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Info about shuttle flight 51- B
STS 51-B Mission
The Orbiter Challenger lifted off from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, KSC, at
12:02 p.m. EDT on April 29, 1985. This was the second flight of the Spacelab,
the first in a fully operational configuration. Spacelab capabilities for
multi-disciplinary research in microgravity were successfully demonstrated.
The gravity gradient attitude of the orbiter proved quite stable, allowing the
delicate experiments in materials processing and fluid mechanics to proceed
normally. The crew operated in two 12-hr shifts. Two monkeys and 24 rodents
were flown in special cages, the first time American astronauts have flown with
live mammals aboard. The astronaut experimenters in orbit were supported 24
hours a day by a temporary Payload Operations Control Center, located at the
Johnson Space Center. Challenger landed at Edwards AFB. Wheel motion stopped
at 12:11 p.m. EDT on May 6, 1985, after a mission duration of 7 days, 0 hours
and 8 minutes.
The crew members were Robert F. Overmyer, commander; Frederick D. Gregory,
pilot; Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton, mission
specialists; and Lodewijk van den Berg, of EG&G Energy Management, Inc., and
Taylor G. Wang, of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, payload specialists.
Payload and Experiments. Spacelab 3 carried a large number of experiments,
including 15 primary ones, of which 14 were successfully performed. There were
five basic discipline areas -- materials sciences, life sciences, fluid
mechanics, atmospheric physics, and astronomy -- with numerous experiments in
each. Two Getaway Special experiments required that they be deployed from their
canisters, a 'first' in this program. These were NUSAT (Northern Utah
Satellite) and GLOMR (Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite). NUSAT
deployed successfully, but GLOMR did not deploy and was returned to Earth.
CHALLENGER CARRIES FIRST OPERATIONAL SPACELAB MISSION
The launch of Space Shuttle mission 51-B/Spacelab 3 will usher in an era
of routine flights for Spacelab, NASA's modular, reusable research facility.
The mission marks the first operational flight for the European Space
Agency-developed space lab oratory. Fifteen experiments will be conducted
during the 7-day Spacelab 3 mission. This mission's main objective is to
provide a high quality microgravity environment for delicate materials
processing and fluid experiments.
Space Shuttle flight 51-B/Spacelab 3 is scheduled for launch from Launch
Complex 39, Pad A, at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on April 29, 1985, 12 Noon
EDT. Spacelab will operate inside the orbiter Challenger, circling Earth at an
altitude of 219 statute miles with an orbital inclination of 57 degrees.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is responsible
for overall management of the Spacelab 3 mission. The European Space Agency
(ESA) designed and developed Spacelab to serve as part of America's Space
Transportation System, the Space Shuttle. Spacelab includes various
standardized parts, such as habitable modules, pallets and airlocks that can be
assembled to meet the needs of a particular mission.
Spacelab 3 consists of a long habitable module, where scientists will work
in a shirtsleeve environment, and an experiment support structure, a
lightweight carrier bridging the payload bay for experiments requiring direct
exposure to space.
The module operated flawlessly during the first Spacelab mission in
November 1983, and the support structure has been used to carry experiments
during several previous Shuttle missions.
Scientific research will begin immediately after Spacelab is activated, 5
hours after launch. Spacelab 3 supports 15 investigations in five research
disciplines: materials science, life sciences, fluid mechanics, atmospheric
physics and astronomy. Twelve experiments were developed by U.S. scientists,
two by French scientists and one by Indian scientists. Two of the
experiments, one in astronomy and one in materials science, are reflights of
Spacelab 1 experiments.
Some of the experiments are performed in reusable "minilab" facilities
inside the habitable module. Five such units being flown for the first time on
this mission include two crystal growth facilities, an animal housing complex
for primates and rodents, and two units for investigating fluid behavior in
low gravity.
During the mission, scientists will conduct a variety of experiments to
validate theories, stimulate new ideas for applications on Earth and answer
basic questions about the nature of the universe. Spacelab 3 is called the
"microgravity mission" because it is uniquely designed to provide a smooth,
stable ride through space, reducing gravity and gravity-like forces to a
minimum. For this mission, delicate crystal growth and fluid mechanics
experiments which are dependent on a lack of gravity have been clustered near
the spacecraft's center of gravity, the most stable part of the vehicle. To
further reduce gravity effects and disruptive forces such as thruster firings,
the Shuttle will maintain a "gravity gradient" attitude for most of the
mission.
The Shuttle will be maneuvered into a gravity gradient attitude at
approximately 18 hours into the mission and remain in this position until
science operations are completed.
The tail of the orbiter will be pointed down toward the center of the
Earth, and the starboard (right) wing will be pointed in the direction of
travel.
During the first 17 hours of the mission an astronomy experiment,
requiring a number of spacecraft maneuvers to point at celestial objects, will
be operated from the Spacelab scientific airlock.
For the second time in American space flight history, crew members will
perform scientific investigations continuously around the clock. Two of the
scientists who developed Spacelab 3 experiments will conduct onboard research
during the mission. As payload specialists, Dr. Lodewijk van den Berg, a
materials scientist from EG&G Energy Management Corp., Goleta, Calif., and Dr.
Taylor Wang, a fluid physicist from the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif., will be the second pair of career scientists to work aboard
Spacelab.
Scientific research will also be performed by three NASA mission
specialists: Dr. Don Lind, a high-energy astrophysicist, and Drs. Norman
Thagard and William Thornton, both medical doctors making their second Shuttle
flights. Mission commander of the seven-member crew is Robert Overmyer, a
veteran NASA astronaut who served as pilot on the fifth Shuttle mission.
Assisting him is pilot Frederick Gregory, on his first space mission.
This is the second NASA mission in which scientists who developed Spacelab
experiments participate actively in guiding the mission. These scientists
helped train and select the pay load specialists and worked closely with the
management team to plan the mission. During the flight, they will participate
directly from the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at NASA's Johnson
Space Center, Houston.
Throughout the mission, all Spacelab 3 science operations will be managed
from the POCC at Johnson. Members of the Marshall mission management team,
along with investigator teams who developed the Spacelab 3 experiments, will
monitor, direct and control experiment operations from the ground control
center. The orbiter Challenger and basic Spacelab systems will be controlled
from the Mission Control Center, located in the same building as the POCC.
The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) will handle most of
the communications and data transmissions between the spacecraft and the
ground. NASA's worldwide Ground Spacecraft Tracking and Data Network (GSTDN),
operated by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., will be used when
TDRSS coverage is not available. A special Spacelab Data Processing Facility
at Goddard will handle the steady flow of scientific and engineering data.
Following deactivation of Spacelab and prior to reentry, the crew will
deploy two Getaway Special (GAS) satellites: the Northern Utah Satellite
(NUSAT) and the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite (GLOMR). This is
the first time satellites have been deployed from the can-shaped GAS
containers.
The satellites are mounted on the port (left) side of the orbiter payload
bay in the vicinity of the Spacelab 3 tunnel. Both satellites are for Earth
observations and will not be retrieved. After 7 days of around-the-clock
scientific operations, Challenger will return Spacelab 3 to the Kennedy
Center. Reentry will begin with the firing of the Shuttle's Orbital
Maneuvering System engines as the orbiter makes its 108th revolution of the
Earth. Landing is set for 8:53 a.m EDT, on Runway 15.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Each day there will be as many as three change-of-shift briefings by the
Shuttle flight director. The Spacelab 3 mission manager will participate in
one of these briefings daily. Additionally, there will be one science summary
briefing by the mission scientist. Media representatives at Johnson Space
Center can attend these briefings. At other NASA centers, reporters can
monitor the briefings on NASA television via satellite and ask questions via
two-way audio circuits. A transcript of each flight director briefing will be
available at NASA news centers.
NASA Select Television Schedule
The television schedules will be updated daily to reflect any changes in
the mission. The schedule for television transmissions from Challenger and
Spacelab and for mission briefings, will be available during the mission at
Ames Research Center, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Lewis
Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Headquarters. These
transmissions also will be carried by RCA Satcom F-1R Transponder 18 (full
transponder).
NASA Select Television and Audio Release circuits will also feature
special science updates between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. EDT each day. These
periodic reports from the POCC Users Rooms will focus on cadre members and
investigators discussing experiment progress. The reports are intended to
augment the realtime science information available to media. These reports
will be conducted by Drs. Byron Lichtenberg and Michael Lampton (Spacelab 1 and
Earth Observations Mission payload specialists).
Satcom F-1R is located at 139 degrees west longitude. Transponder 18
transmits on a frequency of 4060.0 MHz. The system will be operational from
T-4 hours on launch day through T+4 hours on landing day.
Mission Audio and Video
The media will have access to realtime audio and video transmitted from
the spacecraft to ground control centers. Media may obtain realtime Spacelab
3-to-POCC communications over the Air-to-Ground 1 circuit (A/G-1). A/G-2 will
be used as the Orbiter- Mission Control Center voice circuit. Occasionally,
the A/G will be shared by the MCC and POCC. In addition, Public Affairs
commentary on the progress of the mission is broadcast on the Mission Audio
channel.
Transcripts
Only transcripts of the flight director change-of-shift briefings will be
available at the NASA news centers. Transcripts of air-to-ground transmissions
have been discontinued.
SHUTTLE MISSION 51-B -- QUICK LOOK FACTS
Crew: Robert F. Overmyer, Commander
Frederick D. Gregory, Pilot
Don L. Lind, Mission Specialist 1
Norman E. Thagard, Mission Specialist 2
William E. Thornton, Mission Specialist 3
Lodewijk van den Berg, Payload Specialist (PSM - materials
science expert)
Taylor G. Wang, Payload Specialist (PSF - fluids expert)
Orbiter: Challenger (OV-099)
Launch Site: LC-39, Pad A, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Launch Date/Time: April 29, 1985, 12 Noon EDT
Window: 60 minutes
Orbital Inclination: 57.0 degrees
Altitude: 219 statute mile circular orbit, gravity gradient
Mission Duration: 7 days, land on flight day 7
Orbits: 108 full orbits, land on 109
Landing Date/Time: May 6, 1985, 8:58 a.m. EDT
Landing Sites:
Primary: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Weather Alternate: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Trans Atlantic Landing: Zaragoza/Moron, Spain
Abort-Once-Around: Space Harbor, White Sands, N.M.
Cargo and Payloads:
15 investigations in five discipline areas: materials science, life sciences,
fluid mechanics, atmospheric physics and astron omy; three experiments in
Shuttle middeck; 10 experiments in Spacelab long module; two experiments on
experiment support structure; and two Getaway Special canisters.
Spacelab 3 module
MPESS (Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structure) VWFC (Very Wide Field
Camera)
AFT (Autogenic Feedback Training)
ATMOS (Atmospheric Trace Molecules Spectroscopy)
BTS (Biotelemetry System)
DEMS (Dynamic Environment Measuring System)
DDM (Drop Dynamics Module)
FES (Fluid Experiment System)
GFFC (Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell)
IONS (Ionization States of Solar and Galactic Cosmic
Ray Heavy Nuclei)
MICG (Mercuric Iodide Crystal Growth)
RAHF-VT (Research Animal Holding Facility -- Verification Test) UMI (Urine
Monitoring Investigation)
VCGS (Vapor Crystal Growth System)
GAS -- NUSAT (Northern Utah Satellite)
GAS -- GLOMR (Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite)
Highlights/Mission Objectives:
To conduct applications, science and technology investigations that require the
low-gravity environment of Earth orbit and extended duration stable vehicle
attitude with emphasis on materials processing.
First deploy of free-flyers from Getaway Specials.
Crew will operate on two 12-hour shifts a day during flight.
First operational Spacelab mission.
Flight Synopsis:
The 51-B mission timeline calls for rotating shifts. Two teams, Gold and
Silver, will work alternating shifts of 11 to 12 hours. The Silver team
comprises the PLT, MS2 and PSM (materials science expert); the Gold team, the
CDR, MS1, MS3 and PSF (fluids expert).
Launch/Entry Seating:
The commander and pilot will occupy their normal flight deck seats. MS2
(Thagard) will assume the role of flight engineer and sit on the flight deck
behind and between the commander and pilot. MS1 (Lind) will sit on the flight
deck to the right of MS2. MS3 and the payload specialists will sit on the
middeck.
Contingency EVA Crewmen: Pilot and MS2
TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
EVENT ORBIT TIG BURN DELTA V POST BURN
MET DURATION (fps) HP/HA
d:h:m m:s miles
____________________________________________________________ _____
Launch 0:00:00
MECO 0:00:09
OMS-1 TIG 0:00:10 2:17 228
OMS-2 TIG 0:00:46 2:27 242 218/218
Spacelab activation 0:02:10
Experiment ops 0:05:00
Trim-1 0:12:30
Gravity Gradient 0:18:05
5
8ease experiment ops 6:08:00
GLOMR deploy 6:09:35
OUTAGE.DAToy 6:10:00
Y
Spacelab deactivation 6:15:20
Deorbit TIG 108 6:19:54 3:00 318
Entry
Interface 108 6:20:28
Landing 109 6:20:58
MAJOR SCIENCE EVENTS SUMMARY
Flight Day 1
Ascent
Payload Bay Doors open
Activate Spacelab Systems
Enter Spacelab
Activate Payload Experiments
Perform all Very Wide Field Camera astronomical observations Maneuver to
Gravity Gradient Attitude for remainder of payload operations (136 hours)
Start 3 crystal growth experiments
Observe first large animal group living in a space habitat Perform ATMOS
calibrations
Control space adaptation syndrome with first use of autogenic feedback
training
Flight Day 2
First systematic observations of aurora from space
First study of fluids using the Drops Dynamics Module and
Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell facilities
First observation of crystals growing in space
Flight Day 3
Begin cosmic ray studies with Ions instrument
Complete 29-hour growth of first Fluid Experiment System (FES)
crystal
Begin 62-hour growth of second FES crystal
Flight Day 4
Begin 70-hour growth of second set of crystals in the French
Mercury Iodide Crystal Growth System
Continued experiment operations in all disciplines
Flight Day 5
Payload operations in all science disciplines
Flight Day 6
Second FES crystal ends growth period
Third FES crystal begins 19-hour growth period
Continued payload operations in all disciplines
Flight Day 7
Experiment operations completed; equipment stowed
Payload experiment deactivation
Spacelab systems deactivation
Deploy NUSAT and GLOMR Getaway Special satellites
Preparation for deorbit, reentry and landing
Flight Day 8
Flight extension day: landing at KSC/125 A (7 days, 21 hours,
24 minutes, MET)
Flight Day 9
Flight extension 2 days: landing at KSC/140 A (8 days, 20
hours, 15 minutes, MET)
CONFIGURATION AND FLOOR PLAN
Spacelab 3 is composed of an experiment support structure and a long,
habitable module. Two instruments for atmospheric observations and
astronomical viewing are located on the experiment support structure in the
payload bay. Equipment for 10 investigations in materials science, life
sciences, fluid mechanics, and astronomy is stored inside racks in the
experiment module. Equipment for three investigations in life sciences and
atmospheric physics is stored in the Shuttle middeck.
MISSION 51-B GETAWAY SPECIAL PAYLOADS
Two small satellites are carried in standard Getaway Special (GAS)
containers mounted on the port (left) side of the orbiter payload bay in the
vicinity of the Spacelab 3 tunnel.
To avoid interfering with Spacelab 3 operations, the satellites are
deployed on the seventh day of the mission after all other experiments are
completed. The satellites are ejected by the crew via a standard Autonomous
Payload Controller located in the orbiter aft flight deck. Upon receiving the
proper command, a Full Diameter Motorized Door Assembly on the GAS canister
opens and a spring-loaded device pushes the satellite from the container at a
rate of 3 1/2 feet per second.
Northern Utah Satellite (NUSAT)
NUSAT is an air traffic control radar system calibrator. It will measure
antenna patterns for ground-based radars operated in the United States and in
member countries of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The
115-pound, 26-sided polyhedron satellite has an expected lifetime of six
months. NUSAT was built by Morton Thiokol, Inc., Brigham City, Utah, for a
university team headed by Weber State College, Ogden, Utah, in coordination
with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite (GLOMR)
The GLOMR satellite is a data relay, communications space craft and is
expected to remain in orbit for approximately 1 year. The purpose of the
150-pound, 62-side polyhedron satellite is to demonstrate the ability to read
signals and command oceanographic sensors; locate oceanographic and other
ground sensors, and relay data from them to customers. GLOMR was designed and
built by Defense Systems, Inc., McLean, Va.
MISSION STATISTICS SUMMARY
Pounds
Spacelab 3 Payload Module 13,827
Module Experiments 4,449
Total Module 18,276
Equipment Support Structure 2,535
Tunnel 2,665
Total Spacelab 3 Payload 23,476
NUSAT and GAS Canister 433
GLOMR and GAS Canister 477
Orbiter at Liftoff 246,200
Total Vehicle at Liftoff 4,503,634
Orbiter and Spacelab Combined Weight at Landing 211,853
Spacelab Module Dimensions
Diameter 13 feet
Length 23 feet
Spacelab Tunnel inside diameter 40 inches
Experiment Computer Memory 64,000 or 64k (16 bit words)
Central Processing Unit 320,000 or 320k instructions/second
Data Handling Orbiter/TDRSS Up to 50 megabits/second
Onboard storage capacity Up to 32 megabits/second
Spacelab 3 Resource Status
Available Required Margin
Mass 11,440 9,070 +2,370 lb.
Volume 16 14 +2 equivalent racks
Crew Time 315 248 +67 hours
Electrical 1,091 1,100 +9 with contingency days
MISSION CYCLE
Spacelab Preparations
Preparations for the Spacelab 3 launch began on Dec. 13, 1983, with the
arrival at Kennedy Space Center of the module used during the Spacelab 1
mission. Spacelab 1 racks and experiment equipment was removed at the KSC
Operations and Checkout building. The Spacelab module required hardly any
modifications before it could be used for Spacelab 3. A high quality window
adapter assembly used during Spacelab 1 was removed because the window was not
needed for Spacelab 3 investigations.
As scientific instruments and equipment arrived at the Kennedy Center,
they were tested and then integrated into the four single racks and eight
double racks used inside the module. An atmospheric science instrument and an
astronomy instrument were mounted on an experiment support structure, a
lightweight carrier used to expose instruments directly to space.
Initial integration activities climaxed in March 1984 with the successful
completion of Mission Sequence Testing designed to verify the compatibility of
experiments with each other and with simulated Spacelab support subsystems.
The crew and scientists who developed Spacelab 3 experiments were active
participants in integration and testing. The integrated Spacelab experiment
support structure was moved into place behind the shell of the module, and
experiment racks were moved into the module in May 1984.
Since the module performed flawlessly during the first Spacelab mission,
there was no need for placing it in the Cargo Integration Test Equipment (CITE)
stand to verify that it was compatible with the Shuttle. (The CITE duplicates
the mechanical and electronic systems of the orbiter.) On March 27, 1985,
Spacelab 3 was transferred from the Operations and Checkout Building to the
Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) and installed in the payload bay of the
orbiter Challenger. Spacelab experiments were operated by remote control from
the Johnson Space Center Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) during an
end-to- end test on March 30 and 31 this year. Commands initiated at consoles
at JSC were processed through the POCC and Mission Control Center computers
enroute to the Spacelab, which was mounted inside the Challenger at Kennedy.
Countdown tests continue on both Spacelab and Challenger until the launch
scheduled for April 29, 1985.
A few hours before the launch of this mission technicians will enter the
Shuttle and use a specially designed module vertical access kit (MVAK) to load
animals into the research animal holding facilities. Hoisting personnel and
equipment into and out of Spacelab on the launch pad is an elaborate procedure
that has been carefully planned and rehearsed for first use on the Spacelab 3
Mission. Two MVAK teams have been fully trained at Kennedy Space Center.
Approximately 28 hours before launch, the loading team will install the
access kit inside the vertical Shuttle/Spacelab. The MVAK is a system of
ropes, pulleys and platforms that allows the team to transport payloads from
the middeck, through the Spacelab tunnel and into the Spacelab module.
Approximately 2 hours before animal loading, a technician will be hoisted into
the module where he will turn on the primate and rodent research animal
holding facilities to ensure proper thermal conditioning.
Scientists will give flight animals a preflight checkout in Hangar L.
When KSC technicians confirm that the animal housing complex is ready,
scientists will transport the animals in their flight cages to the launch pad.
The trip will take about 45 minutes and will be made in an air conditioned
animal transporter van especially designed for the mission. Actual loading of
the animals requires approximately 2 hours and should be completed 1 hour prior
to the end of the animal's awake cycle to provide a quiet period of adaptation
following the handling phase.
LAUNCH WINDOW
The launch window for the 51-B/Spacelab 3 mission opens April 29, 1985, at
12 Noon EDT, for 1 hour, closing at 1:00 p.m. EDT. For several months, the
launch window opens again at the same time each day.
The launch window opening was calculated to provide the maximum number of
viewing opportunities for an atmospheric science instrument that makes
observations during orbital sunrise and sunset. Once the launch window was
determined, the Spacelab 3 animals were trained so that their circadian rhythms
would match the flight schedule. Twenty hours before launch, the animals are
loaded inside the Shuttle.
LANDING AND POST-LANDING OPERATIONS
Kennedy Space Center is responsible for ground operations of the orbiter
once it has rolled to a stop on the runway at KSC. Immediately after landing,
the flight crew begins "safing" vehicle systems, and the ground recovery crew
makes its way toward Challenger. Specially garbed technicians determine that
any residual hazardous vapors are below significant levels before other safing
operations proceed. A mobile wind machine is positioned near the vehicle to
disperse highly concentrated levels of toxic vapor, should they exist.
Once the initial safety assessment is made, access vehicles are positioned
around the rear of the orbiter so that lines from the ground purge and cooling
vehicles can be connected to the umbilical panels on the aft end of
Challenger. Freon line connections are completed and coolant begins
circulating through the umbilicals to aid in heat rejection and protect the
orbiter's electronic equipment. Other lines provide cooled, humidified air to
the payload bay and other cavities to remove any residual toxic or explosive
fumes and provide a safe environment inside Challenger.
A mobile white room is moved into place around the crew hatch once it is
verified that there are no concentrations of toxic gases around the forward
part of the vehicle. The crew is expected to leave Challenger about 30 to 40
minutes after landing. As the crew exits, technicians enter the orbiter and
complete the vehicle safing activity.
Post-landing operations associated with the Spacelab 3 payload include
removal of certain time-critical items, such as tape and film, 1 hour after
landing. The animals are removed from Spacelab approximately 3 hours after
landing. They are then immediately transported to Hangar L. Additional data
and specimens, such as crystals, will be removed between 16 and 24 hours after
landing.
Residual fuel cell cryogenics are drained and unused pyro technic devices
are disconnected. Then the orbiter is transported to the KSC Operations and
Checkout Building where removal and de-integration of Spacelab proceeds in
nearly reverse order of assembly. The Spacelab module and other equipment will
be taken immediately to checkout areas where it will be prepared for upcoming
missions.
SPACELAB 3 INVESTIGATIONS
Spacelab 3 is a multidisciplinary mission with 15 investigations in five
areas of scientific research: materials science, life sciences, fluid
mechanics, atmospheric physics and astronomy. Twelve of the investigations
were developed by U.S. scientists, two by French scientists and one by Indian
scientists.
Spacelab 3 investigations were selected by a peer review process on the
basis of their intrinsic scientific merit and suitability for flight on the
Shuttle. Proposals for experiments came through several channels, including
NASA announcements of opportunities that solicited research ideas from the
worldwide scientific community. The principal investigators for each
experiment then formed an Investigator Working Group (IWG). Chaired by the
Spacelab 3 mission scientist, Dr. George Fichtl of Marshall Space Flight
Center, this group provided science requirements for the mission. In addition,
they helped train the four Spacelab 3 payload specialists and recommended two
to perform their experiments in space.
A brief synopsis of each experiment follows. More detailed information on
each experiment is contained in the publication "Spacelab 3" (Pub. #17M484)
available at all NASA news centers.
Materials Science
The mission's three materials processing experiments use novel techniques
for growing crystals in space. Scientists have predicted that the low gravity
space environment will be ideal for growing improved crystals that can be used
in infrared detectors and other high technology devices. The gravity gradient
attitude is required for this mission specifically to facilitate these
experiments.
Solution Growth of Crystals in Zero-Gravity/Fluid Experiment System (FES)
-- Dr. Ravindra B. Lal, Department of Physics and Applied Physics, Alabama A&M
University, Huntsville. Three triglycine sulfate crystals are grown by
solution for 29, 62 and 19 hours in the FES, located in a double rack inside
the module. The first holograms and video record of crystals growing in space
are made.
Mercuric Iodide Growth/Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) -- Wayne F.
Schnepple, EG&G Energy Measurements, Inc., Goleta, Calif. A mercuric iodide
crystal is grown by vapor transport for 137 hours in the VCGS, located in a
single rack next to the FES. The FES and VCGS share a video system that allows
the scientist to carefully monitor crystal growth.
Mercury Iodide Crystal Growth (MICG) -- Dr. Robert Cadoret, Laboratoire de
Cristallographie et de Physique, Les Cezeaux, France. Mercury iodide seed
crystals are grown at different pressures in a two-zone furnace to analyze the
effects of weightlessness on vapor transport. The furnace is located in the
upper part of a single rack inside the module. Similar crystals were grown on
Spacelab 1; this experiment goes a step further in an attempt to grow seed
crystals, the nucleus of material from which a crystal is grown.
Life Sciences
The six Spacelab 3 life science investigations examine animal and human
biological processes in the space environment. Four of the investigations are
primarily engineering verification tests on four parts of the Ames Life
Sciences Payload. The other two examine how the crew adapts to space flight.
Ames Research Center Life Sciences Payload (ARCLSP) -- Drs. Paul X.
Callahan and Christopher L. Schatte, Ames Research Center, Mountain View,
Calif. Four investigations have the primary objective of verifying that the
facilities listed below are useful tools for space animal research. A
secondary objective is to monitor the behavior of the first large contingent of
animals living in a space environment.
Primate Research Animal Holding Facility: houses two monkeys in individual
cages in a single rack inside the module.
Rodent Research Animal Holding Facility: houses 24 rats in individual cages in
a double rack inside the module.
Biotelemetry System (BTS): monitors the output of sensors surgically implanted
in four rats before the flight. Data on basic physiological functions, such as
heart rate, muscle activity, and body temperature, are sent via a dedicated
computer to scientists on the ground who monitor the animal's well being.
Dynamic Environment Measurement System (DEMS): measures noise, vibration and
acceleration in the immediate vicinity of the animal housing complex during
launch and reentry.
Autogenic Feedback Training (AFT) -- Dr. Patricia S. Cowings, Ames Research
Center, Mountain View, Calif. First use of auto genic feedback training, a
technique used to control bodily processes voluntarily; may help astronauts
control space adaptation syndrome (space motion sickness). Several crew
members wear garments with electrodes and instruments for recording
physiological functions.
Urine Monitoring Investigation (UMI) -- Dr. Carolyn S. Leach-Huntoon,
Johnson Space Center, Houston. A urine collection system attached to the waste
management system in the Shuttle middeck operates throughout the mission.
Samples are prepared for postflight analysis.
Fluid Mechanics
Before spaceflight, scientists could only predict how fluids would behave
in a low gravity environment. Spacelab 3 gives them a quiet microgravity lab
for experiments to test these theories.
Dynamics of Rotating and Oscillating Free Drops/Drop Dynamics Module (DDM)
-- Dr. Taylor G. Wang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Using the
DDM, located in a double rack inside the Spacelab module, scientists perform
experiments that test the ability to manipulate drops acoustically in micro
gravity. Information from this experiment could influence the development of
containerless materials processing techniques in which materials are processed
without touching a container that could contaminate them.
Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell Experiment (GFFC) -- Dr. John E. Hart,
University of Colorado, Boulder. A model, located in the lower half of a
single rack, is used to simulate fluid flows in oceans and planetary and solar
atmospheres. Gravity distorts fluid flows in terrestrial models.
Atmospheric and Astronomical Observations
Earth's atmosphere filters atmospheric constituents and obscures our view
of celestial objects. Above the atmosphere, Spacelab gives instruments a
global view of processes occurring there and a clear view of the stars.
Atmospheric Trace Molecules Spectroscopy (ATMOS) -- Dr. C.B. Farmer, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. With a clear view from the experiment
support structure, ATMOS gains the precise spectral information needed to study
the composition and variability of the upper atmosphere and examines the
qualities and quantities of natural atmospheric and man-produced constituents.
Auroral Imaging Experiment -- Dr. Thomas J. Hallinan, Geophysical
Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. From the orbiter windows, the
first systematic photographs, videotapes and films of the aurora will be made
to gain better insight into energetic particle processes occurring in our
atmosphere.
Studies of the Ionization of Solar and Galactic Cosmic Ray Heavy Nuclei --
Dr. Sukumar Biswas, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, India.
Also known as Ions or Anuradha, this investigation uses a newly designed
detector mounted on the experiment support structure to determine the
composition and intensity of energetic ions from the sun and other galactic
sources.
Very Wide Field Camera (VWFC) -- Dr. Georges Courtes, Laboratoire
d'Astronomie Spatiale, Marseilles, France. This camera successfully made
high-quality ultraviolet images of celestial objects during the Spacelab 1
mission. It will continue to make an ultraviolet survey of the sky from the
scientific airlock during the first day of the Spacelab 3 mission.
PAYLOAD SPECIALISTS
Payload specialists are NASA's newest breed of space workers. The first
payload specialists made their debut during the Spacelab 1 mission in 1983.
Since then, payload specialists have flown on other Shuttle missions.
Payload specialists are career scientists and engineers that are
identified and selected by their peers to fly into space and devote themselves
to conducting experiments. After the mission, they return to their previous
position at the institution sponsoring their research. Usually, they are
intimately connected with the mission and are the principal or co-investigator
for one or more of the mission's experiments.
A Spacelab 3 Investigator Working Group, consisting of all the principal
investigators for each Spacelab experiment, nominated and selected four payload
specialist candidates. The principal investigators helped train the candidates
to perform experiments in their laboratories and later named the flight and
alternate payload specialists.
The working group selected Dr. Lodewijk van den Berg, a materials
scientist at EG&G Energy Management Corp., and Dr. Taylor Wang, a fluid
mechanics expert at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to fly as payload
specialists for this mission. They also named two other payload specialists,
Dr. Mary Helen Johnston, a materials scientist at Marshall Space Flight Center,
and Dr. Eugene Trinh, a fluid mechanics expert at JPL, as alternate payload
specialists.
Johnston and Trinh will serve as flight backups and as members of the
mission management and science team responsible for controlling and directing
experiment operations from the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at
Johnson.
Payload Specialist Training
All four Spacelab 3 payload specialist candidates underwent two basic
types of training: mission independent and mission dependent.
Mission Dependent Training is associated with Spacelab 3 experiments and
payload operations. Since the payload specialist's main duty is to operate
experiments, it is the longest part of the training program. Much of this
training was provided by the individual Spacelab 3 principal investigators in
their laboratories. Marshall Space Flight Center provided training in
operating the integrated payload at the Payload Crew Training Complex inside a
high-fidelity mockup of the Spacelab 3 module. The crew was also familiarized
with actual flight hardware during integration tests at the Kennedy Center.
Mission Independent Training is associated with learning the fundamental
skills necessary to live and work safely aboard the Shuttle/Spacelab. Johnson
Space Center provided most of this training in such areas as familiarization
with space-living conditions as well as medical, emergency and survival
operations. Kennedy Space Center provided launch and landing site training.
MISSION SUPPORT
Payload Operations Control Center
The Payload Operations Control Center (POCC), located in Building 30 at
Johnson Space Center, is the command post for the control and management of
Spacelab 3 scientific payload activities during the mission. The POCC is
similar to the Mission Control Center (MCC), which has overall responsibility
for the flight and operation of the orbiter. POCC and MCC personnel
coordinate their efforts to ensure a successful mission.
Members of the Marshall mission management team and principal
investigators with their research teams work in the POCC in either three 8-hour
shifts or two 12-hour shifts. Using POCC equipment, they monitor, control and
direct experiment operations aboard Spacelab. The POCC, which covers an area
of just over 4,000 square feet, is situated adjacent to the flight control room
on the second floor of the MCC. It is composed of a payload control room, a
mission planning room and six user rooms. The payload control room or "front
room" houses the part of the mission management team who track the overall
science mission. Other members of the mission management team support
operations from the "back room."
Individual experiment teams have work stations in the user rooms. Each
user room contains three work stations, each having a computer terminal and
keyboard, a floppy disk unit and a hard copy unit for the users' own payload
monitoring and control. In addition, science teams may have set up their own
experiment equipment.
Command and data links between the POCC and Spacelab enable scientists to
follow the progress of their experiments, assess and respond to realtime
information and be actively involved in the investigative process. Spacelab 3
scientists can communicate with the crew via voice and text or graphic links,
and they can send automated commands directly to the onboard computer to
control their experiments.
The capabilities of the POCC include data processing. Multiplexed
Spacelab 3 data are received at up to 48 megabits per second and converted into
separate channels. These channels are routed to recorders, to the
experimenters' ground support equipment or to experiment consoles for display.
POCC Positions
The following is a general description of the cadre personnel working in
the Spacelab 3 POCC front room at the Johnson Center.
POD (Payload Operations Director) -- is the senior member of the mission
manager's cadre team in the POCC; oversees Spacelab 3 mission operations and
directs the payload operations team and science crew.
MSCI (Mission Scientist) -- represents scientists with experiments on the
flight and interfaces with the mission manager and the POD with respect to
mission science operations and accomplishments.
CIC (Crew Interface Coordinator) -- manages POCC use of air-to-ground voice
loop and serves as a focal point for communications with payload crew; enables
and coordinates principal investigator communication with payload crew.
APS (Alternate Payload Specialist) -- assists the payload operations team and
payload crew in devising solutions to problems, troubleshooting and changing
crew procedures when necessary; advises the mission scientist of possible
impacts or problems and assists the CIC in direct voice contact with the
payload crew.
PAP (Payload Activity Planner) -- directs the mission replanning activity by
receiving proposed changes to the mission timeline and coordinating them with
the POCC operations team; assesses proposed changes to the current timeline and
advises the POD of potential impacts to the timeline.
PAO (Public Affairs Officer) -- provides Spacelab 3 mission commentary and
serves as the main source of Spacelab payload information.
OPS (TV Operations Controller) -- serves as the focus within the POCC for
Spacelab payload inflight television and photographic operations, specifically
with regard to scene development of flight crew activities.
MUM (Mass Memory Unit Manager) -- initiates experiment command uplinks to the
Spacelab after receiving data set changes from the POCC operations team.
OC (Operations Controller) -- coordinates the activities of the payload
operations team to efficiently accomplish POCC functions required to support
the real-time execution of the approved mission timeline; assesses proposed
crew timeline alteration and coordinates the implementation of approved
actions with the POCC cadre positions.
PAYCOM (Payload Command Controller) -- configures the POCC for ground command
operation and controls the flow of experiment commands from the POCC as
required; troubleshoots any problems in the rejection of those commands.
Advises OC on command systems status.
DMC (Data Management Coordinator) -- is responsible for maintaining and
coordinating the flow of payload data to and within the POCC for the cadre and
principal investigators; assesses proposed realtime changes to the experiment
time line and payload data requirements which affect the payload downlink
data.
SPACELAB 3 SHIFT OPERATIONS
12-hour shifts Gold Silver
Payload Crew MS1 (Lind) MS2 (Thagard)
MS3 (Thornton) PSM (van den Berg)
PSF (Wang)
Orbiter Crew CDR (Overmyer) PLT (Gregory)
Spacelab 3 POCC Shift Operations
Mission Manager Joe Cremin
Assistant MM Robert McBrayer
Mission Scientist George Fichtl
Assistant MS Kelly Hill
*Otha Vaughn (an assistant MS) will work during both shifts
POD Clark Owen Carolyn Griner
APS Dr. Eugene Trinh Dr. Mary Helen Johnston
OC Steve Noneman James Riquelmy
DMC David Mann Keith Cornett
PAP O.M. Hardage Robert Jackson
CIC (3 shifts) Debra Underwood
Ken Smith
Ron Porter
MUM Tina Melton Van Woodruff
TV OPS John Harrison Rip Koken
Mission Control Center Shift Operations
Orbit Team 1 FD Gary E. Coen (Lead Flight Director)
Orbit Team 2 FD William D. Reeves
Orbit Team 3 FD G. Al Pennington
Ascent/Entry FD T. Cleon Lacefield
SPACELAB 3 MANAGEMENT
Program Manager Robert A. Schmitz
NASA Headquarters
Program Scientist Dr. John Theon
NASA Headquarters
Mission Manager Joe Cremin
Marshall Space Flight Center
Mission Scientist Dr. George Fichtl
Marshall Space Flight Center
COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA HANDLING
For any successful Shuttle mission, the ground control team must be able
to track the spacecraft, communicate with the astronauts and command the
orbiter. These capabilities allow them to oversee the condition of the
spacecraft and its crew.
The Spacelab 3 mission is much more complex than many other Shuttle
missions because vast amounts of data must be collected from Spacelab. To
accommodate the need for additional information, a unique communications and
data handling network has been established for Shuttle/Spacelab missions.
NASA handles 51-B/Spacelab 3 tracking and communications through the large
communications satellite, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), and
the Ground Space Tracking and Data Network (GSTDN) at 11 ground stations that
can communicate with a spacecraft when it is in view. TDRSS and GSTDN link the
Shuttle/Spacelab to Johnson Space Center and Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md.
During the Spacelab 3 mission, TDRSS will be used to relay commands and
data to and from the experiments aboard Spacelab 3. The GSTDN will supplement
TDRSS and provide routine, realtime tracking and communications with the
Shuttle orbiter and its crew.
The NASA Communications Network (NASCOM), managed by Goddard, provides the
voice and data communications links connecting the network. During the flight,
Spacelab 3 data flows from the Shuttle orbiter to TDRS-1 which transmits to the
TDRSS ground station at White Sands, N.M. The data could also flow from the
orbiter to one of the GSTDN stations. In either case, the data is transmitted
to a commercial satellite which sends the data to the Spacelab data processing
facilities at the Goddard and Johnson centers.
The data sent to the Johnson Center is usually in the form of computer
readouts or video. Investigator teams working around the clock at work
stations in the Johnson control center can analyze this data realtime. Data
received during the early phase of the mission may help plan observations or
experiments for the rest of the flight.
The Spacelab Data Processing Facility (SLDPF) at Goddard was developed
specifically to handle the large volume of science data transmitted from
Spacelab to the ground. Each of the 15 Spacelab 3 investigations can generate
up to 50 megabits of data per second. The Goddard data facility separates and
records data by experiment. After the mission, this facility distributes data
to each investigator. The data may be in varied forms, such as video tapes,
computer tapes or audio tapes. The facility also records data from other
Shuttle payloads which use the onboard data system.
HUNTSVILLE OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER
The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC), located at the Marshall
Space Flight Center, monitors the Shuttle during prelaunch and launch at the
Kennedy Center and supports the Johnson Center monitoring of Spacelab 3 systems
and payload operations during the mission.
During the 51-B premission testing, countdown, and launch, realtime data
is transmitted from the Shuttle to consoles in the HOSC, which are manned by
Marshall and contractor engineers. They evaluate and help solve any problems
that occur with Marshall developed Space Shuttle propulsion system elements,
which includes the main engines, external tank and solid rocket boosters. They
also monitor the overall main propulsion system and range safety system.
During the 7-day mission, support center personnel will monitor Spacelab's
temperatures, pressures, electrical measurements and onboard computer system.
HOSC scientists and engineers will view onboard crew activities via
closed-circuit television, monitor air-to-ground communications and monitor
experiment systems computers. If a problem is detected, the appropriate
individuals in the Spacelab action center are notified. The information is
then relayed via direct communications with the Payload Operations Control
Center and Flight Control Rooms within the Mission Control Center at Johnson.
51-B FLIGHT CREW DATA
The seven-member Spacelab 3 crew has a range of diverse specialties. It
includes: two astronaut pilots, commander Robert Overmyer and pilot Frederick
Gregory; three mission specialist- astronauts, Drs. Don Lind, Norman Thagard
and William Thornton; and two payload specialist-scientists, Drs. Lodewijk van
den Berg and Taylor Wang.
As members of NASA's career astronaut corps, the commander and pilot are
responsible for operating the Shuttle. Also members of the astronaut corps,
the mission specialists were selected both for their engineering skills and
their scientific backgrounds in the fields of life sciences and physics. They
have responsibilities for operating both Shuttle/Spacelab systems and
experiments. The Spacelab 3 payload specialists, career scientists responsible
only for doing science in space, were specifically selected for their
expertise in materials science and fluid mechanics.
The crew will work in 12-hour shifts. The Gold Team -- Overmyer,
Thornton, Lind and Wang -- works from morning to evening (day shift). The
Silver Team -- Gregory, Thagard and van den Berg -- works from evening to
morning (night shift).
ROBERT F. OVERMYER, 49, Colonel, USMC, is mission commander. Born in
Lorain, Ohio, he became a NASA astronaut in 1969. Overmyer was the pilot for
STS-5 -- the first fully operational flight of the Space Transportation
System. He served as support crewmember for Apollo 17 and was launch capsule
communicator. He also was support crewmember for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project
and NASA capsule communicator in the mission control center in Moscow.
Overmyer received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Baldwin
Wallace College in 1958 and a master of science in aeronautics from the U.S.
Naval Postgraduate School in 1964.
He entered active duty with the Marine Corps in 1958. He was assigned to
Marine Attack Squadron 214 in 1959, then to Naval Postgraduate School to study
aeronautical engineering. He has more than 6,500 flight hours with over 5,000
in jet aircraft.
FREDERICK D. GREGORY, 44, Colonel, USAF, is pilot. A native of
Washington, D.C., he was graduated from the United States Air Force Academy
with a bachelor of science degree. He received a master's in information
systems from George Washington University.
Gregory trained as a helicopter pilot and retrained as a fighter pilot,
flying F-4 Phantoms. He was a research engineering test pilot for the Air
Force and NASA from l971 to l978. Special honors include the Air Force
Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 15 oak
leaf clusters and National Society of Black Engineers' Distinguished National
Scientist Award.
Gregory became a NASA astronaut in 1978. He has logged over 5,100 hours
flight time and holds FAA commercial and instrument certificates for single and
multi-engine airplanes and helicopters.
DON L. LIND, 54, Ph.D., a native of Midvale, Utah, is one of three mission
specialists. He was selected as an astronaut in 1966. Before this he had been
with Goddard Space Flight Center involved in experiments to determine the
nature and properties of low-energy particles within the Earth's magnetosphere
and interplanetary space.
Lind received a bachelor of science degree with high honors in physics
from the University of Utah and a doctor of philosophy in high energy nuclear
physics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Lind served four years on active duty with the Navy at San Diego and later
aboard the carrier USS Hancock. He has logged more than 4,400 hours flying
time -- 3,900 hours in jets.
NORMAN E. THAGARD, 41, M.D., a mission specialist, became an astronaut in
1978. He served as mission specialist during the seventh Space Shuttle mission
in 1983, conducting various medical tests and collecting data on physiological
changes associated with adaptation to space.
Thagard's hometown is Jacksonville, Fla. He received bachelor and master
of science degrees in engineering science from Florida State University. He
received a doctor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
School.
A captain in the Marine Corps, Thagard flew 163 combat missions in
Vietnam. He was awarded 11 Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat
V, the Marine Corps "E" Award, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Cross
of Gallantry with Palm. He has logged 1,600 hours flying time, the majority in
jet aircraft.
WILLIAM E. THORNTON, 55, M.D., a native of Faison, N.C., is a mission
specialist. He became a NASA scientist astronaut in 1967 after conducting
space medicine research at the USAF Aerospace Medical Division at Brooks Air
Force Base, San Antonio. He served as mission specialist on STS-8.
Thornton received a bachelor of science degree in physics and a doctorate
in medicine from the University of North Carolina. Other Air Force assignments
include officer-in-charge of the instrumentation lab at the Flight Test Air
Proving Ground and consultant to the Air Proving Ground Command.
As a member of the Astronaut Office operations missions development group,
Thornton developed crew procedures and techniques for deployable payloads and
maintenance of crew conditions in flight. He developed the Shuttle treadmill
for in-flight exercise and other on-board devices. As mission specialist on
STS-8, he made continuous measurements and carried out investigations of the
space adaption syndrome. Thornton has logged more than 2,600 hours flying time
in jet aircraft and is a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine,
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
LODEWIJK VAN DEN BERG, 53, Ph.D., payload specialist materials science
expert, is a native of Sluiskil, the Netherlands. He received a master of
science in chemical engineering from Technical University, Delft, the
Netherlands, master of science in applied science and doctor of philosophy in
applied science from the University of Delaware. He is a U.S. citizen.
A chemical engineer and senior scientist, van den Berg is with EG&G
Corporation, Goleta, Calif. He has more than 20 years research and management
experience preparing crystalline materials, the growth of single crystals of
chemical compounds and investigation of associated defect chemistry and
electronic properties. He is responsible for the operation of a crystal
growing facility at EG&G and is co-investigator on the Spacelab 3 mission
Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) experiment.
He is an international authority on vapor growth techniques with emphasis
on mercuric iodide crystals and its application in the nuclear industry as
gamma ray detectors.
TAYLOR G. WANG, 44, Ph.D, is a payload specialist fluids expert. Born in
Shanghai, China, Wang is a physicist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),
Pasadena, Calif. He received bachelor and master of science degrees in
physics, and a doctor of philosophy in physics from the University of
California, Los Angeles. He is a U.S. citizen.
Wang joined JPL as a senior scientist. Currently program manager for
materials processing in space, he has been responsible for the inception and
development of containerless processing technology and dynamics of liquid drops
and bubbles research.
Wang has conducted precursor drop dynamics experiments in ground-based
laboratories using acoustic levitation systems, neutral buoyancy systems and
drop towers, and in the near weight less environment of NASA's KC-135 aircraft.
Wang is the principal investigator on the Spacelab 3 Drop Dynamics Module
experiments.
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