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Info about shuttle flight 61- C


61-C 24th Shuttle Flight

STS 61-C

Mission 24 in the Space Shuttle program saw the orbiter Columbia
returned to flight for the first time since the STS-9 mission in
November 1983, after having undergone major modifications by Rockwell
International in California.

The launch originally was scheduled for Dec. 18, but the closeout of
an aft orbiter compartment was delayed and the mission was
rescheduled for the next day on Dec. 19, the countdown was stopped at
T-14 seconds because of a -- out-of-tolerance turbine reading on the
right SRBs hydraulic system.

Another launch attempt on Jan. 6, 1986, was terminated at T-31
seconds because a problem in a valve in the liquid oxygen system
could not be fixed before the end of the launch window. Other launch
attempts were made on Jan. 7, scrubbed because of bad weather at
contingency landing sites at Dakar, Senegal, and Moron, Spain; on
Jan. 9, delayed because of a problem with a main engine prevalve; and
on Jan. 10 because of heavy rain in the launch area.

The launch finally took place at 6:55 a.m. EST, on Jan. 12 without
further problems.

The flight crew included Robert L. Gibson, commander; Charles F.
Bolden, pilot; three mission specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz, Steven
A. Hawley and George D. Nelson; and two payload specialists Robert
Cenker RCA Astro-Electronics and U.S. Congressman Bill Nelson.

The primary objective of the mission was to deploy the Ku-l
communications satellite, second in a planned series of
geosynchronous satellites owned and operated by RCA Americom. The
deployment was successful and the satellite eventually became
operational. The flight also carried a large number of small
experiments, including 13 GAS canisters devoted to investigations
involving the effect of microgravity on materials processing, seed
germination, chemical reactions, egg hatching, astronomy and
atmospheric physics. Other cargo included a Materials Science
Laboratory-2 structure for experiments involving liquid bubble
suspension by sound waves, melting and resolidification of metallic
samples and containerless melting and solidification of electrically
conductive specimens. Another small experiment carrier located in
the payload bay was the Hitchiker G-l (HHG-l) with three experiments
to l) study film particles in the orbiter environment, 2) test a new
heat transfer system and 3) determine the effects of contamination
and atomic oxygen on ultraviolet optics materials. There were also
four in-cabin experiments, three of them part of the Shuttle Student
Involvement Program.

Finally, an experiment called the Comet Halley Active Monitoring
Program (CHAMP), consisting of a 35mm camera to photograph Comet
Halley through the aft flight deck overhead window, was not
successful because of battery problems.

Not only was the STS 61-C mission difficult to get off the ground,
it proved to be difficult getting it back to Earth. A landing
attempt on Jan. 16 was cancelled because of unfavorable weather at
Edwards AFB. Continued bad weather forced another wave-off the
following day, Jan. 17. The flight was extended one more day to
provide for a landing opportunity at KSC on the Jan. 18th -- this in
order to avoid time lost in an Edwards AFB landing and turnaround.
However, bad weather at the KSC landing site resulted in still
another wave-off.

Columbia finally landed at Edwards AFB at 5:59 a.m. PST, on Jan. 18.
Mission elapsed time was 6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 51 seconds.

COLUMBIA TO MAKE 24TH STS FLIGHT ON DEC. 18

The Space Shuttle Columbia will make its first space flight in 2 years on
mission 61-C, the 24th flight of America's Space Transportation System.
Liftoff is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 7 a.m. EST. The launch window extends for
49 minutes that day.

Robert L. "Hoot" Gibson will command this last Shuttle mission for 1985,
his second trip into space. Charles F. Bolden, making his first space trip, is
the 61-C pilot. Three mission specialists will be flying aboard Columbia:
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Steven A. Hawley and George D. "Pinky" Nelson.
Chang-Diaz will be the first Hispanic American to journey into space. Hawley
and Nelson will be making their second space flights. The two payload
specialists are Robert J. Cenker of RCA and Florida U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson.

Columbia will be launched into a 201-mile, circular orbit inclined 28.5
degrees to the equator, for its 5-day mission.

During the mission, the crew will deploy RCA's Satcom K-1 communications
satellite, the second in a series of three, with its PAM D-2 upper stage.
Satcom K-2 was deployed on flight 61-B in November 1985.

Also aboard Columbia in the payload bay are the Materials Science
Laboratory-2 (MSL-2); the first Hitchhiker payload; the RCA Infrared Imaging
Experiment (IR-IE); and 13 Getaway Special Experiments in specialized
canisters, 12 of which are mounted on a GAS bridge which is attached to the
payload bay.

MSL-2, sponsored by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., is
controlled by onboard computers and contains three materials processing
experiments to be operated by Chang-Diaz. Samples of a variety of materials
will be carefully observed while they are melted and solidifed in zero
gravity. Those materials will be compared with their ground controls.

The Hitchhiker (HG-1), sponsored by Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., is mounted to the side of the payload bay and supports three
experiments. One of the experiments is the Particle Analysis Cameras for the
Shuttle (PACS) experiment to provide film images of any particle contamination
around the Shuttle in support of future Department of Defense infrared
telescope operations. Another experiment is the Capillary Pump Loop to
provide a zero-gravity test of a new two-phase heat transport system. The
third experiment uses coated mirrors to test the effects of the Shuttle's
environment.

The IR-IE infrared camera was developed by RCA and will be under the
supervision of Cenker during the mission. Its purpose is to acquire
radiometric information that appears within the field of view of the
self-contained optical system. RCA hopes to have an opportunity to photograph
storms, volcanic activity or other natural occurences during the mission as
well as mapping the orbiter's payload bay to determine its thermal
characteristics at various times on orbit.

Middeck payloads include the Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program
(CHAMP), Initial Blood Storage Experiment (IBSE) and three student experiments.

IBSE, funded by Johnson Space Center, with the Center for Blood Research,
Boston, acting as the lead institution, will study blood storage and
sedimentation characteristics in microgravity.

This is one of several Shuttle flights on which the CHAMP experiment will
be flown to obtain photographs and spectra of Halley's Comet as well as its
dynamic and structural behavior and its chemical structure.
During the mission, Chang-Diaz will produce a videotape in Spanish for
live distribution to audiences in the United States and Latin America via the
NASA Select television circuit.

Payload specialist Bill Nelson will participate in the University of
Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center experiment. The object of
the experiment is to try to grow crystal proteins in space for cancer research.

Columbia's last flight was STS-9, launched Nov. 28, 1983. After that
flight, hundreds of modifications were made to Columbia during its 18-month
visit at the Rockwell International Shuttle manufacturing plant, Palmdale,
Calif.

One modification includes the installation of a cylindrical housing atop
the vertical stabilizer which contains the Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature
Sensing (SILTS) experiment. SILTS will obtain high-resolution, infrared images
of the upper (lee side) surfaces of Columbia's port wing and fuselage as the
orbiter reenters Earth's atmosphere. The infrared images will provide
detailed temperature maps that will indicate the amount of aerodynamic heating
of those surfaces in flight.

Another less obvious change to Columbia is a new nose cap to house the
Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) experiment. A number of pressure sensors
inside the nose cap will provide aerodynamic flight characteristics during
reentry.

Another modification was made to accommodate the Shuttle Upper Atmosphere
Mass Spce(M in seneewSSl
liaCi rct slh eutmrfoeovo pi.Ta mntec nnrawllw determination of orbiter aerodynamic characteristics
altitudes where the atmosphere is extremely thin.

On ascent, the wing pressure distribution will be measured for the first
time with transducers located on the top and bottom sides of the wings. The
actual load on the wings will be accurately calculated to determine if more
performance can be gained from the orbiter.

Another orbiter experiment is the Forward Reaction Control System (FRCS)
test which involves firing the forward thrusters on the nose of the orbiter.
Five tests will be conducted at various Mach speeds. One jet from the left and
right FRCS will be fired for 1 second and 7 seconds later, two jets from both
the left and right FRCS will be fired for 1 second. This test is a simulation
for future missions that may require lighter abort-landing weights. In such a
case, the FRCS propellant would be dumped before landing.

This will be the first KSC landing since mission 51-D on April 19, 1985,
when Discovery's right main landing gear tire experienced a blowout. Shuttle
managers then decided to introduce modifications permitting nosewheel steering
capability on the orbiters. That system was verified with Challenger at the
conclusion of mission 61-A at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Landing will come on Flight Day 6 at Kennedy Space Center on orbit 80,
Dec. 23 at 7:13 a.m. EST.

GENERAL INFORMATION

NASA Select Television Transmission

NASA-Select television coverage of Shuttle mission 61-C will be carried on
a full satellite transponder:

Satcom F-2R ae ,- rtio 2ewtod
ru 55Htloao
Aoul
Se d svllhATwhCe
eiOrion Control in Washington, D.C., and at the following NASA
locations:

NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.
Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for the
change-of-shift briefings from Johnson Space Center will be available during
the mission at Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Johnson
Space Center and NASA Headquarters.

The television schedule will be updated daily to reflect changes dictated
by mission operations. Television schedules also may be obtained by calling
COMSTOR (713/280-8711). COMSTOR is a computer data-base service requiring the
use of a telephone modem.

Special Note to Broadcasters

Beginning Dec. 13 and continuing throughout the mission, approximately 7
minutes of audio interview material with the crew of 61-C will be available to
broadcasters by calling 202/269-6572.

Briefings

Flight control personnel will be on 8-hour shifts. Change- of-shift
briefings by the off-going flight director will occur at approximately 8-hour
intervals.

61-C BRIEFING SCHEDULE

TIME (EST) BRIEFING ORIGIN

T-1 Day
9:00 a.m. RCA Satcom K-1 KSC
9:20 a.m. Infrared Imaging Experiment KSC
9:40 a.m. Hitchhiker KSC
10:00 a.m. Getaway Specials KSC
11:45 a.m. Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program KSC
1:00 p.m. Materials Science Laboratory-2 KSC
1:30 p.m. Shuttle Student Involvement Program KSC
2:00 p.m. Initial Blood Storage Experiment KSC
2:30 p.m. Pre-launch Press Conference KSC

T-Day
8:00 a.m. Post-launch Briefing KSC

Launch Through End-of-Mission
Times announced Flight Director Change-of- JSC
on NASA Select Shift Briefings.

Landing Day
8:15 a.m. Post-landing Briefing KSC

SHUTTLE MISSION 61-C -- QUICK LOOK

Crew: Robert L. Gibson, Commander
Charles F. Bolden Jr., Pilot
George D. Nelson, Mission Specialist (MS-1)
Steven A. Hawley, Mission Specialist (MS-2)
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist (MS-3)
Robert J. Cenker, Payload Specialist (PS-1)
C. William (Bill) Nelson, Payload Specialist (PS-2)
Orbiter: Columbia (OV-102)
Launch Site: Pad 39-A, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Launch Date/Times: Dec. 18, 1985 -- 7:00 a.m. EST
Window: 49 minutes to 7:49 a.m. EST
Orbital Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Insertion Orbit: 201 mi. circular
Mission Duration: 5 days; 79 full orbits, landing on orbit 80

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Runway 33
Weather Alternate: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Runway 22 Trans-Atlantic
Abort: Dakar, Senegal
Abort-Once-Around: Edwards AFB
Cargo and Payloads:
Deployable:
Satcom K-1/PAM D-2 (RCA American Communications, Inc.)
Attached:
Hitchhiker-G1
13 Getaway Special (GAS) canisters
Infrared Imaging Experiment (IR-IE)
Materials Science Laboratory (MSL-2)
Crew Compartment:
Initial Blood Storage Experiment (IBSE)
Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program (CHAMP)
Three Student Experiments (SSIP)
Cargo Configuration

61-C TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

______________________________________________________________________
EVENT ORBIT TIG BURN DELTA V POST BURN
MET DURATION (fps) Apogee/Perigee
(D:H:M) Min-Sec (S.Mi.)
______________________________________________________________________
Launch 0:00:00
MECO 0:00:09
OMS-1 0:00:13 2:52 271
OMS-2 1 0:00:48 2:18 216 201 x 201
Satcom KU-1 7D 0:09:32
Deploy
OMS-3 Sep 7 0:09:47 0:12 14 201 x 211
Satcom/ 8A 0:10:17
PAM D-2 PMF
Deorbit 79 4:23:12 3:58 321 24 x 203
Burn
Landing 80 5:00:13
at KSC

MRFACVI

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cv isccotyS2r-iAcetoL
tarcolici nADSF)
GAS (G449, 494, 056, 007)
Measure Emissions in Terrestrial Night Glow
Hitchhiker
Deploy Satcom K-1

Day 2
GAS Ultraviolet Experiment (UVX)
Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program (CHAMP)
Materials Science Laboratory:
Electromagnetic Levitator (EML)
ADSF
GAS Experiments (G446 and G007)
Deploy Satcom K-1 B/U

Day 3
UVX experiments
CHAMP
Operate MSL-2:
EML (Sample 3) and ADSF (Sample 1)
Hitchhiker
GAS Experiments (G310 and G007)
Student Experiments

Day 4
Infrared Imaging Experiment
UVX operations
MSL-2 operations
CHAMP

Day 5
UVX operations
MSL-2 operations
GAS experiments
RCS hot fire
Crew Conference
Stow Cabin

Day 6
Deactivate:
MSL-2
Hitchhiker
GAS Experiments
Student Experiment
Deorbit Preparations
Landing (KSC)

61-C PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS SUMMARY

Pounds

Orbiter Without Consumables 182,028
Satcom and PAM D-2 12,258
Miscellaneous, GAS, Experiments & Support Hardware 28,555
Orbiter Including Cargo at SRB Ignition 255,471
Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,516,472
Orbiter Landing Weight 211,000

RCA SATCOM K-1

Satcom K-1, the second of a planned fleet of three communications
satellites operating in the Ku-band part of the spectrum, will be deployed
during mission 61-C. The first, Satcom K-2, was carried aboard flight 61-B in
November 1985 and the third is scheduled for launch in 1987. Satcom K-1 has
been assigned an orbital position of 85 degrees west longitude.

Each of the spacecraft will have 16 channels operating at 54 MHz usable
bandwidth. The spacecraft are designed to provide coverage to the continental
48 states or to either the eastern half or western half.

The three-axis stabilized spacecraft are equipped with power, attitude
control, thermal control, propulsion, structure, and command ranging and
telemetry systems necessary to support mission operations from launch vehicle
separation through 10 years of operational life in geosynchronous orbit.

This new generation of spacecraft carries 45-watt transponders, which
permits the use of Earth station antennas as small as 3 ft. in diameter.
Because Ku-band frequencies are not shared with terrestrial microwave systems,
antennas served by the satellites can be located within major metropolitan
areas characterized by heavy terrestrial microwave traffic.

Following the launch of Satcom K-1, it will be placed into a 23,000-mi.
geosynchronous orbit. After this, the 280-square-ft. solar panels will deploy
from the 67-by-84-by-60-in. main space craft structure. The spacecraft then
will be tested for in-orbit operation and locked into its orbital slot.

Satcom K-1, owned and operated by RCA American Communications (RCA
Americom), is one of three Ku-band domt itnsites operating
in the 12 to 14 gigahertz range. There are 16 operational transponders and six
spares, each transmitting 45 watts of power, more than the 12 to 30 watts used
for C-band transponders.

RCA Satcom K-1 is a version of the RCA 4000 three-axis, stabilized
spacecraft, similar in appearance to the ASC-1 satellite deployed from
Discovery in August 1985. It will provide Direct-to-Home Television program
distribution and Satellite Master Antenna Television for hotels, apartment
houses, other multi-unit dwellings and institutions.

NASA has been reimbursed $14.2 million by RCA Americom for launch services
associated with the Satcom K-1 satellite.

HITCHHIKER

Spacelab Hitchhiker, a new payload carrier system which provides rapid and
low-cost access to space, will be carried on Shuttle mission 61-C.

Developed as a Shuttle payload-of-opportunity carrier, Spacelab Hitchhiker
primarily will accommodate science, technology and commercial payloads
requiring rapid access to space on a standby basis, but having only limited
pointing and onboard data processing requirements. The Hitchhiker system will
provide a payload support capability between those of payload carriers
currently in use -- the Getaway Special (GAS) and the Multiplexer/
Demultiplexer pallet.

Unlike the autonomous GAS canisters, Hitchhiker communications channels
are provided through the Payload Operations Control Center, Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., enabling realtime customer interaction and
control. Hitchhiker's mounting hardware also providescshSte,0w wpy
oihessrbdleutmamth
fea it autn A rCe
hkG lheefication flight on mission 61-C, and
one by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. (Hitchhiker-M).
Both systems are designed to use the cargo space remaining after the Shuttle's
primary payload has been accommodated.

Hitchhiker-G will have standard hardware interfaces and simplified
documentation procedures permitting nominal development time and lower customer
costs.

Hitchhiker-G consists of either two 50- by 60-inch aluminum plates or a
single plate for mounting experiments and a GAS canister. It can accommodate
four experiments having a total combined weight of 750 pounds or less. The
aluminum plates and/or GAS canister will be located on the starboard wall in
the forward end of the orbiter bay.

Marshall's Hitchhiker-M uses an across-the-cargo-bay type structure with
greater weight capacity than Hitchhiker-G. Hitchhiker-M is expected to be used
on a Shuttle flight in the late summer or fall of 1986. Both systems are
designed to be compatible with user needs.

Hitchhhiker-M is composed of a Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure
pallet, a power control box and a Smart Flexible Multiplexer/Demultiplexer.
Hitchhiker-M is limited to carrying three experiments having a total weight of
1,200 lb. or less. Like the Goddard Hitchhiker, no active cooling is
provided. It will have the same telemetry, power and command and control
capability as Hitchhiker-G.

The objectives of the Hitchhiker program are to:
* Provide reduced flight opportunity lead time;
* Provide increased reflight opportunity;
* Reduce integration cost; and
* Maximize Shuttle load factors.

The first Hitchhiker flight carrier (HG-1) will contain three
experiments: Particle Analysis Cameras (PACS) to study particle distribution
within the Shuttle bay environment; coated mirrors to test the effects of the
Shuttle's environment; and a Capillary Pump Loop (CPL) heat acquisition and
transport system. The particle study, the coated mirror test and their
avionics package will be mounted on a vertical plate attached to Columbia's
starboard side. The pump loop experiment, which shares the same avionics
system, will be mounted next to the plate inside a GAS canister.

The U.S. Air Force built the Particle Analysis Cameras. The coated mirror
experiment was built by Perkin-Elmer. The Capillary Pump Loop is a
high-density thermal system under development at Goddard for use on the Space
Station and orbiting spacecraft. Containing no moving parts esepnocia n i sdrsstar
tese as
eA uts Hitchhiker program manager is Edward James, Mail
Code MLD.

MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY-2 (MSL-2)

Resting on the Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structure (MPESS) in the
payload bay, the Materials Science Laboratory-2 (MSL-2), provides
accommodations for the following three experiments in the materials processing
field:

* Electromagnetic Levitator (EML) -- This experiment will
study the effects of material flow during solidification of a melted
material in the microgravity environment. Six samples will be suspended
in the electromagnetic field of a cusp coil and melted by induction
heating from the coil's electromagnetic field. Dr. Merton C. Flemings,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is principal investigator.
* Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF) -- Consisting of
four furnace/sample units, the experiment is designed to investigate the
melting and solidification process of four different materials.
Postflight, the samples will be compared to samples of the same
materials that were processed terrestrially. Dr. David J. Larson Jr.,
Grumman Aerospace, Bethpage, N.Y., is principal investigator.
* Three-Axis Acoustic Levitator (3AAL) - Twelve liquid samples will be
suspended in sound pressure waves, rotated and oscillated in a
low-gravity, nitrogen atmosphere. Investigators will study the degree
of sphericity attainable and small bubble migration similar to that
having to do with the refining of glass. Dr. Taylor Wang, Je
ruoLayPa i,nD.uan Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y., are co-principal investigators.

Activation, deactivation and status monitoring capability will be provided
by the standard switch panel in the orbiter aft flight deck.

The MSL-2 mission manager is Richard Valentine of Marshall Space Flight
Center, Huntsville, Ala. Nelson Wirman, Shuttle Payload Engineering Division,
Office of Space Science and Applications, NASA Headquarters, is program
manager.

COMET HALLEY ACTIVE MONITORING PROGRAM (CHAMP)

Objectives of the CHAMP payload include investigating the
dynamical/morphological behavior as well as the chemical structure of Comet
Halley. Photographic images and spectra will be obtained through the windows
of the orbiter crew cabin, using handheld 35mm camera and equipment. A crew
member will enclose himself in a camera shroud to eliminate all cabin light
interference. Using International Halley Watch standard comet filters, several
image-intensified monochromatic exposures will be made. In addition, spectra
of the comet will be photographed with the aid of a grating and image
intensifier.

Similar observations will be made on the Shuttle flights in January and
March in order to study the variations of the comet with time. CHAMP requires
no orbiter systems support and is stored in two-thirds of one middeck locker.

The principal investigators for CHAMP are S. Alan Stern, Laboratory for
Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado-Boulder and Dr.
Stephen Mende, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory. Mission management
support is provided by the Engineering Directorate, Johnson Space Center for
the Office of Space Science and Applications, NASA Headquarters.

GETAWAY SPECIALS (GAS)

Mission 61-C will be the maiden flight of the GAS bridge, an aluminum
structure designed to span the width of the payload bay and accommodate up to
12 GAS canisters. It was developed to reduce the backlog of GAS flight
requirements.

The following 13 GAS conars (12 with experiments and one with the
environmental Monitoring Package - EMP) will be on 61-C:

Ultraviolet Experiment (UVX) - This three-canister payload is designed to
measure diffuse ultraviolet background radiation.

The UVX consists of the following three interconnected 5-ft. GAS
canisters:

G-463 (JHU) -- This canister contains the Feldman Spectro photometer
from the Johns Hopkins University. It also has a motorized door
assembly (MDA) as well as a slit aperature with a field of view of 4 by
.3 degrees.

G-464 (UCB) - Sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley,
this canister contains the Bowyer UV Spectro meter, has an MDA, and a
slit aperature with a field of view of 4 by .1 degrees.

G-462 (GAP) - The third canister (without an MDA) will contain the
Goddard Avionics Package, which consists of a tape recorder, battery,
and telemetry system and is pressurized with dry nitrogen. G-462 is
mounted adjacent to G-463 and is connected to both canisters by electric
cables.

G-007 -- This canister houses four specific payloads. One of the three
student experiments (see Shuttle Student Involvement Program section) onboard
will study the solidifications of lead-antimony and aluminum-copper alloys.
The second student contribution is a comparative morphological and anatomical
study of the primary root system of radish seeds. The third experiment
examines the growth of metallic-appearing needle crystals in an aqueous
solution of potassium tetracyanoplatinate. The fourth payload is a radio
transmission experiment sponsored by the Marshall Amateur Radio Club and
consists of a half-wave dipole antenna installed on the canister's top cover
plate.

Temperature and status information will be broadcast to radio operators
around the world. A voice synthesizer Digitalker system will convert the data
into English during the three planned transmission cycles of 8 hours each.

G-062 -- The following four student experiments from Pennsylvania State
University and sponsored by the General Electric Co. make up this payload. The
liquid droplet heat radiator experiment will test an alternative method of heat
transfer which investigates how moving droplets can radiate heat into space.
The second experiment will study the effect of microgravity on the surface
tension of a fluid. This will be accomplished by placing a droplet of fluid in
the path of a moving piston and photographing the collision so that the
terminal velocity can be measured. The third experiment will study the effect
of convection on heat flow in a liquid by submersing a heat source in a
container of liquid. Thermisters will record resulting temperature
fluctuations in any flow patterns. The fuel slosh experiment studies the slosh
modes, frequencies, amplitudes, time constants and energy dissipation factors
of liquid slosh in spin-stabilized satellites. Behavior of sample liquids in
two model tanks will be recorded by a camera and piezoelectric force
transducers.

G-310 -- The objective of this U.S. Air Force Academy sponsored payload is
to measure the dynamics of a vibrating beam in a zero-g environment. During
its 71 minutes of operation, the test beam is repeatedly struck, allowed to
vibrate freely for 5 minutes, and then damped for 2 minutes. Five strain
gauges at various points on the beam will record measurings on tape.
Measurements of an accelerometer and a thermister located near the beam also
will be recorded. Post-mission, on-orbit data will be compared with baselined
ground data.

G-332 -- This GAS canister contains two contributions from Houston,
Texas. The Brine Shrimp Artemia experiment from Booker T. Washington High
School will determine the behavioral and physiological effects of microgravity
on eggs hatched in space. Activation involves injecting the eggs into a
temperature-controlled, light-cycled growth chamber and initiating the
photographic cycles for documentation.

The High School for Engineering provided the fluid physics experiment
which will examine the behavior of fluid when heated in microgravity. As the
fluid chamber is heated to cause temperature gradients, readings and
photographs will be taken at predetermined intervals.

G-470 -- In a joint effort by the Goddard Space Flight Center and the
United States Department of Agriculture, an investigation will be made
concerning the effects of weightlessness on Gypsy Moth eggs and engorged female
American dog ticks. The 200-lb., 5-ft. canister will contain the egg masses
and engorged ticks individually rolled in monofilament nylon mesh tied to a
large sheet of coarse-mesh cotton screen and rolled around a temperature
recording device in a humidity controlled atmosphere. Data obtained may lead
to new means of controlling these insect pests.

G-446 -- The purpose of this experiment is to learn what effect gravity
has on particle dispersion of packing material in High Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC) analytical columns. Contained in a 2.5-ft., 60-lb.
canister, the payload consists of an automated HPLC analytical column
manufacturing system that will produce HPLC columns in microgravity.
Post-landing, the samples will be returned to Alltech Associates, Inc., for
analysis.

G-449 -- The Laser Laboratory at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis.,
is the sponsor of this four-part experiment. The BMJ experiment will study the
biological effects of neodymium and helium-neon laser light upon desiccated
human tissue under going cosmic ray bombardment. Medications also will be
exposed to laser light and cosmic radiation. LEDAJO is an experiment to
determine cosmic radiation effects upon medications and medical/surgical
materials using Lexan detectors. BLOTY will aztgcshepba rgv ldp nabnotn t
sl ocmg O ie etlaser optical
protective eyewear materials following exposure to cosmic radiation. Lexon
detectors will determine particle tracks and energies.

G-481 -- Vertical Horizons contributed this experiment to the flight in
order to determine how unprimed canvas, prepared linen canvas, and portions of
oil painted canvas react to space travel. A total of 10 samples and a
thermograph will be rolled between layers of foam in a 2.5-ft. canister purged
with dry air. These samples will be compared with control samples postflight.

GAS Bridge Assembly

G-494 -- This payload is co-sponsored by the Canada Centre for Space
Science and the National Research Council of Canada. The experiment consists
of seven filtered photometers that will measure oxygen, oxide, and continuum
emissions in the terrestrial night glow and in the Shuttle night glow. The
emissions will be observed through windows beneath the motorized door
assembly. Data will be recorded on digital tape.

Environmental Monitoring Package (EMP) - The EMP is contributed by Goddard
Space Flight Center and will measure the environment of the GAS Bridge Assembly
during launch and landing. Data will be collected by 24 accelerometers, eight
strain gauges, three acoustic microphones and 10 thermocouples, all located at
various places on the bridge. Cables connect these sensors to the electronics
within the EMP canister, where the data is processed and recorded on tape for
use postflight.

INITIAL BLOOD STORAGE EXPERIMENT (IBSE)

The objective of the Initial Blood Storage Experiment (IBSE) is to
undersa rhfti m ogohad hemtiatosttsu detnhc
d aboboio.mrowldocnnwelnbod components which have experienced weightless conditions
in orbit, with similar samples stored in otherwise comparable conditions on
the ground. The blood samples will be housed in four stainless steel dewars
placed in two orbiter middeck lockers. With the exception of weightlessness,
the conditions for both the flight samples and the control samples on the
ground are intended to be like those in a standard blood bank. Specified
temperature levels for the samples will be maintained by thermoelectric
coolers.

After landing, the IBSE will be removed from the orbiter within 2 hours.
The samples will be processed in laboratory facilities at the Kennedy Space
Center, in preparation for shipment to the investigators' laboratories in
Boston for analysis.

The IBSE principal investigator is Dr. Douglas M. Surgenor, President,
Center for Blood Research, Boston. Mission management support for the IBSE
payload is provided by the Engineering Directorate, Johnson Space Center for
the Office of Space Science and Applications, NASA Headquarters.

INFRARED IMAGING EXPERIMENT (IR-IE)

The objective of the IR-IE is to acquire radiometric pictures/information
of selected terrestrial and celestial targets. Contributed by RCA
Communications, the IR camera should provide a ground field of view of
approximately 27 by 21 n.mi. at an orbital altitude of 160 n.mi. A partial
list of targets includes the Aurora, volcanoes, zodiacal light, the moon, and
the cities of Honolulu, Houston, Galveston, Miami and San Juan.

Operating in the 2.5 to 3.0 and 3.5 to 4.2 micron bands, the instrument
will generate a television signal that is compatible with the existing CCTV
video system onboard.

The IR-IE will be mounted on a standard pan/tilt unit in the C position of
the payload bay (aft, starboard). Data collection will be made on Flight Days
2 and 4 for approximately 1 hour each with a crew member stationed at the aft
flight deck to operate hrctlla will be recorded on the
video tape recorder. Postflight, the IR-IE video tape data will be analyzed by
RCA officials.

SHUTTLE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM (SSIP)

The following three SSIP experiments will be on 61-C:

Argon Injection as an Alternative to Honeycombing -- Occupying a locker in
the middeck, this material processing experiment will examine the ability to
produce a light-weight, honeycomb structure superior to Earth-produced
structures. The process involves injecting argon bubbles into a molten metal
alloy, ceralow, under microgravity conditions. After landing, the package
will be returned to Rachel Safman, Germantown, Md., and her sponsor, Fairchild
Space Co., Gaithersburg, Md., for postflight analysis.

Formation of Paper in Microgravity -- Daniel J. Hebert of Appleton, Wis.,
and his sponsor, the James River Paper Corp. of Neenah, Wis., contributed this
experiment to the flight. The objective of the experiment is to study the
formation of cellulose fibers in a fiber mat under weightless conditions.
Experiment hardware consists of nine individual acrylic cylinders that are
filled with the fibers mixed in a slurry solution. The fiber/slurry mixture is
forced through a screen by a piston. Fibers are deposited on the screen mat
while the slurry is returned to the back side of the piston by a ball valve
pipe. Each cylinder will be filled with a different polymer in order to vary
fiber arrangements. The package will be stowed in one middeck locker.

Measurement of Auxin Levels and Starch Grains in Plant Roots -- The
objective of thisreitstgtpfcrrohimatawltmefcgni oaaca vltaipi drt cya mkoet inoists of 18 plastic bs that contain one
corn root and one small pouch of fixative. A crewmember will be required to
open each fixative pouch and knead the fixative into the corn root and then
return each bag to the locker. Chia-Lien Wang of Waco, Texas, and her sponsor,
Baylor University, are credited with this addition to the mission.

ORBITER EXPERIMENTS PROGRAM

Significant modifications have been made on orbiter Columbia in order to
accommodate the following three research experiments developed by the Langley
Research Center as part of the Orbiter Experiments Program. These experiments
are designed to measure orbiter aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic
characteristics during reentry.

Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing (SILTS) -- The SILTS package
will replace the fintip atop the vertical tail and consists of a cylindrical
housing approximately 20 inches in diameter and is capped at the leading edge
by a spherical dome. Mounted inside the dome is an infrared camera which will
obtain images of the upper (leeside) surfaces of Columbia's port wing and
fuselage during reentry. The images will provide detailed temperature maps at
the surface of the leeside thermal protection materials and indicate the amount
of aerodynamic heating of the surfaces in flight. SILTS will be activated by
Columbia's computer at about 400,000 ft. above Earth and will terminate after
passing through the period of significant aerodynamic heating.

Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) -- Housed in a completely new
nosecap, SEADS will measure local surface air pressure through 14 penetration
assemblies distributed about the nosecap's surface. Each assembly contains a
small hole through which oncoming air passes. This experiment will allow
precise postflight determination oft brtu l t
ngrrmtdsyfaoh gwchiehas flown. SEADS will be activateat an altitude of about 56 miles through
landing.

Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS) -- Located inside the
nose wheel well, SUMS will sample air at Columbia's surface through a small
hole to measure the number of molecules of various gas species.

This data, combined with vehicle motion information will allow
determination of orbiter aerodynamic characteristics at altitudes where the
atmosphere is extremely thin. SUMS was originally developed for the Viking
spacecraft that landed on Mars in 1976 and has been modified to operate in the
orbiter reentry flight atmosphere.

REP. BILL NELSON'S ACTIVITIES

U.S. Rep. Bill Nelson (D-Fla), will operate the Hand onr
rt(eemtso6C xrewoieeepnnostnfnetttwglnronment
of space flight to produce protein crystals of sufficient size and quality to
allow analysis of their nature and structure. Gravitational effects such as
sedimentation have prevented the production of many such crystals in ground
based laboratories. The HPCG operations involve the use of four pieces of
equipment to attempt the growth of 60 different types of crystals; 12 by means
of dialysis and 48 via the vapor diffusion method.

Additionally, Nelson will participate in 10 Detailed Supplementary
Objective (DSO) studies for NASA's Space Biomedical Research Institute. These
will include studies of the physiological adaptation of the sensory-motor and
cardiovascular systems as well as studies of fluid shifts, electrolyte changes
and pharmacokinetics. The results from these studies will provide additional
insight into the effects of microgravity on the body's systems and will be used
in the development of countermeasures against the adverse aspects of
physiologic adaptation.

Nelson will also assist mission specialist George Nelson in monitoring the
operations of the Initial Blood Storage Experiment (IBSE).

61-C FLIGHT CREW

ROBERT L. GIBSON, Cdr., USN, is mission commander. Born Oct. 30, 1946, in
Cooperstown, N.Y., Gibson became an astronaut in 1978.

He was graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a B.S.
degree in aeronautical engineering. He entered active duty with the Navy in
1969 and completed advanced flight training at the Naval Air Station,
Kingsville, Texas. While assigned to Fighter Squadrons 111 and 1, he flew 56
combat missions in Southeast Asia.

Gibson has flown more than 3,000 hours in 35 types of civil and military
aircraft and holds commercial pilot, multi-engine and instrument ratings. He
has completed over 300 carrier landings.

Gibson was pilot on Space Shuttle Mission 41-B in 1984. He has logged 191
hours in space.

CHARLES F. BOLDEN JR., Lt. Col., USMC, is 61-C pilot. He was born Aug.
19, 1946, in Columbia, S.C. He became a NASA astronaut in May 1980.

Bolden received a B.S. degree in electrical science from the U.S. Naval
Academy and an M.S. in systems management from the University of Southern
California. After flight training he flew more than 100 sorties into North and
South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He has more than 3,400 hours flying time --
3,100 in jet aircraft.

Bolden's NASA assignments include systems development group work on tile
repair, SRB launch over pressure, launch debris prevention and Shuttle Autoland
development. He also has served as astronaut office liaison for STS displays
and controls, astronaut office safety officer and technical assistant to the
director of flight crew operations.

GEORGE D. NELSON, Ph.D., is one of three mission specialists. Born July
13, 1950, in Charles City, Iowa, he became a NASA astronaut in 1978.

Nelson received a B.S. degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College and an
M.S. and Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington. He performed
various astronomical research projects at Sunspot, N.M.; Utrecht, the
Netherlands; and Gottingen, West Germany. He was a post-doctoral research
associate at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics in Boulder, Colo.

Nelson was a mission specialist on STS 41-C in April 1984. During that
flight, the crew deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility, retrieved and
repaired the ailing Solar Maximum Satellite, then placed it back in orbit with
the robot arm. He has logged 168 hours in space, including 9 hours of EVA
flight time.

STEVEN A. HAWLEY, Ph.D., mission specialist, was born Dec. 12, 1951, in
Ottawa, Kans. He became a NASA astronaut in 1978.

Hawley received B.A. degrees in physics and astronomy from the University
of Kansas and a Ph.D. in astronomy and astro physics from the University of
California. He was a post-doctoral research associate at Cerro Tololo
Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile.

Hawley was a mission specialist on STS 41-D in 1984, completing 96 Earth
orbits and logging 144 hours in space. He served as simulator pilot for
software checkout at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory before STS-1
and as a member of the astronaut support crews for the second, third and fourth
Shuttle flights.

FRANKLIN R. CHANG-DIAZ, Ph.D., mission specialist, was born April 5, 1950,
in San Jose, Costa Rica. He became a NASA astronaut in 1980.

Chang-Diaz was graduated from Colegio De LaSalle in San Jose, Costa Rica
in 1967. He received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the
University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in applied plasma physics from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977.

In addition to his mainline fields of science and engineering, Chang-Diaz
worked 2-1/2 years as house manager in an experimental community residence for
deinstitutionalizing chronic mental patients and was heavily involved as
instructor/advisor with a rehabilitation program for Hispanic drug abusers in
Massachusetts.

ROBERT J. CENKER is one of two payload specialists on 61-C. Born in
Uniontown, Pa., he graduated from St. Fidelis College and Seminary, Herman,
Pa. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in aero space engineering from
Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from
Rutgers University.

Cenker is a senior staff engineer at RCA Astro-Electronics Division, East
Windsor, N.J. Much of his career has been devoted to design and development of
communications satellites including RCA Satcoms 1 and 2, the GTE Spacenet
satellites and the advanced series 4,000 spacecraft.

The first of these satellites, designated RCA Satcom Ku- Band-1, will be
deployed during 61-C and Cenker will perform experiments with an infrared
camera developed at RCA's David Sarnoff Research Center, Princeton, N.J.
C. WILLIAM (BILL) NELSON, Congressman, 11th District of Florida, is a
payload specialist on 61-C. He is a fifth generation Floridian whose family
came to Florida in 1829. He is chairman of the Space Science and Applications
Subcommittee and a member of the Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee.

Nelson received a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University and a
degree in law from the University of Virginia. A U.S. Army captain, he served
in the reserves from 1965 to 1971 and was on active duty from 1968 to 1970.

In 1972, he was elected to the Florida legislature and served 6 years
until his election to Congress. He was honored by the Florida Jaycees as one
of the five outstanding young men of Florida, and was nominated as the most
valuable member of the Florida House of Representatives.

 
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