NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-77
PRESS KIT
MAY 1996

Spartan 207, SPACEHAB-4

For Information on the Space Shuttle

For Information on the Space Shuttle

Ed Campion    Policy/Management        202/358-1778
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

Rob Navias   Mission Operations, Astronauts      713/483-5111
  Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

Bruce Buckingham  Launch Processing, KSC Landing 407/867-2468
  Kennedy Space Center, FL     

June Malone  External Tank/Shuttle Propulsion   205/544-0034
  Marshall Space Flight Center,Huntsville, AL

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

For Information on STS-77 Experiments & Activities

James Cast      SPACEHAB                         202/358-1779
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

Mike Braukus               Mir Science          202/358-1979
  Headquarters, Washington, DC

Fred Brown     Spartan-207/TEAMS               301/286-7277
  Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

Tammy Jones   TRIS                              301/286-5566
  Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

CONTENTS

1.0 General Release
2.0 Media Services Information
  2.1 NASA Television Transmission
  2.2 Status Reports
  2.3 Briefings
  2.4 Internet Information
  2.5 Access by CompuServe
3.0 Quick-Look Facts
4.0 Shuttle Abort Modes
5.0 Mission Summary Timeline
6.0 STS-77 Orbital Events Summary
7.0 Payload and Vehicle Weights
8.0 Crew Responsibilities.
     
STS-77 PAYLOADS & ACTIVITIES

9.0 DTOs/DSOs
10.0 Spartan-207
11.0 PAMS/STU Deploy and Rendezvous Operations
12.0 Spacehab-04
13.0 TEAMS-01
14.0 Secondary Payloads
  14.1 Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler 
Experiment (BETSCE)
  14.2 Aquatic Research Facility (ARF)-1
  14.3 Biological Research in a Canister (BRIC)-07
15.0 Get Away Special (GAS)
16.0 STS-77 Crew Biographies

1.0 General Release

RELEASE:  96-83

SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS 
HIGHLIGHT SHUTTLE MISSION STS-77

     NASAs fourth Shuttle mission of 1996 is devoted to the 
continuing effort to help open the commercial space frontier. 

     During the flight, designated STS-77, Endeavour and a 
six-person crew will perform microgravity research aboard the 
commercially owned and operated SPACEHAB Module.  Endevour's 
crew also will deploy and retrieve a research satellite and 
perform rendezvous operations with a test satellite.

     Launch of Endeavour is currently targeted for May 16, 
1996 at approximately 6:32 a.m. EDT from Kennedy Space 
Center's Launch Complex 39-B.  The STS-77 mission is forecast 
to last 10 days, 0 hours, 37 minutes.  The actual STS-77 
flight duration will be determined by power consumption and 
the amount of cryogenic fuel available to support Endeavour's 
electrical power system depending on how close to the target 
launch date Endeavour actually begins its mission.  Mission 
Control in Houston will closely monitor power consumption 
along with cryo reserves.  Shuttle managers will have the 
option of shortening the mission one day if necessary.  An 
on-time launch and full 10-day mission duration will result 
in a landing on May 26 at 7:09 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space 
Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, FL.

     The STS-77 crew is commanded by John Casper, making his 
fourth Shuttle flight.  The pilot for the mission, Curt 
Brown, is making his third flight.  There are four mission 
specialists assigned to the flight.  Andrew Thomas, serving 
as Mission Specialist-1, is making his first flight.  Mission 
Specialist-2 is Dan Bursch is making his third flight.  Mario 
Runco, serving as Mission Specialist-3, also is making his 
third flight.  Mission Specialist-4 is Canadian astronaut 
Marc Garneau, who is flying in space for the second time.

     Over 90 percent of the payloads aboard Endeavour are 
being sponsored by NASAs Office of Space Access and 
Technology, Washington, DC, through its Commercial Space 
Centers and their industrial affiliates.  Primary payloads 
include experiments flying aboard the pressurized, 
commercially-developed SPACEHAB Module, the Inflatable 
Antenna Experiment to be deployed aboard the free-flying 
Spartan-207 carrier spacecraft,  and a suite of four 
technology experiments known as TEAMS, in the Shuttles 
payload bay.

     Additionally, secondary experiments on the flight will 
include a Brilliant Eyes cryo-cooling experiment, a 
facility for examining the effect of microgravity on small 
aquatic creatures, and a small facility for examining the 
microgravity effects on simple living systems.

     In 1990 NASA contracted SPACEHAB, Inc. for the lease of 
their SPACEHAB Space Research Laboratories for a series of 
flights.  STS-77 marks the fourth flight of the SPACEHAB 
under this contract.

     The SPACEHAB single module will be carrying nearly 3,000 
pounds of experiments and support equipment for 12 commercial 
space product development payloads in the areas of 
biotechnology, electronic materials, polymers and agriculture 
as well as several experiments for other NASA payload 
organizations.  One of these, the Commercial Float Zone 
Facility (CFZF) has been developed through international 
collaboration between the U.S., Canada and Germany. It will 
heat various samples of electronic and semi-conductor 
material through the float zone technique.

     Another facility on SPACEHAB will be the Space 
Experiment Facility (SEF), which will grow crystals by vapor 
diffusion. This experiment is expected to yield large, 
defect-free crystals that are important for electronic 
applications and remote sensing.

          In addition to the SPACEHAB module, the Goddard 
Space Flight Center's deployable Spartan 207 is another one 
of the primary payloads on this flight and the most ambitious 
Spartan mission to date. It will deploy and test the 
Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE).  The IAE experiment is 
meant to lay the groundwork for future technology development 
in inflatable space structures and will be launched and 
inflated like a balloon on orbit.  The experiment will 
validate the deployment (inflation) and performance of a 
large inflatable antenna during a ninety-minute mission.  The 
antenna structure then will be jettisoned and the Spartan 
spacecraft recovered at mission end.

     Inside Endeavours cargo bay will be four experiments 
called Technology Experiments for Advancing Missions in Space 
(TEAMS):  The Global Positioning System (GPS) Attitude and 
Navigation Experiment (GANE) will determine to what accuracy 
the GPS system can supply attitude information to a space 
vehicle;  the Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) will 
test improved methods for in-space refueling; the Liquid 
Metal Thermal Experiment (LMTE), which will evaluate the 
performance of liquid metal heat pipes in microgravity 
conditions, and the Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized 
Magnetically Damped Satellite (PAMS) payload will be a 
technology demonstration of the principle of aerodynamic 
stabilization in the upper atmosphere of low-Earth orbit. 
Cameras on the Shuttle will record the PAMS satellite as it 
is deployed. Later during the mission the Shuttle will 
rendezvous with the satellite on two separate days and will 
point the PAMS measuring system, while cameras aboard the 
Shuttle record the satellite's movements.

     The Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler 
Experiment (BETSCE) carries an instrument that can quickly 
cool infrared and other sensors to near absolute zero using 
the evaporation of hydrogen.  BETSCE is a technology 
demonstration experiment to show that cryocoolers of this 
type, called "sorption coolers," can operate in the absence 
of gravity.  Sorption coolers have essentially no vibration, 
are very efficient at these cold temperatures, and can 
operate reliably for over 10 years.

     NASAs Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and 
Applications, Washington, DC, is responsible for two 
experiments. The two experiments are the Aquatic Research 
Facility (ARF), and the Biological Research In a Canister 
(BRIC).
               The ARF is a joint Canadian Space Agency/NASA 
project and will be making its first flight into space on 
Endeavour.  The ARF allows sophisticated investigations with 
a wide range of small aquatic species.  The facility will 
permit scientists to investigate the process of 
fertilization, embryo formation and development of calcified 
tissue and feeding behaviors of small aquatic organisms while 
in microgravity. 

           The BRIC payload has flown several times.  The 
focus on this flight will be on the tobacco hornworm during 
its metamorphosis period.  This study will examine the 
synthesis of protein necessary to form muscle.  Analysis will 
be made using the hemolymph (blood), flight muscle, 
intersegmental muscles and cuticle of the insect.  This study 
will clarify the mechanism(s) behind one endocrine system in 
insects which may aid in research on endocrine systems in 
general, including those of humans when subject to 
microgravity effects.

end of general release

2.0 Media Services Information

2.1 NASA Television Transmission

     NASA Television is available through the Spacenet-2 
satellite system.  Spacenet-2 is located on Transponder 5, at 
69 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.

     Television schedules also may be obtained by calling 
COMSTOR at 713/483-5817.  COMSTOR is a computer data base 
service requiring the use of a telephone modem.  A voice 
update of the television schedule is provided daily at noon 
Eastern time.

2.2 Status Reports

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

2.3 Briefings

     A mission press briefing schedule will be issued prior 
to 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.

2.4 Internet Information

     The NASA Headquarters Public Affairs Internet Home Page 
provides access to the STS-77 mission press kit and status 
reports.  The address for the Headquarters Public Affairs 
Home Page is: http://www.nasa.gov/hqpao/hqpao_home.html

     Informational materials, such as status reports and TV 
schedules, also are available from an anonymous FTP (File 
Transfer Protocol) server at ftp.hq.nasa.gov/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 from KSC are found under 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/ksc, and mission status 
reports can be found under 
ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc.  Daily TV schedules can 
be found under ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc/tvsked.

2.5 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.

3.0 STS-77 QUICK LOOK

Launch Date/Site:            May 16, 1996/KSC Launch Pad 39-B
Launch Time:                 6:32 AM EDT
Launch Window:               2 hours, 30 minutes
Orbiter:                     Endeavour (OV-105), 11th flight
Orbit Altitude/Inclination:  153 nautical miles, 39 degrees
Mission Duration:            10 days, 37 minutes
                                 (if power margins permit)
Landing Date:                May 26, 1996
Landing Time:                7:09 AM EDT
Primary Landing Site:        Kennedy Space Center, FL
Abort Landing Sites:   Return to Launch Site - KSC
  Transoceanic Abort Sites    Ben Guerir, Morocco
                              Moron, Spain
                              Zaragoza, Spain
   Abort-Once Around          Edwards Air Force Base, CA

Crew:  John Casper, Commander (CDR)
       Curt Brown, Pilot (PLT)
       Andrew Thomas, Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1)
       Dan Bursch, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2)
       Mario Runco, Mission Specialist 3 (MS 3)
       Marc Garneau, Mission Specialist 4 

EVA Crew (if required): Mario Runco (EV 1), Dan Bursch (EV 2)

Cargo Bay Payloads: SPACEHAB-04
                    BETSCE
                    Spartan-207/IAE
                    TEAMS-01
                    
In-Cabin Payloads:  ARF-1
                    BRIC-07

4.0 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-76 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 of the Shuttle Landing 
Facility.

5.0 MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE

Flight Day One:
Launch/Ascent
OMS-2 Burn
SPACEHAB Activation
RMS Checkout

Flight Day 2:
SPACEHAB Operations
Rendezvous Tool Checkout
Spartan Deploy
IAE Inflation and Jettison
Separation Maneuvers

Flight Day 3:
Spartan Rendezvous and Retrieval
SPACEHAB Operations

Flight Day 4:
SPACEHAB Operations
PAMS-STU Ejection and Initial Separation

Flight Day 5:
SPACEHAB Operations
TEAMS Operations
PAMS-STU Rendezvous Maneuvers

Flight Day 6:
TEAMS Operations
SPACEHAB Operations
Off Duty Time

Flight Day 7:
PAMS-STU Rendezvous and Stationkeeping
Separation Maneuver
SPACEHAB Operations

Flight Day 8:
PAMS-STU Rendezvous, Stationkeeping and Final Separation
SPACEHAB Operations

Flight Day 9:
TEAMS Operations
SPACEHAB Operations
Educational Activities
Crew News Conference

Flight Day 10:
TEAMS Operations
SPACEHAB Operations 
Flight Control System Checkout
Reaction Control System Hot-Fire
Cabin Stow

Flight Day 11:
SPACEHAB Deactivation
Deorbit Prep
Deorbit Burn
KSC Landing

6.0 STS-77 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY
(Based on a May 16, 1996 Launch)

EVENT                       MET               TIME OF DAY 
(EDT)

Launch                      0/00:00          6:32 AM, May 16

OMS-2                       0/00:43          7:15 AM, May 16

Spartan-207/IAE Release     1/01:02          7:34 AM, May 17

IAE Inflation               1/03:04          9:36 AM, May 17

IAE Jettison                1/04:34          11:06 AM, May 17

Spartan Grapple             2/04:05          10:37 AM, May 18

PAMS-STU Ejection           2/22:43          5:15 AM, May 19

Crew News Conference        8/01:10          7:42 AM, May 24

Deorbit Burn                9/23:37          6:09 AM, May 26

KSC Landing                10/00:37          7:09 AM, May 26

7.0 PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS

Vehicle/Payload                               Pounds

Orbiter (Endeavour) empty and 3 SSME's       152,696

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition             4,519,288

Orbiter Weight at Landing with Cargo         254,879

SPACEHAB Module                                8,948

Spartan-207                                    1,866

Inflatable Antenna Experiment                    992

PAMS-STU                                         115

BETSCE                                           887

Aquatic Research Facility                        117

BRIC                                              68

8.0 CREW RESPONSIBILITIES

Payloads                    Prime                    Backup

SPACEHAB                    Thomas       Garneau
Remote Manipulator System   Garneau      Runco, Thomas
Rendezvous                  Casper       Brown, Bursch
Spartan/IAE                 Thomas       Runco
TEAMS                       Runco        Thomas
PAMS-STU                    Runco        Bursch
EVA                         Runco (EV 1)   Bursch (EV 2)
Intravehicular Crewmember   Brown         --------
GBA                         Garneau      Brown
GANE                        Runco        Thomas
Secondaries                 Thomas       Garneau
DSO's                       Brown        Casper
Earth Observations          Runco        Thomas

9.0 Developmental Test Objectives/Detailed Supplementary 
Objectives

                    
DTO 301D: Ascent Structural Capability  Evaluation
DTO 305D: Ascent Compartment Venting Evaluation
DTO 306D: Descent Compartment Venting Evaluation
DTO 307D: Entry Structural Capability
DTO 312:  External Tank Thermal Protection System Performance
DTO 415:  Water Spray Boiler Electrical Heater Capability
DTO 700-8: Global Positioning System Development Flight Test
DTO 805:          Crosswind Landing Performance
DSO 331:  LES and Sustained Weightlessness on Egress
              Locomotion
DSO 487:  Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers
DSO 491:  Characterization of Microbial Transfer Among 
              Crewmembers
DSO 493:  Monitoring Latent Virus Reaction and Shedding in 
              Astronauts
DSO 802:  Educational Activities
DSO 901:  Documentary Television
DSO 902:  Documentary Motion Picture Photography
DSO 903:  Documentary Still Photography

10.0 SPARTAN 207/IAE 

     Spartan 207 (SP207/IAE) is one of the primary payloads 
on mission STS-77 and the most ambitious Spartan mission to 
date.  The STS-77 crew will deploy and test --as the Spartan 
spacecraft's sole payload -- the Inflatable Antenna 
Experiment (IAE).

     Managed by Goddard, Spartan is designed to provide 
short-duration, free-flight opportunities for a variety of 
scientific studies. The Spartan carrier provides an attitude 
control system, a data handling and power system, and a 
thermal control system. A typical Spartan configuration 
consists of two main pieces of hardware, a Spartan Flight 
Support Structure (SFSS) and a Spartan free-flyer with the 
experiment. Part of the SFSS is the Release Engage Mechanism 
(REM) which allows the free-flyer to be removed from and 
returned to its berthing position in the Orbiter cargo bay. 
The free-flyer is  deployed and retrieved by the Remote 
Manipulator System which is operated by an astronaut.

     This mission's Spartan configuration is unique in that 
the IAE is in an additional separate unit that will be 
ejected once the experiment has completed. Only the Spartan 
carrier with the experiment recorders will be returned to the 
cargo bay. 

     This is the second flight for this Spartan carrier, 
which flew successfully on STS-63 in February 1995.  It is 
the fifth flight for the cross-bay support structure, and the 
third for the REM. Overall, STS-77 will be the eighth Spartan 
mission to fly on the Space Shuttle.

     The IAE experiment will lay the groundwork for future 
technology development in inflatable space structures, which 
will be launched and then inflated like a balloon on-orbit.  
This payload will validate the deployment (inflation) and 
performance of a large inflatable antenna during a ninety-
minute sequence before jettisoning the antenna structure and 
recovering the Spartan spacecraft at sequence end. The 
inflation process will be captured by the crew, using a 
variety of still cameras, a motion picture camera, and video 
cameras. The on-orbit performance of the antenna (surface 
accuracy) will be determined by illuminating the antenna 
surface with arrays of lights mounted on the Spartan and 
capturing the resulting patterns on video recorders aboard 
the Spartan. These will be analyzed after the Spartan is 
returned to Earth by the Shuttle.

     The IAE is a large inflatable antenna 50 feet (14 
meters) in diameter which is mounted on three 92-foot (28 
meter) struts.  Once in low-Earth orbit, the Spartan will 
become a platform for the antenna which, when inflated in 
space, will be roughly the size of a tennis court.  The 
antenna was developed by L'Garde Inc., of Tustin, CA, a small 
aerospace business, and JPL under NASA's In-Space Technology 
Experiments Program.

     Because the mass and stowed (uninflated) volume of 
inflatable components is many times less than an equivalent 
solid structure, inflatable structures have the potential to 
significantly reduce by 10 to 100 times the cost of future 
missions using these components. This inflatable antenna 
weighs only about 132 pounds (60 kilograms) and the 
operational version may be developed for less than $10 
million -- a substantial savings over current mechanically 
deployable hard structures that may cost as much as $200 
million to develop and deliver to space.

     Inflatable structures also have the potential to deploy 
much more reliably
than conventional mechanical systems used for deploying rigid 
structures. In addition, the small packaged size of the 
inflatable components allows very large structures to be 
deployed in space with a single small launch vehicle.  For 
example, large space antennas many times the size of today's 
mechanical orbiting antennas could be used for a variety of 
applications in space, including satellite antennas for space 
and mobile communications, Earth observations, astronomical 
observations, and space-based radar.

     The IAE is a prime example of a low-cost technology 
validation experiment. These experiments are designed to 
inexpensively test the fundamental performance of a 
technology in the weightless vacuum of space when it is 
impossible to do so on the ground. Inflatable systems cannot 
be evaluated on Earth due to the effects of gravity and 
atmospheric pressure on the  balloon structure. They must be 
tested on-orbit and the results compared with analytical 
predictions to achieve the confidence necessary to allow 
their use in operational systems.

     Additionally, the Spartan carrier itself will be 
implementing new technologies. It will be testing a Solid-
State Recorder using flash EEPROM memory, developed under a 
Small Business Innovative Research contract between Goddard 
and SEAKR Engineering, Inc. of Englewood, CO. Some of the 
electronics boxes on the Spartan carrier implemented a 
Parylene coating process that allows the use of commercial 
plastic integrated circuits on-orbit.

Experiment and Mission Management

     The Spartan project is managed by NASA's Goddard Space 
Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, for the Office of Space 
Science, Washington, DC.  IAE is sponsored by NASA's Office 
of Space Access and Technology, Washington, D.C.

Online Information

     Additional information about the Spartan Project is 
available on the Internet on:

http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/sptnhome.html 

or 

http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/sp207.html.

Spartan-207 Release and deployment

      The Spartan-207 satellite will be deployed on Day two 
of the mission. Mission Specialist Mario Runco will release 
the Spartan using the shuttle's mechanical arm, and Commander 
John Casper will back Endeavour away from the satellite.

      Once Endeavour reaches a distance of 400 feet directly 
in front of the Spartan, Casper will hold Endeavour's 
position while experiment operations with the Spartan begin. 
Slightly less than an hour later, Casper will begin a partial 
flyaround of the satellite, maintaining a distance of about 
400 feet, moving to a point directly above Spartan. This 
partial flyaround will align Endeavour within the 
transmission direction of the experiment work with the 
Inflatable Antenna Experiment.

      Once Endeavour is directly above Spartan at a distance 
of 400 feet, the IAE will be inflated. Endeavour will 
stationkeep 400 feet above Spartan for about an hour and 
twenty minutes while the IAE is inflated and experiment 
operations are conducted.

       Following those operations, Casper will fire 
Endeavour's jets to begin separating from the vicinity of the 
Spartan. The jet firing will initially move Endeavour farther 
above the satellite, and the shuttle will be about 900 feet 
away at the time the IAE is jettisoned from Spartan. The 
jettisoned IAE will move in front of and below than Spartan, 
while the separation burn performed by Endeavour will move 
the shuttle above and behind the satellite at a rate of 
almost two and a half nautical miles per orbit. During the 
next day, Endeavour will range as much as 40-60 nautical 
miles behind the satellite before again closing in.

Spartan 207 Rendezvous and Retrieval

      Endeavour will return to the vicinity of Spartan-207 on 
Day three of the mission to retrieve the satellite. The final 
phase of the rendezvous will begin when Endeavour reaches a 
point eight nautical miles behind the satellite and the 
Terminal Phase Initiation burn is performed by the shuttle, 
putting Endeavour on a course to intercept the Spartan.

      As Endeavour closes the final eight nautical miles, 
there will be an opportunity for four small midcourse 
correction firings of the shuttle steering jets to fine-tune 
its course toward Spartan. Also during this time, Garneau 
will extend the shuttle's mechanical arm into the position 
for retrieval of the satellite.

      Shortly after the fourth and final mid-course 
correction, Casper will take over manual control of 
Endeavour's flight. At the time Casper begins manually flying 
Endeavour, the shuttle will be about 2,500 feet directly 
below the satellite. Casper will fly the shuttle to a point 
about 400 feet directly in front of Spartan before closing to 
within 35 feet. As Casper aligns Endeavour with Spartan, 
Garneau will move the mechanical arm into place to lock onto 
the Spartan grapple fixture. Once captured, Garneau will 
lower Spartan back into the cargo bay and latch it in place 
for its return to Earth.

11.0 PAMS/STU Deploy and Rendezvous Operations

       The Satellite Test Unit (STU), part of the Passive 
Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite 
(PAMS) test, will be deployed from Endeavour on Day four of 
the mission. Although the satellite will not be retrieved, 
Endeavour will subsequently rendezvous three times with the 
satellite to acquire satellite attitude information during 
the rest of the mission.

        After STU is ejected from the payload bay, Endeavour 
will fire its engines to separate from the satellite, aiming 
to reach a point about eight nautical miles behind STU over 
the next two orbits. From that point, Endeavour will 
immediately begin a rendezvous with the satellite, firing its 
engines in a Terminal Phase Initiation (TI) burn which will 
put the shuttle on a course to intercept a point about 2,000 
feet behind the STU.

        As Endeavour closes the eight nautical miles, the 
shuttle will have the opportunity to perform as many as four 
small midcourse correction firings, if needed, to fine tune 
the course toward the satellite. When the shuttle crosses 
directly behind the STU, Commander John Casper will fire the 
shuttle steering jets to stationkeep at that position as PAMS 
experiment operations are performed. Casper will maintain 
Endeavour at a distance of 2,000-2,300 feet behind the STU 
for about an hour and forty-five minutes while the experiment 
work is under way.  The experiments will consist of video 
recordings of the on-orbit attitude of the satellite as it 
passes through the upper atmosphere of low-Earth orbit.  Once 
the experiment runs are completed, Casper will fire 
Endeavour's engines to separate from the vicinity of the 
satellite, putting the shuttle on a course that will have it 
range as far as 100 nautical miles behind the STU.

        Endeavour will revisit the satellite for further 
attitude measurements on both Day seven and Day eight of the 
mission, performing the same basic rendezvous, 
stationkeeping, and separation sequence starting from a point 
eight nautical miles behind the satellite. During the Day 
seven and eight operations, Endeavour will stationkeep at a 
distance of 2,000-2,300 feet behind the STU for about six 
hours on each day.

SPACE ACCESS AND TECHNOLOGY PAYLOADS

           Over 90 percent of the payloads aboard STS-77 are 
being sponsored by the Office of Space Access and Technology, 
Washington, DC, through its Commercial Space Centers and 
their industrial affiliates, and by NASA's Goddard Space 
Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 
Pasadena, CA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and Lewis 
Research Center, Cleveland, OH.

           Primary payloads include experiments flying aboard 
the pressurized, commercially-developed SPACEHAB Module;  an 
Inflatable Antenna Experiment to be deployed aboard the free-
flying Spartan-207 carrier spacecraft;  and a host of four 
technology experiments known as TEAMS, housed aboard a 
Hitchhiker carrier mounted in the Shuttles payload bay.

            Additionally, secondary experiments will include 
a Brilliant Eyes cryo-cooling experiment and the joint 
U.S./Canada aquatic research facility.

12.0 SPACEHAB-4

     One of the objectives of NASAs Space Technology 
enterprise is to use the unique attributes of the space 
environment to enable industry creation of new and improved 
products and services.  To carry out this objective, NASAs 
Office of Space Access and Technology sponsors Commercial 
Space Centers, which are non-profit consortia of industry, 
academia, and government partners, that foster the use of 
space for commercial products and services.  These payloads 
primarily reflect the interests and initiatives of industry 
partners. 

     In 1990 NASA contracted SPACEHAB, Inc., for the lease of 
their SPACEHAB Space Research Laboratories for a series of 
flights.  STS-77 marks the fourth flight of the SPACEHAB 
under this contract and it will carry 10 commercial space 
product development payloads in the areas of biotechnology, 
electronic materials, polymers and agriculture as well as 
several experiments for other NASA payload organizations.  

SPACEHAB Module

     A SPACEHAB single module will be carrying nearly 3,000 
pounds of experiments and support equipment on the STS-77 
mission.  Twenty-eight lockers, four SPACEHAB soft stowage 
bags and two single racks  will house the experiments and 
equipment in the module.  The SPACEHAB module will be located 
in the forward portion of Endeavours payload bay, connected 
to the middeck by a short tunnel to allow the crew access to 
the commercial space laboratory.

     The module was delivered to NASA on April 3 for 
installation into Endeavours payload bay while on Launch Pad 
39B.  Vertical installation of a SPACEHAB module first 
occurred on the most recent Shuttle mission, STS-76, and has 
become the standard method of installation for SPACEHAB 
modules.

SPACEHAB-4 Experiments

     The Advanced Separation Process for Organic Materials 
(ADSEP) enhances separation technologies for medical 
products.  Separation, purification and classification of 
cells are limiting factors in biomedical research and 
pharmaceutical drug development.  Advanced separation 
technology, sponsored  by  the Consortium for Materials 
Development in Space at the University of Alabama-Huntsville 
and developed by Space Hardware Optimization Technology Inc., 
Floyd Knobs, IN,  is designed to foster separation 
capabilities for terrestrial commercial application and 
microgravity research.  This particular mission, in 
collaboration with biomedical researchers, will focus on 
understanding gravitational effects on the manufacture of 
recombinant hemoglobin products.  This area may have 
significant impact on blood transfusion products where 
transfusion of hemoglobin rather than whole blood can reduce 
complications such as blood rejection, infectious disease 
transmission, and blood contamination in areas without 
suitable storage capability.

     The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CBGA) 
will house a number of small test tube-sized fluid mixing 
syringes controlled at several different temperatures. The 
versatility of this apparatus allows investigations on a 
variety of molecular, cellular, tissue and small animal and 
plant systems.   For this flight the apparatus will be 
configured into four temperature controlled lockers holding 
272 individual experiments.  Sponsored by Bioserve Space 
Technologies (NASA's Commercial Center at the University of 
Colorado, Boulder) a number of  specific commercial 
objectives will be pursued in partnership with several of the 
Centers industrial affiliates. These will include evaluation 
of pharmaceutical production of bacterial and fungal systems 
with Bristol-Myers Squibb, crystallization of 
oligonucleotides-RNA to gain 3-D structural information for 
drug design in AIDS research with NeXstar and Amgen, 
administration of a proprietary chemical to enhance bone 
marrow macrophage differentiation with Chiron Corp., and 
tests of a proprietary cell growth inhibitors (cancer 
research) with Synchrocell, Lockheed Martin and the Kansas 
State University Research Foundation.

     The Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (PGBA) will be 
flown for the first time. This two-locker plant growth 
chamber has been developed by BioServe Space Technologies in 
collaboration with the Wisconsin Center for Automation and 
Robotics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The plant 
growth area of the chamber is 12 by 10 with a 10 plant 
height and 2.5 root depth. In collaboration with Bristol-
Myers Sqibb, the commercial goal is to investigate the change 
in the production of secondary metabolites in microgravity. 

     Investigations will include the study of Artimisia 
annua, which produces an antimalarial compound, and 
Cataranthus roseus, which produces chemotherapeutic 
compounds. Working with Dean Food, a study will be made of 
the effects of space flight on starch, sugar and fatty acid 
content of special strains of spinach plants. A forestry 
products company is interested in the lignin production and 
reaction wood formation in Loblolly pine, and clover plants 
will be included to study the nitrogen fixation mechanism in 
microgravity at the behest of Research Seeds, Inc.  While a 
nine-day mission is not very long for plant growth, the 
sponsoring affiliates hope to establish the potential for 
long duration missions to benefit development of new products 
derived from plants.

     The Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-2 (FGBA-2) 
payload  represents an evolutionary step in carbonated fluids 
management technology.  For the Coca-Cola Company, the 
primary corporate sponsor, FGBA-2 will provide a test bed to 
determine if carbonated beverages can be produced from 
separately stored carbon dioxide, water and flavored syrups 
and determine if the resulting fluids can be made available 
for consumption without bubble nucleation and resulting foam 
formation.  Coca-Cola also will be verifying and obtaining 
additional data on the effects of space flight on changes in 
taste perception.  Such data might aid in understanding 
altered tastes in specific target populations on Earth, such 
as the elderly, and eventually lead to altered beverage 
formulations that could increase hydration for such 
individuals and for astronauts.  The sponsor--BioServe Space 
Technologies--is using the technology  and lessons learned 
from this mission to apply to other commercial space life 
sciences activities including the development of plant growth 
and cell culture biotechnology facilities, closed environment 
research facilities and other projects that require 
management of two-phase fluids.   Payload health and 
engineering data will be collected along with video images 
documenting behavior of the carbonated beverages during 
transfer operations.

     The IMMUNE-3 experiment is a commercial middeck payload 
sponsored by  BioServe Space Technologies and Kansas State 
University, Manhattan.  The  corporate affiliate leading the 
IMMUNE-3 investigation is Chiron Corp., Emeryville, CA.  
NASA's Ames  Research Center, Mountain View, CA, provides 
payload and mission integration support.

     The goal is to test the ability of Insulin-like Growth 
Factor to prevent or reduce the detrimental effects of space 
flight on the immune and skeletal systems of rats.   Space 
flight has been shown to induce alterations in immune 
responses and reductions in skeletal development in rats; 
this may model immune disorders and impaired skeletal 
development on Earth.  A demonstrated ability to counter 
reduced bone formation and immune system impairment 
accompanying spaceflight may provide new product markets for 
Chiron on Earth and a future therapeutic for long-term space 
missions. 

      Along with extensive ground-based research, acquired 
knowledge could be used to develop protocols designed to 
protect the immune systems of patients undergoing 
chemotherapy or radiotherapy, to treat patients with AIDS, 
primary immune-deficiency and a broad range of infectious 
diseases. The applications toward a variety of bone disorders 
are currently under investigation, and should be aided by the 
findings of this flight investigation.

     Three Commercial Protein Crystal Growth investigations 
on this flight will use three techniques.  One is a process 
driven by temperature change that will produce crystals of a 
new form of recombinant human insulin provided by Eli Lilly; 
the other uses vapor diffusion to crystallize different 
proteins with objectives that address a range of diseases.  
The insulin crystals will support a better understanding of 
the proteins structure to help Eli Lilly, an affiliate of 
the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography --a NASA 
Commercial Space Center at the University of Alabama, 
Birmingham--understand the mode of action of this new form of 
insulin.  The microgravity environment helps to produce 
large, well-ordered protein crystals that can be used for x-
ray diffraction studies to determine the three-dimensional 
structures of the individual proteins.  Knowledge of these 
structures can facilitate the development of new or more 
effective pharmaceuticals to combat diseases.

     The vapor diffusion experiments will use flight hardware 
that is an improved adaptation of the most common laboratory 
method for growing protein crystals. It will provide for 128 
individual experiments.  The temperature driven hardware will 
use sample holders of different volumes, with different 
temperature gradients, to test systems that provide industry 
with more operational flexibility, and allow smaller amounts 
of expensive sample materials.

     Gas Permeable Polymer Membrane (GPPM) is flying the 
third in the series of flights to use microgravity for 
development of enhanced polymers for manufacture of improved 
rigid gas permeable contact lenses.  Polymer development of 
lens material in microgravity has shown polymers can be 
formed that will have greater uniformity of structure, 
increased gas permeability allowing greater oxygen flow for 
improved comfort to wearers, greater durability of material, 
and greater machinability in the manufacture process.  NASAs 
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and Paragon Vision 
Sciences of Phoenix, AZ, are the partners in this commercial 
research effort.

     Four Handheld Diffusion Test Cell (HHDTC) experiment 
units each containing eight test cells will grow protein 
crystals by diffusing one liquid into another.  In liquid-
liquid diffusion, different fluids are brought into contact 
but not mixed.  Over time, the fluids will diffuse into each 
other through random motion of molecules.  The gradual 
increase in concentration of the precipitant within the 
protein solution causes the proteins to crystallize.  Liquid-
liquid diffusion is difficult on Earth because differences in 
solution densities allow mixing by gravity-driven thermal 
convection.  In addition, the greater density of the crystals 
allows them to settle into inappropriate parts of the cell.

     The proteins that will be grown in microgravity include: 
lysozyme, catalase, concanavalin b, cnavalin, myoglobin, 
thaumatin, ferritin, apoferritin, satellite tobacco mosaic 
virus and turnip yellow mosaic virus

     Commercial Float Zone Furnace (CFZF) experiments have 
the goal of producing large, ultra-pure compound 
semiconductor and mixed oxide crystals for electronic devices 
and infrared detectors.  Three international agencies are 
cooperating on the project:  NASA Marshall Space Flight 
Center, Huntsville, AL, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and 
the German Space Agency (DARA).  The U.S. samples of gallium 
arsenide (GaAs) and gallium antinomide (GaSb) have been 
prepared by the University of Florida in cooperation with 
industrial participant Atramet, Inc.  A liquid encapsulate 
around the float zone to promote the growth of a larger 
crystal in the microgravity environment will be used.  This 
technique was investigated on the first SPACEHAB mission in 
1993.   The parabolic-ellipsoid mirror type furnace is 
provided by the CSA and DARA.  The furnace flew on the D-2 
Spacelab mission in 1993.   Telescience will be used during 
the mission to enable researchers on the ground to view 
and/or control the melts and work with the astronauts to 
control the melts.

     The Space Experiment Facility (SEF), developed and 
managed by The University of Alabama in Huntsville's 
Consortium for Materials Development in Space will house a 
crystal growth experiment and a metals experiment.

     The crystal growth experiment, which will use the SEF's 
transparent furnace, will focus on mercurous chloride a 
valuable electro-optic material of commercial interest. 
Larger and higher quality mercurous chloride crystals could 
improve devices used in spectral imaging. 

      The metals experiment, conducted in SEF's opaque 
furnace, will use liquid phase sintering (LPS) to bond 
powdered metals. LPS may provide greater understanding of 
alloy behavior and porosity on these metal composites. One 
area that could potentially benefit from improved metal 
composites is the machine tool industry. 

     The NIH-C7 experiment continues the collaboration 
between NASA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  It 
is a middeck-locker experiment that will repeat and augment 
previously flown experiments investigating the effect of 
space flight  on musculoskeletal development at the cellular 
level.

     The experiment payload consists of two biomedical 
studies sponsored by NASA and NIH.  These experiments will 
use a computerized tissue culture incubator known as the 
Space Tissue Loss Culture Module.  The module was developed 
at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, 
DC, to study cells in microgravity.

     The experiments will study the effects of space flight 
on muscle and bone cells from chicken embryos.  The 
experiments on STS-77 will augment data from a previous 
flight in November 1994.  Results of this research may lead 
to development of measures to maintain the strength of 
muscles and bones during long-duration space voyages and may 
provide insights  and health benefits for people on Earth as 
well.

     The scientific objective of the NIH/NASA collaboration 
is to investigate fundamental biological processes governing 
cell action under different levels of gravity.   The effects 
of space flight on bone cells, specifically the calcification 
and developmental activity in maturing cartilage cells will 
be examined.

     The effects of space flight on muscles to determine if 
microgravity causes damage or loss of muscle fibers, using 
special markers of cell damage, growth assays, measurements 
of muscle size and multiple biochemical assessments also will 
be studied.

13.0 TECHNOLOGY EXPERIMENTS FOR ADVANCING MISSIONS IN SPACE 
(TEAMS)

     Inside the Space Shuttle Endeavours payload Hitchhiker 
(HH) experiment carrier managed by the Goddard Space Flight 
Center will be four experiments called Technology Experiments 
for Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS).

     These experiments will include:  The Global Positioning 
System (GPS) Attitude and Navigation Experiment (GANE);  the 
Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE); the Liquid Metal 
Thermal Experiment (LMTE);  and the Passive Aerodynamically 
Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite (PAMS).  The 
experiments are flown together at reduced cost and with the 
Hitchhiker carrier providing the needed resources (power, 
data, etc.) to each experiment

     The Hitchhiker carrier can carry equipment mounted in 
canisters and also has mounting plates of various sizes for 
user equipment. The carrier provides electrical power, 
command signals, and "downlink" data interfaces. Hitchhiker 
customers operate their payloads from a Goddard control 
center using their own ground support equipment (usually a 
personal computer) to send commands and display data.

Global Positioning System (GPS) Attitude and Navigation 
Experiment (GANE) Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC), Houston, 
Texas

     The Global Positioning System is a Department of Defense 
navigation system that allows world-wide navigation 
capabilities.  GPS is becoming the world standard navigation 
system that allows anyone anywhere to know their position 
within 100 meters or less.  Pilots, boaters hikers, and just 
about anyone can use this system for accurate real-time 
position and velocity determination.

     One unique aspect of GPS is its capability for 
determining the attitude of a vehicle using three or four 
antennas, and measuring the GPS carrier phase through each 
antenna.  This technique has been successfully tested on 
surface vehicles and aircraft, but it has not been tested in 
space before.

     The International Space Station will use GPS not only 
for position, velocity, and time information but attitude 
determination as well.  To assure GPS attitude can be 
measured to 0.1 degrees or less per axis of rotation, a 
flight experiment aboard the shuttle was proposed in 1994.  
This flight experiment will fly commercial off-the-shelf 
equipment and Station supplied equipment to determine the 
accuracy with which GPS derived attitude can be measured in 
an orbital environment.

Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) NASA Lewis Research 
Center, Cleveland, Ohio

     The Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) is to test 
improved methods for in-space refueling.  The results of the 
experiment will be used in future designs of spacecraft 
liquid storage tanks.  This experiment is the responsibility 
of the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with 
Lockheed Martin as contractor.

     When a spacecraft stays in space for long periods, such 
as the planned International Space Station, they need to be 
resupplied.  This includes resupplying everything from rocket 
propellant to drinking water. The VTRE will primarily test 
technologies for using a vented fill method in space. In a 
vented fill, vapor is allowed to vent from the tank to make 
room for the incoming liquid.  This is a common method as 
familiar as pouring coffee into a cup or gasoline into a gas 
tank.  In space, however, the near total absence of gravity 
complicates the process.

     The key VTRE component undergoing test is the Capillary 
Acquisition Vane, a set of flat panels inside the tank that 
keep the liquid away from the tank vent tap. These simple 
devices take advantage of a liquid surface tension or 
capillary action, a property that makes liquids adhere to 
solid surfaces and wick into small crevasses. The vanes are 
designed to accumulate the liquid where the liquid tap is 
located and provide a vapor pocket where the venting tap is 
located. Capillary Acquisition Vanes have been successfully 
used for years as liquid acquisition devices for rocket 
propellant, but their ability to vent vapor without venting 
any liquid remains to be demonstrated.

Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped 
Satellite (PAMS), Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

     The Goddard Space Flight Center's Passive 
Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped 
Satellite(PAMS) experiment is a technology demonstration of 
the principle of aerodynamic stabilization. PAMS consists of 
a small deployed satellite and a measuring system to observe 
the satellite during a shuttle mission.

     Aerodynamic stabilization is a method that can be used 
to position a satellite in a specific orientation while in 
low Earth orbit. Aerodynamic stabilization works the same way 
as a dart. The front of the dart is weighted and once the 
dart is thrown, it will always right itself with the head 
facing forward. In the same manner, the PAMS satellite will 
eventually be oriented with the heavy end facing forward in 
orbit. This principle can be used to partially control the 
attitude of small satellites.

     Cameras on the shuttle will record the satellite as it 
is deployed. Later during the flight, the shuttle will 
rendezvous with the satellite on two separate days. The 
Shuttle will trail 2,000 feet behind the satellite and point 
the PAMS measuring system. The cameras aboard the Shuttle 
will record the satellite movements over eight orbits.

Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment (LMTE)
Air Force Phillips Laboratory

     The purpose of the Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment 
(LMTE) is to evaluate the performance of liquid metal heat 
pipes in microgravity conditions.

     Heat pipes are thermal management devices used on many 
existing and planned space systems for the purpose of waste 
heat removal. In their simplest form, they consist of a tube 
containing a porous wicking material saturated with a working 
fluid. During operation, the fluid alternately vaporizes and 
condenses at different ends of the pipe as it absorbs and 
releases the waste heat.

     Many different kinds of fluids are used including 
ammonia, oxygen, and potassium depending on the desired 
operation temperatures. The three LMTE heat pipes contain 
potassium and are designed to operate at 300 to 1000 degrees 
Celsius. Heat pipes in this high temperature range have never 
been operated in microgravity conditions. The operational 
characteristics of liquid metals in space are, therefore, not 
well understood. The data obtained from LMTE will be 
invaluable to space system designers requiring high 
temperature heat rejection.

     LMTE is sponsored by the Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 
Albuquerque, NM, with support from the Air Force Space Test 
Program. 

14.0 SECONDARY PAYLOADS

14.1 Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler Experiment 
(BETSCE)
     The Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler 
Experiment (BETSCE) is a microgravity experiment carrying an 
instrument that can quickly cool infrared and other sensors 
to near absolute zero.

     Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 
Pasadena, CA, it will be used to cool infrared sensors aboard 
spacecraft to 10 degrees Kelvin, or -441.6 degrees 
Fahrenheit. (Absolute zero is -459.6 F).

     BETSCE is a space shuttle technology demonstration 
experiment to show that cryocoolers of this type, called 
"sorption coolers", can operate in the absence of gravity.  
Sorption coolers have essentially no vibration, are very 
efficient at these cold temperatures, and can operate 
reliably for over 10 years.

     Sorption coolers work by using specialized metal alloy 
powders, called metal hydrides, that absorb the hydrogen 
refrigerant through means of a reversible chemical reaction.  
In the sorption compressor, the metal powder is first heated 
to release and pressurize the hydrogen, and then cooled to 
room temperature to absorb hydrogen and reduce its pressure.  
By sequentially heating and cooling the powder, the hydrogen 
is circulated through the refrigeration cycle.  Ten degrees 
Kelvin is achieved by expanding the pressurized hydrogen at 
the cold tip of the refrigerator. This expansion actually 
freezes the hydrogen to produce a solid ice cube at 10 
degrees Kelvin.  The heat load generated by the device being 
cooled then sublimates the ice.  This closed cycle operation 
is repeated over and over.

     Nothing moves in the compressor so it doesn't vibrate 
and tend to wear out like conventional refrigerator 
compressors that contain moving pistons that rub. The absence 
of vibration is an important quality needed for spacecraft 
and instruments such as infrared astronomical telescopes that 
need a precision pointing capability or a mechanically quiet 
platform on which to operate.

     Before this new technology, the only way to achieve 
temperatures in space as low as 10 degrees Kelvin has been to 
launch extremely large, heavy, and expensive dewars 
containing liquid helium or solid hydrogen. Unfortunately, 
these dewars have very limited lifetimes because the cryogens 
eventually get boiled off and become depleted.  The ability 
to achieve a lifetime of ten or more years, with no 
vibration, opens the door to a wide variety of future 
missions that could benefit from this novel technology.  
Sorption coolers are currently baselined on several missions, 
including the recently proposed Primordial Structure 
Investigation (PSI) mission, and have been proposed for a 
variety of future infrared astrophysics missions such as the 
Next Generation Space Telescope and spaceborne 
interferometers.

     BETSCE experiment development was funded by the Air 
Force Space and Missiles System Center and the Department of 
Defense's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO).  
NASA's Office of Space Access and Technology (OSAT) is 
sponsoring the Shuttle flight for BETSCE.

14.2 Aquatic Research Facility ARF-1
     The Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) is a joint Canadian 
Space Agency (CSA)/NASA project with CSA providing flight 
hardware, NASA providing flight opportunities, and both 
agencies sharing in the scientific investigations.  This is 
the first flight of ARF, a Canadian designed and built 
middeck payload which allows sophisticated investigations of 
a wide range of small aquatic species.  The facility will 
permit scientists to investigate the process of 
fertilization, embryo formation and differentiation, 
development of calcified tissue and feeding behaviors of 
small aquatic organisms. 

     The facilities three experiments will provide an 
integrated international investigation of early development 
and ocean ecology:  Dr. Bruce Crawford of the University  of 
British Columbia will study developing starfish embryos until 
they are able to orient and feed themselves.  Dr. Ron ODor 
of Dalhousie University will study advanced stages of bi-
valves (mussels), focusing on the development of adult tissue 
structure, calcium deposition/loss and feeding behavior.  Dr. 
Heidi Schatten of the University of Wisconsin - Madison will 
investigate the effects of gravity on sea urchin 
fertilization and early embryo differentiation and 
development.  This research will potentially improve the way 
scientists model human development, as well as the factors 
which may disrupt it.

14.3 Biological Research In a Canister
     The Biological Research In a Canister (BRIC) 07 is the 
subject of research for NASA at the University of Arizona, 
Tucson, AZ.

     Spaceflight has been shown to effect the endocrine 
system of crewmembers.  This study will aid in the discovery 
of the mechanism(s) behind one endocrine system in insects 
which may aid in research on endocrine systems in general, 
including human systems.

     In addition to the principal investigator and NASA 
staff, college undergraduates, high school students and an 
elementary school teacher are involved in the project.  
Specific activities include an outreach program in Tucson, AZ 
that has elementary school kids excited about science the 
space program, and this project in particular.

     The experimental procedures begin with the pupa, at 5 to 
65 hours after development commences.  The pupa will be 
placed in the BRIC canisters and loaded onto the Orbiter.  No 
inflight manipulation or procedures are required.  
Postflight, all pupae will be examined morphologically.  Half 
to two-thirds of the pupa will be sacrificed for hemolymph 
collection for amino acid and analysis of the hormone 
ecdysone.  The remaining pupa will be transported back to the 
PIs lab and monitored for development to adulthood.  During 
the last 24 hours before adult emergence, the 
dorsolongitudinal flight muscle will be excised and analyzed 
for protein content and concentration.

     BRIC experiments are sponsored by NASA's Office of Life 
and Microgravity Sciences and Applications.

15.0 Get Away Special (GAS)

     The GAS project is managed by NASA's Goddard Space 
Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. NASA began flying these small 
self-contained payloads in 1982.  The project gives 
individuals or organizations an opportunity to perform 
experiments in space on the Space Shuttle.  

Customer:   California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
G-056

     Caltech's Gamma-ray Astrophysics Mission (GAMCIT) 
payload is the first space payload built by Caltech's chapter 
of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space 
(SEDS),  GAMCIT, originally designed by Astronaut John 
Grunsfeld, will study an enigmatic source of cosmic radiation 
known as gamma ray bursts.  While these intense bursts of 
high-energy radiation were first discovered in the late 1960s 
by satellites watching for clandestine nuclear tests, their 
precise nature and origin still remains an intriguing 
astrophysical mystery.
 

Customer:  German Space Agency
G-142 and G-144

     The German Space Agency (DARA) is flying two payloads.  
The experiments are called MAUS, a German acronym for 
autonomous material science experiments under microgravity.  
It is one of the programs for flight opportunities the 
Federal Republic of Germany offers scientists from 
disciplines of material research and processing to perform 
material science investigations under microgravity 
conditions.  These experiments were developed by scientists 
from the Technical University of Munich and the Technical 
University of Clausthal.
      
Diffusion Coefficient Measurement Facility (DCMF)
G-163

     The Diffusion Coefficient Measurement Facility (DCMF) 
will measure the speed at which Mercuric Iodide (solid) is 
evaporated and then transported as a vapor under microgravity 
conditions.

Customer:  Utah State University 
G-200

     Three experiments are being flown in canister G-200.  In 
addition, the payload will contain popcorn kernels in zip 
lock bags as an experiment by an elementary school.  After 
being flown, students will pop the popcorn and compare it 
with a similar sample maintained in one gravity.  

Customer:  British Sugar plc. 
 G-490

     This experiment was designed and constructed by the 
School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering in the 
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland.  The launch 
services were sponsored by British Sugar plc.
 
      The payload carries two main experiments.  The first 
investigation is to verify a proposal that low-level 
gravitational field can be measured by observing their effect 
on the convection currents present in a heated liquid.
 
     The second project has been devised by a group of 
children from Elrick Primary School near Aberdeen.  A series 
of controlled experiments are being carried out on selected 
samples of seeds, oats, wheat, barley and nape-oil to 
quantify the effects of space flight on growth patterns.

Customer:  Canadian Space Agency
G-564 and G-565

     The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will fly experiments in 
two GAS canisters, Nanocrystal Get Away Special (NANO-GAS) 
and Atlantic Canada Thin Organic Semiconductors (ACTORS).  
The results of these experiments may lead to the development 
of new materials with applications in high performance lasers 
and in electronic equipment and components.  Canadian 
astronaut Marc Garneau will be on board this mission to 
assist in monitoring the operation of these experiments in 
his role as mission specialist.

Customer:  NASA Lewis Research Center
  G-703

     The Microgravity Smoldering Combustion (MSC) experiment 
studies the smolder characteristics of porous combustible 
materials in a microgravity environment.  Smoldering is a 
non-flaming form of combustion that takes place in the 
interior of porous combustible materials.  The propagation of 
the smolder reaction is controlled by complex thermos-
chemical mechanisms, which are not well understood.  The 
experiment objective is to provide a better understanding of  
these controlling mechanisms, both in microgravity and Earth 
gravity.  
 
Customer:  NASA Lewis Research Center
G-741

     The G-741 experiment is an extension of the study of the 
fundamentals of nucleate pool boiling heat transfer under the 
microgravity conditions of space.  An improved understanding 
of the basic processes that constitute boiling is sought by 
removing the buoyancy effects which mask other phenomena.  
The canister consists of two reflight experiments which 
propose to broaden the range of experimental parameters 
beyond those covered previously in order to study an element 
involved in the boiling process which, as a result of the 
experimental work in microgravity conducted to date, appears 
to play a significant role in pool boiling - that of dryout 
and its reverse - wetting.
 
Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Reduced Fill Level 
(TPCE/RFL)

     An important issue in microgravity fluid management is 
controlling pressure in on-orbit storage tanks for crogenic 
propellants and life support fluids, particularly liquid 
hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.  The purpose of the Tank 
Pressure Control Experiment/Reduced Fill Level (TPCE/RFL) is 
to provide some of the data required to develop the 
technology for pressure control of cryogenic tankage.

     This STS-77 experiment will investigate pressure rise 
rates and pressure control (using a mixer) for tanks that are 
approximately 40 percent full of oxygen (Freon 113).  These 
conditions simulate those encountered by multiple-burn 
cryogenic stages used for lunar or planetary exploration.  
Although the pressure rise rates are expected to be lower for 
the reduced fill level tanks, the ability of the jet mixer to 
effectively cool all regions of the tank is of great 
interest.

     TPCE/RFL uses flight hardware previously developed by 
the Boeing Defense and Space Group under NASAs In-Space 
Technology Experiments activity.  The flight hardware is on 
loan from the NASA Lewis Research Center.

16.0 STS-77 CREW BIOGRAPHIES

John H. Casper

     John H. Casper (Colonel, USAF) will serve as Commander 
for STS-77.  Casper was born July 9, 1943, in Greenville, SC, 
but considers Gainesville, GA, to be his hometown.  He 
graduated from Chamblee High School, Chamblee, Georgia, in 
1961; received a bachelor's of science degree in engineering 
science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966, and a 
master's of science degree in astronautics from Purdue 
University in 1967. He also is a 1986 graduate of the Air 
Force Air War College.

     Casper was selected by NASA in May 1984 and became an 
astronaut in June 1985.   A veteran of three space flights, 
STS-36 in 1990, STS-54 in 1993, and STS-62 in 1994, Casper 
has logged over 585 hours in space. 

Curtis L. Brown Jr.

     Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF) will 
serve as the Pilot for Mission STS-77.  Brown was born March 
11, 1956, in Elizabethtown, NC.  He graduated from East 
Bladen High School, Elizabethtown, NC, in 1974 and received a 
bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from 
the Air Force Academy in 1978.

     Brown was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 
June 1987 and completed a one-year training and evaluation 
program in August 1988 which qualified him for assignment as 
a pilot on future Space Shuttle flight crews.  A veteran of 
two space flights, Brown has logged over 453 hours in space. 
He was the pilot on STS-47 in 1992, and STS-66 in 1994. 

Andrew S. W. Thomas
     Andrew S. W. Thomas (Ph.D.) will serve as Mission 
Specialist-1 on the STS-77 mission.  Thomas was born December 
18, 1951, in Adelaide, South Australia.  He received a 
bachelor's of engineering degree in mechanical engineering, 
with First Class Honors, from the University of Adelaide, 
South Australia, in 1973, and a doctorate in mechanical 
engineering from the University of Adelaide, South Australia, 
in 1978. 

     Thomas was selected by NASA in March 1992 and reported 
to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992.  In August 1993, 
following one year of training, he was appointed a member of 
the astronaut corps and qualified for assignment as a mission 
specialist on Space Shuttle flight crews.  STS-77 will be 
Thomas' first space flight.

Daniel W. Bursch

     Daniel W. Bursch (Commander, USN) will serve as Mission 
Specialist-2 during the STS-77 mission.  Bursch was born July 
25, 1957, in Bristol, PA, but considers Vestal, NY, to be his 
hometown.  He graduated from Vestal Senior High School, 
Vestal, NY, in 1975; received a bachelor's of science degree 
in physics from the United States Naval Academy in 1979, and 
a master's of science degree in engineering science from the 
Naval Postgraduate School in 1991.

     Bursch was selected by NASA in January 1990 and became 
an astronaut in July 1991.  A veteran of two space flights, 
Bursch has logged over 505 hours in space. He served as a 
mission specialist on STS-51 in 1993, and STS-68 in 1994.

Mario Runco Jr.

     Mario Runco, Jr. will serve as Mission Specialist-3 on 
the STS-77 mission.  Runco was born January 26, 1952, in the 
Bronx, NY, but considers Yonkers, NY, to be his hometown.  He 
graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx, NY, in 
1970; received a bachelor's of science degree in meteorology 
and physical oceanography from the City College of New York 
in 1974, and a master's of science degree in meteorology from 
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, in 1976.

     Runco was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 
June 1987 and qualified for assignment as an astronaut 
mission specialist in August of 1988.  A veteran of two space 
flights, STS-44 in 1991 and STS-54 in 1993, Runco has logged 
over 310 hours in space. 

Marc Garneau

     Marc Garneau (Ph.D.) is a member of the Canadian Space 
Agency (CSA) and will serve as Mission Specialist-4 on the 
STS-77 mission.  Garneau was born February 23, 1949, in 
Quebec City, Canada.  He attended primary and secondary 
schools in Quebec City & Saint-Jean, Quebec, and in London, 
England. He received a bachelor's of science degree in 
engineering physics from the Royal Military College of 
Kingston in 1970, and a doctorate in electrical engineering 
from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, 
England, in 1973.  Garneau attended the Canadian Forces 
Command and Staff College of Toronto in 1982-83.

     Garneau was one of six Canadian astronauts selected in 
December 1983 and flew as a payload specialist on Shuttle 
Mission 41-G in October 1984.  In July 1992 Garneau was 
selected for astronaut candidate training and following one 
year of training, he was appointed a member of the astronaut 
corps and qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on 
Space Shuttle flight crews.  Garneau has logged over 197 
hours in space. 

For complete biographical information on NASA astronauts, see 
the NASA Internet astronaut biography home page at address:  
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/