orient thecapsule with its ablative heat shield pointingforward to repel the buildup of heat as it

plunges into the atmosphere. The crew will feelthe first effects of gravity at the point calledentry interface, about three minutes after module separation, about 400,000 feet(122,000 meters) above the Earth.

About eight minutes later, with Soyuz travelingnearly 220 meters per second at an altitude of about 10 kilometers, the capsule's computerswill begin a commanded sequence for thedeployment of its parachutes. First, two “pilot”parachutes will be deployed, extracting a larger

drogue parachute, which stretches out over anarea of 24 square meters. Within 16 seconds,the Soyuz’s descent will slow to about80 meters per second.

The initiation of the parachute deployment willcreate a gentle spin for the Soyuz as it danglesunderneath the drogue chute, assisting in thecapsule’s stability during the final minutes prior to touchdown.

Following the first parachute deployment, the

drogue chute will be jettisoned, allowing themain parachute to be deployed. Connected tothe descent module by two harnesses, the mainparachute covers an area of about1,000 meters. The deployment of the mainparachute will slow down the descent module toa velocity of about seven meters per second.Initially, the descent module will hangunderneath the main parachute at a 30 degreeangle with respect to the horizon for aerodynamic stability. The bottommost harnesswill be severed a few minutes before landing,

allowing the descent module to hang verticallythrough touchdown.

At an altitude of a little more than fivekilometers, the crew will monitor the jettison of the descent module’s heat shield, which will befollowed by the termination of the aerodynamicspin cycle and the dumping of any residual

propellant from the Soyuz. Computers also willarm the module’s seat shock absorbers inpreparation for landing.

When the capsule’s heat shield is jettisoned theSoyuz altimeter will be exposed to the surfaceof the Earth. Signals will be bounced to theground from the Soyuz and reflected back,providing the capsule’s computers updatedinformation on altitude and rate of descent.

At an altitude of about 12 meters, cockpitdisplays will tell Malenchenko to prepare for thesoft landing engine firing. Just one meter above the surface, and just seconds before

touchdown, the six solid propellant engines willbe fired in a final braking maneuver, slowingSoyuz to a velocity of about 1.5 meters per second as it lands.

A Russian recovery team and NASA personnel,including a flight surgeon and station program,astronaut office and public affairsrepresentatives, will be in the landing area in aconvoy of Russian military helicopters awaitingthe Soyuz landing. Once the capsule touchesdown, the helicopters will land nearby to meet

the crew.

A portable medical tent will be set up near thecapsule so the crew can change out of itslaunch and entry suits. Russian technicians willopen the module’s hatch and begin to removethe crew members. They will be seated inspecial reclining chairs near the capsule for initial medical tests, and to begin readapting toEarth’s gravity.

About two hours after landing, the crew will beassisted to the helicopters for a flight back to astaging site in Kazakhstan, where local officialswill welcome them. The crew will then board aRussian military transport plane and be flown tothe Chkalovsky Airfield adjacent to the GagarinCosmonaut Training Center in Star City,Russia, where their families will meet them.The crew will arrive in Star City about eighthours after Soyuz landing.




Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown onthe screen (upper right) in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow.

NASA astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition 16 commander; cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko,Soyuz commander and flight engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11

spacecraft to the station in October 2007.




Soyuz Entry Timeline

Technicians begin the process of removing cargo from the Soyuz TMA-7 capsule at sunrise onthe steppes of Kazakhstan on April 9, 2006 (Kazakhstan time) following the pre-dawn landing of astronaut William S. McArthur Jr., Expedition 12 commander and space station science officer;

Russian cosmonaut Valery I. Tokarev, Soyuz commander and space station flight engineer;and Brazilian Space Agency astronaut Marcos C. Pontes.

This is the entry timeline for Soyuz TMA-11 for a landing on daily orbit 2 in the northern zone inKazakhstan if the SAR forces choose this as the prime option after a surveillance of conditions in bothlanding zones on April 14.

Separation Command to Begin to Open Hooks and Latches; Undocking Command + 0 mins.)

11:59 p.m. CT on April 18







Hooks Opened/Physical Separation of Soyuz from Zarya Module nadir port at .12 meter/sec.;Undocking Command + 3 mins.)





Separation Burn from ISS (15 second burn of the Soyuz engines, .65 meters/sec; Soyuz distancefrom the ISS is ~20 meters)





Deorbit Burn (appx 4:35 in duration, 115.2 m/sec; Soyuz distance from the ISS is ~12 kilometers;Undocking Command appx + ~2 hours, 30 mins.)





Separation of Modules (~23 mins. after Deorbit Burn; Undocking Command + ~2 hours,57 mins.)








Entry Interface (400,000 feet in altitude; 3 mins. after Module Seperation; 31 mins. after DeorbitBurn; Undocking Command + ~3 hours)





Command to Open Chutes (8 mins. after Entry Interface; 39 mins. after Deorbit Burn; UndockingCommand + ~3 hours, 8 mins.)





Two pilot parachutes are first deployed, the second of which extracts the drogue chute. The droguechute is then released, measuring 24 square meters, slowing the Soyuz down from a descent rate of 230 meters/second to 80 meters/second.

The main parachute is then released, covering an area of 1,000 meters; it slows the Soyuz to a descentrate of 7.2 meters/second; its harnesses first allow the Soyuz to descend at an angle of 30 degrees to

expel heat, then shifts the Soyuz to a straight vertical descent.

Soft Landing Engine Firing (6 engines fire to slow the Soyuz descent rate to 1.5 meters/second just .8 meter above the ground)

Landing - appx. 2 seconds

Landing (~50 mins. after Deorbit Burn; Undocking Command + ~3 hours, 24 mins.)




14:38 p.m. Kazakhstan time on April 19 (~6:05 before sunset at the landing site)



APRIL 2008 SCIENCE OVERVIEW 39

International Space Station:Expedition 17 Science Overview

Expedition 17, the 17th science researchmission on the ISS, includes the operation of 26 NASA-managed experiments in humanresearch, exploration technology testing,biological and physical sciences and education.An additional 20 experiments are planned for operation by two international partners (IPs),the European Space Agency (ESA) and theJapan Aerospace and Exploration Agency.

During Expedition 17, the scientific work of more than 400 scientists will be supportedthrough U.S.-managed experiments. The teamof controllers and scientists on the ground willcontinue to plan, monitor and remotely operateexperiments from control centers across theUnited States.

A team of controllers for Expedition 17 will staff the POC, the science command post for thespace station, at NASA’s MSFC in Huntsville,Ala. Controllers work in three shifts around the

clock, seven days a week in the POC, whichlinks researchers around the world with their experiments and the space station crew.

The POC also coordinates the payloadactivities of NASA’s IPs. While the partners areresponsible for the planning and operations of their space agencies’ modules, NASA's POC ischartered with synchronizing the payloadactivities among the partners and optimizing theuse of valuable on-orbit resources.

Human Life Science Investigations

Crew members will be tested to study changesin the body caused by living in microgravity.Continuing and new experiments include:

ELaboratore Immagini Televisive – Space 2(ELITE-S2) will investigate the connectionbetween the brain, visualization and motion in

the absence of gravity. By recording andanalyzing the three-dimensional motion of astronauts, this study will help engineers applyergonomics into future spacecraft designs anddetermine the effects of weightlessness onbreathing mechanisms for long-durationmissions. Results might also be applied toneurological patients on the ground withimpaired motor control. This experiment is acooperative effort with the Italian Space

Agency (ASI).

Space Flight-Induced Reactivation of LatentEpstein-Barr Virus (Epstein-Barr) performstests to study changes in the human immunefunction. Using blood and urine samplescollected from crew members before and after spaceflight, the study will provide insight for possible countermeasures to prevent thepotential development of infectious illness increw members during flight.

Validation of Procedures for MonitoringCrew Member Immune Function (IntegratedImmune) will assess the clinical risks resultingfrom the adverse effects of spaceflight on thehuman immune system. The study will validatea flight-compatible immune monitoring strategyby collecting and analyzing blood, urine andsaliva samples from crew members before,during and after spaceflight to monitor changesin the immune system.

Behavioral Issues Associated with Isolationand Confinement: Review and Analysis of Astronaut Journals (Journals) is studying theeffect of isolation by using surveys and journalskept by the crew. By quantifying theimportance of different behavioral issues increw members, the study will help NASA designequipment and procedures to allow astronautsto best cope with isolation and long-durationspaceflight.



40 SCIENCE OVERVIEW APRIL 2008

Test of Midodrine as a Countermeasureagainst Post-Flight Orthostatic Hypotension

– Long (Midodrine-Long) measures the ability

of the drug midodrine, as a countermeasure, toreduce the incidence or severity of orthostatichypotension — dizziness caused by the blood-pressure decrease that many astronautsexperience when returning to Earth's gravity.

Nutritional Status Assessment (Nutrition) isNASA's most comprehensive in-flight study todate of human physiologic changes duringlong-duration spaceflight. Its measurementswill include bone metabolism, oxidativedamage, nutritional assessments and hormonal

changes. This study will impact both thedefinition of nutritional requirements anddevelopment of food systems for future spaceexploration missions to the moon and beyond.This experiment will also help researchersunderstand the impact of countermeasuressuch as exercise and pharmaceuticals onnutritional status and nutrient requirements for astronauts.

The National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration Biological Specimen

Repository (Repository) is a storage bankused to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. Samples from thestation, including blood and urine, will becollected, processed and archived during thepre-flight, in-flight and post-flight phases of themissions. This investigation has beendeveloped to archive biological samples for useas a resource for future spaceflight research.

Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and

Nutritional Compounds (Stability) studies theeffects of radiation in space on complex organicmolecules, such as vitamins and other compounds in food and medicine. This couldhelp researchers develop more stable andreliable pharmaceutical and nutritionalcountermeasures that are suitable for futurelong-duration missions.

Experiments Related to SpacecraftSystems

Many experiments are designed to helpdevelop technologies, designs and materials for future spacecraft and exploration missions.These include:

Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development-Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) is ahandheld device for rapid detection of biologicaland chemical substances aboard the spacestation. Astronauts will swab surfaces withinthe cabin, add swab material to theLOCAD-PTS, and within 15 minutes obtain

results on a display screen. The study'spurpose is to effectively provide an earlywarning system to enable crew members totake remedial measures if necessary to protectthe health and safety of those on the station.

Microgravity Acceleration MeasurementSystem (MAMS) and Space AccelerationMeasurement System – II (SAMS-II) measurevibration and quasi-steady accelerations thatresult from vehicle control burns, docking andundocking activities. The two different

equipment packages measure vibrations atdifferent frequencies. These measurementshelp investigators characterize the vibrationsand accelerations that may influence spacestation experiments.

Materials on the International Space StationExperiment 6 (MISSE-6A and 6B) is a test bedfor materials and coatings attached to theoutside of the space station that are beingevaluated for the effects of atomic oxygen,direct sunlight, radiation and extremes of heat

and cold. This experiment allows thedevelopment and testing of new materials tobetter withstand the rigors of spaceenvironments. Results will provide a better understanding of the durability of variousmaterials in space, leading to the design of stronger, more durable spacecraft components.




Biological and Physical ScienceExperiments

Plant growth experiments give insight into theeffects of the space environment on livingorganisms. Physical science experimentsexplore fundamental processes — such asphase transitions or crystal growth — inmicrogravity. These experiments include:

Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2(CSLM-2) examines the kinetics of competitiveparticle growth within a liquid metal matrix.During this process, small particles of tinsuspended in a liquid tin-lead matrix shrink by

losing atoms to larger particles of tin, causingthe larger particles to grow, or coarsen. Thisstudy defines the mechanisms and rates of coarsening in the absence of gravitationalsettling. This work has direct applications tometal alloy manufacturing on Earth, includingmaterials critical for aerospace applications,such as the production of better aluminumalloys for turbine blades.

The Optimization of Root Zone Substrates(ORZS) for Reduced Gravity Experiments

Program was developed to provide directmeasurements and models for plant rootinginstructions that will be used in future advancedlife support plant growth experiments. The goalis to develop and enhance hardware andprocedures to allow optimal plant growth inmicrogravity.

Shear History Extensional RheologyExperiment (SHERE) is designed toinvestigate the effect of preshearing, or rotationon the stress and strain response of a polymer

fluid, a complex fluid containing long chains of polymer molecules, being stretched inmicrogravity. The fundamental understandingand measurement of the extensional rheologyof complex fluids is important for understanding

containerless processing, an importantoperation for fabrication of parts, such asadhesives or fillers, using elastomeric materials

on future exploration missions. This knowledgealso can be applied to controlling and improvingEarth-based manufacturing processes.

Education and Earth Observation

Many experiments on board the space stationcontinue to teach the next generation of explorers about living and working in space.These experiments include:

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) takes

advantage of the crew in space to observe andphotograph natural and human-made changeson Earth. The photographs record the Earth’ssurface changes over time, along with dynamicevents such as storms, floods, fires andvolcanic eruptions. These images provideresearchers on Earth with key data to better understand the planet.

Crew Earth Observations – InternationalPolar Year (CEO-IPY) supports an internationalcollaboration of scientists studying the Earth’s

polar regions from 2007 to 2009. Space stationcrew members photograph polar phenomena,including icebergs, auroras and mesosphericclouds in response to daily correspondencefrom the scientists on the ground.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by MiddleSchool Students (EarthKAM), an educationexperiment, allows middle school students toprogram a digital camera on board the stationto photograph a variety of geographical targetsfor study in the classroom. Photos are madeavailable on the Web for viewing and study byparticipating schools around the world.Educators use the images for projects involvingEarth science, geography, physics andtechnology.




Space Shuttle Experiments

Many other experiments are scheduled to be

performed during upcoming space shuttlemissions that are part of Expedition 17. Theseexperiments include:

National Lab Pathfinder – Vaccine 1B(NLP-Vaccine 1B) is a commercial payloadserving as a pathfinder for use of the ISS as anational laboratory after station assembly iscomplete. This payload contains a pathogenic,or disease-carrying organism, and testswhether the organism changes in microgravityin a way that allows it to become a viable base

for a potential vaccine against infections onEarth and in microgravity.

Validation of Procedures for MonitoringCrew Member Immune Function – ShortDuration Biological Investigation (IntegratedImmune – SDBI) will assess the clinical risksresulting from the adverse effects of spaceflighton the human immune system for space shuttlecrew members. The study will validate a flight-compatible immune monitoring strategy bycollecting and analyzing blood, urine and saliva

samples from crew members before, during andafter spaceflight to monitor changes in theimmune system.

Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposureduring Spaceflight – Short (Sleep-Short) examines the effects of spaceflight onthe sleep-wake cycles of the astronautsduring space shuttle missions. Advancingstate-of-the-art technology for monitoring,diagnosing and assessing treatment of sleeppatterns is vital to treating insomnia on Earthand in space.

Reserve Payloads

Several additional experiments are ready for operation, but designated as “reserve” and willbe performed if crew time becomes available.They include:

Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air (ANITA) will monitor 32 potentially gaseouscontaminants in the atmosphere on board the

station, including formaldehyde, ammonia andcarbon monoxide. The experiment will test theaccuracy and reliability of this technology as apotential next-generation atmosphere trace-gasmonitoring system for the station.

BCAT-3 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test – 3) consists of two investigations which will studythe long-term behavior of colloids, a system of fine particles suspended in a fluid, in amicrogravity environment, where the effects of sedimentation and convection are removed.

Crew members will mix the samples,photograph the growth and formations of thecolloids and downlink the images for analysis.Results may lead to improvements insupercritical fluids used in rocket propellantsand biotechnology applications andadvancements in fiber-optics technology.

BCAT-4 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test – 4) is afollow-on experiment to BCAT-3. BCAT-4 willstudy 10 colloidal samples. Several of thesesamples will determine phase separation rates

and add needed points to the phase diagram of a model critical fluid system initially studied inBCAT-3. Crew members photograph samplesof polymer and colloidal particles — tinynanoscale spheres suspended in liquid — thatmodel liquid/gas phase changes. Results willhelp scientists develop fundamental physicsconcepts previously cloaked by the effects of gravity.

Education Payload Operations (EPO) includes curriculum-based educational activities

demonstrating basic principles of science,mathematics, technology, engineering andgeography. These activities are videotapedand then used in classroom lectures. EPO isdesigned to support the NASA mission toinspire the next generation of explorers.




Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposureduring Spaceflight – Long (Sleep-Long) examines the effects of spaceflight and ambient

light exposure on the sleep-wake cycles of thecrew members during long-duration stays onthe space station.

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage,Reorient, Experimental Satellites(SPHERES) are bowling-ball sized sphericalsatellites. They will be used inside the spacestation to test a set of well-defined instructionsfor spacecraft performing autonomousrendezvous and docking maneuvers. Threefree-flying spheres will fly within the cabin of the

station, performing flight formations. Eachsatellite is self-contained with power,propulsion, computers and navigationequipment. The results are important for satellite servicing, vehicle assembly andformation flying spacecraft configurations.

Destiny Laboratory Facilities

The Destiny Laboratory is equipped withstate-of-the-art research facilities to supportspace station science investigations:

The Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) isused to perform combustion experiments inmicrogravity. It is designed to easily bereconfigured on orbit to accommodate a widevariety of combustion experiments.

The General Laboratory Active CryogenicISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER) willserve as an on-orbit cold stowage facility aswell as carry frozen scientific samples to andfrom the station and Earth via the space shuttle.This facility is capable of thermally controllingthe samples between 4°C and -185°C.

The Human Research Facility-1 (HRF-1) isdesigned to house and support life sciencesexperiments. It includes equipment for lungfunction tests, ultrasound to image the heartand many other types of computers andmedical equipment.

Human Research Facility-2 (HRF-2) providesan on-orbit laboratory that enables human lifescience researchers to study and evaluate the

physiological, behavioral and chemical changesin astronauts induced by spaceflight.

Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) provides refrigerated storage andfast-freezing of biological and life sciencesamples. It can hold up to 300 liters of samplesranging in temperature from -80°C, -26°C, or 4°C throughout a mission.

The Destiny lab also is outfitted with fiveEXPRESS Racks. EXPRESS, or Expedite the

Processing of Experiments to the SpaceStation, racks are standard payload racksdesigned to provide experiments with utilitiessuch as power, data, cooling, fluids and gasses.The racks support payloads in disciplinesincluding biology, chemistry, physics, ecologyand medicines. The racks stay in orbit, whileexperiments are changed as needed.EXPRESS Racks 2 and 3 are equipped with theActive Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for countering minute vibrations from crewmovement or operating equipment that could

disturb delicate experiments.

Other ISS Laboratories

With ESA’s Columbus module and JAXA’s KiboModule, the Laboratory space aboard thestation has nearly tripled. Certain U.S. facilitieswill be permanently located in one of theseother modules.

In the Columbus Module, the MicrogravityScience Glovebox (MSG) provides a safeenvironment for research with liquids,combustion and hazardous materials on theISS. Without the MSG, many types of hands-on investigations would be impossible or severely limited on the station.

Express Rack 3A, containing the EuropeanModular Cultivation System (EMCS) facility,also is located in Columbus. EMCS is a large




incubator that provides control over theatmosphere, lighting and humidity of growthchambers used to study plant growth. The

facility was developed by the European SpaceAgency.

On the Internet

For fact sheets, imagery and more on

Expedition 17 experiments and payloadoperations, click on

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/index.html



APRIL 2008 PAYLOAD OPERATIONS CENTER 45

The Payload Operations Center

From the Payload Operations Center at NASA’s MSFC in Huntsville, Ala., scientists and engineers operate all the U.S. experiments located 240 miles above Earth on the ISS.

The best technology of the 21st century monitors and stores several billion bits of data from the space station, while saving NASA millions of dollars and serving

a diverse community of research scientists located around the globe.

The Payload Operations Center (POC) atMSFC in Huntsville, Ala., is NASA’s primaryscience command post for the ISS. Spacestation scientific research plays a vital role inNASA's roadmap for returning to the moon and

exploring our solar system.

The ISS accommodates dozens of experimentsin fields as diverse as medicine, human lifesciences, biotechnology, agriculture,manufacturing and Earth observation.Managing these science assets, as well as thetime and space required to accommodateexperiments and programs from a host of

private, commercial, industry and governmentagencies nationwide, makes the job of coordinating space station research critical.

The POC continues the role Marshall has

played in management and operation of NASA’s on-orbit science research. In the1970s, Marshall managed the science programfor Skylab, the first American space station.Spacelab, the international science laboratorythat the space shuttle carried more than adozen times to orbit in the 1980s and 1990s,was the prototype for Marshall’s space stationscience operations.



46 PAYLOAD OPERATIONS CENTER APRIL 2008

Today, the POC team is responsible for managing all U.S. science and researchexperiments aboard the station. The center

also is home for coordination of the missionplanning work, all U.S. science payloaddeliveries and retrieval, and payload trainingand payload safety programs for the stationcrew and all ground personnel.

State-of-the-art computers and communicationsequipment deliver around-the-clock reports toand from science outposts across the UnitedStates to POC systems controllers and scienceexperts. Other computers stream information toand from the space station itself, linking the

orbiting research facility with the sciencecommand post on Earth.

The payload operations team also synchronizesthe payload time lining among IPs, ensuring thebest use of valuable on-orbit resources and

crew time. NASA’s partners are the RussianSpace Agency (RSA), ESA, JAXA, and theCanadian Space Agency (CSA).

NASA’s partners’ control centers are:

• Center for Control of Spaceflights (“TsUP” inRussian) in Korolev, Russia

• Space Station Integration and PromotionCenter (SSIPC) in Tskuba, Japan

• Columbus Control Center (Col-CC) inOberpfaffenhofen, Germany

Once launch schedules are finalized, the POCoversees delivery of experiments to the spacestation. Experiments are rotated in and outperiodically as the shuttle or other launchvehicle makes deliveries and returns completedexperiments and samples to Earth.

Orbiting 250 miles above the Earth, the space station crew works together with science expertsat the POC at the MSFC and researchers around the world to perform cutting-edge science

experiments in the unique microgravity environment of space. (NASA)



APRIL 2008 PAYLOAD OPERATIONS CENTER 47

Housed in a two-story complex at Marshall, thePOC is staffed around the clock by three shiftsof systems controllers. During space station

operations, center personnel routinely manage10 to 40 or more experiments simultaneously.

The payload operations director leads thePOC’s main flight control team, known as the"cadre." The payload operations director approves all science plans in coordination withMission Control at JSC, the station crew andthe IP control centers. The payloadcommunications manager, the voice of thePOC, coordinates and manages real-time voiceresponses between the station crew conducting

payload operations and the researchers whosescience the crew is conducting. The operations

controller oversees station science operationsresources such as tools and supplies andassures support systems and procedures are

ready to support planned activities. The datamanagement coordinator is responsible for station video systems and high-rate data linksto the POC. The payload rack officer monitorsrack integrity, power and temperature control,and the proper working conditions of stationexperiments.

Additional support controllers routinelycoordinate anomaly resolution and procedurechanges and maintain configurationmanagement of on-board stowed payload

hardware.



48 PAYLOAD OPERATIONS CENTER APRIL 2008




APRIL 2008 RUSSIAN RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 49

ISS-17 Russian Research Objectives

Russian Research Objectives

Category ExperimentCode

ExperimentName

HardwareDescription

Research Objective Unique PayloadConstraints

Commercial GTS-2 GTS-2 Electronics unit-2;Antenna assemblywith attachmentmechanism

Global time system testdevelopment

Unattended

Technology &MaterialScience

ТХН-9 Kristallizator (Crystallizer)

“Crystallizer” complex Biological macromoleculescrystallization and obtainingcrystal films under microgravconditions

bio-ity

Geophysical ГФИ-1 Relaksatsiya “Fialka-MB-Kosmos” -Spectrozonal

ultraviolet systemHigh sensitive imagesrecorder

Study of chemiluminescentchemical reactions and

atmospheric light phenomenathat occur during high-velocityinteraction between the exhaustproducts from spacecraftpropulsion systems and theEarth atmosphere at orbitalaltitudes and during the entry of space vehicles into the Earthupper atmosphere

Using OCA

Geophysical ГФИ-8 Uragan Nominal hardware:

Camera Nikon D2Х Laptop

Experimental verification of theground and space-based systemfor predicting natural and man-made disasters, mitigating thedamage caused, and facilitatingrecovery

Using OCA

Geophysical ГФИ-16 Vsplesk

(Burst)

“Vsplesk” hardware

Mechanical adapter Conversion board

Seismic effects monitoring.

Researching high-energyparticles streams in near-Earthspace environment

EVA

Biomedical МБИ-5 Kardio-ODNT Nominal Hardware:

“Gamma-1M”equipment;

“Chibis”countermeasuresvacuum suit

Comprehensive study of thecardiac activity and bloodcirculation primary parameter dynamics

Will need help from UScrewmember

Biomedical МБИ-8 Profilaktika TEEM-100M gasanalyzer;

Accusport device;

Nominal Hardware:

“Reflotron-4” kit; TVIS

treadmill; ВБ-3 cycleergometer; Set of bungee cords;Computer; “Tsentr”equipment power supply

Study of the action mechanismand efficacy of variouscountermeasures aimed atpreventing locomotor systemdisorders in weightlessness

Time required for theexperiment should becounted toward physicalexercise time

Biomedical МБИ-12 Sonokard “Sonokard” set

“Sonokard”

“Sonokard-Data” kitLaptop RSE-Med

Integrated study of physiologicalfunctions during sleep periodthroughout a long space flight



50 RUSSIAN RESEARCH OBJECTIVES APRIL 2008

Russian Research Objectives (continued)

Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description

Research Objective Unique Payload

ConstraintsBiomedical МБИ-15 Pilot Right Control Handle

Left Control Handle

Synchronizer Unit(БС) ULTRABUOY-2000 Unit

“Neyrolab” set

Nominal hardware:

Laptop RSE-Med

Researching for individualfeatures of statepsychophysiological regulationand crewmembers professionalactivities during long spaceflights.

Biomedical МБИ-16 Vsaimodeystvie(Interaction)

“Vsaimodeystvie” kit Control of group activity of in space flight conditions

crew

Biomedical МБИ-18 Dykhanie “Dykhanie-1” set

“Dykhanie-1 - Data” kit

Nominal hardware:

Study of respiration regulationand biomechanics under spaceflight conditions

Laptop RSE-Med

Biomedical МБИ-21 Pneumocard “Pneumocard” set

“Pneumocard-КРМ” kit

“Pneumocard-Data” kit

Study of space flight factorsimpacts on vegetative regulationof blood circulation, respirationand contractile heart functionduring long space flights

Biomedical МБИ-22 BIMS(OnboardInformationMedicalSystem)

Kit TBK-1

Kit TBK-1.Accessories

Kit TBK-1. Data

Nominal Hardware:

Study of flight medicalinformation support usingonboard information medicalsystem

Laptop RSE-Med

Biomedical БИО-2 Biorisk “Biorisk-KM” set

“Biorisk-MSV”containers

“Biorisk-MSN” kit

Study of space flight impact onmicroorganisms-substrates

systems state related to spacetechnique ecological safety andplanetary quarantine problem

EVA

Biomedical БИО-4 Aquarium “Rasteniya (Plants)” kit(with “Aquarium”packs - 2 items)

Study of stability of model closedecological system and its partsunder microgravity conditions,both as microsystemcomponents and as perspectivebiological systems of spacecrews life support

Crewmembersinvolvement is taken intoaccount in Rasteniyaexperiment

Biomedical БИО-5 Rasteniya “Lada” greenhouse

Nominal Hardware:

Water container;

Sony DVCam;

Laptop RSE-Med

Study of the space flight effecton the growth and developmentof higher plants

Biomedical БИО-8 Plazmida Hybridizers Recomb-K

“Kriogem-03M” freezer (TBD)

Investigation of microgravityeffect on the rate of transfer andmobilization of bacteria plasmids

During ISS-16, ISS-17crews rotation





Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description


ConstraintsBiomedical РБО-1 Prognoz Nominal Hardware for

the radiationmonitoring system:

P-16 dosimeter;

ДБ-8 dosimeters

“Pille-ISS” dosimeter

“Lyulin-ISS” complex

Development of a method for real-time prediction of dose loadson the crews of mannedspacecraft

Unattended

Biomedical РБО-3 Matryeshka-R Passive detectors unit“Phantom” set“MOSFET-dosimeter”scientific equipment“Bubble-dosimeter”hardware “Lyulin-5”hardware

“Matryeshka”equipment(monoblock)

Study of radiation environmentdynamics along the ISS RS flightpath and in ISS compartments,and dose accumulation inantroph-amorphous phantom,located inside and outside ISS

Study of Earth naturalresourcesandecologicalmonitoring

ДЗЗ-2 Diatomea “Diatomea” kit

Nominal hardware:

Nikon F5 camera;

DSR-PD1P videocamera;

Dictaphone;

Laptop RSK1

Study of the stability of thegeographic position and form of the boundaries of the WorldOcean biologically active water areas observed by space stationcrews

Biotechnology БТХ-1 Glykoproteid “Luch-2” biocrystallizer


Obtaining and study of E1-E2surface glycoprotein of α-virus

Biotechnology БТХ-2 Mimetik-K Anti-idiotypic antibodies asadjuvant-active glycoproteid

mimetic

Biotechnology БТХ-3 KAF Crystallization of Caf1M proteinand its complex with C-endpeptide as a basis for formationof new generation of antimicrobial medicines andvaccine ingredients effectiveagainst yersiniosis

Biotechnology БТХ-4 Vaktsina-K(Vaccine)

Structural analysis of proteins-candidates for vaccine effectiveagainst AIDS

Biotechnology БТХ-20 Interleukin-K Obtaining of high-quality 1α, 1β interleukins crystals andinterleukin receptor antagonist –1

Biotechnology БТХ-5 Laktolen “Bioekologiya” kit Effect produced by space flightfactors on Laktolen producingstrain


Biotechnology БТХ-6 ARIL Effect produced by SFFs onexpression of strains producinginterleukins 1α, 1β, “ARIL”


Biotechnology БТХ-7 OChB Effect produced by SFFs onstrain producingsuperoxidodismutase (SOD)






Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description


ConstraintsBiotechnology БТХ-8 Biotrack “Bioekologiya” kit Study of space radiation heavy

charged particles fluxesinfluence on genetic properties of bioactive substancescells-producers

Biotechnology БТХ-10 Kon’yugatsiya(Conjugation)

“Rekomb-K” hardwareNominal Hardware:


Working through the process of genetic material transmissionusing bacteria conjugationmethod


Biotechnology БТХ-11 Biodegradatsiya “Bioproby” kit Assessment of the initial stagesof biodegradation andbiodeterioration of the surfacesof structural materials

Biotechnology БТХ-14 Bioemulsiya(Bioemulsion)

Changeable bioreactor Thermostat with drivecontrol unit with standand power supplycable in cover ТВК “Biocont-Т” Thermo-vacuum container

Study and improvement of closed-type autonomous reactor for obtaining biomass of microorganisms and bioactivesubstance without additionalingredients input and metabolismproducts removal


Biotechnology БТХ-27 Astrovaktsina “Bioekologiya” kit Cultivation in zero-gravityconditions Е.Coli–producer of Caf1 protein

Biotechnology БТХ-29 Zhenshen-2 “Bioekologiya” kit Study of a possibility to increasebiological activity of ginseng

Biotechnology БТХ-31 Antigen “Bioekologiya” kit Comparative researchingheterologous expression of acuteviral hepatitis HbsAg inS.cerevisiae yeast under microgravity and Earthconditions and determiningsynthesis optimization methods

TechnicalStudies

ТЕХ-14(SDTO12002-R)

Vektor-T Nominal Hardware:

ISS RS СУДН sensors; ISS RS orbitradio tracking [PKO]system;

Satellite navigation;

equipment [ACH]system

GPS/GLONASSsatellite systems

Study of a high-precision systemfor ISS motion prediction

Unattended





Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description


ConstraintsTechnical ТЕХ-15 Izgib Nominal Hardware: Study of the relationshipStudies (SDTO ISS RS onboard between the onboard systems

13002-R) measurement system(СБИ) accelerometers;

operating modes and ISS flightconditions

ISS RS motion controland navigation systemGIVUS (ГИВУС СУДН)

Nominal temperature-sensing device for measures inside“Progress” vehiclemodules

“Dakon” hardware

Technical ТЕХ-20 Plazmennyi “PC-3 Plus” Study of the plasma-dust crystalsStudies Kristall (Plasma experimental unit and fluids under microgravity

Crystal) “PC-3 Plus”telescience

Nominal hardware

“Klest” (“Crossbill”)TV-system

TechnicalStudies

ТЕХ-22(SDTO13001-R)

Identifikatsiya Nominal Hardware:

ISS RS СБИ accelerometers

Identification of disturbancesources when the microgravityconditions on the ISS aredisrupted

Unattended

Technical ТЕХ-44 Sreda-ISS Nominal Hardware: Studying ISS characteristics as UnattendedStudies (Environment) Movement Control researching environment

System sensors;orientation sensors;

magnetometers;

Russian and foreignaccelerometers

Complex КПТ-2 Bar Remote – indicating IR Selection and testing of detectionAnalysis. thermometer “Kelvin- methods and means for Effectiveness Video” depressurization of theEstimation Pyroendoscope

“Piren-V”

International Space StationModules

Thermohygrometer “Iva-6А”

Hot-wire anemometer-thermometer ТТМ-2

Ultrasound analyzer AU-01

Leak indicator UT2-03Complex КПТ-3 Econ “Econ” kit Experimental researching of ISSAnalysis. Nominal Hardware: RS resources estimating for EffectivenessEstimation

Nikon D1X digitalcamera,

ecological investigation of areas

Laptop RSK1

ComplexAnalysis.EffectivenessEstimation

КПТ-6 Plazma-MKS(Plasma-ISS)

“Fialka-MB-Kosmos” -Spectrozonalultraviolet system

Study of plasma environment onISS external surface by opticalradiation characteristics





Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description


ConstraintsComplex КПТ-13 Plazma- Ground observation Study of reflection characteristics UnattendedAnalysis. Progress facilities of spacecraft plasmaEffectiveness environment with onboardEstimation engines activated

Complex КПТ-14 Ten’ – Mayak Complex of amateur Working-out of the method for Analysis. (Shadow - packet radio radio probing of board-groundEffectiveness Beacon) communication set space for supporting preparationEstimation with 145/430 MHz

frequency range:

- receiver-transmitter;

- 4 antenna-feeder devices;

- 2 power supply units;

- controlling computer

of “Ten’” (“Shadow”) plasmaexperiment on ISS RS

Study of ИКЛ-2В BTN-Neutron Detection Block Study of fast and thermalcosmic rays Electronic Equipment

Block

Mechanical interface

neutrons fluxes

Education ОБР-2 MATI-75 Poroplast pouch withoriginal samplesPhotographic/VideoCamera

Demonstration effect of shaperecovery of blanks made fromcellular polymeric materials

Pre/Post Motor control Electromiograph, Study of hypo-gravitational Pre-flight data collection isFlight control unit,

tensometric pedal,miotometer «Miotonus», «GAZE»equipment

ataxia syndrome on L-60 and L-30 days;

Post-flight: on 1, 3, 7,11 days

Total time for all 4 tests is2.5 hours

Pre/PostFlight

MION Impact of microgravity onmuscular characteristics

Pre-flight biopsy (60 min)on L-60, and L-30 days;

Post-flight: 3-5 days

Pre/Post Izokinez Isocinetic ergometer Microgravity impact on voluntary Pre-flight: L-30;Flight «LIDO»,

electromiograph,reflotron-4, cardiacreader, scarifier

muscular contraction; humanmotor system re-adaptation togravitation

Post-flight: 3-5, 7-9,14-16, and 70 days

1.5 hours for one session

Pre/Post Tendometria Universal Microgravity impact on induced Pre-flight: L-30;Flight electrostimulator

(ЭСУ-1); bio-potentialamplifier (УБП-1-02);tensometric amplifier;oscilloscope withmemory; oscillograph

muscular contraction; longduration space flight impact onmuscular and peripheral nervousapparatus

Post-flight: 3, 11, 21,70 days;

1.5 hours for one session

Pre/Post Ravnovesie “Ravnovesie” Sensory and motor mechanisms Pre-flight: L-60, L-30Flight (““Equilibrium”)

equipmentin vertical pose control after longduration exposure tomicrogravity

days;

Post-flight: 3, 7, 11 days,and if necessary on 42 or 70 days;

Sessions: pre-flight datacollection 2x45 min, post-flight: 3x45 min




Russian Research Objectives (concluded)

Category Experiment

Code

Experiment

Name

Hardware

Description


ConstraintsPre/PostFlight

Sensoryadaptation

IBM PC, Pentium 11with 32-bit s/w for Windows APIMicrosoft

Countermeasures and correctionof adaptation to space syndromeand of motion sickness

Pre-flight: L-30, L-10;

Post-flight: 1, 4, and8 days, then up to 14 daysif necessary;

45 min for one session

Pre/PostFlight

Lokomotsii Bi-lateral video filming,tensometry,miography, posemetric equipment

Kinematic and dynamiclocomotion characteristics prior and after space flight

Pre-flight: L-20-30 days;

Post-flight: 1, 5, and20 days;

45 min for one session

Pre/PostFlight

Peregruzki Medical monitoringnominal equipment:

Alfa-06, Mir 3A7 usedduring descent phase

G-forces on Soyuz andrecommendations for anti-g-forcecountermeasures development

In-flight: 60 min;instructions andquestionnairefamiliarization: 15 min;

Post-flight: cosmonautscheckup – 5 min; debrief and questionnaire –30 min for eachcosmonauts

Pre/PostFlight

Polymorphism No hardware is usedin-flight

Genotype parameters related tohuman individual tolerance tospace flight conditions

Pre-flight: blood samples,questionnaire,anthropometrical andanthroposcopicmeasurements – on earlystages if possible; bloodsamples could be takenduring preflight medicalcheckups on L-60, L-30days. 30 min for onesession



APRIL 2008 EUROPEAN EXPERIMENT PROGRAM 57

European Experiment Program

The European Space Agency has acomprehensive package of experiments thatwill take place during the Expedition 17 tour of duty on the International Space Station. Thescope of European experimentation on thestation has become more extensive followingthe attachment of the Columbus laboratory inFebruary 2008. The experiments includeinternal and external experiments, thoseperformed both inside and outside the station,in the areas of biology, fluid science, humanphysiology, radiation dosimetry, solar science,

materials science, exobiology and tribology, aswell as additional monitoring and measurementdevices.

Internal Experiments: Biology

Biolab: WAICO

This is the second run of the WAICOexperiment in the Biolab facility within theColumbus Laboratory. WAICO, which standsfor Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at

different g-levels, involves the effect that gravityhas on the spiralling motion (circumnutation)that occurs in plant roots. It is suspected thatthis spiralling mechanism is an internalmechanism in the plant, independent of theinfluence of gravity. If so, as the level of gravitydecreases, the level of root spiralling shouldincrease. Two types of Arabidopsis seed willbe used in the experiment: a wild type seedand a mutant strain, which has a very lowresponse to the effect of gravity. Root samplesgrown in space will be analyzed after their

return to Earth. High resolution photos will betaken of the samples and similar seedlings alsowill be cultivated under 1g conditions.

Science Team:G. Scherer (DE)

Internal Experiments:Fluid Science

Fluid Science Laboratory: Geoflow

The Geoflow experiment concerns flow in theatmosphere, the oceans, and the movement of Earth’s mantle on a global scale, as well asother astrophysical and geophysical problems.The experiment will investigate the flow of anincompressible viscous fluid, silicone oil, heldbetween two concentric spheres, which arerotated around a common axis, or keptstationary. A central force field is introduced byapplying a high voltage difference between thetwo spheres. Maintaining the inner sphere at ahigher temperature to the outer sphere alsocreates a temperature gradient from inside tooutside. This geometrical configuration can beseen as a representation of the Earth, wherethe role of gravity is played by the centralelectric field. It will prove useful in a variety of applications, such as improving sphericalgyroscopes and bearings, centrifugal pumps

and high-performance heat exchangers. It isthe first experiment to take place within theFluid Science Laboratory inside the ColumbusLaboratory.

Science Team:Ch. Egbers, L. Jehring, B. Futterer, F. Feudel,Ph. Beltrame (DE), P. Chossat, I. Mutabazi,L. Tuckerman (FR), R. Hollerbach (UK)

Internal Experiments:

Human Physiology3D-Space

This experiment involves comparisons of preflight, flight, and postflight perceptions andmental imagery, with special reference todecreases in the vertical component of what isperceived during spaceflight. Virtual reality is



58 EUROPEAN EXPERIMENT PROGRAM APRIL 2008

used as a visual and perceptual stimulus,making use of a head-mounted display, finger trackball and digitizing tablet and stylus. The

subject will be required to recognize forms,write, draw and perceive distances. Stimulusproduction and evaluation will determinewhether the subject’s mental imagery is motor-induced or perceptual. The second focus of theexperiment uses the small digitizer table for subject written input.

Science Team:G. Clement (FR), C. E. Lathan (USA)

Early Detection of Osteoporosis in

Space (EDOS)The mechanisms underlying the reduction inbone mass that occurs in astronauts inweightlessness are still unclear. The EarlyDetection of Osteoporosis in Space (EDOS)experiment will evaluate the structure of weightand non-weight bearing bones of cosmonautsand astronauts preflight and postflight using themethod of computed tomography (pQCT)together with an analysis of bone biochemicalmarkers in blood samples. EDOS shouldsignificantly contribute to the development of areference technique to perform an earlydetection of osteoporosis on Earth. The groundexperiment with the space station expeditioncrews will take place at Star City near Moscowand is scheduled to target 10 to 12 short- andlong-term subjects in total.

Science Team:C. Alexandre (FR), L. Braak (FR), L. Vico (FR),P. Ruegsegger (CH), M. Heer (DE)

NOA 1

Research has demonstrated that an elevationof expired nitric oxide is an early and accuratesign of airway inflammation, especially inasthma, but also after occupational dustinhalation. This experiment will utilize improvedtechniques for analysis of nitric oxide in expiredair. This will be used to study physiologicalreactions by humans in weightlessness. The

crew members will perform a simple inhalationand exhalation procedure every six weeksduring their stay on the space station. Elevated

levels of expired nitric oxide compared topre-flight levels would indicate airwayinflammation. This experiment started duringExpedition 12.

Science TeamD. Linnarsson (SE), L. E. Gustafsson (SE),C. G. Frostell (SE), M. Carlson (SE),J. Mann (SE)

NOA 2

The occurrence of decompression sickness inastronauts, similar to divers, followingspacewalks is not documented. However, ithas been demonstrated that similar decompression techniques on the ground giverise to overt symptoms of decompressionsickness in approximately 6% of the cases. Anon-invasive and simple technique for assessing current decompression techniquesbefore and after spacewalks would bebeneficial. In this experiment, astronauts willperform a simple inhalation and exhalationprocedure, as in the NOA 1 experiment, before

and after a spacewalk. An increased level of expired nitric oxide following a spacewalk willindicate the presence of gas emboli in the bloodand, if so, may call for modifying the existingspacewalk procedures.

Science TeamD. Linnarsson (SE), L. E. Gustafsson (SE),C. G. Frostell (SE), M.Carlson (SE),J. Mann (SE)

Portable Pulmonary Function System

The Portable Pulmonary Function System isnew equipment, which will be launched to theISS to be utilized for MedOps and scientificprotocols. It is an autonomous multi-user facility supporting a broad range of humanphysiological research experiments under thecondition of weightlessness in the areas of respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic




physiology. The Portable Pulmonary FunctionSystem is an evolution to the existingPulmonary Function System, which was jointly

developed by ESA and NASA and waslaunched to the space station on the STS-114mission in July 2005.

Solo

This experiment is a continuation of extensiveresearch into the mechanisms of fluid and saltretention in the body during bed rest andspaceflight. As early as after the first month of flight, astronauts will participate in two dietperiods of five days each. They will follow aconstant diet of either low or normal sodiumintake, fairly high fluid consumption andisocaloric nutrition, which is equivalent caloricvalue. The experiment will include urinecollection, blood sampling and massmeasurement at the end of the periods.Samples will be returned to earth for analysis.

Science Team:M. Heer (DE), N. Baecker (DE), P. Frings (DE),P. Norsk (DK), S. Smith (USA)

Spin

This experiment is a comparison betweenpreflight and postflight testing of astronautsubjects, using a centrifuge and a standardizedtilt test. Orthostatic tolerance, or the ability tomaintain an upright posture without fainting, willbe correlated with measures of otolith-ocular function, which is the body’s mechanism linkingthe inner ear with the eyes that deals withmaintaining balance.

Science Team:

F. Wuyts (BE), S. Moore (US),H. MacDougall (AU), G. Clement (FR),B. Cohen (US), N. Pattyn (BE),A. Diedrich (US).

Internal Experiments:Radiation Dosimetry

Matroshka 2B

The ESA Matroshka facility was initiallyinstalled on the external surface of the spacestation on Feb. 27, 2004, to enable the study of radiation levels experienced by astronautsduring spacewalk activities. It consists of ahuman-like head and torso, called the Phantom,equipped with several active and passiveradiation dosimeters. The Phantom is mountedinside an outer container of carbon fibber andreinforced plastic to simulate a spacesuit. The

facility was brought back inside the station onAug. 18, 2005, to take radiation measurementsinside the station. For the Matroshka 2Bexperiment, new passive radiation sensorswere launched on Soyuz 15S in October 2007for installation inside the Phantom. The activeradiation dosimeters inside the facility wereactivated in February 2008.

Science Team:G. Reitz (DE), R. Beaujean (DE),W. Heinrich (DE), M. Luszik-Bhadra (DE),

M. Scherkenbach (DE), P. Olko (PL),P. Bilski (PL), S. Derne (HU), J. Palvalvi (HU),E. Stassinopoulos (US), J. Miller (US),C. Zeitlin (US), F. Cucinotta (US),V. Petrov (RU).

Project Team:ESA: J. Dettmann,DLR: G. Reitz, J. Bossler,Kayser Italia: M. Porciani, F. Granata

External Experiments:

EuTEF Facility

The European Technology Exposure Facility, or EuTEF, was one of the first two externalfacilities attached to the Columbus laboratory inFebruary 2008 and houses the followingexperiments requiring either exposure to theopen space environment, or a housing on theexternal surface of the station:




EXPOSE-E

EXPOSE-E is a subsection of EuTEF and

consists of five individual exobiologyexperiments:

LIFE – The Lichens and Fungi Experiment (LIFE) tests the limits of survival of Lichens,Fungi and symbionts under space conditions.Some of the organisms being exposed for approximately 1.5 years include the blackAntarctic fungi (Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri), the fungal element(mycobiont) of the lichen Xanthoria elegans,and the complete lichens (Rhizocarpongeographicum and Xanthoria elegans) in situ on

rock samples. Previous results from the Biopanexposure facility on the Foton-M2 mission in2005 showed the ability for lichens to survive inexposed space conditions for 15 days.

Science Team:S. Onofri (IT), L. Zucconi (IT),L. Selbmann (DE), S. Ott (DE),J-P.de Vera (ES), R. de la Torre (ES)

ADAPT – This experiment involves themolecular adaptation strategies of

micro-organisms to different space andplanetary ultraviolet climate conditions.

Science Team: P. Rettberg (DE), C. Cockell (UK),E. Rabbow (DE), T. Douki (FR), J. Cadet (FR),C. Panitz (DE), R. Moeller (DE),G. Horneck (DE), H. Stan-Lotter (AT).

PROCESS – The main goal of the PROCESS(PRebiotic Organic ChEmistry on SpaceStation) experiment is to improve our knowledge of the chemical nature and evolutionof organic molecules involved in extraterrestrialenvironments.

Science Team:H. Cottin (FR), P. Coll (FR), D. Coscia (FR),A. Brack (FR), F. Raulin (FR).

PROTECT – The aim of this experiment is toinvestigate the resistance of spores attached to

the outer surface of spacecraft to the openspace environment. Three aspects of resistance are being investigated: the degree

of resistance; the types of damage sustained;and the spores' repair mechanisms.

Science Team:G. Horneck (DE), J. Cadet (FR), T. Douki (FR),R. Mancinelli (FR), R. Moeller(DE),J. Pillinger (UK), W. Nicholson (US),E. Rabbow (DE), J. Sprey (UK),P. Rettberg (DE), E. Stackebrandt (DE),K. Venkateswaren (US)

SEEDS – This experiment will test the plant

seed as a terrestrial model for a panspermiavehicle, which is a means of transporting lifethrough the universe and as a source of universal ultraviolet screens.

Science Team:D. Tepfer (FR), S. Leach (UK), A. Zalar (HR),S. Hoffmann (DK), P. Ducrot (FR),F. Corbineau (FR).

DEBIE-2

DEBIE, which stands for ‘DEBris In orbit

Evaluator,’ is designed to be a standard in-situspace debris and micrometeoroid monitoringinstrument which requires low resources fromthe spacecraft. It measures sub-millimeter -sized particles and has three sensors facing indifferent directions. The scientific results fromseveral DEBIE instruments onboard differentspacecraft will be compiled into a singledatabase for ease of comparison.

Science Team:G. Drolshagen - ESA, A. Menicucci - ESA

Dostel

Dostel (DOSimetric radiation TELescope) is asmall radiation telescope that will measure theradiation environment outside the space station.

Science Team:G. Reitz (DE)




EVC

The Earth Viewing Camera, or EVC payload is

a fixed-pointed Earth-observing camera. Themain goal of the system is to capture color images of the Earth’s surface, to be used as atool to increase general public awareness of thespace station and promote the use of thestation for observation purposes to the potentialuser community.

Science Team:M. Sabbatini – ESA

FIPEX

This experiment helps to understand thevarying atmospheric conditions in low earthorbit where orbiting spacecraft are still affectedby atmospheric drag. The density of theatmosphere is the major factor affecting drag,and the density is influenced by solar radiationand the earth’s magnetic and gravitationalfields. The flux of atomic oxygen is important,as it shows different interactions with spacecraftsurfaces, such as surface erosion. The FIPEXmicro-sensor system will measure the atomicoxygen flux as well as the oxygen molecules in

the area surrounding the space station.

Science Team: Prof. Fasoulas (DE)

MEDET

The aims of the Materials Exposure andDegradation ExperimenT (MEDET) are: toevaluate the effects of open space on materialscurrently being considered for utilization onspacecraft in low earth orbit; to verify thevalidity of data from the space simulation

currently used for materials evaluation; and tomonitor solid particles impacting spacecraft inlow earth orbit.

Science Team:V. Inguimbert (FR), A. Tighe - ESA

PLEGPLAY

The scientific objective of the PLasma Electron

Gun PAYload (PLEGPAY) is the study of theinteractions between spacecraft and the spaceenvironment in low earth orbit, with reference toelectrostatic charging and discharging.Understanding these mechanisms is veryimportant, as uncontrollable discharge eventscan adversely affect the functioning of spacecraft electronic systems.

Science Team:G. Noci (IT)

Tribolab

This series of experiments covers research intribology, which is the science of friction andlubrication. This is of major importance for spacecraft systems. The Tribolab experimentswill cover both experiments in liquid and solidlubrication, such as the evaluation of fluidlosses from surfaces and the evaluation of wear of polymer and metallic cages weightlessness.

Science Team:R. Fernandez (ES)

External Experiments: SOLAR Facility

The SOLAR facility, which was attached to theexternal surface of the Columbus laboratory inFebruary 2008, studies the sun withunprecedented accuracy across most of itsspectral range. This study is currentlyscheduled to last for two years. SOLAR isexpected to contribute to the knowledge of theinteraction between the solar energy flux andthe Earth's atmosphere chemistry andclimatology. This will be important for Earth

observation predictions. The payload consistsof three instruments complementing eachother, which are:

SOL-ACES

The goal of the Solar Auto-Calibrating ExtremeUV-Spectrometer (SOL-ACES) is to measure thesolar spectral irradiance of the full disk from 17 to




220 nm at 0.5 to 2 nm spectral resolution. Solar extreme ultraviolet radiation strongly influencesthe propagation of electromagnetic signals, such

as those emitted from navigation satellites.Providing the variability of solar extremeultraviolet radiation with the accuracy of SOL-ACES will contribute to improving theaccuracy of navigation data, as well as the orbitforecasts of satellites and debris. Using an auto-calibration capability, SOL-ACES is expected togain long term spectral data with a high absoluteresolution. In its center, it contains four extremeultra-violet spectrometers.

Science Team:

G. Schmidtke (DE)

SOLSPEC

The purpose of the SOLar SPECctral irradiancemeasurements (SOLSPEC) experiment is tomeasure the solar spectrum irradiance from 180nm to 3000 nm. The aims of this investigationare the study of solar variability at short and longterm, and the achievement of absolutemeasurements, 2% in ultraviolet and 1% above.The SOLSPEC instrument is fully refurbished

and improved with respect to the experiencegained in the previous missions, Spacelab-1,Atlas-1, Atlas-2, Atlas-3, and Eureca.

Science Team:M.G. Thuillier (FR).

SOVIM

The Solar Variability and Irradiance Monitor (SOVIM) is a re-flight of the SOVA experimenton Eureca-1. The investigation will observeand study the irradiance of the Sun, with highprecision and high stability. The totalirradiance will be observed with active cavityradiometers and the spectral irradiancemeasurement will be carried out by one type of sun photometer.

SOVIM is interested in the basic solar variability, and using the solar variability tostudy other physical phenomena, such as solar oscillations. The basic reasons for irradiancechanges are crucially important for understanding the solar and stellar evolution.

Science Team:C. Frohlich (CH).




Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Operations

Artist’s impression (cutaway view) of the ATV attached to the ISS

On March 9, 2008, the European SpaceAgency launched the first of a new logisticsspacecraft to service and maintain the spacestation. This new spacecraft, called theAutomated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, will deliver equipment, spare parts, food, air and water for the space station expedition crews. Following arigorous monitoring and test phase after itslaunch, the first ATV docked with the Russian

Service Module, Zvezda on April 3.

With the ATV now scheduled to be an elementof the station until August 2008, the Expedition17 crew will be involved in procedures thatrevolve around the ATV’s main functions for thestation. These include:

Cargo Upload

The first ATV, called Jules Verne after thefamous French author, was launched with8.3 tons of wet and dry cargo to the spacestation. The 1.3 tons of dry cargo inside thepressurized forward section of the ATV, knownas the Integrated Cargo Carrier, included500 kg of food for the crew, 136 kg of spare

parts for the Columbus laboratory, 80 kg of clothing, and a number of additional itemsincluding public relations items tocommemorate the Jules Verne ATV launch.This included two Jules Verne manuscripts.The Expedition 17 crew can access thispressurized section in normal clothing in order to unload the contents of the Integrated Cargocarrier as necessary.




The wet cargo carried by Jules Verneaccounted for around 7 tons. The largestproportion of this was the ATV propellant,

accounting for 5.8 tons. Sixty percent of thepropellant was used for the ATV to travel to anddock with the space station, and for the futuredeorbiting of the spacecraft. 860 kg of the wetcargo was refuelling propellant for transfer tothe station, 270 kg is potable water for use bythe crew for drinking, food rehydration and oralhygiene, and 20 kg is oxygen used for resupplyof the station cabin oxygen.

Station Reboost

Forty percent of the ATV’s propellant will beused by the ATV to reboost the station to ahigher orbiting altitude, and for ISS attitudecontrol and debris avoidance manuevers.

Waste Removal

The final part of its mission will be the removaland disposal of up to 6.4 tons of equipment,material and general waste that is no longer used on the station. At the end of the ATV

re-supply mission, the Expedition 17 crew willreattach the docking mechanism to the ATVand close the hatch. The ATV will be

commanded by the ATV Control Centre inToulouse, France, to undock, deorbit and burnup in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Artist’s impression of the ATV reboosting the ISS to a higher orbit



APRIL 2008 NASA TELEVISION 65

Digital NASA Television

NASA Television can be seen in the continentalUnited States on AMC-6, at 72 degrees westlongitude, Transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, verticalpolarization, FEC 3/4, Data Rate 36.860 MHz,Symbol 26.665 Ms, Transmission DVB. If youlive in Alaska or Hawaii, NASA TV can now beseen on AMC-7, at 137 degrees west longitude,Transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, verticalpolarization, FEC 3/4, Data Rate 36.860 MHz,Symbol 26.665 Ms, Transmission DVB.

Digital NASA TV system provides higher quality

images and better use of satellite bandwidth,meaning multiple channels from multiple NASAprogram sources at the same time.

Digital NASA TV has four digital channels:

1. NASA Public Service (“Free to Air”),featuring documentaries, archivalprogramming, and coverage of NASAmissions and events.

2. NASA Education Services (“Free to

Air/Addressable”), dedicated to providingeducational programming to schools,educational institutions and museums.

3. NASA Media Services (“Addressable”), for broadcast news organizations.

4. NASA Mission Operations (Internal Only).

Note: Digital NASA TV channels may notalways have programming on everychannel simultaneously.

Internet Information

Information is available through several sourceson the Internet. The primary source for missioninformation is the NASA Human Space FlightWeb, part of the World Wide Web. This sitecontains information on the crew and itsmission and will be updated regularly withstatus reports, photos and video clipsthroughout the flight. The NASA Shuttle Web’saddress is:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

General information on NASA and its programsis available through the NASA Home Page andthe NASA Public Affairs Home Page:

http://www.nasa.gov

or

http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/index.html



66 NASA TELEVISION APRIL 2008




APRIL 2008 PAO CONTACTS 67

Expedition 17 Public Affairs Officers (PAO) Contacts

Michael Braukus International Partners 202-358-1979NASA HeadquartersWashington, [email protected]

Katherine Trinidad Shuttle, Space Station Policy 202-358-3749NASA HeadquartersWashington, [email protected]

John Yembrick Shuttle, Space Station Policy 202-358-0602NASA Headquarters

Washington, D.C. [email protected]

Grey Hautaluoma Research in Space 202-358-0668NASA HeadquartersWashington, [email protected]

Stephanie Schierholz Research in Space 202-358-4997NASA HeadquartersWashington, [email protected]

James Hartsfield Astronauts/Mission Operations 281-483-5111NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX

[email protected]

Rob Navias Mission Operations 281-483-5111NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, [email protected]

Kylie Clem Astronauts/Mission Operations 281-483-5111

NASA Johnson Space Center DirectorateHouston, [email protected]



Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters International Space Station 281-483-5111NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX

[email protected]

Steve Roy Science Operations 256-544-0034NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, [email protected]

Ed Memi International Space Station 281-226-4029The Boeing CompanyHouston, [email protected]

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

JAXA Public Affairs OfficeTokyo, Japan011-81-3-6266-6414, 6415, 6416, [email protected]

Kumiko TanabeJAXA Public Affairs RepresentativeHouston, [email protected]

Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

Jean-Pierre ArseneaultManager, Media Relations and Information ServicesCanadian Space Agency514-824-0560 (cell)

[email protected]

Isabelle Laplante

nasa iss expedition 17 press kit

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