Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 1 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-48 

PRESS KIT 

SEPTEMBER 1991 

UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE (UARS) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 2 

STS-48 INSIGNIA 

STS048-S-001 -- Designed by the astronaut crewmembers, the STS-48 insignia represents the space shuttle 

Discovery in orbit about the Earth after deploying the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) 

depicted in block letter style. The stars are those in the northern hemisphere as seen in the fall and winter 

when UARS will begin its study of Earth's atmosphere. The color bands on Earth's horizon, extending up 

to the UARS spacecraft, depict the study of Earth's atmosphere. The triangular shape represents the 

relationship among the three atmospheric processes that determine upper atmospheric structure and 

behavior: chemistry, dynamics, and energy. In the words of the crew members, "This continuous process 

brings life to our planet and makes our planet unique in the solar system." 

The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other 

official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the 

form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we 

do not anticipate, it will be publicly announced. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 3 

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 

Mark Hess/Jim Cast/Ed Campion 

Office of Space Flight 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-8536) 

Paula Cleggett-Haleim/Brian Dunbar 

Office of Space Science and Applications 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-1547) 

Drucella Anderson 

Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology 

NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-2754 

Lisa Malone 

Kennedy Space Center, FL 

(Phone: 407/867-2468) 

Mike Simmons 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 

(Phone: 205/544-6537) 

James Hartsfield 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 

(Phone: 713/483-5111) 

Jane Hutchison 

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 

(Phone: 415/604-9000) 

Myron Webb 

Stennis Space Center, MS 

(Phone: 601/688-3341) 

Nancy Lovato 

Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA 

(Phone: 805/258-3448) 

Jean W. Clough 

Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 

(Phone: 804/864-6122 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 4 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL RELEASE 5 

MEDIA SERVICES 6 

STS-48 QUICK-LOOK FACTS 7 

SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 8 

VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS 9 

SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 11 

TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 12 

STS-48 ON-ORBIT EVENTS 13 

PRELAUNCH PROCESSING 14 

UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE (UARS) 15 

PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH-II-2 (PCG-II-2) 30 

MIDDECK 0-GRAVITY DYNAMICS EXPERIMENT (MODE) 33 

COSMIC RADIATION EFFECTS AND ACTIVATION MONITOR (CREAM) 38 

RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III (RME-III) 38 

AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM (AMOS) 38 

SHUTTLE ACTIVATION MONITOR (SAM) 38 

INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING (IPMP) 39 

ELECTRONIC STILL PHOTOGRAPHY TEST 40 

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL EXPERIMENT (PARE) 41 

STS-48 CREW BIOGRAPHIES 42 

STS-48 MISSION MANAGEMENT 45 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE: 91-136 August 22, 1991 

STS-48 DISCOVERY TO LOFT SATELLITE 

TO STUDY ATMOSPHERE, OZONE 

Discovery will deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) 350 statute miles above Earth to 

study mankind's effect on the planet's atmosphere and its shielding ozone layer as the highlight of Space 

Shuttle mission STS-48. Once deployed, UARS will have two opportunities to study winters in the 

northern hemisphere and one opportunity to study the Antarctic ozone hole during the satellite's planned 

20-month life. 

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the first major flight element of NASA's Mission to 

Planet Earth, a multi-year global research program that will use ground-based, airborne and space-based 

instruments to study the Earth as a complete environmental system. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's 

contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency effort to better understand, 

analyze and predict the effect of human activity on the Earth's environment. 

UARS is designed to help scientists learn more about the fragile mixture of gases protecting Earth from the 

harsh environment of space. UARS will provide scientists with their first complete data set on the upper 

atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs. 

Discovery is planned to launch into a 57-degree inclination polar orbit at 6:57 p.m. EDT, Sept.. 12, from 

Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A on STS-48, Discovery's 13th flight and the 43rd Shuttle mission. 

Secondary objectives on the flight include Protein Crystal Growth-7, the seventh flight of a middeck 

experiment in growing protein crystals in weightlessness; the Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment, a 

study of how fluids and structures react in weightlessness; the Investigations into Polymer Membrane 

Processing-4, research into creating polymer membranes, used as filters in many industrial refining 

processes, in space; the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment, a study of the effects of 

weightlessness on rodents; the Shuttle Activation Monitor, a device that will measure the amounts of 

gamma rays in the Shuttle's crew cabin; the Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor, a study of 

cosmic radiation in the orbiter environment; the Radiation Monitoring Experiment, an often flown device 

that monitors the amounts of radiation inside the Shuttle; and the Air Force Maui Optical System, a use of 

the Shuttle's visibility in orbit to calibrate Air Force optical instruments in Hawaii. Also, in the payload bay 

with UARS, the Ascent Particle Monitor will measure any contaminants that enter the cargo bay during 

launch. 

Commanding Discovery will be Navy Capt. John Creighton. Navy Cmdr. Ken Reightler, making his first 

space flight, will serve as pilot. Mission Specialists will be Marine Corps Col. Jim Buchli, Army Lt. Col. 

Sam Gemar and Air Force Col. Mark Brown. The 5-day mission is scheduled to land at Kennedy's Shuttle 

Landing Facility at about 1:55 a.m. EDT Sept. 18, 1991. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 6 

MEDIA SERVICES 

NASA Select Television Transmission 

NASA Select television is available on Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13, located at 72 degrees west 

longitude; frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. 

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for change-of-shift briefings from Johnson 

Space Center, Houston, will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; Marshall 

Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Johnson Space Center; and NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 

The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission operations. 

Television schedules also may be obtained by calling the Johnson TV schedule bulletin board, 713/483-

5817. The bulletin board is a computer data base service requiring the use of a telephone modem. A voice 

update of the television schedule may be obtained by dialing 202/755-1788. This service is updated daily at 

noon ET. 

Status Reports 

Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit activities and landing operations will be 

produced by the appropriate NASA news center. 

Briefings 

A mission briefing schedule will be issued prior to launch. During the mission, change-of-shift briefings by 

an off-going flight director will occur at least once a day. The updated NASA Select television schedule 

will indicate when mission briefings are planned to occur. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 7 

STS-48 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date September 12, 1991 

 

Launch Site Kennedy Space Center, FL, Pad 39A 

 

Launch Window 6:57 p.m.-7:41 p.m. EDT 

 

Orbiter Discovery (OV-103) 

 

Orbit 351 x 351 statute miles, 57 degrees inclination 

 

Landing Date/Time Sept. 18, 1991, 1:55 a.m. EDT 

 

Primary Landing Site Kennedy Space Center, FL 

 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, FL 

 Transoceanic Abort Landing - Zaragoza, Spain 

 Alternate Transoceanic Abort Landing - Moron, Spain; Ben Guerir, Morocco 

 Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, CA 

 

Crew Members: John Creighton, Commander 

 Kenneth Reightler Jr., Pilot 

 Charles D. Gemar, Mission Specialist 1 

 James F. Buchli, Mission Specialist 2 

 Mark N. Brown, Mission Specialist 3 

 

Cargo Bay Payloads: UARS (Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite) 

 APM-03 (Atmospheric Particle Monitor-3) 

 

Middeck Payloads: RME-III-06 (Radiation Monitoring Experiment-III) 

 PCG-07 (Protein Crystal Growth-7) 

 MODE-01 (Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment-1) 

 IPMP-04 (Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing-4) 

 PARE-01 (Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment-1) 

 SAM-03 (Shuttle Activation Monitor-1) 

 CREAM-01 (Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor-1) 

 AMOS (Air Force Maui Optical System-12) 

 Electronic Still Photography Camera 
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 

Flight Day 1 

Ascent 

OMS 2 

RCS-1 

RCS-2 

UARS on-orbit checkout 

PCG activation 

Flight Day 2 

Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment 

Extravehicular Mobility Unit checkout 

Depressurize cabin to 10.2 psi 

Flight Day 3 

UARS deploy 

Repressurize cabin to 14.7 psi 

Medical DSOs 

Flight Day 4 

Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment 

Shuttle Activation Monitor 

Flight Day 5 

Protein Crystal Growth deactivation 

Shuttle Activation Monitor stow 

Flight Control Systems checkout 

Reaction Control System hot-fire 

Cabin stow 

Flight Day 6 

Deorbit preparation 

Deorbit 

Landing 
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VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS 

Pounds

Orbiter (Discovery) empty and 3 SSMEs 172,651 

 

Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) 14,419 

UARS Airborne Support Equipment 2,164 

Ascent Particle Monitor 22 

Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor 48 

Radiation Monitoring Experiment 7 

Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing 41 

Protein Crystal Growth 89 

Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment 130 

Shuttle Activation Monitor 90 

Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment 70 

Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) 215 

Detailed Test Objectives 45 

Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,507,348 

Orbiter Landing Weight 192,507 
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SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 

Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims for a safe and intact recovery of the flight crew, orbiter and its 

payload. Abort modes include: 

• Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust late enough to permit reaching a minimal 

120 statute mile orbit with orbital maneuvering system engines. 

• Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with the capability to allow one orbit 

around before landing at either Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at 

Kennedy Space Center, FL; or White Sands Space Harbor (Northrup Strip), NM. 

• Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main engines midway through powered 

flight would force a landing at either Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain or Ben Guerir, Morocco. 

• Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more engines without enough energy to 

reach Zaragoza would result in a pitch around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding 

distance of the SLF. 

STS-48 contingency landing sites are Edwards AFB, Kennedy Space Center, White Sands, Zaragoza, 

Moron and Ben Guerir. 
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STS-48 TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 

Event 

MET 

(d/h:m:s) 

Relative 

Velocity 

(fps) Mach 

Altitude 

(ft) 

 

Launch 00/00:00:00 

Begin Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:10 191 0.17 813 

End Roll Maneuver 00/00:00:19 434 0.39 3,710 

SSME Throttle Down to 89% 00/00:00:22 517 0.46 4,999 

SSME Throttle Down to 67% 00/00:00:30 719 0.65 9,362 

SSME Throttle Up to 104% 00/00:01:02 1,470 1.49 39,013 

Max. Dyn. Pressure (Max Q) 00/00:01:05 1,573 1.63 42,512 

SRB Staging 00/00:02:04 4,162 3.86 153,823 

Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) 00/00:08:37 25,241 22.14 373,714 

Zero Thrust 00/00:08:43 25,255 N/A 377,239 

ET Separation 00/00:08:55 

OMS-2 Burn 00/00:43:41 

Landing (orbit 81) 05/08:31:00 

Apogee, Perigee at MECO: 287 x 35 nautical miles 

Apogee, Perigee post-OMS 2: 291 x 293 nautical miles 
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ON-ORBIT EVENTS 

Event 

MET 

(d/h:m:s) 

Apogee/

Perigee

(n. mi.) Orbit 

Delta 

Velocity 

(fps) 

 

OMS-2 00/00:48:00 291x293 1 448.1 

RCS-1 (forward) 00/06:42:00 292x305 5 23.5 

RCS-2 (aft) 00/07:29:00 305x306 5 22.4 

UARS Deploy 02/04:35:00 305x306 33 n/a 

RCS-3 (separation 1) 02/04:36:00 306x308 33 2 

RCS-4 (separation 2) 02/04:53:00 303x306 34 5.5 

Deorbit 05/07:18:00 n/a 80 501 
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STS-48 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING 

Flight preparations on Discovery for the STS-48 mission began May 7 following its last mission, STS-39, 

which ended with a landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was towed from the runway to 

the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to start operations for its 13th flight. Discovery's systems were fully 

tested while in the OPF including the orbital maneuvering system pods and the forward reaction control 

system. 

Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are as follows: engine 2019 in the No. 1 position, engine 

2031 in the No. 2 position and engine 2107 in the No. 3 position. These engines were installed in June. 

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite arrived at the Kennedy Space Center by barge on May 13 and 

was taken to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for final installation of the flight components and 

spacecraft checkout. On July 27 it was transferred to the Vertical Processing Facility for testing to verify its 

compatibility and readiness to be integrated with the Space Shuttle. 

UARS was moved to Pad 39-A on Aug. 10 and installed into the payload bay of Discovery on Aug. 14. 

Integrated testing, communications checks and a Launch Readiness Test were scheduled to verify that 

UARS was ready for the pending deployment and its mission. 

Booster stacking operations on mobile launcher platform 3 began June 27 with the right aft booster. 

Stacking of all booster segments was completed by July 20. The external tank was mated to the boosters on 

July 24 and the Orbiter Discovery was transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 25. The 

orbiter was mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters on Aug. 2. 

The STS-48 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A on Aug. 12. A dress rehearsal launch countdown 

was held Aug. 19-20 at KSC. A standard 43-hour launch countdown is scheduled to begin 3 days prior to 

launch. During the countdown, the orbiter's onboard fuel and oxidizer storage tanks will be loaded and all 

orbiter systems will be prepared for flight. 

About 9 hours before launch the external tank will be filled with its flight load of a half a million gallons of 

liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. About 2 and one-half hours before liftoff, the flight crew 

will begin taking their assigned seats in the crew cabin. 

The first night landing is planned at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the conclusion of this 5-day mission. 

KSC's landing convoy teams will safe the vehicle on the runway and tow it into the new Orbiter Processing 

Facility. This will mark the first use of OPF bay 3 where Discovery will be prepared for its 14th space 

flight, Mission STS-42 with the International Microgravity Laboratory. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 15 

UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE 

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the first major flight element of NASA's Mission to 

Planet Earth, a multi-year global research program that will use ground-based, airborne and space-based 

instruments to study the Earth as a complete environmental system. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's 

contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency effort to better understand, 

analyze and predict the effect of human activity on the Earth's environment. 

UARS is designed to help scientists learn more about the fragile mixture of gases protecting Earth from the 

harsh environment of space. UARS will provide scientists with their first complete data set on the upper 

atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs. 

One of UARS' focuses will be an area in which humanity's technological advancement is changing the 

Earth on a global scale -- depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, or upper atmosphere. The stratosphere 

ranges from approximately 9 to 30 miles above the Earth's surface. Ozone, a molecule made up of three 

oxygen atoms, blocks ultraviolet light that can cause skin cancer and damage food crops. 

Although there are some natural causes of stratospheric ozone depletion, such as volcanic eruptions, the 

"ozone hole" that forms over Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere's spring season and the 5 percent 

depletion observed over northern mid-latitudes in the last decade are a direct consequence of human 

activity. These long-term ozone trends are caused by chlorine compounds released into the atmosphere as 

by-products of industry, including refrigeration and the making of plastic foam. 

To study ozone depletion more completely and to better understand other aspects of Earth's fragile 

atmosphere, scientists need the global perspective available from an orbiting satellite, one that makes 

simultaneous measurements of all the factors of ozone depletion with state-of-the-art instruments. To that 

end, the UARS science program has been designed as a single experiment with nine component 

instruments that will study the upper atmosphere's chemical, dynamic and energy systems. In addition to 

the UARS instrument science teams, 10 other teams will use the data to improve theoretical models of the 

upper atmosphere and consequently, scientists' ability to predict the effects of change in the atmosphere. 

An extensive program of correlative investigations using ground-based, aircraft and balloon-carried 

instruments is also planned. As a whole, the UARS program is designed to give scientists the data they 

need to address the challenge of Mission to Planet Earth -- to understand and predict the effect of human 

activity on the environment. 

UARS's nine complementary scientific instruments each provide measurements critical to a more complete 

understanding of the upper atmosphere, concentrating their observations in chemistry, dynamics and 

energy input. 

UARS carries a 10th instrument, the Active Cavity Radiometer II (ACRIM II), that is not technically part 

of the UARS mission. ACRIM II will take advantage of a flight opportunity aboard UARS to study the 

Sun's energy output, an important variable in the study of the Earth's climate. 

Chemistry Studies 

Four of UARS' instruments will measure the concentrations and distribution of gases important to ozone 

depletion, climate change and other atmospheric phenomena. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 16 

Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer 

Like all spectrometers, the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) will search for the telltale spectra that indicate the presence of certain chemicals. In particular, CLAES will determine 

concentrations and distributions by altitude of nitrogen and chlorine compounds, ozone, water vapor and 

methane, all of which take part in the chemistry of ozone depletion. Principal Investigator for CLAES is 

Dr. Aidan E. Roche, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif. Dr. John Gille of the 

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., is a collaborative investigator. 

Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder 

The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) will study atmospheric water vapor, 

carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitric acid, ozone, methane and carbon monoxide. Like CLAES, ISAMS 

detects infrared radiation from the atmosphere and uses it to derive information on atmospheric 

temperature and composition. Principal Investigator for ISAMS is Dr. Fred W. Taylor, University of 

Oxford, Department of Atmospheric Physics, Oxford, United Kingdom. Dr. James M. Russell III of 

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, is a collaborative investigator. 

Microwave Limb Sounder 

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) will provide, for the first time, a global data set on chlorine 

monoxide, the key intermediate compound in the ozone destruction cycle. MLS data also will be used to 

generate three-dimensional maps of ozone distribution and to detect water vapor in the microwave spectral 

range. Principal Investigator for MLS is Dr. Joseph W. Waters, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

Pasadena, Calif. 

Halogen Occultation Experiment 

The Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) will observe the vertical distribution of hydrofluoric acid, 

hydrochloric acid, methane, carbon dioxide, ozone, water vapor and members of the nitrogen family. Each 

day, HALOE will observe 28 solar occultations, that is, it will look through Earth's atmosphere toward the 

sun to measure the energy absorption of the Sun's rays by these gases. Principal Investigator for HALOE is 

Dr. James M. Russell III, NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA. 

Dynamics 

Two instruments, the High Resolution Doppler Imager and the Wind Imaging Interferometer, will provide 

scientists with the first directly measured, global picture of the horizontal winds that disperse chemicals 

and aerosols through the upper atmosphere. 

High Resolution Doppler Imager 

By measuring the Doppler shifts of atmospheric chemicals, the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) 

will measure atmospheric winds between 6.2 and 28 miles and above 34 miles. These data are important to 

understanding the essential role of atmospheric motion on the distribution of chemicals in the upper 

atmosphere. Principal Investigator for HRDI is Dr. Paul B. Hays, University of Michigan, Space Physics 

Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 17 

Wind Imaging Interferometer 

The Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) also will use the Doppler shift measurement technique to 

develop altitude profiles of horizontal winds in the upper atmosphere. WINDII's measurements will tell 

scientists about the winds at and above 49 miles. Principal Investigator for WINDII is Dr. Gordon G. 

Shepherd, York University, Ontario, Canada. The investigation is provided by a partnership between 

Canada and France, with the latter making important contributions to the data analysis software. 

Energy Inputs 

Three instruments, the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor, the Solar Stellar Irradiance 

Comparison Experiment, and the Partial Environment Monitor, will measure solar energy that reaches the 

Earth and study its effect on the atmosphere. 

Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor 

Ultraviolet light from the Sun is the driver of the ozone cycle, dissociating chlorine compounds into 

reactive chlorine atoms that in turn break up ozone molecules . The Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance 

Monitor (SUSIM) will measure solar ultraviolet energy, the most important spectral range in ozone 

chemistry. Principal Investigator for SUSIM is Dr. Guenter E. Brueckner, Naval Research Laboratory, 

Washington, D.C. 

Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment 

Like SUSIM, the Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) will conduct in-depth 

ultraviolet studies of the Sun. SUSIM will compare the Sun's ultraviolet energy to the UV radiation of 

bright blue stars, providing a standard against which the solar energy level can be measured in future longterm monitoring of the Sun. Principal Investigator for SOLSTICE is Dr. Gary J. Rottman, University of 

Colorado, Boulder. 

Particle Environment Monitor 

The Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) will help to answer questions about the effect of energetic 

particles from the Sun on the upper atmosphere, detecting and measuring the particles as they enter the 

atmosphere. PEM uses four primary instrument subunits to take detailed particle measurements in different 

energy ranges. Principal Investigator for PEM is Dr. J. David Winningham, Southwest Research Institute, 

San Antonio, Texas. 

Solar Constant 

Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor 

The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM II) will provide accurate monitoring of total 

solar activity for long-term climate studies. ACRIM II is an instrument of opportunity, added to the UARS 

spacecraft after the engineering team determined that the spacecraft could fly a 10th instrument. Though 

not a part of the UARS program, ACRIM II data is important to other studies within Mission to Planet 

Earth. Principal Investigator for ACRIM II is Dr. Richard D. Willson, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

Pasadena, Calif. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 18 

Propulsion 

The UARS observatory consists of a standard design Multi-mission Modular Spacecraft (MMS), coupled 

to a module that includes the 10 instruments. The MMS Hydrazine Propulsion Module will power orbit 

adjustment maneuvers for the initial boost to orbit and maintain the required altitude. The system consists 

of four 5-pound thrusters and 12 small 0.2-pound attitude control thrusters. The MMS was built by 

Fairchild, Inc., Germantown, MD. 

Modular Attitude Control System 

For UARS to make the minute changes in its orientation toward the Earth needed for the long-duration 

measurements of the atmosphere, the spacecraft must know at all times where it is pointed. To do this, 

UARS uses a system known as the Modular Attitude Control System (MACS). The MACS subsystem is a 

three-axis system made up of many flight-proven NASA components contained within the MMS. The 

system contains sensors that tell UARS where it's pointed and actuators that can point the spacecraft as 

required. The MACS module originally flew aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). It was returned 

to Earth as part of the 1984 SMM repair mission and refurbished for flight aboard UARS. 

Communications and Data Handling 

The Communications and Data Handling (CADH) system uses software based on proven modular 

technology that flew on the Solar Maximum Mission and Landsat 4 and 5. The modular programming 

allows sections of the software to be rewritten or repaired without requiring end-to-end verification of an 

entire new program. The CADH system consists of the CADH module, a high-gain antenna and two omnidirectional low-gain antennas. 

The CADH also has a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) transponder for communications 

between UARS and TDRSS. UARS uses a NASA standard spacecraft computer which provides for some 

autonomous operation of the spacecraft. It will perform such tasks as command processing, attitude 

determination computations and power management. 

Payload Operation and Control Center 

Instructions to UARS during its space voyage begin with the controllers at computer terminals located in 

the UARS Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, 

MD. The POCC is the focal point for all UARS pre-mission preparations and on-orbit operations. For the 

UARS mission, the POCC is part of the Multi-satellite Operations Control Center (MSOCC) at Goddard 

that provides mission scheduling, tracking, telemetry data acquisition, command and processing required 

for down linked data. 

UARS Ground Data System 

A dedicated Central Data Handling Facility (CDHF), located at the Goddard Space Flight Center, will 

process the UARS scientific data. The CDHF is linked to 20 Remote Analysis Computers at the instrument 

and theoretical principal investigator's home institutions via an electronic communications system. This 

will make all UARS data available to all investigators. The CDHF also is designed to encourage frequent 

interactions between the different investigation groups and facilitate quick response to unusual events, such 

as solar flares and volcanic eruptions. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 19 

UARS scientific data will be continuously recorded on two alternating onboard tape recorders at the rate of 

32 kilobits per second. Upon acquiring contact with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, the UARS data 

will be transmitted via the NASA Communications Network to the Data Capture Facility (DCF), located at 

Goddard. The DCF will perform telemetry preprocessing, which includes time-ordering, merging, editing 

and sorting of the data stream. The output will be transferred to the UARS CDHF. 

Thermal Subsystems 

Thermal control of UARS during launch and orbital operation will be largely through passive means -- 

paint, blankets, coatings and temperature sensors augmented by electrical heaters. The CLAES and ISAMS 

instruments have special cooling requirements met by subsystems within the instruments. 

UARS was built and integrated by General Electric Astro-Space Division, Valley Forge, Penn., and East 

Windsor, NJ. The UARS project is managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, for 

NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. 
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PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH (PCG) 

In collaboration with a medical researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, NASA is 

continuing a series of experiments in protein crystal growth that may prove a major benefit to medical 

technology. 

These experiments could improve food production and lead to innovative new pharmaceutical agents to 

combat cancer, immune system disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, emphysema and many other diseases. 

Background 

In a protein crystal, individual protein molecules occupy locations in a repeating array. With a good crystal 

roughly the size of a grain of table salt, scientists are able to determine, using a technique known as X-ray 

diffraction, the structure of protein molecules. 

Determining a protein crystal's molecular shape is an essential step in several phases of medical research. 

Once the three-dimensional structure of a protein is known, it may be possible to design drugs that will 

either block or enhance the protein's normal function within the body. Though crystallographic techniques 

can be used to determine a protein's structure, this powerful technique has been limited by problems 

encountered in obtaining high-quality crystals well ordered and large enough to yield precise structural 

information. Protein crystals grown on Earth are often small and flawed. 

One hypothesis for the problems associated with growing these crystals can be understood by imagining 

the process of filling a sports stadium with fans who all have reserved seats. Once the gate opens, people 

flock to their seats and, in the confusion, often sit in someone else's place. On Earth, gravity-driven 

convection keeps the molecules crowded around the "seats" as they attempt to order themselves. 

Unfortunately, protein molecules are not as particular as many of the smaller molecules and are often 

content to take the wrong places in the structure. 

As would happen if you let the fans into the stands slowly, microgravity allows the scientist to slow the 

rate at which molecules arrive at their seats. Since the molecules have more time to find their spot, fewer 

mistakes are made, creating better and larger crystals. 

During STS-48, 60 different protein crystal growth experiments will be conducted simultaneously. Though 

there are four processes used to grow crystals on Earth -- vapor diffusion, batch process, liquid diffusion 

and dialysis -- only vapor diffusion will be used in this set of experiments. 

Shortly after achieving orbit, either Mission Specialist Kenneth Reightler or Charles D. Gemar will 

combine each of the protein solutions with other solutions containing a precipitation agent to form small 

droplets on the ends of double-barreled syringes positioned in small chambers. Water vapor will diffuse 

from each droplet to a solution absorbed in a porous reservoir that lines each chamber. The loss of water by 

this vapor diffusion process will produce conditions that cause protein crystals to grow in the droplets. 

Protein crystal growth experiments were first carried out by the investigating team during STS 51-D in 

April 1985. These experiments have flown a total of 10 times. The first four flights of hand-held protein 

crystal growth were primarily designed to develop space crystal growing techniques and hardware. The 

next four flights were scientific attempts to grow useful crystals by vapor diffusion in microgravity, and on 

the last two flights (STS-37 and STS-43), crystals of bovine insulin were grown using the batch method. 

The six most recent flight experiments have had temperature control. The results from these experiments 

show that microgravity-grown crystals have higher internal molecular order than their Earth-grown 

counterparts. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 31 

In the three 20-chambered, 15" x 10" x 1.5" trays of the STS-48 experiment, crystals will be grown at room 

temperature (22 degrees Celsius). After experiment activation and just before deactivation, the mission 

specialist will videotape with a camcorder the droplets in the chambers. Then all the droplets and any 

protein crystals grown will be drawn back into the syringes. The syringes will then be resealed for reentry. 

Upon landing, the hardware will be turned over to the investigating team for analysis. 

The protein crystal growth experiments are sponsored by NASA's Office of Space Science and 

Applications Microgravity Science and Applications Division and the Office of Commercial Programs. 

The principal investigator is Dr. Charles Bugg of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Marshall 

Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, is managing the flight of the experiments. Blair Herren is the 

experiment manager and Richard E. Valentine is the mission manager for the PCG experiment at the 

center. Julia Goldberg is the integration engineer, and Dr. Daniel Carter is the project scientist for the PCG 

experiment at Marshall. 

PROTEINS SELECTED TO FLY ON STS-48 

Protein Investigator 

 

Fc fragment of mouse immunoglobin A Dr. George Birnbaum 

Fab YST9-1 Dr. George Birnbaum 

Anti-HPr Fab fragment Dr. Louis Delbaere 

2 domain CD4 (1-183) Dr. Howard Einspahr 

Beta-Lactamase (Entero-c-P99) Dr. James Knox 

Canavalin Satellite Dr. Alex McPherson 

Satellite Tobacco Mosaic Virus Dr. Alex McPherson 

Interleukin-4 Dr. T. L. Nagabhushan 

Bovine Proline Isomerase Dr. Manuel Navia 

Thermolysin Dr. Manuel Navia 

Recombinant Bacterial Luciferase Dr. Keith Ward 

Apostreptavidin Dr. Pat Weber 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 32 
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MIDDECK 0-GRAVITY DYNAMICS EXPERIMENT 

Discovery's STS-48 mission carries one of the more complex experiments ever to be tested in the orbiter's 

middeck cabin area. MODE -- for Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment -- will study mechanical and 

fluid behavior of components for Space Station Freedom and other future spacecraft. 

MODE, developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the first university experiment to fly in the 

NASA Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology's In-Space Technology Experiment and 

Technology program. IN-STEP, an outreach effort that began in 1987, allows universities, industry and the 

government to develop small, inexpensive technology flight experiments. 

Testing space structures in the normal 1g environment of Earth poses problems because gravity 

significantly influences their dynamic response. Also, the suspension systems needed for tests in 1g further 

complicate the gravity effects. Models of space structures intended for use in microgravity can be tested 

more realistically in the weightlessness of space. 

The MODE experiment consists of special electronically-instrumented hardware that Discovery's 

astronauts will test in the craft's pressurized middeck section. MODE will study the sloshing of fluids in 

partially-filled containers and the vibration characteristics of jointed truss structures. 

MODE occupies 3 1/2 standard Shuttle middeck lockers. One locker contains an experiment support 

module that controls the experiment. The module contains a special purpose computer, high speed 

input/output data and control lines to the test articles, a power conditioning system, signal generator, signal 

conditioning amplifiers and a high capacity optical disk data recording system. 

The other middeck lockers accommodate fluid test articles (FTA), a partially-assembled structural test 

article (STA), optical data storage disks and a shaker that mounts to the experiment support module. The 

FTAs and shaker attach to the support module for testing. The STA floats free in the weightlessness of the 

middeck, but connects to the support module with an umbilical through which excitation and sensor signals 

travel. 

In orbit, the astronauts command the computer via a keypad to execute test routines stored on the optical 

recorder before launch. Once a test routine begins, the computer and associated control circuits energize 

the containers or the truss with precisely controlled forces and then measure the response. The Shuttle crew 

members use an alpha-numeric display to monitor the status and progress of each test. 

The four fluid test articles are Lexan cylinders -- two containing silicon oil and two containing water. 

Silicon oil has dynamic properties that approximate those of typical spacecraft fluid propellants. Water is 

more likely than the silicon oil to stay together at one end of the cylinder, an important test condition. The 

same basic dynamic information will be obtained for both fluids. 

The cylinders mount one at a time to a force balance that connects to a shaker on the support module. The 

balance will measure the forces arising from the motion of the fluid inside the tanks. These forces, with 

other data such as test article accelerations and the ambient acceleration levels of the entire assembly, will 

be recorded in digital form on an optical disk. 

The structural test article is a truss model of part of a large space structure. It includes 4 strain gauges and 

11 accelerometers and is vibrated by an actuator. When deployed in the Shuttle orbiter's middeck, the test 

device is about 72 inches long with an 8-inch square cross section. 

There are two types of trusses, deployable and erectable. The deployable structures are stored folded and 

are unhinged and snapped into place for the tests. The erectable structure is a collection of individual truss 

elements that screw into round joints or "nodes." 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 34 

Four different truss configurations are slated for testing. First, the basic truss will be evaluated. It is an inline combination of truss sections, with an erectable module flanked by deployable modules mounted on 

either end. Next, a rotary joint, similar to the Space Station Freedom "alpha joint" that will govern the 

orientation of the station's solar arrays, will replace the erectable section. 

The third configuration will be L-shaped combination of a deployable truss, rotary joint and erectable 

module (all mounted in-line) and another deployable section mounted at a 90-degree angle to the end of the 

erectable truss. The final arrangement will mount a flexible appendage simulating a solar panel or a solar 

dynamic module to the elbow of the L-shaped third configuration. 

Both test articles will be tested using vibrations over a specified frequency range. On-orbit experiment 

operations with both devices will include assembly, calibration, performance of test routines and stowage. 

MODE requires two 8-hour test periods in orbit. Researchers expect to obtain more than 4 million bits of 

digital data, about 4 hours of video tape and more than 100 photographs. The space-based data will be 

analyzed and detailed comparisons made with pre-and post-flight measurements done on the flight 

hardware using laboratory suspension systems. The results also will refine numerical models used to 

predict the dynamic behavior of the test articles. 

This low-cost experiment will provide better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of groundbased suspension systems used to measure the dynamic response of complex structures. It should lead to 

more sophisticated computer models that more accurately predict the performance of future large space 

structures and the impact of moving liquids in future spacecraft. 

In response to the 1987 IN-STEP program solicitation, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 

Space Engineering Research Center developed MODE and received a NASA contract in 1987. MIT 

selected Payload Systems Inc., Cambridge, Mass., as the prime subcontractor responsible for hardware 

fabrication, certification and mission support. McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co., Huntington Beach, 

Calif., joined the program in 1989 using its own funds to support design and construction of part of the 

structural test article. 

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, manages the contract. With NASA Headquarters, 

Langley also provides technical and administrative assistance to integrate the payload into Discovery for 

STS-48. 

Sherwin M. Beck is the NASA MODE Project Manager at Langley. MIT Professor Edward F. Crawley is 

the experiment's Principal Investigator. Edward Bokhour is Hardware Development Manager at Payload 

Systems, Inc., and Dr. Andrew S. Bicos is the Project Scientist at McDonnell Douglas Space Systems 

Company. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 35 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 36 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 37 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 38 

COSMIC RADIATION EFFECTS AND ACTIVATION MONITOR 

The Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) experiment is designed to collect data on 

cosmic ray energy loss spectra, neutron fluxes and induced radioactivity. 

The data will be collected by active and passive monitors placed at specific locations throughout the 

orbiter's cabin. CREAM data will be obtained from the same locations that will be used to gather data for 

the Shuttle Activation Monitor experiment in an attempt to correlate data between the two. 

The active monitor will be used to obtain real-time spectral data, while the passive monitors will obtain 

data during the entire mission to be analyzed after the flight. The flight hardware has the active cosmic ray 

monitor, a passive sodium iodide detector, and up to five passive detector packages. All hardware fits in 

one locker on Discovery's middeck. 

Once in orbit the payload will be unstowed and operated by the crew. A crew member will be available at 

regular intervals to monitor the payload/experiment. CREAM is sponsored by the Department of Defense. 

RADIATION MONITORING EQUIPMENT-III 

The Radiation Monitoring Equipment-III measures ionizing radiation exposure to the crew within the 

orbiter cabin. RME-III measures gamma ray, electron, neutron and proton radiation and calculates, in real 

time, exposure in RADS-tissue equivalent. The information is stored in memory modules for post-flight 

analysis. 

The hand-held instrument will be stored in a middeck locker during flight except for activation and 

memory module replacement every 2 days. RME-III will be activated by the crew as soon as possible after 

reaching orbit and operated throughout the mission. A crew member will enter the correct mission elapsed 

time upon activation. 

RME-III is the current configuration, replacing the earlier RME-I and RME-II units. RME-III last flew on 

STS-31. The experiment has four zinc-air batteries and five AA batteries in each replaceable memory 

module. RME-III is sponsored by the Department of Defense in cooperation with NASA. 

AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SYSTEM 

The Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS) is an electrical-optical facility located on the Hawaiian island 

of Maui. The facility tracks the orbiter as it flies over the area and records signatures from thruster firings, 

water dumps or the phenomena of shuttle glow, a well-documented glowing effect around the Shuttle 

caused by the interaction of atomic oxygen with the spacecraft. The information obtained is used to 

calibrate the infrared and optical sensors at the facility. No hardware onboard the Shuttle is needed for the 

system. 

SHUTTLE ACTIVATION MONITOR 

The Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM) is designed to measure gamma ray data within the orbiter as a 

function of time and location. Located in the middeck, the crew will install a foil packet at four locations 

onboard. A tape recorder and two detector assemblies will record the information. Each activation of the 

experiment will last about 12 hours and will record information from a different location of the cabin. 

SAM is sponsored by the Air Force Space Systems Division, Los Angeles, Calif. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 39 

INVESTIGATIONS INTO POLYMER MEMBRANE PROCESSING 

The Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), a middeck payload, will make its fourth 

Space Shuttle flight for the Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle Advanced Materials Center, a NASA Center 

for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), sponsored in part by the Office of Commercial 

Programs. 

The objective of the IPMP is to investigate the physical and chemical processes that occur during the 

formation of polymer membranes in microgravity such that the improved knowledge base can be applied to 

commercial membrane processing techniques. Supporting the overall program objective, the STS-48 

mission will provide additional data on the polymer precipitation process. 

Polymer membranes have been used by industry in separation processes for many years. Typical 

applications include enriching the oxygen content of air, desalination of water and kidney dialysis. 

Polymer membranes frequently are made using a two-step process. A sample mixture of polymer and 

solvents is applied to a casting surface. The first step involves the evaporation of solvents from the 

mixture. In the second step, the remaining sample is immersed in a fluid (typically water) bath to 

precipitate the membrane from the solution and complete the process. 

On the STS-48 mission, Commander John Creighton will operate the IPMP experiment. He will begin by 

removing the units from their stowage location in a middeck locker. By turning the unit's valve to the first 

stop, the evaporation process is initiated. After a specified period consisting of several minutes, a quench 

procedure will be initiated. The quench consists of introducing a humid atmosphere which will allow the 

polymer membrane to precipitate out. Ground-based research indicates that the precipitation process should 

be complete after approximately 10 minutes, and the entire procedure is at that point effectively quenched. 

The two units remain stowed in the locker for the flight's duration. 

Following the flight, the samples will be retrieved and returned to Battelle for testing. Portions of the 

samples will be sent to the CCDS's industry partners for quantitative evaluation consisting of comparisons 

of the membranes' permeability and selectivity characteristics with those of laboratory-produced 

membranes. 

Lisa A. McCauley, Associate Director of the Battelle CCDS, is program manager for IPMP. Dr. Vince 

McGinness of Battelle is principal investigator. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 40 

ELECTRONIC STILL PHOTOGRAPHY TEST 

Electronic still photography is a new technology that enables a camera to electronically capture and digitize an 

image with resolution approaching film quality. The digital image is stored on removable hard disks or small 

optical disks, and can be converted to a format suitable for downlink transmission or enhanced using image 

processing software. The ability to enhance and annotate high-resolution images on orbit and downlink them in 

real-time is expected to greatly improve photo-documentation capabilities in Earth observations and on-board 

activity on the Space Shuttle as well as future long-duration flights such as Space Station Freedom or a human 

mission to Mars. 

During the STS-48 mission, NASA will evaluate the on-orbit and downlinking performance and capabilities of 

the Electronic Still Camera (ESC), a handheld, self-contained digital camera developed by the Man-Systems 

Division at Johnson Space Center. The ESC is the first model in a planned evolutionary development leading to a 

family of high-resolution digital imaging devices. 

Additionally, through a Technical Exchange Agreement with NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, 

Autometric, Inc., Alexandria, VA, will assess the utility of the camera for commercial applications in close range 

photogrammetry, terrestrial monitoring and near real-time capabilities. 

The basic photographic platform is a Nikon F4 35 mm film camera converted to a digital image storing device by 

placement of a 1 million picture element (pixel) charge coupled device (CCD) at the film plane. The batteryoperated ESC retains all the available features of the F4 and will accept any lens or optics with a Nikon mount. 

Lenses used on STS-48 will include 20 mm AF Nikkor, 35-70 mm zoom AF Nikkor, 50 mm f/1.2 AF Nikkor and 

180 mm AF Nikkor. 

Images obtained during the STS-48 mission will be monochrome with 8 bits of digital information per pixel (256 

gray levels) and stored on a removable computer hard disk. The images may be viewed and enhanced on board 

using a modified lap-top computer before being transmitted to the ground via the orbiter digital downlinks. 

During STS-48, the ESC will be used to image areas of interest to commercial remote sensing users. Scenes of 

Earth, such as major cities and geological formations will be used to compare the ESC to other Earth-looking 

sensors. Images of Shuttle crew member tasks in the middeck and payload bay will be taken to test the camera's 

use for documentation and support to missions. Attempts will be made to collect stereo pairs at close and far 

ranges to test the camera's photogrammetric capabilities. 

In addition to imagery collection by the Shuttle crew, three ground-based tasks will be employed to demonstrate 

the advantages of a digital system. The first will provide hard-copy prints of the downlinked images during the 

mission. Upon receipt at the Mission Control Center, the images will be processed on a workstation and stored on 

disks for transfer to JSC's Electronic Still Camera Laboratory. 

There, the images will be processed by Autometric and printed with the 3M Color Laser Imager, an advanced 

300 dpi color output device capable of printing over 170 photographic quality originals an hour. The goal is to 

have hard-copy images within 1 hour after the image is received in Mission Control. 

The second demonstration will be performed in conjunction with the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences 

(VIMS). To provide additional imagery to compare with the ESC data, VIMS will conduct a simultaneous 

collection of imagery with an airborne sensor of the Colonial National Historic Park and the Middle Peninsula of 

Virginia. 

The third task will test the ability to respond to ad hoc imaging requirements which could provide critical support 

to management of natural disasters and other crises. After the mission commences, an area of interest will be 

named, it's location precisely defined and collection times identified. The imagery then will be downlinked to and 

printed at JSC. 

H. Don Yeates, Man-Systems Division, Johnson Space Center, is program manager for the Electronic Still 

Camera. Jennifer Visick is the program manager for Autometric, Inc. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 41 

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL RODENT EXPERIMENT 

The Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE-01) is the first in a series of planned experiments 

that focuses on physiological and developmental adaptation to microgravity. 

The PARE-01 experiment will examine changes caused by exposure to microgravity in anti-gravity muscles 

(those used for movement) and in tissues not involved in movement. Previous experience has indicated that 

muscle atrophy resulting from exposure to the weightlessness of space is a serious consideration, particularly for 

missions of extended duration. This and similar research may ultimately lead to a better understanding of muscle 

wasting, which could lead to development of treatments for muscle atrophy in patients confined to bed for long 

periods of time, as well as for astronauts. 

Through previous ground-based research, the principal investigator has identified glucose transport as one 

important factor in muscle atrophy and the breakdown of muscle proteins. The objectives of this flight 

experiment are to determine whether microgravity affects insulin control of glucose transport in an anti-gravity 

muscle (the soleus); to confirm that in microgravity, non-load-bearing tissues (the heart, liver and adipose tissue) 

store additional amounts of glycogen as a result of altered regulation of glucose metabolism; and to provide the 

first data regarding changes in muscle mass and protein content in developing mammals exposed to microgravity. 

In this experiment, eight young, healthy rats will fly on the Space Shuttle. After flight, full ground studies 

housing an identical group of animals under identical conditions (except for the presence of gravity) will be 

conducted. Both groups will be housed in self-contained animal enclosure modules that provide food, water and 

environmental control throughout the flight. The experiment's design and intent have received the review and 

approval of the animal care and use committees at both NASA and the University of Arizona. Laboratory animal 

veterinarians will oversee the selection, care and handling of the rats. 

Following the flight, the rat tissues will be thoroughly evaluated by Dr. Marc Tischler of the College of 

Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, the principal investigator. Payload and mission integration support is 

provided by NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 42 

STS-48 CREWMEMBERS 

STS048-S-002 -- These five astronauts, wearing launch and entry suits (LESs), have been assigned to 

NASA's STS-48 mission aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103. Seated left to right are mission 

specialist Mark N. Brown, mission commander John O. Creighton, and pilot Kenneth S. Reightler Jr. 

Standing behind them are mission specialists Charles D. Gemar (left) and James F. Buchli. The United 

States flag and the mission insignia are displayed in the background. Portrait was made by NASA JSC 

contract photographer Jack Jacob. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the 

endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in 

any other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in 

advertising and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 43 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JOHN O. CREIGHTON, 48, Capt., USN, will serve as Commander of STS-48 and will be making his 

third space flight. Creighton, from Seattle, Wash., was selected as an astronaut in January 1978. 

Creighton graduated from Ballard High School in Seattle in 1961; received a bachelor of science from the 

United States Naval Academy in 1966 and a masters of science in administration of science and technology 

from George Washington University in 1978. 

Creighton received his wings in October 1967. From July 1968 to May 1970, he flew F-4Js and made two 

combat deployments to Vietnam aboard the USS Ranger. In June 1970, he attended the Naval Test Pilot 

School. After graduation, he served as the F-14 engine development project officer with the Service Test 

Division at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, MD. He later became a member of the first F-14 

operational squadron. At the time of his selection by NASA, he was assigned as an operations officer and 

an F-14 program manager in the Naval Air Test Center's Strike Directorate. 

Creighton first flew as pilot aboard Shuttle mission STS-51G in June 1985, a mission that deployed 

communications satellites for Mexico, the Arab League, and the U.S. Creighton next flew as Commander 

of STS-36, a March 1990 Department of Defense-dedicated Shuttle flight. He has logged 276 hours in 

space. 

KENNETH S. REIGHTLER Jr., 40, Cmdr., USN, will serve as pilot. Selected as an astronaut in June 

1987, Reightler considers Virginia Beach, VA, his hometown and will be making his first space flight. 

He graduated from Bayside High School in Virginia Beach in 1969; received a bachelor of science in 

aerospace engineering from the Naval Academy in 1973; and received a masters of science in aeronautical 

engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a masters in systems management from the University 

of Southern California in 1984. 

Reightler was designated a naval aviator at Corpus Christi, Texas., in 1973, and then served as Mission 

Commander and Patrol Plane Commander to Patrol Squadron 16 in Jacksonville, FL. Reightler graduated 

from the Naval Test Pilot School in 1978, and he served as a senior airborne systems instructor pilot and 

later as a chief flight instructor there until his selection by NASA. 

CHARLES D. (SAM) GEMAR, 36, Major, USA, will be Mission Specialist 1. Selected as an astronaut in 

June 1985, Gemar will be making his second space flight and considers Scotland, S. D., his hometown. 

Gemar graduated from Scotland Public High School in 1973 and received a bachelor of science in 

engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 1979. 

Gemar was assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg, N. C., in November 1973. After attending the 

Military Academy, he studied entry rotary wing aviation and fixed-wing, multi-engine aviation. Until his 

selection by NASA, he was assigned with the 24th Infantry Division, where he served as Wright Army 

Airfield Commander, among other duties. 

Gemar served as a mission specialist on STS-38, a Department of Defense-dedicated flight in November 

1990. Gemar has logged 117 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 44 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JAMES F. BUCHLI, 46, Col., USMC, will be Mission Specialist 2. Selected as an astronaut in August 

1979, Buchli considers New Rockford, ND, his hometown and will be making his fourth space flight. 

Buchli graduated from Fargo Central High School, Fargo, ND, in 1963; received a bachelor of science in 

aeronautical engineering from the Naval Academy in 1967; and received a masters of science in 

aeronautical engineering systems from the University of West Florida in 1975. 

Buchli served as Platoon Commander of the 9th Marine Regiment and later as a Company Commander and 

Executive Officer of "B" Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, in Vietnam. In 1969, he went through 

naval flight officer training at Pensacola, FL. After graduation, he was assigned to various fighter attack 

squadrons in Hawaii, Japan and South Carolina. 

Buchli first flew as a mission specialist on STS-51C, the first Department of Defense-dedicated Shuttle 

mission in January 1985. He next flew on STS-61A, a German Spacelab flight, as a mission specialist in 

November 1985. His third flight was mission STS-29 in March 1989, a flight that deployed the third 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. Buchli has logged 362 hours in space. 

MARK N. BROWN, 40, Col., USAF, will be Mission Specialist 3. Selected as an astronaut in May 1984, 

Brown considers Valparaiso, Ind., his hometown and will be making his second space flight. 

Brown graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1969; received a bachelor of science in aeronautical and 

astronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1973; and received a masters of science in 

astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1980. 

Brown received his pilot wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in 1974, and was assigned to the 87th 

Fighter Interceptor Squadron at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich. In 1979, Brown was transferred to the 

Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Brown was employed by 

NASA's Johnson Space Center at the time of his selection as an astronaut, with duties that included a Flight 

Activities Officer in Mission Control and development of many contingency procedures for the Shuttle. 

Brown first flew on STS-28, a Department of Defense-dedicated flight in August 1989. He has logged a 

total of 121 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 45 

STS-48 MISSION MANAGEMENT 

NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, DC 

Richard H. Truly NASA Administrator 

J. R. Thompson Deputy Administrator 

Office of Space Flight 

Dr. William Lenoir Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight 

Robert L. Crippen Director, Space Shuttle 

Leonard S. Nicholson Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Program) 

Brewster H. Shaw Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations) 

Office of Space Science 

Dr. L. A. Fisk Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications 

Alphonso V. Diaz Deputy Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications 

Dr. Shelby G. Tilford Director, Earth Science and Applications Division 

Michael R. Luther Program Manager 

Dr. Robert J. McNeal Program Scientist 

Office of Aeronautics Exploration and Technology 

Arnold D. Aldrich Associate Administrator for Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology 

Gregory S. Reck Director for Space Technology 

Jack Levine Director, Flight Projects Division 

Jon S. Pyle Manager, IN-STEP 

Lelia Vann MODE Program Manager 

Office of Commercial Programs 

James T. Rose Assistant Administrator for Commercial Programs 

J. Michael Smith Deputy Assistant Administrator for Commercial Programs (Program 

 Development) 

Richard H. Ott Director, Commercial Development Division 

Garland C. Misener Chief, Flight Requirements and Accommodations 

Ana M. Villamil Program Manager, Centers for the Commercial Development of Space 

John L. Emond Agreements Coordinator 

Office of Safety and Mission Quality 

George A. Rodney Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Quality 

James H. Ehl Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Quality 

Richard U. Perry Director, Programs Assurance Division 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 46 

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD 

Dr. John M. Klineberg Director 

Charles E. Trevathan Project Manager 

Dr. Carl A. Reber Project Scientist 

John L. Donley Deputy Project Manager 

Richard F. Baker Deputy Project Manager/Resources 

John Pandelides Ground and Mission Systems Manager 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL 

Forrest S. McCartney Director 

Jay Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations 

Robert B. Sieck Launch Director 

John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations 

Joanne H. Morgan Director, Payload Project Management 

Roelof Schuiling STS-48 Payload Manager 

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE, AL 

Thomas J. Lee Director 

Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director 

G. Porter Bridwell Manager, Shuttle Projects Office 

Dr. George F. McDonough Director, Science and Engineering 

Alexander A. McCool Director, Safety and Mission Assurance 

Victor Keith Henson Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project 

Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project 

Jerry W. Smelser Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project 

Gerald C. Ladner Manager, External Tank Project 

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX 

Aaron Cohen Director 

Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director 

Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects 

Donald Puddy Director, Flight Crew Operations 

Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations 

Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering 

Charles S. Harlan Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance 

Robert Stuckey MODE Payload Integration Manager 

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 

Roy S. Estess Director 

Gerald W. Smith Deputy Director 

J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 47 

AMES-DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY, EDWARDS, CA 

Kenneth J. Szalai Director 

T. G. Ayers Deputy Director 

James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office 

AMES RESEARCH CENTER, MOFFETT FIELD, CA 

Dr. Dale L. Compton Director 

Victor L. Peterson Deputy Director 

Dr. Steven A. Hawley Associate Director 

Dr. Joseph C. Sharp Director, Space Research 

LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER, HAMPTON, VA 

Richard H. Petersen Director 

W. Ray Hook Director for Space 

Joseph B. Talbot Manager, Space Station Freedom Office 

Lenwood G. Clark Manager, Experiments Office 

Robert W. Buchan NASA MODE Experiment Manager 

Sherwin M. Beck NASA MODE Project Manager 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 48 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF SEPTEMBER 1991 

42 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM -- 17 SINCE RETURN TO FLIGHT 

STS-39 

04/28/91 - 05/06/91 

STS-40 

06/05/91 - 06/14/91 

STS-41 

10/06/90 - 10/10/90 

STS-35 

12/02/90 - 12/10/90 

STS-51L 

01/28/86 

STS-31 

04/24/90 - 04/29/90 

STS-32 

01/09/90 - 01/20/90 

STS-61A 

10/30/85 - 11/06/85 

STS-33 

11/22/89 - 11/27/89 

STS-43 

08/02/91 - 08/11/91 

STS-28 

08/08/89 - 08/13/89 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-29 

03/13/89 - 03/18/89 

STS-37 

04/05/91 - 04/11/91 

STS-61C 

01/12/86 - 01/18/86 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-26 

09/29/88 - 10/03/88 

STS-38 

11/15/90 - 11/20/90 

STS-9 

11/28/83 - 12/08/83 

STS-41G 

10/05/84 - 10/13/84 

STS-51-I 

08/27/85 - 09/03/85 

STS-36 

02/28/90 - 03/04/90 

STS-5 

11/11/82 - 11/16/82 

STS-41C 

04/06/84 - 04/13/84 

STS-51G 

06/17/85 - 06/24/85 

STS-34 

10/18/89 - 10/23/89 

STS-4 

06/27/82 - 07/04/82 

STS-41B 

02/03/84 - 02/11/84 

STS-51D 

04/12/85 - 04/19/85 

STS-30 

05/04/89 - 05/08/89 

STS-3 

03/22/82 - 03/30/82 

STS-8 

08/30/83 - 09/05/83 

STS-51C 

01/24/85 - 01/27/85 

STS-27 

12/02/88 - 12/06/88 

STS-2 

11/12/81 - 11/14/81 

STS-7 

06/18/83 - 06/24/83 

STS-51A 

11/08/84 - 11/16/84 

STS-61B 

11/26/85 - 12/03/85 

STS-1 

04/12/81 - 04/14/81 

STS-6 

04/04/83 - 04/09/83 

STS-41D 

08/30/84 - 09/05/84 

STS-51J 

10/03/85 - 10/07/85 

 

OV-102 

Columbia 

(11 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(12 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(9 flights)