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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-90 

PRESS KIT 

APRIL 1998 

NEUROLAB 
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STS-91 INSIGNIA 

STS090-S-001 --- The STS-90 insignia reflects the dedication of the mission to the neurosciences in celebration of 

the Decade of the Brain. Earth is revealed through a neuron-shaped window, which symbolizes new perspectives in 

the understanding of nervous system development, structure and function, both here on Earth and in the 

microgravity environment of space. The spaces shuttle Columbia is depicted with its open payload bay doors 

revealing the Spacelab within. An integral component of the mission, the laboratory/science module provided by the 

European Space Agency (ESA), signifies the strong international involvement in the mission. The seven 

crewmembers and two alternate payload specialists, Chiaki Naito-Mukai and Alexander W. Dunlap, are represented 

by the nine major stars of the constellation Cetus (the whale) in recognition of the International Year of the Ocean. 

The distant stars illustrate the far reaching implications of the mission science to the many sponsoring agencies, 

helping prepare for long-duration space flight aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The moon and Mars 

are depicted to reflect the crewmembers' recognition that those two celestial bodies will be the next great challenges 

in human exploration of space and represent the key role that life science research will play in supporting such 

missions. 

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, 02/2001/Page 3 

NASA PAO CONTACTS 

Shuttle Program Contacts 

Debra Rahn/Mike Braukus 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

Space Shuttle Mission 

International Cooperation 

Policy Management 

202/358-1639 

 

Ed Campion / Eileen Hawley 

 Johnson Space Center 

 Houston, TX 

Mission Operations / 

Astronauts 

281/483-5111 

 

Bruce Buckingham 

 Kennedy Space Center, FL 

Launch Processing / 

KSC Landing Info 

407/867-2468 

 

Fred Brown 

 Dryden Flight Research Center 

 Edwards, CA 

DFRC Landing Info 805/258-2663 

 

June Malone 

 Marshall Space Flight Center 

 Huntsville, AL 

External Tank / 

Solid Rocket Boosters / 

Shuttle Main Engines 

205/544-7061 

Neurolab Science Contacts 

Mike Braukus 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

Policy/Mgmt 202/358-1979 

 

Ann Hutchison, Linda Matthews 

 Johnson Space Center 

 Houston, TX 

Science Payloads 281/483-5111 

 

Laura Lewis 

 Ames Research Center 

 Moffett Field, CA 

Animal Experiments 650/604-2162 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 4 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

GENERAL MISSION INFORMATION 

General Press Release 5 

Media Services Information 7 

STS-90 Quick Look Facts 8 

Crew Responsibilities 9 

Orbital Events Summary 10 

Development Test Objectives (DTOs) / Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) 11 

Payload and Vehicle Weights 12 

Mission Summary Timeline 13 

Shuttle Abort Modes 14 

NEUROLAB 15 

Neurolab Overview 15 

Autonomic Nervous System Team 16 

Sensory Motor Performance Team 18 

Vestibular Team 20 

Sleep Team 21 

Mammalian Development Team 22 

Neuronal Plasticity Team 25 

Aquatic Team 27 

Neurobiology Team 29 

Science Glossary 30 

STS-90 SMALL PAYLOADS 

Shuttle Vibration Forces 33 

Get Away Specials (GAS) 33 

BIOREACTOR DEMONSTRATION SYSTEM (BDS) 35 

STS-90 CREW BIOGRAPHIES 36 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE: J98-9 

LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS STS-90 NEUROLAB MISSION 

An upcoming two week plus stay in Earth orbit will give seven NASA astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia 

the opportunity to focus on the most complex and least understood part of the human body, the nervous system, 

during the STS-90 Neurolab mission. 

The STS-90 crew will be commanded by Richard A. Searfoss, who will be making his third Shuttle flight. The pilot, 

Scott D. Altman, will be making his first flight. There are three mission specialists assigned to this flight. Richard 

M. Linnehan, serving as the Payload Commander and Mission Specialist-1, is making his second flight. Mission 

Specialist-2 Kathryn P. (Kay) Hire is making her first flight. Dafydd (Dave) Rhys Williams from the Canadian 

Space Agency will serve as Mission Specialist-3 and is making his first flight. Two payload specialist round out the 

STS-90 crew. Jay Clark Buckey Jr. will serve as Payload Specialist-1 and James A. (Jim) Pawelczyk will be Payload 

Specialist-2. Both Buckey and Pawelczyk are making their first space flight. 

Columbia is targeted for launch on April 16, 1998 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-B. The 

2 _ hour available launch window opens at 2:19 p.m. Eastern. The STS-90 mission is scheduled to last 15 days, 21 

hours, 50 minutes. However, mission managers are reserving an option of extending the flight one additional day for 

science operations if Shuttle electrical power margins permit. A launch on April 16 and a 16 or 17 day nominal 

mission being flown would have Columbia landing back at Kennedy Space Center on May 2 or May 3. 

During the mission, the crew will perform their studies in the Spacelab module being carried in Columbia's payload 

bay. The Spacelab will provide the astronauts a working research laboratory with living conditions similar to those 

on Earth, but with one key difference: microgravity. 

The prime mission objective for the STS-90 Neurolab mission is to conduct research that will contribute to a better 

understanding of the human nervous system. Made up of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory organs, this 

system faces major challenges in microgravity. The nervous system controls blood pressure, maintains balance, 

coordinates movements, and regulates sleep -- areas that are all affected by space flight. 

Since this flight focuses on basic research questions in neuroscience, the mission will provide a unique contribution 

to the study and treatment of neurological diseases and disorders. While the foremost goal of Neurolab is to expand 

our understanding of how the nervous system develops and functions in space, the research will also increase our 

knowledge of how this system develops and functions on Earth. 

International agencies, including the Canadian Space Agency, French Space Agency, German Space Agency, 

European Space Agency and Japanese Space Agency, are partners with NASA for the Neurolab mission. They have 

provided flight and ground hardware for various research experiments and will support investigations from their 

respective countries. 

On the flight, the crew will serve as both experiment subjects and operators. STS-90 crewmembers will work with a 

wide array of biomedical instrumentation, including some instruments and devices developed especially for the 

mission. The crew will not be the only living things on board; Neurolab will also carry rats, mice, two kinds of fish, 

snails, and crickets into space. 

Neurolab has a significant place in NASA's long-range plans. Long-duration space flights will become common as 

the International Space Station is built and occupied. This makes an understanding of how the human body functions 

in microgravity essential. Neurolab is expected to contribute key answers, clarifying the requirements for our future 

residency on the International Space Station and for aiding research on Earth. 

Also flying in Columbia's payload bay will be several small canisters called Hitchhiker and Get Away Special 

(GAS) payloads. 

The Hitchhiker payload involves the Shuttle Vibration Forces (SVF) experiment which will make the first of two 

flights on STS- 90 and will measure the dynamic forces acting between the Space Shuttle and a canister attached to 

the Shuttle sidewall. The SVF experiment will provide measurements of the dynamic forces acting on Shuttle 

equipment and will enable NASA to fly more sophisticated equipment on the Shuttle, at less cost. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 6 

The three GAS payloads on STS-90 have a variety of objectives. One involves an experiment featuring the world's 

smallest version of a new type of refrigerator. Known as the pulse tube refrigerator, this experiment will demonstrate 

the pulse tube cooling technology in the zero gravity environment of space. Pulse Tube refrigerators, or cryocoolers, 

can be used to cool infrared sensors and other devices used in space based research studies of the temperature 

variations in the atmosphere and oceans, the understanding of the ozone hole, global warming and long range 

weather forecasting. 

The second GAS payload, developed by students at the University of Colorado, Boulder will analyze the gentle 

collisions of dust particles in space which may shed new light on the sources of dust in planetary rings. The 

evolution of planetary rings is controlled by collisions between ring particles. These collisions are slow and gentle. 

Some dust is released when larger particles collide, resulting in dust rings and in the loss of orbital energy of the 

larger particles. The gravity of the large particles is small, so the phenomenon of dust release in gentle collisions 

between these particles requires a microgravity environment. Although dust is present in the rings of the four 

gaseous giant planets, how dust is knocked off larger ring particles a meter or more across during their continuous 

collisions with each other remains a mystery. 

The final GAS payload is from Sierra College in Rocklin, CA and the objective of this experiment is to take ozone 

measurements of the Earth's upper atmosphere in the ultraviolet 200 nanometer to 400 nanometer spectral range 

using a Charge Coupled Device based spectrometer. The spectrometer will autonomously begin taking data when 

the Earth is in the instrument field of view as detected by ultraviolet intensity. 

STS-90 will be the 25th flight of Columbia and the 90th mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program 

in April 1981. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 7 

MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION 

NASA Television Transmission 

NASA Television is available through the GE2 satellite system which is located on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees west 

longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. 

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for mission briefings will be available during the mission at 

Kennedy Space Center, FL; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA; 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; and NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The television schedule will be updated to 

reflect changes dictated by mission operations. 

Status Reports 

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

NASA newscenter. 

Briefings 

A mission press briefing schedule will be issued before launch. During the mission, status briefings by a flight director or mission 

operations representative and when appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur at least once each day. The 

updated NASA television schedule will indicate when mission briefings are planned. 

Internet Information 

Information on STS-90 is available through several sources on the Internet. The primary source for mission information is the 

NASA Shuttle Web, part of the World Wide Web. This site contains information on the crew and its mission and will be 

regularly updated with status reports, photos and video clips throughout the flight. The NASA Shuttle Web's address is: 

http://shuttle.nasa.gov 

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

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

Detailed information on the science operations and objectives associated with the STS-90 mission can be found at the Neurolab 

Home Page: 

http://neurolab.jsc.nasa.gov 

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

Page: 

http://www.nasa.gov or http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/index.html 

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

http://www.nasa.gov/today.html 

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

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

NASA Spacelink, a resource for educators, also provides mission information via the Internet. Spacelink may be accessed at the 

following address: 

http://spacelink.nasa.gov 

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. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 8 

STS-90 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date/Site: April 16, 1998/KSC Launch Pad 39-B 

Launch Time: 2:19 P.M. EDT 

Launch Window: 2 hours, 30 minutes 

Orbiter: Columbia, (OV-102), 25th flight 

Orbit Altitude/Inclination: 150 nautical miles / 39 degrees 

Mission Duration: 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes 

Landing Date: May 2, 1998 

Landing Time: 12:09 P.M. EDT 

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site: KSC 

Transoceanic Abort Sites: Ben Guerir, Morocco 

Zaragoza, Spain Moron, Spain 

Abort-Once Around: Edwards Air Force Base, CA 

Crew: Rick Searfoss, Commander (CDR), 3rd flight 

Scott Altman, Pilot (PLT), 1st flight 

Rick Linnehan, Payload Commander, 2nd flight 

Kay Hire, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2), 1st flight 

Dafydd (Dave) Williams, Mission Spec. 3 (MS 3), 1st flight 

Jay Buckey, Payload Specialist 1 (PS 1), 1st flight 

James Pawelczyk, Payload Specialist 2 (PS 2), 1st flight 

EVA Crewmembers: Rick Linnehan (EV 1), Dave Williams (EV 2) (if required) 

Cargo Bay Payloads: Neurolab 

Getaway Special Canisters 

In-Cabin Payloads: Bioreactor Demonstration Test-04 

Shuttle Vibration Forces 
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CREW RESPONSIBILITIES 

Payloads Prime Backup 

 

Spacelab Systems Linnehan Others 

Spacelab Science Linnehan Others 

EVA Linnehan (EV 1) Williams (EV 2) 

Intravehicular Crewmember Hire ------ 

Earth Observations Altman Searfoss 

Ascent Seat on Flight Deck Williams ------ 

Entry Seat on Flight Deck Linnehan ------ 
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STS-90 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY 

(based on an April 16, 1998 Launch) 

Event MET Time of Day (EDT) 

 

Launch 0/00:00 2:19 PM, April 16 

 

Spacelab Activation 0/01:45 4:04 PM, April 16 

 

Crew News Conference 9/19:50 10:09 AM, April 26 

 

Spacelab Deactivation 14/23:40 1:59 PM, May 1 

 

KSC Landing 15/21:50 12:09 PM, May 2 
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DEVELOPMENTAL TEST OBJECTIVES/ 

DETAILED SUPPLEMENTARY OBJECTIVES 

DTO 623: Cabin Air Monitoring 

DTO 667: Portable In-flight Landing Operations Trainer (PILOT) 

DTO 700-16: S-Band Sequential Still Video (SSV) Demonstration 

DSO 331: LES and Sustained Weightlessness on Egress Locomotion 

DSO 497: Effects of Microgravity on Cell Mediated Immunity and Reaction of Latent Viral Infections 

DSO 904: Assessment of Human Factors 
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PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS 

 Pounds

 

Orbiter (Columbia) empty and 3 SSMEs 187,646 

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition 4,523,513 

Orbiter Weight at Landing with Cargo 232,500 

Spacelab Module 23,783 
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MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE 

Flight Day 1 

Launch/Ascent 

OMS-2 Burn 

Payload Bay Door Opening 

Spacelab Activation 

Neurolab Science 

Flight Day 2-15 

Neurolab Science 

(Off Duty Periods on Flight Days 5 and 10; Crew News Conference on Flight Day 11) 

Flight Day 16 

Flight Control System Checkout 

Reaction Control System Hot-Fire 

Cabin Stowage 

Spacelab Deactivation 

Flight Day 17 

Payload Bay Door Closing 

Deorbit Burn 

KSC Landing 
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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-90 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 Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 

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

force a landing at either Zaragoza or Moron in Spain or Ben Guerir in Morocco. 

• 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. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 15 

NEUROLAB MISSION 

Neurolab Overview 

Neurolab, a NASA research mission dedicated to the study of life sciences, focuses on the most complex and least 

understood part of the human body, the nervous system. Made up of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory 

organs, this system faces major challenges in space. The nervous system controls blood pressure, maintains balance, 

coordinates movements, and regulates sleep- areas that are all affected by space flight. 

During the 16-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, the 7-member crew will perform their studies in the 

Spacelab module. The Spacelab, an internationally developed science module developed by the European Space 

Agency (ESA), is connected to the middeck of the Space Shuttle by a tunnel and provides a laboratory with living 

conditions similar to those on Earth, but with one key difference: microgravity. 

On the flight, the Neurolab crew will serve as both experiment subjects and operators. Crewmembers will work with 

a wide array of biomedical instrumentation, including some instruments and devices developed especially for the 

mission. The crew will not be the only living things on board; Neurolab will also carry rats, mice, fish, snails, and 

crickets into space. 

The experiments have been grouped into eight teams. Four teams (with a combined total of 11 experiments) will use 

crewmembers as subjects, and 4 teams (with 15 experiments) will study research animals. The teams studying 

human subjects are the Autonomic Nervous System, Sensory Motor and Performance, Vestibular, and Sleep teams. 

Teams with animal subjects are the Neuronal Plasticity, Mammalian Development, Aquatic, and Neurobiology 

teams. 

Since Neurolab focuses on basic research questions in neuroscience, the mission will provide a unique contribution 

to the study and treatment of neurological diseases and disorders. While the foremost goal of Neurolab is to expand 

our understanding of how the nervous system develops and functions in space, the research will also increase our 

knowledge of how this system develops and functions on Earth. 

At the beginning of this decade, the U.S. Congress and the President designated the 1990's as the "Decade of the 

Brain" to recognize advances in our understanding of the basic structure and function of the brain. NIH, the National 

Institute of Health, partnered with NASA in the early development of the concept and selection of mission 

investigations. The NIH Institute Partners, together with the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval 

Research, support the scientific experiments as having important implications for health and quality of life for 

people on Earth. 

International agencies, including the Canadian Space Agency, French Space Agency, German Space Agency, 

European Space Agency and Japanese Space Agency, have also partnered with NASA from the beginning. They 

provide flight and ground hardware for Neurolab experiments and support investigations from their respective 

countries. 

Over 37 years of human spaceflight data collected on how astronauts adapt to microgravity have given researchers 

the basics of space physiology. Each piece added to the space life sciences puzzle, however, presents more questions 

to be answered. For example, although all our basic movements (walking, balancing, etc.) were learned with gravity 

present, how can we adapt so quickly to function without gravity? How do gravity-sensitive parts of the body like 

the inner ear, cardiovascular system, and muscles learn to cope without gravity? Why are sleep and biological 

rhythms changed in space? Will inner ears that developed in space function the same as those that developed on 

Earth? Must gravity be present at the point in life when basic skills like walking are usually learned? These 

questions will be answered by taking measurements on the crew and on the research animals before, during, and 

after the flight. 

Neurolab has a significant place in NASA's long-range plans. Long-duration space flights will become common as 

the International Space Station is built and occupied. This makes an understanding of how the human body functions 

in microgravity essential. Neurolab is expected to contribute key answers, clarifying the requirements for our future 

residency on the International Space Station and for aiding research on Earth. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 16 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Autonomic Nervous System Team 

An elderly man stands up quickly after awakening, feels dizzy, and falls. A fighter pilot forces his plane into a tight 

turn and nearly passes out. What links these two causes? In both situations the cardiovascular system (the heart and 

blood vessels) is stressed by gravity. Since the head is above the heart when we stand or sit, the cardiovascular 

system must work against gravity to maintain blood flow to the brain. A person whose cardiovascular system is 

having trouble providing blood flow to the brain when standing is said to have orthostatic intolerance. 

Why is orthostatic intolerance a concern for Neurolab? Once back on Earth, astronauts also experience orthostatic 

intolerance. Results from experiments carried out on previous life sciences Spacelab missions show that while all 

crew-members could easily stand quietly for 10 minutes before flight, after flight 60 percent needed to sit down 

before the 10 minutes were up. Some showed significant decreases in blood pressure, while others needed to sit 

despite an apparently normal, though low, blood pressure. The Autonomic Nervous System Team on Neurolab 

wants to uncover what changes in the control of blood pressure during space flight lead to the problems astronauts 

encounter after flight. 

Artificial Neural Networks and Cardiovascular Regulation 

Experiment No. 081 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Friedhelm J. Baisch, M.D., DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Germany 

Integration of Neural Cardiovascular Control in Space 

Experiment No. 294 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: C. Gunnar Blomqvist, M.D., Ph.D., Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 

Dallas, TX, USA 

Autonomic Neuroplasticity in Weightlessness 

Experiment No. 049 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Dwain L. Eckberg, M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA 

Autonomic Neurophysiology in Microgravity 

Experiment No. 095 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: David Robertson, M.D., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA 

The Autonomic Nervous System team will investigate the nervous system's control of cardiovascular function in the 

human body in microgravity. On Neurolab, crewmembers will carry out a set of tests to learn how the 

cardiovascular system changes during spaceflight. In addition to blood pressure, blood flow to the brain will be 

estimated. High frequency sound waves are used to show how blood flow to the brain is regulated. This is important 

because not all people who have orthostatic intolerance after space flight experience a drop in blood pressure. They 

may have a problem with the control of brain blood flow. 

Another innovative technique is called microneurography. A small needle (the size of an acupuncture needle) is 

placed in a nerve just below the knee. The nerve signals traveling from the brain to the blood vessels can then be 

measured directly, letting us know how the autonomic nervous system is functioning. 

The measurements are made while the autonomic nervous system is challenged by a variety of tests. The controlled 

frequency breathing test allows for the natural fluctuations in the control of blood pressure to be measured precisely. 

The Valsalva maneuver test stimulates the pressure receptors in the neck and chest and measures the responses. The 

Lower Body Negative Pressure test places a stress on the cardiovascular system, very similar to the stress 

experienced when standing in Earth's gravity. The cold pressor and hand grip tests activate the blood pressure 

control system and raise blood pressure by different methods. The cuff occlusion tests and body impedance 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 17 

measurements show fluid distribution in the body and how this contributes to problems in blood pressure control. 

The part of the autonomic system that may be functioning improperly can be located, once test results are evaluated. 

Earth Benefits - On Neurolab, the control of blood pressure is a major focus of the mission. It is estimated that over 

one- half million Americans suffer from disorders of autonomic blood pressure control. Data from Neurolab studies 

can provide insight into orthostatic intolerance syndromes, similar to those observed in astronauts after space flight. 

Therapy developed from the results of these studies could improve treatment of affected patients here on Earth. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 18 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Sensory Motor Performance Team 

On Earth, when humans make simple, everyday movements like pointing or catching a ball, the nervous system 

takes gravity into account. The brain processes information from the eyes and inner ear, as well as from nerves in 

the joints and muscles, to make smooth, accurate movements. In space, the inner ear no longer provides the brain 

with useful information about 'up' or 'down.' The nerves in the joints are sensing the movements of weightless limbs. 

The nervous system must adapt so astronauts can function effectively. 

The Sensory Motor and Performance Team want to measure this adaptation and understand how it takes place. How 

does a simple task like catching a ball change without the influence of gravity? Will the muscles tense and prepare 

for a falling ball prematurely, based on experience in Earth's gravity? Or will the system accommodate the change 

rapidly? Will vision become more important in determining body position since cues from the inner ear are no 

longer present? Previous space flights have shown that crewmembers can experience visual illusions in spaceparticularly when determining what is "up" and what is "down." Is "down" always where the brain determines the 

"floor" to be? Without gravity as a guide, the brain can interpret a floor as a ceiling or vice versa. 

Frames of Reference and Internal Models 

Experiment No. 111 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Alain Berthoz, Ph.D., LPPA CNRS/College de France, Paris, France 

A simple, but effective, ball catching experiment tests the ability of the Central Nervous System (CNS) to accept 

and interpret new stimuli in space. The experiment uses the Kinelite system, an apparatus developed by the Centre 

National d'Etudes Spatiales (French Space Agency-CNES).A seated astronaut will catch a ball released from a 

spring-loaded device that propels the ball from overhead "downward" to the astronaut. The ball travels with a 

constant velocity compared to the constant acceleration that would occur on Earth. As the astronaut reaches out to 

catch the ball, the system captures three-dimensional images of the moving hand and arm, and simultaneously 

measures the electrical activity of the arm muscles. The test is repeated with the ball "falling" at varying speeds. 

Earth Benefits - In space, the experiment can tell us if the astronauts adapt rapidly and use vision to compensate for 

the missing gravity cues, or if they have to take time to relearn this simple task. On Earth, this ball-catching 

experiment can be used to study individuals with neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, basal ganglia 

disorders, or cerebellar deficiency The experiment could also be used for studying motor function development in 

children. 

Visuo-Motor Coordination during Space flight 

Experiment No. 008 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Otmar L. Bock, Ph.D., Deutsche Sporthochschule, Koeln, Germany 

How does microgravity change simple movements like grasping or pointing that on Earth require the coordination of 

the eyes and hands with gravity? The Visuo-Motor Coordination Facility (VCF) notes changes in the eye-hand 

coordination of astronauts during adaptation to microgravity. Developed by the Agence Spatiale Canadienne 

(Canadian Space Agency), the VCF projects visual targets onto a screen. As targets appear, the astronaut points at 

them as they move from place to place, grasps at them as they change in size, and tracks them as they move in a 

circle. During the test, the astronaut will wear a special glove that allows precise tracking of hand movements and 

response times. Equipped with light-emitting diodes on the fingertips, the glove provides a trail that the VCF uses to 

produce a three-dimensional recording. Motor skills demonstrated by the astronaut early, midway and late in the 

mission will be compared to record how an astronaut's nervous system adjusts to space flight. 

Earth Benefits - New methods for programming the movements of robots were generated during the development of 

the VCF experiment. These methods could eventually improve the capacity of robots to perform complex tasks. 

Experiment results can also help the development of new methods for evaluating a patient's ability to use visual and 

pressure cues. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 19 

Role of Visual Cues in Spatial Orientation 

Experiment No. 136 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Charles M Oman, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA 

NASA's Virtual Environment Generator (VEG) is used to discover how the balance between visual and vestibular 

cues shifts toward the visual system in weightlessness. The VEG is a head-mounted display that shows computer 

generated virtual reality scenes generated by a three-dimensional graphics computer. The VEG also tracks the 

motion of the head, so scenes that are displayed appear stable when the head moves. The study looks at how 

astronauts use vision, the vestibular organs of the inner ear, and pressure cues to determine where they are and what 

they are looking at while in space. 

The astronauts participating in three experiments will: 1. investigate how visual scene content and symmetry 

influence their perception of up or down 2. determine how quickly a moving visual scene produces the illusion of 

self-motion. 3. explore how the direction of perceived "down" changes their ability to recognize shapes and 

shadows. 

Earth Benefits - Portable head-mounted virtual reality displays such as the one developed for this Neurolab 

experiment can be useful by providing visual prostheses for individuals with vestibular impairment. Study results 

can help in the design of flight simulator and virtual reality vision systems. Additional information on this 

experiment is available at the following web site - http://lslife.jsc.nasa.gov/ipdl/VEGhome.html 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 20 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Vestibular Team 

The Space Shuttle commander brings the orbiter to a smooth landing. The crew now feels gravity for the first time in 

days, perhaps weeks. They may feel unsteady on their feet and have trouble with balance. Simple tasks like walking 

down stairs or turning corners now may be difficult. The crew is experiencing the consequences of a successful 

adaptation to space. Their symptoms persist until their vestibular system -- the balance organs in the ear and all the 

connections they make to the eyes, brain, and muscles -- readapt to Earth. 

What changes have taken place in the inner ear? How has the brain learned to ignore some information form the 

inner ear and reinterpret other signals to allow the astronaut to be productive in space? Special techniques are 

necessary to answer these questions. The inner ear resides in the densest bone in the body and does not give up its 

secrets easily. On Neurolab, the vestibular team will use noninvasive, but powerful, techniques to bring those 

answers to light. 

Earth Benefits - Clinical tests of inner ear function often measure eye movements in only two directions: up-down 

and right- left. The eye movement system developed for Neurolab by the European Space Agency allows for 

measuring eye movements in all directions, allowing for more sensitive tests of inner ear performance. Experiment 

results may also contribute to the design of more effective rehabilitation procedures for patients with severe inner 

ear diseases. 

Visual-Otolithic Interactions in Microgravity 

Experiment No. 126 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: G. R. Clement, Ph.D., CNRS/College de France, Paris, France 

Spatial Orientation of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex 

Experiment No. 047 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: B. Cohen, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA 

These two tightly integrated investigations study the human vestibular system outside of Earth's gravity. On 

Neurolab, crewmembers acting as both operators and subjects use an off-axis rotator ("rotating chair") developed by 

the European Space Agency (ESA) to stimulate the human vestibular system with both spinning and tilting 

sensations. Infrared video cameras observe and capture the eye movements that accompany the exercise. 

As the centrifuge rotates at 45 rpm (to mimic the force of Earth's gravity), subjects seated on the rotator chair will 

initially feel rotation. This feeling quickly disappears after a few minutes. Crewmembers cannot see that they are 

rotating since the display seals out light from the Spacelab. Instead, they must depend on signals from their inner ear 

to sense motion. While the inner ear is very good at sensing the beginning or end of rotation (acceleration and 

deceleration), spinning at a constant rotation produces the same sensation as sitting still-with one key difference. On 

the rotating chair, a constant rotation while in space (i.e., without Earth's gravity pull) stimulates the inner ear the 

same way tilting to one side does in Earth's gravity. So, while rotating seated, the crewmembers experience not 

rotation, but tilt. Scientists believe, however, that in space the brain will reinterpret the information it receives from 

the inner ear and any changes in vestibular system response will be reflected in the eye movements. 

Eye movements when watching moving stripes have been shown to reflect the presence of gravity. In space, the 

astronauts will look at striped patterns while rotating in the chair. Measuring eye movements can provide 

investigators information about how the spatial orientation of the astronauts changes and how the vestibular system 

is working in space. Test results taken during Neurolab will be compared with those before and after flight to 

provide scientists an understanding of how the brain in space reinterprets vestibular system data. 

Additional information is available from the following web sites - 

http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/cercoweb.htm 

And 

http://www.mssm.edu/ophth/mshneuro.html 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 21 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Sleep Team 

Astronauts often sleep poorly on Space Shuttle missions. Crewmembers on Shuttle missions have reported an 

average sleep period of 5 to 6 hours, compared with the typical period of 7 to 8 hours on Earth. Some sleeping 

difficulties are expected, as astronauts often work in shifts to handle full mission schedules. There is little privacy, 

quarters are confined, and noises or other interruptions may occur. One survey shows that more than 50 percent of 

crewmembers use sleeping medication at some point during a mission. 

Crewmembers also face the cumulative effects of sleep loss or the carry-over effects of a sleeping pill-a 

deterioration in alertness and cognitive performance during the active hours of the workday. Although sleep 

difficulty in space has been studied before, a clear understanding of the problem, as well as a solution, remain as 

missing pieces in the puzzle of how the body works in space. With frequent extended missions and the advent of the 

Space Station on the horizon, the issue becomes even more important. 

The team will evaluate the normal sleep patterns of crew members before, during and after space flight to identify 

the factors which contribute to sleep disturbances associated with space flight. Included in these studies is the use of 

melatonin as a hypnotic agent for the treatment of sleep disturbances that occur during space flight, and the potential 

improvement of mood and performance of the crewmembers receiving melatonin as compared to receiving a 

placebo. The team will also examine crew respiration both during sleep and wakefulness. 

Sleep and Respiration in Microgravity 

Experiment No. 198 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: John B. West, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Univ. of Calif. at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA 

Clinical Trial of Melatonin as Hypnotic for Neurolab Crew 

Experiment No. 104 Subject: Humans 

Principal Investigator: Dr. C. Czeisler, M.D., Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital, MA, USA 

Earth Benefits - The Neurolab sleep studies benefit not only astronauts but Earth-based individuals too. The studies 

will help individuals with a high incidence of insomnia, such as shift workers, the elderly, and people traveling 

across time zones. The sleep studies have also resulted in technical advancements. A new portable system for 

recording sleep and respiration during space flight has been developed for the Neurolab mission that will allow 

sophisticated sleep studies to be performed at home, rather than in hospital diagnostic sleep laboratories. For 

additional experiment information, consult the following web site - 

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/phys/nasalab/neurolab.html 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 22 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Mammalian Development Team 

A surgeon successfully removes a cataract from one eye of a 50-year-old man who has been blind since birth 

because of cataracts. When the bandages are removed, an examination reveals that the eye functions acceptably, 

and, more importantly, the overjoyed patient announces he can see. It soon becomes apparent, however that what the 

patient sees is strikingly different from what would be seen by a person with normal vision. For example, he cannot 

perceive size or distance. He cannot identify a face until he hears the voice to which it belongs. He sees colors and 

shapes, but they confuse him. What he sees makes no sense. A second operation removes the cataract from the other 

eye, but his vision does not improve. 

Why can't the patient see? Neuroscientists find increasing evidence that if the nervous system is not exposed to 

normal forms of stimuli, such as vision, at specific periods during development, the nervous system will not develop 

properly. In the case mentioned above, the patient's eyes functioned well; however, with out the stimulation 

normally experienced in early childhood, the visual cortex remained underdeveloped. The eyes could see, but the 

brain did not get the message. 

Experiments on previous space life sciences missions indicate that gravity, an ever-present stimulus in our 

environment on earth, may also be essential to normal development. For example, in microgravity, quail chicks 

failed to develop the necessary motor skills for feeding themselves. Gravity isn't essential to all development, 

however. Tadpoles that hatch and develop in microgravity show normal swimming behavior. 

The identification of "sensitive" and "critical" periods of development will add a vital piece to the life sciences 

puzzle. On Neurolab, in a series of experiments that can be performed only with out the influence of gravity, 

investigators will study the development of muscles, the vestibular system, the cardiovascular system, and many 

parts of the brain. The Mammalian Development Team will use rats and mice at various stages of development. 

The aim of these experiments is to provide information for understanding the effects of space flight on the normal 

development of the nervous system. The series of experiments will use anatomical, physiological, molecular, 

electrophysiological, behavioral and biochemical approaches to investigate the processes crucial for central nervous 

system development from shortly after the closure of the neural tube through the establishment of complex 

behaviors. 

Earth Benefit - Just as we have the ability at birth to learn whatever language we are exposed to, we may also have 

the ability to adapt to whatever gravitational field we experience in early life. These abilities often exist only during 

a "critical period". Afterward, our potential is limited. Understanding the nature of these critical periods is important 

in pediatrics. 

Knowledge of the critical period for developing normal vision has already changed how strabismus ("lazy eye") is 

treated in children. The Neurolab mammalian development experiments will expand this knowledge to the control of 

movement, regulation of blood pressure and maintaining balance. The experiments explore the great potential of our 

nervous system to adapt to whatever environmental conditions are found at birth. Information from these studies can 

also be applied to the development of treatments for individuals suffering from childhood neuromuscular diseases, 

such as muscular dystrophy, or from sustained trauma to their nerves, muscles or spinal cord. 

Neuro-Thyroid Interaction on Skeletal Isomyosin Expression in 0 g 

Experiment No. 103 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Kenneth Baldwin, Ph.D., University of California College of Medicine at Irvine, 

Irvine, CA, USA 

Experiment E103 will use developing rats to examine the interactive role of gravity and thyroid hormone in the 

production of special muscle proteins called myosin. On Earth, both gravity and thyroid hormone influence the type 

of myosin that is expressed, or present, in muscles. Weight-bearing muscles used to constantly support the body 

against the pull of gravity have more "slow" myosin than muscles used for primarily for short bursts of activity. 

Muscles which are more sensitive to thyroid hormone have more "fast" myosin. 

The Principal Investigator predicts that young rats that develop in space without gravity will have more "fast" 

myosin in the weight-bearing muscles than those that develop on Earth. He hypothesizes that without gravity these 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 23 

muscles become more sensitive to the presence of thyroid hormone and further predicts that reducing the amount of 

this hormone will reduce the amount of "fast" myosin present. These theories will be tested by comparing the 

development in space and on the ground of rats with normal and deficient levels of thyroid hormones. The 

investigator is also interested in learning if there is a critical period for muscle development during which the 

changes caused by microgravity cannot be reversed once the animal returns to Earth. 

Earth Benefits - Exposure to the space environment leads to muscle atrophy (wasting) similar to that seen during 

prolonged periods of bedrest or during certain diseases. Better understanding of how gravity impacts important 

developmental and maturation processes in muscles could provide insights that could prevent muscle wasting for 

bed ridden patients or lead to treatments of muscle wasting diseases on Earth. 

Neuronal Development Under Conditions of Space Flight 

Experiment No. 93 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Kenneth S. Kosik, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA 

It is well known that the proper development of the nervous system requires sensory input. Experiment 123 is 

designed to determine whether the sensory information provided by gravity after birth is necessary for the 

development of spatial ability. Spatial ability is the ability to know where we are in relation to our environment . 

The first step in answering this question is to study how exposure to microgravity affects the structure and function 

of brain areas, particularly the hippocampus, involved in spatial memory. 

To complete this study, young rats in two age groups (eight or 14 days of age at launch) undergoing critical periods 

of development will either fly in space or remain on the ground. Following the mission, tissue from the brain will be 

collected and the number of synapses (communication structures between nerve cells) found in the hippocampus 

will be compared between the flight and ground-based control animals. The expression, or presence, of certain key 

molecules that appear in the mature brain will also be measured to see how the chemical function of the brain may 

have changed as a result of spaceflight. In addition, after recovery, the rats' ability to acquire spatial memory will be 

tested by teaching them to run a maze and the physiology of their hippocampal cells will be studied by recording 

their electrical activity. 

Earth Benefits - This investigation will provide insights into early brain development. An enhanced understanding of 

early brain development is crucial to providing infants and children an environment which allows the brain to attain 

its maximum capacity. Applications to current pressing medical conditions are also expected because spatial ability 

is frequently affected in a variety of brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and stroke. 

Reduced Gravity: Effects in the Developing Nervous System 

Experiment No. 93 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Richard S. Nowakowski, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New York, USA 

Proliferation of nerve cells through a well-choreographed series of "birthdays" and subsequent cell migrations is a 

necessary process for normal brain development. Experiment E093 will study this process in space to determine if 

gravity is required for normal brain development. 

For this experiment, the investigator is focusing on the early development of the cerebral cortex in mice embryos. 

The cerebral cortex is a well-studied structure for which there is a great deal known about normal development. 

During the investigation, two markers of cell proliferation will be used to: 1) label the cerebral cortex nerve cells at 

their "birth" and 2) to follow them as they migrate through the developing brain. The development that occurs in 

space will be compared with that of normal development that occurs on the ground. Understanding whether the 

brain can develop normally in space will be critical to determining if colonization of space - where animals may 

need to be produced for food and people may be born - is possible. 

Although mice are the most commonly used research model on the ground, Neurolab is the first time that they have 

been flown on the Space Shuttle (Rats, however, have been used in on-orbit shuttle mission experiments before). 

The pregnant animals used in this study will be housed in an Animal Enclosure Module (AEM) placed in the 

middeck area of the Shuttle. The AEM, built by NASA Ames Research Center, has been specially modified for 

Neurolab to allow the crew to access the animals as required to complete this research. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 24 

Microgravity and Development of Vestibular Circuits 

Experiment No. 143 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Jacqueline Raymond, University de Montpellier II, Montpellier, France 

Neuroscientists are finding increasing evidence that if the nervous system is not exposed to normal forms of 

stimulation at specific, critical periods of development, it will not develop properly. Experiment 143 will determine 

if exposure to gravity is a required form of stimulation for development of normal structure and function of the 

vestibular system. The vestibular system is responsible for helping animals and people maintain their balance. 

To complete this study, tissue will be collected at several time points during and following the mission from young 

rats in two age groups (eight or 14 days of age at launch), either exposed to space or remaining on the ground. The 

interval between launch and landing represents a critical developmental period for the animals that is marked by 

rapid neural and motor development. The investigator anticipates that animals developing in space will not develop 

normally when compared with those on the ground, and that younger animals will show greater affects of exposure 

to microgravity than older animals. 

Earth Benefits - Information obtained from this study will provide greater understanding of how the vestibular 

system adapts to changing environments. This may be particularly beneficial for learning how to treat patients on 

Earth whose vestibular system may be damaged due to illness or injury. 

Effects of Microgravity on Neuromuscular Development 

Experiment No. 122 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Danny A. Riley, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA 

Experiment 122 will examine if there is a critical period when gravity is required for the normal development of 

muscles in young rats. The fundamental hypothesis is that without gravity the "anti-gravity" muscles predominantly 

used for weight-bearing will not develop normally, whereas locomotor muscles predominantly used for movement 

will. 

To test this hypothesis the development of muscles and their controlling nerve cells will be monitored in young rats 

either flown in space or maintained on the ground over the duration of the mission. At several time-points during 

and after the mission an anti-gravity muscle, the soleus, and a locomotor muscle, the extensor digitorum longus will 

be injected with a fluorescent label. The label will be transported to the spinal cord nerve cells and then the muscles 

and spinal cord will be collected. The investigator predicts that in the absence of gravity the soleus muscle will have 

motoneurons and muscle fibers that are smaller than normal, that the motoneurons will show reduced levels of key 

metabolic enzymes, and that muscle fibers will express proteins characteristic of immature fibers. He also predicts 

that the effects of spaceflight will persist into adulthood. 

Earth Benefits - Results from this study will have strong implications for rearing normal animals, including humans, 

in the microgravity environment of space, and will further our understanding of the importance of weight bearing 

activity for motor system development of human infants on Earth. Premature infants, living in incubators, are 

deprived of exercising their legs against the uterine wall, and infants may have diseases that limit normal weight 

bearing activity. To what degree compromised weight bearing delays or permanently alters normal neuromuscular 

development is unknown. The studies of neonatal rats will provide valuable insights into the role of gravity in the 

development process and if appropriate, may indicate exercise procedures to promote normal development in 

compromised infants. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 25 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Neuronal Plasticity Team

Life evolved in earth's gravitational field, and animals learn tasks, such as walking, under the force of gravity. When 

the gravity load is reduced, as it is in space, the nervous system is challenged. The inner ear, which senses gravity, 

no longer provides meaningful information identifying "up" or "down." Because the body is weightless, nerves in 

the joints no longer sense the weight of a limb. When a person is floating, walking is not necessary, and maintaining 

balance is not important. The brain must relearn many tasks to compensate for this new environment. The fact that 

people can function well in space shows that the nervous system can compensate effectively. This is accomplished 

through neuronal plasticity, a phenomenon in which neurons react to changed conditions by making new 

connections or using existing connections in different ways. At the cellular level, neuronal plasticity is learning. 

How plasticity takes place is a significant question in neuroscience. On Neurolab, investigators will study neuronal 

plasticity to understand how balance, daily rhythms (such as sleep/wake cycles), and the control of movement 

change in microgravity. Using rats as subjects, Neurolab investigators will explore how learning occurs in space by 

measuring changes that take place in the central nervous system. The science in this team will examine the neural 

and physiological changes during and following space flight to address the response of the adult rodent central 

nervous system to altered gravity. 

Earth Benefits - Experiments on vestibular adaptation will yield a better understanding of balance disorders, which 

affect more than 90 million Americans. Experiments on circadian rhythms could yield valuable data to researchers 

seeking the causes of jet lag, insomnia and mental disorders such as winter depression. This data is also applicable to 

aging populations and shift workers, both of whom experience changes in circadian rhythms. Reconstructing the 

images from one of these experiments has already led to the development of a Biocomputation Center at the Ames 

Research Center. The computers there now are also being used to develop vital surgery techniques, a key application 

and NASA spin-off for the three-dimensional reconstruction software developed there. 

CNS Control of Rhythms and Homeostasis During Spaceflight 

Experiment No. 132 Subjects: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Charles Fuller, Ph.D., University California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA 

Several body systems show a natural daily, or circadian rhythm that is synchronized with the 24-hour day. The goal 

of the E132 flight experiment is to determine how space flight affects the timing and intensity of circadian rhythms 

of body temperature, heart rate, and activity in rats exposed to different light cycles. The effects of space flight on 

the neurons in the brain that make up the circadian clock will also be observed by measuring immediate early gene 

(IEG) activation in response to light/dark stimuli. IEGs, a newly-discovered class of intracellular messengers that 

contain instructions for the production of proteins, come in several forms. On Neurolab, the investigator will focus 

on the IEGs that can serve as early markers of neuronal plasticity. By identifying the presence of these IEGs in 

microgravity, the investigator will know where in the brain plasticity - or adaptation to the new environment - is 

occurring. 

To complete this study the heart rate, body temperature and activity level of mature rats housed in the Research 

Animal Holding Facility (RAHF) under different lighting conditions will be monitored. Two times during the 

mission the animals will be given a light pulse to stimulate the production of IEG. Shortly after the light pulse is 

administered tissues will be collected to determine the presence of IEG in the brain. 

Earth Benefits - Experiments leading to greater understanding of circadian rhythms could help researchers seeking 

the causes of jet lag, insomnia and mental disorders such as winter depression. 

Anatomical Studies of Central Vestibular Adaptation 

Experiment No. 132 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Gay R. Holstein, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 

Experiment 127 will identify the structural and chemical changes that occur in the cerebellum as a result of 

adaptation to microgravity and readaptation to Earth's gravity. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that is critical 

for maintaining balance and for processing information from the limbs so that they may be moved smoothly. Upon 

entering the weightless environment of space, the gravity cues that the cerebellum relies upon to function normally 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 26 

are taken away. After an initial period of adjustment, the cerebellum learns to function in the new environment. The 

ability of the nervous system to adjust to new environments is referred to as plasticity. The studies conducted by this 

investigator will help identify the cellular bases for the plasticity that occurs in the system of balance and 

equilibrium. 

To complete these studies, the cerebella of adult rats in space and on the ground will be removed at two time-points 

during, and immediately following, the mission. The tissues collected in space will be preserved and returned to 

Earth for later analyses to determine how the structure and function of the cerebellum may have changed with short 

or longer exposures to microgravity. By comparing the tissue from ground-based rats with those obtained from rats 

during or following the mission, it will be possible to localize, characterize and quantify the site(s) and synapses 

(communication structures between nerve cells) that mediate plasticity. 

Earth Benefits - Approximately 12.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are afflicted by balance disorders, 

including vertigo and dizziness. Data from this study may provide increased understanding of the causes of balance 

disorders which, in turn, could lead to possible remedies. 

Multidisciplinary Studies of Neural Plasticity in Space 

Experiment No. 85 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Muriel D. Ross, Ph.D., NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA 

The neurovestibular system, which helps people and animals maintain balance, is very sensitive to gravity. 

Experiment 085 will employ a number of modern methods to obtain information on how spaceflight affects the 

structure and function of the neurovestibular system, particularly the gravity-sensing organs in the inner ear. 

As a result of the investigator's previous research on the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) and SLS-2 missions, 

scientists now know that the nerve cells of the inner ear experience plasticity - the ability to adapt or change 

appropriately to new environments. On Neurolab, data collected before, during and after the mission will help 

scientists to understand the implications of these changes, when they begin, and how they occur. The studies should 

also help answer the question whether readaptation to Earth is independent of, or correlated with, the length of time 

of exposure to altered gravity. 

Earth Benefits - The computer software developed by the investigator to help analyze data from space has found 

widespread application beyond the field of neuroscience. For example, the investigator is currently working with the 

Department of Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University to produce an interactive, collaborative virtual 

environment for planning of craniofacial surgeries. A pilot project involves producing computer-based 

reconstructions of the facial structure of real patients and creating a virtual environment in which the surgeon may 

simulate and plan the operation. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 27 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Aquatic Team 

How does the vestibular system adjust to the microgravity of space? Do physiological changes occur in the 

components of the gravity sensors? Are the signals sent from the inner ear to the brain altered? If alterations occur, 

does behavior change? Neurolab will seek answers to these questions through a series of experiments that focus on 

the gravity sensing system in snails and fish. 

The gravity-sensing system in vertebrates from fish to humans has the same basic structure. In humans, this system 

is a component of the inner ear. An even simpler system, which is easier to analyze and develops faster, exists in 

snails. The gravity-sensing component is lined with hair cells that send signals to the brain when they are as 

triggered. The 'triggers' are small rock-like particles of calcium carbonate, referred to the statoliths in snails and 

otoliths in fish and humans. With the tug of gravity, these triggers weigh down upon and bend different groups of 

hair cells. Activated by this 'bending,' the hair cells then send orientation signals to the brain. 

The Aquatic discipline team is made up of two investigations using aquatic species as experimental subjects. The 

investigations use different species, housed in separate facilities. 

Earth Benefits - Data from the aquatic experiments on Neurolab may disclose the mechanisms at work in various 

forms of motion sickness experienced by many people on Earth. The studies may also help explain why aging 

otoliths become smaller. Further benefits include the use and perfection of the sieve or wafer electrode that is used 

to record nerve impulses. This electrode offers potential use as a connection to the nervous system in people with 

deafness caused by hair cell damage. It also could be used as an interface to signal motor prostheses how and when 

to move. 

Chronic Recording of Otolith Nerves in Microgravity 

Experiment No. 88 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Stephen M. Highstein, Ph.D., Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, 

MO, USA 

The ability of neurons to adapt to changed environments by making new connections or using existing connections 

in different ways is referred to as "neuronal plasticity" and is of significant interest to neuroscientists. The E088 

investigation will use Oyster Toadfish (Opsanus tau) to determine if the otolith organs, which sense gravity and 

body position, experience plasticity. By studying outgoing nerve traffic from the otolith organ to the brain, the 

investigator should be able to determine the type of adaptation that occurs and the time frame over which it takes 

place. 

To collect this data, multi-channel wafer electrodes will be placed in small cuts in the nerves connecting the inner 

ear with the brain of the toadfish. The individual fibers, called axons, of the nerve will regenerate through the pores 

in the electrode to permit long-term recordings of the nerve activity. The nerve activity data will be collected and 

measured using a wireless telemetry system developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan 

(NASDA). The fish themselves will be housed in another new piece of hardware, also developed by NASDA, the 

Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU). 

Earth Benefits - Fish vestibular systems are very similar to those of other animals, including humans. By recording 

data from the nerves of the inner ears of fish, the investigator should be able to understand the changes in the same 

signals sent by the astronauts' inner ears as they adapt to microgravity. This information could shed light on the 

causes of space motion sickness experienced by astronauts and motion sickness experienced on Earth. The wafer 

electrode technology used in this experiment may have clinical applications for patients suffering from nerve 

disorders or injuries. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 28 

Development of Vestibular Organs in Microgravity 

Experiment No. 4 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Michael L. Wiederhold, Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San 

Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA 

In experiment E004, fresh-water snails (Biomphalaria glabrata ) and swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) at various 

developmental stages will be used to study how microgravity affects the formation of statoliths and otoliths, the 

dense calcium masses found in the gravity-sensing organs of snails and vertebrates (e.g., fish), respectively. 

The investigator predicts that snails developing without gravity will produce larger than normal calcium masses 

when compared to those developing on the ground. Video taken inflight and on the ground will be used to correlate 

how changes in the statoliths may affect the behavior of the snails. Tissues from some animals will be collected 

immediately following the mission, other animals will monitored for a period after the mission to see if the statoliths 

return to normal. 

Earth Benefits - These studies will offer new insight into the mechanisms controlling otolith formation and 

maintenance. Recent studies indicate that calcium loss from the otoliths may contribute to balance problems in 

elderly humans. Falls, which can be quite harmful to older individuals, are a common side effect of balance 

problems. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 29 

STS-90 - NEUROLAB 

Neurobiology Team 

In any of the experiments on Neurolab, investigators are searching for pieces to one particular space life sciences 

puzzle- the puzzle of how much of normal development is preprogrammed in genes, and how much depends on cues 

from the environment (like gravity). 

As it turns out, the familiar domestic cricket (Acheta domesticus) can help. Crickets have simple gravity sensors 

connected to a simple and well-studied nervous system. This means that development of the gravity sensors and 

connections they make to the nervous system can be studied comprehensively both with and without gravity. The 

crickets develop rapidly, making them ideal for studies on a 16-day flight. 

Also, the cricket has another sensory system located next to gravity receptors. This system is comprised of wind(or 

air current) receptors, and there is no reason to expect that these should change without gravity. So, by comparing 

the development of the gravity receptors and their connections, the effect of microgravity will be revealed. After the 

flight, the consequence of developing in space can be measured. Crickets roll their heads when tilted, and this reflex 

is activated by the gravity sensing system. By studying head rolling after the flight, investigators can measure the 

behavioral consequences of having a nervous system that was built in space. 

Development of an Insect Gravity Sensory System 

Experiment No. 89 Subject: Animals 

Principal Investigator: Eberhard R. Horn, Ph.D., University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany 

Crickets have gravity sensors, called cerci, that are connected to a simple and well-studied nervous system. 

Experiment E089 will use crickets to determine if a sensory organ known to be responsive to gravity will develop 

normally in microgravity. The investigator anticipates that during a critical period of early life, exposure to 

microgravity will interfere with the genetic program that controls the development of the gravity sensory system, 

and therefore, the systems will not develop normally. He also anticipates that normal regeneration of the gravity 

sensing system, a process readily accomplished on Earth, depends on gravity to proceed normally. 

To conduct this study, crickets at several early developmental stages (eggs and larvae) will be housed in the Botany 

Experiment Incubator (BOTEX), a special incubator developed by the German Space Agency. In the BOTEX, 

developing crickets can be placed in a rotating compartment that simulates Earth's gravity, or in containers that 

experience microgravity conditions. The development of the gravity sensors and the connections they make to the 

nervous system will be compared between the animals that experience the two different environmental conditions. 

The efficiency and accuracy of the connections that develop in space will be assessed by evaluating behavioral 

changes of the cricket and measuring the rate at which the cricket's neural pathways transmit a sensory stimulus. 

Similar tests will be used to measure the success of the regeneration experiment. 

Insects, like the cricket, offer useful model systems for the development of the nervous system because their central 

neurons can be easily identified and affects of external stimuli ascertained. The project will contribute to our 

understanding of the relative importance of the environment and how external stimuli (like gravity) can interfere 

with genetic programming and affect normal development. 

Earth Benefits - How much of normal development is preprogrammed in our genetic code, and how much can be 

modified by our environment and experiences? These are two old and puzzling questions. The Neurobiology team 

will provide information on the relative importance of the environment and other external stimuli (like gravity) on 

nervous system development. The gravity system of crickets serves as a model to investigate the general effects of 

altered gravitational conditions on the development of the structure, function and efficiency of a gravity sensory 

system. Insects offer useful model systems because their central neurons can be easily identified. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 30 

SCIENCE GLOSSARY 

Acceleration 

 Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. 

Autonomic nervous system 

 The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that supplies stimulation to the involuntary 

muscles, like the smooth and cardiac muscles, and to the glands. The autonomic nervous system is controlled 

principally by parts of the brain stem and the hypothalamus (a part of the brain). 

Biochemical 

 Biochemical refers to the chemical reactions that occur within a living organism. An example of the chemical 

reactions includes enzymes that breakdown or build biological molecules. 

Blood pressure 

 Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the flow of blood through the arteries of the body. This pressure is 

greatest during the contraction of the ventricles of the heart (systolic pressure), which forces blood into the arterial 

system. Pressure falls to its lowest level when the heart is filling with blood (diastolic pressure). 

Calcium 

Calcium is a chemical element essential for the normal development and functioning of the body, typically present 

in the blood at a concentration of about 10 mg/100 ml. Calcium is an important constituent of bones and teeth, and it 

is essential for many metabolic processes, including nerve function, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. 

Cardiovascular 

 Cardiovascular means pertaining to the heart and the blood vessels. 

Cardiovascular system 

 The cardiovascular system is the system of the heart and blood vessels. 

Central Nervous System (CNS) 

 The Central Nervous System consists of the brain and the spinal cord; the CNS is responsible for the integration of 

all nervous activities. 

Centrifuge 

 A centrifuge is a device that rotates at various speeds about a fixed, central point. It can separate liquids from 

solids or liquids of different densities by way of the centrifugal force resulting from its rotation. 

Circadian rhythm 

 Circadian rhythms are biological rhythms or variations that repeat with a cycle of about 24 hours. They are also 

known as Diurnal Rhythms. 

Cortex 

 The cortex of an organ refers to the outer portion (layer) of the organ. 

Nervous system 

 The nervous system is the vast network of cells specialized to carry information (in the form of nerve impulses) to 

and from all parts of the body in order to bring about bodily activity. In vertebrates, the brain and spinal cord 

together form the central nervous system; the remaining nervous tissue is known as the peripheral nervous system 

and includes the autonomic nervous system, which is itself divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic 

nervous systems. The basic function unit of the nervous system is the neuron (nerve cell). 

Neural 

 Neural means pertaining to the nervous system. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 31 

Neuronal plasticity 

 Neuronal plasticity is a phenomenon in which neurons react to changed conditions by making new connecting or 

using existing connections in different ways. 

Neuroscience 

 Neuroscience is any one of the various branches of science concerned with growth, development and function of 

the nervous system. 

Neurovestibular 

 Neurovestibular relates to the interaction between the brain and the vestibular organ, located in the inner ear. The 

vestibular apparatus is responsible for balance. It consists of three semicircular canals, which detect movements of 

the head, and the utriculus and sacculus, which detect the position of the head. 

Noninvasive 

 Noninvasive describes diagnostic procedures which do not involve the insertion of devices into the body or require 

penetration of the skin. Common noninvasive techniques are ultrasound or EKG. 

Orthostatic intolerance 

 Orthostatic intolerance is a condition of lightheadedness, possibly leading to fainting, that occurs when an upright 

position is assumed. It is caused by low blood pressure and an inadequate supply of blood reaching the brain. 

Astronauts often experience temporary orthostatic intolerance when remaining upright after returning from stays in 

space, since their blood volume is reduced in weightlessness and the pull of gravity does not allow blood to reach 

their heads. 

Otolith 

 An otolith (or otoconium) is one of the small particles of calcium carbonate in the saccule or utricle of the inner 

ear. Pressure of the otoliths on the hair cells of the macula provide sensory inputs about acceleration and gravity. 

Pathology 

 Pathology is the study of disease processes with the aim of understanding their nature and causes. This is achieved 

by observing samples of blood, urine, feces, and diseased tissue obtained from the living patient or from an autopsy, 

by the use of X-rays and by many other techniques. 

Physiological 

 Physiological means of or relating to physiology, the science that studies the function of the body and the vital 

processes of living things, whether animal or plant. 

Physiology 

 Physiology is the study of the functions or vital processes of living things whether animal or plant. 

Prosthesis 

 A prosthesis (plural prostheses) is any artificial device that is attached to the body as an aid. Prostheses include 

dentures, artificial limbs, hearing aids, implanted pacemakers. 

Protein 

 Proteins are one of a group of organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen with sulfur and 

phosphorus possibly present. The protein molecule is a complex structure made up of one or more chains of amino 

acids, which are linked by peptide bonds. Proteins are essential constituents of the body; they form the structural 

material of muscles, tissues, organs, etc. and are equally important as regulators of function as enzymes and 

hormones; they can also be converted into glucose and used as an energy source by the body. 

Respiration 

 Respiration is the act of breathing air into and oust of the lung so that vital gases can be absorbed into the body. In 

plant physiology, respiration refers to the cellular breakdown of sugar and other foods, accompanied by the release 

of energy. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 32 

Sensory 

 "Sensory" relates to the input into the nervous system from the nerve receptors of the body; it is any information 

carried from receptors throughout the body toward the brain and spinal cord. 

Sensory-motor 

 Sensory-motor relates to a nerve possessing both sensory and motor functions. 

Soleus 

 The soleus is the broad, flat muscle located in the lower leg, beneath the calf muscle, that flexes the foot so that the 

toes paint downward. 

Spatial orientation 

 Spatial orientation refers to the process of aligning or positioning in a three-dimensional space with respect to a 

specific direction or reference system. 

Spinal cord 

 The spinal cord is the portion of the central nervous system enclosed in the vertebral column, or back, consisting 

of nerve cells and bundles of nerves connecting all parts of the body with the brain. 

Statolith 

 A statolith is a crystal found in the ear, and is made up of particles of calcium carbonate and protein. Press in man, 

animals, and plants, they are responsible for the sense of equilibrium. 

Stimuli 

 A stimulus (plural stimuli) is a change in the external or internal environment of an organism that provokes a 

physiological or behavioral response in the organism. 

Velocity 

 Velocity is the rate of movement, or more specifically, the distance traveled per unit of time. 

Vestibular 

 Vestibular means relating to the vestibule of the ear, a cavity situated at the entrance to the bony labyrinth (a part 

of the inner ear) that contains the saccule and utricle - the organs of equilibrium. 

Visual 

 Visual refers to the sense of vision, the sense that enables perception of objects in the environment by means of the 

eyes. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 33 

STS-90 SMALL SHUTTLE PAYLOADS 

Flying on the STS-90 Space Shuttle mission will be one Hitchhiker and three Get Away Special (GAS) payloads 

which were manifested by the Shuttle Small Payloads Project (SSPP) at the Goddard Space Flight Center in 

Greenbelt, Md. Below is a brief description of those experiments. 

SHUTTLE VIBRATION FORCES 

The Shuttle Vibration Forces (SVF) experiment will measure the dynamic forces acting between the Space Shuttle 

and a canister attached to the Shuttle sidewall during two upcoming Shuttle flights: STS-90 and STS-96. In previous 

Shuttle flights, the vibration motion at various positions in the cargo bay has been measured, but the SVF 

experiment will provide the very first measurements of the dynamic forces acting on Shuttle equipment. The SVF 

data, together with a new vibration testing method, will enable NASA to fly more sophisticated equipment on the 

Shuttle, at less cost. 

The powerful rocket engines used on the Space Shuttle, and other launch vehicles, generate a great deal of noise and 

vibration at lift- off. All of the Shuttle equipment must be designed for this severe environment, and most of the 

cargo is subjected to very severe vibration testing to insure that it will survive. Although aerospace equipment has 

become increasingly sophisticated, vibration testing methods have not changed substantially in 50 years. As a result, 

conventional vibration testing methods are not well suited to lightweight, and sometimes delicate, aerospace 

equipment. Equipment which could survive space flight just fine, often fails during vibration testing, which leads to 

a waste of effort and money because redesign and retesting must be performed. 

A new, more realistic and benign method of vibration testing has been developed and is currently being used on 

many NASA flight programs. The new method involves limiting the force in the vibration test to that predicted for 

flight. The force data provided by the SVF experiment is needed to validate the new method and, if possible, to 

further reduce the severity of aerospace vibration tests. 

The 

Principal Investigator for SVF is Terry Scharton from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The mission 

manager is Ben Liu from Goddard. 

GET AWAY SPECIALS 

G-197 

NASA Get Away Special (GAS) payload G-197 on the STS-90 Neurolab mission is an experiment featuring the 

world's smallest version of a new type of refrigerator. Known as the pulse tube refrigerator, the device was designed 

and built under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Lockheed Martin Astronautics, 

Denver, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, Colo. Significant contributions to 

the project also were provided by the NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. 

The primary objectives of this experiment are to demonstrate the pulse tube cooling technology in the zero gravity 

environment of space and to gain operational experience with the smallest such cryocooler yet built. 

Pulse Tube refrigerators, or cryocoolers, can be used to cool infrared sensors and other devices to approximately 

minus 315 degrees Fahrenheit. Very cold sensors are used in space based research and are needed to study the 

temperature variations in the atmosphere and oceans to aid in the understanding of the ozone hole, global warming 

and long range weather forecasting. 

Pulse tube cryocoolers have advantages over several other types of coolers. Because pulse tube cryocoolers have 

fewer moving parts, they produce lower vibration and use simpler electronics. These features contribute to higher 

reliability, a longer functional lifetime and lower electromagnetic emissions. 

The cryocooler in this experiment is approximately five inches long, weighs about two pounds and is powered by 

batteries. The experiment weighs 209 pounds (including batteries, control electronics and the onboard computer to 

record data) and fits into a five cubic foot GAS can located in the Shuttle's cargo bay. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 34 

The payload manager for G-197 is Dr. Daniel Ladner from Lockheed Martin Astronautics. Drs. Ladner and Ray 

Radebaugh are from NIST. The mission manager is Susan Olden from Goddard. Lee Shiflett is the technical 

manager, also from Goddard. 

G-772 

Students at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo., have designed a payload that will analyze the gentle 

collisions of dust particles in space which may shed new light on the sources of dust in planetary rings. 

Collisions into Dust Experiment or COLLIDE will consist of six self- contained experiments, each holding a springloaded sphere projectile and a tray of ground up basalt that simulates space dust. The projectiles will spring from 

small doors in each container and softly strike the dust anchored in the box-like devices. Two camcorders will 

record all the activity on videotape, allowing the experimenters to analyze the amount, direction and speed of dust 

ejected from the target trays by each impactor. 

The experiment will feature four different impact speeds and two different spherical impactor sizes. Powered by 18 

size D batteries, the experiments will take 25 minutes to complete. The video will then be analyzed after return to 

the ground. 

Evolution of planetary rings is controlled by collisions between ring particles. Similar collisions occurred in the 

early stages of planet formation. These collisions are slow and gentle. The ring particles are covered with a layer of 

dust from micrometeoroid bombardment. Some dust is released when larger particles collide, resulting in dust rings 

and in the loss of orbital energy of the larger particles. The gravity of the large particles is small, so the phenomenon 

of dust release in gentle collisions between these particles requires a microgravity environment. Although dust is 

present in the rings of the four gaseous giant planets, how dust is knocked off larger ring particles a meter or more 

across during their continuous collisions with each other remains a mystery. 

The 

Principal Investigator for this payload is Joshua Colwell from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Susan 

Olden, from Goddard, is the mission manager. Charles Knapp, also from Goddard is the technical manager. 

G-744 

GAS payload G-744 is from Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif. The objective of this experiment is to take ozone 

measurements of the Earth's upper atmosphere in the ultraviolet 200 nanometer to 400 nanometer spectral range 

using a Charge Coupled Device based spectrometer. A Charge Coupled Device camera also will fly as part of the 

experiment and provide target verification for the spectrometer. The GAS carrier top plate will be modified to 

provide two optical ports for the instruments. 

The payload requires a minimum of two complete back-to-back day side passes with the Shuttle Orbiter to take data. 

Just prior to the Orbiter attaining the required attitude, the payload is to be activated. The spectrometer will 

autonomously begin taking data when the Earth is in the instrument field of view as detected by ultraviolet intensity. 

Simultaneously, the photographic camera will image the area where data is being collected. The payload will be 

deactivated as late as possible in the mission. 

The Principal Investigator for G-744 is Michael Dobeck from Sierra College. Serving as the mission manager is 

Susan Olden from Goddard. Charles Knapp, also from Goddard, is the technical manager. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 35 

BIOREACTOR DEMONSTRATION SYSTEM - 04 

The Bioreactor Demonstration System-04 (BDS-04) / Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) is a 

reconfigurable, multichamber, temperature-controlled, static tissue culture apparatus. On the STS-90 mission the 

BDS system will house two experiments, the Human Renal Cell experiment and The Microgravity Induced 

Differentiation of HL-60 Promyelocytic Leukemia cells. 

The BDS-04 is a single chassis that is divided into two sections. The first section contains the control computer, 

power supplies, signal conditioners and interface electronics. The second section contains four insulated 

incubation/refrigeration modules. These modules are heated and cooled via Thermoelectric Coolers. Each module 

can hold up to three tissue culture bags containing media and cells. These tissue culture bags which hold 25 ml 

media and cells per section, have two septums for sampling and fixing or inoculating the contents. BDS-04 

temperature control range is from 4° to 50° C. BDS-04 will be operated at 17° C to 36° C during the STS-90 

mission. 

Human Renal Cell experiment 

This experiment will evaluate renal cells in their differentiation or maturity of function, the production of 

erythropoietin (EPO) and the production of 1-25-diOH Vitamin D3. 

The data gathered by this experiment is important because presently there are no complex models of human renal 

cell function in vitro(Tissue culture). Scientist have found that in simulated microgravity the cells mature and act 

like the cells found in the human body. Investigators expect to see an enhancement of this development in actual 

Microgravity. This enhancement allows the cell to produce renal hormones needed in the normal human physiology. 

EPO and Vitamin D3 are two very important renal hormones which are given to patients with diseases such as 

kidney disease, AIDS, Cancer chemotherapy patents, and other diseases of immune function. These hormones are 

essential to normal health. The total US market for these two hormones is 2.5 billion dollars per year. Any 

improvement in the production of these hormones will advance the ability to treat numerous diseases in the US and 

the world. 

The Microgravity Induced Differentiation of HL-60 Promyelocytic Leukemia cells. 

This experiment will study the differentiation (maturation) of bone marrow like cells which have the ability to 

become a myriad of immune cells found in the human physiology. The study of these cells and the cells which are 

produced will provide essential knowledge about this process of differentiation. Immune cells which mature from 

the original cells can be found in the blood, bone marrow and immune system and are responsible for fighting 

disease. These types of cells often need to be replaced in patients which have undergone chemotherapy, radiation 

therapy, or have experienced diseases of the immune system. An understanding of how these cells are formed is 

critical to development of new strategies for combating disease. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 36 

STS-90 CREWMEMBERS 

STS090-S-002 --- Five astronauts and two payload specialists take a break in training for the Neurolab mission to 

pause for a crew portrait. The Spacelab mission is scheduled to be conducted aboard the space shuttle Columbia on 

STS-90 in early spring of this year. Astronauts Richard A. Searfoss (right front) and Scott D. Altman (left front) are 

the commander and pilot, respectively, for the scheduled 16-day mission. Other crew members (back row, left to 

right) are payload specialist James A. (Jim) Pawelczyk, Ph.D.; and astronauts Richard M. Linnehan, Kathryn P. 

Hire and Dafydd R. (Dave) Williams, all mission specialists; along with payload specialist Jay C. Buckey Jr., MD. 

Linnehan, making his second space flight, is payload commander. Williams, an alumnus of the 1995 class of 

astronaut candidates (ASCAN), represents the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). 

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, 02/2001/Page 37 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

RICHARD A. SEARFOSS (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Colonel Selectee ) 

STS-90 Mission Commander 

PERSONAL DATA - Born June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 

to be his hometown. Married; three children. He enjoys running, soccer, radio-controlled model aircraft, Scouting, 

backpacking, and classical music. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1974; received a 

bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy in 1978, and a master of science 

degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 

1979. 

ORGANIZATIONS - National Eagle Scout Association, Air Force Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Awarded the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards (top overall, academic, 

engineering, and aeronautical engineering graduate), United States Air Force Academy Class of 1978. Distinguished 

graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons School. Named the Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year, 

1985. Recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Defense 

Superior Service Medal, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. 

EXPERIENCE - Searfoss graduated in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, 

Arizona. From 1981-1984, he flew the F-111F operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at 

Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, where he was an F-111A instructor pilot and weapons officer until 1987. In 1988 he 

attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, as a USAF exchange officer. He was a flight 

instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, when selected for the astronaut 

program. 

He has logged over 4,200 hours flying time in 56 different types of aircraft and over 557 hours in space. 

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Searfoss became an astronaut in July 1991. Initially assigned to the Astronaut 

Office Mission Support Branch, Searfoss was part of a team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and 

crew egress after landing. He was subsequently assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics 

Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Additionally, he has served as the Astronaut Office representative for both flight 

crew procedures and Shuttle computer software development. Most recently, he has served as the Astronaut Office 

Vehicle System and Operations Branch Chief, leading a team of several astronauts and support engineers working 

on Shuttle and International Space Station systems development, rendezvous and landing/rollout operations, and 

advanced projects initiatives. 

Searfoss served as STS-58 pilot on the seven-person life science research mission aboard the Space Shuttle 

Columbia, launching from the Kennedy Space Center on October 18, 1993, and landing at Edwards Air Force Base 

on November 1, 1993. The crew performed neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and 

musculoskeletal medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding our knowledge of human and animal 

physiology both on earth and in space flight. In addition, the crew performed 16 engineering tests aboard the Orbiter 

Columbia and 20 Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project experiments. The mission was accomplished in 225 

orbits of the Earth. 

Launching March 22, 1996, Searfoss flew his second mission as pilot of STS-76 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. 

During this nine-day mission the STS-76 crew performed the third docking of an American spacecraft with the 

Russian space station Mir. In support of a joint U.S./Russian program, the crew transported to Mir nearly two tons of 

water, food, supplies, and scientific equipment, as well as U.S. Astronaut Shannon Lucid to begin her six-month stay 

in space. STS-76 included the first ever spacewalk on a combined Space Shuttle-Space Station complex. The flight 

crew also conducted scientific investigations, including European Space Agency sponsored biology experiments, the 

Kidsat earth observations project, and several engineering flight tests. Completed in 145 orbits, STS-76 landed at 

Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 31, 1996. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 38 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

SCOTT D. ALTMAN (Lieutenant Commander, USN) 

STS-90 Pilot 

PERSONAL DATA - Born August 15, 1959 in Lincoln, Illinois. Married to the former Jill Shannon Loomer of 

Tucson, Arizona. They have three children. Enjoys classic automobiles, flying and computers. Avid reader and 

sports fan/participant. Hometown is Pekin, Illinois, where his parents, Fred and Sharon Altman, currently reside. Her 

father, Larry Loomer, resides in San Diego, California. Her mother, Donna Loomer, is deceased. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Pekin Community High School, Pekin, Illinois in 1977; received bachelor of 

science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois in May 1981, and a 

master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in June 1990. 

ORGANIZATIONS - University of Illinois Alumni Association, Sigma Chi Alumni Association, life member 

Association of Naval Aviation and Military Order of the World Wars, full member Society of Experimental Test 

Pilots. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, 1987 

Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Tactical Aviation as selected by the Association of Naval Aviation. 

EXPERIENCE - Altman was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy following completion of Aviation 

Reserve Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, in August 1981. Following training in Florida and Texas, 

he received his Navy wings of gold in February 1983 and was ordered to NAS Miramar in San Diego, California, to 

fly the F-14. Attached to Fighter Squadron 51, Altman completed two deployments to the Western Pacific and 

Indian Ocean. In August 1987, he was selected for the Naval Postgraduate School-Test Pilot School Coop program 

and graduated with Test Pilot School Class 97 in June 1990 as a Distinguished Graduate. After graduation, he spent 

the next two years as a test pilot working on various F-14 projects such as the air to ground separation effort, and aft 

center of gravity flying qualities evaluation, as well as the Navy evaluation of the Air Force F-15 S/MTD technology 

demonstrator. Selected to help take the new F-14D on its first operational deployment, his next assignment was to 

VF-31 at NAS Miramar where he served as Maintenance Officer and later Operations Officer. Altman was awarded 

the Navy Air Medal for his role as a strike leader flying over Southern Iraq in support of Operation SOUTHERN 

WATCH. Shortly following his return from this six month deployment, he was selected for the astronaut program. 

He has logged over 3400 flight hours in more than 40 types of aircraft. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994, Altman reported to the 

Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He has completed a year of training and was initially assigned to work 

technical aspects of orbiter landing and roll out issues for the Astronaut Office Vehicle Systems Branch. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 39 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

RICHARD M. LINNEHAN (DVM) 

STS-90 Payload Commander & Mission Specialist-1 

PERSONAL DATA - Born September 19, 1957, in Lowell, Massachusetts. Single. He enjoys mountain biking, 

swimming, skiing, hiking, and natural history. His mother, Carol J. Robinson, resides in Jensen Beach, Florida. His 

father, Richard H. Linnehan, is deceased. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Pelham High School, Pelham, New Hampshire, in 1975; received a bachelor of 

science degree in animal sciences with a minor in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire in 1980; the 

degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Zoo 

Veterinarians, and the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Navy Group Achievement Award, Navy Commendation Medal. 

EXPERIENCE - After graduating from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in June 1985, Dr. 

Linnehan entered private practice in small animal/exotic veterinary medicine and was later accepted to a 2-year 

(1986-1988) joint internship in zoo animal medicine and comparative pathology at the Baltimore Zoo and the Johns 

Hopkins University. After completing his internship Dr. Linnehan was commissioned as a captain in the U.S. Army 

Veterinary Corps and reported for duty in early 1989 at Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, California, as 

chief clinical veterinarian for the U.S. Navy's Marine Mammal Project. During his assignment at Naval Ocean 

Systems Center Dr. Linnehan initiated and supervised research in the areas of cetacean and pinniped anesthesia, 

orthopedics, drug pharmacokinetics and reproduction in direct support of Naval mobile marine mammal systems 

stationed in California, Florida, and Hawaii. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected by NASA in March 1992, Dr. Linnehan reported to the Johnson Space Center in 

August 1992. He completed one year of training and is qualified for future flight assignments as a mission specialist. 

Dr. Linnehan was initially assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory 

(SAIL). He was subsequently assigned to the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, working on payload 

development, and mission development flight support for future Space Shuttle missions. In 1996, Dr. Linnehan flew 

on STS-78 the Life Sciences and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) mission. STS-78 launched June 20, 1996 and landed 

July 7, 1996 becoming the longest Space Shuttle mission to date. This mission served as a model for future studies 

onboard the International Space Station. The LMS mission included studies sponsored by ten nations and five space 

agencies. The international crew included 5 Americans a Frenchman, a Canadian, a Spaniard, and an Italian. 

Linnehan has logged over 405 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 40 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

KATHRYN P. (Kay) HIRE (Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve) 

STS-90 Mission Specialist-2 

PERSONAL DATA - Born August 26, 1959, in Mobile, Alabama. She enjoys competitive sailing, snow skiing, 

scuba diving, and fishing. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Murphy High School, Mobile, Alabama, in 1977. Bachelor of science degree in 

engineering and management from the U.S. Naval Academy, 1981. Master of science degree in space technology 

from Florida Institute of Technology, 1991. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Association of Naval Aviation, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Institute 

of Navigation, Society of Women Engineers, U.S. Sailing Association. 

SPECIAL HONORS - National Defense Service Medal, Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon, Navy and 

Marine Corps Overseas Service ribbon, Space Coast Society of Women Engineers Distinguished New Woman 

Engineer for 1993. 

EXPERIENCE - After earning her Naval Flight Officer Wings in October 1982, Hire conducted worldwide airborne 

oceanographic research missions with Oceanographic Development Squadron Eight (VXN-8) based at NAS 

Patuxent River, Maryland. She worked as Oceanographic Project Coordinator, Mission Commander and 

Detachment Officer-in-Charge on board the specially configured P-3 aircraft. 

Hire instructed student naval flight officers in the classroom, simulator, and on board the T-43 aircraft at the Naval 

Air Training Unit on Mather Air Force Base, California. She progressed from Navigation Instructor through Course 

Manager to Curriculum Manager and was awarded the Air Force Master of Flying Instruction. 

In January 1989, Hire joined the Naval Air Reserve at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. Her tours of duty included 

Squadron Augment Unit VP-0545 and Anti-submarine Warfare Operations Center 0574 and 0374. 

Hire became the first female in the United States assigned to a combat aircrew when she reported to Patrol Squadron 

Sixty-Two (VP-62) on May 13, 1993. As a Patrol Plane Navigator/Communicator she deployed to Iceland, Puerto 

Rico and Panama. Hire later served at NAS Joint Reserve Base New Orleans with CV-63 USS Kittyhawk 0482 and 

Tactical Support Center 0682. Presently she is a member of the Naval Reserve, Commander Seventh Fleet 

Detachment 111 at Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas. 

Hire began work at the Kennedy Space Center in May 1989, first as an Orbiter Processing Facility 3 Activation 

Engineer with EG&G and later as a Space Shuttle Orbiter Mechanical Systems Engineer for Lockheed Space 

Operations Company. In 1991 she certified as a Space Shuttle Test Project Engineer (TPE). From the TPE computer 

console position in the Launch Control Center, she integrated all technical aspects of Space Shuttle turnaround 

maintenance from landing through next launch. Additionally, she headed the checkout of the Extravehicular 

Mobility Units (spacesuits) and Russian Orbiter Docking System. Hire was assigned Supervisor of Space Shuttle 

Orbiter Mechanisms and Launch Pad Swing Arms in 1994. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected by NASA in December 1994, Hire reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 

1995, and completed a year of training and evaluation. She has worked in mission control as a spacecraft 

communicator (CAPCOM) since April 1996. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 41 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

DAFYDD (Dave) RHYS WILLIAMS (M.D.) 

STS-90 Mission Specialist-3 

PERSONAL DATA - Born May 16, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Married to the former Cathy Fraser of 

Pointe-Claire, Quebec. They have a son and a daughter. Dr. Williams enjoys flying, scuba diving, hiking, sailing, 

kayaking, canoeing, downhill and cross- country skiing. His mother, Isobel Williams (nee Berger), resides in 

Williamsburg, Ontario. His father, William Williams, is deceased. Her father, Arthur Fraser, resides in Sechelt, 

British Columbia. Her mother, Olga Fraser (nee Bardahl), is deceased. 

EDUCATION - Attended High School in Beaconsfield, Quebec. Bachelor of science degree in biology from McGill 

University, Montreal, 1976.; Master of science degree in physiology, Doctorate of medicine, and Master of Surgery 

from McGill University, Montreal, in 1983. Completed residency in Family Practice in the Faculty of Medicine, 

University of Ottawa in 1985. Obtained Fellowship in Emergency Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians 

and Surgeons of Canada, following completion of a Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto, 

1988. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Member, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Ontario Medical Association, 

the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Canadian 

Association of Emergency Physicians, the Aerospace Medical Association, the Canadian Society for Aerospace 

Medicine and the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute. Past affiliations include: the Society for Neuroscience, 

the New York Academy of Science and the Montreal Physiological Society. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Awarded the Commonwealth Certificate of Thanks (1973) and the Commonwealth 

Recognition Award (1975) for his contribution to the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada. Academic awards 

include the A. S. Hill Bursary, McGill University, in 1980; the Walter Hoare Bursary, McGill University, in 1981; 

the J. W. McConnell Award, McGill University, 1981-1983. He was named Faculty Scholar, in 1982, and 

University Scholar, in 1983, by the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. In 1983, he also received the Psychiatry 

Prize and the Wood Gold Medal from the Faculty of Medicine and was named on the Dean's Honor List by the 

Physiology Department, McGill University, for his postgraduate research. He was twice awarded the second prize 

for his participation in the University of Toronto Emergency Medicine Research Papers Program, in 1986 and 1988, 

and received top honors in that competition in 1987. 

EXPERIENCE - Dr. Williams received postgraduate training in advanced invertebrate physiology at the Friday 

Harbour Laboratories, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Subsequently, his interests switched to 

vertebrate neurophysiology when, for his Master's Thesis, he became involved in basic science research on the role 

of adrenal steroid hormones in modifying the activity of regions within the central nervous system involved in the 

regulation of sleep wake cycles. While working in the Neurophysiological Laboratories at the Allan Memorial 

Institute for Psychiatry, he assisted in clinical studies of slow wave potentials within the central nervous system. 

His clinical research in Emergency Medicine has included studies evaluating the initial training and skill retention of 

cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills, patient survival from out- of-hospital cardiac arrest, the early identification of 

trauma patients at high risk and the efficacy of tetanus immunization in the elderly. 

In 1988, he became an Emergency Physician with the Department of Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Health 

Science Centre as well as a Lecturer with the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto. He served as a member 

of the Air Ambulance Utilization Committee with the Ministry of Health in Ontario, both as an academic 

Emergency Physician and later as a representative of community Emergency Physicians. In addition, he has trained 

basic ambulance attendants, paramedics, nurses, residents and practicing physicians in cardiac and trauma 

resuscitation as a Course Director in Advanced Cardiac Life Support with the Canadian Heart and Stroke 

Foundation and in Advanced Trauma Life Support with the American College of Surgeons. 

From 1989 to 1990, he served as an Emergency Physician with the Emergency Associates of Kitchener Waterloo 

and as Medical Director of the Westmount Urgent Care Clinic. In 1990, he returned to Sunnybrook as Medical 

Director of the ACLS Program and Coordinator of Postgraduate Training in Emergency Medicine. Subsequently, he 

became the Acting Director of the Department of Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, 

Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto and Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 42 

Dr. Williams was selected by the Canadian Space Agency in June 1992. He completed basic training and in May 

1993 was appointed Manager of the Missions and Space Medicine Group within the Astronaut Program. His 

collateral duty assignments have included supervising the implementation of Operational Space Medicine activities 

within the Astronaut Program, and the coordination of the Canadian Astronaut Program Space Unit Life Simulation 

(CAPSULS) Project. In February 1994 he participated in a 7-day space mission simulation. During this CAPSULS 

Project, he was the 

Principal Investigator of a study to evaluate the initial training and retention of resuscitation skills by non-medical 

astronauts. He was also assigned as one of the crew members and acted as the crew medical officer. 

He remains active in life science and space medicine research, both as a 

Principal Investigator and as a Co- investigator. He has recently been appointed as an Assistant Professor of 

Surgery, McGill University, and is participating in clinical activities at St. Mary's Hospital and at the Montreal 

General Hospital. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - In January 1995, Dr. Williams was selected to join the 1995 international class of NASA 

mission specialist astronaut candidates. He reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995 and completed 

training and evaluation in May 1996. On completing basic training, he was assigned to work technical issues for the 

Payloads/Habitability Branch of the Astronaut Office. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 43 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JAY CLARK BUCKEY Jr. (M.D.) 

STS-90 Payload Specialist-1 

PERSONAL DATA - Born June 6, 1956 in New York, New York. His parents, Jay Sr. and Jean Buckey, reside in 

Ft. Myers, Florida. Married to the former Sarah Woodroffe Masters of Summit, New Jersey daughter of Parke and 

Margaret Masters. They have one son and two daughters. Recreational interests include camping, history. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury, New York, in 1973. Earned a 

bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University in 1977, and a doctorate in medicine 

from Cornell University Medical College in 1981. Interned at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, and 

completed residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. NASA Space Biology Fellow at University of Texas 

(UT) Southwestern Medical Center. 

ORGANIZATIONS - American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (Executive Board Member 1991-

1994), Aerospace Medicine Association, and American College of Physicians. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Meritorious service award from the University of Texas for work on Spacelab Life Sciences1 (SLS-1) (1991), Outstanding Teacher Award from the Class of 1994 at UT- Southwestern, Distinguished Graduate 

USAF School of Aerospace Medicine Primary Course (1987), two NASA Certificates of Recognition for hardware 

developed for SLS-1, NASA Biology Fellowship (1982), Thora Halstead Young Investigator Award, 1994. 

PUBLICATIONS - Dr. Buckey has over 20 publications in the areas of space physiology, cardiovascular regulation 

and echocardiographic techniques. 

EXPERIENCE - Medical internship, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, 1981-1982; NASA 

Space Biology Fellow, UT- Southwestern, 1982-1984; Research Instructor, Department of Medicine, UTSouthwestern, 1984-1986; Assistant Professor Medicine, UT-Southwestern, 1986-1994; Associate Professor 

Medicine, UT-Southwestern, 1995; Medicine Resident, Dartmouth- Hitchcock Medical Center, 1995-1996. 

Associate Professor of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, 1996-present; Flight Surgeon, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 

457th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TX, 1987-1995. Dr. Buckey is 

on leave from Dartmouth Medical School to train as a Payload Specialist for the Neurolab mission, STS-90. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Co-investigator and project manager for the space flight experiment "Cardiovascular 

Adaptation to Zero- Gravity;" Spacelab Life Sciences-1; Alternate Payload Specialist, Spacelab Life Sciences-2. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 44 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JAMES A. (JIM) PAWELCZYK (Ph.D.) 

STS-90 Payload Specialist-2 

PERSONAL DATA - Born September 20, 1960, in Buffalo, New York. He identifies Elma, New York as his 

hometown, where his parents, Joseph and Rita Pawelczyk, continue to reside. Married to the Ruth A. Pawelczyk, 

M.D. (nee Anderson), daughter of Paul and Barbara Anderson, of State College, Pennsylvania. They have two 

children. Hobbies include cycling, swimming, woodworking, philately, and outdoor activities. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Iroquois Central High School, Elma, New York, in 1978; Earned two bachelor of 

arts degrees in biology and psychology from the University of Rochester, New York in 1982; a master of science 

degree in physiology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1985; and a doctor of philosophy degree in biology 

(physiology) from the University of North Texas in 1989. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University 

of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1992. 

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES - American Heart Association, American Physiological Society, American College 

of Sports Medicine, Society for Neuroscience. 

HONORS AND AWARDS - Research Scientist, United States Olympic Swimming Trials, 1984; Pre-doctoral 

training award, National Institutes of Health, 1988-1989; Research award, Texas Chapter of the American College 

of Sports Medicine, 1988; Post-doctoral training award, National Institutes of Health, 1989-1992; Young 

Investigator Award, Life Sciences Project Division, NASA Office of Life and Microgravity Science Applications, 

1994. 

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY - Dr. Pawelczyk is co-editor of Blood Loss and Shock, published in 1994. He has been a 

Principal Investigator or co-investigator on 11 federal and state grants and contracts, and has over 20 refereed 

journal articles and 3 invited book chapters in the areas of cardiovascular regulation and cardiovascular physiology. 

EXPERIENCE - Post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular neurophysiology, University of Texas Southwestern 

Medical Center, 1989-1992; Visiting scientist, Department of Anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, 

1990; Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1992-1995; 

Director, Autonomic and Exercise Physiology Laboratories, Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, 

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, 1992-1995; Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of Texas 

Southwestern Medical Center, 1995; Assistant Professor of Physiology and Kinesiology, Penn State University, 

University Park, Pennsylvania, 1995-present. Dr. Pawelczyk is on leave from Penn State University to train as a 

payload specialist for STS-90 (Neurolab). 

NASA EXPERIENCE - User design group, GASMAP (Gas Analysis System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology); 

Unit Principal Investigator for the NASA Specialized Center for Outreach, Research and Training (NSCORT) grant 

in integrative physiology. He received a NASA Young Investigator Award in 1994 for his work in the area of 

autonomic neurophysiology. Dr. Pawelczyk is a co-investigator for experiments to be flown on the Neurolab 

mission, and two Shuttle- Mir (Phase 1B) flights. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 02/2001/Page 45 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF APRIL 1998 

89 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM -- 64 SINCE RETURN TO FLIGHT 

STS-87 

11/19/97 - 12/05/97 

STS-94 

07/01/97 - 07/17/97 

STS-85 

08/07/97 - 08/19/97 

STS-83 

04/04/97 - 04/08/97 

STS-82 

02/11//97 - 02/21/97 

STS-80 

11/19/96 - 12/07/96 

STS-70 

07/13/95 - 07/22/95 

STS-78 

06/20/96 - 07/07/96 

STS-63 

02/03/95 - 02/11/95 

STS-86 

09/25/97 - 10/06/97 

STS-75 

02/22/96 - 03/09/96 

STS-64 

09/09/94 - 09/20/94 

STS-84 

05/15/97 - 05/24/97 

STS-73 

10/20/95 - 11/05/95 

STS-60 

02/03/94 - 02/11/94 

STS-81 

01/12/97 - 01/22/97 

STS-65 

07/08/94 - 07/23/94 

STS-51 

09/12/93 - 09/22/93 

STS-79 

09/16/96 - 09/26/96 

STS-62 

03/04/94 - 03/18/94 

STS-56 

04/08/83 - 04/17/93 

STS-76 

03/22/96 - 03/31/96 

STS-58 

10/18/93 - 11/01/93 

STS-53 

12/02/92 - 12/09/92 

STS-74 

11/12/95 - 11/20/95 

STS-55 

04/26/93 - 05/06/93 

STS-42 

01/22/92 - 01/30/92 

STS-71 

06/27/95 - 07/07/95 

STS-52 

10/22/92 - 11/01/92 

STS-48 

09/12/91 - 09/18/91 

STS-66 

11/03/94 - 11/14/94 

STS-50 

06/25/92 - 07/09/92 

STS-39 

04/28/91 - 05/06/91 

STS-46 

07/31/92 - 08/08/92 

STS-89 

01/22/98 - 01/31/98 

STS-40 

06/05/91 - 06/14/91 

STS-41 

10/06/90 - 10/10/90 

STS-45 

03/24/92 - 04/02/92 

STS-77 

05/19/96 - 05/29/96 

STS-35 

12/02/90 - 12/10/90 

STS-51L 

01/28/86 

STS-31 

04/24/90 - 04/29/90 

STS-44 

11/24/91 - 12/01/91 

STS-72 

01/11/96 - 11/20/96 

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-69 

09/07/95 - 09/18/95 

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-67 

03/02/95 - 03/18/95 

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-68 

09/30/94 - 10/11/94 

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-59 

04/09/94 – 04/20/94 

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-61 

12/02/93 - 12/13/93 

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-57 

06/21/93 - 07/01/93 

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-54 

01/13/93 - 01/19/93 

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-47 

09/12/92 - 09/20/92 

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 

STS-49 

05/07/92 - 05/16/92 

 

OV-102 

Columbia 

(24 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(23 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(20 flights) 

OV-105 

Endeavour 

(12 flights)