[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #06-37

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

International Space Station Status Report #06-37
3:30 p.m. CDT, Friday, Aug. 11, 2006
Expedition 13 Crew

This week on the International Space Station crew members refurbished 
their exercise treadmill, prepared areas inside and out for an imminent 
expansion of their home and took a couple of special calls to discuss 
soccer and food in space.

Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and European 
Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter are gearing up for the second space 
shuttle visit to the station during Expedition 13. The shuttle Atlantis, 
targeted to launch in a window that opens Aug. 27, will resume major 
orbital construction of the complex. During its mission, designated 
STS-115, Atlantis will deliver and install a 17.5-ton, bus-sized segment 
of the station's girder-like truss that includes another set of solar 
arrays, batteries and associated electronics.

The station crew started out the week with two days of standard 
maintenance work on the treadmill vibration isolation system, a special 
exercise treadmill located on the floor of the Zvezda living quarters 
module. Crews perform the maintenance task every six months to inspect 
the treadmill's components, replace worn items and install new bearings. 
The treadmill is a complex system that uses gyroscopes to stabilize 
itself and isolates the vibrations created by exercise from being 
transmitted to the station's structure, where they could disturb 
sensitive experiments. Extensive exercise is a daily regimen for all 
station crew members as one method of counteracting the effects of long 
exposure to weightlessness.

The crew had time set aside each day this week to pack up and prepare 
items that will be moved from the station to the shuttle during 
Atlantis' flight. In addition, ground controllers worked with the 
station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to prepare for the upcoming shuttle 
flight. On Thursday, they moved the arm to position cameras to view 
markings on the station used for a graphical computer alignment aid when 
new components are attached. That aid, called the space vision system, 
will be used during Atlantis' flight to help with the attachment of the 
new truss section.

On Friday, controllers moved the arm to perform an early checkout of its 
systems, ensuring it is ready for the shuttle mission.

The station crew greeted special guest calls this week. On Tuesday, the 
coach and players from the FC Barcelona soccer team talked with the crew 
as they visited NASA's Johnson Space Center prior to an exhibition game 
in Houston. Reiter, a soccer fan, showed the team a space soccer move 
during the call. On Thursday, the crew members spoke with Chef Emeril 
Lagasse about space food and their mission. Lagasse sent NASA several 
recipes that were prepared and delivered to the station aboard the last 
shuttle flight. The Expedition 13 crew tried the dishes this week.

The next station status report will be issued on Friday, Aug. 18, or 
earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew's activities and 
station sighting opportunities, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station