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Info about Shuttle Flight STS- 42
STS-42 PRESS KIT
JANUARY 1992
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS
Mark Hess/Jim Cast/Ed Campion
Office of Space Flight
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-8536)
Mike Braukus/Paula Cleggett-Haleim/Brian Dunbar
Office of Space Science and Applications
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-1547)
Lisa Malone
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 407/867-2468)
Mike Simmons
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone: 205/544-6537)
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 713/483-5111)
Jane Hutchison
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
(Phone: 415/604-9000)
Dolores Beasley
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/286-2806)
Myron Webb
Stennis Space Center, Miss.
(Phone: 60l/688-334l)
Nancy Lovato
Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.
(Phone: 805/258-3448)
CONTENTS
GENERAL RELEASE...................................................4
MEDIA SERVICES....................................................5
STS-42 QUICK-LOOK FACTS...........................................6
TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.....................................7
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES......................................7
SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES.........................................8
VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS.......................................8
STS-42 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING......................................13
IML SCIENCE OPERATIONS...........................................14
LIFE SCIENCES EXPERIMENTS........................................15
GRAVITATIONAL PLANT PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS....................24
MICROGRAVITY VESTIBULAR INVESTIGATIONS..........................26
MENTAL WORKLOAD PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENTS.........................26
SPACE PHYSIOLOGY EXPERIMENTS.....................................27
MATERIALS SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS....................................32
SPACE ACCELERATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM............................38
GELATION OF SOLS: APPLIED MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH................39
GET AWAY SPECIALS (GAS)..........................................41
INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING (IPMP)...........44
IMAX.............................................................45
STUDENT EXPERIMENTS..............................................45
RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III (RME-III).....................46
STS-42 CREW BIOGRAPHIES..........................................46
STS-42 MISSION MANAGEMENT........................................49
UPCOMING SHUTTLE MISSIONS........................................51
PREVIOUS SHUTTLE FLIGHTS.........................................52
RELEASE: 92-211
WORLD-WIDE MATERIALS, LIFE SCIENCE STUDIES HIGHLIGHT STS-42
Space Shuttle mission STS-42, the 45th Shuttle flight, will be
a world-wide research effort in the behavior of materials and life in
weightlessness.
Scientists from NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian
Space Agency, the French National Center for Space Studies, the German
Space Agency and the National Space Development Agency of Japan have
cooperated in planning experiments aboard the International
Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1) in Discovery's cargo bay. More than
200 scientists from 16 countries will participate in the
investigations.
STS-42 will be the 15th flight of Discovery. Commanding the
mission will Ron Grabe, Col., USAF. Steve Oswald will serve as pilot.
Mission specialists will include Dr. Norm Thagard, M.D.; Dave Hilmers,
Lt. Col., USMC; and Bill Readdy. In addition, Dr. Roberta Bondar, M.D.
and Ph.D., of the Canadian Space Agency and Ulf Merbold of the European
Space Agency will serve as payload specialists.
Discovery is currently planned for a 8:54 a.m. EST, Jan. 22,
1992, launch. With an as-planned launch, landing will be at 10:06 a.m.
EST, Jan. 29, 1992, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Along with the IML-1 module, 12 Get Away Special containers will
be mounted in Discovery's cargo bay containing experiments ranging from
materials processing work to investigations into the development of
animal life in weightlessness.
Also aboard Discovery will be the IMAX camera, a large format
camera flown on several Shuttle missions as a joint project by NASA,
the National Air and Space Museum and the IMAX Film Corporation. On
Discovery's lower deck, the Investigations into Polymer Membrane
Processing will investigate possible advances in filtering technologies
in microgravity, and the Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III will record
radiation levels in the crew cabin.
Two experiments developed by students and submitted to NASA under
the Space Shuttle Student Involvement Program will fly on Discovery as
well. Convection in Zero Gravity, conceived by Scott Thomas while
attending Richland High School in Johnstown, Pa., will make a second
Shuttle flight to investigate the effects of heat on fluid surface
tension in weightlessness. The Zero-G Capillary Rise of Liquid Through
Granular Porous Media, conceived by Constantine Costes while he
attended the Randolph School in Huntsville, Ala., will investigate how
a fluid flows through granular substances in weightlessness.
STS-42 will be the first of eight Space Shuttle flights planned
during 1992, five of which will feature international participation.
MEDIA SERVICES
NASA Select Television Transmissions
NASA Select television is available on Satcom F-2R, Transponder
13, located at 72 degrees west longitude; frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio
6.8 MHz.
The schedule for television transmissions from the Space
Shuttle orbiter and for change-of-shift briefings from Johnson Space
Center, Houston, will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space
Center, Fla; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Johnson
Space Center; and NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The television
schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission
operations.
Television schedules also may be obtained by calling the Johnson
TV schedule bulletin board, 713/483-5817. The bulletin board is a
computer data base service requiring the use of a telephone modem. A
voice update of the television schedule may be obtained by dialing
202/755-1788. This service is updated daily at noon ET.
Status Reports
Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit
activities and landing operations will be produced by the appropriate
NASA news center.
Briefings
A mission briefing schedule will be issued prior to launch.
During the mission, change-of-shift briefings by the off-going flight
director will occur at least once a day. The updated NASA Select
television schedule will indicate when mission briefings are planned to
occur.
STS-42 QUICK LOOK
Launch Date: Jan. 22, 1991
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 39A
Launch Window: 8:54 a.m. - 11:24 a.m. EST
Orbiter: Discovery (OV-103)
Orbit: 163 x 163 nautical miles, 57 degrees
inclination
Landing Date/Time: 10:06 a.m. EST, Jan. 29, 1991
Primary Landing Site: Edwards AFB, Calif.
Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Transoceanic Abort Landing - Zaragoza, Spain
Alternates - Moron, Spain; Ben Guerir, Morocco
Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Crew: Ronald J. Grabe, Commander (Blue Team)
Stephen S. Oswald, Pilot (Blue Team)
Norman E. Thagard, Mission Specialist 1 (Blue Team)
William F. Readdy, Mission Specialist 2 (Red Team)
David C. Hilmers, Mission Specialist 3 (Red Team)
Roberta L. Bondar, Payload Specialist 1 (Blue Team)
Ulf D. Merbold, Payload Specialist 2 (Red Team)
Cargo Bay: IML-1 (International Microgravity Lab-1)
GAS Bridge (Get-Away Special Bridge)
Middeck: GOSAMR-1 (Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity
Research)
IPMP (Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing)
RME-III (Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III)
SE-81-09 (Student Exp., Convection in Zero Gravity)
SE-82-03 (Student Exp., Capillary Rise of Liquid
Through Granular Porous Media)
STS-42 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
___________________________________________________________
RELATIVE
EVENT MET VELOCITY MACH ALTITUDE
(d:h:m:s) (fps) (ft)
___________________________________________________________
Launch 00/00:00:00
Begin Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:10 182 .16 771
End Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:18 389 .35 3,164
SSME Throttle to 70% 00/00:00:30 699 .63 8,963
SSME Throttle to 104% 00/00:01:01 1,408 1.38 36,655
Max. Dyn. Pressure (Max Q) 00/00:01:03 1,471 1.46 38,862
SRB Staging 00/00:02:06 4,195 3.80 155,520
Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) 00/00:08:34 25,000 21.62 376,591
Zero Thrust 00/00:08:40 25,000 N/A 376,909
ET Separation 00/00:08:52
OMS-2 Burn 00/00:36:12
Landing 07/01:12:00
Apogee, Perigee at MECO: 160 x 17 nautical miles
Apogee, Perigee post-OMS 2: 163 x 163 nautical miles
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES
Day One Ascent
Post-insertion
Unstow cabin
Spacelab activation
Transfer science specimens to Spacelab
Begin IML-1 experiment operations
Days Two-Six IML-1 experiment operations
Day Seven Conclude experiment operations
Spacelab deactivation
Cabin stow
Deorbit burn
Landing at Edwards AFB
SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES
Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and
intact recovery of the flight crew, orbiter and its payload. Abort
modes include:
* Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust
late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105-nautical mile orbit with
orbital maneuvering system engines.
* Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with
the capability to allow one orbit around before landing at either
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; or White Sands Space Harbor (Northrup
Strip), N.M.
* Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main
engines midway through powered flight would force a landing at either
Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; or Ben Guerir, Morocco.
* Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more
engines without enough energy to reach Zaragoza would result in a pitch
around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding distance of the
SLF.
STS-42 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, Kennedy Space
Center, White Sands, Zaragoza, Moron and Ben Guerir.
STS-42 VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS
Pounds
Orbiter (Discovery) empty and 3 SSMEs 173,044
International Microgravity Lab-1/ Support Equipment 23,201
Get-Away Special Bridge Assembly 5,185
Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research-1 70
Investigations of Polymer Membrane Processing 17
Radiation Monitoring Experiment-III 7
Student Experiments 113
DSOs/DTOs 212
Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,509,166
Orbiter Landing Weight 217,251
(STS-42 CARGO CONFIGURATION ART)
(IML-1 STARBOARD SIDE CONFIGURATION ART)
(IML-1 PORT SIDE CONFIGURATION ART)
(GET AWAY SPECIAL CONTAINER CONCEPT ART)
STS-42 PREFLIGHT PROCESSING
Flight preparations on Discovery for the STS-42 mission
began Sept. 27 following its last mission, STS-48, which ended with a
landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The orbiter spent about 10 weeks in the Orbiter Processing
Facility (OPF) bay 3 undergoing checkout and inspections to prepare it
for its 14th flight, including the installation of the International
Microgravity Laboratory which is the primary payload for mission
STS-42.
Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are engine
2026 in the no.1 position, engine 2022 in the no. 2 position, and
engine 2027 in the no. 3 position. These engines were installed on
October 24-25.
Technicians installed the International Microgravity Laboratory
payload into Discovery's payload bay on Nov. 17, while the vehicle was
in the OPF. The payload was closed out for flight in the OPF on Dec.
9.
The Crew Equipment Interface Test with the STS-42 flight crew
was conducted in the OPF on Dec. 4. The crew became familiar with the
configuration of the orbiter, the IML payload and unique equipment for
mission STS-42.
Booster stacking operations on mobile launcher platform 3 began
Oct. 1, and were completed by Oct. 21. The external tank was mated to
the boosters on Nov. 4 and the orbiter Discovery was transferred to the
Vehicle Assembly Building on Dec. 12, where it was mated to the
external tank and solid rocket boosters.
The STS-42 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A on Dec. 19.
A dress rehearsal launch countdown with the flight crew members was
scheduled for Jan. 6-7 at KSC.
A standard 43-hour launch countdown was scheduled to begin 3
days prior to launch. During the countdown, the orbiter's onboard fuel
and oxidizer storage tanks will be loaded and all orbiter systems will
be prepared for flight.
About 9 hours before launch the external tank will be filled with
its flight load of a half a million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen propellants. About 2 and one-half hours before liftoff, the
flight crew will begin taking their assigned seats in the crew cabin.
Landing is planned at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., because of
the heavier weight of the vehicle returning with the IML tucked inside
its payload bay. KSC's landing convoy teams will be on station to safe
the vehicle on the runway and prepare it for the cross-country ferry
flight back to Florida. Five days are planned at Dryden Flight
Research Facility and a 2-day ferry flight is scheduled.
Once back in Florida, Discovery will be taken out of flight status
for the next 8 and a half months while undergoing major modifications,
upgrades and required inspections. The shuttle processing team will
perform this work on Discovery in the OPF. Discovery's 15th space
flight is planned in the fall on Mission STS-53, a Department of
Defense flight.
IML-1 SCIENCE OPERATIONS
IML-1 science operations will be a cooperative effort between
the Discovery's crew in orbit and mission management, scientists and
engineers in a control facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Though the crew and the ground-based controllers and science teams will
be separated by many miles, they will interact with one another in much
the same way as they would if working side by side.
This degree of interaction is made possible by the ready
availability of digital data, video and voice communications between
the Shuttle and the Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility at
Marshall. With these links, controllers and experiment scientists can
talk to the orbiting Spacelab crew, visually monitor crew and
experiment activities, receive data from the experiments and send
commands directly to Spacelab to make adjustments to experiment
hardware, parameters or protocols.
The result is a highly effective level of teamwork in sharing
information about experiments, monitoring and evaluating data, solving
problems which may arise during the mission and revising experiment
plans to take advantage of unexpected research opportunities.
Many IML-1 experiments require a very smooth ride through space
so that their delicate operations will not be disturbed. Therefore,
when the Space Shuttle Discovery achieves its orbit of approximately
184 statute miles, it will be placed into a "gravity-gradient
stabilized" attitude with its tail pointed toward Earth. This allows
the orbiter's position to be maintained primarily by natural forces and
reduces the need for frequent orbiter thruster firings which would
disturb sensitive experiments.
To complete as many experiments as possible, the crew will work
in 12-hour shifts around the clock. The first hours of the mission
will be especially busy. The payload crew will begin the mission by
setting up equipment and turning on equipment facilities. Because the
Spacelab module is placed in the Shuttle's cargo bay weeks before
launch, critical biological and materials samples, which degrade
quickly, will be loaded into crew-cabin lockers a few hours before
liftoff. Orbiter and payload crew members will transfer these samples
to experiment facilities in the laboratory before science operations
are begun.
During the first days of the mission, the payload crew will
activate critical biological and material experiments and set up those
involving plants, cells and crystals. Much of the crew time throughout
the mission will be devoted to experiments which measure how their own
bodies adapt to living in space. In the middle of the mission,
processing research will be continued and experiments which require
precisely timed activities will be carried out. Experiments also will
continue with plants, cells and other biological specimens. The crew
will check investigations periodically, make adjustments needed to
enhance results and when necessary, replace specimens or preserve them
for ground- based analysis. The payload crew aboard Spacelab will use
both voice and video links to consult with scientists on the ground
during critical operations and to modify experiments as required.
The last days will be spent completing investigations. The
crew will repeat some experiments performed earlier in the mission to
measure how their bodies have adapted to space over the course of the
flight. On the final day, they will turn off the equipment, store
samples and specimens and prepare the laboratory for landing.
Complete analysis of all the data acquired during the mission
may take from a few months to several years. Results will be shared
with the worldwide scientific community through normal publication
channels.
IML-1 LIFE SCIENCES EXPERIMENTS
BIORACK
Biorack will advance our knowledge of the fundamental behavior
of living organisms. Broadly speaking there are five areas of research
to be addressed by Biorack: cell proliferation and differentiation,
genetics, gravity sensing and membrane behavior. The cells to be
examined will include those of frogs, fruit flies, humans and mice.
Exposure to microgravity will alter the regulatory mechanisms at a
cellular level. The facilities aboard Biorack allow manipulation and
study of large numbers of cells. Over the 7-day mission in space,
these cells can be observed at various stages of their development.
Specimens can be preserved at those stages and returned to Earth for
detailed analysis.
Leukemia Virus Transformed Cells to Microgravity in the Presence of DMSO.
Provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Principal Investigator:
Augusto Cogoli
ETH Institute of Biotechnology
Space Biology Group
Zurich, Switzerland
This is one of three Biorack experiments being flown on the
IML-1 mission as part of an investigation to study cell proliferation
and performance in space. The purpose of this particular experiment is
to study the adaptation of living cells to microgravity.
Previous experiments have shown that blood cells -- both white
blood cells that fight infection and red blood cells that transport
oxygen throughout the body -- are sensitive to gravity. On Earth,
cells that normally would differentiate to become blood cells are
sometimes transformed by the leukemia virus and become cancerous Friend
leukemia cells.
Such cells do not produce hemoglobin, which plays an essential
role in oxygen transport. But when exposed to a drug called
dimethylsufoxide (DMSO), Friend cells produce hemoglobin. By studying
these cells in microgravity, scientists may determine how the gene
responsible for hemoglobin synthesis is regulated.
Proliferation and Performance of Hybridoma Cells in Microgravity (HYBRID).
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Augusto Cogoli
ETH Institute of Biotechnology
Space Biology Group
Zurich, Switzerland
This experiment is one of three Biorack experiments being flown
in the IML-1 mission as part of an investigation to study cell
proliferation and performance in space. The purpose of this experiment
is to study how cell performance (biosynthesis and secretion) is
altered by altered gravity conditions. If cells produce material more
rapidly in space, it may be practical to manufacture some
pharmaceutical products in space.
Hybridoma cells are obtained by fusion of activated white blood
cells (B-lymphocytes) with cancerous tumor cells (melanoma cells).
Activated B-lymphocytes, derived from a human or an animal, carry the
information required to produce antibodies of a certain specificity and
can survive only a few days in culture. Myeloma cells are tumor cells
which can grow indefinitely in culture. Therefore, the product of the
fusion is a continuing cell line capable of producing homogeneous
antibodies (monoclonal antibodies) more rapidly than white blood cells
alone. Growing these cell cultures in microgravity will allow
scientists to compare the amount of their antibody secretions to those
grown on Earth.
Dynamic Cell Culture System (CULTURE). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Augusto Cogoli
ETH Institute of Biotechnology
Space Biology Group
Zurich, Switzerland
This experiment is one of three IML-1 Biorack experiments as
part of an investigation studying cell proliferation and performance in
space. One of the objectives is to assess the potential benefits of
bioprocessing in space with the ultimate goal of developing a
bioreactor for continuous cell cultures in space. This experiment will
test the operation of an automated culture chamber, the Dynamic Cell
Culture System (DCCS), that was designed for use in a bioreactor in
space.
The DCCS is a simple device for cell cultures in which media
are reviewed or chemicals are injected automatically by means of
osmotic pumps. As culture nutrients flow into the cell container, old
medium is forced out. The system is designed to operate automatically
for 2 weeks.
Chondrogenesis in Micromass Cultures of Mouse Limb Mesenchyme Exposed
to Microgravity (CELLS). Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. P. J. Duke
Dental Science Institute
University of Texas, Houston
This investigation studies the effect of microgravity on cartilage
formation by embryonic mouse limb cells in culture. The susceptibility
of cartilage cells to gravitational changes is well documented.
Cartilage impairments found in rodents flown on previous space flights
are similar to those observed in skeletal malformations in children.
Among these are changes in the collagen molecules -- the major support
fibers of cartilage and bone. By studying how gravity affects
cartilage formation, scientists may learn subtle aspects of cartilage
development on Earth.
This experiment also may help clarify how bones heal in space.
Fracture healing involves a cartilage stage prior to formation of
bone. Soviet experience indicates that a bone broken by an astronaut
during a 3-year mission to Mars will not heal properly. Cartilage
formation, which is the subject of this experiment, is part of the
healing process.
Effects of Microgravity and Mechanical Stimulation on the In-Vitro
Mineralization and Resorption of Fetal Mouse Bones (BONES). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Jacobos-Paul Veldhuijzen
ACTA Free University
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Astronauts experience a loss of minerals from their bones during
exposure to the microgravity of space. If calcium loss continues
indefinitely during space flight, the likelihood that crew members will
break these weakened bones increases the longer a mission lasts.
Significant calcium loss also affects a person's ability to function in
Earth's gravity after a mission. Before long spaceflights can be
planned, the effects of microgravity on bone growth, maintenance and
repair must be understood.
In this experiment, scientists will study the response to
microgravity of embryonic mouse leg bones. Scientists postulate that
the uncompressed cultures grown outside the centrifuge (under
microgravity conditions) should respond like bones that are unstressed
in a weightless environment. To test this hypothesis, both the
microscopic structure and the biochemical make-up of the cultures are
analyzed to determine their mineralization and resorption rates.
Why Microgravity Might Interfere With Amphibian Egg Fertilization and
the Role of Gravity in Determination of the Dorsal/Ventral Axis in
Developing Amphibian Embryos (EGGS). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Geertje A. Ubbels
Hubrecht Laboratory
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Scientists are not sure what role gravity plays in the earliest
stages of embryonic development that determine the future front and
back sides of the body. This experiment may help scientists clarify
the role of gravity by studying fertilization of eggs and embryo
formation of frogs in space.
Before fertilization, each frog egg is positioned inside a
sticky membrane that holds the parts of the egg random with respect to
gravity. After the egg is fertilized, gravity aligns the lightest part
of the egg (the part with the least yolk) up and the heaviest part of
the egg (with the most yolk) down.
In normal cases, the spermUs point of entry will become the
front side of the embryo. However, if gravity disturbs the yolk
distribution inside the fertilized egg, this may not happen.
Scientists want to confirm that in space the sperm entrance point
always becomes the front side of the embryo.
Eggs of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, will be
fertilized in space, incubated and preserved during various phases of
embryonic development. A similar experiment will be performed on a
centrifuge in the Spacelab that produces the force of normal Earth
gravity. Post-flight, the samples will be compared to see if
fertilization and development proceeded normally.
Effects of Space Environment on the Development of Drosophila
Melanogaster (FLY). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Roberto Marco
Department of Biochemistry UAM
Institute of Biomedical Investigations CSIC
Madrid, Spain
This experiment involves the study of the development of eggs
of the fly Drosophila (fruit fly) exposed to microgravity. It is
presumed that cogenesis, rather than further states of embryonic
development, is sensitive to gravity. This hypothesis will be tested
by collecting eggs layed at specific times in-flight and postflight
from flies exposed to 0-g and 1-g. This portion of the experiment is a
repetition of an earlier experiment flown in Biorack during the D1
Spacelab mission in November 1985. An added feature of the experiment
for the IML-1 mission is to study the effect of microgravity on the
life span of Drosophila male flies. In this way more information will
be gathered on the processes affected by microgravity in complex
organisms.
Genetic and Molecular Dosimetry of HZE Radiation (RADIAT).
Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Gregory A. Nelson
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif.
One of the major features of the space environment is the
presence of cosmic rays or HZE (high energy and charge) particles.
Although they account for only about one percent of the radiation
particles in space, they constitute about half of the total absorbed
radiation dose. The experiment's purpose is to understand the
biological effects of exposure to cosmic rays to protect space
travelers on long missions. Exposure may place astronauts at risk for
certain medical problems, such as cataracts, mutations and cancers.
A microscopic soil nematode (roundworm) will be used to "capture"
mutations caused by cosmic rays, to evaluate whether certain genetic
processes occur normally in space, and to test whether development and
reproduction proceed normally in microgravity for up to three
generations.
The nematode used in this experiment is a small (maximum size
1 mm), transparent, free-living soil organism. Although small, it
possesses most of the major organ systems and tissues found in other
animals, including mammals. The worms are placed in containers with
detectors that record the number of HZE particles and the total
radiation dose. After the mission, the worms are examined for genetic
mutations and development progress.
Dosimetric Mapping Inside Biorack (DOSIMTR).
Provided by German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR)
Principal Investigator:
G. Reitz
Institute for Flight Medicine
Cologne, Germany
The IML-1 experiments are done in an environment with
electromagnetic radiation, charged particles and secondary radiation.
This flux is not constant but changes with spacecraft inclination and
altitude, solar activity and Earth's magnetic field.
The purpose of this experiment is to document the radiation
environment inside the Biorack and to compare the experimental data
with theoretical predictions. It will provide documentation of the
actual nature and distribution of the radiation inside Biorack.
Special emphasis is given to measuring the radiation environment in the
neighborhood of those experiments which might be especially critical to
radiation effects, and so have a way of determining if changes to
samples are caused by radiation or microgravity.
Embryogenesis and Organogenesis of Carausius (MOROSUS).
Provided by DLR.
Principal Investigator:
H. Buecker
Institute for Flight Medicine, DLR
Cologne, Germany
Before humans can live for extended periods of time in space,
the effects of microgravity and long-term exposure to radiation on
living organisms must be known.
This experiment will study the influence of cosmic radiation,
background radiation and/or low gravity on stick insect eggs (Carausius
morosus) at early stages of development. Sandwiched between detectors,
the eggs hit by radiation can be determined precisely. Other detectors
allow scientists to determine the nature, energy and direction of the
incident particles.
Flown previously in Biorack during the D1 Spacelab mission
(November 1985), this experiment has shown that the larvae from all
eggs penetrated by heavy ions under microgravity had shorter life spans
and an unusually high rate of deformities.
Gravity Related Behavior of the Acellular Slime Mold Physarum
Polycephalum (SLIME). Provided by DLR.
Principal Investigator:
Ingrid Block
Institute for Flight Medicine, DLR
Cologne, Germany
Many living things, including people, perform various activities,
such as sleeping, at regular periods. Scientists are not certain
whether these activities are controlled by an internal biological clock
or by external cues such as day and night cycles or gravity. In space,
these cues are absent, and investigators can examine organisms to see
if these functions occur in regular circadian time frames.
Physarum polycephalum, a slime mold that lives on decaying trees
and in soil, has regular contractions and dilations that slowly move
the cell. On Earth, gravity modifies the direction of cell movement.
Any direct effects of microgravity should alter this movement and be
evident as a change in circadian rhythm.
After the mission, IML-1 data will be compared with results from
the Spacelab D1 mission. These results revealed that the frequency of
the contractions was slightly shortened at first but returned to normal
as the slime mold adapted to microgravity.
Microgravitational Effects on Chromosome Behavior (YEAST).
Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Carlo V. Bruschi
Cell and Molecular Biology Division
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif.
Scientists have measured the effects of microgravity and
radiation on DNA and chromosomes in many different organisms. They
have learned that microgravity alters chromosome structure during
mitosis or normal cell division to produce new cells. Changes in DNA
structure caused by radiation are then passed on during meiosis or cell
division by reproductive cells that reduces the number of chromosomes.
In this experiment, the effects of microgravity and radiation
are monitored separately in the same organism by measuring genetic
damage during mitosis and meiosis of common brewer's yeast. By
employing both normal and radiation- sensitive cells, scientists can
monitor frequencies of chromosomal loss, structural deformities and DNA
mutation rates with a resolution impossible in higher organisms.
Because yeast chromosomes are small, sensitive measurements can be made
that can be extrapolated to higher organisms, including humans.
Post-flight genetic studies of cells incubated in space will
examine chromosome abnormalities, preference for sexual versus asexual
reproduction and viability of gametes.
Growth and Sporulation in Bacillus Subtilis Under Microgravity (SPORES).
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Horst-Dieter Menningmann
Institute of Microbiology, University of Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Cell differentiation -- the way that cells with different
functions are produced -- normally does not occur in simple organisms
like bacteria. However, some bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, wrap
up part of their cellular content into special structures called
spores. Sporulation, resulting from the distribution of a particular
enzyme, is considered to represent a very simple type of
differentiation.
This experiment is aimed at measuring growth and sporulation
of Bacillus subtilis bacteria under microgravity conditions. The
influence of microgravity on enzyme distribution and the way the enzyme
acts in the absence of gravity are studied by examining the structure
and biochemistry of the spores after the mission.
Studies on Penetration of Antibiotics in Bacterial Cells in
Space Conditions (ANTIBIO). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Rene Tixador
National Institute of Health and Medical Research
Toulouse, France
In space, bacteria may be more resistant to antibiotics because
the structure of their cell walls may be thicker in microgravity. This
wall is a barrier between the drug and target molecules in the cell,
and a thicker wall could be more effective in preventing antibiotics
from destroying bacteria. The increased resistance of bacteria to
antibiotics, together with their increased proliferation, is of prime
importance for the future of very long duration space flight.
This experiment will study the effects of antibiotics in bacterial
cells cultivated "in vitro" in space conditions. Proliferation rates
of bacteria exposed to antibiotics will then be compared to those that
were not exposed and to sets of bacteria grown on the ground.
Transmission of the Gravity Stimulus in Statocyte of the
Lentil Root (ROOTS). Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Gerald Perbal
Laboratory of Cytology, Pierre et Marie Currie University
Paris, France
The purpose of this experiment is to study the growth of lentil
seedlings to gain understanding of that organism's mechanism of gravity
perception. On Earth, the roots of most plants can clearly perceive
gravity since they grow downward. In space, under microgravity
conditions, previous results from the D1 mission on Spacelab (November
1985) have shown that roots loose their ability to orient themselves.
Exposed to 1 g, the roots reorient themselves in the direction of the
simulated gravity.
The experiment flown on IML-1 is aimed at determining the
minimum amount of simulated 1-g exposure required for the plants to
regain gravity sensitivity and reorient roots.
Genotype Control of Graviresponse, Cell Polarity and Morphological
Development of Arabidopsis Thaliana in Microgravity (SHOOTS).
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigators:
Edmund Maher
Open University of Scotland
Edinburgh, Scotland
Greg Briarty
University of Nottingham
Nottingham, England
It is of high interest to determine what might be the long-term
effects of microgravity on the growth of plants. The aim of this
two-part experiment will be to quantify the structural and behavioral
changes taking place in germinating seeds of the small plant
Arabidopsis thaliana. One strain of this species, the wild type, is
gravitropic. Its roots grow down and its shoots grow up. Another
strain, aux-1, is an agravitropic mutant. Its roots and shoots grow in
any direction.
One experiment will examine the differences in root and shoot
development and orientation between these two strains. The other
experiment will investigate the effects of growth in microgravity on
the polarity of the cells containing gravity sensors (statocytes). It
also will investigate its influence on the structure, orientation and
distribution of their amyloplasts.
Effects of Microgravity Environment on Cell Wall Regeneration,
Cell Divisions, Growth and Differentiation of Plants From Protoplasts (PROTO).
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Ole Rasmussen
Institute of Molecular Biology and Plant Physiology,
University of Aarhus
Aarhus, Denmark
An essential basis for prospective biological experiments in
space and for man's stay in space is the existence of a profound and
exact knowledge of how growth and development of living cells proceed
under microgravity. Only in a few cases is the influence of gravity on
living cells known.
It is the aim of this study to provide basic knowledge on the
development of plant cells under microgravity conditions. This
knowledge is essential if plants are to be cultured in space to produce
food, enzymes, hormones and other products.
For this experiment, plant cells from carrots (Daucus carota)
and a fodder plant, rape (Brassica napus) are prepared to make them
into protoplasts, plant cells in which the cell walls have been
removed. During the mission, a culture of protoplasts from each
gravity environment is analyzed to determine whether the cell walls are
reforming and whether the cells are dividing. They are later compared
to plants grown from protoplasts that developed on the ground.
GRAVITATIONAL PLANT PHYSIOLOGY FACILITY EXPERIMENTS
Gravitational Plant Physiology Facility
NASA Ames Research Center
Mountain View, Calif.
The Gravitational Plant Physiology Facility (GPPF), which houses
the two IML-1 plant experiments, was designed and built in 1984 by the
University of Pennsylvania. All hardware testing and payload
implementation were provided by NASA Ames Research Center. The GPPF
includes four centrifuges, lights, three videotape recorders and plant-
holding compartments described below.
The control unit serves both experiments and contains a
microprocessor that controls the operation of the rotors (centrifuges),
cameras, recording and stimulus chamber (REST) and videotape
recorders.
Two culture rotors operate independently at the force of gravity
(1g) to simulate Earth's gravitational field. Two variable-speed test
rotors provide accurately controlled centripetal forces from 0g to 1g.
Seedlings in plant cubes are placed in the rotors.
The REST provides the capability for time-lapse infrared video
recording of plant positions in four FOTRAN cubes, both before and
after exposure to blue light.
The Mesocotyl Suppression Box (MSB) is located in the upper left
of the GPPF double rack. It is used only for oat seedlings in the
Gravity Threshold experiment. The MSB exposes the seedlings to red
light, which suppresses the growth of the plant mesocotyl and makes
them grow straight.
The Plant Carry-on Container will hold 36 cubes, cushioned
in foam for launch, plus soil trays for in-flight plantings.
Gravity Threshold (GTHRES)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Allan H. Brown
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
This experiment investigates the changes that occur when oat
plants are exposed to different levels and durations of gravity. It
studies how a growing plant responds to altered gravitational fields
and how microgravity affects a plant's structure.
Four centrifuges in the Gravitational Plant Physiology Facility
are used to determine the sensitivity and threshold of the
gravity-detecting mechanism of oat plants. Seedlings used early in the
experiment germinate on the ground. For specimens used later in the
mission, a crew member plants seeds in soil supplied with the right
amount of water, and germination occurs in space.
Once in flight, some of the plants, in light-tight plant cubes,
are transferred to one of two centrifuges that produce a force
equivalent to the force of normal Earth gravity (1g). These plants
continue to develop normally under the 1g force until they are ready to
be used in the experiment. Others are maintained in microgravity until
ready to be used in the experiment.
The plant cubes then are placed on either of two other centrifuges
to expose them to various combinations of acceleration durations. This
allows scientists to study gravitational forces from 0.1g to 1g without
interference from the constant 1g force present on Earth.
Plant images are recorded by two time-lapse video cameras using
infrared radiation. The video, plant samples and other data are stored
for post-flight analyses. Some plants will be fixed, or preserved,
during the mission for comparison with seedlings grown on the ground.
Response to Light Stimulation: Phototropic Transients (FOTRAN).
Principal Investigator:
Dr. David G. Heathcote
University City Science Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
This experiment investigates how plants respond to light
(phototropism) in microgravity and the impact of microgravity on two
other types of plant behavior. The first, nutation, is the rhythmic
curving movement of plants caused by irregular growth rates of plant
parts. The second, autotropism, is the straightening often observed in
plants that were curved during tropic or nutational movements. These
growth patterns occur naturally on Earth. Scientists want to learn
details of how the movements change in microgravity.
The experiment uses wheat seedlings planted both before and
during the mission. When they have reached the appropriate size, the
seedlings are exposed to a pulse of blue light. Ground studies have
shown blue light to be an effective way to evoke a phototropic
response. Different groups of seedlings receive different durations of
exposure to light.
The seedlings' responses are monitored by an infrared-sensitive,
time-lapse video camera and recorded for later analysis. Some samples
are preserved chemically for study after the mission ends. Gas samples
are taken from the plant cubes for post-flight analysis of the
environmental conditions during the plants' growth.
MICROGRAVITY VESTIBULAR INVESTIGATIONS
Twenty investigators representing major universities and research
facilities from five countries have joined forces to better examine the
effects of spaceflight on the human orientation system with the
Microgravity Vestibular Investigations (MVI).
The vestibular system, using the stimulus of gravity and
motion-detecting organs in the inner ear, provides input to the brain
for orientation. When environmental conditions change so the body
receives new stimuli, the nervous system responds by interpreting the
sensory information. In the absence of gravity, however, input from
the sensors is changed, prompting the nervous system to develop a new
interpretation of the stimuli.
MVI, led by Dr. Millard F. Reschke, senior scientist at the
Johnson Space Center, examines the effects of microgravity on the
vestibular system. By provoking interactions among the vestibular,
visual and proprioceptive systems and measuring the perceptual and
sensorimotor reactions, scientists can study the changes that are
integral for the adaptive process.
For the investigations, STS-42 crew members will be placed in
a rotating chair with a helmet assembly outfitted with accelerometers
to measure head movements and visors that fit over each eye
independently to provide visual stimuli. The chair can be configured
so that the subject can be sitting upright, lying on his side or lying
on his back. The chair system has three movement patterns:
"sinusoidal" or travelling predictably back and forth over the same
distance at a constant speed, "pseudorandom" or moving back and forth
over the varying distances and "stepped" or varying speeds and
beginning and stopping suddenly.
The test sequences will study the effect of microgravity on
six physiological responses, including the eye's ability to track an
object, the perception of rotation during and after spinning, function
of the motion and gravity sensing organs in the inner ear, the
interaction between visual cues and vestibular responses and sensory
perception. Crew members will be tested both pre- and post-flight to
establish a comparison for the in-flight measurements.
Results from the MVI experiments will aid in designing appropriate
measures to counteract neurosensory and motion sickness problems on
future spaceflights.
MENTAL WORKLOAD AND PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENT
The Mental Workload and Performance Experiment will study the
influences of microgravity on crew members performing tasks with a
computer workstation.
The STS-42 crew will use a redesigned workstation with an
adjustable surface for their daily planning sessions and record
keeping. Cameras will record the crew's range of motion and variety of
positions while at the workstation. During tests of mental function,
reaction times and physiological responses, crew members will evaluate
a portable microcomputer. The microcomputer with its display monitor
and keyboard is attached to a Spacelab handrail and positioned in the
most convenient location. The crew member will memorize a sequence of
characters, then move the cursor to the target with keyboard cursor
keys, a two-axis joystick and a track ball. The crew will perform the
activities several times before and after the mission to provide a
comparison for the in-flight experiments.
CANADA'S PARTICIPATION IN IML-1
Canadian astronauts Drs. Roberta Bondar and Ken Money are the
Canadian prime and alternate payload specialists, respectively, for the
first International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) mission.
The Canadian Space Physiology Experiments (SPE) on IML-1 will
investigate human adaptation to weightlessness and other phenomena.
The human vestibular and proprioceptive (sense of body position)
systems, energy expenditure, cardiovascular adaptation, nystagmus
(oscillating eye movement) and back pain in astronauts will be
studied.
SPACE PHYSIOLOGY EXPERIMENTS
Space Adaptation Syndrome Experiments (SASE)
Principal Investigator:
Douglas G. D. Watt, Ph.D.
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec
Many astronauts experience space adaptation syndrome, which
may include illusions, loss of knowledge of limb position, nausea and
vomiting. These symptoms may occur because of conflicting messages
about body position and movement which the brain receives from the
eyes, the balance organs of the inner ear and gravity sensing receptors
in the muscles, tendons, and joints. Seven investigations to study the
nervous system's adaptation to microgravity have been developed.
Sled Experiment
This investigation measures changes in the gravity sensing part
of the inner ear, the otolith organ. Normally, this organ provides a
sense of up and down and helps us stand upright by means of reflexes
leading to muscles in the body. In microgravity, the otolith organ
produces modified signals and the nervous system must either learn to
reinterpret this information or ignore it entirely.
Subjects are strapped into a seat on a device known as the
mini-sled. The seat glides gently back and forth, providing a stimulus
to the otolith organ. Audio and visual stimuli are eliminated, and
small electric impulses are applied to the subject's leg with an
electrode. Responses to these impulses are measured.
The stimulus to the inner ear affects the response to the
electric impulses. Measurements of the modulations of the responses
are gathered to determine whether the nervous system learns to
reinterpret the different signals or learns to ignore them.
Rotation Experiment
The semicircular canals are the rotation-sensing part of the
inner ear and provide the nervous system with information used to
stabilize gaze and vision despite rapid or random head movements. In
microgravity, this vestibulo-ocular reflex may be less effective due to
the interaction between the semicircular canals and the otolith organ.
Head and eye movements are recorded as the subject sits strapped
onto the stationary mini-sled. Two tests are conducted involving the
subject's ability to keep closed eyes fixed on a predetermined target
while either rotating the head or moving it up and down. A third test
requires subjects to shift their gaze to a series of targets projected
onto a screen. This studies coordination between eye and head
movements.
Visual Stimulator Experiment
This investigation measures the relative importance of visual
and balance organ information in determining body orientation. In
space, exposure to a rotating visual field results in a sensation of
self-rotation known as "circularvection." On Earth, the otolith organ
acts to limit this sensation.
The subject stares into an umbrella-shaped device with a pattern
of colored dots while strapped onto a stationary mini-sled. The visual
stimulator turns in either direction at three different speeds. The
subject's self-perceived body motion is tracked. The greater the false
sense of circularvection, the more the subject is relying on visual
information instead of otolith information.
Proprioceptive Experiments
These four experiments will investigate the effect of microgravity
on the proprioceptive system which provides the sense of position and
movement of the body and the limbs. A variety of receptors located in
the muscles, tendons and joints contribute information.
Previous spaceflights suggest that crew members experience a
decreased knowledge of limb position and while berforming certain
movements, experience illusions such as the floor moving up and down.
It also has been shown that the vertebrae in the spine spread apart,
possibly leading to partial nerve block. Closer investigations of
these phenomena form the basis of these experiments.
Two of the proprioceptive experiments involve measuring
knowledge of limb position and determining the ability to point at a
target in weightlessness. Subjects are blindfolded in both
experiments. A third experiment investigates how visual and tactile
stimuli may affect illusions, while the fourth experiment measures
tactile sensitivity in a finger and a toe to determine if any sensory
nerve block develops during spaceflight.
Energy Expenditure in Spaceflight (EES)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Howard G. Parsons
University of Calgary
Alberta
It is necessary to have accurate information on the amount of
energy expended in spaceflight to design proper fitness and nutrition
programs for astronauts. A new technique has been developed which
requires analysis of urine samples taken during the test period and
measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the body.
Energy expenditure then can be calculated and changes in body
composition such as fat content and muscle mass can be estimated.
Subjects drink water enriched with stable, non-radioactive
isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen both at the start of the mission and
immediately post-flight. The isotopes can be traced in the urine and
then measured to determine energy expenditure. Amount of body water
and therefore body composition is calculated by dilution of the stable
oxygen isotope.
Position and Spontaneous Nystagmus (PSN)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Joseph A. McClure
London Ear Clinic
London, Ontario
Nystagmus is the normal oscillatory scanning motion of the eye.
The vestibular system of the inner ear is closely related to
nystagmus. When the inner ear is dysfunctional, it no longer gives the
right signals to the eye, resulting in a different type of eye movement
which could be accompanied by dizziness and blurred vision. Analysis
of the nystagmus is a powerful tool in diagnosing problems of the inner
ear.
Two types of nystagmus will be investigated: spontaneous,
where the eye oscillates at the same rate regardless of head position,
and positional, where the oscillation varies according to head
position. The goal is to determine whether it is possible for both
types to occur simultaneously in the same individual. The ultimate aim
is to improve detection and treatment of inner ear disorders.
Gravity is the determining factor in positional nystagmus.
Eye movement is measured in microgravity. If a subject who has
positional nystagmus on Earth shows no sign of it in space, it proves
the two types of nystagmus are superimposed on one another. This
information will improve diagnosis of inner ear disorders on Earth.
Measurement of Venous Compliance & Evaluation of an
Experimental Anti-Gravity Suit (MVC)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Robert B. Thirsk
Canadian Space Agency
Ottawa, Ontario
A loss of blood volume and other body fluids during spaceflight
has been suggested as the primary cause of the lowering of the
cardiovascular system's ability to withstand Earth's gravitational
force field. Unprotected astronauts may feel tired and dizzy, lose
peripheral vision or faint upon returning to Earth. Drinking salt
solutions and wearing anti-gravity suits which are inflated during
re-entry through the atmosphere have been shown to combat this
after-effect of spaceflight.
One feature of this experiment will measure the venous compliance
(tone of the veins) before, during and after the mission. Being able
to determine how veins adapt to microgravity will be useful to
engineers who design anti- gravity suits. Veins in the lower leg are
measured using an electronic monitor and two large blood pressure cuffs
that encircle the thigh and calf, altering the pressure by inflating
the cuffs. Ensuing changes in blood volume in the veins are
determined.
The evaluation of an experimental anti-gravity suit is another
goal of this experiment. The suit employs 11 pressurized sections and
is able to apply pressure to the legs and lower abdomen in may
different ways. Effectiveness of the suit will be determined and
compared to a conventional anti-gravity suit and to wearing no suit at
all. Blood pressure and blood flow readings, and subjective
impressions of the astronauts, will contribute to the results.
Assessment of Back Pain in Astronauts (BPA)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Peter C. Wing
University of British Columbia, University Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia
In microgravity, the spine elongates by as much as 2.76 inches
due to the vertebrae in the back spreading slightly apart. This
elongation causes painful tension and possibly affects tactile acuity.
More than two thirds of astronauts and cosmonauts have experienced back
pain during space flight. The aim of this experiment is to develop
techniques to alleviate this condition by studying its causes.
Subjects will daily record the precise location and intensity
of any back pain. Stereo photographs of the astronauts' backs will be
taken to record physical changes in shape and mobility during
spaceflight. Immediately after the mission, back examinations and more
stereo photographs will be used to obtain precise knowledge of changes
in spinal dimension and shape. Earthbound spinoffs are expected as a
result of the increased understanding of back pain.
Phase Partitioning Experiment (PPE)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Donald E. Brooks
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.
Phase partitioning is a process used to separate different
kinds of molecules and cells out of complex mixtures of substances. It
involves using two polymer solutions dissolved in water. These
solutions separate from each other (like oil separates from water) and
particles in the mixture will attach to one or the other of the
solutions and separate with them. The solution then is poured off to
gather the attached particles. The objective is to increase the purity
of the separated cells. On Earth, gravity induces fluid flow and
inhibits effective separation and purification.
The experiment involves shaking a container including a number
of chambers with different solutions. The container will be observed
and photographed as phase partitioning occurs. The effects of applying
an electric field on the process are observable in microgravity and
also will be studied.
Phase partitioning is used to separate biological materials
such as bone marrow cells for cancer treatment. It is of interest to
medical researchers as it applies to separation and purification of
cells for use in transplants and treatment of disease.
Biostack Provided by DLR
Principal Investigator:
Dr. H. Buecker
Institute for Flight Medicine, DLR
Cologne, Germany
Four Biostack packages, located in a Spacelab rack under the
module floor, will gather data to be used in calculating potential
effects of exposure to cosmic radiation in space. The packages contain
single layers of bacteria and fungus spores, thale cress seeds and
shrimp eggs sandwiched between sheets of nuclear emulsion and plastic
radiation detectors. Scientists will analyze the resulting data to
track the path an energized particle takes through Biostack and then
determine the level of radiation damage to the organisms. Findings
from this investigation also will be studied to see if better radiation
protection is needed in certain areas of Spacelab.
Radiation Monitoring Container Device (RMCD).
Provided by National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. S. Nagaoka
National Space Development Agency of Japan
Tokyo, Japan
In the Radiation Monitoring Container Device, mounted in the
aft end of the Spacelab, layers of cosmic ray detectors and bacteria
spores, maize seeds and shrimp eggs are sandwiched together and
enclosed on all sides by gauges that measure radiation doses. After
being exposed to cosmic radiation for the duration of the mission, the
plastic detectors will be chemically treated to reveal the three-
dimensional radiation tracks showing the path the radiation traveled
after entering the container. The specimens will be examined by
biological and biochemical methods to determine the effects of
radiation on the enclosed organisms. The results of this investigation
will be used in developing a sensitive solid-state nuclear detector for
future spaceflights and to improve basic understanding of radiation
biology.
IML-1 MATERIALS SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS
Protein Crystal Growth (PCG). Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Charles E. Bugg
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
The Protein Crystal Growth investigation is made up of 120
individual experiments designed for the low-gravity environment of
space. Located in two refrigerator/incubator modules carried in the
orbiter mid-deck, these experiments operate by the vapor diffusion
method of crystal growth. For each experiment, liquids from a
double-barrelled syringe are released and suspended as droplets on the
ends of the syringes. Water vapor then moves out of the droplets in
each growth chamber and into a reservoir, stimulating growth of the
protein crystal. After the mission, the crystals are returned to the
laboratory where scientists hope to find larger, less-flawed crystals
than those produced on Earth.
CRYOSTAT Provided by German Space Agency (DARA)
The Cryostat provides a temperature-controlled environment
for growing protein crystals by liquid diffusion under two different
thermal conditions. The facility can operate in either the stabilizer
mode with a constant temperature between 59 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit
or the freezer mode where temperatures can be varied from 17.6 to 77
degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are controlled by preprogrammed
commands, but crew members can reprogram the computer if necessary.
When the experiments are started, solutions of a protein, a salt and a
buffer mix via diffusion to initiate crystal growth.
Single Crystal Growth of Beta-Galactosidase and Beta-
Galactosidase/Inhibiter Complex. Provided by DARA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. W. Littke
University of Freiburg
Freiburg, Germany
Beta-galactosidase, an enzyme found in the intestines of human
and animal babies, as well as in E. coli bacteria, aids in the
digestion of milk and milk products. It is a key enzyme in modern
genetics, and scientists want to determine its three-dimensional
molecular makeup to find out how the structure affects its function.
Beta-galactosidase was the first protein crystallized in space using
the Cryostat on Spacelab 1 in 1983. For IML-1, scientists will attempt
to grow higher quality crystals. Cryostat will be used in the freezer
mode, at temperatures ranging from 24.8 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, for
this investigation.
Crystal Growth of the Electrogenic Membrane Protein Bacteriorhodopsin.
Provided by DARA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. G. Wagner
University of Giessen
Plant Biology Institute 1
Giessen, Germany
This experiment uses the Cryostat in the stabilizer mode, with
the temperature being maintained at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The protein
to be crystallized is bacteriorhodopsin, a well-known membrane protein
that converts light energy to voltages in the membranes of certain
primitive microorganisms. Resolution of the three- dimensional
structure, which will help biologists understand how bacteriorhodopsin
works, depends on the availability of large, high quality crystals.
Crystallization of Proteins and Viruses in Microgravity by
Liquid-Liquid Diffusion. Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Alexander McPherson
University of California at Riverside
Riverside, Calif.
One protein, canavalin, and one virus, satellite tobacco mosaic
virus, will be crystallized in this investigation. Three samples of
each substance will be crystallized during the mission. One sample of
each will be placed in the freezer mode with the temperature being
varied from 28.4 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the other sample will be
grown in the stabilizer mode with a temperature of 68 degrees
Fahrenheit. The crystals will be analyzed to determine the potential
benefits of microgravity along with the effects of diverse temperature
conditions. Another objective of this experiment is to compare
crystals grown in the Cryostat using the liquid diffusion method with
those grown in the Protein Crystal Growth hardware using the vapor
diffusion method.
FLUIDS EXPERIMENT SYSTEM (FES)
The Fluids Experiment System is a facility with a sophisticated
optical system for showing how fluids flow during crystal growth. The
optical system includes a laser for producing three-dimensional
holograms of samples and a video camera for recording images of fluid
flows in and around the samples.
Study of Solution Crystal Growth in Low-Gravity (TGS).
Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Ravindra B. Lal
Alabama A & M University
Normal, Ala.
This experiment uses the Fluids Experiment System to grow
crystals from a seed immersed in a solution of triglycine sulfate. The
original seed is a slice from the face of a larger crystal grown on
Earth. In space, it is immersed in a solution of triglycine sulfate,
which is initially heated slightly to remove any surface imperfections
from the seed. As the seed is cooled, dissolved triglycine sulfate
incorporates around the seed, forming new layers of growth. Video is
returned to Earth during the experiment, allowing scientists to monitor
the growth of the crystal and if necessary, instruct the crew to adjust
the temperature. Triglycine sulfate crystals have potential for use as
room- temperature infrared detectors with applications for military
systems, astronomical telescopes, Earth observation cameras and
environmental analysis monitors.
An Optical Study of Grain Formation: Casting and
Solidification Technology (CAST). Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Mary H. McCay
University of Tennessee Space Institute
Tullahoma, Tenn.
Advanced alloys, which are made by combining two or more metals
or a metal and a nonmetal, are essential for such products as jet
engines, nuclear power plant turbines and future spacecraft. As alloys
solidify, the components redistribute themselves through the liquid and
in the solid. To study this solidification process, scientists will
use three experiment samples of a salt (ammonium chloride) which, in
water solution, models the freezing of alloys. The salt solution is
transparent, which makes it ideal for observations of fluid flow and
crystallization. Up to 11 experiments may be run, using the samples
repetitively. Using the sophisticated FES optical equipment,
scientists are able to monitor the experiment from the ground and if
necessary, request that the crew make changes to experiment procedures
during the present or future runs.
MERCURIC IODIDE
Mercuric iodide crystals have practical uses as sensitive
X-ray and gamma-ray detectors. In addition to their exceptional
electronic properties, these crystals can operate at room temperature.
This makes them potentially useful in portable detector devices for
nuclear power plant monitoring, natural resource prospecting,
biomedical applications and astronomical observing. Although mercury
iodide has greater potential than existing detectors, problems in the
growth process cause crystal defects. For instance, the crystal is
fragile and can be deformed by its own weight. Scientists believe the
growth process can be controlled better in a microgravity environment
and that such problems can be reduced or eliminated. Two facilities
will be used to grow mercury iodide crystals during IML-1.
Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS). Provided by NASA.
Vapor Crystal Growth Studies of Single Mercury Iodide Crystals
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Lodewijk van den Berg
EG&G, Inc.
Goleta, Calif.
Before the mission, the principal investigator grows a tiny
seed crystal inside a sealed glass container called an ampoule. The
ampoule is installed in a bell-jar shaped container which will be
placed in the Vapor Crystal Growth System.
In space, heaters are started and the ampoule is warmed to
around 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the ideal growth temperature is
established, mercury iodide source material evaporates and then
condenses on the seed, which is maintained at a temperature around 104
degrees F. The vapor molecules deposit on the seed for approximately
100 hours to produce a larger crystal.
At the end of the experiment, the ampoule is cooled, and
the module is removed and stowed for later analysis. This
experiment builds on results from the Spacelab 3 mission,
where the principal investigator was the payload specialist
who operated it in orbit.
Mercury Idodide Crystal Growth (MICG).
Provided by French National Center for Space Studies (CNES)
Mercury Iodide Nucleations and Crystal Growth in Vapor Phase
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Robert Cadoret
University of Clermont-Ferrand
Aubiere, France
Efforts to grow high-quality mercury iodide crystals on Earth
are hampered by gravity-related convection. This causes an uneven
concentration of mercury iodide on the seed crystal because material
settles only on certain parts of the seed. There are usually defects
where the seed and the new growth meet. In space, investigators hope
to produce larger, nearly flawless crystals.
This IML-1 investigation uses six single-seed crystals placed
in separate containers to grow large crystals under controlled
conditions. The furnace for this experiment will hold three ampoules
simultaneously. One end of each ampoule is heated, while the other end
is kept cooler. The higher temperature at the source-end of each
ampoule will cause mercury iodide to evaporate, then condense on the
seed crystal at the ampoule's cooler end. Any excess source material
will be deposited in a "sink" area behind the growing crystal. The
crystals are cooled for 4 hours before being removed by the payload
specialist. A second experiment run will be performed with the other
three seed crystals if time permits.
ORGANIC CRYSTAL GROWTH FACILITY (OCGF). Provided by NASDA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. A. Kanbayashi
National Space Development Agency of Japan
Tokyo, Japan
The Organic Crystal Growth Facility is designed to grow
high-quality superconductor crystals from a complex organic compound.
Researchers are interested in this compound because it can P- at
certain temperatures P- transfer electric current with no resistance,
just like a metal superconductor. Because of the potential
technological value, scientists want to grow a single crystal 10 times
larger than ground-based ones to study its natural physical
properties. Superconductors are key components of computers,
communication satellites and many other electrical devices.
The facility has one chamber for growing a large crystal and a
small chamber with a window for observing the growth of a smaller
crystal. A seed crystal is mounted on a gold wire in the center
section of each chamber. When the experiment is started, valves are
opened, allowing donor and accepter solutions to diffuse into the
crystal-growth chamber in which a seed crystal is suspended in an
acetone solvent solution. Near the end of the mission, a crew member
raises the crystal into a protective chamber for later analysis.
CRITICAL POINT FACILITY (CPF)
ESA's Critical Point Facility is designed for the optical
study of fluids at their "critical point," where a precise combination
of temperature and pressure makes the vapor and liquid states
indistinguishable. Scientists are interested in what happens to
materials at their critical points because critical point phenomena are
universally common to many different materials. Physically different
systems act very similarly near their critical points. Observations
such as these are hampered on Earth, since as soon as vapor begins to
liquefy and form droplets, gravity pulls the drops down. IML-1 will be
the first Space Shuttle flight for the Critical Point Facility, so
results gained during this mission are expected to provide new insights
on fundamental questions about the basic physics of substances
undergoing phase changes.
Study of Density Distribution in a Near-Critical Simple Fluid.
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Antonius C. Michels
Van der Waals Laboratory
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Planned for a duration of 60 hours, this experiment will use visual
observation, an ultra-sensitive optical measurement technique known as
interferometry and light- scattering techniques to reveal the density
profile distribution in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) above and below the
critical point. This fluid is used because its critical temperature is
near room temperature, avoiding the need for large amounts of power to
heat or cool the fluid.
Heat and Mass Transport in a Pure Fluid in the Vicinity of a Critical Point.
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Daniel Beysens, C.E.N.
Saclay, France
This experiment will focus on mechanisms of heat and mass
transport in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a gas of technological interest
that can be obtained in a very pure form. Here scientists will examine
heat and mass transport when temperature is increased from the
two-phase region to the one-phase region, when it is varied in the
one-phase region and when it is lowered from the one-phase region to
the two-phase region.
Phase Separation of an Off-Critical Binary Mixture.
Provided by ESA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Daniel Beysens, C.E.N.
Saclay, France
During this experiment, scientists will investigate how a fluid
at the critical point separates from a single phase to form two
phases. They are interested in how changes in temperature affect
formation of the two phases. Small-angle light scattering and direct
observation will be used to study phase separation at various
temperatures.
Critical Fluid Thermal Equilibration Experiment.
Provided by NASA.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Allen Wilkinson
NASA Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio
In this experiment the temperature and density changes of sulfur
hexafluoride, a fluid with a critical point just above room temperature
will be measured with a resolution not possible on Earth (at the
critical point gas and liquid become indistinguishable). The cells are
integrated into the ESA Critical Point Facility and will be observed
via interferometry, visualization and transmission under various
conditions.
During the full experiment, accelerometry time correlated with
the video records will identify the compressible fluid dynamics
associated with Space Shuttle acceleration events and provide the
investigators with insight concerning gravity effects on fluids in a
non-vibration isolated Shuttle experiment.
SPACE ACCELERATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
NASA Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio
The Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) is designed
to measure and record low-level acceleration that the Spacelab
experiences during typical on-orbit activities. The three SAMS sensor
heads are mounted on or near experiments to measure the acceleration
environment experienced by the research package. The signals from
these sensors are amplified, filtered and converted to digital data
before being stored on optical disks.
On STS-42, the SAMS main unit is mounted in the Spacelab's
center aisle. The unit contains the data processing electronics, two
optical disk drives and the control panel for crew interaction. A
sensor head is mounted under the floor at the Microgravity Vestibular
Investigation rotating chair which also is located in the Spacelab
center aisle.
SAMS primary support on STS-42 will be for experiments conducted
in the Fluid Experiment Systems rack and the Vapor Crystal Growth
System rack. Typically, crystal growth experiments conducted in these
racks take several days to grow and are sensitive to low-frequency
acceleration. Therefore, it is important to understand how movement
affects the development of the crystal during the growth period. Two
sensor heads are mounted in the Fluid Experiment Systems rack.
Data obtained from SAMS will enable engineers and scientists
to study how vibrations or movements caused by crew members, equipment
or other activities are transferred through the vehicle to the
experiment racks.
The first two SAMS units were flown on the first Spacelab
Life Sciences mission on STS-40 in June 1991 and on the middeck in
STS-43 in August 1991. The flight hardware was designed and developed
in-house by the NASA Lewis Research Center.
GELATION OF SOLS: APPLIED MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH
The Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research (GOSAMR)
is a middeck materials processing experiment flown under the
sponsorship of a Joint Endeavor Agreement between NASA's Office of
Commercial Programs and 3M's Science Research Laboratories, St. Paul,
Minn.
The objective of GOSAMR-01 is to investigate the influence of
microgravity on the processing of gelled sols -- or dispersions of
solid particles in a liquid often referred to as colloids. Stoke's law
predicts that there will be more settling of the denser and
larger-sized particulates in Earth's unit gravity as compared to the
differentiation that should occur in a microgravity environment. In
particular, GOSAMR will attempt to determine whether composite ceramic
precursors composed of large particulates and small colloidal sols can
be produced in space with more structural uniformity and to show that
this improved uniformity will result in finer matrix grain sizes and
superior physical properties.
Researchers believe that microgravity-produced ceramic composite
precursors will have more uniform structures than their ground-based
counterparts. The degree to which this is realized will indicate the
value of developing enhanced processing techniques for ground-based
production of associated products.
The potential commercial impact of GOSAMR applied research on
enhanced ceramic composite materials will be in the areas of abrasives
and fracture-resistant materials. 3M currently sells film coated with
diamond-loaded silica beads for polishing computer disk drive heads and
VCR heads. Zirconia-toughened alumina is a premium perforance abrasive
grit and functions extremely well as a cutting tool for the machining
of metals. The performance of these materials may be enhanced by
improving their structural uniformity through processing in space.
The GOSAMR experiment will attempt to form precursors for
advanced ceramic materials by using chemical gelation. Chemical
gelation involves disrupting the stability of a sol and forming a gel
(semi-solid material). These precursor gels will be returned to 3M,
dried and fired to temperatures ranging from 900 to 2,900 degrees F. to
complete the fabrication of the ceramic composites. These composites
then will be evaluated to determine if processing in space has indeed
resulted in better structural uniformity and superior physical
properties.
On STS-42, 80 samples (5 cc each) will be generated by varying
the particle sizes and loadings, the length of gelation times and the
sol sizes. The chemical components will consist of either colloidal
silica sols doped with diamond particles or colloidal alumina sols
doped with zirconia particulates. Both sols also will be mixed with a
gelling agent of aqueous ammonium acetate.
About a month before launch, the GOSAMR payload is pre-packed into
a middeck stowage locker and surrounded with half an inch of isolator
material. The experiment contains an internal battery source and uses
no power from the Shuttle orbiter. Designed to operate at ambient
cabin temperature and pressure to insure scientific success of the
experiment, the payload must maintain temperatures above 40 degrees F.
and below 120 degrees F. at all times prior to, during or after the
mission.
The GOSAMR container consists of a back cover, five identical
and independent apparatus modules holding 10 mixing systems and a front
cover. The modules and covers comprise a common sealed apparatus
container which provides an outermost level of chemical containment.
The front cover contains two ambient temperature-logging devices, two
purge ports for venting and backfilling the container with inert gas
and the electrical feedthrough between the sealed apparatus and the
control housing. The control housing at the front of the payload
contains power switches for payload activation, indicator lights for
payload status and a test connector used during ground- based
checkout. Once the payload is installed in the locker, the control
housing will be the only portion of the payload accessible to the
flight crew.
Each of GOSAMR-01's five modules has two mixing systems with
eight double syringes (5 cc each) containing one of two chemical
components. Prior to on-orbit activation, the two components (either
colloidal silica sols doped with diamond particles or colloidal alumina
sols doped with zirconia particulates) will be kept isolated from each
other by a seal between the syringe couplers. The coupled syringes in
each assembly will contain a gelling agent (either aqueous ammonium
acetate or nitric acid) in one syringe and one of the two chemical
components in the other.
Once on orbit, a crewmember will sequentially activate the five
power switches on the control housing. When the payload is activated,
a pilot light for each module will illuminate, indicating that mixing
has begun and that the syringe-to-syringe seal has been broken. The
sample mixing process for each system will last about 10 to 20 seconds
and once the mixing cycle is complete, an internal limit switch will
automatically stop each mixing system.
The flight crew will monitor the experiment status by observing
the control-housing indicator lights, which will be illuminated during
the motor-driven mixing of each system. The pilot lights will
extinguish once the mixing is complete, and a crewmember will
deactivate each module. The payload will require no further crew
interaction. However, physical changes in the samples will continue
passively and unattended for a minimum of 24 hours in the microgravity
environment. Total crew interaction will be less than 1 hour, and only
during this period will the locker door be open.
After landing the payload will be removed from the orbiter during
normal destowage operations and returned to 3M within 24 hours where
post-flight processing and analyses will be conducted on space- and
ground-processed samples to ascertain the differences in physical
structure and properties.
The 3M GOSAMR management team includes Dr. Theodore F. Bolles,
Technical Director; Dr. Earl L. Cook, Program Manager; and Dr. Bruce A.
Nerad, Principal Scientist.
GET AWAY SPECIAL EXPERIMENTS
Since its inception in 1982, hundreds of nonprofessional and
professional experimenters have gained access to space through NASA's
Get Away Special (GAS) program. The GAS program, managed by Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., provides individuals and
organizations of all countries the opportunity to send scientific
research and development experiments on board a Space Shuttle for a
nominal fee on a space-available basis. Clarke Prouty is the GAS
Mission Manager and Larry Thomas is Technical Liaison Officer.
The GAS bridge, capable of holding a maximum of 12 canisters
(or cans), fits across the payload bay of the orbiter and offers a
convenient and economical way of flying several canisters
simultaneously. Twelve GAS payloads were originally scheduled to fly
on this mission. However, two GAS payloads dropped out because of
technical difficulties. In their place, two GAS ballast payloads were
adjusted to match the weight of the payload it replaced.
On STS-42 will be GAS payloads from six countries: Australia,
China, Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United
States. This is the first time a payload from China will be carried
aboard a Space Shuttle. GAS payloads most recently flew on STS-40 in
June 1991. To date, 67 GAS cans have flown on 16 missions. The 10 GAS
payloads on STS- 42 are:
(G-086) Brine Shrimp/Air Bubbles in Microgravity
Sponsor: Booker T. Washington Senior High School, Houston, Texas
This payload involves two experiments: the artemia (brine
shrimp) experiment that will attempt to hatch and grow shrimp in
microgravity, and the air/water chamber of the fluid physics
experiment, in which measured amounts of air are injected into a
chamber filled with distilled water resulting in air bubbles of
different sizes. Research indicates the direction and speed of bubble
movements should depend on both bubble size and temperature. The NASA
Technical Manager (NTM) is Tom Dixon.
(G-140) Marangoni Convection in a Floating Zone and (G-143) Glass Fining
Sponsor: German Space Agency (DARA), Bonn, Germany
G-140 and G-143 are Material Science Autonomous Experiments
(MAUS) developed by scientists of the German Aerospace Research
Establishment (DLR)/Gottingen and the Technical University Clausthal.
The MAUS project is managed by the German Space Agency (DARA)
representing Germany for space activities.
In the G-140 experiment, the influence of rotation on the
steady and the oscillatory Marangoni convection induced through surface
tension gradients will be investigated.
Glass fining is the removal of all visible gaseous inhomogeneities
from a glass melt. In G-143, a glass sample with an artificial helium
bubble at its center will be heated to 1300 degrees Celsius and kept at
this temperature for about 2 hours. The glass melts and the helium
dissolves in the melt, causing the bubble to shrink. The NTM is Tom
Dixon.
(G-329) The Effect of Gravity on the Solidification Process of Alloys
Sponsor: Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), Solna, Sweden
The purpose of this experiment is to improve understanding of
the effect of gravity on the solidification process of alloys. The
payload includes three experimental furnaces and an energy buffer,
which protects the payload from excessive temperatures. The NTM is Tom
Dixon.
(G-336) Visual Photometric Experiment (VIPER)
Sponsor: U.S. Air Force, Phillips Laboratory, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
VIPER is designed to measure the visible light reflected by
intergalactic dust. The data from these measurements will be used to
validate and update existing data collected in earlier experiments and
will help provide background measurements of visible light for use in
space surveillance. The NTM is Tom Dixon.
(G-337) Space Thermoacoustic Refrigerator (STAR)
Sponsor: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
This experiment is the first autonomous application of an
entirely new refrigeration cycle which uses sound to pump heat and does
so with only one moving part. Unlike conventional refrigerators which
use compressors and ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the
thermoacoustic refrigerator uses standing sound waves and inert gas to
produce refrigeration.
The experiment is a joint effort of the Physics Department
and Space Systems Academic Group at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School. Financial and material support was supplied by the Naval
Research Laboratory. The NTM is Tom Dixon.
(G-457) Separation of Gas Bubbles From Liquid
Sponsor: The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies, Inc. (SJAC)
In this experiment, modes of bubble movement in liquid under
microgravity conditions will be examined. Gas bubbles will be
separated out of a liquid by artificial gravity. After separation, the
gas is circulated by a pump and injected into liquid again in a mixing
box. The NTM is Herb Foster.
(G-609 & G-610) Endeavor, the Australian Space Telescope
Sponsor: Australian Space Office, Canberra, Australia
The Endeavor payload is an Australian ultraviolet light telescope
designed and built by Auspace Limited for the Australian Space Office.
It will obtain ultraviolet images of violent events in nearby galaxies
of interest to science.
Two interconnected GAS cans will house the components of the
payload. One canister contains the optical elements, a large format
photon counting array detector and a control computer. The other GAS
can contains a flight battery and two tape recorders for recording data
produced by the detector.
(G-614) A Study of Motion of Debris in Microgravity and Investigation
of Mixing of Low Melting Point Materials in Microgravity
Sponsor: American Association for Promotion of Science in China and
the Chinese Society of Astronautics
This payload consists of two experiments. For the first experiment,
small lumps of different materials will be stored in a container which
has a side wall covered with a sheet of adhesive paper. A movie camera
is mounted in the container to photograph the motion of debris upon
their release in the microgravity environment. In the second
experiment, two low melt-point materials will be premixed in various
ratios in solid form on Earth and remelted in space, then left to cool
and resolidify.
The experiments were designed by students selected in 1986 from
more than 7,000 proposals. The experiments represent the first time a
payload from China will be carried aboard a space shuttle.
INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING
The Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), a
middeck payload, will make its fifth Space Shuttle flight for the
Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle Advanced Materials Center, a NASA Center
for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), sponsored in part by
the Office of Commercial Programs.
The objective of the IPMP is to investigate the physical and
chemical processes that occur during the formation of polymer membranes
in microgravity such that the improved knowledge base can be applied to
commercial membrane processing techniques. Supporting the overall
program objective, the STS-42 mission will provide additional data on
the polymer precipitation process.
Polymer membranes have been used by industry in separations processes
for many years. Typical applications include enriching the oxygen
content of air, desalination of water and kidney dialysis.
Polymer membranes frequently are made using a two-step process.
A sample mixture of polymer and solvents is applied to a casting
surface. The first step involves the evaporation of solvents from the
mixture. In the second step, the remaining sample is immersed in a
fluid bath (typically water) to precipitate the membrane from the
solution and complete the process.
On the STS-42 mission, Commander Ron Grabe and Mission Specialist
Bill Readdy, will operate the IPMP experiment. They will begin by
accessing the units in their stowage location in a middeck locker. By
turning the unit's valve to the first stop, the evaporation process is
initiated. On this flight, the effects of varying the time between
initiation of solvent evaporation and quenching will be studied -- 1
unit at 5 minutes, the other at approximately 8 hours. Then, a quench
procedure will be initiated. The quench consists of introducing a
humid atmosphere which will allow the polymer membrane to precipitate
out. Ground-based research indicates that the precipitation process
should be complete after approximately 10 minutes, and the entire
procedure is at that point effectively quenched.
Following the flight, the samples will be retrieved and returned
to Battelle for testing. Portions of the samples will be sent to the
CCDS's industry partners for quantitative evaluation consisting of
comparisons of the membranes' permeability and selectivity
characteristics with those of laboratory-produced membranes.
Lisa A. McCauley, Associate Director of the Battelle CCDS, is
the Program Manager for IPMP. Dr. Vince McGinness of Battelle is
Principal Investigator.
IMAX
The IMAX project is a collaboration between NASA and the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum to document
significant space activities using the IMAX film medium. This system,
developed by IMAX systems Corp., Toronto, Canada, uses specially
designed 70mm film cameras and projectors to record and display very
high definition large-screen pictures.
During STS-42, the crew will use the camera to film activities
in the Spacelab module and the crew compartment, with particular
emphasis on the space physiology experiments that have a bearing on
future long duration human presence in space. It also will take
advantage of the high inclination of the STS-42 orbit to film Earth
features at latitudes not overflown by most Shuttle flights. These
scenes will be used in an IMAX film now in production which will deal
with mankind's future in space.
IMAX cameras previously have flown on Space Shuttle missions 41-C,
41-D and 41-G to document crew operations in the payload bay and the
orbiter's mid deck and flight deck along with spectacular views of
Earth. Film from those missions formed the basis for the IMAX
production, The Dream is Alive. The IMAX camera also flew on Shuttle
missions STS- 29, STS-34 and STS-32. During those missions, the camera
was used to gather material for the IMAX film, The Blue Planet.
STUDENT EXPERIMENTS
(SE81-09) Convection in Zero Gravity
Scott Thomas, formerly of Richland High School, Johnstown,
Penn., created an experiment to study surface tension convection in
microgravity. The experiment, selected in 1981, will study the effects
of boundary layer conditions and geometries on the onset and character
of the convection. The experiment consists of a frame holding six pans
with hinged lids and heaters imbedded in the bottom and sides.
A crew member removes and secures the experiment from the mid-deck
locker, sets up a television camera, injects a pan with oil and
activates the heater and camera. The heater will run for 10 minutes,
ample time for convection to occur. The camera will observe the flow
patterns produced by aluminum powder in Krytox oil. After six cycles,
the experiment is concluded and returned to the locker.
Thomas' experiment, which flew on STS-5, is being reflown because
a safety shield interfered with the initial operation of the
experiment.
Thomas is a doctoral candidate of physics at University of Texas,
Austin. After high school, he attended Utah State University, majoring
in physics. His teacher advisor is Wayne E. Lehman, (formerly with
Richland High School). The experiment is sponsored by Thiokol Corp.
Dr. Lee Davis, Thiokol Corp., and R. Gilbert Moore, Utah State
University, are the science advisors of the experiment.
(SE83-02) Zero-G Capillary Rise of Liquid Through Granular Media
Constantine N. Costes, formerly of Randolph High School,
Huntsville, Ala., created an experiment to study and measure capillary
flow of liquids through densely-packed course granular media in
microgravity.
Knowledge of the mechanisms of capillary liquid transport
through porous media is of primary importance to many disciplines,
including soil physics, agriculture, ground hydrology, petroleum
engineering and water purification techniques.
The experiment consists of hardware containing three glass tubes
2 inches in diameter and 15 inches long. The tubes will be filled with
one of the three diameter-sized glass beads -- 1/4mm, 1mm, and 3mm.
The fluid is blue- colored water. Astronauts will videotape the timed
progression of the liquid through beads.
Costes is a doctoral candidate of mathematics at Harvard. He
received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and pursued 2 years of
graduate studies at Oxford under a G. C. Marshall Fellowship granted by the
United Kingdom. The experiment is sponsored by USBI, Inc., Huntsville.
Jeff Fisher, a USBI design engineer designed the experiment apparatus.
George Young of MSFC is the science advisor for the experiment.
RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III
The Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III measures ionizing radiation
exposure to the crew within the orbiter cabin. RME-III measures gamma
ray, electron, neutron and proton radiation and calculates in real time
the exposure in RADS- tissue equivalent. The information is stored in
memory modules for post-flight analysis.
The hand-held instrument will be stored in a middeck locker during
flight except for activation and memory module replacement every two
days. RME-III will be activated by the crew as soon as possible after
reaching orbit and operated throughout the mission. A crew member will
enter the correct mission elapsed time upon activation.
RME-III is the current configuration, replacing the earlier RME-I
and RME-II units. RME-III last flew on STS-31. The experiment has
four zinc-air batteries and five AA batteries in each replaceable
memory module. RME-III is sponsored by the Department of Defense in
cooperation with NASA.
STS-42 CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Ronald J. Grabe, 46, Col., USAF, will serve as Commander. Selected
as an astronaut in August 1981, Grabe was born in New York, N.Y. Grabe
was pilot for STS 51-J, the second Space Shuttle Department of
Defense-dedicated mission in 1985. He next flew as pilot for STS-30 in
1989.
Grabe graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1962, received
a bachelor's degree in engineering science from the Air Force Academy
in 1966 and studied aeronautics as a Fulbright Scholar at the
Technische Hochschule, Darmstadt, West Germany, in 1967.
As an Air Force F-100 pilot, he flew 200 combat missions in
Vietnam. Grabe later was a test pilot for the A-7 and F-111 at the
Air Force Flight Test Center and from 1976 to 1979, an exchange test
pilot for the Harrier with the Royal Air Force at Boscombe Down, United
Kingdom. Grabe has logged more than 4,500 hours flying time in various
aircraft.
Stephen S. Oswald, 40, will serve as Pilot. Selected as an astronaut
in June 1985, he was born in Seattle, Wash., but considers Bellingham,
Wash., his hometown. He will be making his first space flight.
Oswald graduated from Bellingham High School in 1969 and received a
bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Academy in
1973. He was designated a naval aviator in September 1974 and flew the
Corsair II aboard the USS Midway in the Western Pacific and Indian
Oceans from 1975 through 1977. In 1978, Oswald attended the Naval Test
Pilot School.
After leaving the Navy, he joined Westinghouse Electric Corp. as a
test pilot in developmental flight testing of various airborne weapons
systems for Westinghouse, including the F-16C and B-1B radars. Oswald
remains active in the U.S. Naval Reserve, currently assigned as
Commanding Officer of the Naval Space Command Reserve Unit, Dahlgren,
Va. Oswald has logged more than 4,700 flying hours in 38 different
aircraft.
Norman E. Thagard, M.D., 48, will serve as Payload Commander and
Mission Specialist 1, making his third space flight. Although born in
Marianna, Fla., Thagard considers Jacksonville, Fla., his hometown and
was selected as an astronaut in 1978.
Thagard first flew as a mission specialist on STS-7 in 1983. He
next flew on STS-51B, the Spacelab-3 science mission in 1985.
Thagard's third flight was on STS-30 in 1989.
Thagard received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in
engineering science from Florida State University in 1965 and 1966,
respectively, and a doctor of medicine degree from Texas Southwestern
Medical School in 1977.
William F. Readdy, 39, will serve as Mission Specialist 2. Selected
as an astronaut in June 1987, Readdy was born in Quonset Point, R.I.,
but considers McLean, Va., his hometown and will be making his first
space flight.
Readdy graduated from McLean High School in 1970 and received a
bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Academy in
1974. Readdy joined NASA in 1986 as an aerospace engineer and
instructor pilot at Ellington Field, Houston. When he was selected as
an astronaut, he was serving as Program Manager for the Shuttle Carrier
Aircraft.
David C. Hilmers, 41, Lt. Col., USMC, will serve as Mission
Specialist 3. Selected as an astronaut in 1980, Hilmers was born in
Clinton, Iowa, but considers DeWitt, Iowa, his hometown.
Hilmers first flew as a mission specialist on STS-51J in 1985.
His next flight was on STS-26 in 1988, the first flight to be flown
after the Challenger accident. His third flight was on STS-36 in
1990.
Hilmers received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Cornell
College in 1972; a master's degree in electrical engineering from
Cornell in 1977; and a degree in electrical engineering from the Naval
Postgraduate School in 1978.
Roberta L. Bondar, 46, Ph.D., M.D., will serve as Payload Specialist
1. Bondar was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, and joined
the Canadian Space Agency in 1984.
Bondar received a bachelor's degree in zoology and agriculture from
the University of Guelph in 1968; a master's degree in experimental
pathology from the University of Western Ontario in 1971; a doctorate
in neurobiology from the University of Toronto in 1974; and a doctor of
medicine degree from McMaster University in 1977. She was admitted as
a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in
neurology in 1981.
Bondar is a neurologist and clinical and basic science researcher in
the nervous system and was appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine
and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic for the
Hamilton-Wentworth Region at McMaster University in 1982.
She was named chairperson of the Canadian Lifesciences Subcommittee
for Space Station Freedom in 1985. She is a civil aviation medical
examiner and member of the scientific staff at Sunnybrook Hospital
where she is conducting research into blood flow in the brain in stroke
patients and in subjects in microgravity on board NASA's KC-135.
Ulf Merbold, 50, will serve as Payload Specialist 2. Merbold was
born in Greiz, Germany, and will be making his second space flight for
the European Space Agency. Merbold first flew on STS-9, the Spacelab-1
flight, in 1983.
Merbold attended various schools in Greiz, Germany. From 1961-1968,
he was a student of physics at Stuttgart University and received a
bachelor's degree in 1968. In 1976, he received a doctorate in science
from Stuttgart. Following graduation, Merbold joined the Max-Planck
Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart. In 1987, Merbold was
appointed as Head of the DLR Astronaut Office.
STS-42 MISSION MANAGEMENT
NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Richard H. Truly - NASA Administrator
Office of Space Flight
Dr. William Lenoir, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight
Office of Space Science
Dr. Lennard A. Fisk, Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications
Alphonso V. Diaz, Deputy Associate Administrator, Space Science
and Applications
Dr. Arnauld Nicogossian, Director, Life Sciences Division
Dr. Ronald J. White, Program Scientist
Robert C. Rhome, Director, Microgravity Science and Applications Division
Dr. Robert Sokolowski, Program Scientist (Microgravity)
Robert H. Benson, Director, Flight Systems Division
Wayne R. Richie, Program Manager
Office of Commercial Programs
John G. Mannix, Assistant Administrator for Commercial Programs
Richard H. Ott, Director, Commercial Development Division
Garland C. Misener, Chief, Flight Requirements and Accommodations
Ana M. Villamil, Program Manager, Centers for the Commercial Development
of Space
Office of Safety and Mission Quality
George A. Rodney, Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and
Mission Quality
Richard U. Perry, Director Quality Assurance Division
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA.
Robert L. Crippen Director
Leonard S. Nicholson Director, Space Shuttle
Brewster H. Shaw Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations)
Jay Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations
Robert B. Sieck Launch Director
John C. "Chris" Fairey Discovery Flow Manager
John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations
P. Thomas Breakfield Director, STS Payload Operations
Joanne H. Morgan Director, Payload Project Management
Glenn E. Snyder STS-42 Payload Manager
MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE, ALA.
Thomas J. Lee Director
Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director
Harry G. Craft, Jr. Manager, Payload Projects Office
Robert O. McBrayer International Microgravity Laboratory-1 Mission Manager
Dr. Robert S. Snyder Mission Scientist
Alexander A. McCool Manager, Shuttle Projects Office
Dr. George McDonough Director, Science and Engineering
James H. Ehl Director, Safety and Mission Assurance
James N. Strickland Acting Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project
Victor Keith Henson Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project
Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project
Gerald C. Ladner Manager, External Tank Project
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEX.
Aaron Cohen Director
Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director
Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects
Paul J. Weitz Acting Director, Flight Crew Operations
Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations
Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering
Charles S. Harlan Director - Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, BAY ST. LOUIS, MISS.
Roy S. Estess Director
Gerald W. Smith Deputy Director
J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations
AMES-DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY, EDWARDS, CALIF.
Kenneth J. Szalai Director
T. G. Ayers Deputy Director
James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office
AMES RESEARCH CENTER, MOFFETT FIELD, CALIF.
Dr. Dale L. Compton Director
Victor L. Peterson Deputy Director
Dr. Steven A. Hawley Associate Director
Dr. Joseph C. Sharp Director, Space Research
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD.
Dr. John M. Klineberg Director
Clarke Prouty GAS Mission Manager
Larry Thomas Technical Liaison Officer
(UPCOMING SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHTS ART)
(SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF DECEMBER 1991 ART)
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