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"930112.DFC" (46792 bytes) was created on 01-12-93
12-Jan-93 Daily File Collection
These files were added or updated between 11-Jan-93 at 21:00:00 {Central}
and 12-Jan-93 at 21:00:25.
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930107C.REL
1/7/93: COUNTDOWN FOR STS-54 LAUNCH OF ENDEAVOUR BEGINS SUNDAY, JAN. 10
George H. Diller January 8, 1993
Kennedy Space Center
KSC Release No. 01-93
The countdown clock for the STS-54 flight of the Space
Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (EST) Sunday,
Jan. 10 at the T-43 hour mark. The countdown includes 24 hours
and 32 minutes of built-in hold time leading up to the opening of
the launch window at 8:52 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
At the start of the countdown, the launch team in firing
room 3 of the Launch Control Center verifies the Shuttle vehicle
is powered up and that the data processing system and backup
flight control system are operating. Flight software stored in
the orbiter's twin memory banks will be reviewed, computer con-
trolled display systems will be activated, and the backup flight
system general purpose computer will be loaded.
Preparations also start at the liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen storage farms for loading the external tank with super
cold, or cryogenic, propellants. Orbiter navigation aids are
turned on and tested and the inertial measurement units are ac-
tivated.
In parallel with these activities, the launch team prepares
for loading Endeavour's onboard fuel cell storage tanks with liq-
uid oxygen and liquid hydrogen reactants. Also performed at the
start of the countdown is the final stowage, microbial sampling
and water level adjustment of the crew waste management system.
At T-27 hours, the countdown will enter its first built-in
hold. This is a 4-hour hold which extends from 5 to 9 a.m. on
Monday, January 11. When the countdown resumes, the launch pad
will be cleared of all personnel in preparation for loading the
fuel cell storage tanks.
Servicing of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel cell
supply tanks is scheduled to start at the T-25 hour mark. Servic-
ing activities take approximately five hours.
When servicing of the fuel cell tanks has been completed,
the pad will be reopened for normal work, and the countdown will
enter the second planned hold. During this four-hour hold at the
T-19 hour mark, the orbiter mid-body umbilical unit used to load
the super cold fuel cell reactants into the orbiter will be
demated. This hold will extend from 5 to 9 p.m. on Monday.
When the countdown resumes, technicians will complete final
vehicle and facility closeouts and begin activating the orbiter's
communications systems and configuring Endeavour's cockpit for
flight. The main propulsion system and shuttle main engines are
prepared for cryogenic loading.
The orbiter's flight control system navigation aids and com-
munications systems will be activated, and switches in the cock-
pit will be configured for loading of the external tank. The
stowable mission specialist seats will be installed in the flight
and mid-decks.
The countdown will enter the next built-in hold at T-11
hours at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. During the hold, time critical
equipment will be installed in the orbiter's cockpit and the in-
ertial measurement units will be activated and warmed up. At
about 11 a.m., the rotating service structure will be moved away
from the vehicle to the launch position. This hold is scheduled
to last 13 hours, 32 minutes, or until 6:32 p.m. on Tuesday.
At T-9 hours, the onboard fuel cells will be activated, and
the launch team will begin evacuating the blast danger area at
T-8 hours, or about 9:32 p.m. Tuesday. The final items to be
placed in the crew module are now stowed aboard, and the joint
heaters on the solid rocket boosters are also turned on at this
time. At T-7 hours, 30 minutes, conditioned air that is flowing
through the orbiter's payload bay and other areas will be
switched to gaseous nitrogen in preparation for loading the ex-
ternal tank with super-cold liquid propellants. The inertial
measurement units will transition from the warm up stage to the
operate/attitude determination mode at T-6 hours and 45 minutes.
At T-6 hours a steering check of the orbital maneuvering system
engines will be performed.
The countdown will enter another planned built-in hold at
the T-6 hour mark at approximately 11:32 p.m. Tuesday. During
this one-hour hold, final preparations for loading the external
tank will be completed and a pre-tanking weather briefing will be
conducted.
Chilldown of the lines that carry the cryogenic propellants
to the external tank will begin at the T-6 hour and counting
mark, at 12:32 a.m. Wednesday. Filling and topping of the exter-
nal tank should be complete at the beginning of the planned hold
at T-3 hours which will start at 3:32 a.m. Wednesday.
This hold is two hours in duration. During this time, the
ice inspection team will perform a survey of the tank's outer in-
sulation, and the closeout crew will begin configuring the crew
module and white room for the flight crew's arrival. Liquid
oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be in a stable replenish mode
during this time to replace the propellant that "boils" off.
The astronauts are scheduled to be awakened at 3:57 a.m.
Wednesday and have breakfast. Their breakfast is scheduled at
4:27 a.m.
After eating, the crew will receive a briefing on world-wide
weather conditions via satellite from Mission Control in Houston.
The flight crew will suit up in their partial pressure
suits, then leave the Operations and Checkout Building at about
5:37 a.m., at T-3 hours. They will arrive at the pad white room
at about 6:07 a.m. where they will be assisted by white room per-
sonnel in getting into the crew cabin.
Just prior to the T-1 hour mark, the test team and the
flight crew will get another weather update, including observa-
tions from an astronaut flying in a Shuttle Training Aircraft in
the KSC area.
The last two built-in holds will be 10 minutes in duration
and will occur at the T-20 minute mark or at 8:12 a.m. and at the
T-9 minute mark or at 8:33 a.m. During the final hold, the flight
crew and ground team receive the NASA Launch Director's and the
Mission Management Team's final "go" for launch.
Milestones after the T-9 minute mark include start of the
ground launch sequencer; retraction of the orbiter access arm at
T-7 minutes, 30 seconds; start of the orbiter's auxiliary power
units at T-5 minutes; pressurization of the liquid oxygen tank at
T-2 minutes, 55 seconds; pressurization of the liquid hydrogen
tank at T-1 minute, 57 seconds; and the electronic "go" to
Endeavour's onboard computers to start their own terminal
countdown sequence at T-31 seconds. The orbiter's three main en-
gines will start at T-6.6 seconds.
COUNTDOWN MILESTONES
Launch - 3 Days (Sunday, January 10)
Perform the call-to-stations at T-43 hours. Begin check out
of the backup flight system and review flight software stored in
mass memory units and display systems. Astronauts arrive.
Load backup flight system software into the orbiter's fifth
general purpose computer.
Begin stowage of flight crew equipment. Inspect the
orbiter's mid and flight decks and remove crew module platforms.
Start external tank loading preparations.
Launch - 2 Days (Monday, January 11)
Enter first planned built-in hold at T-27 hours for a dura-
tion of 4 hours. Activate orbiter's navigation system.
Resume countdown. Start preparations for servicing fuel cell
storage tanks and begin final vehicle and facility closeouts for
launch.
Clear launch pad of all personnel and load liquid oxygen and
liquid hydrogen reactants into the orbiter's fuel cell storage
tanks.
Enter second planned built-in hold at T-19 hours for four
hours.
After the loading operation, the pad will be reopened for
normal work and orbiter and ground support equipment closeouts
will resume.
Demate orbiter mid-body umbilical unit used during fuel
cell loading. Resume countdown. Activate orbiter communications
systems and prepare Shuttle main engines for propellant tanking
and flight.
Launch - 1 Day (Tuesday, January 12)
Install mission specialist seats in crew cabin. The tail
service masts on the mobile launcher platform will be closed out
for launch.
Enter planned hold at T-11 hours (5 a.m.) for a duration of
13 hours and 32 minutes.
During this hold, the orbiter's inertial measurement units
will be activated and kept in the "warm up" mode and film will be
installed in the numerous cameras on the launch pad. In addition,
safety personnel will conduct a debris walkdown and the pad sound
suppression system water tank will be filled.
The rotating service structure will be moved to the park
position during this hold at 11 a.m. Perform orbiter ascent
switch list in crew cabin.
Resume countdown at 6:32 p.m. Install time critical flight
crew equipment and perform the pre-ingress switch list. Start
fuel cell flow-through purge.
Activate orbiter fuel cells. Configure communications at
Mission Control in Houston for launch. Clear the blast danger
area of all non-essential personnel and switch orbiter purge air
to gaseous nitrogen.
Enter one-hour planned built-in hold at T-6 hours (11:32
p.m.).
Launch Day (Wednesday, January 13)
Resume countdown. Launch team verifies there are no viola-
tions of launch commit criteria prior to cryogenic loading of the
external tank. Start loading the external tank with cryogenic
propellants.
Complete filling the external tank with its flight load of
liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Perform open loop
test with range safety and conduct gimbal profile checks of orbi-
tal maneuvering system engines.
Perform inertial measurement unit preflight calibration and
align Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) tracking antennas.
Enter two hour hold at T-3 hours. Closeout crew and ice in-
spection team proceeds to launch pad.
Resume countdown at T-3 hours (5:32 a.m.) Complete closeout
preparations in the white room and cockpit switch configurations.
Crew departs astronaut quarters at Operations and Checkout Build-
ing for the pad.
Flight crew enters orbiter. Astronauts perform air-to-ground
voice checks with Mission Control in Houston. Close orbiter crew
hatch. Begin range safety final network open loop command check,
perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks, begin the inertial
measurement unit preflight alignment and range safety closed loop
test. The white room is closed out and the closeout crew moves to
fallback area. Primary ascent guidance data is transferred to the
backup flight system.
Enter planned 10-minute hold at T-20 minutes.
Resume countdown. Transition orbiter onboard computers to
launch configuration and start fuel cell thermal conditioning.
Close orbiter cabin vent valves. Backup flight system transitions
to launch configuration.
Enter planned 10 minute hold at T-9 minutes.
Resume countdown.
Start automatic ground launch sequencer (T-9 minutes).
Retract orbiter crew access arm (T-7:30).
Start mission recorders (T-5:30).
Start APU's. Arm SRB and ET range safety safe/arm devices (T-5).
Start liquid oxygen drainback (T-4:55).
Start orbiter aerosurface profile test (T-3:55).
Orbiter transfers to internal power (T-3:30).
Start MPS gimbal profile test (T-3:30).
Pressurize liquid oxygen (LO2) tank (T-2:55)
Retract gaseous oxygen vent arm (T-2:55).
Fuel cells to internal reactants (T-2:35).
Pressurize liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank (T-1:57).
Deactivate SRB joint heaters (T-1:00).
LPS go for start of orbiter automatic sequence (T-0:31 seconds).
Start SRB gimbal profile test (T-0:6.6).
SRB ignition and liftoff (T-0).
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930108.REL
1/8/93: UNIVERSITIES FLY OZONE RESEARCH BALLOON FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA
Terri Sindelar
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. January 8, 1993
RELEASE: 93-8
A NASA-sponsored university group will launch a high-altitude research
balloon on Jan. 11, inaugurating a cooperative program to measure ozone
distribution and wind parameters in the Earth's stratosphere.
Following launch from the South Shore Harbor Resort and Convention
Center, League City, Texas, at 8 a.m. EST, the 76-foot diameter, helium-filled
balloon will ascend to an altitude of 110,000 feet and fly across the Gulf of
Mexico to Florida.
When the balloon reaches central Florida, a radio command will be sent
to parachute the gondola and its instrument package back to Earth for recovery
and reuse.
Throughout the day-long flight, cooperating teams of amateur radio
operators in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida will receive
position reports, ozone data and video images from the balloon's 50-pound
gondola and will relay this information via high-frequency radio to a Utah
State University balloon chase van.
The radio operators also will "home" on the payload's radio beacons to
assist in recovering the gondola and balloon. In addition, the Federal
Aviation Administration will track a radar transponder in the gondola during
ascent and descent through controlled airspace.
The instrument package was designed and built by a volunteer team of
space grant students and faculty from Utah State University's Space Dynamics
Laboratory and from the Bridgeland Amateur Radio Club in the Cacha Valley of
northern Utah. This flight is the eleventh for this team and the first of 24-
hours' duration.
Extended-duration flights will be launched from Canada, the United
States, Mexico and Central America to measure ndistribution and stratospheric
circulation on a long-term basis.
The balloon is a revolutionary "superpressure" design manufactured by
Winzen International of San Antonio and Sulphur Springs, Texas. It is
fabricated of Nylon film thinner than a human hair and is designed to stay
aloft continuously for a year or more.
The balloon launch is sponsored by NASA's National Space Grant College
and Fellowship Program Office, Washington, D.C., and will take place during the
third annual meeting of all 50 state consortia. The District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico also are participating in the program.
- end -
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930108A.REL
1/8/93: GOLDIN CALLS FOR IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO INDUSTRY
Bill Livingstone
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. January 8, 1993
RELEASE: 93-009
While NASA enjoys a good reputation for transferring
technology to industry, major improvements must be made in
the way technology is transferred, according to a report
released today by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.
"NASA has the reputation of being the leader in
technology transfer, but this position has eroded," Goldin
said. "Our successes are modest compared to the amount of
technology we generate."
"Our attitude that the transfer of our valuable
technology will 'just happen' is no longer acceptable. It
must be proactively sought and given the highest priority,"
Goldin said.
The report -- Special Initiatives Team on Technology
Transfer -- was chartered last May, with Dr. Jeremiah
Creedon, Director of Flight Systems at NASA Langley Research
Center, Hampton, Va., as Chairman. Other participants from
NASA include Dr. Kathy Abbot, Leonard Ault, Carol Ginty,
George Mosakowski, Dr. Syed Shariq and Dr. William Spuck.
Major Findings and Recommendations
The report contains a series of findings and
recommendations for changing NASA's culture to facilitate
technology transfer, including:
* No comprehensive written document exists that
explains the formal processes for technology transfer;
* Processes for technology transfer within NASA are too
slow to meet industry's needs;
* Technology is not sufficiently developed to reduce
technical risk to industry due to the costs and mission
objectives;
* Employees, managers and contractors all too often do
not believe technology transfer is part of their job;
* There is little or no infrastructure support to help
researchers transfer technology;
* Technology can and should be transferred at every
stage, instead of waiting until a project is completed.
The report's 10 recommendations include a category of
implementation and measurement of performance of technology
transfer and eight recommendations for changing NASA's
culture to facilitate technology transfer.
Technology Transfer Benefits Aeronautics
The report finds that where technology transfer was the
primary mission activity -- such as aeronautics, the Small
Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program and the Centers
for Commercial Development of Space -- NASA's overall efforts
are relatively good.
For instance, a strong relationship exists between NASA
and the aeronautics industry. Many vital technologies
developed by NASA have been transferred to the aeronautics
industry, including such items as supercritical wings,
winglets, glass cockpits and many others. Still, a recent
Gallup poll concluded that the aeronautics industry felt
there was room for improvement.
In addition, researchers often viewed technology
transfer as writing a report on the research results after it
was completed. This is representative of a common view that
technology transfer occurs at the end of the development
process.
Researchers often encounter roadblocks when attempting
to transfer technology, including the time-consuming
processes of filing patents and software distribution through
official channels.
Finally, no systematic measurements or statistics are
kept on the activities or effectiveness of primary targeted
technology transfer. The team identifies six metrics which
could be used to measure the effectiveness of the technology
transfer process. These include the number of citations,
acknowledged users and spin-off companies, the revenue from
patent licenses, and the length of time from development to
its transfer for use by a targeted customer.
The report found that the technology utilization offices
are minimally staffed and cannot provide greater support for
secondary and non-targeted technology transfer functions.
Advanced Concepts and Technology Office Established
NASA's Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology was
created last November to better meet the needs of industry,
academia and NASA communities. One of the new office's major
functions is to transfer technology into the commercial
sector at a faster pace than in the past.
"We will seek the input of the technology user community
to figure out the best mechanisms to transfer technology,
whether it's technical papers, NASA-generated software,
regional tech transfer centers, cooperative research
agreements or working in our labs and other facilities,"
Goldin said.
- end -
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930112.REL
1/12/93: LEE NAMED NASA PROCUREMENT CHIEF
David W. Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. January 12, 1993
RELEASE: 93-11
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin today announced the appointment of
Deidre A. Lee as Acting Associate Administrator for Procurement. Lee replaces
Don G. Bush who announced his intention to leave NASA in November 1992.
"Deidre Lee brings experience, considerable skills and boundless energy
to this position at a time when NASA procurement activities are undergoing
dynamic reform," Goldin said.
Lee had been serving as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Procurement
since September 1992. Prior to that she was the Executive Officer to NASA's
Acting Deputy Administrator. Earlier, she managed a variety of procurement
activities in both NASA and the Air Force.
Before joining the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, in 1984, Lee was
involved in major Air Force procurement activities for the systems and
logistics commands and for the Pacific Air Forces. At Johnson, she served in
numerous acquisition positions with her final assignment being Chief of Space
Shuttle procurement.
Coming to NASA Headquarters in April 1991, Lee became Deputy Director
of the Advanced Procurement Planning Division where she managed policy
development, coordinated agency procurement initiatives and represented NASA on
several internal and external teams studying key procurement issues. She also
served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator for Procurement.
Lee has a masters degree in public administration from the University
of Oklahoma and attended the Middle Management Program of the Graduate School
of Management of Simmons College, Boston.
-end-
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930112.SHU
KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT 1/12/93
SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Tuesday, January 12, 1993
George H. Diller
Vehicle: OV-105/Endeavour Mission Number: STS-54
Location: Launch Pad 39-B
Primary Payload: TDRS-F/IUS-13 + Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS)
Launch Timeframe: January 13 8:52 a.m. EST
Mission Duration: 5 Days 23 Hours 33 Minutes
Inclination: 28.45 degrees Crew Size: 5
Nominal Landing: KSC Jan. 19 8:24 a.m. EST
IN WORK TODAY:
- Launch countdown operations in Firing Room 3
- retract rotating service strucure at 11 a.m.
- closeout tail service masts
- final launch pad debris insepction
- payload mid-deck late stowage including rodents
- activate inertial measurement units
- OMS gimbal profile
- align IUS Redundant Inertial Measurement Unit (RIMU)
- commander and pilot Shuttle Training Aircraft flights
- countdown status briefings for the astronauts
WORK COMPLETED:
- cryogenic reactant loading operations
- retract orbiter mid-body umbilical
- communications system activation
- navigation aids activation
STS-54 WORK SCHEDULED:
- begin tanking 12:32 a.m.
- awaken astronauts 4:02 a.m.
- astronauts depart for Pad 39-B 5:37 a.m.
- close and seal crew access hatch 7:22 a.m.
ISSUES & CONCERNS: None
SPECIAL TOPICS: Launch Weather Forecast
At the opening of the launch window at 8:52 a.m. on Wednesday
conditions are forecast to be:
Clouds: 1,500 scattered 3,000 scattered 20,000 broken
Temperature: 70 degrees
Dewpoint: 65 degrees
Humidity: 84%
Wind: SW-12 knots (becoming 14 to 20 knots)
Visibility: 7+ miles
Significant clouds or weather: Chance of scattered showers,
chance of ceilings below 8,000 feet, limited chance for crosswind
concern.
Chance of acceptable launch weather conditions: 70%
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930112.SKD
DAILY NEWS/TV SKED 1/12/93
Daily News
Tuesday, January 12, 1993
Two Independence Square,
Washington, D.C.
Audio service: 202/358-3014
% Countdown on schedule for tomorrow's 8:52 am EST launch of Endeavour;
% Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer experiment will seek source of background X-rays;
% NASA will again feature 2-hour mission programming for Alaska, Hawaii;
% Student group successfully launches ozone-research balloon from Texas.
The countdown process for tomorrow morning's launch of Endeavour continues on
schedule at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-B. The Rotating Service
Structure will be retracted from around Endeavour late this morning.
Afterwards, KSC launch team members will perform the final launch pad
inspection. KSC and payload technicians continue to stow crew and payload
items inside the orbiter cabin. The six rodents associated with the
physiological and anatomical rodent experiment will be placed inside the animal
enclosure module this afternoon. Main external tank fuel and oxidizer loading
is set to begin tomorrow morning at 12:30 am EST.
The five-member crew, led by mission commander John Casper and pilot Don
McMonagle, will awake tomorrow morning at 4:00 am and are expected to be in
place in their launch seats by 7:22 am. EST. The other crew members are Mario
Runco, Greg Harbaugh and Susan Helms, all payload specialists. All but Helms
are space shuttle veterans.
Launch is set for 8:52 am EST tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13. The mission is
scheduled as a 5-day, 23-hour flight with a nominal end-of-mission landing at
the Kennedy Shuttle Landing Facility on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 8:24 am EST.
The STS-54 mission will deploy the fifth in a series of NASA Tracking and Data
Relay Satellites. Deploy is set for about 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon, on orbit
5. Following the TDRS deployment , the crew will activate the Diffuse X- ray
Spectrometer experiment. This is a "hitchhiker- "mounted device which can fly
again. The Goddard Space Flight Center, along with the orbiter crew, will be
able to command this sensor. The scientific goal of the spectrometer is to
accumulate a total of 50,000 seconds of observation time of the diffuse X-ray
background as a means of determining its relationship to the local galactic
neighborhood and possible relationship to the life cycles of stars. The
spectrometer can provide a high resolution view of the energies within the
diffuse X-ray source, giving astrophysicists atomic clues as to the origin of
the X-rays themselves. One current theory postulates that the diffuse X-ray
background is coming from ionized gas surrounding our solar system.
NASA will provide continuous live television coverage on NASA Select of the
STS-54 mission beginning at 6:00 am EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13, through the
egress of the crew following landing. Also, NASA will again provide a two-
hour edited program containing daily highlights of the mission on a different
satellite for the benefit of interested individuals and organizations in Alaska
and Hawaii. Beginning with this mission, the two-hour programming will be on
transponder 19 (4080 MHz, audio at 6.2 and 6.8 MHz) on the Galaxy 6 satellite
located at 99 degrees West Longitude. Transmission times for the two- hour
highlights program are from midnight through 2:00 am EST each day of the
mission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A NASA-sponsored university group successfully launched its high-altitude
research balloon this morning at 8:53 am EST from the South Shore Harbor
Resort, across Clear Lake from the Johnson Space Center.
The group was forced to postpone yesterday's planned launch because of high
winds. The 76-foot diameter balloon will ascend to an altitude of 110,000 feet
(33.5 kilometers) and fly across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, measuring ozone
distribution and wind data and relaying video pictures to a series of
cooperating amateur radio teams located beneath the balloon's path. These
HAM-radio teams will relay this information to a Utah State University
chase-van.
This program inaugurates a cooperative NASA-university ozone-measurement
program. The program also involves other individuals serving as radio relay
operators who will follow the balloon's progress from fixed stations in the
states between Texas and Florida. The cooperative program is sponsored by the
National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The Texas Space Grant
Consortium is also participating in this new program.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Marshall Space Flight Center reports that the double- trailer display featuring
mockups of the interior of a crew module and laboratory module for Space
Station Freedom will be on display on the Mall in Washington during the
Inaugural Week activities. The trailers are leaving Huntsville today for the
trip to Washington, where they will be on display from Friday, January 15,
through Monday, Jan. 18.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. Note
that all events and times may change without notice, and that all times listed
are Eastern. Live indicates a program is transmitted live.
Tuesday, January 12, 1993
Live
9:00 am
Countdown status briefing from Kennedy Space
Center with Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Test Director, and Todd
Corey, KSC STS-54 Payload Operations Engineer.
Live
9:30 am
Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer payload briefing
from KSC with Chris Dunker, Goddard Space Flight Center
mission manager, and Dr. Wilton Sanders, University of
Wisconsin-Madison principal investigator.
Live
10:30 am
Commercial payloads briefing from KSC with
Dr. Louis Stodieck, Bioserve project manager.
Live
11:00 am
Pre-launch press conference for STS-54
mission from KSC with Charles Force, Associate
Administrator for the Office of Space Operations, Al Diaz,
Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Space
Science and Applications; Leonard Nicholson, Space Shuttle
Director, Robert Sieck, Kennedy Space Center Launch
Director, and CPT Dean Hazen, US Air Force Weather Liaison
Officer.
4:00 pm, 8:00 pm & midnight P programming repeats.
Wednesday, January 13, 1993
Live
6:00 am
Begin continuous coverage of STS-54 mission.
Live
8:52 am
Scheduled launch of Endeavour for STS-54
mission.
NASA Select TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees
West Longitude, transponder frequency is 3960 MegaHertz, audio subcarrier is
6.8 MHz, polarization is vertical.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930112A.REL
1/12/93: SPACE STATION PRECURSOR WORK CONTINUES ON SHUTTLE IN 1993
Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. January 12, 1993
Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
RELEASE: 93-10
With launch of the first element of Space Station Freedom just 3 years
away, NASA will continue to use the Space Shuttle fleet in 1993 for research
associated with assembly and operation of this permanent, international
laboratory in low-Earth orbit.
The space station program is on schedule to complete its first critical
design review (CDR) in June. The CDR is a major program milestone. It marks a
commitment on the part of space station program managers to proceed from the
design stage to the fabrication and acquisition of flight hardware and
software. The CDR includes the review of thousands of engineering drawings and
other design documents by NASA and co technical personnel.
"We are quickly approaching the point in space exploration where
astronauts will be conducting valuable research on a permanent basis," said
Space Station Director Dick Kohrs. "In the years to come, we are going to use
the Space Shuttle to give us additional research capability and confidence in
the techniques to be used aboard Freedom."
Beginning with the first Shuttle flight in January and ending with the
eighth mission in December, astronauts will conduct spacewalks, materials and
life sciences research in the Spacelab scientific laboratories and small-scale
experiments to prepare for long-duration stays in space aboard Freedom.
Spacewalks will be conducted on at least three flights in 1993 to
better prepare astronauts for station assembly and maintenance. Endeavour's
maiden voyage in May 1992 demonstrated the complexity and unknowns associated
with manipulating large objects in space when astronauts rescued the Intelsat
spacecraft and experimented with space station assembly techniques.
Future spacewalks are designed to help planners better predict the
length of specific tasks during each spacewalk and to investigate the use of
handrails and foot restraints while maneuvering equipment similar to that being
designed for Freedom.
Endeavour (STS-54) -- January
Astronauts will conduct extravehicular activities (EVA) that can be
applied to station assembly and maintenance. Some of these activities include
using large tools, moving about the payload bay both with and without foot
restraint devices and handling large objects in the weightless environment of
spaceflight.
One of Endeavour's electricity-generating fuel cells will be shut down
for 10 hours and restarted on the STS-54 mission. This will demonstrate for
the first time a capability required to certify the Shuttle for long duration
stays at the Freedom.
This flight also will serve as the first for a space station precursor
experiment called the Application Specific Preprogrammed Experiment Culture
System (ASPECS), designed as a cell growth and maintenance device to support
cell biology research and improve existing bioreactor technology. The culture
chamber will serve as a testbed to demonstrate movement of a fluid through the
unit to provide constant nutrients to growing cells.
ASPECS will fly again on STS-57 as a fullcells that can be studied on
return to Earth.
Columbia (STS-55) -- February
The first Spacelab module flight of 1993 is a German-sponsored mission
to continue studies in materials and life sciences research to further
technology development for use in the space station era. This second in a
series of dedicated flights for Germany -- called SL-D2 -- is scheduled to last
9 days and follows the first German Spacelab mission flown in October 1985
aboard Challenger.
Discovery (STS-56) -- March
Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science is the second in a
series of missions to measure the long-term variability in the total energy
radiated by the sun and study its interaction with Earth's atmosphere. The
first ATLAS flight was aboard Atlantis in March 1992. This Spacelab mission
uses pallet-mounted hardware in the Shuttle payload bay to study the Earth's
atmosphere and variables in the solar spectrum.
Also included on this flight is ODERACS or Orbital Debris and Radar
Calibration Spheres. This experiment will help calibrate ground-based
instruments used to track orbital debris. Three pairs of precisely-machined
metal spheres of different diameters will be released from a canister in the
payload bay.
The spheres will be tracked by ground radars to more accurately
calibrate the radars. This will allow a better determination of life
expectancy of space debris, assisting in the development of Freedom's
protective shield. ODERACS was flown on STS-53 in December 1992, but a loss of
battery power inside the canister prevented release of the spheres.
Endeavour (STS-57) -- April
The primary mission objective is to fly the first Spacehab middeck
augmentation module and retrieve the European Retrievable Carrier deployed from
Atlantis on the STS-46 mission in August 1992.
Spacehab is a pressurized module that more than doubles the amount of
middeck locker space available to scientists for smaller, "secondary"
experiments to be monitored by the crew.
The Application Specific Preprogrammed Experiment Culture System
(ASPECS) will be flown as a full-up experiment on this mission to grow larger,
high fidelity tissue cells for clinical research. STS-57 will carry cancer
cells to be grown in the chamber and brought back for study.
On the ground, cells tend to lose their neutral buoyancy or ability to
remain suspended in the nutritional fluids inside the chamber. In space,
however, the cells can grow larger without floating toward the chamber walls.
On the Shuttle, ASPECS will serve as the "foundation experiment" for the
development of bioreactor technology on the space station. Growing cells to
full maturity may take several months, which only can be done on long-duration
flights aboard the station.
Spacehab also will carry a space station flight experiment called the
Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Flight Experiment, containing
two critical components of Freedom's environmental control system.
This is being considered as another spacewalk flight to continue
proficiency training for space station assembly and maintenance later this
decade. Current plans call for a spacewalk to occur on this mission or on STS-
51 in July or on both. The spacewalks will include proficiency training and
will demonstrate deploy and retrieval techniques to support space station
assembly and maintenance.
In addition, STS-57 will carry a Getaway Special canisters rack in the
payload bay including small scale experiments to help in the development and
operation of the space station. Experimenters will conduct investigations in
gas transfer from one tank to another, plant growth, effects of microgravity
and radiation on bacteria and in cleaning and purifying effluents for
long-duration space usage.
Discovery (STS-51) -- July
In addition to the primary tasks of deploying the Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite and the Orbiting Retrievable Far and
Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer-Shuttle Pallet Satellite, the crew of STS-51
will expose various materials to the space environment.
The Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Materials Exposure
experiment will expose these materials to the atomic oxygen prevalent in low-
Earth orbit. This will help determine which materials are best for use in
future spacecraft design, including the space station, to ensure long-term
survivability in space. Freedom is designed for a minimum 30-year life.
This flight is being considered for another spacewalk to continue
proficiency training for space station assembly and maintenance. Current plans
call for EVAs to occur on either this mission or on STS-57 in April, or both.
Columbia (STS-58) -- August
The third Spacelab flight of 1993 will include a pressurized module on
a 13-day mission. The SLS-2 Spacelab Life Sciences mission is the second
devoted exclusively to understanding how the human body reacts and adapts
itself to the space flight environment. This science is of particular interest
since plans call for astronauts to live aboard Freedom for periods of 90 days
or more.
The first SLS mission flew for 9 days in June 1991 aboard Columbia,
conducting a wide array of medical tests on the crew to evaluate how they adapt
to the microgravity environment of space. SLS-2 will continue these medical
evaluations.
This will be the second "extended duration" Shuttle mission. STS-50 in
June 1992 lasted 14 days and is the longest Shuttle mission to date. SLS-2
will continue the process of certifying the Shuttle to conduct longer duration
flights docked to Freedom.
Discovery (STS-60) -- November
The second Spacehab flight will carry a large complement of secondary
experiments in the additional middeck locker space. The module is attached to
the orbiter's airlock and more than doubles the space to conduct secondary
materials and life sciences investigations as precursor experiments to those
that will fly on Freedom.
STS-60 also will carry the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) designed to be
released from the payload bay to create an atomic oxygen wake as it circles the
Earth -- in essence, an orbiting vacuum chamber. WSF will create its own
vacuum chamber to produce extremely pure materials, atom by atom, by growing
thin film crystals on an atomic template. Uses of such pure materials range
from microelectronics to lasers and superconductivity.
Attached to the WSF will be a series of experiments to help study this
"space wake" and the effects it has on them. One of these experiments will use
the Shuttle thruster jets to "plume" or fire in the direction of the WSF to
understand how the jet firings affect other spacecraft. This is important in
determining what protective measures need to be addressed for the space station
since the Shuttle will rendezvous with the orbiting laboratory up to four times
a year later this decade.
A Russian cosmonaut will be among the crew members aboard Discovery for
STS-60. A series of medical evaluations will further investigate the adaptation
of the human body to space flight as well as readaptation to the Earth
environment. These joint experiments with Russia will study spatial
orientation, neurosensory, sensory-motor and perceptual functions, equilibrium
control and eye response tests during and after the flight.
Endeavour (STS-61) -- December
The final mission of 1993 highlights the first servicing mission to the
Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Three spacewalks are planned with provisions for
two more to repair and service the HST launched in April 1990 aboard Discovery.
The work scheduled, as well as the number of spacewalks, will provide further
data for those required during the space station era for experiment monitoring
and changeout as well as for maintenance
Other space station precursor experiments are being evaluated as
smaller scale experiments for several of the flights scheduled this year.
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STS-54 EVA FACT SHEET
STS-54's Spacewalk Tests: Preparing for Space Station Freedom NASA Facts
The spacewalk on STS-54 by mission specialists Mario Runco, Jr., and Greg
Harbaugh is the first in a series of test spacewalks planned over the next
three years to refine methods of training astronauts to perform the work in
space required by the construction and maintenance of Space Station Freedom,
slated to begin in 1996.
All of the spacewalk tests will be done without impacting the primary
objectives of any shuttle flight, and, on STS-54, without interrupting other
experiments in the crew cabin or cargo bay. In addition, the spacewalk is
being performed as efficiently as possible, taking advantage of the supplies,
materials and time already allotted for a spacewalk on STS-54 prior to the test
spacewalk's addition to the flight. For instance, the air, water and
electricity planned for use on the test spacewalk are the same consumables that
would be used to perform a spacewalk to assist with deployment of the Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite-F if needed. For that reason, if a contingency
spacewalk were needed for TDRS-F, the test spacewalk would be cancelled. Along
the same lines, Runco and Harbaugh will use the tools at hand, and each other,
to simulate the methods and limits under which astronauts might best be able to
perform construction or repair work.
For example, Runco and Harbaugh will use each other to simulate handling a
large mass in space. Runco will move along the edge of the cargo bay with one
hand while holding Harbaugh with the other hand, at first holding Harbaugh by a
tether and later by holding Harbaugh by a rigid part of the suit. Such
evaluations, along with the information to be obtained from ensuing spacewalks
on ensuing flights, will assist in planning how best to move large pieces of
space station equipment about. It will give planners an idea of the amount of
effort and time required to move items and perform certain jobs, knowledge that
is extremely important since both effort and time are highly limited and
valuable resources on a spacewalk. Although it is not a priority objective,
the spacewalk also will, as a fringe benefit, provide insight into how an
incapacitated crew member might be carried.
The spacewalk tests are designed to:
1. Increase the amount of spacewalk experience in the astronaut corps, among
flight controllers and among trainers. Expanding the experience base among
these personnel during the next three years will help prepare them for Space
Station Freedom operations.
2. Refine the training methods used to plan spacewalks and prepare astronauts
for the job. Runco and Harbaugh will perform a variety of tasks and
characterize the difficulties encountered, the time required and the best
methods of performing each. Although using neutral bouyancy under water on
Earth is the best way to simulate spacewalking, many differences exist, such as
the drag created by the water on objects, present in training but not present
in space, and the sense of direction provided by gravity's effect on the inner
ear, which is still present under water but absent in wieghtlessness. Runco
and Harbaugh, along with the other tests that will follow, will help develop a
baseline that characterizes these differences to make spacewalk training and
planning more efficient.
The rules under which spacewalk tests like the STS-54 test, formally called
Detailed Test Objective 1210 (DTO 1210), will be added to shuttle flights
include:
1. They will not interfere in any way with the other objectives of the flight.
Thus, they will be the lowest priority experiment on board, as is the STS-54
spacewalk.
2. They will be performed inexpensively, taking advantage of time, materials
and supplies already on board a flight.
3. They will not significantly change the plans or training for the flight.
4. The information learned from them will be as generic as possible, thus
being applicable to as many possible space station repair and construction
scenarios as possible.
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