Release:  J97-8

MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS MISSION STS-83

     NASA's continuing effort to understand the subtle and 
complex phenomena associated with the influence of gravity in 
many aspects of our daily life will be the focus of the 
upcoming STS-83 Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) 
mission.  The flight will involve Shuttle Columbia and her 
seven astronauts spending more than two weeks in orbit as they 
conduct a variety of experiments to examine how various 
materials and liquids change and behave in the weightless 
environment of space.

     The STS-83 crew will be commanded by Jim Halsell, who will 
be making his third Shuttle flight.  The pilot is Susan Still, 
who will be making her first flight and will be the second 
American woman to serve as a Shuttle pilot.  There are three 
mission specialists on the flight.  Janice Voss, making her 
third flight,  is Mission Specialist-1 and is also the Payload 
Commander for STS-83.  Mission Specialist-2 is Mike Gernhardt, 
making his second flight.  Don Thomas is Mission Specialist-3 
and is making his third flight.  There are also two payload 
specialists serving on the STS-83 crew.  Roger Crouch is  
Payload Specialist-1 and Greg Linteris is  Payload Specialist-
2.  Both Crouch and Linteris are making their first space 
flight.

     Columbia is targeted for launch on April 3 from NASA's 
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex 39-A at 2:01 p.m. EST 
at the opening of a 2.5 hour available  launch window.   With 
an on-time launch on April 3 and a nominal 16-day mission, 
Columbia will land back at KSC on April 19  at about 7:30 a.m. 
EDT.

     The primary focus for mission STS-83 is to conduct 
experiments and evaluate facilities associated with the  
Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) payload.  The MSL 
mission will serve as a bridge to America's future in space  
the mission spanning the gap between the relatively short 
duration work done on today's Shuttle Spacelab flights to the 
long duration research that will be performed on the 
International Space Station.

      MSL-1 will test some of the hardware, facilities and 
procedures that will be used on the International Space 
Station.  It will introduce new procedures designed to place 
scientific payloads into orbit in a shorter amount of time than 
previously possible.  The MSL flight will serve as a test-bed 
for new ways to conduct experiments in space -- helping to 
validate and improve that process.  New methods of integrating 
experiments and equipment will be introduced, requiring new 
procedures at every step.

     The STS-83 flight mirrors the future work aboard the Space 
Station in the international complexion of  the flight.  MSL-1 
is bringing together academic, industrial and governmental 
partners from around the world.  Scientists from four space 
agencies developed 33 investigations for the MSL-1 mission.  
Representatives of the European Space Agency, the German Space 
Agency and the National Space Development Agency of Japan are 
joining NASA and scientists throughout the United States in 
this research mission.

     The STS-83 mission will introduce some new experiment 
facilities, designed to give scientists additional tools for 
finding answers in the microgravity of space.  One such new 
component on MSL-1 is the innovative EXPRESS Rack, standing for 
"EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to the Space Station."
It is designed for quick and easy installation of experiment 
and facility hardware on orbit and will provide the same 
structural and resource connections the rack will have on ISS.

     Another advanced operational concept being tested on MSL-1 
is the use of "expert" software systems.  Designed to reduce 
the number of people now required to support ISS operations, 
the software packages will help human controllers provide rapid 
response to changes in mission operations.  

     The work performed on the MSL-1 flight has direct impact 
to life back on Earth.  The protein crystals being grown on the 
flight may help scientists better understand the structure of 
various diseases and possible cures.  The experiments designed 
to examine the combustion process which will help improve the 
design of more efficient, clean-burning combustion engines and 
shed light, as well, on issues of fire safety.  The materials 
science investigations will help researchers understand how the 
structure of a material forms and how this structure affects 
the material's properties with implications from electronic 
materials, to the strength or resistance to corrosion of some 
materials, to how flaws in glasses and alloys can make them 
crack or break more easily.  

       STS-83 will be the 22nd Flight of Columbia and the 83rd 
mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in 
April 1981.



MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION

NASA Television Transmission

     NASA Television is now available at a new satellite 
location.  NASA TV is now available through the GE2 satellite 
system which  is located on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees west 
longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz.  

     The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter 
and for mission briefings will be available during the mission 
at Kennedy Space Center, FL; Marshall Space Flight Center, 
Huntsville, AL; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA; 
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; and NASA Headquarters, 
Washington, DC. The television schedule will be updated to 
reflect changes dictated by mission operations.  

Status Reports

     Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit 
activities and landing operations will be produced by the 
appropriate NASA newscenter. 

Briefings

     A mission press briefing schedule will be issued before 
launch.  During the mission, status briefings by a flight 
director or mission operations representative and when 
appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur 
at least once each day.  The updated NASA television schedule 
will indicate when mission briefings are planned.

Internet Information

     Information on STS-83 is available through several sources 
on the Internet.  The primary source for mission information is 
the NASA Shuttle Web, part of the World Wide Web.  This site 
contains information on the crew and their mission and will be 
regularly updated with status reports, photos and video clips 
throughout the flight.  The NASA Shuttle Web's address is: 

                            http://shuttle.nasa.gov


     If that address is busy or unavailable, Shuttle 
information is available through the Office of Space Flight 
Home Page:

                            http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/

     General information on NASA and its programs is available 
through the NASA Home Page and the NASA Public Affairs Home 
Page: 

                              http://www.nasa.gov

            or http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/hqpao/hqpao_home.html 

     Information on other current NASA activities is available 
through the Today@NASA page:

              
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html 

     The NASA TV schedule is available from the NTV Home Page: 

                    http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/ntv.html 

     Status reports, TV schedules and other information also 
are available from the NASA Headquarters FTP (File Transfer 
Protocol) server, ftp.hq.nasa.gov.  Log in as anonymous and go 
to the directory /pub/pao.  Users should log on with the user 
name "anonymous" (no quotes), then enter their E-mail address 
as the password.  Within the /pub/pao directory there will be a 
"readme.txt" file explaining the directory structure:

      * Pre-launch status reports (KSC):  
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/ksc 
      * Mission status reports(JSC):  
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc 
      * Daily TV schedules:  
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc/tvsked. 

     NASA's Spacelink, a resource for educators, also provides 
mission information via the Internet. The system fully supports 
the following Internet services:

      * World Wide Web:  http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov 
      * Gopher:  spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
      * Anonymous FTP:  spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov 
      * Telnet :  spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
Spacelink's dial-up modem line is 205/895-0028. 

Access by CompuServe

     Users with CompuServe accounts can access NASA press 
releases by typing "GO NASA" (no quotes) and making a selection 
from the categories offered.

                         STS-83 QUICK LOOK

Launch Date/Site:            April 3, 1997/KSC Launch Pad 39-A

Launch Time:                 2:01 P.M. EST

Launch Window:               2 hours, 30 minutes

Orbiter:                     Columbia (OV-102), 22nd flight

Orbit Altitude/Inclination:  160 nautical miles, 28.45 degrees 

Mission Duration:            15 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes

Landing Date:                April 19, 1997

Landing Time:                7:37 A.M. EDT

Primary Landing Site:        Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Abort Landing Sites:         Return to Launch Site - KSC
                             Transoceanic Abort Sites - Ben 
Guerir, Morocco
                                        Moron, Spain
                             Abort-Once Around - Edwards AFB, 
CA

Crew:                        Jim Halsell, Commander (CDR), 3rd 
flight
                             Susan Still, Pilot (PLT), 1st  
flight
                            Janice Voss, Payload Commander, 
Mission
     Specialist-1 (MS-1), 3rd  
flight
                             Mike Gernhardt, Mission 
Specialist-2 (MS-2), 2nd  flight
                             Don Thomas, Mission Specialist 3 
(MS 3), 3rd  flight
                             Roger Crouch, Payload Specialist 1 
(PS 1), 1st  flight
                             Greg Linteris, Payload Specialst 
2, (PS 2), 1st  flight

Spacelab Teams:              Red Team: Halsell, Still, Thomas, 
Linteris
                             Blue Team: Voss, Gernhardt, Crouch

EVA Crewmembers:             Mike Gernhardt (EV 1), Don Thomas 
(EV 2)
(if needed, contingency)

Cargo Bay Payloads:          MSL-1, CRYOFD, OARE

In-Cabin Payloads:           SAREX, MSX


                             CREW RESPONSIBILITIES


Payloads                      Prime                    Backup

MSL-1 Activation/Deact        Voss                    Gernhardt
MSL-1 Science                 Voss                    Others
Secondary Experiments         Gernhardt               Halsell, 
Still
EVA (if needed)               Gernhardt (EV 1)        Thomas 
(EV 2) Intravehicular Crewmember     Still                    -
----
Earth Observations            Still                   Gernhardt
SAREX                         Halsell                 Gernhardt



                   DEVELOPMENT TEST OBJECTIVES

DTO 255:    Wraparound DAP Flight Test Verification
DTO 312:    External Tank TPS Performance
DTO 416:    Water Spray Boiler Quick Restart Capability
DTO 667:    Portable In-Flight Landing Operations Trainer 
DTO 677:    Evaluation of Microbial Capture Device in 
Microgravity
DTO 684:    Radiation Measurement in Crew Compartment
DTO 805:    Crosswind Landing Performance


                  DETAILED SUPPLEMENTARY OBJECTIVES

DSO 331:    Integration of the Space Shuttle Launch and Entry 
Suit
DSO 487:    Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers
DSO 493:    Monitoring Latent Virus Reactivation and Shedding 
in Astronauts
RME 1309:   In-Suit Doppler Ultrasound for Determining the Risk 
of 
            Decompression Sickness  during Extravehicular 
Activities


                     RISK MITIGATION EXPERIMENTS

RME 1330:    Wireless Data Acquisition System



                       PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS


Vehicle/Payload                                    Pounds

Orbiter (Columbia) empty and 3 SSME's              187,634

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition                     4,522,854

Orbiter Weight at Landing with Cargo               259,705

MSL-1 Spacelab Module                              22,418

CRYOFD                                             763

OARE                                               252



                        MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE
 
Flight Day One:
Launch/Ascent
OMS-2 Burn
Payload Bay Door Opening
Spacelab Activation
MSL-1 Science Operations

Flight Day 2-14:
MSL-1 Science Operations

Flight Day 15:
MSL-1 Science Operations
Crew News Conference

Flight Day 16:
MSL-1 Science Operations
Flight Control System Checkout
Reaction Control System Hot-Fire
Cabin Stow
Spacelab Deactivation

Flight Day 17:
Deorbit Preparation
Payload Bay Door Closing
Deorbit Burn
KSC Landing


                                 SHUTTLE ABORT MODES

     Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and 
intact recovery of the flight crew, Orbiter and its payload.  
Abort modes for STS-82 include: 

* Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust 
late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105-nautical mile 
orbit with the orbital maneuvering system engines.

* Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with 
the capability to allow one orbit of the Earth before landing 
at the Kennedy Space Center, FL.

* Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main 
engines midway through powered flight would force a landing at 
either Ben Guerir, Morocco; or Moron, Spain.

* Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more 
engines, and without enough energy to reach a TAL site, would 
result in a pitch around and thrust back toward Kennedy until 
within gliding distance.


                  MICROGRAVITY SCIENCE LABORATORY-1 (MSL-1)

     The first Microgravity Science Laboratory mission (MSL-1) 
is the bridge to America's future in space -- the mission 
spanning the gap between today's Spacelab and tomorrow's 
International Space Station.

     MSL-1 will connect the foundations of American space 
exploration and discovery, laid by the Apollo, Skylab and 
Spacelab programs, to the Space Station.

     Using Spacelab as a test-bed, MSL-1 will test some of the 
hardware, facilities and procedures that will be used on the 
International Space Station.

     MSL-1 incorporates new and existing facilities to expand 
previous research -- and begin exploration in new directions.

     With its primary goal as an orbiting laboratory for long-
term research in microgravity, MSL-1 will introduce new 
procedures designed to place scientific payloads into orbit in 
a shorter amount of time than previously possible.  It will 
serve as a test-bed for new ways to conduct experiments in 
space -- helping to validate and improve that process.  New 
methods of integrating experiments and equipment will be 
introduced, requiring new procedures at every step.

     Bringing together international academic, industrial and 
governmental partners in a venture that will model future 
operations, MSL-1 builds on past cooperative and scientific 
foundations.  Those include the International Microgravity 
Laboratory missions, the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory missions, 
Spacelab J and the German Spacelab missions.

     By thoroughly testing these new procedures, hardware, and 
systems, MSL-1 will help ensure that Space Station research has 
the best start possible.  The information and samples from the 
mission's scientific investigations also will ensure mature, 
long-term research in microgravity.

MSL-1 Science

     Scientists from four space agencies developed 33 
investigations for the MSL-1 mission.  Representatives of the 
European Space Agency, the German Space Agency and the National 
Space Development Agency of Japan are joining NASA and 
scientists throughout the United States in this mission of 
discovery.


     The crew will conduct these experiments inside Spacelab, a 
versatile research laboratory which fits in the Space Shuttle 
cargo bay.  With its extra work area, power supplies, 
information management capability and versatile equipment 
racks, scientists in space can work much as they would in their 
laboratories on Earth.

     Many MSL-1 experiments owe their heritage to earlier 
Skylab, sounding rocket and ground-based experiments.  Some 
experiments have evolved over several Spacelab missions.  Some 
flown on previous flights are being flown again to probe new 
scientific questions or further explore prior studies.

Experiment Facilities

     This mission will introduce some new experiment 
facilities, designed to give scientists additional tools for 
finding answers in the microgravity of space.

     A new, key component on MSL-1 is the innovative EXPRESS 
Rack, standing for EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to 
the Space Station.  It is designed for quick and easy 
installation of experiment and facility hardware on orbit.

     On MSL-1, the EXPRESS Rack will replace a Spacelab double 
rack, and special hardware will provide the same structural and 
resource connections the rack will have on Space Station.  Two 
payloads -- the Physics of Hard Spheres experiment and the 
Astro/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus experiment -- will 
be flown to check the design, development and adaptation of the 
EXPRESS Rack hardware.

     Another advanced operational concept being tested on MSL-1 
is the use of expert software systems.  Designed to reduce 
the number of people now required to support Space Station 
operations, the software packages will help human controllers 
provide rapid response to changes in mission operations.  If 
there is an unscheduled event during a mission, the system will 
provide immediate information about its impact on the operation 
of each experiment.

Conducting Science in Microgravity

     The microgravity environment of the orbiting Space Shuttle 
provides unique opportunities to researchers.

     Subtle and complex phenomena, normally hidden by the 
stronger force of gravity, can be revealed for detailed study.  
Mixtures that separate on Earth because of the different 
densities of their components can be mixed evenly and processed 
in microgravity. This allows scientists to study the processing 
of such materials and possibly to create advanced materials for 
study and comparison.

     The growth of near-perfect protein crystals will enhance 
our understanding of protein molecular structures and may speed 
the development of improved drugs.

     Also, scientists can use the microgravity environment of 
space to learn how the presence or absence of gravity affects 
living organisms.  This will aid long-term space efforts and 
provide a better understanding of life on Earth by allowing 
scientists to study biological processes and phenomena 
impossible to study in gravity.

Protein Crystallography

     Science has gained a better understanding of various 
diseases through research known as protein crystallography.  
Proteins are essential components of all living cells and serve 
many different functions.  By studying a protein that is part 
of a virus, researchers can learn how that virus attacks plants 
or animals.

     To determine the exact structure of a selected protein, 
scientists must grow near-perfect crystals of that protein.  
While some proteins can be crystallized easily on Earth, 
gravity works against the formation of perfect crystals of any 
substance.  By growing protein crystals in microgravity, 
investigators can get significantly closer to the ideal of 
perfection.

     Three protein crystal growth experiments are scheduled for 
MSL-1.  The Protein Crystal Growth Using the Protein 
Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity experiment will grow 
large quantities of various proteins.  The Protein Crystal 
Growth Using the Second Generation Vapor Diffusion Apparatus 
experiment will grow high-quality crystals of various proteins 
using the alternate method known as vapor diffusion.  The 
Protein Crystal Growth Using the Hand-Held Diffusion Test Cells 
experiment will grow crystals to investigate differences in the 
processes in microgravity from those on Earth and to refine the 
cell design for the Observable Protein Crystal Growth 
Apparatus.

Combustion Science

     Combustion -- the more scientific term for burning -- 
plays a key role in processes involved in ground 
transportation, spacecraft and aircraft propulsion, and 
hazardous waste disposal.  Yet, despite years of study, there 
is only a limited understanding of many fundamental combustion 
processes because Earth's gravity limits studies -- again, by 
masking many subtle phenomena.

     The microgravity environment of space, however, allows 
scientists to expand the scale and duration of experiments and 
to study details hidden on Earth.


     The MSL-1 mission will support three combustion 
investigations.  The Laminar Soot Processes experiment will 
explore the properties and processes of soot  and flames.  The 
Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number experiment will 
try to determine if stable flame balls can exist.  The 
Droplet Combustion Experiment will study the processes and 
phenomena associated with combustion in spherical fuel 
droplets.

     Results from these experiments will improve understanding 
of how fundamental combustion phenomena are affected by 
gravity; advance combustion science and technology on Earth -- 
including the improved design of more efficient, clean-burning 
combustion engines; and shed light, as well, on issues of fire 
safety in space.

Materials Science

     The key to materials science research is understanding how 
the structure of a material forms and how this structure 
affects the material's properties.

     On Earth, sedimentation and buoyancy cause uneven mixing 
of a material's ingredients and can deform the structure as it 
solidifies.  These gravity-induced imperfections limit the 
usefulness of many electronic materials.  Imperfections in the 
structures of metals and alloys can affect mechanical strength 
or resistance to corrosion, while similar flaws in glasses and 
alloys can make them crack or break more easily.  Gravity also 
affects the internal structure of polymers, long chains of 
organic molecules that form the basis of a range of products 
from nylon to plastic.

     In microgravity, sedimentation and buoyancy are reduced or 
eliminated, allowing scientists to study the process of 
material formation in ways never before possible.  Minute 
forces and phenomena that are overwhelmed by gravity on Earth 
can be observed and studied.  Physical and chemical conditions 
present during processing can be controlled and changed, 
enabling investigators to learn how these factors affect the 
final structure of the material.

     MSL-1 will feature 19 materials science investigations in 
three major facilities.  These facilities are the Large 
Isothermal Furnace, the EXPRESS Rack and the Electromagnetic 
Containerless Processing Facility.

     Additional technology demonstrations and experiments will 
be performed in the Middeck Glovebox facility.

     The knowledge gained from these studies will benefit 
future microgravity research and material processing efforts 
and also will be used to improve materials processing on Earth.

Mission Operations

     The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., 
manages MSL-1 as NASA's lead center for microgravity research.

     Experiment operations for the 16-day flight will be 
directed from the Spacelab Mission Operations Control center at 
Marshall.

     During the mission, scientists and engineers representing 
many MSL-1 experiments will work in Marshall's Science 
Operations Area.  There, they will monitor experiments by video 
and voice links with the Shuttle, send remote commands to their 
instruments, discuss operations with the MSL-1 crew, and 
coordinate mission activities with members of other experiment 
teams.

     The teams will be backed by colleagues working at remote 
sites for science operations and support.

     Remote operations have been an important part of previous 
Spacelab missions.  But MSL-1 will refine their operation, 
while making use of previous hardware and facilities.  MSL-1 
will have new remote operations in Tsukuba, Japan, as well as 
sites at Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; and the 
University of Colorado at Denver.  Also, a remote site -- 
distinct from the Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility 
-- will be operational at Marshall for the Glovebox 
experiments.  Additional science teams will be located at the 
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and the Kennedy Space 
Center in Florida.

     Primary responsibility for operating the experiments in 
orbit belongs to the Spacelab science crew.  Payload Commander 
Janice E. Voss, Mission Specialists Donald A. Thomas and 
Michael L. Gernhardt, and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch 
and Gregory Linteris will work in two 12-hour shifts.  
Operating Spacelab 24 hours a day enables scientists to obtain 
the most from valuable time in orbit.  The crew will work from 
a pre-planned master timeline, with adjustments allowed for 
unexpected opportunities.

     After landing, many experiment samples -- some with 
limited lifetimes -- will be returned to the scientists for 
evaluation.

     Later, experiment hardware will be returned to the space 
agency that developed it.  And computer tapes, voice 
recordings, video tapes and other information collected in the 
experiments will be organized and forwarded to investigators.  
Analysis of the results will start even before the Shuttle 
returns to Earth, and may continue for several years.


     The investigators will be rewarded with new insights into 
the intrinsic properties of materials and increased knowledge 
of how gravity affects living systems on Earth.  And MSL-1 will 
certainly provide new questions for scientists and engineers 
seeking additional answers in the unique laboratory of space.


COMBUSTION MODULE-1

	Combustion Module-1 was developed by NASA to test 
hardware and experiment approaches on Spacelab.  The module can 
accommodate a variety of combustion experiments through the use 
of experiment-unique chamber inserts called Experiment Mounting 
Structures.

	It requires two Spacelab racks--one double and one 
single-- with a combined weight of 1,600 pounds.

	Housed in the double rack is the Experiment Package.  The 
package contains a 24 gallon combustion chamber, a gas 
chromatograph, seven cameras, the experiments' computers and 
support equipment.

	The combustion chamber has slide rails and can be quickly 
disconnected, allowing the crew to insert and connect the 
Experiment Mounting Structures.

	The single rack contains the Fluid Supply Package and the 
Video Cassette Recorder Package.  The Fluid Package consists of 
20 bottled gases and supplies gas for combustion, combustion 
chamber purges, soot sampling, chemical diagnostics, on-orbit 
leak tests and pure air in the combustion chamber for science 
and crew access.

	Combustion Module-1 will support two investigations 
during the mission.

Experiment:  Laminar Soot Processes 
Facility:  Combustion Module 1
PI:  Dr. Gerard Faeth, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

     Laminar jet diffusion flames involve the combustion of a 
hydrocarbon fuel in still air.  They are similar to candle 
flames except that the fuel is supplied by a gas jet rather 
than by evaporation from a wick.  The shape of a laminar jet 
diffusion flame approximates combustion processes in many 
practical devices, such as diesel engines, aircraft jet engines 
and furnaces. Information will be collected on flame shape, the 
type and amount of soot produced under various conditions and 
the temperature of soot components.  This experiment could lead 
to ways to contain unwanted fires, and also limit the number of 
fatalities from carbon monoxide emissions.  Scientists also 
hope to use information learned from the experiment to improve 
theoretical models of combustion.


Experiment:  Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number 
(SOFBALL)
Facility:  Combustion Module-1
PI:  Dr. Paul Ronney, University of Southern California in Los 
Angeles

     The purpose of the investigation is to determine if stable 
balls of flame can exist.  If proven they can, additional 
studies may determine if radiative loss is the stabilizing 
mechanism and how mixture properties affect flame balls.  
Information gained from this experiment could lead to 
improvements in lean-burn internal combustion engines, to 
increase efficiency and reduce emissions.  Other benefits may 
include improved fire safety for mine shafts, chemical plants 
and spacecraft.

DROPLET COMBUSTION APPARATUS

     The Droplet Combustion Apparatus is an enclosed chamber in 
which one investigation, the Droplet Combustion Experiment, 
will process during MSL-1.

Experiment:  Droplet Combustion Experiment
Facility:  Droplet Combustion Apparatus
PI:  Dr. Forman Williams, University of California at San Diego

       The purpose of the experiment is to collect information 
on burning rates of flames, flame structures and conditions 
when extinguishing a flame.  Combustion of fuel droplets is an 
important element in heating furnaces for materials processing, 
heating homes and businesses, producing power by gas turbines, 
as well as combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines.  With 
improved understanding of droplet combustion, the results of 
this experiment could lead to cleaner and safer ways to burn 
fossil fuels, and more efficient methods of generating heat and 
power on Earth.

Experiment:  Fiber-Supported Droplet Combustion
Facility:  Middeck Glove Box
PI:  Dr. Forman Williams, University of California at San Diego

     The purpose of the experiment is to study how fuels burn 
and test a new technique of droplet deployment and ignition 
using thin fibers for positioning.  The fiber-supported droplet 
combustion technique will allow researchers to study 
fundamental combustion processes, such as how pollutants are 
formed.  The mechanisms that cause the production of soot in 
flames are among the most

important unresolved problems of combustion science because 
soot affects life on Earth in many ways.  Knowledge gained from 
this experiment could be applied to increased efficiency in the 
utilization of fossil fuels and to further the understanding of 
combustion byproducts such as soot and smog.


PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH

       Each cell in a living organism contains thousands of 
different proteins the substances which play essential roles in 
the maintenance of life.  Protein crystals are used in basic 
biological research, pharmacology and drug development.  
However, the structures of many important proteins remain a 
mystery simply because researchers are unable to obtain 
crystals of sufficient quality or size.  Earth's gravity 
affects the purity and structural integrity of crystals.  The 
low gravity environment in space allows for the growth of 
larger, purer crystals of greater structural integrity.  In 
some cases, the analysis of protein crystals grown in space has 
revealed more about a protein's molecular structure than has 
been possible even after years of effort with crystals grown on 
Earth.  Three protein crystal growth studies will be conducted 
on MSL-1.

Experiment:  Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity
PI: Dr. Dan Carter of New Century Pharmaceuticals in 
Huntsville, Ala.

Facility:  The Protein Crystallization Apparatus for 
Microgravity consists of small plastic trays with seven sample 
wells surrounded by donut-shaped reservoirs.  The complete 
crystallization apparatus comprises nine trays (63 specimens) 
carried in a cylinder with a crank mechanism.

     MSL-1 will carry six cylinders in a Single-locker Thermal 
Enclosure System and another six in cabin-temperature locker, 
for a total of 756 specimens.

Experiment:  Second-Generation Vapor Diffusion Apparatus
PI:  Dr. Larry Delucas of the Center for Macromolecular 
Crystallography at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Facility:  This facility will use vapor diffusion techniques to 
process eleven different proteins in 80 crystallization 
chambers.  These experiments in protein crystallization 
research include efforts to obtain detailed structural data on 
two proteins that relate to Chagas' disease, a debilitating and 
deadly disease that effects more than 20 million people in 
Latin America and parts of the United States.  This work is in 
collaboration with an Investigators' Working Group currently 
comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, 
Uruguay and the United States as part of a larger effort to 
help control communicable diseases.


Experiment:  Handheld Diffusion Test Cells
PI:  Dr. Alexander McPherson of the University of California, 
Riverside.

Facility:  A single unit of the Hand-Held Diffusion Test Cells 
experiment consists of eight cells mounted on a rail and 
contained in a protective enclosure.  Each test cell has three 
chambers containing a protein solution, a buffer solution and a 
precipitant solution chamber.  Using the liquid-liquid 
diffusion method the different fluids are brought into contact 
but not mixed.  Over time, the fluids will diffuse into each 
other through the random motion of molecules.  The gradual 
increase in concentration of the precipitant within the protein 
solution causes the proteins to crystallize.  A total of 32 
specimens will be flown on MSL-1, and results will be used to 
refine the design of an Observable Protein Crystal Growth 
Apparatus being designed for later missions


EXPRESS RACK

     The EXPRESS Rack is designed to simplify and speed the 
process of housing, transporting, installing and operating 
Space Station experiments.  Officially called Expedite the 
Processing of Experiments to the International Space Station, 
the EXPRESS rack complies with established standards of Space 
Station hardware.

     Developed by NASA's Life Sciences division, the rack 
contains 10 compartments for housing experiments -- eight 
smaller compartments called lockers and two larger, 
standardized compartments called drawers.

     During the Microgravity Science Laboratory mission, two 
experiments will be conducted in the EXPRESS Rack to test and 
demonstrate the hardware.

     The Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment will be transported 
into orbit in the EXPRESS Rack. It will be housed in four 
lockers and one drawer of the facility, demonstrating the 
rack's capability to accommodate smaller, standardized 
experiments.

     The Astro/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus will be 
carried into orbit in the Shuttle's middeck and transferred to 
the EXPRESS Rack once in orbit. The apparatus will be returned 
to the middeck following the experiment run. This will 
demonstrate the ease and speed of installing and removing an 
EXPRESS Rack experiment, a process which will be used to 
transfer experiments to and from the International Space 
Station.


Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment
Dr. Paul Chaikin, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

     Objective: The experiment will examine the changes which 
occur during the transition of a substances from liquids to 
solids and solids to liquids. These transitions are fundamental 
to materials processing. A better understanding of liquid-to-
solid and solid-to-liquid transitional phases may result in the 
improved design of metallic alloys and processing techniques.

     The investigation will examine seven, three-component 
samples of varying concentrations. The samples, contained in 
glass spheres, will be colloidal systems -- a colloid dispersed 
in a gas, liquid or solid. A colloidal substance consists of 
very small particles which will remain suspended in a medium, 
do not dissolve in it, and will diffract light. Using a Light 
Scattering Instrument, measurements of diffracted light from 
the small particles of the colloids will be obtained as varying 
degrees of force -- produced by a laser in the Light Scattering 
Instrument -- are applied to the samples.

Astro/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (AstroPGBA)
Dr. Louis Stodieck, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

     Objective: This experiment will study the effect of space 
on certain species of plants. Specifically, it will investigate 
the production of lignin  essential for the formation and 
joining of woody cell walls in plants; the production of 
secondary metabolites -- essential to generating energy needed 
to sustain vital life processes; and changes which occur in the 
sugars and starches of vegetable plants. From this 
investigation, researchers hope to determine if these processes 
are interrelated and how they may be manipulated to improve 
plant growth and production on Earth. Researchers also hope the 
study will verify evidence that plants grown in microgravity 
require less metabolic energy to produce lignin, permitting 
greater production of secondary metabolites, a source of many 
medicinal drugs. Secondary metabolites may also serve to 
attract, repel or poison insects.

     Plants to be studied include Artemisia annua, a species of 
sage native to
Southeast Asia and a source of the antimalarial drug 
artemisinin; Catharanthus roseus, which produces vinca 
alkaloids, used in chemotherapy treatment of cancer; Pinus 
taeda (loblolly pine), used widely in the paper and lumber 
industries; and Spinacia oleracea, a variety of spinach.



LARGE ISOTHERMAL FURNACE

     The Large Isothermal Furnace is a facility capable of 
uniformly heating large samples of metal alloys to 2912 degrees 
Farhenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius) and rapidly cooling samples 
using a flow of helium. A vacuum-heating facility, the furnace 
consists of a sample container and heating element surrounded 
by a vacuum chamber.

     The furnace will be used to study the diffusion of liquid 
metals -- the process by which liquid metals mix when heated. 
This process cannot adequately be studied on Earth because of 
convection.

     The first, convection, is the transfer of heat caused by 
the movement of fluid particles which results from a variation 
in concentration and gravity. On Earth, liquids will gradually 
mix as a result of heat and stirring generated by convection. 
To study the effect of an outside source of heat and stirring 
on the mixing process, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate 
convection.

     In the near-zero gravity aboard the orbiting Space 
Shuttle, researchers are able to study the diffusion process 
unaffected by convection. The experiments may provide a better 
understanding of how liquid metals mix, a process vital to the 
production of high quality metal alloys and products.


Measurement of Diffusion Coefficient by Shear Cell Method
Dr. Shinichi Yoda, National Space Development Agency of Japan 
(NASDA), Tsukuba, Japan

     Objective: This experiment will test the shear cell 
cartridge, or container, to be used in two investigations 
conducted in the Large Isothermal Furnace. The cartridge is 
specifically designed for these two studies which will use the 
shear cell method to determine the diffusion coefficient -- or 
an accurate measurement for the fundamental variables which 
regulate diffusion.

     This method involves two column samples of different 
concentrations. The columns are melted, then rotated into 
contact with each other for a specific period of time. The 
resulting single column is sheared into segments and cooled 
before measurements are taken.

     Using the shear cell method, this study may also reveal 
the rate of diffusion of tin and lead-tin-telluride. Findings 
may lead to a better understanding of the diffusion process and 
improved metal alloys and products.


Diffusion of Liquid Metals
Dr. Toshio Itami, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

     Objective: The study is designed to establish an accurate 
measurement for the fundamental variables which regulate 
diffusion of liquid tin relative to temperature. On Earth, 
diffusion experiments conducted at high temperatures have been 
unsuccessful due to convection, or fluid movement caused by 
gravity. This experiment may help researchers more clearly 
define the diffusion process and could lead to improved designs 
of metallic alloys and processing techniques on Earth.

Diffusion in Liquid Lead-Tin-Telluride
Ms. Misako Uchida, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Tokyo, 
Japan

     Objective: Researchers hope to establish an accurate 
measurement for the diffusion coefficient of liquid lead-tin-
telluride in relative to temperature.  On Earth, it is 
difficult to achieve an equal distribution of particles in this 
metal mixture as the mixture solidifies. As with other liquid 
metals, the diffusion process is masked by gravity's influence 
on the movement of liquid particles. It also appears that 
diffusion's dependence on temperature is different in 
microgravity, or near-zero gravity. Lead-tin-telluride holds 
potential as a material for use in infrared detectors and 
lasers.

Impurity Diffusion in Ionic Metals
Dr. Tsutomu Yamamura, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

     Objective: The objective of the study is to determine an 
accurate measurement for the diffusion coefficient of a tracer, 
or impurity, in molten salts.  Conducting the study in the 
microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle will eliminate 
convection, or fluid movement caused by gravity. On Earth, 
convection disturbs the diffusion process, resulting in 
inconsistent measurements.

     In addition, the study is designed to reveal ideal 
conditions for electrolysis of molten salts. Electrolysis is 
the use of an electrical current to break down a dissolved 
substance into its constituent components.

     The experiment may provide needed information to improve 
the diffusion process.  An accurate measurement for the 
diffusion coefficient in molten salts would also be useful in 
basic science and engineering work.


Liquid Phase Sintering II
Dr. Randall German, Pennsylvania State University, University 
Park, Penn.

     Objective: The investigation will test theories of liquid-
phase sintering  -- to heat and liquefy materials to form a 
mixture without reaching the melting point of the solid phase 
material. Specifically, the study will examine the coalescence, 
or mixing together, of materials during liquid-phase sintering. 
The investigation will also look at changes that occur in the 
materials' pores which allow the mixing of fluids during 
liquid-phase sintering. Information gathered will be compared 
with theoretical predictions in hopes of improving theoretical 
models and developing a better understanding of sintering in 
microgravity.

Diffusion Processes in Molten Semiconductors
Dr. David N. Matthiesen, Case Western Reserve University, 
Cleveland, Ohio

     Objective: The experiment is designed to determine an the 
diffusion coefficient relative to temperature, impurities and 
diameter of the sample. Specifically, researchers hope to 
establish an accurate measurement for the fundamental variables 
which regulate the diffusion of tracers, or impurities, of 
gallium, silicon and antimony in melted germanium.  On Earth, 
the movement of tracers during the processing of semiconductors 
or other materials results from a combination of diffusion and 
gravity-generated convection, or fluid movement
caused by gravity. Since diffusion and convection cannot be 
separated on Earth, scientists have not been able to accurately 
measure the diffusion coefficient. This research is aimed at 
developing better models of diffusion.


MEASURING MICROGRAVITY

Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS)
Project Scientist:  Dr. Peter Tschen, NASA Lewis Research 
Center, Cleveland, Ohio

    Objective:  The effects of Earth's gravity on the Space 
Shuttle and its
cargo are markedly reduced when in orbit.  But so strong are 
the forces of gravity, the effects are never completely 
eliminated.  Disturbances occur when crew members move about 
the Shuttle, when onboard equipment is operated, or thrusters 
are fired to maneuver the Shuttle to its proper position.  Even 
slight, atmospheric drag on the Shuttle can create disturbances 
that mimic gravity.  Such minute changes in the orbital 
environment of the Shuttle can effect sensitive experiments 
being conducted onboard.   Researchers and scientists 
conducting experiments on the Microgravity Science Laboratory 
mission will depend on the Space Acceleration Measurement 
System to record precise measurements of such 



changes.  The system will enable them to adjust their 
experiments and improve the collection of scientific 
information during the mission.  The system's measurements also 
aid in determining how vibrations or accelerations affect the 
results of experiments.

    System Operation:  The system accurately measures and maps 
the acceleration environment in orbit, using three remote 
sensor heads mounted in different locations.  Each sensor head 
has three accelerometers oriented to enable the detection of 
accelerations three-dimensionally, in the range of .01- to 100-
Hertz.  For this mission, one sensor head will detect 
accelerations up to 2.5 Hertz, while others can detect 
accelerations up to 25 Hertz.
    Information collected by the sensors is transmitted to the 
ground through the Shuttle's communications system.  This 
allows scientists to make immediate assessments of the effects 
of the microgravity environment, and make necessary corrections 
for their experiments.

Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement (QSAM)
Project Scientist:  Dr. Hans Hamacher, German Aerospace 
Research Establishment (DLR)

     Objective:  Researchers who conduct scientific experiments 
in the
microgravity environment of space require as few disturbances 
as possible. But even the near-vacuum of space has some forces 
of gravity and vibration.Among the disturbances encountered on 
a Space Shuttle mission are rapidly changing movements by the 
crew or periodic equipment operations.  And steady 
accelerations -- changes in velocity -- such as a slight pull 
on the Shuttle created by atmospheric drag, also create 
disturbances making it impossible to achieve complete zero-
gravity conditions.

    Different experiments conducted in space are sensitive to 
different types of accelerations.  To accurately interpret the 
results of their experiments, researchers need to know the 
precise level of accelerations that occur at all times during 
their experiments.

    The Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement (QSAM) experiment 
is primarily designed to detect steady, very low-frequency, 
residual accelerations between 0 and 0.02 Hertz, or cycles per 
second.

    System Operation:  Low-frequency accelerations affect 
various physical processes more than higher-frequency 
accelerations.  By means of a unique design of its sensor 
heads, the Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement experiment is 
able to make precise measurements of this important 
acceleration range.

    This system complements three others that are measuring 
disturbances on the Microgravity Science Laboratory mission. 
Together, the four systems provide detection of the entire 
range of accelerations that may affect experiments.

Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE)
Project Scientist:  Dr. Peter Tschen, NASA Lewis Research 
Center, Cleveland, Ohio

    Objective:  There is no line -- no hard boundary -- between 
Earth's
atmosphere and space.  At the Earth's surface, the atmosphere 
is thickest, and it gradually thins with increasing elevation.  
Even altitudes reached by the Space Shuttle are not completely 
without air.  The Shuttle travels very rapidly through this 
tenuous, near-vacuum atmosphere.  But the Shuttle is slightly 
slowed, or decelerated, by friction with the gas molecules.  
And because the density of the atmosphere changes from day to 
night, the amount of friction varies proportionally.

    The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) makes 
extremely accurate measurements of these variations and other 
disturbances, using a sensor called an accelerometer, and 
records them for later analysis.  Analysis of these and other 
types of microgravity disturbances enables researchers to 
assess the influence of Shuttle accelerations on the scientific 
experiments carried onboard the Microgravity Science 
Laboratory.

    System Operation:  The Orbital Acceleration Research 
Experiment is a self- calibrating instrument that monitors and 
records extremely small accelerations -- changes in velocity -- 
and vibrations that are experienced during orbit of the 
Shuttle.  At the heart of the instrument is a miniature 
electrostatic accelerometer that precisely measures low-
frequency, on-orbit acceleration disturbances.  The OARE is 
capable of sensing and recording accelerations on the order of 
one-billionth the acceleration of Earth's gravity -- 1 nano-g -
- at a frequency of less than 1 Hertz, or once per second.

    The instrument's principal purpose is to help determine the 
orientation of the least acceleration disturbance for the 
Shuttle orbiter during flight. Information is collected and 
measured by the instrument.  Then it is processed, stored and 
transmitted in near real-time to scientists on Earth.  Based on 
this information, the Shuttle's flight attitude can be adjusted 
to satisfy the needs of any particular experiment.


Microgravity Measurement Assembly (MMA)
Project Scientist:  Dr. Hans Hamacher, German Aerospace 
Research Establishment (DLR)

    Objective:  Many experiments onboard the Microgravity 
Science Laboratory require a very smooth ride through space so 
that their delicate operations are not disturbed.  Yet even in 
the quiet, low-gravity environment of space, disruptions occur 
from movements by the crew, equipment operations and occasional 
firing of thrusters to adjust the orbital position of the 
Shuttle.

    One of the systems developed to measure disruptions to 
experiments caused by accelerations is the Microgravity 
Measurement Assembly (MMA).

    System Operation:  The Microgravity Measurement Assembly 
determines both high- and low-frequency spacecraft 
disturbances, collecting measurements from seven sensor heads 
placed at selected locations in the Spacelab.  Four of the 
sensor heads are placed in the Spacelab experiment racks, where 
many of the gravity-sensitive investigations are located.  Most 
of the MMA sensors can detect accelerations in the range of 
0.1- to 100-Hertz.  One sensor, called the Accelerometre 
Spatial Triaxial Electrostatique, can measure accelerations 
below 1.0 Hertz.

    Information collected from the sensors is sent to the 
instrument's central computer.  It can be transmitted in real-
time to researchers on the ground, where they can promptly 
assess measurements of the microgravity environment vs. the 
requirements for various experiments.  From this, plans can be 
made for possible corrective actions for particular 
experiments.


TEMPUS

Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility (German: 
Tiegelfreies Elektromagnetisches Prozessieren Unter 
Schwerelosigkeit, or TEMPUS.)
Hardware Developer:
Wolfgang Dreier, German Space Agency (DARA)

     Project Scientists:  Dr. Ivan Egry, German Aerospace 
Research Establishment (DLR), Cologne, Germany and Dr. Jan 
Rogers, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

     The Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility -- 
referred to by its
German acronym TEMPUS -- was developed by the German Space 
Agency. It is an electromagnetic levitation facility that 
allows scientists on the ground to
process metallic samples in a containerless microgravity 
environment.TEMPUS
uses a combination of an electromagnetic field and the 
microgravity environment
to suspend metal alloys in free space within a set of coils so 
the alloys may be
melted and resolidified in an ultra-pure environment.  By 
levitating the sample
within the coils, researchers can study the alloy's 
solidification while ensuring the sample does not touch any 
container's walls.  The facility records information on the 
alloys while they are molten as they solidify.

     The TEMPUS facility first flew on the second International 
Microgravity
Laboratory (IML-2), a Shuttle and Spacelab mission in July 
1994.

     Electromagnetic levitation is commonly used in ground-
based experiments to melt and then cool metallic substances 
below their "freezing" points while preventing solidification 
from occurring. The process of cooling metallic melts below 
their normal freezing points without solidification is termed 
"undercooling."  The ability of very pure liquid alloys, in a 
microgravity environment, to remain liquid at hundreds of 
degrees below their normal solidification points is due to the 
absence of contact with other materials.

     During the MSL-1 mission, scientists will perform 
experiments which build upon
those conducted during IML-2, studying various thermodynamic 
and kinetic
properties of 18 samples. For each investigation, a small 
spherical sample,
about 5/16 inch round (7-8 mm), will be positioned by the 
electromagnetic coil,
melted, and then cooled. Melting points of the samples range 
between 1,400-3,362
F (760-1,850 C), with the maximum sample temperature about 
3,812 F (2,100 C).

     A key phenomenon to be studies is nucleation.  This is the 
initial stage of
crystalline solidification, when small, isolated clusters of 
atoms begin
arranging themselves into a regular, repeating structure.  
Atoms fall into place
on these clusters, or nuclei, causing the sites to grow until 
the entire mass
becomes solid.

     The TEMPUS system provides the means for physically 
manipulating samples during processing.  Rotations and 
oscillations can be controlled through the
application of an electromagnetic field.  Nucleation can be 
initiated at any
desired undercooled temperature by inserting a needle into the 
sample, causing
the entire sample to rapidly solidify.  Also, the sample can be 
squeezed by
applying short power pulses to the heating or levitation coils.  
By observing
how the sample reacts, properties such as surface tension and 
viscosity can
be determined.

Experiment:  Thermophysical Properties of Undercooled Metallic 
Melts
Facility: Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility 
(TEMPUS)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ivan Egry, DLR.
Co-Investigators: Dr. Georg Lohoefer, DLR; Dr. Berndt 
Feuerbacher, DLR.

     To measure surface tension, viscosity, and electrical 
conductivity
of liquid and undercooled alloys, specifically palladium-
copper-silicon and
cobalt-palladium.  This experiment will provide information 
about the heat
transfer properties of undercooled metallic melts.  Findings 
from this study
will complement existing information on liquid metals at and 
above the melting
point, providing insight into the largely unexplored state 
where an undercooled
liquid begins to solidify.

Experiment:  Thermophysical Properties of Advanced Materials in 
the Undercooled Liquid State
Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hans F. Fecht, Technical University 
Berlin, Germany.
Co-Investigator: Dr. Rainer Wunderlich, Technical University 
Berlin.

      This experiment will measure the heating properties of 
undercooled
metallic substances to help researchers further understand how 
metallic glass
forms in zirconium-based alloys.  Comparisons between different 
alloys should
indicate how the glass-forming ability of an alloy is related 
to its
composition.  Understanding the fundamentals of undercooling 
and formation of
metallic glasses is vital for designing such materials.  They 
may find
applications in many technological areas because of their 
unique mechanical
and physical properties.  Some present areas of application 
include high-powered
laser choke switches, transformer cores, brazing alloys, wear-
resistant coatings
and reinforcing fibers in metal matrices.  In the future, these 
injection-
molded, bulk metallic glasses could influence the state of 
materials science and
engineering.

Experiment:  Measurements of the Surface Tension of Liquid and 
Undercooled Metallic Melts by Oscillating Drop Technique
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. Martin G. Frohberg, Technical 
University Berlin,
Germany.
Co-Investigator: Dr. Michael Roesner-Kuhn, Technical University 
Berlin.

       This experiment studies the surface tension of liquid 
metal drops,
which are levitated and positioned in an electromagnetic field.  
The physical
property of surface tension results from the forces of mutual 
attraction of
the molecules making up a liquid.  These forces cause the 
molecules at the drop's
outer surface to be pulled inward.  The approximately spherical 
shape of rain
drops, for example, is a result of surface tension.  The 
strength of the force
working on the rain drop or any other liquid sample depends on 
the temperature
and purity of the liquid.  Scientists currently do not have 
sufficient data
about concentration- and temperature-dependent surface tensions 
of liquid, and
especially undercooled liquid, materials.  Industrial processes 
which may
benefit from findings include: metal-gas-slag reactions, 
filtration of melts,
hot sintering of metallic powders, reactions between melts and 
refractories,
solidification processes, and material flow in the interface 
between two
different liquids.

Experiment:  Study of the Morphological Stability of Growing 
Dendrites by Comparative Dendrite Velocity Measurements on Pure 
Ni and a Dilute Ni-C Alloy in the Earth and Space Laboratory
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. D. M. Herlach, DLR.
Co-Investigator: Dr. M. Barth, DLR; Dr. B. Feuerbacher, DLR.

     This experiment deals with the investigation of the 
dendritic
solidification velocity resulting from small levels of melt 
undercooling.
Dendrites -- from the Greek word for "tree" -- are tiny 
branching structures
that form inside molten metal alloys when they solidify during 
manufacturing.
The size, shape and structure of the dendrites have a major 
effect on the
strength, ductility and usefulness of an alloy.  Measurements 
of the speed of
dendritic solidification can be used to test and refine 
modeling of dendritic
growth behavior.  This type of experiment must be performed in 
microgravity
because crystal growth can be greatly affected by convective 
fluid flow, or
buoyancy-driven motion, in molten metal. The low-acceleration 
environment in
space effectively eliminates convection.  Comparing space 
experiment data to
those obtained on Earth will allow researchers to learn more 
about the effect
convection has on dendrite growth.  Information gained from 
this experiment
could have significance in many manufacturing processes, such 
as welding and
casting.

Experiment:  Undercooled Melts of Alloys with Polytetrahedral 
Short-Range Order 
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. D.M. Herlach, DLR
Co-Investigator: Dr. Dirk Holland-Moritz, DLR; Dr. Heinrich 
Bach, University of
Bochum, Germany; Dr. Hans Fecht, Technical University Berlin; 
Dr. Kenneth
Kelton, Washington University, St. Louis; Dr. Berndt 
Feuerbacher, DLR.

      The experiment will investigate the recently discovered 
and fascinating subject of quasicrystals.  The quasicrystalline 
state, discovered in 1994, is a third state of solid matter -- 
in addition to the normal crystalline and glassy states.  
Quasicrystals exhibit excellent structural order based on atom 
arrangements.  This feature provides quasicrystalline materials 
with a high degree of hardness and novel electrical and 
physical properties.   This experiment is expected to provide a 
better understanding of nucleation and short-range order 
phenomena occurring in undercooled melts. Also, measurement of 
the specific heat (defined as the heat needed to raise one gram 
of substance one degree Celsius) will enable better analysis of 
undercooling experiments performed in space, as well as those 
performed on Earth.  Sample materials used in this experiment 
are three quasicrystal-forming alloys of aluminum-copper-iron 
and aluminum-copper-cobalt.

Experiment:  Thermal Expansion of Glass Forming Metallic Alloys 
in the
Undercooled State 
Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. K. Samwer, Institute for Physics, 
University of
Augsburg, Germany.
Co-Investigator: Dr. B. Damaschke, Institute for Physics, 
University of
Augsburg; Dr. Ivan Egry, DLR.

      To investigate the thermal expansion of multicomponent 
amorphous alloys in the wide temperature range between the 
melting point and the glass transition point.  Amorphous alloys 
are alloys consisting of many metals whose atoms are not 
arranged in the form of crystalline structures.  Solids can be
subdivided into crystalline or non-crystalline forms based on 
the internal
arrangement of their atoms or molecules.  The glass transition 
point is where
this experiment is expected to reveal new information about 
both a thermodynamic approach to glassy and undercooled metals 
and the existence of structural changes in the undercooled 
alloys, which is important for the development of new 
customized materials.

Experiment:  Experiments on Nucleation in Different Flow 
Regimes
Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Bayuzick, Vanderbilt 
University, Nashville, Tenn.
Co-Investigators: Dr. William H. Hofmeister, Vanderbilt 
University; Dr. Michael
B. Robinson, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

       This investigation looks to better understand specific 
details on
how metals solidify and to investigate ways in which the 
solidification process
can be controlled.  Scientists hope to pinpoint what phenomenon 
kicks off
solidification. The current understanding of the nucleation of 
solids is limited
to models derived from the classical theory of nucleation.  
However, the unique
environment of Spacelab provides the combination of 
requirements -- free-
floating melts, great control of conditions within the melt and 
very careful
measurement of temperature -- that will allow for an 
unparalleled opportunity to
test the theory.  Solidifying metals is one of the most 
important processes
in industry. Learning more about nucleation may provide clues 
for making different
materials.  The studies may help determine the nucleation 
behavior of zirconium,
a strong, ductile refractory metal used chiefly in nuclear 
reactors and chemical
processing equipment.



Alloy Undercooling Experiments
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator: Dr. Merton Flemings, Massachusetts 
Institute of
Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass.
Co-Investigator: Dr. Douglas Matson, MIT; Dr. Wolfgang Lser, 
Institut fr
Festkoerper und Westoffordchug, Dresden, Germany.

      To measure the solidification velocity in steel alloys, 
using a combination of video and sophisticated temperature 
measurement techniques.   Atoms in molten liquid alloy line up 
in a specified order as the alloy cools and becomes a solid 
crystal.  Scientists hope to learn more about the order in 
which atoms attach to each other as they grow into a crystal 
structure.Investigators also want to study the speed at which 
the crystallization process occurs.The stainless steels 
employed in this experiment are the same sort of alloys we
are familiar with in everyday life, such as the stainless steel 
used in pots and
pans.  However, a unique mode of solidification is being 
studied in this
experiment -- one which will alter the internal structure and 
properties of
the material.  This experiment is designed to yield information 
on the transition
phases and the speed at which solidification spreads as the 
temperature at the
start of solidification is changed.  The experiment has direct 
application to
the design of steel strip casting facilities on Earth and will 
help scientists
understand how welding processes may be conducted in space.  
This may help
industry make better metals. For example, in the casting of 
high-performance
metal components like jet engine turbine blades, each blade is 
the result of a
crystal grown from a single nucleation site.  Improving this 
process may make it
possible to construct turbine blades that would have a greater 
operating
efficiency through being capable to withstand higher 
temperatures.  In another
example, in welding stainless steels (where rapid 
solidification is encountered), unexpected and unexplained 
structures sometimes occur.  The fundamental understanding 
gained in these experiments should help researchers to 
understand this behavior and to improve the welding process.

Measurement of Surface Tension and Viscosity of Undercooled 
Liquid Metals
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigators: Dr. Julian Szekely (deceased); Dr. 
Merton Flemings,
MIT; Dr. Gerardo Trapaga, MIT.
Co-Investigator: Dr. Robert Hyers, MIT.

       This experiment is designed to demonstrate a 
containerless technique to measure both the viscosity -- or the 
resistance a gas or liquid has to
flowing over a solid surface of other layers of fluid -- and 
the surface tension
of reactive and undercooled liquid metals.  The metals include 
zirconium, gold
and metallic glass-forming alloys.  The experiment will allow 
for viscosity
measurements that are impossible to achieve in Earth-based 
experiments because
of gravity.  In the microgravity environment of space, force 
and fluid flow
velocity is greatly reduced, allowing measurements to be taken.  
To measure
the viscosity of a liquid, the internal flow velocity must be 
kept below a certain
value to prevent a transition to turbulence. In ground-based 
electromagnetic
levitation, the same forces that levitate the sample against 
gravity cause
intensely turbulent internal fluid flows, making the 
measurement of viscosity
impossible. In microgravity, however, the force and fluid flow 
velocity is
greatly reduced. With care, it is possible to reduce the 
internal fluid flows.

Experiment:  AC Calorimetry and Thermophysical Properties of 
Bulk Glass-Forming Metallic Liquids
Experiment Facility: TEMPUS
Principal Investigator:  Dr. W.L. Johnson, California Institute 
of Technology
(Caltech), Pasadena, Calif.
Co-Investigator: Dr. David Lee, Caltech.

       The experiment will measure the thermophysical 
properties of glass-forming metallic alloys.  Those properties 
include specific heat capacity,
thermal conductivity, nucleation rates, surface tension, 
viscosity and thermal
expansion.  The experiment uses a new experimental method 
termed "non-contact
modulation calorimetry" to measure the heat capacity and 
thermal conductivity of liquid metallic alloys cooled below the 
point at which they would normally
solidify.  The undercooled liquid range is accessible because 
molten metal
alloys remain at liquid temperatures below their freezing point 
when they are
suspended in a containerless manner such as provided by TEMPUS.  
Results of
this investigation may lead to improving methods of processing 
metallic glasses.
An understanding of the undercooling and formation of metallic 
glasses is vital to
the design and processing of such materials.  Some present 
applications for
metallic glasses include high-powered laser choke switches, 
transformer cores,
brazing alloys, hard-facing for coal-crusher teeth and oil 
field drill bits, and
fly-ash resistant coatings in boilers. In the future, bulk 
metallic glasses
will be made into increasingly complex shapes and their 
properties further tailored to applications as wide-ranging as 
the computer industry, processing plants and recreational 
sports.


MIDDECK GLOVEBOX

     The Middeck Glovebox offers scientists the capability to 
conduct experiments, test science procedures, and develop new 
technologies in microgravity.  The facility enables crew 
members to handle, transfer, and manipulate experiment hardware 
and materials that are not approved for use in the open 
Spacelab. In addition, the facility is equipped with 
photographic equipment and video and data recording capability, 
allowing a complete record of experiment operations.

Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures
D. Peter Voorhees, North Western University, Chicago, IL

       The experiment will examine the process of coarsening in 
metals and use results developed during the mission to compare 
with current theoretical models.  Coarsening may occur during 
the high-temperature operation of mechanical devices and may 
result in degradation of the strength of the materials.  During 
coarsening, small particles shrink by loosing atoms to larger 
particles, causing the larger particles to grow and resulting 
in lack of uniform particle distribution .  Materials 
containing larger particles are weaker than materials 
containing many small ones.  Although the driving force for 
coarsening is well characterized, the speed and mechanisms by 
which it occurs are not.

      To develop materials with particular lifetimes and 
predictable characteristics it is necessary to understand the 
mechanisms and rates of the coarsening process.  This 
experiment may help researchers develop improved manufacturing 
processes and stronger metal alloys.

Experiment:  Bubble and Drop Nonlinear Dynamics
Dr. L.G. Leal, University of California at Santa Barbara, 
California

       Researchers hope to improve the understanding of how the 
shape and behavior of bubbles change in response to ultrasonic 
radiation pressure.It may be possible to develop techniques 
that eliminate or counteract the complications of that bubbles 
cause during materials processing.  Many industrial 
applications, including the solidification of certain alloys, 
involve processes where large numbers of bubbles and drops are 
used.  Scientists will assess their ability to control bubble 
location, manipulate double bubbles and maximize bubble shape.  
Shape deformation will be studied using ultrasonic pressure.
 
Experiment:  A Study of Fundamental Operation of a Capillary-
driven Heat Transfer (CHT) Device in Microgravity
Dr. Kevin P. Hallinan, University of Dayton, Ohio

     Researchers hope to gain an improved understanding of the 
mechanisms leading to the unstable operation and failure of 
specialized heat transfer devices in space operations.  
Capillary-pumped loop devices transfer heat from one location 
to another, specifically those that move heat away from a 
particular location, such as in spacecraft where they transfer 
heat from electrical devices to radiators.  The transfer of 
heat is accomplished by evaporating from one liquid surface at 
the hot side and condensing the vapor produced at the other 
side of the loop where heat is discharged into the surrounding 
area.  This experiment investigates the fundamental fluid 
physics phenomena thought to be responsible for the failure of 
capillary-pumped loop devices in low-gravity operations.

Experiment:  Internal Flows in a Free Drop
Dr. S.S. Sadhal, University of Southern California in Los 
Angeles, California

       Researchers will investigate the capability of current 
non-contact and remote manipulation techniques for controlling 
the position and motion of liquids in low-gravity.  Free single 
liquid drops will be deployed and positioned actively using 
ultrasonic pressure.  Tracer particles will within the drops 
will be recorded by video cameras.  Acoustic positioning is an 
important technique used in containerless processing of 
materials and in non-contact measurements of viscosity and 
surface tension.  This experiment is important to many 
processes in chemical manufacturing industries, including such 
industries as petroleum technology, cosmetics and food 
sciences.



                      CRYOGENIC  FLEXIBLE DIODE (CRYOFD)

     The Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) heat pipe experiment 
is a Hitchhiker payload flying on Space Shuttle Columbia during 
the STS-83 mission.  Flight testing of heat pipes in space is 
being conducted to gain advances in passive thermal control 
technology.  Engineers hope to transfer any technology achieved 
in space to commercial applications on Earth.

     Spacecraft electronics are packed tightly together and 
generate heat, which can limit their performance.  Heat pipes 
can remove heat from the electronics and redirect it to other 
areas that need heating or to radiators that vent that heat 
outside the spacecraft.  Heat pipes are primarily used in  
spacecraft and play an ever-increasing role in spacecraft 
telecommunications.

     CRYOFD is a flight experiment jointly developed and 
sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in 
Greenbelt,Md. and the U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory in 
Albuquerque.  The CRYOFD experiment is on the cutting edge of 
thermal control technology. The payload consists of two heat 
pipe experiments: the Cryogenic Flexible Diode Heat Pipe 
(CFDHP) and the American Loop Heat Pipe with Ammonia (ALPHA).  
Cryogenic heat pipes are used to cool instruments and improve 
their performance.

     There are two CFDHP units: one uses oxygen as the working 
fluid to operate at temperatures as low as 60 Kelvin; the other 
uses methane to operate at temperatures as low as 100 Kelvin.  
These heat pipes incorporate unique flexible wick designs and 
flexible bellows to permit easier integration into a spacecraft 
or with an instrument. Since they are flexible, heat pipes also 
permit pointing of the instrument. 


    The ALPHA experiment represents the first flight 
demonstration of the American Loop Heat Pipe. ALPHA will 
operate near room temperature (20 C) and can transport heat 
loads of up to 500 watts over distances of 1 - 2 meters with a 
very small temperature drop (e.g., less than 10 C).  
Deployable radiators for high power telecommunications 
spacecraft are a potential application of this technology.

     The Hitchhiker Project is managed by the Shuttle Small 
Payloads Project in the Engineering Directorate at Goddard.  
Hitchhiker's modular hardware also allows for flexibility in 
locating and manifesting experiments of different sizes and 
needs to optimize use of the Shuttle Cargo Bay. Hitchhiker 
avionics provide power and control data flow between the CRYOFD 
payload and the Shuttle.  The avionics unit also carries the 
equipment for transmitting the data real-time to Goddard.  
Experimenters can command their payload and downlink data in 
realtime from the Payload Operations Control Center located at 
Goddard.

     More information on the CRYOFD mission can be found on the 
world wide web at: http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cryofd.htm. The 
mission manager for the flight of CRYOFD is Susan Olden of 
Goddard Center and the principal investigator is Marko Stoyanof 
from USAF Phillips Laboratory in Albuquerque.



                     SHUTTLE AMATEUR RADIO EXPERIMENT


     STS-83 will include Amateur (or "ham") radio, where radio 
operators and students will attempt to make radio contacts with 
the orbiting Shuttle as part of a project called Shuttle 
Amateur Radio EXperiment, or SAREX.  Amateur Radio has been 
flying aboard the Shuttles since 1983.

     Ham radio operators from around the world will point their 
antennas at the Space Shuttle Columbia, hoping to find the 
astronauts on-the-air.  Some of these amateurs have volunteered 
to assist student groups who have prepared questions to ask the 
astronauts during specially scheduled contact times.  To make 
their radio contacts, the astronauts will use a radio aboard 
the Shuttle on frequencies used by ham radio operators.

     To operate Amateur Radio from the Space Shuttle, one or 
more of the astronauts must have an Amateur Radio license.  The 
STS-83 crew members who are licensed Amateur Radio operators 
include Commander James D. Halsell, Payload Commander Janice E. 
Voss, and Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas.

     During SAREX missions, the astronauts will typically make 
the following types of Amateur Radio contacts:
     * Scheduled radio contacts with schools.
     * Random radio contacts with the Amateur Radio community.
     * Personal contacts with the astronauts' families.

     SAREX SPONSORS: The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment 
(SAREX) is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), 
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  SAREX is 
supported by the Federal Communications Commission.

     SHUTTLE TRACKING:  Current Keplerian elements to track the 
Shuttle are available from the following sources:

     * NASA Spacelink computer information system
          BBS: (205) 895-0028 [VT-100, 8-N-1]
          Telnet, FTP, and Gopher: spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
          World Wide Web: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov
          Internet TCP/IP address: 192.149.89.61

     * NASA SAREX WWW Home Page: 
http://www.nasa.gov/sarex/sarex_mainpage.html
     * ARRL
          W1AW news bulletins (frequencies and times listed 
under "FOR FURTHER
          INFORMATION")
          BBS: (860) 594-0306
          ARRL World Wide Web: http://www.arrl.org/sarex/
     * AMSAT
          World Wide Web: http://www.amsat.org
     * Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club
        World Wide Web: 
http://www.phoenix.net/~mbordel/jscarc/index.html
          BBS: (713) 244-5625
     * Goddard Amateur Radio Club
          BBS: (301) 286-4137
          World Wide Web: http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-
home-page.html
          Packet: WA3NAN on 145.090 MHz in DC area

CONFIGURATION: During STS-83, the SAREX hardware will be flown 
in configuration C.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Contact the American Radio Relay League
Educational Activities Department
225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111-1494 USA
Telephone (860) 594-0301, FAX (860) 594-0259, ARRL BBS (860) 
594-0306
Internet sarex@arrl.org
World Wide Web http://www.arrl.org/
CompuServe 70007,3373
America Online HQARRL1

ARRL's (Newington, CT) Amateur Radio station (call sign W1AW) 
transmits news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at 
1.855, 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 megahertz (MHz).

Members of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (Greenbelt, MD) re-
transmit live, Shuttle air-to-ground audio over the amateur 
frequencies from their club station, WA3NAN. To listen-in, tune 
to Amateur Radio high frequency (HF) bands at 3.86, 7.185, 
14.295, 21.395, and 28.65 megahertz (MHz) and in the 
Maryland/DC area, on a very high frequency (VHF) band at 147.45 
MHz.



                               STS-83 CREW BIOGRAPHIES

James Donald Halsell, Jr:   STS-83 Mission Commander:  
 (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF)

BIRTH DATE/PLACE: 
     Born September 29, 1956, in Monroe, Louisiana. Considers 
West Monroe, Louisiana, his home.

EDUCATION: 
     Graduated from West Monroe High School, West Monroe, 
Louisiana, in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in 
engineering from the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy in 
1978, a master of science degree in management from Troy 
University in 1983, and a master of science degree in space 
operations from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1985. 

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: 
     Enjoys snow skiing, water skiing, light aircraft flying, 
running and exercising.

ORGANIZATIONS: 
     Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP).

SPECIAL HONORS: 
     Graduated first in test pilot school class and awarded the 
Liethen/Tittle Trophy for the Best Overall Record for Flying 
and Academic Performance (1986). Recipient of the USAF Flying 
Safety Award (1980), and the USAF Pilot Training Academic Award 
(1979).

EXPERIENCE: 
     Halsell graduated from the USAF Academy in 1978, and from 
Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, 
Mississippi, in 1979. Assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Las 
Vegas, Nevada, from 1980-1981, he served as an F-4D aircraft 
commander, qualified in conventional and nuclear weapons 
deliveries. From 1981-1984, he was stationed at Moody Air Force 
Base, Valdosta, Georgia, where he served as an F-4E flight lead 
and instructor pilot. In 1984-1985, he was a graduate student 
at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air 
Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. His thesis, sponsored by JSC Crew 
Systems Division, prototyped a space rescue transfer vehicle 
using off-the-shelf equipment. He then attended the Air Force 
Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and 
during the next four years he performed test flights in the F-
4, the F-16, and the SR-71 aircraft. 



     Selected by NASA in January 1990, Halsell became an 
astronaut in July 1991. Assigned to the Astronaut Office 
Mission Support Branch, Halsell initially served as a 
spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center 
(MCC). Subsequently, he was assigned to the Astronaut Support 
Personnel team which helps to prepare the Space Shuttle 
vehicles for flights at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

     Halsell was the pilot on STS-65. The seven-member crew 
aboard Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space 
Center in Florida on July 8, 1994, and returned there on July 
23, 1994, setting a new flight duration record for the Space 
Shuttle program. The STS-65 mission flew the second 
International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). During the 15-
day flight the crew conducted more than 80 experiments focusing 
on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. The 
mission was accomplished in 236 orbits of the Earth, traveling 
6.1 million miles. 

     Most recently, Halsell served as pilot on STS-74, NASA's 
second Space Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the 
Russian Space Station Mir. During the 8 day flight the crew 
aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis successfully attached a permanent 
docking module to Mir and transferred over 2,000 pounds of 
food, water and scientific supplies for use by the cosmonauts. 
The STS-74 mission was accomplished in 129 orbits of the Earth, 
traveling 3.4 million miles in 196 hours, 30 minutes, 44 
seconds.


Susan Leigh Still:  STS-83 Pilot
(Lieutenant Commander, USN) 

BIRTHDATE/PLACE: 
     Born October, 24, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia. Her parents, 
Joe and Sue Still, reside in Martinez, Georgia. Her mother, 
Jean Ann Batho Still, is deceased. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 
     Blonde hair; brown eyes; 5 feet 6 inches; 120 pounds. 

EDUCATION: 
     Graduated from Walnut Hill High School, Natick, 
Massachusetts, in 1979. Bachelor of science degree in 
aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle University, 1982. 
Master of science degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia 
Institute of Technology, 1985. 

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: 
     Enjoys triathlons, martial arts, and playing the piano. 

ORGANIZATIONS: 
     Association of Naval Aviation. 

SPECIAL HONORS: 
     Distinguished Naval Graduate of Aviation Officer Candidate 
School; Distinguished Graduate of the United States Naval Test 
Pilot School, Class 103; Awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, 
Navy Achievement Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. 

EXPERIENCE: 
     After graduating from undergraduate school, Susan worked 
as a Wind Tunnel Project Officer for Lockheed Corporation in 
Marietta, Georgia and earned her graduate degree.
     She was commissioned in 1985 and designated a naval 
aviator in 1987. Still was selected to be a flight instructor 
in the TA-4J Skyhawk. She later flew EA-6A Electric Intruders 
for Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 in Key West, 
Florida. After completing Test Pilot School, she reported to 
Fighter Squadron 101 in Virginia Beach, Virginia for F-14 
Tomcat training. She has logged over 2,000 flight hours in more 
than 30 different aircraft. 

NASA EXPERIENCE: 
     Selected by NASA in December 1994, Susan reported to the 
Johnson Space Center in March 1995, has completed a year of 
training and evaluation, and is currently qualified for 
assignment as a shuttle pilot. She is presently working 
technical issues for the Vehicle Systems and Operations Branch 
of the Astronaut Office while awaiting her first flight 
assignment.

Janice Voss:  STS-83 Payload Commander / Mission Specialist-1 
(Ph.D.) 

BIRTH DATE/PLACE: 
     Born October 8, 1956, in South Bend, Indiana, but 
considers Rockford, Illinois, to be her hometown. Her parents, 
Dr. & Mrs. James R. Voss, reside in Dupont, Indiana.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 
     Light brown hair; brown eyes; 5 feet 6 inches; 130 pounds.

EDUCATION: 
     Graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School, Wilbraham, 
Massachusetts, in 1972; received a bachelor of science degree 
in engineering science from Purdue University in 1975, a master 
of science degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in 
aeronautics/astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology in 1977 and 1987, respectively. From 1973 to 1975 
she took correspondence courses at the University of Oklahoma. 
She also did some graduate work in space physics at Rice 
University in 1977 and 1978.

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: 
     Reading science fiction, dancing, volleyball, flying.

ORGANIZATIONS: 
     Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and 
Astronautics (AIAA).

SPECIAL HONORS: 
     NASA Space Flight Medals (1993, 1995); Zonta Amelia 
Earhart Fellowship (1982); Howard Hughes Fellowship (1981); 
National Science Foundation Fellowship (1976). 

EXPERIENCE: 
     Dr. Voss was a co-op at the NASA Johnson Space Center from 
1973 to 1975. During that time she did computer simulations in 
the Engineering and Development Directorate. In 1977 she 
returned to the Johnson Space Center and, for a year, worked as 
a crew trainer, teaching entry guidance and navigation. She 
completed her doctorate in 1987 and accepted a job with Orbital 
Sciences Corporation. Her responsibilities there included 
mission integration and flight operations support for an upper 
stage called the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). TOS launched the 
Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) from the 
Space Shuttle in September 1993, and the Mars Observer from a 
Titan in the Fall of 1992.


     Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Voss became an 
astronaut in July 1991. She is qualified for assignment as a 
mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. Her 
technical assignments have included working Spacelab/Spacehab 
issues for the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, and 
robotics issues for the EVA/Robotics Branch. Dr. Voss first 
flew on STS-57 (June 21 to July 1, 1993). Mission highlights 
included retrieval of the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) 
with the Shuttle's robotic arm, a spacewalk by two crew 
members, and an assortment of experiments in the first flight 
of the Spacehab middeck augmentation module. More recently, she 
flew on STS-63 (February 3-11, 1995).
Mission highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian 
Space Station, Mir, the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 
204, and the third flight of Spacehab. In completing her second 
flight, Dr. Voss has logged over 438 hours in space. 


Michael L. Gernhardt:  STS-83 Mission Specialist-2
(Ph.D.) 

BIRTH DATE/PLACE: 
     Born May 4, 1956, in Mansfield, Ohio. His father, George 
M. Gernhardt, resides in Marco Island, Florida. His mother, 
Suzanne C. Winters, resides in Whitestone, Virginia.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 
     Blond hair; blue eyes; 6 feet 2 inches; 175 pounds.

EDUCATION: 
     Graduated from Malabar High School, Mansfield, Ohio, in 
1974; received a bachelor of science degree in physics from 
Vanderbilt University in 1978; master of science degree and a 
doctorate in bioengineering from University of Pennsylvania, in 
1983 and 1991, respectively. 

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: 
     Enjoys running, swimming, triathlons, flying, fishing, 
snow skiing, tennis, and scuba diving.

ORGANIZATIONS: 
     Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
(AIAA), and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. 

EXPERIENCE: 
     From 1977 to 1984, Gernhardt worked as a professional deep 
sea diver and project engineer on a variety of subsea oil field 
construction and repair projects around the world.  He has 
logged over 700 deep sea dives and has experience in air, mixed 
gas, bounce bell and saturation diving. During his diving 
career Gernhardt attended graduate school at the University of 
Pennsylvania and developed a new theoretical decompression 
model based on tissue gas bubble dynamics. He then participated 
in the development and field implementation of a variety of new 
decompression tables. From 1984 to 1988, Gernhardt worked as 
Manager and then Vice President of Special Projects for 
Oceaneering International. During this time he led the 
development of a telerobotic system for subsea platform 
cleaning and inspection as well as a variety of new diver and 
robot tools. In 1988 he founded Oceaneering Space Systems, a 
wholly owned subsidiary of Oceaneering International. From 1988 
until his selection by NASA in 1992, he worked on the 
development of new astronaut and robot-compatible tools for 
performing maintenance on Space Station Freedom. He also worked 
on the development of new portable life support systems and 
decompression procedures for extravehicular activity.


NASA EXPERIENCE: 
     Dr. Gernhardt was selected by NASA in March 1992, and 
reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. His 
technical assignments include having served in the Astronaut 
Office Mission Support Branch, detailed to flight software 
verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory 
(SAIL). He also worked on the development of nitrox diving to 
support training for the Hubble Space Telescope repair and on a 
variety of Space  Station EVA developments. 
     Most recently, Dr. Gernhardt was a mission specialist on 
STS-69 which launched on September 7, 1995. The primary 
objective was the successful deployment and retrieval of a 
SPARTAN satellite and the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). The WSF 
is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of using this free-
flying experiment to grow semiconductors, high temperature 
superconductors and other materials using the ultra-high vacuum 
created behind the spacecraft near the experiment package. Dr. 
Gernhardt was one of two astronauts to perform a spacewalk to 
evaluate future Space Station tools and hardware.
     Following 171 orbits of the Earth, Endeavour landed at the 
Kennedy Space Center on September 18, 1995. In completing his 
first space flight, Mike logged a total of 260 hours, 29 
minutes, and 8 seconds in space, including 6 hours and 46 
minutes of EVA.


Donald A. Thomas:  STS-83 Mission Specialist-3
(Ph.D.) 

BIRTH DATE/PLACE: 
     Born May 6, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother, Mrs. 
Irene M. Thomas, resides in Bloomington, Indiana.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 
     Brown hair; brown eyes; 5 feet 10 inches; 160 pounds 

EDUCATION: 
     Graduated from Cleveland Heights High School, Cleveland 
Heights, Ohio, in 1973; received a bachelor of science degree 
in Physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1977, and a 
master of science degree and a doctorate in Materials Science 
from Cornell University in 1980 and 1982, respectively. His 
dissertation involved evaluating the effect of crystalline 
defects and sample purity on the superconducting properties of 
niobium.

MARITAL STATUS: 
     Married to the former Simone Lehmann of Gppingen, 
Germany. Her parents, Margrit and Gerhard Lehmann, reside in 
Gppingen, Germany.

CHILDREN: 
     Son, Kai, February 16, 1995. 

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: 
     Swimming, biking, camping, flying.

ORGANIZATIONS: 
     Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
(AIAA), and Tau Beta Pi.

SPECIAL HONORS: 
     Graduated with Honors from Case Western Reserve University 
in 1977. Recipient of NASA Sustained Superior Performance 
Award, 1989. Recipient of NASA Group Achievement Awards in 
1990, 1992, and 1994 for his work on the Microgravity 
Disturbances Experiment, the Shuttle System Safety Review 
Panel, and development of the Microgravity Measurement Device.

EXPERIENCE: 
     Following graduation from Cornell University in 1982, Dr. 
Thomas joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, 
working as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff.


     His responsibilities there included the development of 
advanced materials and processes for high density 
interconnections of semiconductor devices. He was also an 
adjunct professor in the Physics Department at Trenton State 
College in New Jersey. He holds two patents and has authored 
several technical papers. He left AT&T in 1987 to work for 
Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company in Houston, Texas, 
where his responsibilities involved reviewing materials used in 
Space Shuttle payloads. In 1988 he joined NASA's Lyndon B. 
Johnson Space Center as a Materials Engineer. His work involved 
lifetime projections of advanced composite materials for use on 
Space Station Freedom. He was also a Principal Investigator for 
the Microgravity Disturbances Experiment, a middeck crystal 
growth experiment which flew on STS-32 in January 1990. This 
experiment investigated the effects of Orbiter and crew-induced 
disturbances on the growth of crystals in space. 
     He is a private pilot with over 250 hours in single engine 
land aircraft and gliders, and over 500 hours flying as mission 
specialist in NASA T-38 jet aircraft.
     Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Thomas became an 
astronaut in July 1991. He has worked in the Safety and 
Operations Development Branches of the Astronaut Office working 
on issues relating to Shuttle Orbiter systems, and was also a 
spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) for Shuttle missions STS-47, 
52 and 53. A veteran of two space flights, he flew as a mission 
specialist on STS-65 in 1994, and STS-70 in 1995, and has 
logged 568 hours and 15 minutes in space. He is scheduled to 
fly aboard Columbia on STS-83 in the Spring of 1997.
     STS-65 flew the second International Microgravity 
Laboratory (IML-2) spacelab module.  The seven-member crew 
aboard Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space 
Center in Florida on July 8, 1994, and returned there on July 
23, 1994, setting a new flight duration record for the Space 
Shuttle program. During the 15-day flight the crew conducted 
more than 80 experiments focusing on materials and life 
sciences research in microgravity.
     The mission was accomplished in 236 orbits of the Earth, 
traveling 6.1 million miles.  Dr. Thomas next served on STS-70, 
and was responsible for the deployment of the sixth and final 
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite from the Space Shuttle. The 
five-member crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery launched from 
the Kennedy Space Center July 13, 1995, and returned there July 
22, 1995. During this 8 day 22 hour mission, the crew completed 
142 orbits of the Earth, traveling 3.7 million miles.

Roger K. Crouch:  STS-83  Payload Specialist-1

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:
     Considers Jamestown, TN, where he was born September 12, 
1940, as his hometown.  Currently resides in Laurel, MD. His 
mother, Mrs. Maxine S. Crouch, lives in Jamestown.  His father, 
Willard Crouch is deceased.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
     Brown hair; hazel eyes; 6 feet; 195 pounds.

EDUCATION:
     Earned a bachelor of science in physics from Tennessee 
Polytechnic Institute in 1962, a master of science and a doctor 
of philosophy in physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 
1968 and 1971, respectively. He was a visiting scientist at 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1979-80.

EXPERIENCE:
     As the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and 
Applications Division since 1985 he has served as the manager 
for a research program that supports materials science, fluid 
physics, low temperature microgravity physics, combustion 
science, and biotechnology.  He had responsibility for assuring 
that experiments in the flight program achieved the highest 
levels of scientific results possible. He served as Program 
Scientist on Spacelab J, the second International Microgravity 
Laboratory Program (IML-2), the first United States 
Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) and a Program Scientist 
(Materials Sciences) IML-1.
     In addition, he helped organize and has served as co-
chairman for Microgravity Science Working Groups between NASA 
and the European Space Agency, France, Germany, Japan and 
Russia. He was the co-chair of the International Microgravity 
Science Strategic Planning Group. He was the co-chair for the 
IML Science Working Group from 1985-1989. He has served on 
several governmental interagency panels on Materials Science, 
most recently as a team member assessing the potential for 
collaborative efforts between the U.S. and China. He was a co-
principal investigator on an experiment that flew in the 
Materials Experiment Apparatus on the D-1 mission. Prior to 
working in NASA Headquarters, he had been at the Langley 
Research Center since 1962. His last position there was group 
leader of a research group investigating the effects of 
convection on semiconductor properties. He was a principal 
investigator in the MSAD flight program from 1977-1985. He has 
done research in various types of semiconductor crystal growth, 
electrical and optical properties of materials, electronic 
devices for remote sensing and flat panel displays and heat 
shield protection for reentry space vehicles. He trained as the 
Alternate Payload Specialist on STS-42 (First International 
Microgravity Laboratory).


PUBLICATIONS:
     Published over 40 technical papers and more than 40 
technical presentations in various areas of research, 
concentrating since 1978 on semiconductor crystal growth and 
the influence of gravitational forces on materials properties.

SPECIAL HONORS:
     Floyd Thompson Fellowship 1979; Quality Increase 1972, 
1986, 1988; Exceptional Service Award 1989; Outstanding 
Performance Rating, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, Certificates of 
Recognition 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984 (2), 
1985, 1986, 1987 (3), Special Achievement Award, 1983, 
Sustained Superior Performance Award, 1989, Superior 
Accomplishment Award 1992, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal 
1995.

ORGANIZATIONS:
     Member of American Physcal Society, American Association 
for Crystal Growth, Sigma Pi Sigma, Kappa Mu Epsilon.

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:
     Hobbies include traveling, photography, basketball, 
softball, camping, hiking, fishing, and whitewater rafting.



Gregory T. Linteris:  STS-83 Payload Specialist-2
(Ph.D.) 

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE:
     Born October 4, 1957, in Demarest, New Jersey, where his 
parents, Lino Luigi Linteris and Helen Mary Linteris reside.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 
     Brown hair; brown eyes; 5 feet 7 inches; 135 pounds.

EDUCATION:
     Graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at 
Demarest, New Jersey in 1975; received a bachelor of science 
degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University in 
1979; obtained a master of science degree from the design 
division of the mechanical engineering department at Stanford 
University in 1984; and was awarded a doctorate in mechanical 
and aerospace engineering from Princeton University in 1990.

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:
     He enjoys running, skiing, board sailing, hiking, 
backpacking, and reading, and was a member of Princeton's 
wrestling team.

ORGANIZATIONS:
     Member of American Institute of Aeronautics and 
Astronautics, American Physical Society, Combustion Institute, 
Sigma Xi.

PUBLICATIONS:
     Dr. Linteris has over 40 publications in the areas of 
combustion, chemical kinetics, spectroscopy, and heat transfer.

SPECIAL HONORS:
     Graduated with honors from Princeton University (1979). 
Awarded a Mechanical Engineering Department Fellowship from 
Stanford University (1983), and received Fourth Place in the 
James F. Lincoln National Design Competition (1984). At 
Princeton, he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship 
(1985), a Grumman Prize for excellence in Research (1988), and 
the Luigi Crocco Award (1988) for outstanding performance as an 
Assistant in Instruction.

EXPERIENCE:
     At Princeton from 1985 to 1990, Dr. Linteris studied the 
high temperature chemical kinetics of combustion reactions in a 
turbulent chemical kinetic flow reactor using laser induced 
fluorescence and laser absorption. As a research staff member 
at the University of California, San Diego, from 1990 to 1992, 
he studied droplet dynamics and performed numerical and 
analytical modeling of the chemistry important in the gas-phase 
reaction region of solid rocket propellants. Since 1992 he has 
been at the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
where he has been developing a research program on advanced 
fire suppressants and studying the inhibition mechanisms of 
chemical inhibitors. He is Principle Investigator on a NASA 
microgravity combustion experiment: "Chemical Inhibitor  
Effects on Diffusion Flames in Microgravity."


                     National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration


SPACE SHUTTLE
MISSION
STS-83                                                PRESS KIT
                                                      April 
1997





















                       MICROGRAVITY SCIENCE LABORATORY-1 (MSL-
1)




NASA PAO CONTACTS

Debra Rahn                       Space Shuttle Mission        
202/358-1639
  Headquarters                   Policy/Mgmt
  Washington, D.C.

Mike Braukus                     Life & Microgravity          
202/358-1979
  Headquarters                   Sciences Policy/Mgmt
  Washington, D.C.

Kyle Herring / Ed Campion        Mission Operations/          
281/483-5111
  Johnson Space Center           Astronauts
  Houston, TX 

Steve Roy                        MSL Experiments              
205/544-0034
  Marshall Space Flight Center
  Huntsville, AL

Lisa Malone / Dave Dickinson     Launch Processing    /       
407/867-2468
  Kennedy Space Center, FL       KSC Landing Info.

Cam Martin                       DFRC Landing Info            
805/258-3448
  Dryden Flight Research Center
  Edwards, CA

June Malone                      External Tank / Shuttle
  Marshall Space Flight Center
  Huntsville, AL 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS                            iii
GENERAL PRESS RELEASE                          01
MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION                     03
STS-83 QUICK LOOK                              05
CREW RESPONSIBILITIES                          06
DEVELOPMENT TEST OBJECTIVES                    06
DETAILED SUPPLEMTARY OBJECTIVES                06
RISK MITEGATION EXPERIMENTS                    06
PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS                    07
MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE                       08
SHUTTLE ABORT MODES                            09
MICROGRAVITY SCIENCES LABORATORY-1 (MSL-1      10
     Overview                                  10
     	MSL-1 Science                            10
     	Experiment Facilities                    11
     	Conducting Science in Microgravity       11
	Protein Crystallography                  12
	Combustion Science                       12
	Materials Science                        13
	Mission Operations                       14
     Combustion Module-1                       15
	Laminar Soot Processes                   15
	Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number     16
     Droplet Combustion Apparatus                      16
	Droplet Combustion Experiment                    16
	Fiber-Supported Droplet Combustion               16
     Protein Crystal Growth                            17
	Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity    17
	Second-Generation Vapor Diffusion Apparatus           17
	Handheld Diffusion Test Cells                         18
     EXPRESS Rack                                           18
	Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment                    19
	Astro/Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus           19


 (MSL-1 experiments cont'd)

Large Isothermal Furnace                            20
      Measurement of Diffusion Coefficient by Shear Cell Method       
20
      Diffusion of Liquid Metals                21
      Diffusion in Liquid Lead-Tin-Telluride    21
      Impurity Diffusion in Ionic Metals        21
      Liquid Phase Sintering II                 22
      Diffusion Processes in Molten Semiconductors   22
     Measuring Microgravity                          22
      Space Acceleration Measurement System          22
      Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement          23
      Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment       24
      Microgravity Measurement Assembly              25
     TEMPUS                                          25
      Thermophysical Properties of Undercooled Metallic Melts      
26
      Thermophysical Properties of Advanced Materials in the
       Undercooled  Liquid State                     27
      Measurement of the Surface Tension of Liquid and 
Undercooled
         Metallic Melts by Oscillating Drop Technique     27
      Study if the Morphological Stability of Growing Dendrites 
by
         Comparative Dendrite Velocity Measurements on Pure Ni
         and a Dilute Ni-C Alloy in Earth and Space Laboratory       
28
      Undercooled Melts of Alloys with Polytetrahedral  Short-
          Range Order                              28
      Thermal Expansion of Glass Forming Metallic Alloys in the
           Undercooled State                       29
      Experiments on Nucleation in Different Flow Regimes       
29
      Alloy Undercooling Experiments              30
      Measurement of Surface Tension and Viscosity of 
Undercooled
             Liquid Metals                        30
      AC Calorimetry and Thermophysical Properties of Bulk
          Glass-Forming Metallic Liquids           31
Middeck Glovebox                             31
Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures          32
Bubble and Drop Nonlinear Dynamics           32
A Study of Fundamental Operation of a Capillary-driven 
Heat 
     Transfer (CHT) Device in Microgravity     32
Internal Flows in a Free Drop                  33

CRYOGENIC  FLEXIBLE DIODE (CRYOFD))                  33
SHUTTLE AMAETUR RADIO EXPEIMENT-II (SAREX-II)        34
STS-83 CREW BIOGRAPHIES                              37



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