SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES MISSION AND EXPERIMENTS
Many volumes of research remain to be recorded and studied
regarding adaptation of humans to the weightless environment of
space flight. The blanks, however, will begin to be filled
following the broad range of experiments to be conducted on the
Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1).
With the help of the STS-40 crew, investigators from across
the nation will conduct tests on the cardiovascular,
cardiopulmonary, metabolic, musculoskeletal and neurovestibular
systems.
There are 18 primary experiments chosen for SLS-1. Those
using human subjects are managed by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space
Center, Houston, Texas, and those using animals are managed by the
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Organized by the
managing NASA center, this section of the press kit will summarize
the 18 experiments, identify the principal investigators and list
flight hardware used to support the experiments.
Johnson Space Center Spacelab Life Sciences-1 Experiments
Activities involved with the human experiments on-board
Columbia are managed by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center,
Houston, Texas. Preflight baseline data collection will be
performed primarily at Johnson Space Center with several tests
scheduled at the Kennedy Space Center just prior to launch.
Investigators will perform post-flight tests at the Ames-Dryden
Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.
A broad range of instruments -- some, unique hardware and
others, standard equipment -- will be used by the human subjects
throughout the mission. Equipment will include a neck chamber,
cardiopulmonary rebreathing unit, gas analyzer mass spectrometer,
rotating dome, inflight blood collection system, urine monitoring
system, bag-in-box assembly, strip chart recorders, physiological
monitoring system, incubators, low-gravity centrifuge,
echocardiograph and venous occlusion cuff controller.
In total, the 10 experiments will explore the capabilities of
the human body in space. A brief description of these experiments
follows:
Influence of Weightlessness Upon Human Autonomic Cardiovascular
Controls
Principal investigator:
Dwain L. Eckberg, M.D.
Medical College of Virginia
Richmond, Va.
This experiment will investigate the theory that
lightheadedness and a reduction in blood pressures in astronauts
upon standing after landing may arise because the normal reflex
system regulating blood pressure behaves differently after having
adapted to a microgravity environment.
For this experiment, some SLS-1 crewmembers will wear neck
chambers that resemble whip-lash collars to detect blood pressure
in the neck. Investigators will take blood pressure measurements
both before and after the flight for comparison. Astronauts will
take the same measurements themselves on orbit to map changes that
occur during spaceflight.
Inflight Study of Cardiovascular Deconditioning
Principal investigator:
Leon E. Farhi, M.D.
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, N.Y.
Just how rapidly astronauts become accustomed to microgravity
and then readjust to the normal gravitational forces on Earth is
the focus of this study. By analyzing the gas composition of a
mixture which the STS-40 astronauts "rebreathe," investigators will
calculate how much blood is being delivered by the heart to the
body during space flight.
This experiment uses a non-invasive technique of prolonged
expiration and rebreathing -- inhaling in previously exhaled gases
-- to measure the cardiovascular and respiratory changes. The
technique furnishes information on functions including the amount
of blood pumped out of the heart, oxygen usage and carbon dioxide
released by the body, heart contractions, blood pressure and lung
functioning.
Astronauts will perform the rebreathing technique while
resting and while pedaling on an exercise bike to provide a look
at the heart's ability to cope with added physical stress. On the
first and last days of the STS-40 mission, only resting
measurements will be taken. Rest and graded exercise measurements
are made on most other days.
Vestibular Experiments in Spacelab
Principal investigator:
Laurence R. Young, Sc.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Mass.
A joint U.S./Canadian research program has been developed to
perform a set of closely related experiments to investigate space
motion sickness, any associated changes in inner ear vestibular
function during weightlessness and the impact of those changes
postflight. Parts of this experiment will be carried out inflight,
other parts on the ground both pre- and post-flight.
As part of the inflight activities, the team will study the
interaction between conflicting visual, vestibular and tactile
information. Investigators expect crew members to become
increasingly dependent on visual and tactile cues for spatial
orientation. The test calls for a crew member to place his/her
head in a rotating dome hemispherical display to induce a
sensation of self-rotation in the direction opposite to the dome
rotation. The astronaut will then move a joy stick to indicate
his/her perception of self-motion.
Awareness of position by astronauts is important for reaching
tasks especially during landing operations. The objective of
several tests during the flight will document the loss of sense of
orientation and limb position in the absence of visual cues and
will determine what mechanisms underlie the phenomenon.
During the presleep period, crewmembers will view several
targets placed about the interior of Spacelab. They then will be
blindfolded and asked to describe the position of their limbs in
reference to their torso and to point to the targets. In post
sleep, crew members upon waking and while blindfolded perceive
their posture, position of their limbs and location of familiar
orbiter structures, recording the accuracy of their perceptions.
The next two parts of this experiment will be performed as
time permits on the SLS-1 mission or continued on a later Spacelab
mission. Both experiments have been previously performed by
crewmembers in space.
The next part looks at the causes and treatment of space
motion sickness (SMS) and evaluates the success of Earth-based
tests to predict SMS susceptibility. Two crew members will wear an
acceleration recording unit (ARU) to measure all head movement and
to provide detailed commentary regarding the time, course and and
signs of SMS. Subjects wearing the ARU will wear the collar for
several hours during the mission and if desired, when symptoms
occur. The influence of the collar on the resulting head movement
pattern and SMS symptoms will be monitored.
Another battery of tests performed preflight will attempt to
determine which test or combination of tests could aid in
predicting SMS.
Protein Metabolism During Space Flight
Principal investigator:
T. Peter Stein, Ph.D.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Camden, N.J.
This study involves several tests looking at the mechanisms
involved in protein metabolism including changes in protein
synthesis rates, muscle breakdown rates and use of dietary nitrogen
in a weightless environment.
This experiment will examine whole body protein metabolism by
measuring the concentration of 15N-glycine, an amino acid in
protein, in saliva and urine samples from crew members and ground
control subjects preflight, inflight and postflight.
Crew members will collect urine samples throughout the
flight. On the second and eighth flight days, astronauts also will
take oral doses of 15N-glycine. Crew members will collect and
freeze a urine sample 10 hours after the ingestion of the glycine
for postflight analyses. Urinary 3-methyl histidine, a marker for
muscle protein breakdown also will be monitored.
Fluid-Electrolyte Regulation During Spaceflight
Principal investigator:
Carolyn Leach-Huntoon, Ph.D.
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
Adaptation to the weightless environment is known to change
fluid, electrolyte, renal and circulatory processes in humans. A
shift of body fluids from the lower limbs to the upper body occurs
to all astronauts while in space.
This experiment makes detailed measurements before, during
and after flight to determine immediate and long-term changes in
kidney function; changes in water, salt and mineral balance;
shifts in body fluids from cells and tissues; and immediate and
long-term changes in levels of hormones which affect kidney
function and circulation.
Test protocol requires that crew members collect urine
samples throughout the flight. Body mass is measured daily and a
log is kept of all food, fluids and medication taken in flight.
Fasting blood samples are collected from the crew members as soon
as possible inflight and at specified intervals on selected flight
days thereafter.
Tests will determine the amount of certain tracers that can
be released from a given volume of blood or plasma into urine in a
specified amount of time, measuring the rate and loss of body water
and determining changes in blood plasma volume and extracellular
fluid. Measurements will be made two times inflight by collecting
blood samples at timed intervals after each subject has received a
precalculated dose of a tracer, a chemical which allows the
compound to be tracked as it moves through the body. Total body
water is measured during flight using water labeled with a heavy
isotope of oxygen.
Each subject drinks a premeasured dose of the tracer and
subsequently collects urine samples at timed intervals. Plasma
volume and extracellular fluid volume are measured by collecting
blood samples at timed intervals after tracer injections. Hormonal
changes are investigated by sensitive assays of both plasma and
urine.
* * *
Pulmonary Function During Weightlessness
Principal investigator:
John B. West, M.D., Ph.D.
University of California
San Diego, Calif.
This experiment provides an opportunity for study of the
properties of the human lung without the influence of gravity. In
the microgravity Spacelab, a model of lung function will be
developed to serve as a basis for comparison for the normal and
diseased lung. Also, investigators will glean information about
the lung for planning longer space missions.
There will be a series of eight breath tests conducted with
measurements taken at rest and after breathing various test bag
mixtures. The test assembly allows the subject to switch from
breathing cabin air to inhaling premixed gases in separate
breathing bags. Breathing exercises involve the inhalation of
specially prepared gas mixtures.
The tests are designed to examine the distribution and
movement of blood and gas within the pulmonary system and how these
measurements compare to normal respiration. By measuring gas
concentrations, the flow of gas through the lungs into the blood
stream and rate of blood flow into the lungs, investigators hope to
better understand the human pulmonary function here on Earth and
learn how gravity plays a part in influencing lung function.
Lymphocyte Proliferation in Weightlessness
Principal investigator:
Augusto Cogoli, Ph.D.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Zurich, Switzerland
Following investigations carried out during Spacelab 1 and
the German D-1 shuttle missions, this experiment will investigate
the effect of weightlessness on the activation of lymphocyte
reproduction. The study also will test whether there is a possible
alteration of the cells responsible for part of the immune defense
system during space flight.
STS-40 will repeat the basic Spacelab-1 experiment.
Lymphocytes will be purified from human blood collected 12 hours
before launch. The cells will be resuspended in a culture medium,
sealed in culture blocks and stowed on Columbia's middeck.
Inflight, the samples will be exposed to a mitogen (a substance
that promotes cell division) and allowed to grow in the weightless
environment. Some of the samples also will be exposed to varying
gravity levels on the low-gravity centrifuge. These samples will
serve as a control group as they will experience the same
environmental conditions with the exception of micro-gravity.
The stimulation of the lymphocytes to reproduce is
determined by monitoring the incorporation of a chemical isotope
tracer into the cells' DNA. Investigators will gather further
information on lymphocytes from blood samples taken from the crew
inflight.
Influence of Space Flight on Erythrokinetics in Man
Principal investigator:
Clarence Alfrey, M.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
The most consistent finding from space flight is the
decrease in circulating red blood cells or erythrocytes and
subsequent reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
This experiment studies the mechanisms which may be responsible for
this decrease, including the effect of space flight on red blood
cell production rate and the role of changes in body weight and
plasma volume on red blood cell production.
Blood samples taken pre-, post- and inflight will trace the
life of astronauts' red blood cells. By measuring the volume of
red blood cells and plasma, researchers will check the rate of
production and destruction of blood in both normal and microgravity
conditions.
On flight day two, crew members will receive an injection of
a tracer that will measure the amount of new red blood cells.
Tracers (chemicals that will attach to the red blood cell to
allowing them to be tracked) injected before launch will measure
the destruction rate of red blood cells. Crew members will draw
blood samples on the second, third, fourth, eighth and ninth days
of flight.
Cardiovascular Adaptation to Microgravity
Principal investigator:
C. Gunnar Blomqvist, M.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas
This experiment will focus on the acute changes in
cardiovascular function, heart dimensions and function at rest,
response to maximal exercise and control mechanisms.
The experiment seeks to increase the understanding of
microgravity-induced changes in the cardiovascular structure and
function responsible for a common problem during return to normal
gravity of orthostatic hypotension or the inability to maintain
normal blood pressure and flow while in an upright position.
Central venous pressure -- measurements of changes in the
blood pressure in the great veins near the heart -- will be
observed in one crew member. A cardiologist will insert a
catheter into a vein in the arm and position it near the heart
prior to flight. Measurements then will be recorded for 24 hours
beginning prior to launch and extending for at least 4 hours into
space flight, at which time the catheter is removed. The catheter
data will indicate the degree of body fluid redistribution and the
speed at which the redistribution occurs.
Echocardiograph measurements, a method of sending high
frequency sound into the body to provide a view of the heart, will
be performed on crew members each day.
Leg flow and compliance measurements will gather information
on leg blood flow and leg vein pressure-volume relationships.
During flow measurements, blood in the veins of the leg will be
stopped for a short period of time by inflating a cuff above the
knee. Compliance measurements, the amount of blood that pools for a
given increased pressure in the veins will be obtained by
inflating and incrementally deflating the cuff over different
pressures and holding that pressure until the volume of the leg
reaches an equilibrium.
Pathophysiology of Mineral Loss During Space Flight
Principal investigator:
Claude D. Arnaud, M.D.
University of California
San Francisco, Calif.
Changes in calcium balance during space flight is an area of
concern for researchers since the changes appear to be similar to
those observed in humans with osteoporosis, a condition in which
bone mass decreases and the bones become porous and brittle and are
prone to fracturing or breaking. Because of potential health
problems for astronauts returning to Earth after long space
flights, the mechanisms which cause these changes are of great
interest in space medicine.
This experiment will measure the changes which occur during
space flight in circulating levels of calcium metabolizing
hormones and to directly measure the uptake and release of calcium
in the body. Investigators believe there may be significant
changes in the amount of these hormones produced due to an increase
in the breakdown and reassimilation of bone tissue and that these
changes begin to occur within hours after entering the weightless
environment.
Each crew member will be weighed daily and will keep a log of
all food, fluids and medications ingested. They also will draw
blood samples on selected days to determine the role of calcium
regulating hormones on the observed changes in calcium balance. The
experiment is repeated on selected days preflight and postflight. A
simultaneous ground experiment is performed using non-crew member
subjects.
* * *
The Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., as the
developer of nonhuman life sciences experiments, will supply eight
investigations to the SLS-1 mission. They are designed to
increase our knowledge about the functioning of basic life
processes during exposure to microgravity.
These experiments will examine three systems:
musculoskeletal, neurovestibular and hematopoietic. Seven of the
investigations will use laboratory rats as subjects. A
gravitational biology experiment will study jellyfish development
and behavior. Ames Research Center also has developed several
pieces of flight hardware to support these experiments.
The Ames payload consists of a research animal holding
facility (RAHF), two animal enclosure modules (AEMs), a general
purpose work station and associated general purpose transfer unit,
a refrigerator/incubator module, a small mass measuring instrument
and eight animal experiments. A brief description of each of those
experiments follows.
Regulation of Erythropoiesis During Space Flight
Principal Investigator:
Robert D. Lange, M.D.
University of Tennessee Medical Center
Knoxville, Tenn.
Regulation of Blood Volume During Space Flight
Principal Investigator:
Clarence Alfrey, M.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
This combined investigation will explore the mechanisms for
changes seen in red blood cell mass and blood volume in crews on
previous space flights. Several factors known to affect
erythropoiesis will be examined. It also will determine whether
comparable changes occur in the rat and if the rat is a
satisfactory model for studying microgravity-induced changes in
human blood.
Previous space flight crews have consistently exhibited
decreased red blood cell mass and plasma volume. The mechanisms
responsible for these changes are not known, although a decrease in
red blood cell production may play a role in altered red cell mass.
The SLS-1 hematology experiments will study two parts of the
blood system: the liquid portion (plasma), which contains water,
proteins, nutrients, electrolytes, hormones and metabolic wastes
and a cellular portion, which contains red and white blood cells
and platelets.
Bone, Calcium and Space Flight
Principal Investigator:
Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D.
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, Calif.
Weightlessness causes a slow loss of calcium and phosphorus
from the bones during and immediately following space flight.
Negative calcium balance, decreased bone density and inhibition of
bone formation have been reported. Most of the loss is thought to
occur in the leg bones and the spine, which are responsible for
movement and erect posture.
Previous studies of rodents exposed to microgravity have
shown decreased skeletal growth early in the mission; reduced
concentrations of a protein secreted by bone-forming cells,
suggesting a reduction in the activity of these cells; and reduced
leg bone breaking strength and reduced bone mass in the spine.
Formation of bone probably does not cease abruptly, but more
likely decreases gradually as the number and/or activity of bone-
forming cells decreases. This experiment will allow more precise
calculation of the length of flight time required to significantly
inhibit bone formation in rats.
Dr. Morey-Holton's experiment focuses on growth that occurs
in a number of specific bones such as the leg, spine and jaw. The
study also will document alterations in bone growth patterns and
bone-breaking strength in rodents exposed to weightlessness and it
will determine whether bone formation returns to normal levels
after space flight.
A Study of the Effects of Space Travel on Mammalian Gravity
Receptors
Principal Investigator:
Muriel Ross, Ph.D.
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, Calif.
The neurovestibular system, which helps animals orient their
bodies, is very sensitive to gravity. In space, gravity no longer
influences the tiny otolith crystals, which are small, calcified
gravity receptors in the inner ear. In micro-gravity, information
sent to the brain from the inner ear and other sensory organs may
conflict with cues anticipated from past experiences in Earth's
normal gravity field. This conflict results in disorientation.
Previous flight experience has shown that vestibular
symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and dizziness and instability
when standing, occur in more than half of the astronauts during the
first few days of flight, with some symptoms lasting for up to 10
days post-flight.
This study investigates structural changes that may occur
within the inner ear in response to the microgravity of space. It
seeks to define the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the
otoliths. Scientists suspect that otolith degeneration may occur as
a result of changes in the body's calcium levels, carbohydrate and
protein metabolism, body fluid distribution and hormone secretions.
The study also will examine the degree to which any changes
noted remain static, progress or recover during a 7-day period
post-flight.
Effects of Microgravity-Induced Weightlessness on Aurelia Ephyra
Differentiation and Statolith Synthesis
Principal Investigator:
Dorothy B. Spangenberg, Ph.D.
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Norfolk, Va.
Jellyfish are among the simplest organisms possessing a
nervous system. They use structures called rhopalia to maintain
their correct orientation in water. Rhopalia have statoliths that
are analogous to mammalian otoliths, the gravity-sensing organs of
the inner ear that help mammals maintain balance.
The purpose of this investigation is to determine the role
microgravity plays in the development and function of gravity-
receptor structures of Aurelia (a type of jellyfish). Ephyrae are
a tiny form of the jellyfish. This experiment will study the
gravity receptors of ephyrae to determine how microgravity
influences their development and function, as well as the animals'
swimming behavior.
Skeletal Myosin Isoenzymes in Rats Exposed to Microgravity
Principal Investigator:
Joseph Foon Yoong Hoh, Ph.D.
University of Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Skeletal muscle fibers exist in two forms, classified as
slow- twitch or fast-twitch, depending on how fast they contract.
The two forms develop similar forces when contracting but they
contract at different speeds. The speed of contraction is directly
related to the amount of the protein myosin in muscle fibers.
Myosin is made up of five isoenzymes, which differ in structure and
in enzyme activity.
In Earth's gravity, a low-firing frequency stimulates the
slow- twitch fibers, which support a body against gravity. The
fast- twitch fibers, which are related to body movement, contract
in response to high-frequency nerve impulses.
This study will examine how microgravity affects the speed of
muscle contractions. Because stimuli to the slow-twitch anti-
gravity muscles should be greatly reduced in microgravity, the
concentration of myosin isoenzymes in these fibers should be lower.
This experiment should provide additional data to help explain how
microgravity affects the speed of muscle contractions and the
growth and proliferation of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle
fibers.
Effects of Microgravity on Biochemical and Metabolic Properties of
Skeletal Muscle in Rats
Principal Investigator:
Kenneth M. Baldwin, Ph.D.
University of California
Irvine, Calif.
It has been proposed that a loss of muscle mass in astronauts
during weightlessness produces the observed loss of strength and
endurance, particularly in the anti-gravity muscles. One
explanation is that exposure to microgravity results in the removal
of sufficient stress or tension on the muscles to maintain adequate
levels of certain proteins and enzymes.
These proteins and enzymes enable cells to use oxygen to
convert nutrients into energy. When gravitational stress is
reduced, protein activity also decreases and muscles become more
dependent on glycogen stored in the liver and muscles for energy.
As the body metabolizes glycogen, muscle endurance decreases.
Radioactive carbon compounds will be used to evaluate energy
metabolism in the hind leg muscles of the rats exposed to
microgravity. The concentration of the enzymes reflects the kind
of metabolic activity occurring in muscles during periods of
reduced gravitational stress. In addition, skeletal muscle cells
of flight and ground-control animals will be compared to assess any
changes in the concentration of enzymes that break down glycogen.
The Effects of Microgravity on the Electron Microscopy,
Histochemistry and Protease Activities of Rat Hindlimb Muscles
Principal Investigator:
Danny A. Riley, Ph.D.
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wis.
The anti-gravity skeletal muscles of astronauts exposed to
microgravity for extended periods exhibit progressive weakness.
Studies of rodents flown in space for 7 days on a previous mission
have shown a 40 percent loss of mass in the anti-gravity leg
muscles. Other studies indicate the loss of strength may result
from simple muscle fiber shrinkage, death of muscle cells and/or
degeneration of motor innervation. In addition, the biochemical
process that generates energy in muscle cells was almost totally
absent. The progressive atrophy of certain muscles in
microgravity is the focus of this study, which compares the atrophy
rates of muscles used primarily to oppose gravity with those
muscles used for movement.
Investigators will examine muscle tissues of flight and
ground-control rodents to look for the shrinkage or death of muscle
cells, breakdown of muscle fibers or degeneration of motor nerves.
Scientists also hope to discover the chemical basis for atrophy by
analyzing the concentration of enzymes that facilitate the
breakdown of proteins within cells.
* * * * * *
STS-40 CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Marine Corps Col. Bryan D. O'Connor, 44, will serve as
Commander of STS-40 and will be making his second space flight.
O'Connor, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., was selected as an
astronaut in May 1980.
He graduated from Twentynine Palms High School in 1964,
received a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the U.S.
Naval Academy in 1968 and received a master of science in
aeronautical engineering from the University of West Florida in
1970.
He was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1968 and following
several overseas assignments, graduated from the Navy Test Pilot
School and began duty as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test
Center's Strike Test Directorate. He served as project pilot for
various very short take off and landing (VSTOL) research aircraft,
including preliminary evaluation of the YAV-88 advanced Harrier
prototype.
After selection as an astronaut, he served as a T-38 chase
pilot for STS-3 and as spacecraft communicator for STS-5 through
STS-9. He then served as pilot of Atlantis on STS-61B from Nov. 26
through Dec. 3, 1985, during which the crew deployed three
communications satellites and conducted two Space Station assembly
test spacewalks. O'Connor has logged more than 165 hours in space
and more than 4,100 hours flying time in jet aircraft.
Air Force Lt. Col. Sidney M. Gutierrez, 39, will serve as
Pilot. Selected as an astronaut in 1984, Gutierrez, from
Albuquerque, N.M., will be making his first space flight.
Gutierrez graduated from Valley High School, Albuquerque, in
1969, received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering
from the Air Force Academy in 1973 and received a master of arts in
management from Webster College in 1977.
He was a member of the Air Force Academy collegiate parachute
team while in college with a master parachutist rating and over 550
jumps. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, he was
assigned as a T-38 instructor pilot from 1975-1977 at Laughlin Air
Force Base, Del Rio, Texas. He attended the Air Force Test Pilot
School in 1981 and was assigned to the F-16 Falcon Combined Test
Force upon graduation, where he stayed until joining NASA.
At NASA, his duties have included work in the Shuttle
Avionics Integration Laboaratory and as the lead astronaut for
Shuttle software development, verification and future requirements
definition. He has logged more than 3,000 hours flying time in 30
different types of aircraft, sailplanes and balloons.
James P. Bagian, M.D., 39, will serve as Mission Specialist 1
(MS1). Selected as an astronaut in 1980, Bagian is from
Philadelphia, Pa., and will be making his second space flight.
Bagian graduated from Central High School, Philadelphia, in
1969, received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from
Drexel University in 1973 and received a doctorate of medicine from
Thomas Jefferson University in 1977.
Bagian worked as a mechanical engineer at the Naval Air Test
Center while pursuing his doctorate. Upon graduation, he served a
1-year residency with the Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa.
Subsequently, he joined NASA as a flight surgeon, concurrently
completing studies at the Air Force Flight Surgeons School and
School of Aerospace Medicine, San Antonio, Texas. Bagian is a Lt.
Col. in the Air Force Reserve.
After selection as an astronaut, Bagian worked in planning
and providing emergency medical and rescue support for the first
six Shuttle flights. Bagian served as a mission specialist aboard
Discovery on STS-29, March 13-18, 1989, on which the crew deployed
a tracking and data relay satellite, conducted a Space Station heat
pipe radiator experiment, two student experiments and a chromosome
and plant cell division experiment.
Tamara E. Jernigan, Ph.D., 32, will serve as Mission
Specialist 2 (MS2). Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Jernigan is
from Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and will be making her first space
flight.
Jernigan graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1977,
received a bachelor of science in physics and a master of science
in engineering science from Stanford University in 1981 and 1983,
respectively, received a master of science in astronomy from the
University of California-Berkley in 1985 and received a doctorate
in space physics and astronomy from Rice University, Houston,
Texas, in 1988. After selection as an astronaut, Jernigan worked
as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control for five Shuttle
flights.
Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D., 43, will serve as Mission
Specialist 3 (MS3). Selected as an astronaut in 1978, Seddon is
from Murfreesboro, Tenn., and will be making her second space
flight.
Seddon graduated from Central High School, Murfreesboro, in
1965, received a bachelor of arts in physiology from the
University of California-Berkley in 1970 and received a doctorate
of medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in
1973. She completed a surgical internship and 3 years of general
surgery residency in Memphis following graduation.
Seddon served as a Mission Specialist aboard Discovery on
STS- 51D, April 12-19, 1985. During the flight, the crew deployed
three communications satellites and conducted the first unscheduled
Shuttle spacewalk to correct a malfunction of one satellite. Seddon
has logged 168 hours of space flight.
Francis Andrew Gaffney, M.D., 44, will serve as Payload
Specialist 1 (PS1). Gaffney will be making his first space flight
and his hometown is Carlsbad, N.M.
Gaffney graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1964,
received a bachelor of arts from the University of
California-Berkley in 1968, received a doctor of medicine degree
from the University of New Mexico in 1972 and received a fellowship
in cardiology from the University of Texas in 1975.
He completed a 3-year medical internship and residency at
Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975,
and went on to receive a fellowship in cardiology at the
University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas,
becoming a faculty associate and an assistant professor of medicine
there in 1979. From 1979-1987, he served as assistant director of
echocardiography at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas.
Gaffney served as a visiting senior scientist with NASA from
1987-1989. He is a co-investigator on an experiment aboard STS-40
that studies human cardiovascular adaptation to space flight.
Millie Hughes-Fulford, Ph.D., 46, will serve as Payload
Specialist 2 (PS2). Hughes-Fulford, from Mineral Wells, Texas, will
be making her first space flight.
Hughes-Fulford graduated from Mineral Wells High School in
1972, received a bachelor of science in chemistry from Tarleton
State University, Stephenville, Texas and received a doctorate in
chemistry from Texas Woman's University, Denton, in 1972.
Since 1973, she has worked at the University of California
and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, doing extensive
research on cholesterol metabolism, cell differentation, DNA
synthesis and cell growth. After assignment by NASA, she has
continued her research, concentrating on a study of cellular and
molecular mechanisms for bone formation as it relates to space
flight.
STS-40
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES
Day One Ascent
OMS 2 engine firing
Spacelab activation
Metabolic experiment operations
Echocardiograph operations
Day Two Baroreflex tests
Pulmonary function tests
Echocardiograph activities
Cardiovascular operations
Ames Research Center operations
Day Three Ames Research Center operations
Rotating dome operations
Echocardiograph activities
DTOs
Day Four Baroreflex/Pulmonary function tests
Ames Research Center operations
Day Five Pulmonary function tests
Cardiovascular operations
Echocardiograph activities
Day Six Rotating dome operations
Echocardiograph activities
Cardiovascular operations
Ames Research Center operations
Day Seven DTOs
Ames Research Center operations
Day Eight Baroreflex tests
Echocardiograph
Cardiovascular operations
Day Nine Pulmonary function tests
Flight control systems checkout
Echocardiograph tests
Cardiovascular operations
Cabin stow
Partial Spacelab deactivation
Day Ten Spacelab deactivation
Deorbit preparation
Deorbit burn
Landing
STS-40 QUICK LOOK
Launch Date: May 24, 1991
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 39B
Launch Window: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. EDT
Orbiter: Columbia (OV-102)
Orbit: 160 by 150 nautical miles, 39 degrees inclination
Landing Date/Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PDT, June 2, 1991
Primary Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Transoceanic Abort Landing - Ben Guerir, Morroco
Abort Once Around - White Sands Space Harbor, N. M.
Crew: Bryan D. O'Connor, Commander;
Sidney M. Gutierrez, Pilot;
James P. Bagian, Mission Specialist 1;
Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist 2;
M. Rhea Seddon, Mission Specialist 3;
Francis A. (Drew) Gaffney, Payload Specialist 1;
Millie Hughes-Fulford, Payload Specialist 2
Cargo Bay Payloads: Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) Get Away Special
(GAS)
Bridge experiments
Middeck Payloads: Physiological Monitoring System (PMS)
Urine Monitoring System (UMS)
Animal Enclosure Modules (AEM)
STS-40
VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS
(Pounds)
Orbiter (Columbia), empty and 3 SSMEs 172,482
Spacelab Life Sciences-1 Module 21,271
GAS Bridge Assembly 4,885
Spacelab Support Equipment 750
Space Acceleration Measurement System 250
Detailed Test Objectives 88
Detailed Supplementary Objectives 35
Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,519,081
Orbiter Landing Weight 225,492
STS-40 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING
Processing the orbiter Columbia for the STS-40 mission at
Kennedy Space Center began Feb. 9, following its last mission -
STS-35/Astro I.
About 40 modifications were made to Columbia during its 10
and a half-week stay in the OPF. These modifications enhance the
performance and efficiency of the orbiter's complex systems. While
in the OPF, four modified external tank door bellcrank housings
were installed. Small cracks previously were found in three of the
housings.
Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are as
follows: engine 2015 in the No. 1 position, engine 2022 in the No.
2 position and engine 2027 in the No. 3 position. These engines
were installed in March.
The Crew Equipment Interface Test with the STS-40 flight crew
was conducted on April 7 in the OPF. This test provided an
opportunity for the crew to become familiar with the configuration
of the orbiter and anything that is unique to the STS-40 mission.
Technicians installed the Spacelab module on March 24 and
successfully conducted the required tests. The Spacelab tunnel,
leading from the orbiter's airlock to the module, was installed
April 3.
Booster stacking operations on mobile launcher platform 3
began March 16 with the left and right aft boosters. These
segments later were destacked to allow a realignment of the launch
platform holddown posts. Restacking began on March 23 with the
left aft booster. Stacking of all booster segments was completed
by April 11. The external tank was mated to the boosters on April
17 and Columbia was transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building on
April 26 where it was mated to the external tank and solid rocket
boosters.
The STS-40 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-B on May
2. A launch countdown dress rehearsal was scheduled for May 6-7 at
Kennedy Space Center.
A standard 43-hour launch countdown is scheduled to begin
three 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 two and one-half hours
before liftoff, the flight crew will begin taking their assigned
seats in the crew cabin.
KSC's recovery teams will prepare the orbiter Columbia for
the return trip to Florida following the end-of-mission landing at
Edwards AFB, Calif. Orbiter turnaround operations at Dryden Flight
Research Facility typically take about five days. A 2-day ferry
flight is planned because of the additional weight of the orbiter
returning with the Spacelab. The extra weight will require several
refueling stops during the ferry flight.
Following post-flight deservicing and removal of the Spacelab
payload and major orbiter components at Kennedy Space Center,
Columbia will be readied for ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. The
orbiter is scheduled to undergo extensive modifications, including
changes to accommodate an extended duration mission, at the
Rockwell manufacturing plant during a 6-month period from August
1991 to January 1992. Columbia's next scheduled flight is STS-50,
a planned extended duration mission with the U.S. Microgravity
Laboratory payload targeted for launch in June 1992.