PROGRESS М-56

Progress M-56 was launched from Baikonur at 12:03, April 24, 2006. The spacecraft docked automatically to Zvezda’s wake at 13: 41, April 26, bringing with it 2,597 kg of propellants, water, air, and dry cargo, including items from the crew’s families. The crew began unloading the new arrival the following day. During the week Vinogradov completed routine maintenance on the Elektron oxygen generator, which was deliberately powered off for the majority of the week. Williams dismantled his sleeping quarters in order to reach and replace a Remote Power Control Module in Destiny. The crew’s first month in orbit drew to a close with a series of routine tasks. Williams checked out the refrigerated centrifuge, sampled the potable water, and replaced the cooling water in the American EMUs. Vinogradov inspected the pressure hull in Zvezda and performed maintenance on the ventilation system. Both men installed new software in the station’s laptop computers and both also spent time packing unwanted items into Progress M-55. The week ended with a small reduction in nitrogen pressure in the Elektron unit. It was powered off and would remain off until after the Stage EVA planned for June 1. Additional oxygen from tanks in Progress M-55 was used to supplement the station’s atmosphere in the meantime. On May 4, Russian engineers fired Progress M-56’s thrusters to raise the station’s orbit. Four days later the crew had a day off, to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day. Williams trained with the SSRMS on May 11, using its cameras to return views of the station’s exterior. He left the SSRMS where its cameras could cover their EVA. Controllers in Korolev transferred propellant from Progress M-56 to Zarya on May 17.

The week had begun with a malfunction of the Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system in the Russian sector. The carbon dioxide removal system in Destiny was activated while Russian engineers worked on the problem. Following its resolution, both systems were run in tandem until a new gas analyser was installed in the Vozdukh the following week. The remainder of the week saw Williams experimenting with a small satellite called Synchronised Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experi­ment Satellite (SPHERES) inside Destiny. The satellite, the first of three, was programmed to perform a series of manoeuvres in anticipation of “constellation’’ flying at a later date, after two more satellites had been delivered on STS-121. The manoeuvres, using small carbon dioxide thrusters, consisted of 15 ten-minute trials during which the satellite went through a series of pre-programmed flight manoeuvres, including object avoidance and station keeping. The technology might be developed in future as automated assistants for space crews. NASA reported:

“Each satellite is about 8 inches in diameter, weighs about 7 pounds, and has its own internal avionics, software and communications systems. They are powered by 2 AA batteries and will use carbon dioxide gas thrusters to manoeuvre through the Destiny lab. As the satellites fly through the station they will communicate with each other and the ISS laptop through a wireless link.’’

Elsewhere, Vinogradov reconfigured ventilation lines associated with the Elektron oxygen generator. The maintenance had been planned before the unit was powered off due to the nitrogen pressure drop. The crew spent time packing items for return to Earth on STS-121 when Discovery visited the station.

The last full week in May was spent preparing for the EVA planned for July 1. The crew gathered together the equipment they would use, charged the batteries in their Orlan suits, and checked out Pirs. During the week Vinogradov replaced a gas analyser in the Vozdukh system, returning it to full working order. They were also the first people to spot a new eruption of a volcano on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Williams began using the InSPACE experiment, last used by the Expedition-7 crew, studying the behaviour of fluids that change their properties when subjected to a magnetic field.

At 18:48, June 1, Vinogradov and Williams opened the hatch on Pirs to begin their first EVA, the 65th devoted to the construction and maintenance of ISS, and the last planned to be completed by a two-person Expedition crew. After gathering their tools they used a Strela crane to place themselves at Zvezda’s ram, where Zvezda docked with Zarya’s wake. In that location, Vinogradov installed a new nozzle on a valve used to vent hydrogen overboard from the Elektron. The original valve had become clogged, causing Elektron to use the same vent line used by a contamination­monitoring device. Two weeks earlier Vinogradov had installed an internal line inside Zvezda as a precursor to fitting the new valve on the exterior. Elektron would be powered on, on July 7.

With that task complete, they moved to Zvezda’s wake, where they photo­graphed one of the antennae designed for use by the European ATV. The antenna’s cable was suspected of having been the cause of the thruster sunshade not fully opening during their third week of occupation, thus causing the aborting of a re­boost manoeuvre. Vinogradov then recovered the Kroma device, designed to collect thruster residue, from Zvezda’s exterior. Meanwhile, Williams collected the third Biorisk package from the exterior of Pirs, along with a contamination-monitoring unit, also from the exterior of Pirs. With those three units safely stored inside Pirs, the EVA was extended, before handing over control from Korolev to Houston. Using the Strela crane once more, they manoeuvred themselves to the area where the Russian and American sectors of the station met before moving past Quest and on to the ITS. Control of the EVA passed from Korolev to Houston. In that location, Williams installed a foot restraint and removed a video camera from the MBS replacing it with a new one. The original camera had failed in February 2005. Korolev resumed control of the EVA once more as the two men used the Strela to return to Pirs and re-enter the airlock. The hatch was closed at 01: 19, July 2, after an EVA lasting 6 hours 31 minutes.

On the same day Programme Manager Wayne Hale reviewed progress on the Shuttle’s foam-shedding problem for the media saying:

“We are on a road for continuous improvement… We are trying to eliminate the biggest hazards and work our way on down… We have found no showstoppers. We believe we have made significant improvements… There will continue to be foam coming off the external tank. What we have done in a very systematic manner is eliminate the largest hazards.’’

The following week was spent cleaning, servicing, and storing the suits they had worn during their EVA, before concentrating on preparations to jettison Progress M-55, receive Progress M-57, and STS-121, Discovery’s Return to Flight mission, which was due to deliver an MPLM full of logistics to ISS. They also had to work on the Elektron unit, which only restarted after several attempts and then failed 7 hours later. Russian engineers decided that the unit had a malfunctioning power unit, which would require replacement with a spare already held on the station. The malfunction had no immediate impact on operations. The crew also ran their regular experiment programme. On June 9, Progress M-56’s thrusters were fired in a re-boost man­oeuvre, placing the complex in the correct altitude to receive Progress M-57.

The crew spent much of the second week of June preparing for Discovery’s arrival, practising the photography session during which they would take images of Discovery as she performed the new r-bar pitch manoeuvre prior to docking with the station. June 12 was a day off, celebrating Russia’s Independence Day. Two days later the last of the propellant was transferred between Progress M-55 and Zarya. Both men also spent time packing rubbish into Progress M-55 and sealed its hatches on June 16. It was undocked at 10:06, and commanded into the atmosphere where it burned up on June 19. Vinogradov spent time practising with the TORU manual docking equipment in case he might have to assume control of Progress M-57 during its final approach. The end of the week involved performing experiments. Vinogradov also replaced internal panels and smoke detectors inside Zvezda, while Williams trained with the SSRMS, practising the manoeuvres he would use to remove the MPLM Leonardo from Discovery’s payload bay and dock it to Unity.