STS-107 OARE-SAMS Science Reports

January 20

SAMS FF: KU2-band interruptions caused temporary dropouts of SAMS data. SAMS ground personnel sent commands to re-establish the link as needed. During on-board troubleshooting of the KU2 anomaly, the hardware configuration was changed. This change corrupted the data being sent via the KU2-Band. The hardware was reconfigured to its original state and data quality improved. However, the link will be monitored closely for the remainder of the flight or until complete confidence in the configuration is restored.

The SAMS-FF / PIMS team received a request to characterize (assess) the microgravity environment for the Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG) payload during an experiment run on day 1. The SAMS-FF system was configured to downlink the nearest sensor head to the payload. Acceleration data was collected and downlinked at several different bandwidths to maximize the resolution of the data. The STS-107 SAMS-FF hardware has built-in command and control flexibility to handle a variety of data requests such as this in supporting multiple microgravity experimenters in characterizing the microgravity environment. The acceleration data collected was analyzed, and the analysis of the downlinked acceleration data was provided to the ZCG team.

January 21

The SAMS team reconfigured the data flow per the original configuration. This was necessary because the change made earlier today resulted in unusable data. Once back in original configuration, SAMS-FF real-time data flow supported the first LSP-2 test run. Monitoring of real-time displays during the LSP-2 test apparently showed that the EORF (refrigerator/freezer) operation did not adversely impact the flame. (See CM-2 above.) We provided snapshots of real-time displays to CM-2 for forwarding as “heads-up” to the SOFBALL team, who will conduct the next experiment in CM-2. We also participated in a telecon with Paul Ronney, SOFBALL PI, to discuss acceleration environment findings up to this point.

January 22

The SAMS team has continued real-time support of LSP-2 test points for CM-2 as data flow coverage allows. Continued data flow problems require much meticulousness to keep contiguous flow of acceleration data in support of CM-2 science. It is anticipated that this may prove critical during upcoming SOFBALL-2 burns. Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) submitted a replan request for OARE to be switched to “Quiet mode” approximately one-hour after OARE re-activation. OARE must be switched to “Quiet mode” in order to allow the payload to perform on-orbit bias calibration. Without the bias calibration, the acceleration data collected on-orbit and dumped to ground can not be accurately analyzed to support the SOFBALL payload (CM-2).

SAMS-FF supported an LSP-2 burn. EORF (refrigerator/freezer) operation was running for the duration of the burn, and there appeared to be some thruster firings during this burn too. After talking to MEIDEX operations regarding the loud 18 Hz disturbance observed around SPRITE maneuver times, it was found out that, after the door opens, the crew is free to gimbal the camera to capture targets. So, there is a possibility that the source of this disturbance is this crew camera operation spanning a period of about 6 minutes, during which there was loss of signal.

January 23

The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) data downlink path is now working. The payload recorder capacity is insufficient to store all uncompressed OARE data on-board during the mission (although a set of compressed data is being stored), so the Ku-band downlink is needed. The OARE downlink during the mission is useful to the science teams for analyzing the effects of acceleration events on experiment data.

The OARE acceleration data are being provided to the SOFBALL experiment, which the science team is using to correlate with their science data. The downlink was switched from one Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to another and is now working well. Even when the downlink was not working properly, OARE was storing compressed data (not full data) for the entire SOFBALL timeline. This compressed data should satisfy the PI's requirements.

SAMS-FF is supporting ongoing SOFBALL test points on a 24-hour basis. PIMS has been providing data acceleration analysis to SOFBALL before and after each test point for the science team to use in correlating the science results.

January 24

SAMS-FF is continuing to support ongoing SOFBALL-2 test points on a 24-hour basis, and providing data to the SOFBALL-2 team on each test point for their science correlation. There was a power recycle of SAMS by Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla to reconnect the SAMS Telemetry port to Experiment Data System Management Unit (EDSMU). The ground system was back on line at 08/01:14 for the SOFBALL 8a test point.

The OARE data downlink now appears to be working; raw OARE data has been downlinked. Preliminary analysis of these data (minus bias and location transformation corrections that will be performed post-flight) suggests that high-quality microgravity has been ensured by using free drift and various inhibitors.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) acceleration data is being provided to SOFBALL after each data dump, which the science team uses to correlate with their science data.

January 25

SAMS-FF continues support of ongoing SOFBALL operations on a 24-hour basis, providing data to the SOFBALL team on each test point for their science correlation. There was a short period when SAMS-FF was able to connect to EGDA, but no data was received. Repeated disconnect/reconnect as directed by SHCMD did not solve the problem. The next step was to reboot EGDA during subsequent loss of signal and attempt to reconnect SAMS-FF this cleared the data flow problem.

For the SOFBALL-2 11A test point, SHAB command forgot to put the Shuttle payload recorder in recording mode as specified in the OST. As a consequence, the quasi-steady acceleration needed for SOFBALL-2 science correlation was lost. Regarding the OARE, recent (weekend) data dumps will not be processed until Monday because required MSFC/GRC support is not available until then.

January 26

SAMS-FF continues to support ongoing SOFBALL-2 operations on a 24-hour basis, providing vibratory acceleration data as needed.

The OARE quasi-steady acceleration data is being provided to SOFBALL-2 as it becomes available. The last two test points will be downlinked after the completion of the SOFBALL-2 experiment.

The OARE which will remain active for the duration of the Shuttle mission has been approved to support the MIST Fire Suppression Experiment. The microgravity environment is becoming more quiescent, as indicated by the first burn of SOFBALL-2 when the flame balls showed very little relative motion.

January 27

SAMS-FF concluded 24-hour support of SOFBALL-2 operations and will resume with two-shift support of the MIST experiment.

The OARE will remain powered in support of MIST. Quasi-steady acceleration data will be provided after the mission. The science team talked to Ann Over, the CM-2 Project Manager, and agreed that the ground rule for PDR usage will be to turn the PDR on 10 minutes before the video taping of the MIST experiment begins and go to standby once the taping is complete. ESE-4 will track this through SHAB CMD. Also, all of the OARE data for the SOFBALL-2 tests have been downlinked and await MSFC/GRC processing.

January 28

SAMS-FF has concluded its 24-hour support of SOFBALL operations and resumes 2-shift support of MIST in the CM-2.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) will remain powered in support of MIST in the CM-2. Quasi-steady acceleration data will be provided post-mission. The OARE team continues to observe that the microgravity level is becoming more quiescent as the mission progresses.

January 29

SAMS-FF is providing 2-shift, real-time support of MIST in the CM-2.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) will remain powered in support of MIST in the CM-2. Quasi-steady acceleration data will be provided after the mission.

January 30

SAMS-FF is providing two-shift, real-time support of MIST in the CM-2.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) will remain powered in support of MIST in the CM-2. Quasi-steady acceleration data will be provided post-mission. We’ve modified PDR on/off ground rules based on feedback from MSFC data team. We need PDR to turn on 10 minutes before MIST, then off 10 minutes after MIST run.

January 31

SAMS-FF is continuing two-shift, real-time support of MIST in the CM-2 and providing periodic snaps of real-time displays to the science team where allowed.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) will remain powered in support of MIST in the CM-2. Quasi-steady acceleration data will be provided post-mission.

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