CHAPTER 10 DAY IN THE LIFE: PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED 186 ETHOS: That’s right FLIGHT and because it’s a single loop I still cannot tell if it is associated with Loop Alpha or Loop Bravo. I recommend that just isolate those and vent those ETCS loops. [The flight controllers use the phonetic alphabet to prevent misunderstandings. Here ‘A’ and ‘B’ are called Alpha and Bravo.] CAPCOM [on the S/G-1 loop]: Station, Houston, Space to Ground 1, for a status, when available. ETHOS: And that procedure FLIGHT only has paths where we go to Dual and I figure out which loop it is on. I’m still… I don’t know if we have a… I’m taking a look at my procedures to see if we have one that covers this specific case… FLIGHT: Can we even get back to Dual? ETHOS: Let me think about that FLIGHT. GLAVNI [This is the spacecraft communicator in MCC-Moscow, translated into English, on the S/G-1 loop]: Station, this is Mission Control Moscow on Space to Ground 1, can you read us? GC: FLIGHT, GC. FLIGHT: GC, FLIGHT. GC: FLIGHT the gaps have been filled for the next 24 hours. [This means that any gaps in the planned communication schedule with the ISS using the TDRS network have been filled but are forcing other users of the system off due to the spacecraft emergency.] SPARTAN: FLIGHT, SPARTAN, Lab interface heat exchangers bypassed and isolated. FLIGHT: Copy. ETHOS: FLIGHT, ETHOS. FLIGHT: ETHOS, FLIGHT. ETHOS: In the current situation that I can’t tell which ETCS loop it’s associated with I would recommend venting both loops. I’m basically doing this to try to keep the structural integrity of the Station. We do have PPR [Positive Pressure Relief, which kicks off when the internal pressure of the ISS is too high, vents some atmosphere overboard. However, this venting can produce a thrusting force that can cause the ISS to tumble out of control. This is why ADCO wants to make sure the Russian Segment’s power thrusters are ready to take control via auto handover]. However, we will hit that in about 30 minutes or so, there is one thing I could do I could try and mode back to Dual, I would expect it to work but of course it failed the first time too and I’m not exactly sure what caused that, if it is LA-1 induced, however I would think that it would still mode to Dual. Now that we are in Single MT it might work again. FLIGHT: Once we get to Dual can we actually vent both loops from that configuration with LA-1 MDM not available? ETHOS: That would be a SPARTAN’s call, if LA-1 affects that, I don’t believe it does. SPARTAN: It does not, FLIGHT. ETHOS: Going to Dual, FLIGHT, would just let us know which one it’s associated with. FLIGHT: Does it matter at this point? Which one it is? ETHOS: FLIGHT when you vent an ETCS loop you can’t regain it so we’re basically calling it quits on the ETCS loops and basically all the US Segment. We do have a ton of ammonia in there anyway so I’m just worried about safing the situation right now, so that’s why I would recommend venting both loops, since I cannot tell. SPARTAN: And SPARTAN concurs with that. FLIGHT: All right how many commands is it to go back to Dual? ETHOS: Two. FLIGHT: All right send us back to Dual. ETHOS: Copy FLIGHT I’ll put it in work. FLIGHT: Quickly. FLIGHT: SPARTAN do you have anything to suggest which loop you want to vent? First, anyway? SPARTAN: And FLIGHT I have no insight into this. From a venting standpoint, both loops are redundant we would just need to pick the right loop to vent. Once we vent the loop it cannot be… FLIGHT: Ok, understand. FLIGHT: ATAs [Ammonia Tank Assemblies, which can be used to refill a cooling loop] on orbit, right? We have ATAs on orbit? SPARTAN: We do have the ATAs, FLIGHT. FLIGHT: I’m more worried about keeping the USOS intact and not having to… SPARTAN: During the venting process I would be isolating the ATAs and then venting everything in the lines of the ETCS system. The reason that those lines would be damaged at that point is that the lines were never intended to bring water through them, so bringing the water through them, the ETCS lines, could cause permanent damage to them. FLIGHT: Copy.