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- SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-37 PRESS KIT
-
-
- APRIL 1991
-
-
-
- CONTENTS
-
-
-
- GENERAL RELEASE 4
-
- GENERAL INFORMATION.. 5
-
- STS-37 QUICK LOOK 6
-
- SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 7
-
- VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS. 8
-
- SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 9
-
- TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. 10
-
- STS-37 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING. 11
-
- GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY. 11
-
- GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY SUBSYSTEMS. 12
-
- GAMA RAY OBSERVATORY SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS. 13
-
- PAYLOAD OPERATION AND CONTROL CENTER (POCC). 15
-
- GREAT OBSERVATORIES 16
-
- MID-RANGE TARGETED STATIONKEEPING. 16
-
- EVA DEVELOPMENTAL FLIGHT EXPERIMENT 17
-
- BIOSERVE ITA MATERIALS DISPERSION APPARATUS. 19
-
- PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH EXPERIMENT 20
-
- SPACE STATION HEAT PIPE ADVANCED RADIATOR ELEMENT 22
-
- SHUTTLE AMATEUR RADIO EXPERIMENT. 22
-
- ADVANCED SHUTTLE GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTERS 24
-
- RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III. 24
-
- ASCENT PARTICLE MONITOR. 25
-
- STS-37 CREW BIOGRAPHIES. 25
-
- STS-37 MISSION MANAGEMENT. 27
-
-
-
-
-
-
- RELEASE: 91-41
-
- GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY, SPACEWALK HIGHLIGHT STS-37
-
-
- Shuttle mission STS-37, the 39th flight of the Space Shuttle and
- the eighth flight of Atlantis, will be highlighted by deployment of
- the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), the second of NASA's four great
- space observatories, and the first American spacewalk in more than 5
- years.
-
- The launch of Atlantis is currently scheduled for no earlier
- than 9:18 a.m. EST on April 5. GRO, to be placed into a
- 243-nautical-mile high orbit on the 3rd day of the flight, will
- complement the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and attempt to unravel
- the mysteries of the universe through observations of gamma rays,
- among the highest frequency wavelengths of the spectrum. GRO is the
- second in four planned great observatories, including HST, the
- Advanced X- Ray Astrophysics Facility and the Space Infrared
- Telescope Facility.
-
- On the 4th day of the flight, the Extravehicular Activity
- Development Flight Experiments (EDFE) will require the first
- spacewalk by American astronauts since Shuttle mission STS-61B in
- November 1985. The spacewalk will test the Crew and Equipment
- Translation Aids, three prototype cart designs that are part of an
- effort to develop a transportation device for use on the exterior of
- Space Station Freedom. Other spacewalk experiments include tests of
- the Shuttle's robot arm as a work platform for astronauts and
- instrumented evaluations of astronauts' ability to work with tools in
- weightlessness.
-
- On the middeck, Atlantis will carry several secondary
- experiments including the Bioserve ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus
- (BIMDA), a study in biomedical materials processing; Protein Crystal
- Growth-III (PCG-III), another in a sequence of Shuttle experiments
- that grow crystals in weightlessness; the Shuttle Amateur Radio
- Experiment-II (SAREX-II), an experiment that will allow the crew to
- contact amateur radio operators around the world who are within range
- of the Shuttle's flight path; the Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced
- Radiator Element-II (SHARE-II), a study of an evolving design of
- cooling radiators for Space Station Freedom; and the Radiation
- Monitoring Equipment-III (RME- III), a monitor of the amount of
- radiation penetrating the Shuttle's crew compartment during the
- flight.
-
- In addition Atlantis will have the Ascent Particle Monitoring
- Experiment in the payload bay, a package of instruments that measure
- contamination in the cargo bay during launch. The orbiter also will
- participate in the Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS), a continuing
- series of observations of Shuttle orbital engine firings by ground
- Air Force instruments.
-
- The mission is planned to last 5 days and 12 minutes, concluding
- with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 9:30 a.m. EDT,
- April 10th. Commanding Atlantis will be Air Force Col. Steven R.
- Nagel. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Kenneth D. Cameron will serve as pilot.
- Mission specialists will be Air Force Lt. Col. Jerry L. Ross; Dr.
- Linda M. Godwin; and Dr. Jay Apt. Mission specialists Ross and Apt
- will perform the spacewalk on the 4th day of the flight.
-
- - end of general release -
-
-
-
-
-
-
- GENERAL INFORMATION
-
- NASA Select Television Transmission
-
- NASA Select television is available on Satcom F-2R, Transponder
- 13, located at 72 degrees west longitude; frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio
- 6.8 MHz.
-
- The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and
- for the change-of-shift briefings from Johnson Space Center, Houston,
- will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.;
- Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Johnson Space Center;
- and NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The TV schedule will be updated
- daily to reflect changes dictated by mission operations.
-
- Television schedules also may be obtained by calling COMSTOR,
- 713/483-5817. COMSTOR is a computer data base service requiring the
- use of a telephone modem. A voice update of the TV schedule may be
- obtained by dialing 202/755- 1788. This service is updated daily at
- noon EST.
-
- Status Reports
-
- Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit
- activities and landing operations will be produced by the appropriate
- NASA news center.
-
- Briefings
-
- An STS-39 mission press briefing schedule will be issued prior
- to launch. During the mission, 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.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- STS-37 QUICK LOOK
-
- Launch Date: No earlier than April 5, 1991
-
- Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 39B
-
- Launch Window: 9:18 a.m. to 1:56 p.m. EST (4 hours, 38 minutes)
-
- Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104)
-
- Orbit: 243 x 243 nautical miles, 28.45 degrees inclination
-
- Landing Date/Time: April 10, 1991, 9:30 a.m. EDT
-
- Primary Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
-
- Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC, Fla.
- Transoceanic Abort Landing - Banjul, The Gambia
- Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
-
- Crew: Steven R. Nagel, Commander
- Kenneth D. Cameron, Pilot
- Linda Godwin, Mission Specialist 1
- Jerry L. Ross, Mission Specialist 2
- Jay Apt, Mission Specialist 3
-
- Cargo Bay Payloads: Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO)
- EVA Development Flight Experiments (EDFE)
- Ascent Particle Monitor (APM)
-
- Middeck Payloads: Bioserve ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA)
- Protein Crystal Growth-III (PCG-III)
- Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-I (SAREX-II)
- Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III (RME-III)
- Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS)
- Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element-II
- (SHARE-II)
-
-
-
- SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES
-
- DAY ONE
-
- Ascent
- OMS 2
- PCG activation
- RMS checkout
- SAREX activation
- BIMDA
- DSOs
-
-
- DAY TWO
-
- GRO in-bay checkout
- Depressurize cabin to 10.2 psi
- EMU checkout
- SHARE-II
- AMOS
-
-
- DAY THREE
-
- GRO deploy
-
-
- DAY FOUR
-
- EDFE EVA
-
-
- DAY FIVE
-
- FCS checkout
- Mid-Range Targeted Station Keeping (DTO 822)
- Middeck payloads deactivation
- Cabin stow
-
-
- DAY SIX
-
- Deorbit
- Landing
-
-
- VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS
-
-
-
- Pounds
-
- Orbiter (Atlantis) empty and 3 SSMEs
- 171,785
-
- Remote Manipulator System (robot arm)
- 1,258
-
- Gamma Ray Observatory
- 34,643
-
- GRO Middeck Equipment
- 99
-
- Airborne Electrical Support Equipment
- 523
-
- Ascent Particle Monitor (APM)
- 22
-
- Bioserve ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA)
- 72
-
- Crew and Equipment Translation Aids Cart Assembly
- 215
-
- CETA Hardware
- 588
-
- Detailed Test Objectives (DTO)
- 106
-
- Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSO)
- 47
-
- Portable Data Acquisition Package
- 200
-
- Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)
- 63
-
- Radiation Monitoring Experiment (RME)
- 7
-
- SHARE II Middeck Priming Experiment
- 40
-
- Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX)
- 66
-
- Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition
- 4,523,759
-
- Orbiter Landing Weight
- 191,029
-
-
-
-
-
- SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES
-
-
- Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and
- intact recovery of the flight crew, orbiter and its payload. Abort
- modes include:
-
- * Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust
- late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105- nautical mile orbit
- with orbital maneuvering system engines.
-
- * Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with
- the capability to allow one orbit around before landing at either
- Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)
- at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; or White Sands Space Harbor
- (Northrup Strip), NM.
-
- * Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of two main
- engines midway through powered flight would force a landing at
- either Banjul, The Gambia; Ben Guerir, Morocco; or Moron, Spain.
-
- * Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or
- more engines, without enough energy to reach Banjul, would result
- in a pitch around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding
- distance of the SLF.
-
- STS-37 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, Kennedy
- Space Center, White Sands, Banjul, Ben Guerir or Moron.
-
-
- TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
-
- ______________________________________________________________________________
- RELATIVE
- EVENT MET VELOCITY MACH ALTITUDE
- (d:h:m:s) (fps) (ft)
- ______________________________________________________________________________
-
- Launch 00/00:00:00
-
- Begin Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:09 160 600
-
- End Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:16 340 2,500
-
- Throttle to 89% 00/00:00:18 390 3,180
-
- Throttle to 67% 00/00:00:28 650 7,790
-
- Max. Dyn. Pressure 00/00:00:52 1,170 1.09 26,580
-
- Throttle to 104% 00/00:00:59 1,320 1.25 33,380
-
- SRB Staging 00/00:02:05 4,090 3.73 156,440
-
- Main Engine Cutoff 00/00:08:33 24,600 23.13 363,660
-
- Zero Thrust 00/00:08:39 24,646 22.85 370,550
-
- ET Separation 00/00:08:51
-
- OMS 2 Burn 00/00:41:44
-
- GRO Release 02/03:35:00
-
- Deorbit Burn (orb 77) 04/23:12:00
-
- Landing (orb 78) 05/00:12:00
-
-
-
-
- Apogee, Perigee at MECO: 238 x 32 nautical miles
-
- Apogee, Perigee post-OMS 2: 243 x 243 nautical miles
-
-
-
- STS-37 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING
-
- Kennedy Space Center workers began preparing Atlantis for its
- eighth flight into space when the vehicle was towed into the Orbiter
- Processing Facility on Nov. 21 following its previous mission,
- STS-38.
-
- About 31 modifications were made to the orbiter Atlantis during
- its 15-week stay in the Orbiter Processing Facility. A significant
- modification was the installation of the five new general purpose
- computers. The new carbon brake system also was installed and many
- upgrades were made to the thermal protection system. All of
- Atlantis' systems were fully tested while in the OPF. Both orbital
- maneuvering system pods and the forward reaction control system were
- removed and transferred to the Hypergolic Maintenance Facility for
- required testing.
-
- GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY
-
- GRO, which weighs just over 35,000 pounds (15,876 kilograms),
- will be the heaviest NASA science satellite ever deployed by the
- Space Shuttle into low-Earth orbit.
-
- GRO is a space-based observatory designed to study the universe
- in an invisible, high-energy form of light known as gamma rays.
- Although a variety of smaller satellites and high-altitude balloons
- have carried instruments to study the universe in gamma-ray light
- during the past 30 years, GRO represents a dramatic improvement in
- sensitivity, spectral range and resolution.
-
- Gamma-rays, which cannot penetrate the EarthUs atmosphere, are
- of interest to scientists because these rays provide a reliable
- record of cosmic change and evolution. Their study will yield
- unprecedented answers about the structure and dynamics of the Milky
- Way Galaxy, the nature of pulsars, quasars, black holes and neutron
- stars, as well as clues about the origin and history of the universe
- itself.
-
- The four instruments on GRO were selected by NASA to provide
- the first comprehensive, coordinated observations of a broad
- gamma-ray energy range with much better sensitivity than any
- previous mission. The instruments include: the Burst and Transient
- Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer
- Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL) and the
- Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET). During the first
- 15 months of the mission, an all-sky survey is planned. The
- observing program that follows will be guided by the results of this
- survey.
-
- The instruments onboard GRO, with sensitivities 10 times
- greater than that of earlier instruments, will scan active galaxies
- for new information on celestial objects. GRO also can detect the
- very high temperature emissions from the vicinity of stellar black
- holes, thereby providing evidence for the existence of these exotic
- objects. GRO observations of diffuse radiation will not only help
- resolve questions relating to the large scale distribution of matter
- in the universe, but also about the processes that may have taken
- place shortly after the universe began in the theoretical energetic
- explosion or "Big Bang.S
-
-
- GRO is a NASA cooperative program. The Federal Republic of
- Germany, with co-investigator support from The Netherlands, the
- European Space Agency, the United Kingdom and the United States, has
- principal investigator responsibility for COMPTEL. The Federal
- Republic of Germany also is furnishing hardware elements and
- co-principal investigator support for EGRET.
-
- GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY SUBSYSTEMS
-
- The Gamma Ray Observatory is the first scientific payload with
- a refuelable onboard propulsion system. In addition, GRO provides
- the support and protection necessary for the observatory to complete
- its mission. The spacecraftUs subsystems include propulsion, power,
- controls, electronics, communications and thermal.
-
- Propulsion
-
- The Gamma Ray Observatory has a self-contained propulsion
- system that will allow controllers on the ground to keep the GRO
- spacecraft at the proper altitude. The propulsion system provides
- thrust for orbit altitude change, orbit maintenance, attitude
- control and if necessary, controlled reentry. GRO's four propellent
- tanks hold 4,200 pounds (1900-kilograms) of hydrazine fuel. The
- spacecraft has four 100-pound (45-kilogram) thrusters and isolation
- valves. GRO also has four dual thruster modules, each consisting of
- two 5-pound (2.2-kilogram) thrusters for attitude control. The fuel
- tanks are designed to be refueled by a future Space Shuttle mission,
- although no mission is currently planned for this purpose.
-
- Attitude Control and Determination System
-
- The primary purpose of the Attitude Control and Determination
- (ACAD) subsystem is to point the GRO instruments to selected
- celestial gamma-ray sources and to supply attitude information for
- data processing. The ACAD subsystem is a three-axis system made up
- of many NASA standard components and other flight-proven hardware.
- The system contains sensors that tell GRO where it's pointed and
- actuators for vehicle orientation. The primary sensors are the
- Fixed-Head Star Trackers and the Inertial Reference Unit. The star
- trackers relay information to GRO's onboard computers about the
- location of the spacecraft based on the known positions of
- pre-programmed guide stars. The Inertial Reference Unit relays
- attitude and position information based on the forces of inertia
- working in much the same manner as a gyroscope. The primary
- actuators are the four Reaction Wheel Assemblies. They rely on the
- principle of the spinning flywheel to maintain spacecraft attitude.
-
- Communications and Data Handling
-
- The Communications and Data Handling (CADH) system is based on
- the standard NASA modular design used with great success on the
- Solar Maximum Mission and Landsats 4 and 5. By using modules,
- repair of damaged or defective components is vastly simplified. The
- CADH subsystem consists of the CADH module, a 60-inch (152
- centimeter) high-gain antenna, two omnidirectional low-gain antennas
- and a radio frequency combiner to interface the module with the
- antennas.
-
-
-
- The CADH includes two second generation Tracking and Data Relay
- Satellite System (TDRSS) transponders for both incoming and outgoing
- transmissions to TDRSS and for command and telemetry transmissions
- to the Shuttle during in-bay and deployment sequences. Two NASA
- standard tape recorders are included for data storage. They will be
- used to record data for later playback to scientists on the ground.
- These playbacks, or data dumps, take place every other orbit at a
- rate of 512 kilobytes per second via the high-gain antenna system
- and the TDRSS S-band.
-
- GRO also has a sophisticated clock that converts spacecraft
- time into universal time and distributes it to each instrument.
- Remote Interface Units are distributed throughout the spacecraft to
- interface the instruments with other onboard subsystems.
-
- Electrical Power
-
- The ObservatoryUs solar arrays are accordion style,
- multi-panel, rigid arrays, deployed by motor-driven rigid booms.
- The total power available for the observatory from the solar arrays
- is approximately 2000 watts. Two Modular Power System (MPS) modules
- condition, regulate and control solar-array power during sunlight
- portions of the orbit to satisfy load demands and battery charging.
- During eclipse periods, Nicad batteries supply the spacecraft power.
- The batteries also supplement solar-array power during periods of
- peak power. Each MPS can receive power from external sources during
- ground operations and while in the Shuttle payload bay.
-
- Thermal Subsystems
-
- The thermal control of the observatoryUs subsystems and
- instruments is accomplished by coatings, blankets, louvers,
- radiators and heaters. The instruments are thermally isolated from
- each other and the spacecraft structure to reduce temperature.
-
- The COMPTEL instrument uses a heat pipe system that transfers
- heat to a remote radiator providing active cooling for the
- instrument. The other instruments have passive thermal designs.
-
- GRO uses three types of heaters, each having redundant
- thermostats and heater elements. Operational heater circuits are
- adequate for normal orbital operations. Make-up heaters replace the
- power of an instrument or component when it is turned off in orbit.
- Space Shuttle auxiliary heaters are used to maintain temperatures
- while GRO is in the payload bay.
-
- GRO SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS
-
- Gamma rays are a form of light that cannot penetrate the
- Earth's atmosphere or be seen by the human eye. Gamma rays have the
- highest energies of any type of light radiation. Since high-energy
- processes tend to produce high-energy radiation, gamma rays are
- emitted by some of the most exotic structures in our universe --
- supernovae, neutron stars, black holes and quasars. The study of
- gamma rays offers a window into the inner workings of these and
- other fascinating objects, providing insights unattainable from the
- study of any other form of radiation.
-
-
- Although the four instruments on GRO are essentially telescopes
- for seeing gamma-ray light, they do not look like ordinary
- telescopes. Instead, the GRO instruments observe gamma rays
- indirectly, by monitoring flashes of visible light, called
- scintillations, that occur when gamma rays strike the detectors
- (made of liquid or crystal materials) built into the instruments.
-
- GRO's instruments are much larger and much more sensitive than
- any gamma-ray instrument ever flown in space. Size is crucial for
- gamma-ray astronomy. Because gamma rays are detected when they
- interact with matter, the number of gamma-ray events recorded is
- directly related to the mass of the detector. With the small number
- of gamma rays emanating from celestial sources, large instruments
- are needed to detect a significant number of photons in a reasonable
- amount of time.
-
- The gamma rays emitted from celestial objects span a wide range
- of energies. The most energetic gamma rays to be studied by GRO
- have energies some 1 million times greater than the weakest. This
- is a far greater range in energy than that spanned by visible light,
- and no single instrument yet devised can detect gamma rays
- throughout this range. GRO's four instruments together span the
- gamma-ray range from about 20,000 to 30 billion electron volts (eV).
- Each of the four instruments has a unique design and is specialized
- for particular types of observations.
-
- Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE)
-
- The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) was developed
- by scientists and engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center,
- Huntsville, Ala., to continuously monitor a large segment of the sky
- for detection and measurement of short, intense bursts and other
- transient sources of gamma rays. BATSE consists of 8 identical
- detectors, with one detector located at each corner of the
- spacecraft to give it a very wide field of view. BATSE works in the
- low-energy part of the gamma-ray range (20,000 to 2 million eV) in
- which bursts are expected. Once BATSE discovers a burst of gamma
- rays, it can signal the other three instruments to study the source
- in more detail. Dr. Gerald Fishman of Marshall is the principal
- investigator.
-
- Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE)
-
- The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington, D.C., designed
- the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) to detect
- nuclear-line radiation and emissions associated with low energy
- gamma-ray sources (100,000 to 10 million eV). OSSE is sensitive to
- the spectral signature of radioactive elements. This enables OSSE
- to study supernovae and novae which are believed to be the sites
- where the heavy elements are created. These elements are the basis
- for life as we know it. OSSE also will provide insight into various
- types of science targets, such as neutron stars, black holes,
- pulsars and quasars. Dr. James Kurfess of the NRL is the principal
- investigator.
-
- Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL)
-
- The Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), developed as a
- cooperative effort by the Federal Republic of Germany, The
- Netherlands, the European Space Agency and the United States, is
- designed for observations at moderate gamma-ray energies (1 to 30
- million eV). Because COMPTEL has a wide field of view (though not
- as wide as BATSE) and can locate gamma ray sources, one of its
- primary functions will be to produce a detailed map of the sky as
- seen in moderate gamma rays. Dr. Volker Schoenfelder of the Max
- Planck Institute, Germany, is the principal investigator.
-
- Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET)
-
- The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) is between
- 10 and 20 times larger and more sensitive than any high energy,
- gamma-ray telescope previously flown in space. The mission of
- EGRET, a joint effort by scientists and engineers at NASA's Goddard
- Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Md.; Stanford University,
- Stanford, Calif.; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and Grumman
- Aerospace Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is to search the cosmos for high
- energy gamma-rays. One of its primary missions will be to generate
- a map of the sky as seen in high-energy gamma rays, complementing
- the map produced by COMPTEL. Another will be to discover and monitor
- gamma-ray emissions from pulsars. GoddardUs Dr. Carl Fichtel is the
- principal investigator.
-
- PAYLOAD OPERATION AND CONTROL CENTER (POCC)
-
- Instructions sent to GRO during its science mission begin with
- the controllers located in the GRO Payload Operations Control Center
- (POCC) at GSFC. The focal point for all pre-mission preparations and
- on-orbit operations, the POCC is part of the Multisatellite
- Operations Control Center (MSOCC) at Goddard that provides mission
- scheduling, tracking, telemetry data acquisition, command and
- processing required for down-linked data.
-
- Data Processing Systems
-
- GRO engineering and experiment data will be processed in the
- POCC and the Packet Processor (PACOR) Data Capture Facility. The
- POCC will receive real time and playback telemetry data via TDRSS.
- The PACOR will receive real time and playback data in parallel with
- the POCC. The PACOR will record, time order, quality check and
- transmit sets of science data packets to the four instrument sites
- via a computer electronic mail system or by magnetic computer tape.
- The instrument sites are: Burst and Transient Source Experiment,
- Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala; Oriented
- Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment, Naval Research Laboratory,
- Washington, D.C.; Imaging Compton Telescope, U. S. interface,
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.; and the Energetic Gamma
- Ray Experiment Telescope, GSFC.
-
- The Mission Operations Room, an integral part of the POCC, is
- responsible for all aspects of mission control, including spacecraft
- health and safety, and is operated on a 24-hour basis. This
- arrangement will provide command management, flight dynamics and
- communications support through the use of an extensive array of
- interactive terminals, color graphic microprocessors, recorders and
- close circuit television. Science Support Center
-
- GSFC is the site of the Science Support Center (SSC) for the
- Gamma Ray Observatory. The SSC supports guest investigators through
- proposal preparation assistance, support of the proposal selection
- process and data archive search activities. In addition, the SSC
- will assist NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications,
- Astrophysics Division, in managing the review and evaluation of
- proposals for specific observations and theoretical investigations
- in the gamma-ray portion of the spectrum.
-
- The SSC is developing software that will provide a common link
- for data from each of the instruments for investigators whose
- studies involve more than one of GRO's diverse capabilities.
-
- The SSC also is developing and instituting the software systems
- that will allow data from the observatory to be archived by the
- National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) also located at Goddard.
- Cataloging methods will be developed to allow future guest
- investigators the opportunity to easily access data for scientific
- study either at Goddard's facilities or at their home laboratories.
-
- Data archived by the SSC and the NSSDC generally will become
- available one year after it has been processed into usable form.
- The SSC provides a uniform interface with all of the principal
- investigator teams and publishes a newsletter with items of interest
- to the scientific community.
-
- GREAT OBSERVATORIES
-
- The GRO is the second of four "Great Observatories" being built
- by NASA to study the universe across the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The first, the Hubble Space Telescope, was launched in April 1990.
- HST primarily conducts studies using visible and ultraviolet light.
- The other Great Observatories are the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics
- Facility, expected to be launched in 1998, and the Space Infrared
- Telescope Facility, scheduled for launch at the end of the decade.
-
- The GRO program is managed by GSFC for NASAUs Office of Space
- Science and Applications. The spacecraft was built by TRW, Redondo
- Beach, Calif.
-
- MID-RANGE TARGETED STATIONKEEPING
-
- Mid-Range Targeted Stationkeeping, designated as a Detailed
- Test Objective (DTO 822) for STS-37, will be a rendezvous experiment
- to help determine the precision with which the Shuttle can intercept
- a point behind an orbiting target and maintain the position without
- onboard radar. The orbiting target for the test will be the
- previously deployed Gamma Ray Observatory.
-
- Following completion of EVA activities on flight day 4, a phase
- adjustment burn will be performed to begin closing the distance
- between Atlantis and GRO. While the crew sleeps, Atlantis will close
- from about 100 miles to within 50 miles behind the target.
-
- An additional phasing maneuver will be made, early on flight
- day 5, to move Atlantis to within 20 miles. The crew then will
- conduct a final interception maneuver, using star trackers and
- optical alignment sights to identify and close in on the test point
- 8 miles behind GRO.
-
- Stationkeeping 8 miles behind GRO, the crew will maneuver
- Atlantis around the test point, using RCS jets to conduct
- out-of-plane translations and attitude changes. Following those,
- the crew will use the star trackers and optical alignment sights to
- locate and maneuver back to the stationkeeping point.
-
- Acquired data will be used to assess manual stationkeeping
- tools and techniques for potential rendezvous cases in which orbiter
- radar systems are not available.
-
- EXTREVHICULAR ACTIVITY DEVELOPMENTAL FLIGHT EXPERIMENT
-
- On STS-37, astronauts will venture into the payload bay for the
- 14th time in the 10-year history of the Shuttle program, when
- mission specialists Jerry Ross and Jay Apt perform a 6-hour
- extravehicular activity (EVA) during flight day 4. When Ross opens
- the airlock hatch, he will be the first astronaut to do so since he
- closed it Dec. 1, 1985, during STS-61B.
-
- During the spacewalk, Apt and Ross will test several different
- translation devices which could be the predecessors of devices to be
- used on Space Station Freedom. The flight tests will answer
- questions including the speed of translation, complexity of
- equipment required, ease of translation and crew loads applied to
- tools and equipment for future EVA experiences.
-
- Ross is designated as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1) and
- will have red stripes on his spacesuit, while Apt is EV2. Pilot Ken
- Cameron will perform the functions of the intravehicular crewmember
- (IV1), monitoring the progress of the spacewalk from inside
- Atlantis.
-
- The EVA Developmental Flight Experiment (EDFE) is composed of
- three sets of evaluations: the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid
- (CETA); the Crew Loads Instruments Pallet Experiment (CLIP), also
- known as Detailed Test Objective (DTO) 1203; and the EVA Translation
- Evaluation, DTOs 1202 and 1205.
-
- Portable Data Aquisition Package
-
- EDFE experiments require the use of a data recording system,
- called the Portable Data Acquisition Package (PDAP), that will
- collect information on stresses imparted to the track and cart by
- the astronauts. The system also will measure forces and torque
- imparted to the tools the astroanuts use during the CLIP experiment.
-
- The PDAP will record 32 channels of analog data with each
- channel being sampled 150 times per second. The analog signals will
- be digitized to 12-bit resolution, time tagged and recorded on a
- hard disk for retrieval after landing.
-
- The three PDAPs flown on Atlantis will be stored inside the
- crew compartment and mounted on the EDFE experiments by Ross and Apt
- after the spacewalk begins. They will be brought back into the crew
- compartment at the completion of the EVA.
-
- Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA)
-
- CETA consists of three carts and a tether Shuttle that move
- down a 46.8 foot track mounted on the port side of the payload bay.
- While the Gamma Ray Observatory is in the payload bay, the track is
- stored in two 23.4-foot sections in the forward part of the bay.
- Crew members will extend the track to the test position at the onset
- of the EVA and stow it after the evaluations are complete.
-
- The tether Shuttle is a small translation aid to which
- astronauts clip their safety tethers. It also is equipped with a
- small handhold for translations and rides on the CETA track.
-
- For each evaluation, the three CETA carts are mounted to a
- common truck attached to the translation track. The truck is an
- approximately 20-inch square assembly with four roller clusters that
- ride on the track. The individual carts are fixed to the truck for
- each evaluation and each has its own brake.
-
- The first cart to be tested will be the manual configuration.
- Once positioned in the foot restraints, the astronaut will propel
- himself, hand over hand, down the rail. Both the tether Shuttle and
- the manual cart configuration are baselined for Space Station
- Freedom.
-
- The mechanical version resembles a railroad car mechanism with
- which the astronaut pumps a T-handle to move. This motion is
- converted by a gear train into the continuous motion of two wheel
- drives. A leg restraint connects to the CETA truck and the tether
- Shuttle to keep the astronaut in a nearly prone position while
- pumping the cart.
-
- The final CETA cart uses electrical currents, generated by the
- astronaut, to move the truck down the rail. The astronaut places
- himself in foot restraints and pumps two handles in a bicycle-like
- motion to create a maximum of 24 volts to drive two small motors.
- The motors then propel the truck down the track.
-
- Maximum speed for all three carts is 6 feet per second. Apt
- and Ross both will evaluate all three vehicles, at times carrying
- each other to simulate transporting cargo to a work station.
- Following the CETA evaluation, Ross and Apt will begin working with
- the scheduled DTOs.
-
- Detailed Test Objectives
-
- CLIP consists of three force torque sensor plates, a soft
- stowage assembly and a foot restraint system. The CLIP assembly is
- stowed on the forward port side of the payload bay. Crew members
- will perform specific tasks that represent those used during normal
- EVAs, such as tightening a bolt or turning a knob. The foot
- restraint and work site are instrumented with sensors that measure
- the crew induced loads to force and moment signals recorded on the
- PDAP. Most of the tasks required for the CLIP evaluations will be
- repeated twice by both EVA astronauts, for a total of about 80 tasks
- each.
-
- ETE will obtain crew translation data for EVA systems
- requirements definition, technique development and equipment design.
- The ETE uses Shuttle hardware such as a manipulator foot restraint
- and an EVA force measurement tool with various standard orbiter
- hardware such as the remote manipulator system and the RMS rope reel
- to evaluate translation rates and techniques.
-
- Astronauts inside Atlantis' crew compartment will maneuver EVA
- crew members positioned in the MFR on the end of the RMS. The arm
- will move the astronaut at speeds up to 1.3 feet per second at a
- distance no closer than 10 feet from the orbiter to gauge maximum
- comfortable velocity rates and acceleration.
-
- Ross also will manually maneuver the RMS while it is configured
- in "limp mode" to evaluate its ease of positioning by an EVA
- astronaut. Going from the very complex systems of the RMS to the
- very simple, the final evaluation if time permits, will consist of
- astronauts crossing a rope strung across the payload bay.
-
- EDFE is sponsored by the Space Station Freedom and managed by
- the Crew and Thermal Systems Division in the Engineering Directorate
- at the Johnson Space Center.
-
- BIOSERVE ITA MATERIALS DISPERSION APPARATUS (BIMDA)
-
- The BioServe ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA)
- payload has been jointly developed by BioServe Space Technologies, a
- NASA Center for Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) located at
- the University of Colorado, Boulder, and its industrial affiliate,
- Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc. (ITA), Exton, Penn. Also
- collaborating in the BIMDA activity are researchers from NASA's
- Johnson Space Center, Houston, and Ames Research Center, Mountain
- View, Calif.
-
- Sponsored by NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, the
- objective of the BIMDA experiment is to obtain data on scientific
- methods and potential commercial applications of biomedical and
- fluid science processing and activities in the microgravity
- environment of space.
-
- The BIMDA primary elements, developed by ITA, are the
- Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA) minilabs and their controller
- with a self-contained power supply. The MDA minilab is a compact
- device capable of mixing as many as 150 samples, using
- liquid-to-liquid processes using two or three fluids, and can grow
- crystals, cast thin-film membranes and conduct biomedical and fluid
- science experiments. The MDA experiments include the study of
- protein crystal growth in space, collagen polymerization, fibrin
- clot formation, liquid-solid diffusion and the formation of thin
- film membranes.
-
- Another primary element of the BIMDA payload is the
- bioprocessing testbed, designed and developed by BioServe. The test
- bed contains the hardware for six bioprocessing modules and six cell
- syringes. The bioprocessing testbed elements will be used to mix
- cells with various activation fluids followed by extended periods of
- metabolic activity and subsequent sampling into a fixative solution.
- The bioprocessing module and cell experiments are to determine the
- response of live cells to various hormones and stimulating agents
- under microgravity conditions.
-
- On this first of three planned flights of BIMDA aboard the
- Space Shuttle, 17 principal investigators will use the MDA to
- explore the commercial potential of 61 different experiments in the
- biomedical, manufacturing processes and fluid sciences fields.
-
- BIMDA Hardware
-
- The BIMDA payload includes three elements of hardware: cell
- syringes, bioprocessing modules (contained in a bioprocessing
- testbed) and the Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA) minilab units.
- All are contained within a temperature- controlled environment
- provided by a NASA Refrigerator/Incubator Module (R/IM) in a Shuttle
- middeck locker position.
-
- At the beginning of BIMDA activation, the testbed housing the
- cell syringes and bioprocessing modules, will be removed from the
- R\IM and attached with velcro to an available surface within the
- middeck. The testbed will remain outside the R/IM until BIMDA
- reconfiguration prior to reentry. The MDA minilabs will remain
- within R/IM.
-
- The cell syringe apparatus consists of six two- chambered
- syringes containing biological cells, needle/valve adapters and
- sample vials. When the plunger is depressed, the payload is
- activated, thus the fluids in the two chambers are mixed and
- permitted to react. Periodic samples are taken during the flight,
- using the needle/valve adaptors and sample vials.
-
- The six bioprocessing module units each consist of three
- syringes connected via tubing and a three-position valve. The valve
- controls the flow of biological cells/fluids between various
- syringes, allowing different types of mixing and sampling from one
- syringe to another. The valve apparatus provides options for
- variations in the mixing of fluids.
-
- The MDA minilabs will remain in the thermally controlled
- environment of the R/IM during the entire flight. Each MDA minilab
- unit consists of a number of sample blocks having self-aligning
- reservoirs or reaction chambers in both top and bottom portions of
- the device. By sliding one block in relation to the other, the
- reservoirs align to allow the dispersion to occur between substances
- contained within each reservoir. The process of sliding the blocks
- can be repeated to achieve time-dependent dispersion (or mixing) of
- different substances. A prism window in each MDA unit allows the
- crew member to determine the alignment of the blocks on each unit.
-
- Lead investigator for the BIMDA payload is Dr. Marvin Luttges,
- Director of BioServe Space Technologies.
-
- PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH EXPERIMENT
-
- The Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) payload aboard STS-37 is a
- continuing series of experiments leading toward major benefits in
- biomedical technology. The experiments on this Space Shuttle
- mission could improve pharmaceutical agents such as insulin for
- treatment of diabetes.
-
- Protein crystals like inorganic crystals such as quartz, are
- structured in a regular pattern. With a good crystal, roughly the
- size of a grain of table salt, scientists are able to study the
- protein's molecular architecture.
-
- Determining a protein crystal's molecular shape is an
- essential step in several phases of medical research. Once the
- three-dimensional structure of a protein is known, it may be
- possible to design drugs that will either block or enhance the
- protein's normal function within the body or other organisms.
- Though crystallographic techniques can be used to determine a
- protein's structure, this powerful technique has been limited by
- problems encountered in obtaining high- quality crystals, well
- ordered and large enough to yield precise structural information.
-
- Protein crystals grown on Earth often are small and flawed.
- The problem associated with growing these crystals is analogous to
- filling a sports stadium with fans who all have reserved seats.
- Once the gate opens, people flock to their seats and in the
- confusion, often sit in someone else's place. On Earth,
- gravity-driven convection keeps the molecules crowded around the
- "seats" as they attempt to order themselves. Unfortunately, protein
- molecules are not as particular as many of the smaller molecules and
- often are content to take the wrong places in the structure.
-
- As would happen if you let the fans in slowly, microgravity
- allows the scientists to slow the rate at which molecules arrive at
- their seats. Since the molecules have more time to find their spot,
- fewer mistakes are made, creating better and larger crystals.
-
- During the STS-37 flight, experiments will be conducted using
- bovine insulin. Though there are four processes used to grow
- crystals on Earth -- vapor diffusion, liquid diffusion, dialysis and
- batch process -- only batch process will be used in this set of
- experiments. Shortly after achieving orbit, a crewmember will
- activate the experiment to grow insulin crystals.
-
- Protein crystal growth experiments were first carried out by
- the investigating team during Spacelab 3 in April 1985. The
- experiments have flown a total of 8 times, with the first 4
- primarily designed to develop space crystal growth techniques and
- hardware.
-
- The STS-26, -29, -32 and -31 experiments were the first
- opportunities for scientific attempts to grow useful crystals at
- controlled temperatures by vapor diffusion in microgravity. The
- STS-37 set of PCG experiments will use the batch process and fly in
- a new hardware configuration, the Protein Crystallization Facility,
- developed by the PCG investigators.
-
- The PCG program is sponsored by NASA's Office of Commercial
- Programs and the Office of Space Science and Applications, with
- management provided through Marshall Space Flight Center,
- Huntsville, Ala. Richard E. Valentine is Mission Manager, Blair
- Herron is PCG experiment manager and Dr. Daniel Carter is project
- scientist for Marshall.
-
- Dr. Charles E. Bugg, director, Center for Macromolecular
- Crystallography (CMC), a NASA Center for the Commercial Development
- of Space located at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is lead
- investigator for the PCG experiment. Dr. Lawrence J. DeLucas,
- associate director and chief scientist, and Dr. Marianna Long,
- associate director for commercial development, also are PCG
- investigators for CMC.
-
- SPACE STATION HEAT PIPE ADVANCED RADIATOR ELEMENT
-
- The Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element-II
- (SHARE-II) is a small middeck experiment that follows up the
- evolving design of a full-scale heat pipe experiment carried in the
- payload bay on STS-29.
-
- On STS-29, a flight test of a 43-foot long heat pipe, a
- proposed heat-dissipating radiator, found design flaws in the
- manifold. The manifold is a portion of the radiator that takes
- ammonia vaporized in an evaporator and moves it through several
- pitchfork-oriented pipes that converge into one, long single pipe
- that runs the length of the radiator. The manifold on the original
- SHARE was designed in a T-shape, with sharp angles that were
- discovered to block the vapor, thus preventing the radiator from
- functioning.
-
- On STS-37, two small, transparent test articles will be flown
- in a single middeck locker. One test article, representing about a
- 1.5-foot long section of heat pipe, will simulate the actual size of
- the manifold section. The redesigned manifold features more of a
- Y-shape convergence of pipes, in theory allowing for easier
- transportation of the fluid.
-
- A second test article, about 1-foot long, will simulate a
- screen inserted into a portion of the heat pipe to trap and reduce
- bubbles in the fluid, thus preventing blockages in the heat pipe.
-
- SHARE-II has no power requirements. For the test of the new
- manifold design, a crew member will open two valves that will allow
- an ethanol and water mixture to flow through the pipes. Information
- on the test will be recorded by videotaping the flow with an onboard
- camcorder. The walls and structure of both test articles are
- plexiglass, allowing complete visibility into the pipes. Recordings
- of the flow in the manifold test article will be repeated three
- times, expected to take about 1 hour in total.
-
- On the second article, testing a bubble-screening portion of
- pipe, the crew will inject bubbles into one end of the test article
- with a syringe. Then, using another syringe, the crew will pull
- fluid from the opposite end of the article to force the fluid and
- bubbles through the screened section of pipe.
-
- A third SHARE experiment is scheduled to fly on STS- 43
- featuring a redesigned 22-foot long radiator now planned for use
- with Space Station Freedom.
-
- SHUTTLE AMATEUR RADIO EXPERIMENT
-
- Conducting shortwave radio transmissions between ground- based
- amateur radio operators and a Shuttle-based amateur radio operator
- is the basis for the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) to fly
- aboard STS-37.
-
- SAREX will communicate with amateur stations in line-of- sight
- of the orbiter in one of four transmission modes: voice, slow scan
- television (SSTV), data or (uplink only) fast scan television
- (FSTV). The voice mode is operated in the crew-attended mode while
- SSTV, data or FSTV can be operated in either an attended or
- automatic mode.
-
-
-
-
- During STS-37, Pilot Ken Cameron, a licensed operator (KB5AWP),
- will operate SAREX when he is not scheduled for orbiter or other
- payload activities. Cameron will make at least four transmissions
- to test each transmission mode. The remaining members of the STS-37
- crew -- Commander Steve Nagel (N5RAW) and mission specialists Linda
- Godwin (N5RAX), Jay Apt (N5QWL) and Jerry Ross (KB5OHL) -- also are
- licensed ham operators.
-
- SAREX crew tended operating times will be dictated by the time
- of launch. Cameron will operate SAREX, a secondary payload, during
- his pre- and post-sleep activities each day. Cameron and his
- crewmates also may operate SAREX throughout their work day as their
- schedules permit. This means that amateur stations below the
- Shuttle during SAREX operating times can communicate with the
- Atlantis crew. Crew members also will attempt to contact the Soviet
- space station Mir, but any such contact will depend on each of the
- spacecraft's orbital paths.
-
- The robotic mode of SAREX will provide automated operation with
- little human intervention. The robot is used when the crew is not
- directly involved in the system's operations and is expected to
- cover most of the U.S. passes.
-
- SAREX previously has flown on missions STS-9, STS- 51F and
- STS-35 in different configurations, including the following
- hardware: a low-power hand-held FM transceiver; a spare battery set;
- an interface module; a headset assembly and an equipment assembly
- cabinet that has been redesigned since its last flight on STS-51F.
- The cabinet now includes the packet system and can hold the camera
- and monitors. Additional hardware includes: a television camera and
- monitor; a payload general support computer (PGSC); and an antenna
- which will be mounted in a forward flight window with a fast scan
- television (FSTV) module added to the assembly.
-
- SAREX is a joint effort of NASA, the American Radio Relay
- League (ARRL)/Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the
- JSC Amateur Radio Club.
-
- STS-37 SAREX Frequencies
-
- Shuttle Transmitting Accompanying Shuttle
- Frequency Receiving Frequencies
-
- Group 1 145.55 MHz 144.95 MHz
- 145.55 144.91
- 145.55 144.97
-
- Group 2 145.51 144.91
- 145.51 144.93
- 145.51 144.99
-
- Group 1 includes voice and slow scan operations. Group 2 includes
- digital and packet operations.
-
-
-
-
- The 10 U.S. educational groups scheduled to contact Atlantis are:
- Clear Creek Independent School District of Houston; The University School
- in Shaker Heights, Ohio; Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Ill.; Potter
- Junior High School in Fallbrook, Calif.; Hanover Elementary School in
- Bethlehem, Pa.; several schools in Southwest Oklahoma with operations
- based in Lawton; Lyman High School in Longwood, Fla.; Monroe Central
- School in Parker City, Ind.; Beaver Creek Elementary School in Downington,
- Pa.; and Reizenstein Middle School in Pittsburgh, Pa.
-
- ADVANCED SHUTTLE GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTERS
-
- On STS-37, Atlantis' avionics system will feature the first set of
- five upgraded general purpose computers (GPCs), plus a spare, to fly
- aboard the Shuttle.
-
- The updated computers have more than twice the memory and three times
- the processing speed of their predecessors. Officially designated the IBM
- AP-101S, built by IBM, Inc., they are half the size, about half the weight
- and require less electricity than the first-generation GPCs. The central
- processor unit and input/output processor, previously installed as two
- separate boxes, are now a single unit.
-
- The new GPCs use the existing Shuttle software with only subtle
- changes. However, the increases in memory and processing speed allow for
- future innovations in the Shuttle's data processing system.
-
- Although there is no real difference in the way the crew will operate
- with the new computers, the upgrade increases the reliability and
- efficiency in commanding the Shuttle systems. The predicted "mean time
- between failures" (MTBF) for the advanced GPCs is 6,000 hours, and it is
- hoped to reach 10,000 hours. The MTBF for the original GPCs is 5,200
- hours.
-
- Specifications
-
- Dimensions: 19.55" x 7.62" x 10.2"
- Weight: 64 lbs
- Memory capacity: 262,000 words (32-bits each)
- Processing rate: 1 million instructions per second
- Power requirements: 550 watts
-
- RADIATION MONITORING EXPERIMENT-III
-
- Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III (RME-III) measures the rate
- and dosage of ionizing radiation to the crew at different locations
- throughout the orbiter cabin. The hand- held instrument measures
- gamma ray, electron, neutron and proton radiation and calculates the
- amount of exposure. The information is stored in memory modules for
- post-flight analysis.
-
- RME-III will be stored in a middeck locker during flight except
- for when it is turned on and when memory modules are replaced every 2
- days. It will be activated as soon as possible after achieving orbit
- and will operate throughout the flight. To activate the instrument, a
- crew member will enter the correct mission elapsed time.
-
- The instrument contains a liquid crystal display for real-time
- data readings and a keyboard for function control. It has four
- zinc-air batteries and five AA batteries in each replaceable memory
- module and two zinc-air batteries in the main module.
-
- RME-III, which has flown on STS-31 and STS-41, is the current
- configuration, replacing the earlier RME-I and RME-II units. The
- Department of Defense, in cooperation with NASA, sponsors the data
- gathering instrument.
-
- ASCENT PARTICLE MONITOR
-
- The Ascent Particle Monitor (APM) instruments will be mounted in
- Atlantis' payload bay during STS-37 to measure contaminants in the bay
- during launch and ascent.
-
- The APM is a completely automatic system consisting of a small
- aluminum sample box with doors that will open immediately prior to
- liftoff. When the doors are opened, 12 sample collection coupons are
- exposed to gather particles in the environment. The doors close
- following ascent to protect the samples for analysis after Atlantis
- has landed. The APM has flown previously on several Shuttle missions
- and is part of an ongoing effort to better characterize the cargo bay
- environment during launch.
-
- STS-37 CREW BIOGRAPHIES
-
- Steven R. Nagel, 44, Col., USAF, will serve as Commander of
- STS-37. Selected as an astronaut in August 1979, Nagel considers
- Canton, Ill., his hometown. Nagel first flew as a mission specialist
- on STS-51G, launched in June 1985 to deploy three communications
- satellites. Nagel next served as Pilot for STS-61A, the West German
- D-1 Spacelab mission, launched in October 1985.
-
- Nagel graduated from Canton Senior High School in 1964; received
- a bachelor of science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering
- from the University of Illinois in 1969; and received a master of
- science in mechanical engineering from California State University,
- Fresno, in 1978.
-
- Nagel received his commission in 1969 through the Air Force
- Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Illinois.
- He completed undergraduate pilot training at Laredo Air Force Base,
- Texas, in February 1970, and subsequently reported to Luke Air Force
- Base, Arizona, for F-100 checkout training.
-
- He served as an F-100 pilot with the 68th Tactical Fighter
- Squadron from October 1970 to July 1971, and then served a 1-year tour
- of duty as a T-28 instructor for the Laotian Air Force at Udorn RTAFB,
- Udorn, Thailand. In 1975, he attended the USAF Test Pilot School and
- was assigned to the 6512th Test Squadron located at Edwards Air Force
- Base, Calif., upon graduation. He worked as a test pilot on various
- projects, including flying the F-4 and A-7D. Nagel has logged more
- than 6,300 hours flying time, 4,000 hours in jet aircraft.
-
- Kenneth D. Cameron, 41, Lt. Col., USMC, will serve as Pilot.
- Cameron was selected as an astronaut in June 1985, considers Cleveland
- his hometown and will be making his first space flight.
-
- Cameron graduated from Rocky River High School, Ohio, in 1967.
- He received bachelor and master of science degrees in aeronautics and
- astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
-
- He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969 at Paris Island, N. C.,
- and was assigned in Vietnam for 1 year as a platoon commander with the
- 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and later, with the Marine Security
- Guards at the U.S. Embassy, Saigon. Cameron received his wings in 1973
- at Pensacola, Fla., and was assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 223,
- flying A-4M Skyhawks.
-
- He graduated from the Navy Test Pilot School in 1983 and was
- assigned as project officer and test pilot in the F/A-18, A-4 and
- OV-10 airplanes with the Systems Engineering Test Directorate at the
- Naval Air Test Center. Cameron has logged more than 3,000 hours flying
- time in 46 different aircraft.
-
- Linda M. Godwin, 38, will serve as Mission Specialist 1 (MS1).
- Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Godwin was born in Cape Girardeau,
- Mo. Godwin graduated from Jackson High School, Mo., in 1970; received
- a bachelor of science in mathematics and physics from Southeast
- Missouri State in 1974; and received a master of science and doctorate
- in physics from the University of Missouri in 1976 and 1980,
- respectively.
-
- Godwin joined NASA in 1980, working in the Payload Operations
- Division at the Johnson Space Center as a flight controller and
- payloads officer. Godwin is an instrument rated private pilot.
-
- Jerry L. Ross, 43, Lt. Col., USAF, will serve as Mission
- Specialist 2 (MS2). Selected as an astronaut in May 1980, Ross
- considers Crown Point, Ind., his hometown and will be making his third
- space flight.
-
- Ross first flew as a mission specialist on STS 61-B, launched in
- November 1985 to deploy three communications satellites. During the
- flight, Ross performed two 6-hour spacewalks to demonstrate space
- construction techniques. Ross next flew on STS-27, launched in
- December 1988, a Department of Defense-dedicated flight.
-
- Ross graduated from Crown Point High School in 1966. He received
- a bachelor of science and master of science in mechanical engineering
- from Purdue University in 1970 and 1972, respectively. Ross has
- logged 207 hours in space, including 12 hours of spacewalk time.
-
- Jay Apt, 41, will serve as mission specialist 3 (MS3). Selected
- as an astronaut in June 1985, Apt considers Pittsburgh, Pa., his
- hometown and will be making his first space flight.
-
- He graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh in 1967;
- received a bachelor of arts in physics from Harvard College in 1971;
- and received a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute
- of Technology in 1976.
-
- Apt joined NASA in 1980 and worked in the Earth and Space
- Sciences Division of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, doing planetary
- research as part of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Infrared Team. In 1981,
- he became the Manager of JPL's Table Mountain Observatory.
-
- From the fifth Shuttle mission in 1982 through the 16th in 1985,
- he served as a flight controller and payloads officer. Apt has logged
- more than 2,200 hours flying time in 25 different types of airplanes,
- sailplanes and human- powered aircraft.
-
- STS-37 MISSION MANAGEMENT
-
- NASA Headquarters
- Washington, D.C.
-
- Richard H. Truly Administrator
- J.R. Thompson Deputy Administrator
- Dr. William B. Lenoir Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight
- Robert L. Crippen Director, Space Shuttle
- Leonard S. Nicholson Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Program)
- Brewster Shaw Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations)
- Dr. Lennard A. Fisk Associate Administrator, Space Science and
- Applications
- Alphonso V. Diaz Deputy Associate Administrator, Space Science and
- Applications
- Dr. Charles J. Pellerin, Jr.Director, Astrophysics Division
- Douglas R. Broome GRO Program Manager
- Dr. Alan N. Bunner GRO Program Scientist
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- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Greenbelt, Md.
-
- Dr. John M. Klineberg GSFC Director
- Peter Burr GSFC Deputy Director
- Dr. Dale W. Harris Acting Director, Flight Projects Directorate
- Dale L. Fahnestock Director, Mission Operations and Data Systems
- Directorate
- John Hrastar GRO Project Manager
- Thomas LaVigna GRO Deputy Project Manager
- Karl Schauer GRO Mission Operations Manager
- Robert Ross GRO Systems Manager
- Martin Davis GRO Observatory Manager
- Jimmy Cooley GRO Instrument Manager
- Dr. Donald Kniffen GRO Project Scientist
- Dr. Carl Fichtel Co-Principal Investigator, EGRET
- Dr. Eric Chipman Director, GRO Science Support Center
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- Kennedy Space Center
- Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
-
- Forrest S. McCartney Director
- Jay Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations
- Robert B. Sieck Launch Director
- John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations
- Joanne H. Morgan Director, Payload Project Management
- Robert Webster STS-37 Payload Manager
-
-
- Marshall Space Flight Center
- Huntsville, Ala.
-
- Thomas J. Lee Director
- Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director
- G. Porter Bridwell Manager, Shuttle Projects Office
- Dr. George F. McDonough Director, Science and Engineering
- Alexander A. McCool Director, Safety and Mission Assurance
- Victor Keith Henson Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project
- Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project
- Jerry W. Smelser Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project
- Gerald C. Ladner Manager, External Tank Project
-
- Johnson Space Center
- Houston, Tex.
-
- Aaron Cohen Director
- Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director
- Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects
- P.J. Weitz Acting Director, Flight Crew Operations
- Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations
- Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering
- Charles S. Harlan Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality
- Assurance
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- Stennis Space Center
- Bay St. Louis, Miss.
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- Roy S. Estess Director
- Gerald W. Smith Deputy Director
- J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations
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- Dryden Flight Research Facility
- Edwards, Calif.
-
- Kenneth J. Szalai Director
- T. G. Ayers Deputy Director
- James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office