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Info about Shuttle Flight STS- 48
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION
STS-48 PRESS KIT
SEPTEMBER 1991
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS
Mark Hess/Jim Cast/Ed Campion
Office of Space Flight
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-8536)
Paula Cleggett-Haleim/Brian Dunbar
Office of Space Science and Applications
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-1547)
Drucella Andersen
Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-2754)
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)
Myron Webb
Stennis Space Center, MS
(Phone: 601/688-3341)
Nancy Lovato
Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.
(Phone: 805/258-3448)
Jean W. Clough
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
(Phone: 804/864-6122)
CONTENTS
GENERAL
RELEASE........................................................ 4
MEDIA
SERVICES....................................................... 5
STS-48 QUICK-LOOK FACTS........................................ 6
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES.................................... 7
VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS.................................... 8
SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES...................................... 9
TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.................................. 10
STS-48 ON-ORBIT EVENTS......................................... 11
PRELAUNCH PROCESSING........................................... 12
UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE (UARS)..................... 13
PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH-II-2 (PCG-II-2)......................... 19
MIDDECK 0-GRAVITY DYNAMICS EXPERIMENT (MODE)................... 21
COSMIC RADIATION EFFECTS AND ACTIVATION MONITOR (CREAM)........ 23
RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III (RME-III)................... 24
AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM (AMOS)........................... 24
SHUTTLE ACTIVATION MONITOR (SAM)............................... 24
INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING (IPMP)......... 25
ELECTRONIC STILL PHOTOGRAPHY TEST.............................. 25
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL EXPERIMENT (PARE)................. 27
STS-48 CREW BIOGRAPHIES........................................ 28
STS-48 MISSION MANAGEMENT...................................... 30
RELEASE: 91-136
STS-48 DISCOVERY TO LOFT SATELLITE TO STUDY
ATMOSPHERE, OZONE
Discovery will deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
(UARS) 350 statute miles above Earth to study mankind's effect on the
planet's atmosphere and its shielding ozone layer as the highlight of
Space Shuttle mission STS-48. Once deployed, UARS will have two
opportunities to study winters in the northern hemisphere and one
opportunity to study the Antarctic ozone hole during the satellite's
planned 20-month life.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the first
major flight element of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, a multi-year
global research program that will use ground-based, airborne and
space-based instruments to study the Earth as a complete environmental
system. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's contribution to the U.S.
Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency effort to better
understand, analyze and predict the effect of human activity on the
Earth's environment.
UARS is designed to help scientists learn more about the
fragile mixture of gases protecting Earth from the harsh environment of
space. UARS will provide scientists with their first complete data set
on the upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs.
Discovery is planned to launch into a 57-degree inclination
polar orbit at 6:57 p.m. EDT, Sept.. 12, from Kennedy Space Center's
Launch Pad 39A on STS-48, Discovery's 13th flight and the 43rd Shuttle
mission.
Secondary objectives on the flight include Protein Crystal
Growth-7, the seventh flight of a middeck experiment in growing protein
crystals in weightlessness; the Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment,
a study of how fluids and structures react in weightlessness; the
Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing-4, research into
creating polymer membranes, used as filters in many industrial refining
processes, in space; the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent
Experiment, a study of the effects of weightlessness on rodents; the
Shuttle Activation Monitor, a device that will measure the amounts of
gamma rays in the Shuttle's crew cabin; the Cosmic Radiation Effects
and Activation Monitor, a study of cosmic radiation in the orbiter
environment; the Radiation Monitoring Experiment, an often flown device
that monitors the amounts of radiation inside the Shuttle; and the Air
Force Maui Optical System, a use of the Shuttle's visibility in orbit
to calibrate Air Force optical instruments in Hawaii. Also, in the
payload bay with UARS, the Ascent Particle Monitor will measure any
contaminants that enter the cargo bay during launch.
Commanding Discovery will be Navy Capt. John Creighton.
Navy Cmdr. Ken Reightler, making his first space flight, will serve as
pilot. Mission Specialists will be Marine Corps Col. Jim Buchli, Army
Lt. Col. Sam Gemar and Air Force Col. Mark Brown. The 5-day mission is
scheduled to land at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 1:55
a.m. EDT Sept. 18, 1991.
- end general release -
MEDIA SERVICES
NASA Select Television Transmission
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 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 an 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-48 QUICK LOOK
Launch Date: September 12, 1991
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 39A
Launch Window: 6:57 p.m.- 7:41 p.m. EDT
Orbiter: Discovery (OV-103)
Orbit: 351 x 351 statute miles, 57 degrees
inclination
Landing Date/Time: Sept. 18, 1991, 1:55 a.m. EDT
Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Abort Landing Sites
Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Transoceanic Abort Landing - Zaragosa, Spain
Alternate Transoceanic Abort Landing - Moron, Spain;
Ben Guerir, Morocco
Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Crew Members:
John Creighton, Commander
Kenneth Reightler, Jr., Pilot
Charles D. Gemar, Mission Specialist 1
James F. Buchli, Mission Specialist 2
Mark N. Brown, Mission Specialist 3
Cargo Bay Payloads:
UARS (Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite)
APM-03 (Atmospheric Particle Monitor-3)
Middeck Payloads:
RME-III-06 (Radiation Monitoring Experiment-III)
PCG-07 (Protein Crystal Growth-7)
MODE-01 (Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment-1)
IPMP-04 (Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing-4)
PARE-01 (Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment-1)
SAM-03 (Shuttle Activation Monitor-1)
CREAM-01 (Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor-1)
AMOS (Air Force Maui Optical System-12)
Electronic Still Photography Camera
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES
DAY ONE
Ascent
OMS 2
RCS-1
RCS-2
UARS on-orbit checkout
PCG activation
DAY TWO
Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment
Extravehicular Mobility Unit checkout
Depressurize cabin to 10.2 psi
DAY THREE
UARS deploy
Repressurize cabin to 14.7 psi
Medical DSOs
DAY FOUR
Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment
Shuttle Activation Monitor
DAY FIVE
Protein Crystal Growth deactivation
Shuttle Activation Monitor stow
Flight Control Systems checkout
Reaction Control System hot-fire
Cabin stow
DAY SIX
Deorbit preparation
Deorbit
Landing
VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS
Pounds
Orbiter (Discovery) empty and 3 SSMEs 72,651
Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) 14,419
UARS Airborne Support Equipment 2,164
Ascent Particle Monitor 22
Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor 48
Radiation Monitoring Experiment 7
Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing 41
Protein Crystal Growth 89
Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment 130
Shuttle Activation Monitor 90
Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment 70
Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) 215
Detailed Test Objectives 45
Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,507,348
Orbiter Landing Weight 92,507
SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES
Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims for a 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 120 statute 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
Zaragosa, Spain; Moron, Spain or Ben Guerir, Morocco.
* Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more
engines without enough energy to reach Zaragosa would result in a pitch
around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding distance of the
SLF.
STS-48 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, Kennedy Space
Center, White Sands, Zaragosa, Moron and Ben Guerir.
STS-48 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
__________________________________________________________
RELATIVE
EVENT MET VELOCITY MACH ALTITUDE
(d:h:m:s) (fps) (ft)
__________________________________________________________
Launch 00/00:00:00
Begin Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:10 191 .17 813
End Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:19 434 .39 3,710
SSME Throttle Down to 89% 00/00:00:22 517 .46 4,999
SSME Throttle Down to 67% 00/00:00:30 719 .65 9,362
SSME Throttle Up to 104% 00/00:01:02 1,470 1.49 39,013
Max. Dyn. Pressure (Max Q) 00/00:01:05 1,573 1.63 42,512
SRB Staging 00/00:02:04 4,162 3.86 153,823
Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) 00/00:08:37 25,241 22.14 373,714
Zero Thrust 00/00:08:43 25,255 N/A 377,239
ET Separation 00/00:08:55
OMS-2 Burn 00/00:43:41
Landing (orbit 81) 05/08:31:00
Apogee, Perigee at MECO: 287 x 35 nautical miles
Apogee, Perigee post-OMS 2: 291 x 293 nautical miles
STS-48 ON-ORBIT EVENTS
__________________________________________________________
APOGEE
EVENT MET PERIGEE ORBIT DELTA V
(d:h:m:s) (n.m.) (fps)
__________________________________________________________
OMS-2 00/00:48:00 291x293 1 448.1
RCS-1 (forward) 00/06:42:00 292x305 5 23.5
RCS-2 (aft) 00/07:29:00 305x306 5 22.4
UARS Deploy 02/04:35:00 305x306 33 n/a
RCS-3 (separation 1) 02/04:36:00 306x308 33 2
RCS-4 (separation 2) 02/04:53:00 303x306 34 5.5
Deorbit 05/07:18:00 n/a 80 501
STS-48 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING
Flight preparations on Discovery for the STS-48 mission began May
7 following its last mission, STS-39, which ended with a landing at
KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was towed from the runway to
the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to start operations for its 13th
flight. Discovery's systems were fully tested while in the OPF
including the orbital maneuvering system pods and the forward reaction
control system.
Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are as follows:
engine 2019 in the No. 1 position, engine 2031 in the No. 2 position
and engine 2107 in the No. 3 position. These engines were installed in
June.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite arrived at the Kennedy Space
Center by barge on May 13 and was taken to the Payload Hazardous
Servicing Facility for final installation of the flight components and
spacecraft checkout. On July 27 it was transfered to the Vertical
Processing Facility for testing to verify its compatability and
readiness to be integrated with the Space Shuttle.
UARS was moved to Pad 39-A on Aug. 10 and installed into the
payload bay of Discovery on Aug. 14. Integrated testing,
communications checks and a Launch Readiness Test were scheduled to
verify that UARS was ready for the pending deployment and its mission.
Booster stacking operations on mobile launcher platform 3 began
June 27 with the right aft booster. Stacking of all booster segments
was completed by July 20. The external tank was mated to the boosters
on July 24 and the Orbiter Discovery was transferred to the Vehicle
Assembly Building on July 25. The orbiter was mated to the external
tank and solid rocket boosters on Aug. 2.
The STS-48 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A on Aug. 12.
A dress rehearsal launch countdown was held Aug. 19-20 at KSC. A
standard 43-hour launch countdown is 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.
The first night landing is planned at the Shuttle Landing Facility
at the conclusion of this 5-day mission. KSC's landing convoy teams
will safe the vehicle on the runway and tow it into the new Orbiter
Processing Facility. This will mark the first use of OPF bay 3 where
Discovery will be prepared for its 14th space flight, Mission STS-42
with the International Microgravity Laboratory.
UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the first
major flight element of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, a multi-year
global research program that will use ground-based, airborne and
space-based instruments to study the Earth as a complete environmental
system. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's contribution to the U.S.
Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency effort to better
understand, analyze and predict the effect of human activity on the
Earth's environment.
UARS is designed to help scientists learn more about the fragile
mixture of gases protecting Earth from the harsh environment of space.
UARS will provide scientists with their first complete data set on the
upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs.
One of UARS' focuses will be an area in which humanity's
technological advancement is changing the Earth on a global scale --
depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, or upper atmosphere. The
stratosphere ranges from approximately 9 to 30 miles above the Earth's
surface. Ozone, a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, blocks
ultraviolet light that can cause skin cancer and damage food crops.
Although there are some natural causes of stratospheric ozone
depletion, such as volcanic eruptions, the "ozone hole" that forms over
Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere's spring season and the 5 percent
depletion observed over northern mid-latitudes in the last decade are a
direct consequence of human activity. These long-term ozone trends are
caused by chlorine compounds released into the atmosphere as byproducts
of industry, including refrigeration and the making of plastic foam.
To study ozone depletion more completely and to understand better
other aspects of Earth's fragile atmosphere, scientists need the global
perspective available from an orbiting satellite, one that makes
simultaneous measurements of all the factors of ozone depletion with
state-of-the-art instruments. To that end, the UARS science program
has been designed as a single experiment with nine component
instruments that will study the upper atmosphere's chemical, dynamic
and energy systems. In addition to the UARS instrument science teams,
10 other teams will use the data to improve theoretical models of the
upper atmosphere and consequently, scientists' ability to predict the
effects of change in the atmosphere.
An extensive program of correlative investigations using
ground-based, aircraft and balloon-carried instruments is also
planned. As a whole, the UARS program is designed to give scientists
the data they need to address the challenge of Mission to Planet Earth
-- to understand and predict the effect of human activity on the
environment.
UARS's nine complementary scientific instruments each provide
measurements critical to a more complete understanding of the upper
atmosphere, concentrating their observations in chemistry, dynamics and
energy input.
UARS carries a 10th instrument, the Active Cavity Radiometer
II (ACRIM II), that is not technically part of the UARS mission. ACRIM
II will take advantage of a flight opportunity aboard UARS to study the
Sun's energy output, an important variable in the study of the Earth's
climate.
Chemistry Studies
Four of UARS' instruments will measure the concentrations and
distribution of gases important to ozone depletion, climate change and
other atmospheric phenomena.
Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer
Like all spectrometers, the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon
Spectrometer (CLAES) will search for the tell-tale spectra that
indicate the presence of certain chemicals. In particular, CLAES will
determine concentrations and distributions by altitude of nitrogen and
chlorine compounds, ozone, water vapor and methane, all of which take
part in the chemistry of ozone depletion. Principal Investigator for
CLAES is Dr. Aidan E. Roche, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory,
Palo Alto, Calif. Dr. John Gille of the National Center for
Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., is a collaborative investigator.
Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder
The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS)
will study atmospheric water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide,
nitric acid, ozone, methane and carbon monoxide. Like CLAES, ISAMS
detects infrared radiation from the atmosphere and uses it to derive
information on atmospheric temperature and composition. Principal
Investigator for ISAMS is Dr. Fred W. Taylor, University of Oxford,
Department of Atmospheric Physics, Oxford, United Kingdom. Dr. James
M. Russell III of NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., is a
collaborative investigator.
Microwave Limb Sounder
The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) will provide, for the first
time, a global data set on chlorine monoxide, the key intermediate
compound in the ozone destruction cycle. MLS data also will be used to
generate three-dimensional maps of ozone distribution and to detect
water vapor in the microwave spectral range. Principal Investigator
for MLS is Dr. Joseph W. Waters, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif.
Halogen Occultation Experiment
The Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) will observe the
vertical distribution of hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, methane,
carbon dioxide, ozone, water vapor and members of the nitrogen family.
Each day, HALOE will observe 28 solar occultations, that is, it will
look through Earth's atmosphere toward the sun to measure the energy
absorption of the Sun's rays by these gases. Principal Investigator
for HALOE is Dr. James M. Russell III, NASA's Langley Research Center,
Hampton, Va.
Dynamics
Two instruments, the High Resolution Doppler Imager and the
Wind Imaging Interferometer, will provide scientists with the first
directly measured, global picture of the horizontal winds that disperse
chemicals and aerosols through the upper atmosphere.
High Resolution Doppler Imager
By measuring the Doppler shifts of atmospheric chemicals,
the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) will measure atmospheric
winds between 6.2 and 28 miles and above 34 miles. These data are
important to understanding the essential role of atmospheric motion on
the distribution of chemicals in the upper atmosphere. Principal
Investigator for HRDI is Dr. Paul B. Hays, University of Michigan,
Space Physics Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor.
Wind Imaging Interferometer
The Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) also will use the
Doppler shift measurement technique to develop altitude profiles of
horizontal winds in the upper atmosphere. WINDII's measurements will
tell scientists about the winds at and above 49 miles. Principal
Investigator for WINDII is Dr. Gordon G. Shepherd, York University,
Ontario, Canada. The investigation is provided by a partnership
between Canada and France, with the latter making important
contributions to the data analysis software.
Energy Inputs
Three instruments, the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance
Monitor, the Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment, and the
Partial Environment Monitor, will measure solar energy that reaches the
Earth and study its effect on the atmosphere.
Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor
Ultraviolet light from the Sun is the driver of the ozone cycle,
dissociating chlorine compounds into reactive chlorine atoms that in
turn break up ozone molecules . The Solar Ultraviolet Spectral
Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM) will measure solar ultraviolet energy, the
most important spectral range in ozone chemistry. Principal
Investigator for SUSIM is Dr. Guenter E. Brueckner, Naval Research
Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment
Like SUSIM, the Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment
(SOLSTICE) will conduct in-depth ultraviolet studies of the Sun. SUSIM
will compare the Sun's ultraviolet energy to the UV radiation of bright
blue stars, providing a standard against which the solar energy level
can be measured in future long-term monitoring of the Sun. Principal
Investigator for SOLSTICE is Dr. Gary J. Rottman, University of
Colorado, Boulder.
Particle Environment Monitor
The Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) will help to answer
questions about the effect of energetic particles from the Sun on the
upper atmosphere, detecting and measuring the particles as they enter
the atmosphere. PEM uses four primary instrument subunits to take
detailed particle measurements in different energy ranges. Principal
Investigator for PEM is Dr. J. David Winningham, Southwest Research
Institute, San Antonio, Texas.
Solar Constant
Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor
The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM II)
will provide accurate monitoring of total solar activity for long-term
climate studies. ACRIM II is an instrument of opportunity, added to
the UARS spacecraft after the engineering team determined that the
spacecraft could fly a 10th instrument. Though not a part of the UARS
program, ACRIM II data is important to other studies within Mission to
Planet Earth. Principal Investigator for ACRIM II is Dr. Richard D.
Willson, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Propulsion
The UARS observatory consists of a standard design Multi-mission
Modular Spacecraft (MMS), coupled to a module that includes the 10
instruments. The MMS Hydrazine Propulsion Module will power orbit
adjustment maneuvers for the initial boost to orbit and maintain the
required altitude. The system consists of four 5-pound thrusters and
12 small 0.2-pound attitude control thrusters. The MMS was built by
Fairchild, Inc., Germantown, Md.
Modular Attitude Control System
For UARS to make the minute changes in its orientation toward
the Earth needed for the long-duration measurements of the atmosphere,
the spacecraft must know at all times where it is pointed. To do this,
UARS uses a system known as the Modular Attitude Control System
(MACS). The MACS subsystem is a three-axis system made up of many
flight- proven NASA components contained within the MMS. The system
contains sensors that tell UARS where it's pointed and actuators that
can point the spacecraft as required. The MACS module originally flew
aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). It was returned to Earth as
part of the 1984 SMM repair mission and refurbished for flight aboard
UARS.
Communications and Data Handling
The Communications and Data Handling (CADH) system uses software
based on proven modular technology that flew on the Solar Maximum
Mission and Landsat 4 and 5. The modular programming allows sections
of the software to be rewritten or repaired without requiring
end-to-end verification of an entire new program. The CADH system
consists of the CADH module, a high-gain antenna and two
omni-directional low-gain antennas.
The CADH also has a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
(TDRSS) transponder for communications between UARS and TDRSS. UARS
uses a NASA standard spacecraft computer which provides for some
autonomous operation of the spacecraft. It will perform such tasks as
command processing, attitude determination computations and power
management.
Payload Operation and Control Center
Instructions to UARS during its space voyage begin with the
controllers at computer terminals located in the UARS Payload
Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md. The POCC is the focal point for all UARS pre-mission
preparations and on- orbit operations. For the UARS mission, the POCC
is part of the Multi-satellite Operations Control Center (MSOCC) at
Goddard that provides mission scheduling, tracking, telemetry data
acquisition, command and processing required for down linked data.
UARS Ground Data System
A dedicated Central Data Handling Facility (CDHF), located at
the Goddard Space Flight Center, will process the UARS scientific
data. The CDHF is linked to 20 Remote Analysis Computers at the
instrument and theoretical principal investigator's home institutions
via an electronic communications system. This will make all UARS data
available to all investigators. The CDHF also is designed to encourage
frequent interactions between the different investigation groups and
facilitate quick response to unusual events, such as solar flares and
volcanic eruptions.
UARS scientific data will be continuously recorded on two
alternating onboard tape recorders at the rate of 32 kilobits per
second. Upon acquiring contact with the Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite, the UARS data will be transmitted via the NASA
Communications Network to the Data Capture Facility (DCF), located at
Goddard. The DCF will perform telemetry preprocessing, which includes
time- ordering, merging, editing and sorting of the data stream. The
output will be transferred to the UARS CDHF.
Thermal Subsystems
Thermal control of UARS during launch and orbital operation will
be largely through passive means -- paint, blankets, coatings and
temperature sensors augmented by electrical heaters. The CLAES and
ISAMS instruments have special cooling requirements met by subsystems
within the instruments.
UARS was built and integrated by General Electric Astro-Space
Division, Valley Forge, Penn., and East Windsor, N.J. The UARS project
is managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., for
NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.
PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH (PCG)
In collaboration with a medical researcher at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, NASA is continuing a series of experiments in
protein crystal growth that may prove a major benefit to medical
technology.
These experiments could improve food production and lead to
innovative new pharmaceutical agents to combat cancer, immune system
disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, emphysema and many other diseases.
Background
In a protein crystal, individual protein molecules occupy locations
in a repeating array. With a good crystal roughly the size of a grain
of table salt, scientists are able to determine, using a technique
known as X-ray diffraction, the structure of protein molecules.
Determining a protein crystal's molecular shape is an essential
step in several phases of medical research. Once the three-dimensional
structure of a protein is known, it may be possible to design drugs
that will either block or enhance the protein's normal function within
the body. Though crystallographic techniques can be used to determine
a protein's structure, this powerful technique has been limited by
problems encountered in obtaining high-quality crystals well ordered
and large enough to yield precise structural information. Protein
crystals grown on Earth are often small and flawed.
One hypothesis for the problems associated with growing these
crystals can be understood by imagining the process of filling a sports
stadium with fans who all have reserved seats. Once the gate opens,
people flock to their seats and, in the confusion, often sit in someone
else's place. On Earth, gravity-driven convection keeps the molecules
crowded around the "seats" as they attempt to order themselves.
Unfortunately, protein molecules are not as particular as many of the
smaller molecules and are often content to take the wrong places in the
structure.
As would happen if you let the fans into the stands slowly,
microgravity allows the scientist to slow the rate at which molecules
arrive at their seats. Since the molecules have more time to find
their spot, fewer mistakes are made, creating better and larger
crystals.
During STS-48, 60 different protein crystal growth experiments will
be conducted simultaneously. Though there are four processes used to
grow crystals on Earth -- vapor diffusion, batch process, liquid
diffusion and dialysis -- only vapor diffusion will be used in this set
of experiments.
Shortly after achieving orbit, either Mission Specialist Kenneth
Reightler or Charles D. Gemar will combine each of the protein
solutions with other solutions containing a precipitation agent to form
small droplets on the ends of double-barreled syringes positioned in
small chambers. Water vapor will diffuse from each droplet to a
solution absorbed in a porous reservoir that lines each chamber. The
loss of water by this vapor diffusion process will produce conditions
that cause protein crystals to grow in the droplets.
Protein crystal growth experiments were first carried out by
the investigating team during STS 51-D in April 1985. These
experiments have flown a total of 10 times. The first four flights of
hand-held protein crystal growth were primarily designed to develop
space crystal growing techniques and hardware. The next four flights
were scientific attempts to grow useful crystals by vapor diffusion in
microgravity, and on the last two flights (STS- 37 and STS-43),
crystals of bovine insulin were grown using the batch method. The six
most recent flight experiments have had temperature control. The
results from these experiments show that microgravity-grown crystals
have higher internal molecular order than their Earth-grown
counterparts.
In the three 20-chambered, 15" x 10" x 1.5" trays of the STS-48
experiment, crystals will be grown at room temperature (22 degrees
Celsius). After experiment activation and just before deactivation,
the mission specialist will videotape with a camcorder the droplets in
the chambers. Then all the droplets and any protein crystals grown
will be drawn back into the syringes. The syringes will then be
resealed for reentry. Upon landing, the hardware will be turned over
to the investigating team for analysis.
The protein crystal growth experiments are sponsored by NASA's
Office of Space Science and Applications Microgravity Science and
Applications Division and the Office of Commercial Programs. The
principal investigator is Dr. Charles Bugg of the University of Alabama
at Birmingham. The Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., is
managing the flight of the experiments. Blair Herren is the experiment
manager and Richard E. Valentine is the mission manager for the PCG
experiment at the center. Julia Goldberg is the integration engineer,
and Dr. Daniel Carter is the project scientist for the PCG experiment
at Marshall.
PROTEINS SELECTED TO FLY ON STS-48
Protein Investigator
Fc fragment of mouse immunoglobin A Dr. George Birnbaum
Fab YST9-1 Dr. George Birnbaum
Anti-HPr Fab fragment Dr. Louis Delbaere
2 domain CD4 (1-183) Dr. Howard Einspahr
Beta-Lactamase (Entero-c-P99) Dr. James Knox
Canavalin Satellite Dr. Alex McPherson
Satellite Tobacco Mosaic Virus Dr. Alex McPherson
Interleukin-4 Dr. T.L. Nagabhushan
Bovine Proline Isomerase Dr. Manuel Navia
Thermolysin Dr. Manuel Navia
Recombinant Bacterial Luciferase Dr. Keith Ward
Apostreptavidin Dr. Pat Weber
MIDDECK 0-GRAVITY DYNAMICS EXPERIMENT
Discovery's STS-48 mission carries one of the more complex
experiments ever to be tested in the orbiter's middeck cabin area.
MODE -- for Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment -- will study
mechanical and fluid behavior of components for Space Station Freedom
and other future spacecraft.
MODE, developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the
first university experiment to fly in the NASA Office of Aeronautics,
Exploration and Technology's In-Space Technology Experiment and
Technology program. IN-STEP, an outreach effort that began in 1987,
allows universities, industry and the government to develop small,
inexpensive technology flight experiments.
Testing space structures in the normal 1g environment of Earth
poses problems because gravity significantly influences their dynamic
response. Also, the suspension systems needed for tests in 1g further
complicate the gravity effects. Models of space structures intended
for use in microgravity can be tested more realistically in the
weightlessness of space.
The MODE experiment consists of special electronically-
instrumented hardware that Discovery's astronauts will test in the
craft's pressurized middeck section. MODE will study the sloshing of
fluids in partially-filled containers and the vibration characteristics
of jointed truss structures.
MODE occupies 3 1/2 standard Shuttle middeck lockers. One locker
contains an experiment support module that controls the experiment.
The module contains a special purpose computer, high speed input/output
data and control lines to the test articles, a power conditioning
system, signal generator, signal conditioning amplifiers and a high
capacity optical disk data recording system.
The other middeck lockers accommodate fluid test articles (FTA), a
partially-assembled structural test article (STA), optical data storage
disks and a shaker that mounts to the experiment support module. The
FTAs and shaker attach to the support module for testing. The STA
floats free in the weightlessness of the middeck, but connects to the
support module with an umbilical through which excitation and sensor
signals travel.
In orbit, the astronauts command the computer via a keypad to
execute test routines stored on the optical recorder before launch.
Once a test routine begins, the computer and associated control
circuits energize the containers or the truss with precisely controlled
forces and then measure the response. The Shuttle crew members use an
alpha-numeric display to monitor the status and progress of each test.
The four fluid test articles are Lexan cylinders -- two containing
silicon oil and two containing water. Silicon oil has dynamic
properties that approximate those of typical spacecraft fluid
propellants. Water is more likely than the silicon oil to stay together
at one end of the cylinder, an important test condition. The same
basic dynamic information will be obtained for both fluids.
The cylinders mount one at a time to a force balance that connects
to a shaker on the support module. The balance will measure the forces
arising from the motion of the fluid inside the tanks. These forces,
with other data such as test article accelerations and the ambient
acceleration levels of the entire assembly, will be recorded in digital
form on an optical disk.
The structural test article is a truss model of part of a large
space structure. It includes 4 strain gauges and 11 accelerometers and
is vibrated by an actuator. When deployed in the Shuttle orbiter's
middeck, the test device is about 72 inches long with an 8-inch square
cross section.
There are two types of trusses, deployable and erectable. The
deployable structures are stored folded and are unhinged and snapped
into place for the tests. The erectable structure is a collection of
individual truss elements that screw into round joints or "nodes."
Four different truss configurations are slated for testing. First,
the basic truss will be evaluated. It is an in-line combination of
truss sections, with an erectable module flanked by deployable modules
mounted on either end. Next, a rotary joint, similar to the Space
Station Freedom "alpha joint" that will govern the orientation of the
station's solar arrays, will replace the erectable section.
The third configuration will be L-shaped combination of a
deployable truss, rotary joint and erectable module (all mounted
in-line) and another deployable section mounted at a 90-degree angle to
the end of the erectable truss. The final arrangement will mount a
flexible appendage simulating a solar panel or a solar dynamic module
to the elbow of the L-shaped third configuration.
Both test articles will be tested using vibrations over a specified
frequency range. On-orbit experiment operations with both devices will
include assembly, calibration, performance of test routines and
stowage.
MODE requires two 8-hour test periods in orbit. Researchers expect
to obtain more than 4 million bits of digital data, about 4 hours of
video tape and more than 100 photographs. The space-based data will be
analyzed and detailed comparisons made with pre- and post-flight
measurements done on the flight hardware using laboratory suspension
systems. The results also will refine numerical models used to predict
the dynamic behavior of the test articles.
This low-cost experiment will provide better understanding of
the capabilities and limitations of ground- based suspension systems
used to measure the dynamic response of complex structures. It should
lead to more sophisticated computer models that more accurately predict
the performance of future large space structures and the impact of
moving liquids in future spacecraft.
In response to the 1987 IN-STEP program solicitation, the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Space Engineering Research
Center developed MODE and received a NASA contract in 1987. MIT
selected Payload Systems Inc., Cambridge, Mass., as the prime
subcontractor responsible for hardware fabrication, certification and
mission support. McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co., Huntington
Beach, Calif., joined the program in 1989 using its own funds to
support design and construction of part of the structural test
article.
NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., manages the
contract. With NASA Headquarters, Langley also provides technical and
administrative assistance to integrate the payload into Discovery for
STS-48.
Sherwin M. Beck is the NASA MODE Project Manager at Langley. MIT
Professor Edward F. Crawley is the experiment's Principal
Investigator. Edward Bokhour is Hardware Development Manager at
Payload Systems, Inc., and Dr. Andrew S. Bicos is the Project Scientist
at McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company.
COSMIC RADIATION EFFECTS AND ACTIVATION MONITOR
The Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM)
experiment is designed to collect data on cosmic ray energy loss
spectra, neutron fluxes and induced radioactivity.
The data will be collected by active and passive monitors placed
at specific locations throughout the orbiter's cabin. CREAM data will
be obtained from the same locations that will be used to gather data
for the Shuttle Activation Monitor experiment in an attempt to
correlate data between the two.
The active monitor will be used to obtain real-time spectral data,
while the passive monitors will obtain data during the entire mission
to be analyzed after the flight.
The flight hardware has the active cosmic ray monitor, a passive
sodium iodide detector, and up to five passive detector packages. All
hardware fits in one locker on Discovery's middeck.
Once in orbit the payload will be unstowed and operated by the
crew. A crew member will be available at regular intervals to monitor
the payload/experiment. CREAM is sponsored by the Department of
Defense.
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, 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 2
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.
AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM
The Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS) is an electrical-optical
facility located on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The facility tracks
the orbiter as it flies over the area and records signatures from
thruster firings, water dumps or the phenomena of shuttle glow, a
well-documented glowing effect around the Shuttle caused by the
interaction of atomic oxygen with the spacecraft. The information
obtained is used to calibrate the infrared and optical sensors at the
facility. No hardware onboard the Shuttle is needed for the system.
SHUTTLE ACTIVATION MONITOR
The Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM) is designed to measure gamma
ray data within the orbiter as a function of time and location.
Located in the middeck, the crew will install a foil packet at four
locations onboard. A tape recorder and two detector assemblies will
record the information. Each activation of the experiment will last
about 12 hours and will record information from a different location of
the cabin. SAM is sponsored by the Air Force Space Systems Division,
Los Angeles, Calif.
INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING
The Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP),
a middeck payload, will make its fourth 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-48 mission will provide additional data on
the polymer precipitation process.
Polymer membranes have been used by industry in separation 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 (typically water) bath to precipitate the membrane from the
solution and complete the process.
On the STS-48 mission, Commander John Creighton will operate the
IPMP experiment. He will begin by removing the units from their
stowage location in a middeck locker. By turning the unit's valve to
the first stop, the evaporation process is initiated. After a
specified period consisting of several minutes, 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. The two units remain stowed in the locker
for the flight's duration.
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
program manager for IPMP. Dr. Vince McGinness of Battelle is principal
investigator.
ELECTRONIC STILL PHOTOGRAPHY TEST
Electronic still photography is a new technology that enables a
camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution
approaching film quality. The digital image is stored on removable
hard disks or small optical disks, and can be converted to a format
suitable for downlink transmission or enhanced using image processing
software.
The ability to enhance and annotate high-resolution images on
orbit and downlink them in realtime is expected to greatly improve
photo-documentation capabilities in Earth observations and on-board
activity on the Space Shuttle as well as future long-duration flights
such as Space Station Freedom or a human mission to Mars.
During the STS-48 mission, NASA will evaluate the on- orbit and
downlinking performance and capabilities of the Electronic Still Camera
(ESC), a handheld, self-contained digital camera developed by the
Man-Systems Division at Johnson Space Center. The ESC is the first
model in a planned evolutionary development leading to a family of
high-resolution digital imaging devices.
Additionally, through a Technical Exchange Agreement with NASA's
Office of Commercial Programs, Autometric, Inc., Alexandria, Va., will
assess the utility of the camera for commercial applications in close
range photogrammetry, terrestrial monitoring and near realtime
capabilities.
The basic photographic platform is a Nikon F4 35mm film camera
converted to a digital image storing device by placement of a 1 million
picture element (pixel) charge coupled device (CCD) at the film plane.
The battery-operated ESC retains all the available features of the F4
and will accept any lense or optics with a Nikon mount. Lenses used on
STS-48 will include the 20mm AF Nikkor, 35-70mm zoom AF Nikkor, 50mm
f/1.2 AF Nikkor and 180mm AF Nikkor.
Images obtained during the STS-48 mission will be monochrome with
8 bits of digital information per pixel (256 gray levels) and stored on
a removable computer hard disk. The images may be viewed and enhanced
on board using a modified lap-top computer before being transmitted to
the ground via the orbiter digital downlinks.
During STS-48, the ESC will be used to image areas of interest to
commercial remote sensing users. Scenes of Earth, such as major cities
and geological formations will be used to compare the ESC to other
Earth-looking sensors. Images of Shuttle crew member tasks in the
middeck and payload bay will be taken to test the camera's use for
documentation and support to missions. Attempts will be made to
collect stereo pairs at close and far ranges to test the camera's
photogrammetric capabilities.
In addition to imagery collection by the Shuttle crew, three
ground-based tasks will be employed to demonstrate the advantages of a
digital system. The first will provide hard-copy prints of the
downlinked images during the mission. Upon receipt at the Mission
Control Center, the images will be processed on a workstation and
stored on disks for transfer to JSC's Electronic Still Camera
Laboratory.
There, the images will be processed by Autometric and printed
with the 3M Color Laser Imager, an advanced 300 dpi color output device
capable of printing over 170 photographic quality originals an hour.
The goal is to have hard-copy images within 1 hour after the image is
received in Mission Control.
The second demonstration will be performed in conjunction with
the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS). To provide
additional imagery to compare with the ESC data, VIMS will conduct a
simultaneous collection of imagery with an airborne sensor of the
Colonial National Historic Park and the Middle Peninsula of Virginia.
The third task will test the ability to respond to ad hoc imaging
requirements which could provide critical support to management of
natural disasters and other crises. After the mission commences, an
area of interest will be named, it's location precisely defined and
collection times identified. The imagery then will be downlinked to
and printed at JSC.
H. Don Yeates, Man-Systems Divison, Johnson Space Center, is
program manager for the Electronic Still Camera. Jennifer Visick is
the program manager for Autometric, Inc.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL RODENT EXPERIMENT
The Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE-01)
is the first in a series of planned experiments that focuses on
physiological and developmental adaptation to microgravity.
The PARE-01 experiment will examine changes caused by exposure
to microgravity in anti-gravity muscles (those used for movement) and
in tissues not involved in movement. Previous experience has
indicated that muscle atrophy resulting from exposure to the
weightlessness of space is a serious consideration, particularly for
missions of extended duration. This and similar research may
ultimately lead to a better understanding of muscle wasting, which
could lead to development of treatments for muscle atrophy in patients
confined to bed for long periods of time, as well as for astronauts.
Through previous ground-based research, the principal investigator
has identified glucose transport as one important factor in muscle
atrophy and the breakdown of muscle proteins. The objectives of this
flight experiment are to determine whether microgravity affects insulin
control of glucose transport in an anti-gravity muscle (the soleus); to
confirm that in microgravity, non-load-bearing tissues (the heart,
liver and adipose tissue) store additional amounts of glycogen as a
result of altered regulation of glucose metabolism; and to provide the
first data regarding changes in muscle mass and protein content in
developing mammals exposed to microgravity.
In this experiment, eight young, healthy rats will fly on the
Space Shuttle. After flight, full ground studies housing an identical
group of animals under identical conditions (except for the presence of
gravity) will be conducted. Both groups will be housed in
self-contained animal enclosure modules that provide food, water and
environmental control throughout the flight. The experiment's design
and intent have received the review and approval of the animal care and
use committees at both NASA and the University of Arizona. Laboratory
animal veterinarians will oversee the selection, care and handling of
the rats.
Following the flight, the rat tissues will be thoroughly evaluated
by Dr. Marc Tischler of the College of Medicine, University of Arizona,
Tucson, the principal investigator. Payload and mission integration
support is provided by NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View,
Calif.
STS-48 CREW BIOGRAPHIES
John O. Creighton, 48, Capt., USN, will serve as Commander of
STS-48 and will be making his third space flight. Creighton, from
Seattle, Wash., was selected as an astronaut in January 1978.
Creighton graduated from Ballard High School in Seattle in 1961;
received a bachelor of science from the United States Naval Academy in
1966 and a masters of science in administration of science and
technology from George Washington University in 1978.
Creighton received his wings in October 1967. From July 1968
to May 1970, he flew F-4Js and made two combat deployments to Vietnam
aboard the USS Ranger. In June 1970, he attended the Naval Test Pilot
School. After graduation, he served as the F-14 engine development
project officer with the Service Test Division at the Naval Air Station
in Patuxent River, Md. He later became a member of the first F-14
operational squadron. At the time of his selection by NASA, he was
assigned as an operations officer and an F-14 program manager in the
Naval Air Test Center's Strike Directorate.
Creighton first flew as pilot aboard Shuttle mission STS-51G in
June 1985, a mission that deployed communications satellites for
Mexico, the Arab League, and the U.S. Creighton next flew as Commander
of STS-36, a March 1990 Department of Defense-dedicated Shuttle
flight. He has logged 276 hours in space.
Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr., 40, Cmdr., USN, will serve as pilot.
Selected as an astronaut in June 1987, Reightler considers Virginia
Beach, Va., his hometown and will be making his first space flight.
He graduated from Bayside High School in Virginia Beach in 1969;
received a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from the Naval
Academy in 1973; and received a masters of science in aeronautical
engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a masters in systems
management from the University of Southern California in 1984.
Reightler was designated a naval aviator at Corpus Christi, Texas.,
in 1973, and then served as Mission Commander and Patrol Plane
Commander to Patrol Squadron 16 in Jacksonville, Fla. Reightler
graduated from the Naval Test Pilot School in 1978, and he served as a
senior airborne systems instructor pilot and later as a chief flight
instructor there until his selection by NASA.
Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, 36, Major, USA, will be Mission Specialist 1.
Selected as an astronaut in June 1985, Gemar will be making his second
space flight and considers Scotland, S.D., his hometown.
Gemar graduated from Scotland Public High School in 1973 and
received a bachelor of science in engineering from the U.S. Military
Academy in 1979.
Gemar was assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg, N.C.,
in November 1973. After attending the Military Academy, he studied
entry rotary wing aviation and fixed-wing, multi-engine aviation.
Until his selection by NASA, he was assigned with the 24th Infantry
Division, where he served as Wright Army Airfield Commander, among
other duties.
Gemar served as a mission specialist on STS-38, a Department of
Defense-dedicated flight in November 1990. Gemar has logged 117 hours
in space.
James F. Buchli, 46, Col., USMC, will be Mission Specialist 2.
Selected as an astronaut in August 1979, Buchli considers New Rockford,
N.D., his hometown and will be making his fourth space flight.
Buchli graduated from Fargo Central High School, Fargo, N.D., in
1973; received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from
the Naval Academy in 1967.and received a masters of science in
aeronautical engineering systems from the University of West Florida in
1975.
Buchli served as Platoon Commander of the 9th Marine Regiment and
later as a Company Commander and Executive Officer of "B" Company, 3rd
Reconnaissance Battalion, in Vietnam. In 1969, he went through naval
flight officer training at Pensacola, Fla. After graduation, he was
assigned to various fighter attack squadrons in Hawaii, Japan and South
Carolina.
Buchli first flew as a mission specialist on STS-51C, the first
Department of Defense-dedicated Shuttle mission in January 1985. He
next flew on STS-61A, a German Spacelab flight, as a mission specialist
in November 1985. His third flight was mission STS-29 in March 1989, a
flight that deployed the third Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.
Buchli has logged 362 hours in space.
Mark N. Brown, 40, Col., USAF, will be Mission Specialist 3.
Selected as an astronaut in May 1984, Brown considers Valparaiso, Ind.,
his hometown and will be making his second space flight.
Brown graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1969; received a
bachelor of science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from
Purdue University in 1973; and received a masters of science in
astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in
1980.
Brown received his pilot wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas,
in 1974, and was assigned to the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at
K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich. In 1979, Brown was transferred to
the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio. Brown was employed by NASA's Johnson Space Center at the
time of his selection as an astronaut, with duties that included a
Flight Activities Officer in Mission Control and development of many
contingency procedures for the Shuttle.
Brown first flew on STS-28, a Department of Defense-dedicated flight
in August 1989. He has logged a total of 121 hours in space.
STS-48 MISSION MANAGEMENT
NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Richard H. Truly - NASA Administrator
J. R. Thompson - Deputy Administrator
Office of Space Flight
Dr. William Lenoir - Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight
Robert L. Crippen - Director, Space Shuttle
Leonard S. Nicholson - Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Program)
Brewster H. Shaw - Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations)
Office of Space Science
Dr. L. A. Fisk, Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications
Alphonso V. Diaz, Deputy Associate Administrator,
Space Science and Applications
Dr. Shelby G. Tilford, Director, Earth Science and Applications Division
Michael R. Luther, Program Manager
Dr. Robert J. McNeal, Program Scientist
Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology
Arnold D. Aldrich, Associate Administrator for Aeronautics,
Exploration and Technology
Gregory S. Reck, Director for Space technology
Jack Levine, Director, Flight Projects Division
Jon S. Pyle, Manager, IN-STEP
Lelia Vann, MODE Program manager
Office of Commercial Programs
James T. Rose, Assistant Administrator for Commercial Programs
J. Michael Smith, Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Commercial Programs (Program Development)
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
John L. Emond, Agreements Coordinator
Office of Safety and Mission Quality
George A. Rodney, Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Quality
James H. Ehl, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Quality
Richard U. Perry, Director, Programs Assurance Division
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD.
Dr. John M. Klineberg, Director
Charles E. Trevathan, Project Manager
Dr. Carl A. Reber, Project Scientist
John L. Donley, Deputy Project Manager
Richard F. Baker, Deputy Project Manager/Resources
John Pandelides, Ground and Mission Systems Manager
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA.
Forrest S. McCartney, Director
Jay Honeycutt, Director, Shuttle Management and Operations
Robert B. Sieck, Launch Director
John T. Conway, Director, Payload Management and Operations
Joanne H. Morgan, Director, Payload Project Management
Roelof Schuiling, STS-48 Payload Manager
MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE, ALA.
Thomas J. Lee, Director
Dr. J. Wayne Littles, Deputy Director
G. Porter Bridwell, Manager, Shuttle Projects Office
Dr. George F. McDonough, Director, Science and Engineering
Alexander A. McCool, Director, Safety and Mission Assurance
Victor Keith Henson, Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project
Cary H. Rutland, Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project
Jerry W. Smelser, Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine 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
Donald Puddy, Director, Flight Crew Operations
Eugene F. Kranz, Director, Mission Operations
Henry O. Pohl, Director, Engineering
Charles S. Harlan, Director - Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance
Robert Stuckey, MODE Payload Integration Manager
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
LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER, HAMPTON, VA
Richard H. Petersen, Director
W. Ray Hook, Director for Space
Joseph B. Talbot, Manager, Space Station Freedom Office
Lenwood G. Clark, Manager, Experiments Office
Robert W. Buchan, NASA MODE Experiment Manager
Sherwin M. Beck, NASA MODE Project Manager
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