Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/STSKITS/STS_53.MW

Text File | 1992-12-07 | 13KB | 237 lines

Mission Watch
STS-53    Department of Defense-1
MW-015/11-92

This December, the Space Shuttle Discovery will launch into space on its 15th
mission, carrying the DOD-1 satellite and several other scientific and military
experiments.  The five-member crew of STS-53 will deploy the classified DOD-1
satellite from Discovery's payload bay during the first day and spend the rest
of the 7-day mission working on the secondary payloads and medical experiments.
Although the primary payload, DOD-1, is classified, the remainder of the
payloads and the mission itself are unclassified.

    The Space Shuttle will launch into a 57 degree orbit 370 kilometers
high.  After deployment of the DOD-1 satellite, the crew will fire the Orbital
Maneuvering System (OMS) engines to lower Discovery to a 324 km altitude where
it will stay for the remainder of the mission.

    Sharing the payload bay with the DOD-1 satellite are two payloads: the
Glow experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe experiment (GCP) and the Orbital Debris
Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) experiment.  The Glow experiment houses an
extreme ultraviolet imager and spectrograph that will observe the glow on the
orbiter surfaces and the surrounding atmosphere.  This glow phenomenon is a
light emission from gas molecules boosted to an excited state by the chemical
reaction between the extremely thin atmosphere present in near-Earth orbits and
a spacecraft.  The Cryogenic Heat Pipe experiment will measure the performance
of liquid oxygen heat pipes in microgravity.

    ODERACS will help solve an increasingly troublesome problem for
low-Earth orbit spacecraft, the possibility of an impact with orbital debris.
To help engineers understand more about the orbital debris environment, the
crew of Discovery will release six metal spheres from a canister in the payload
bay.  These spheres, 5, 10, and 15 centimeters in diameter, will remain in
orbit after Discovery has landed and will be used to calibrate ground radar and
telescope systems that track orbital debris.  The spheres will travel around
Earth in the upper reaches of the atmosphere which will cause a slight drag on
them, lowering their orbit.  Eventually, the spheres will reenter the
atmosphere and burn up.  After calibration, the radar and telescope systems
will be able to better characterize the low-Earth orbit debris environment
which is important to the engineers designing the orbital debris shielding for
Space Station Freedom.

Middeck Experiments

Along with the experiments in the cargo bay, Discovery is also carrying a full
complement of experiments in the middeck.  The crew will spend time operating
experiments that study liquid handling, radiation measurement, the effects of
microgravity on various human body functions, and new ways to produce
pharmaceutical products.

    Because long term operation of service-able spacecraft such as Space
Station Freedom are dependent on the ability to resupply propellants and other
consumable liquids, engineers are interested in developing efficient ways of
handling liquids in space.  Liquid behavior in microgravity is unlike liquid
behavior on Earth because on Earth, gravity provides a constant force that
keeps dense liquids at the lowest portion of containers.  While in orbit (free
fall), liquids will float around inside the tank unpredictably which makes them
difficult to handle.

    The Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE) will test methods
of handling fluids in microgravity by investigating the fill, refill, and
expulsion of simulated propellent tanks.  Located in the middeck, this
experiment requires the crew to transfer water between two clear acrylic
plastic tanks at various pressures and flow rates while camcorders record the
liquid motion inside the tanks.

    Two Department of Defense (DOD) experiments on STS-53 are designed to
measure the radiation environment of low-Earth orbit.  The Cosmic Radiation
Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) is designed to collect data on cosmic
rays as a function of Earth's geomagnetic coordinates.  A cosmic ray is a
charged, high- velocity subatomic particle that can corrupt data in an
electronic component if it strikes a sensitive circuit.

    CREAM will make use of both active and passive cosmic radiation
detectors.  Active detectors will make real-time records of cosmic ray
activity, and passive detectors will provide records that will be read
following the mission.  This experiment will allow engineers to improve the
radiation shielding codes for electronic components in spacecraft.

    In a second DOD radiation experiment, the Radiation Monitoring
Experiment III (RME III) will measure the total dosage of ionizing radiation
(gamma rays, neutrons, and protons) to which the STS-53 crew is exposed.

    One medical experiment on Discovery is the Visual Function Tester-2
(VFT-2) which is a handheld testing device developed by the Air Force to
measure changes in the crew's vision caused by microgravity.  Scientists
suspect that microgravity affects the eye's sensitivity, and they would like to
measure the differences.

    Scientists have discovered on previous space flights that microgravity
causes changes in the skeletal, muscle, blood, cardio-vascular, and immune
systems.  One experiment flying on STS-53, Space Tissue Loss (STL), will
attempt to validate models of muscle, bone, and tissue cell degradation caused
by space flight.  This study will help researchers understand more about the
effects of space flight on living cells.  Ultimately, the objective of this
research is to develop pharmaceutical products that limit the extent of tissue
loss.  Long term space flight on Space Station Freedom and human travel to
other planets may hinge on the development of a more complete understanding of
these critical biological alterations and developing effective countermeasures
for them.  Researchers anticipate ground based applications of STL will include
reducing the recovery time from sports injuries, surgery, and trauma.

    Another important medical experiment onboard Discovery is Microcapsules
in Space (MIS).  This DOD experiment will demonstrate the feasibility of
producing pharmaceutical micro-capsules in a microgravity environment.  The
microcapsules will be manufactured in space by spraying microsized particles of
a polymer/drug solution into a vacuum chamber where they will be suspended in
an electric field and hardened.  This technology has potential applications in
drug, vaccine, and hormonal therapy.

Flight Deck Experiments

In addition to the DOD-1 satellite and all the middeck and payload bay
experiments, there are three more experiments aboard Discovery that will be
operated in the windows of the flight deck.  The crew, with a spectacular view
of Earth, will operate an experiment that tests the ability of ground based
lasers to uplink information to orbiting spacecraft.  Also, the crew will
operate an experiment that photographs cloud formations, and an experiment that
geolocates (fixes an object's location) ground targets to within 2 km.

    The Battlefield Laser Acquisition and Sensor Test (BLAST) will evaluate
the concept of utilizing a spaceborne laser receiver to detect laser energy and
provide a laser communication uplink for transmitting position information from
ground locations.  If the experiment works as expected, this type of
communication may be used to save lives by quickly and covertly locating downed
pilots.

    Photographic studies of clouds will take place as a part of the Cloud
Logic to Optimize the Use of Defense Systems (CLOUDS) experiment developed by
the Department of Defense. One of its several objectives is to quantify the
relationship between apparent cloud cover and viewing angle for various types
of clouds.

    The Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly,
Location targeting, and Environmental System (HERCULES) will provide the crew
of Discovery with the capability to geolocate a ground target to within 2 km.
Developed jointly by the Navy and NASA, the experiment consists of attitude
sensing equipment including an inertial measurement unit to geolocate a target,
and an electronic still camera with a playback and downlink unit to display
real-time high resolution digital imagery aboard the space shuttle that can be
digitally recorded.

Classroom Activities and Questions

1.  The entire progress of the mission from launch to landing can be observed
on television if your school has a satellite dish.  Direct the dish to the
SATCOM F2R satellite at 72 degrees west longitude.  Tune in to NASA Select,
transponder 13, 3960 megahertz.  If your school does not have a satellite dish
but does have a cable television hookup, call your local cable company and
request that they receive NASA Select and either distribute it on one of their
channels or tape it for your use.  Check local news services for updates on
Discovery's liftoff or call the NASA Kennedy Space Center at 407-867-2525 for a
recorded message.

2.  Research the source(s) of orbital debris and why orbital debris is an
important problem.

3.  Demonstrate with a potato and a straw, how small, high-velocity particles
in orbit can cause problems for spacecraft.  Hold the potato in one hand and
stab the potato with the straw in the other hand.  If the stabbing motion is
quick and straight, the straw will completely pierce the potato.  Use a second
straw and slowly push it into the potato.  The straw will break before it
penetrates the potato.

4.  Demonstrate the differences in liquid handling in space and on Earth with
water, two plastic cups, a cookie sheet, and a catch basin.  Show that water
can be easily transferred from one cup to another on Earth by pouring.  Next,
show how water behaves in microgravity by filling a cup with water and placing
the cookie sheet over its mouth.  While holding the cup of water secure to the
cookie sheet, invert the cookie sheet and cup.  Position the cup over the catch
basin.  Quickly pull the cookie sheet straight out from under the cup (like the
old trick of removing a table cloth from under a dinner service).  Observe what
happens when the cup and water fall to the catch basin. (Free fall creates
microgravity.)

References and Resources

*  To request copies of the publications below, write:

    NASA Education Division
    Code FET
    NASA Headquarters
    Washington, DC 20546

*  Publication text is also available from NASA SPACELINK.   See references and resources
section below.

*  To request copies of videotapes and slide sets, write to:

NASA CORE
Lorain County Joint Vocational School
15181 Route 58 South
Oberlin, OH 44074

NASA, Space Basics, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Houston, TX.
(Videotape and teacher's guide) Vogt, G. & Wargo, M. (1992), Microgravity -
Teacher's Guide With Activities, Education Division, National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, Washington, DC.

NASA SPACELINK provides information about current and historic NASA programs,
lesson plans, the text from previous Mission Watch and Mission Highlights fact
sheets.  Anyone with a personal computer, modem, communications software, and a
long distance telephone line can communicate directly with NASA SPACELINK. Use
your computer to dial 205-895-0028 (8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit).
NASA SPACELINK may also be accessed through Internet with the following
address:

    spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
    xsl.msfc.nasa.gov
    192.149.89.61

STS-53 Quick Facts

Crew:    David M. Walker, Capt., USN  - Commander
    Robert D. Cabana, Col., USMC --- Pilot
    Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Col., USAF - Mission Specialist
    James S. Voss, LTC., USA - Mission Specialist
    Michael R. Clifford, LTC., USA - Mission Specialist

Vehicle:     OV-103, Discovery    Mission Duration:     7 days

Orbital Inclination:    57 degrees     Orbital Altitude:     370 km

Primary Payload:    Department of Defense-1 (DOD-1)

Experiments:    BLAST - Battlefield Laser Acquisition Sensor Test
    CLOUDS - Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems
    CREAM - Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor
    FARE - Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment
    GCP - Glow experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe experiment Payload
    HERCULES - Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative,
                   User-friendly, Location targeting, and Environmental System
    MIS - Microcapsules in Space
    ODERACS - Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres Project
    RME III - Radiation Monitoring Experiment III
    STL - Space Tissue Loss Experiment
    VFT-2 - Visual Function Tester-2