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

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-67 

PRESS KIT 

MARCH 1995 

ASTRO-2 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 2 

STS-67 INSIGNIA 

STS067-S-001 -- Observation and remote exploration of the universe in the ultraviolet wavelengths of light 

are the focus of the STS-67/ASTRO-2 mission, as depicted in the mission insignia designed by the 

crewmembers. The insignia shows the ASTRO-2 telescopes in the space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay, 

orbiting high above Earth's atmosphere. The three sets of rays, diverging from the telescope on the 

insignia atop the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) , correspond to the three ASTRO-2 telescopes the 

Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin 

Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE). The telescopes are co-aligned to simultaneously 

view the same astronomical object, as shown by the convergence of rays on the NASA symbol. This symbol 

also represents the excellence of the union of the NASA teams and universality's in the exploration of the 

universe through astronomy. The celestial targets of ASTRO-2 include the observation of planets, stars and 

galaxies shown in the design. The two small atoms represent the search in the ultraviolet spectrum for the 

signature of primordial helium in intergalactic space left over from the Big Bang. The observations 

performed on ASTRO-2 will contribute to man's knowledge and understanding of the vast universe, from 

the planets in our system to the farthest reaches of space. 

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

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

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

do not anticipate, it will be publicly announced. 

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

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 

For Information on the Space Shuttle 

Ed Campion Policy/Management 202/358-1778 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

 

 

Rob Navias 

 Johnson Space Center 

 Houston, TX 

Mission Operations 

Astronauts 

713/483-5111 

 

Bruce Buckingham 

 Kennedy Space Center, FL 

Launch Processing 

KSC Landing Information 

407/867-2468 

 

June Malone 

 Marshall Space Flight Center 

 Huntsville, AL 

External Tank/SRBs/SSMEs 205/544-0034 

 

Cam Martin 

 Dryden Flight Research Center 

 Edwards, CA 

DFRC Landing Information 805/258-3448 

For Information on STS-67 Experiments & Activities 

Don Savage 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

ASTRO-2 202/358-1547 

 

Mike Braukus 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

PCG 202/358-1979 

 

Tammy Jones 

 Goddard Space Flight Center, 

 Greenbelt, MD 

GAS 301/286-5566 

 

Jim Cast 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

MACE, CMIX 202/358-1779 

 

Terri Hudkins 

 NASA Headquarters 

 Washington, DC 

SAREX 202/358-1977 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 4 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL BACKGROUND 

General Release 5 

Media Services Information 7 

Quick-Look Facts 8 

Shuttle Abort Modes 10 

Summary Timeline 11 

Payload and Vehicle Weights 12 

Orbital Events Summary 13 

Crew Responsibilities 14 

 

CARGO BAY PAYLOADS & ACTIVITIES 

ASTRO-2 17 

Get Away Special (GAS) Experiments 32 

 

IN-CABIN PAYLOADS 

Commercial MDA ITA Experiments (CMIX) 33 

Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) Experiments 36 

Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE) 39 

Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) 40 

 

STS-67 CREW BIOGRAPHIES 42 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 5 

RELEASE: 95-18 

ASTRO TELESCOPES MAKE SECOND FLIGHT ON STS-67 MISSION 

This March, Space Shuttle Endeavor will conduct NASA’s longest Shuttle flight to date carrying unique 

ultraviolet telescopes that will give astronomers a view of the universe impossible to obtain from the 

ground. 

The mission, designated STS-67, also will see Endeavour’s crew perform a wide range of microgravity 

processing experiments, continue efforts in understanding the structure of proteins and study active control 

of flexible structures in space. 

Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for March 2, 1995 at approximately 1:37 a.m. EST from NASA’s 

Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A. Endeavour’s flight will be 15 days, 13 hours, 32 minutes. 

A 1:37 a.m. launch on March 2, would result in a landing at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing 

Facility on March 17, at 3:09 p.m. EST. 

The STS-67 crew will be commanded by Stephen S. Oswald who will be making his third Shuttle flight. 

William G. Gregory, who will be making his first space flight, will serve as pilot. The three mission 

specialists aboard Endeavour will include John M. Grunsfeld, Mission Specialist-1 (MS-1) who will be 

making his first flight, Wendy B. Lawrence, Mission Specialist-2 (MS-2) who will be making her first 

flight and Tamara E. Jernigan, Payload Commander and Mission Specialist 3 (MS-3) who will be making 

her third flight. Rounding out the crew will be two payload specialists who flew on ASTRO-1 during the 

STS-35 mission in December 1990. Samuel Durrance will serve as Payload Specialist-1 (PS-1) and Ronald 

Parise will serve as Payload Specialist-2. Both Parise and Durrance will be making their second space 

flight. 

The Astro Observatory, making its second flight aboard a Space Shuttle, is a package of three instruments 

mounted on the Spacelab Instrument Pointing System (IPS). The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope will 

conduct spectroscopy in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing scientists to 

learn what elements are present in targeted celestial objects, as well as identify physical processes taking 

place. 

The second instrument, the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, will take wide-field photographs of objects in 

ultraviolet light, recording the images on film for processing back on Earth. The third instrument, the 

Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo- Polarimeter Experiment, will measure the intensity of ultraviolet light and its 

degree of polarization. The instrument will give astronomers clues to the geometry of a star or the 

composition and structure of the interstellar medium it illuminates. 

Simultaneous observations by these three telescopes will complement one another as they provide different 

perspectives on the same celestial objects. These observations also will complement those of ultraviolet 

instruments on other NASA spacecraft, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Ultraviolet 

Explorer, and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer -- all currently in operation. By combining research 

findings from these various instruments, scientists hope to piece together the evolution and history of the 

universe and learn more about the composition and origin of stars and galaxies. 

The flight also will see the continuation of NASA’s Get Away Special (GAS) experiments program. The 

project gives individuals an opportunity to perform experiments in space on a Shuttle mission. Two GAS 

cans will be carried in the cargo bay in support of a payload from the Australian Space Office. The 

payload, coincidentally named Endeavour, is an Australian space telescope that will take images in the 

ultraviolet spectrum of violent events in nearby exploding galaxies. The third in a series of six Commercial 

MDA ITA Experiments (CMIX) payloads will also fly aboard Endeavour. CMIX-03 includes biomedical, 

pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cell biology, crystal growth and fluids science investigations. These 

experiments will explore ways in which microgravity can benefit drug development and delivery for 

treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and metabolic deficiencies. These experiments also will include 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 6 

protein and inorganic crystal growth, experiments on secretion of medically important products from plant 

cells, calcium metabolism, invertebrate development and immune cell functions. 

Endeavour will carry two systems in Shuttle middeck lockers to continue space-based research into the 

structure of proteins and other macromolecules. The study of proteins, complex biochemicals that serve a 

variety of purposes in living organisms, is an important aspect of this mission. Determining the molecular 

structure of proteins will lead to a greater understanding of how the organisms function. Knowledge of the 

structures also can help the pharmaceutical industry develop disease-fighting drugs. The two systems are 

the Vapor Diffusion Apparatus in which trays will be housed within a temperature-controlled Thermal 

Enclosure System and the Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity that will be housed in a 

Single-locker Thermal Enclosure System. 

The Middeck Active Control Experiment is an experiment designed to study the active control of flexible 

structures in space. In this experiment, a small, multi-body platform will be assembled and free-floated 

inside the Space Shuttle. Tests will be conducted on the platform to measure how disturbances caused by a 

payload impact the performance of another nearby payload which is attached to the same supporting 

structure. 

The STS-67 crew will take on the role of teachers as they educate students in the United States and other 

countries about their mission objectives. Using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II, Shuttle 

Commander Stephen S. Oswald (call sign KB5YSR), pilot William G. Gregory, (license pending), mission 

specialists Tamara E. Jernigan (license pending) and Wendy B. Lawrence (KC5KII) and Payload 

Specialists Ron Parise (WA4SIR) and Sam Durrance (N3TQA) will talk with students in 26 schools in the 

U.S., South Africa, India and Australia using “ham radio”, about what it is like to live and work in space. 

The STS-67 mission will be the 8th flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the 68th flight of the Space 

Shuttle system. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 7 

MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION 

NASA Television Transmission 

NASA Television is available through Spacenet-2 satellite system, transponder 5, channel 9, at 69 degrees West 

longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 Megahertz. 

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; NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC; and the NASA newscenter 

operation at Mission Control-Moscow. The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission 

operations. 

Television schedules also may be obtained by calling COMSTOR 713/483-5817. COMSTOR is a computer data base 

service requiring the use of a telephone modem. A voice update of the television schedule is updated daily at noon 

Eastern time. 

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 prior to launch. During the mission, status briefings by a Flight 

Director or Mission Operations representative and when appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur 

at least once per day. The updated NASA television schedule will indicate when mission briefings are planned. 

Access by Internet 

NASA press releases can be obtained automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to 

domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type the words “subscribe pressrelease” (no quotes). The system will reply with a confirmation via E- mail of each subscription. A second automatic 

message will include additional information on the service. 

Informational materials also will be available from a data repository known as an anonymous FTP (File Transfer 

Protocol) server at ftp.pao.hq.nasa.gov under the directory /pub/pao. Users should log on with the user name 

“anonymous” (no quotes), then enter their E-mail address as the password. Within the /pub/pao directory there will be 

a “readme.txt” file explaining the directory structure. 

The NASA public affairs homepage also is available via the Internet. The page contains images, sound and text (press 

releases, press kits, fact sheets) to explain NASA activities. It also has links to many other NASA pages. The URL is: 

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

Access by fax 

An additional service known as fax-on-demand will enable users to access NASA informational materials from their 

fax machines. Users calling (202) 358-3976 may follow a series of prompts and will automatically be faxed the most 

recent Headquarters news releases they request. 

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, 01/2001/Page 8 

STS-67 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date/Site: March 2, 1995/KSC Pad 39A 

Launch Time: 1:37 a.m. EST 

Launch Window: 2 hours, 30 minutes 

Orbiter: Endeavour (OV-105) - 8th flight 

Orbit/Inclination: 190 nautical miles/28.45 degrees 

Mission Duration: 15 days, 13 hours, 32 minutes 

Landing Time/Date March 17, 1995 

Landing Time: 3:09 p.m. EST 

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, FL 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC 

 Transoceanic Abort Landing - Ben Guerir, Morocco 

Moron, Spain 

 Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, CA 

 

Crew: Steve Oswald, Commander (CDR), Red Team 

 Bill Gregory, Pilot (PLT), Red Team 

 John Grunsfeld, Mission Specialist 1 (MS 1), Red Team 

 Wendy Lawrence, Mission Specialist 2 (MS 2), Blue Team: 

 

Team: 

 Tammy Jernigan, Payload Commander, Mission Specialist -3 (MS 3), Blue 

 Sam Durrance, Payload Specialist 1 (PS 1), Blue Team 

 Ron Parise, Payload Specialist 2 (PS 2), Red Team 

 

Extravehicular 

Crewmembers: 

Jernigan (EV 1), Grunsfeld (EV 2) 

 

Cargo Bay Payloads: ASTRO-2 

 Getaway Special Canisters 

 

Middeck Payloads: MACE 

 PCG-STES 

 CMIX 

 PCG-TES 

In-Cabin Payloads: SAREX-II 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 9 

Developmental Test Objectives/Detailed Supplementary Objectives: 

DTO 251: Entry Aerodynamic Control Surfaces Test 

DTO 254: Subsonic Aerodynamics Verification 

DTO 301D Ascent Structural Capability Evaluation 

DTO 307D Entry Structural Capability 

DTO 312: External Tank Thermal Protection System Performance 

DTO 319D Orbiter/Payload Acceleration and Acoustics Data 

DTO 414: APU Shutdown Test 

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

DTO 674: Thermoelectric Liquid Cooling System Evaluation 

DTO 700-8 Global Positioning System Developmental Flight Test 

DTO 700-9 Orbiter Evaluation of TDRS Acquisition in Bypass Mode 

DTO 805: Crosswind Landing Performance 

DSO 326: Window Impact Observations 

DSO 328: In-Flight Urine Collection Absorber Evaluation 

DSO 484: Assessment of Circadian Shifting in Astronauts by Bright Light 

DSO 487: Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers 

DSO 488: Measurement of Formaldehyde Using Passive Dosimetry 

DSO 603: Orthostatic Function During Entry, Landing and Egress 

DSO 604: Visual-Vestibular Integration as a Function of Adaptation 

DSO 605: Postural Equilibrium Control During Landing/Egress 

DSO 608: Effects of Space Flight on Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolism 

DSO 614: The Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Head and Gaze Stability during Locomotion 

DSO 624: Pre and Postflight Measurement of Cardiorespiratory Responses to Submaximal Exercise

DSO 626: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Responses to Standing Before and After Space Fligh

DSO 901: Documentary Television 

DSO 902: Documentary Motion Picture Photography 

DSO 903: Documentary Still Photography 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 10 

SPACE 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-67 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 Edwards Air Force Base, CA. 

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

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

• Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more engines, before the Shuttle has 

enough energy to reach Moron or Ben Guerir, would result in a pitch around and thrust back toward 

KSC until the Orbiter is within gliding distance of the Shuttle Landing Facility. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 11 

MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE 

Flight Day 1 Flight Day 10 

Launch/Ascent Astro Observations 

OMS-2 Burn MACE Operations 

Astro/Spacelab Activation 

Instrument Pointing System Activation Flight Day 11 

Astro Observations Astro Observations 

 Off-Duty Time for MS 3 and PS 1 

Flight Day 2 

Astro Observations Flight Day 12 

 Astro Observations 

Flight Day 3 MACE Operations 

Astro Observations Off-Duty Time for MS 1 and PS 2

MACE Operations 

Flight Day 13 

Flight Day 4 Astro Observations 

Astro Observations Crew News Conference 

MACE Operations 

Flight Day 14 

Flight Day 5 Astro Observations 

Astro Observations Flight Control System Checkout 

 Instrument Pointing System Stow Check and 

Redeployment 

Flight Day 6 

Astro Observations Flight Day 15 

Off-Duty Time for MS 3 and PS 1 Astro/Spacelab Deactivation 

 Instrument Pointing System Stow 

Flight Day 7 Cabin Stow 

Astro Observations 

MACE Operations Flight Day 16 

Off-Duty Time for MS 1 and PS 2 Deorbit Prep 

 Deorbit Burn 

Flight Day 8 Entry 

Astro Observations KSC Landing 

 

Flight Day 9 

Astro Observations 

MACE Operations 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 12 

PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS 

 Pounds

Orbiter (Endeavour) empty and 3 SSMEs 173,910 

 

ASTRO-2 (Instruments and Support Equipment) 17,384 

Getaway Special Canisters 1,000 

CMIX 69 

MACE (Middeck Active Control Experiment) 258 

Protein Crystal Growth Experiment 205 

Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment 28 

Detailed Test/Supplementary Objectives 171 

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition 4,520,531 

Orbiter Weight at Landing 217,683 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 13 

STS-67 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY 

(Based on a March 2, 1995 Launch) 

Event MET Time of Day (EST) 

 

Launch 0/00:00 1:37 a.m., Mar. 2 

OMS-2 0/00:51 2:28 a.m., Mar. 2 

IPS Activation 0/03:15 4:52 a.m., Mar. 2 

Crew News Conference 12/11:10 12:47 p.m., Mar. 14 

FCS Checkout 13/11:45 1:22 p.m., Mar. 15 

Deorbit Burn 15/12:25 2:02 p.m., Mar. 17 

KSC Landing 15/13:32 3:09 p.m., Mar. 17 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 14 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 15 

CREW RESPONSIBILITIES 

Payloads and Activities Prime Backup 

 

ASTRO Jernigan Grunsfeld 

Durrance, 

Parise 

Getaway Specials Grunsfeld Lawrence 

MACE Oswald Gregory 

PCG Lawrence Gregory 

CMIX Gregory Lawrence 

SAREX Parise Oswald 

DTOs/DSOs 

DTO 251: Entry Aerodynamics Test Oswald Gregory 

DTO 312: Tank TPS Performance Grunsfeld Lawrence 

DTO 667: PILOT Oswald Gregory 

DSO 484: Circadian Shifting Jernigan, Lawrence, Durrance 

DSO 487: Immunological Assessment All 

DSO 603C: Entry Monitoring Jernigan, Grunsfeld, Durrance, Parise 

DSO 604: Head/Eye Movement Grunsfeld, Parise, Oswald 

DSO 608: Aerobic/Anaerobic Oswald, Gregory, Lawrence 

DSO 605: Postural Equilibrium Oswald, Gregory 

DSO 614: Head and Gaze Stability Gregory, Grunsfeld 

DSO 624: Submaximal Exercise Durrance, Parise 

DSO 626: Extended Stand Test Jernigan, Grunsfeld, Durrance, Parise 

 

Other Activities: 

Photography/TV Grunsfeld Lawrence, Gregory 

In-Flight Maintenance Gregory Lawrence, Oswald 

Earth Observations Grunsfeld Lawrence 

Medical Oswald Jernigan 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 16 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 17 

ASTRO-2 

A cluster of unique telescopes will turn the Space Shuttle Endeavour into an Earth-orbiting ultraviolet 

observatory. This set of mechanized “eyes” will give astronomers a view of the heavens impossible to 

obtain from the ground. 

The mission, which will study some of the most energetic events in the cosmos, builds on the experience 

and scientific data obtained on the first Astro flight in 1990. This second mission will fill gaps in 

knowledge about ultraviolet astronomy, expand and refine existing data, and help astronomers better 

understand our dynamic universe. 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, supervised development of the Astro observatory 

and manages Astro missions for the Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Office of Space Science, 

Washington, DC. 

Why Ultraviolet Astronomy? 

Since the earliest days of astronomy, people have used the light from stars to test their understanding of the 

universe. However, the visible light that can be studied from Earth is only a small portion of the radiation 

produced by celestial objects. Other forms of radiation -- like lower energy infrared light and higher energy 

ultraviolet light and X-rays -- are absorbed by the atmosphere and never reach the ground. 

Seeing celestial objects in visible light alone is like looking at a painting in only one color. To fully 

appreciate the meaning of the painting, viewers must see it in all of its colors. 

Getting above the atmosphere with space instruments like the Astro ultraviolet telescopes lets astronomers 

add some of these “colors” to their view of stars and galaxies. 

The universe of ultraviolet astronomy is strikingly different from our familiar night sky. Most stars fade 

from view, too cool to emit much ultraviolet radiation. But very young massive stars, some very old stars, 

glowing nebulae, active galaxies, quasars and white dwarfs stand out when observed with instruments 

sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. 

Before the advent of orbiting ultraviolet telescopes, scientists had to be satisfied with rocket-borne 

ultraviolet telescopes. In fact, all three Astro telescopes are based on prototypes flown separately on 

sounding rockets. A typical rocket flight might gather 300 seconds of data on a single object. During 

Astro-2, scientists expect their three telescopes to gather hundreds of hours of data on a multitude of 

celestial objects. 

THE ASTRO TELESCOPES 

The Astro Observatory is a package of three instruments, mounted on the Spacelab Instrument Pointing 

System. 

The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), developed at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 

conducts spectroscopy in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectroscopy allows 

scientists to learn what elements are present in an object, as well as identify physical processes taking place 

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

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), developed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, 

Greenbelt, MD, takes wide- field photographs of objects in ultraviolet light, recording the images on film 

for processing back on Earth. 

The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), developed at the University of 

Wisconsin at Madison, measures the intensity of ultraviolet light and its degree of polarization. When light 

waves are polarized, or vibrate in a preferred direction rather than randomly, they give astronomers clues to 

the geometry of a star or the composition and structure of the interstellar medium it illuminates. 

Simultaneous observations by the three telescopes complement one another, as they provide different 

perspectives on the same celestial objects. 

Astro-2 observations also complement those of ultraviolet instruments on other NASA spacecraft, such as 

the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Ultraviolet Explorer, and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer -

- all currently in operation. By combining research findings from various instruments, scientists hope to 

piece together the evolution and history of the universe and learn more about the composition and origin of 

stars and galaxies. 

Astro-1 

The first flight of the Astro observatory took place in December 1990 and lasted nine days. In addition to 

the ultraviolet telescopes, the observatory included an X-Ray instrument called the Broad-Band X-Ray 

Telescope mounted on a separate pointing system. 

During this mission the Astro team learned a number of valuable lessons about operating a Shuttle-based 

astronomical observatory in orbit -- lessons that will be put to good use during the Astro-2 mission. 

The Astro-1 instruments captured the first views of many celestial objects in extremely short ultraviolet 

wavelengths, took the first detailed ultraviolet photographs of many astronomical objects, and made the 

first extensive studies of ultraviolet polarization. 

The end of 1994 saw more than 110 scientific articles published on Astro-1 results by these four instrument 

teams. 

One of the first-covered Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope observations was designed to test a theory which 

had been proposed about the nature of so-called “dark matter,” -- a substantial portion of the universe’s 

mass that astronomers have been unable to account for. The observation effectively disproved the theory, 

leaving the “missing mass” in the universe as mysterious as ever. 

Successive papers reveal an impressively wide range of scientific insights obtained by Astro-1. 

Observations covered everything from solar system objects, nearby interstellar medium, distant quasars, 

star clusters, galaxies, individual nebulae and stars. Each observation helps to fill in gaps in our 

understanding of the physics of these objects. 

ASTRO-1 RESULTS AND ASTRO-2 GOALS 

Many Astro-2 observations will build on discoveries from Astro-1, while others will seek to answer 

additional questions about the ultraviolet universe. 

Stellar evolution. Stars like Earth’s Sun are the most common type, emitting most of their radiation in 

visible light. But young stars being formed, and some old stars in later stages of their evolution, shine 

brighter in ultraviolet wavelengths. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 19 

On Astro-1, UIT images identified rings of massive star formation in several galaxies, and roughly half of 

the instrument’s science program on Astro-2 is devoted to studies of star-forming galaxies. A unique UIT 

contribution is the identification of thousands of individual hot stars in other galaxies for later study by 

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. 

UIT also photographed globular clusters, where there are often so many stars grouped together that it is 

impossible to distinguish individual stars. The ultraviolet images picked out hot stars in late stages of 

evolution, where hydrogen has been depleted from the cores and energy is provided by burning helium. By 

comparing photographs taken in different wavelengths, scientists were able to measure the temperature as 

well as brightness of the individual stars. 

Observing more globular clusters is a high priority for the imaging telescope on Astro-2. Astronomers will 

compare the observations to theoretical predications, to help fill in gaps in their knowledge about these late 

evolutionary stages. 

All three Astro-2 telescopes will study white dwarf stars. These are old stars in a transition phase -- former 

giants which have shed their cool outer layers, leaving dormant cores containing a sun’s worth of mass 

within a sphere the size of Earth. The hottest white dwarf stars, perhaps as hot as 200,000 degrees 

Fahrenheit (110,000 degrees Celsius), are very unstable and pulsate every five to ten minutes. 

Spinning stars. One of the surprises from Astro-1 were observations of stars that are spinning very fast, 

called Be stars. A Be star is thought to be surrounded by a disk of gas lost from the star. WUPPE found 

that the amount of polarized light coming from these stars was less than is seen in visible light and less 

than expected in the ultraviolet, indicating that some of the ultraviolet polarized light was being removed 

by the gas in the disk around the star. The wavelengths in the ultraviolet where polarized light was missing 

told astronomers that there are apparently atoms of gaseous iron in the disks close to Be stars. The WUPPE 

team will try to learn more about the gaseous disks by viewing more Be stars during Astro-2. 

Cataclysmic variables. Astro-1 ultraviolet telescopes observed cataclysmic variables -- dual star systems 

which occasionally increase dramatically in brightness as a dense old star called a white dwarf pulls 

material from its companion normal star. One particularly interesting observation was of a variable near the 

peak of its brightness, which Astro-1 was able to view after a support network of amateur astronomers 

using ground-based telescopes reported seeing an outburst in progress. Results from the Astro-1 

observations did not match theoretical predictions, causing a re-evaluation of current theories about this 

type of star system. 

Scientists will use follow-up observations during Astro-2 to learn more about what triggers the sudden 

outbursts of energy in cataclysmic variables, which can increase their brightness 100 times or more. 

Supernova remnants. Supernova remnants are the ghosts of dead stars, expanding gaseous nebulae 

created by stellar explosions. Observing the young remnants of a supernova’s explosion provides the only 

direct test of a process called nucleosynthesis, whereby lighter elements are manufactured into heavier 

elements in the centers of stars. Observations of old supernova remnants actually probe conditions in 

interstellar space as the shock wave encounters clouds of interstellar material. 

During Astro-1, all three ultraviolet telescopes observed the Cygnus Loop, the remnant of an explosion 

some 40,000 years ago. Observations detected a much higher temperature and therefore much greater 

velocity of its shock wave than had been predicted. The telescopes also studied the Crab Nebula, a 

relatively young supernova remnant. 

Astro-2 observations will include the Cygnus Loop and several other supernovas as well. 

Galaxy morphology. Galaxies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as gigantic spirals like the 

Earth’s Milky Way, egg-shaped ellipticals and irregular shapes with no preferred form. Studying the 

shapes of galaxies in the ultraviolet is a key to the study of galaxy evolution in the early universe. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 20 

Before Astro-1, there were only a handful of ultraviolet pictures of nearby galaxies available. UIT images 

from that mission revealed that the shapes of galaxies seen in ultraviolet wavelengths are strikingly 

different for their familiar forms in visible light. One UIT goal for Astro-2 is the construction of an 

ultraviolet atlas of spiral galaxies. 

Active galaxies. Observations of active galaxies by the Astro telescopes may help astronomers explain 

why the cores of galaxies give off large amounts of high-energy ultraviolet, X-Ray and gamma-ray 

radiation. 

Most astronomers believe that the radiation is produced by a massive black hole in the center of the galaxy, 

surrounded by a torus, or doughnut-shaped cloud of material. The WUPPE instrument on Astro-1 

confirmed the existence of a thick torus, while another instrument showed unexpectedly high temperatures 

near it. These results support the idea that ultraviolet radiation is being absorbed by a disk of matter 

spiraling into a massive black hole. 

Astro-2 observations will help confirm or refute this picture of what is happening in the centers of active 

galaxies. 

Elliptical galaxies. Astro-1 observations by both HUT and UIT shed light on a 20-year-old mystery about 

the source of faint, ultraviolet emissions in elliptical galaxies. Such galaxies are thought to consist almost 

entirely of old red stars, which do not emit large amounts of ultraviolet light. However, early astronomical 

satellites showed that these elliptical galaxies increase in brightness at short ultraviolet wavelengths. 

The Astro-1 studies ruled out some proposed explanations for the ultraviolet emissions, and they found 

strong evidence for a previously unknown stage of stellar evolution that apparently is occurring in these 

galaxies. During Astro-2, both UIT and HUT will observe more elliptical galaxies to confirm and extend 

these ideas. 

Interstellar dust. On Astro-1, WUPPE used half a dozen bright stars like flashlights to illuminate the 

interstellar medium, literally shedding new light on the chemical composition and physical nature of the 

“dust” between stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Surfaces of these dust grains are thought to provide a safe 

haven for the formation of molecules, clouds of which are the “womb” for the formation of each generation 

of new stars. 

Astro-1 observations revealed that some parts of the galaxy seem to have dust grains that may look like 

tiny hockey pucks, while other parts seem to have a mixture of several sizes, shapes and kinds of dust 

grains. Previously, astronomers had thought properties of this interstellar dust were the same wherever the 

dust was found. A major Astro-2 goal for WUPPE will be to determine whether these different types of 

dust grains form because conditions in some parts of the galaxy are different than they are in other areas. 

* Primordial intergalactic gas. The primary Astro-2 goal for the Hopkins telescope is to detect the existence 

of primordial intergalactic gas, an investigation it did not get to perform on Astro-1. 

This helium gas in the vast space between galaxies is thought to be left over from the “Big Bang,” the 

primordial fireball which marked the beginning of the universe. Existence of the gas is a logical 

consequence of the “Big Bang” theory. 

HUT will look for evidence of intergalactic helium by observing the light of an extremely distant object 

called a quasar, located behind the gas, much as a hazy mist can be viewed when it is illuminated by the 

beam of a distant flashlight. Helium in the intervening gas would absorb light of a specific frequency from 

the quasar, altering the chemical signature the quasar could normally be expected to produce. 

A recent Hubble Space Telescope observation found evidence of intergalactic helium in the spectrum of 

one quasar. However, HUT’s spectral region permits looking at more nearby quasars. Positive results from 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 21 

Astro-2 observations would not only verify the Hubble findings, but they could allow the density and 

ionization state of the gas to be measured as well. 

Solar system objects. HUT made several observations of the planet Jupiter and its moon Io during Astro1, studying the dynamic nature of their relationship. Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar 

system, spews out volcanic material into space, where it is ionized and swept up by Jupiter’s strong 

magnetic field. Ultraviolet observations permit a better understanding of the temperatures and densities of 

the resulting plasma. Scientists were able to use HUT’s more detailed spectra to reinterpret data gathered 

by the Voyager spacecraft in the late 1970s. 

More studies of Jupiter will be performed during Astro-2. The observations will help determine the 

importance to Jupiter’s atmosphere of extreme ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The telescopes also will 

look for changes in the planet’s upper atmosphere resulting from recent impacts by fragments of Comet 

Shoemaker-Levy 9. 

ASTRO-2 INSTRUMENTS 

Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Arthur F. Davidsen 

The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 

The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope conducts spectroscopy in the far ultraviolet portion of the 

electromagnetic spectrum. During Astro-2, it will study a wide variety of objects, ranging from our own 

solar system and galactic neighborhood to very distant objects near the edge of the observable universe. 

The instrument team’s highest priority for Astro-2 is the search for intergalactic helium thought to be left 

over from a primordial fireball that marked the birth of the universe about 10 to 20 billion years ago. HUT 

astronomers will attempt to analyze light shining through this gas by observing distant quasars. 

The portion of the spectrum observed by the Hopkins telescope, coupled with the instrument’s sensitivity, 

enables it to see a slice of the ultraviolet universe which other observatories are unable to detect. HUT’s 

spectral region covers wavelengths shorter than those observed by the Hubble Space Telescope and the 

International Ultraviolet Explorer and longer than the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite. 

HUT uses a 36-inch (0.9 meter) mirror, located in the back of the telescope tube, to focus ultraviolet light 

from astronomical objects into a spectrograph set in the middle of the telescope. The spectrograph 

“spreads” ultraviolet light into a spectrum which can be studied in detail, in much the same way as a prism 

separates visible light into a rainbow of colors. It then measures the brightness of the light at each 

wavelength. 

By analyzing how the brightness varies across the wavelengths, scientists can determine the elements 

present in the object, the relative amounts of each element, and the temperature and density of the object. 

From this, astronomers can gain a better understanding of the physical processes occurring in or near the 

object being studied. 

HUT was designed and built by Johns Hopkins University astrophysicists and engineers at the university’s 

Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. More than two dozen faculty, staff and students from Johns 

Hopkins currently are involved in the project. 

During Astro-1, HUT made numerous observations of active galactic nuclei, quasars, cataclysmic 

variables, nebulae, supernova remnants, solar system objects and other astronomical objects, many of 

which had never been studied before in the energy range unique to HUT. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 22 

The telescope has been improved significantly for Astro- 2, and the science team expects it to be about 

three times more sensitive to the far ultraviolet spectrum than it was on its first mission. This will allow 

them to obtain higher quality spectra and to observe fainter objects. The primary mirror has been coated 

with silicon carbide, which is much more reflective to far ultraviolet light than the iridium coating on the 

original HUT mirror. The spectrograph grating also has been coated with silicon carbide. 

Each time the Astro-2 telescopes point for a new observation, astronauts and ground controllers will use 

visible-light images on HUT’s closed circuit TV camera to identify the desired targets and to verify that the 

telescope is pointing accurately. 

Spectra from the observations will be downlinked to the HUT science team in Huntsville, where Johns 

Hopkins scientists will record the data. About 60 days after landing all of the science and engineering data 

will be sent to Baltimore. Scientists there will continue the detailed process of analyzing their collected 

information. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 23 

Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) 

Telescope Optics: Silicon carbide-coated parabolic mirror 

Aperture: 36 inches (90 centimeters) 

Focal Ratio: f/2 

Guide TV Field of View: 10 arc-minutes 

Spectral Resolution: 3.0 Angstroms 

Wavelength Range: 830 to 1860 Angstroms (limited sensitivity in 500 to 750 Angstrom range) 

Magnitude Limit: 16 

Detector: Prime Focus Rowland Circle Spectrograph with microchannel plate intensifier 

 And electronic diode array detector 

Weight: 1,736 pounds (789 kilograms) 

Dimensions: 44 inches (1.1 meter) diameter 

 12.1 feet (3.7 meters) length 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 24 

Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Arthur D. Code 

 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 

The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) measures the polarization and 

intensity of ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. 

Photometry is the measurement of the intensity (brightness) of the light, while polarization is the 

measurement of the orientation (direction) of the vibrating light wave. 

Light is made up of electric and magnetic waves that vibrate from side to side, up and down, and 

diagonally. The polarization of light is a measure of how much more the waves vibrate in one direction 

than the others. 

Usually, light waves vibrate randomly, thus are said to be unpolarized. The waves become polarized when 

they encounter a particular object or force which causes them to vibrate in a preferred direction. For 

example, polarization occurs when light is emitted in the presence of a magnetic field or when it passes 

through clouds of dust grains aligned by an interstellar magnetic field. The light from a comet’s tail is 

reflected sunlight that becomes polarized when it is scattered by the ice and dust particles left in the 

comet’s wake. This is similar to the way that polarized sunglasses reduce the glare of scattered light. 

Determining the amount and direction of polarization and how these change with wavelength can tell 

scientists what caused the light waves to vibrate in a preferred direction Ñ indicators of a celestial object’s 

geometry and other physical conditions, or about the reflecting properties of tiny particles in the interstellar 

medium along the radiation’s path. 

The primary processes responsible for polarization within individual celestial objects are enhanced in 

observations of hotter, more energetic ultraviolet radiation. The background clutter common in visible light 

studies is greatly reduced, which is important since polarization of the interstellar medium usually is not as 

strong in ultraviolet as in visible wavelengths. 

Natural light also can become polarized when it passes through a cloud containing dust grains aligned by 

an interstellar magnetic field. From this scientists learn about the kinds of grains and can map out the 

magnetic fields in space. 

The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment was built by scientists, engineers and students at 

the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Space Astronomy Lab in the 1980s. 

Before the Astro-1 flight, only one single measurement of ultraviolet polarization had ever been made. 

WUPPE observations from Astro-1 gave astronomers the first measurements of the ultraviolet polarization 

of many types of astronomical objects. The instrument provided detailed spectral data on the polarization 

of some three dozen stars, interstellar clouds and galaxies, and ultraviolet spectra of an additional 20 stellar 

objects. 

A major Astro-2 goal for WUPPE is to follow up on Astro-1 observations of the interstellar medium. The 

science team hope to learn more about the causes of polarization and the nature of “dust” grains in the 

space between stars. They also will follow up on observations of active galaxies and rapidly spinning stars. 

The WUPPE telescope examines ultraviolet radiation from 1,400 Angstroms (around the mid-point of the 

far ultraviolet range) to 3,200 Angstroms (slightly shorter wavelengths than blue visible light ). This is an 

area that has not been readily studied, especially for stars that are too bright for Hubble’s Faint Object 

Spectrograph and for nebulae too large for Hubble’s smaller spectrograph openings. 

The telescope is a classical Cassegrain-type, meaning that light enters the tube and strikes a large, parabolic 

mirror near the back. The light then is reflected forward to a smaller, secondary mirror near the front of the 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 25 

telescope, which focuses the light back through a hole in the center of the large mirror. The secondary 

mirror can be adjusted in precise increments to refocus the telescope, to allow it to look at objects slightly 

offset from those other Astro instruments are studying, and to perform rapid small corrections to the 

telescope’s pointing direction. 

Behind the primary mirror, the beam passes through an ultraviolet spectrograph, a device which spreads 

out the radiation by wavelengths. A beam-splitting prism divides the resulting spectrum into two 

perpendicular planes of polarization, and the two spectra are recorded simultaneously on two separate 

detectors. Comparison of the two spectra is then used to study the polarization of the ultraviolet light as a 

function of wavelength. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 26 

Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) 

Telescope Optics: Cassegrain system 

Aperture: 20 inches (50 centimeters) 

Focal Ratio: f/10 

Spectral Resolution: 6 Angstroms 

Wavelength Range: 1,400 to 3,200 Angstroms 

Magnitude Limit: 16 

Detectors: Spectropolarimeter with dual electronic diode array detectors 

Weight: 981 pounds (446 kilograms) 

Dimensions: 28 inches (70 centimeters) diameter 

 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) length 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) 

Principal Investigator: Theodore P. Stecher 

 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope makes deep, wide-field photographs of objects in ultraviolet light. This 

type of imagery is a primary means for recognizing fundamentally new phenomena or important examples 

of known astrophysical objects in ultraviolet wavelengths. Before Astro-1, very few ultraviolet images had 

been made and those that were available were taken during brief rocket flights. 

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope observes a field of view two-thirds of a degree across, an area larger 

than the full Moon. This is considered “wide field” for astronomers; each UIT photo covers an area more 

than 250 times the size of the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field/Planetary Camera, though at lower 

angular resolution and sensitivity. For many galaxies or star clusters, this is large enough to encompass the 

entire object in a single photo frame. In addition, the UIT suffers much less interference from visible light, 

since it is provided with “solar blind” detectors. 

Images made in the ultraviolet spectrum clearly show the dynamic events taking place beyond our world. 

The clutter of objects which produce most of their radiation in visible light disappears. Hot stars leap into 

prominence, the spiral arms of distant galaxies snap into clearer resolution, and the material hidden 

between the stars comes into view. UIT’s wide-field images are ideal for investigating astronomical 

questions such as the shapes of nearby galaxies as revealed in ultraviolet light, the properties of massive 

hot stars, the evolution of low-mass stars, and the nature of interstellar dust and gas. UIT galaxy-wide 

images are sky surveys that can locate bright ultraviolet stars for further more detailed study by the Hubble 

Space Telescope. 

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope was developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, 

MD. During Astro-1, UIT obtained a large number of images, including clusters of young, hot massive 

stars; globular clusters containing old stars, some of which are unusually hot; spiral galaxies rich with starforming activity; and smaller “irregular” galaxies that can experience sudden bursts of star formation. 

Astro-2 will continue the important work of imaging the ultraviolet sky. 

UIT is a powerful combination of telescope, image intensifier and camera. Unlike data from the other 

Astro instruments, which will be electronically transmitted to the ground, UIT images will be recorded 

directly on very sensitive astronomical film. The film will be processed and analyzed after Endeavour 

returns to Earth. 

Light is reflected from a 15-inch (38-centimeter) primary mirror, at the middle of the telescope tube, to a 

secondary mirror near the front. The secondary mirror is linked to an image motion compensation system, 

which adjusts it slightly as necessary to offset any motion or jitter in the spacecraft. This is critical since 

any motions would blur the resulting photographs. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 27 

Reflected from the secondary mirror, the light passes through filter wheels containing six filters each. 

These different filters allow specific wavelengths of the ultraviolet spectrum to be selected. By comparing 

two images of the same area with different filters, the UIT team can measure the temperature as well as the 

brightness of every object in the field. 

The light then enters one of the telescope’s two image intensifier/film transport units. The image 

intensifiers amplify and convert the ultraviolet light into a visible image that can be recorded on 

astronomical film. Each unit contains 1,000 film frames. 

A 30-minute exposure can record a blue star of 25th magnitude, about 100 million times fainter than the 

faintest visible light star which could be seen by the naked eye on a clear, dark night. Developed after the 

mission, each frame of film is digitized to form an array of 2,048 x 2,048 picture elements, called pixels, 

for computer analysis. This analysis produces quantitative information about the objects whose images 

appear on the film. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) 

Telescope Optics: Ritchey-Chretien 

Aperture: 15 inches (38 centimeters) 

Focal Ratio: f/9 

Field of view: 40 arc-minutes 

Angular Resolution: 2 arc-seconds 

Wavelength Range: 1,200 to 3,200 Angstroms 

Magnitude Limit: 25 

Detectors: Two image intensifiers with 70-millimeter film, 1,000 frames each, IIaO 

 astronomical film 

Weight: 1,043 pounds (474 kilograms) 

Dimensions: 32 inches (81 centimeters) diameter 

 12.1 feet (3.7 meters) length 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

The Astro-2 Mission 

Like Astro-1, the Astro-2 observatory will be housed inside the Shuttle’s payload bay, with astronomers 

serving as payload specialists operating the telescopes from the aft flight deck of the Shuttle. As the Shuttle 

Endeavour orbits 220 miles above Earth, a large contingent of scientists and engineers will guide the 

mission from NASA’s Spacelab Mission Operations Control Center at Marshall Space Flight Center in 

Huntsville. 

The ultraviolet telescope assembly rests on two Spacelab pallets in Endeavour’s cargo bay. The Shuttle and 

Spacelab systems provide power, pointing and communications links for the observatory. 

The telescopes are mounted on the Instrument Pointing System (IPS), which was part of the Spacelab 

equipment developed for NASA by the European Space Agency. It has been used twice before, on 

Spacelab 2 in 1985 and on Astro-1 in late 1990. 

The IPS furnishes a stable platform, keeps the telescopes aligned, and provides various pointing and 

tracking capabilities to the telescopes. During Astro-1 the IPS had some difficulties locking onto guide 

stars properly, although an alternate technique allowed the astronauts to manually point the IPS and track 

targets. In general, the astronauts were able to provide pointing stability of about 2 to 3 arc seconds or 

better. However, in “optical hold”, the IPS should be able to achieve sub-arc-second stability. A special 

task team 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 28 

put together by mission management at Marshall has extensively modified and tested the IPS software and 

made other improvements to ensure the IPS works properly for Astro- 2. 

Marshall’s image motion compensation system, designed to eliminate jitter caused by crew motions and 

thruster firings during observations, will refine pointing and stability even further for the photo-polarimeter 

and the imaging telescope. When the system senses unwanted motion in the instruments, it sends signals 

which adjust the telescopes’ mirrors to reduce jitter. This is particularly important for UIT to maintain the 

quality of its imagery, since the pictures are recorded on film and a single exposure can last as long as 30 

minutes. 

After launch, the plan calls for a roughly 20-hour checkout period, though fine-tuning the observatory 

could take somewhat longer. Observations will begin immediately after checkout is complete and continue 

throughout the mission, with only brief interruptions for activities such as waste-water dumps and Shuttle 

tests. 

The night launch will allow the Shuttle Endeavour to pass through the so-called South Atlantic Anomaly, 

where high- energy radiation dips closer to the Earth than usual, mainly on the daylit side of its orbit. High 

energy particles affect instrument operation and increase the background levels in electronic detectors. The 

“natural” background, such as scattered light and ultraviolet residual airglow emissions, is also higher on 

the daylit side. The nighttime launch therefore preserves orbital night passes Ñ when Earth is between the 

Shuttle and the Sun Ñ for observations of the faintest, and often highest priority, astronomical targets. 

Brighter targets will be observed during the day. 

The mission timeline, a detailed “blueprint” of the flight’s science activities, is divided into two-orbit 

(three- hour) blocks. One of the three telescope teams will have priority for the entire time block and will 

select the observations during that period. Generally, the other two telescopes will observe the same object 

or something nearby, though some targets may be too bright for the imaging telescope to view. 

The seven-member Astro-2 crew will be split into two 12- hour shifts, so astronomical observations can 

continue around the clock. 

To begin an observation, an Orbiter crew member will maneuver the Shuttle’s payload bay to point toward 

the celestial object being studied. 

The two science crew members on each shift, a NASA mission specialist and a payload specialist (an 

astronomer chosen from among the experiment teams), will have the option of using a pre-programmed, 

automatic sequence to maneuver the Instrument Pointing System and lock onto guide stars, or they may 

choose to acquire the target manually using a joystick- type device. Generally, the mission specialist will 

be responsible for pointing the telescope assembly, and the payload specialist will control the actual 

instrument set-ups and observations. 

Astronomers on each instrument team will receive telescope data at Spacelab control and adjust their 

observations as needed to obtain the best possible results. If the data reveal something unexpected, or if an 

unforeseen astronomical event occurs (like the cataclysmic variable outburst during Astro-1), the 

instrument teams will work with Marshall payload controllers to develop changes in the timeline. This 

allows the investigators to explore the unexpected and take advantage of science opportunities that may 

arise during the mission. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 29 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 30 

Guest Investigators 

One new feature for Astro-2 is “community involvement.” Although each of the instruments was 

developed by a team of scientists and engineers at a particular university or government facility, “guest 

investigators” also will use the Astro telescopes for their own observations. In 1993 NASA solicited 

proposals from the general astronomical community for participation in the observatory’s second flight. 

After scientific and technical peer review, NASA selected ten proposals for inclusion into the scientific 

program. This has produced an even broader range of observations that will be attempted and scientific 

investigations that will be carried out. 

Astro-2 principal guest investigators and their experiments are: 

The Near UV Properties of Galaxies Which Have Low Optical Surface Brightness (UIT) 

Dr. Gregory D. Bothun 

University of Oregon 

Eugene, OR 

Ultraviolet Extinction and Polarization of Interstellar Dust in the Large Magellanic Cloud (HUT, WUPPE) 

Dr. Geoffrey C. Clayton 

University of Colorado 

Boulder, CO 

O-VI Emission and Broad-Band UV Spectra of Symbiotic Systems 

(HUT, WUPPE) 

Dr. Brian R. Espey 

The Johns Hopkins University 

Baltimore, MD 

Investigations of Lyman Line Profiles in Hot DA White Dwarfs 

(HUT) 

Dr. David S. Finley 

EUREKA Scientific, Inc. 

Oakland, CA 

An Ultraviolet Survey/Atlas of Spiral Galaxies (UIT) 

Dr. Wendy L. Freedman 

Carnegie Institution of Washington 

Pasadena, CA 

Astro-2 Observations of the Moon (UIT) 

Dr. George R. Gladstone 

Southwest Research Institute 

San Antonio, TX 

HUT Observations of the Lyman Continuum in Starburst Galaxies (HUT) 

Dr. Claus H. Leitherer 

Space Telescope Science Institute 

Baltimore, MD 

Far UV Observations of Interstellar Shocks (HUT) 

Dr. John C. Raymond 

Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory 

Cambridge, MA 

The Extended Atmospheres of Wolf-Rayet Stars (HUT, WUPPE) 

Dr. Regina E. Schulte-Ladbeck 

University of Pittsburgh 

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

A Reconnaissance of O3 Spectra in the 900-1200 Angstrom Region (HUT) 

Dr. Nolan R. Walborn 

Space Telescope Science Institute 

Baltimore, MD 

ASTRO-2 MANAGEMENT TEAM 

Headquarters, Washington, DC 

Program Manager James McGuire 

Program Scientist Dr. Robert Stachnik 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

Mission Manager Dr. Robert Jayroe 

Mission Scientist Dr. Charles Meegan 

Deputy Mission Scientist Dr. Eugene Urban 

Assistant Mission Scientist Dr. John Horack 

Chief Engineer David Jacobson 

Assistant Mission Manager Stuart Clifton 

Lead Payload Operations Director Lewis Wooten 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 32 

GET AWAY SPECIAL (GAS) 

The Get Away Special (GAS) project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. NASA 

began flying these small self-contained payloads in 1982. The project gives an individual an opportunity to perform 

experiments in space on a Shuttle mission. Students, individuals and people from private industry have taken 

advantage of this unique project. Space is available for upcoming flights, and GAS presents an educational 

opportunity for students. There is one experiment in two payloads on this flight. Following is a brief description of the 

payloads. 

G-387 & G-388 

Customer: Australian Space Office, Depart. of Industry Science & Technology 

Customer Manager: Dr. John S. Boyd, Deputy Executive Director, Australian Space Office 

NASA Technical Manager: Charlie Knapp 

Endeavour, an Australian space telescope, is very significant to the Australian space program as it makes its second 

flight aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS- 67. The telescope previously flew in January 1992. 

Coincidentally, the Australian payload has the same name as the Shuttle Endeavour. Both were named after the 

sailing ship which the Captain James Cook commanded during an expedition to explore the Pacific Ocean. In doing so 

he discovered the eastern coast of Australia and pioneered the way for the first settlement in Australia by Europeans. 

Endeavour is the most significant space payload built by the Australian space industry in more than two decades. This 

is the program on which many Australian engineers learned their space skills. This is particularly true for Auspace, 

the prime contractor for this project. More than 200 Australian companies also contributed to this pioneering space 

project. The Australian Space Office of the Department of Industry Science and Technology, which administers the 

Australian space program, provided the funds for the Endeavour program. 

Outside the influence of the Earth’s atmosphere, Endeavour will take images in the ultraviolet spectrum of targets 

which include star-forming regions, nearby galaxies and violent galactic events. Such images cannot be taken from 

ground- based telescopes because the radiation at these wavelengths is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. The 

Australian Space Telescope is housed in two GAS canisters that are mounted on the side of the Shuttle cargo bay and 

are interconnected by means of a cable harness. One of the canisters is fitted with a Motorized Door Assembly which 

protects the payload during launch and opens to allow observations to be made. This canister houses the telescope, the 

detector and the control computer. 

Endeavour is a 100 mm binocular reflecting telescope. One side of the telescope allows all the light from celestial 

targets to enter the other side allows only light in a narrow spectral band. Thus, by the subtraction of the two signals, 

the narrow band image can be studied in detail as the brighter background is removed. 

The detector is a very sensitive photon counting array which comprises an image tube, a fiber optic image dissector 

and charged coupled arrays. The detector counts individual photons, the smallest indivisible packet of light to obtain 

maximum efficiency at the low light level produced by these distant galaxies. 

The second canister contains the battery to supply electrical power to the payload and video cassette recorders to 

record the images for processing on the ground after landing. The telescope has a field-of-view of two degrees and 

relies on the Shuttle for pointing. Shuttle motion during exposures can be removed by subsequent ground image 

processing. 

The managing director of Auspace, Mr. T. Stapinski, said “Endeavour is a very important space project for Auspace. 

It is a very complex payload of over 180 kg. (396 lbs.) and we learned a lot during its manufacture and testing. 

“The expertise learned on Endeavour has enabled Auspace engineers to make major contributions on other electrooptical space instrumentation such as the Along Track Scanning Radiometer for the European Remote Sensing 

satellite. The Flight of Endeavour is very important as it will demonstrate the capability of the Australian space 

industry to produce top quality space hardware.” 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 33 

COMMERCIAL MDA ITA EXPERIMENTS (CMIX-03) 

Overview 

The third in a series of six commercial experiments, known as CMIX, will fly aboard Endeavour during 

STS-67. CMIX- 03 includes biomedical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cell biology, crystal growth and 

fluids science investigations. 

These experiments will explore ways in which microgravity can benefit drug development and delivery for 

treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and metabolic deficiencies. These experiments also will include 

protein and inorganic crystal growth, secretion of medically important products from plant cells, calcium 

metabolism, invertebrate development and immune cell functions. 

CMIX represents an innovative dual agreement program between NASA Headquarters and the University 

of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Consortium for Materials Development in Space (CMDS). UAH is one of 

NASA’s eleven Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS). The goals of the program are 

to provide increased access to space for NASA’s CCDS investigators and their industry affiliates and to 

facilitate private sector utilization of space. Through a subsequent agreement between UAH and 

Instrumentation Technology Associates (ITA), of Exton, PA, ITA provides flight hardware to UAH for its 

associated investigators and industry affiliates in exchange for flight opportunities. ITA markets both the 

flight opportunity and hardware as a turnkey commercial service to both domestic and international users. 

On STS-67, UAH and ITA will fly more than 30 individual experiment investigations totaling some 400 

samples on CMIX- 03. 

The most significant UAH CMDS/NASA CCDS experiments on this mission deal with microgravity 

research into aging, multi-drug resistance and neuro-muscular development. 

The most significant ITA commercial experiments on this flight involve the growth of urokinase protein 

crystals as the first step for use in developing an inhibitor drug to combat breast cancer metasis, and the 

microencapsulation of drugs as a drug delivery system for cancer therapy. 

UAH CMDS Experiments 

Experiments being conducted by the UAH CMDS and collaborating scientists on the STS-67 CMIX-03 

payload include aging, multi-drug effects on cells, neuro-muscular development, gravity sensing and 

calcium metabolism, production of plant cell products, and protein crystal growth. Some of the data 

expected from the CMIX-03 microgravity experiments can be used by industry to understand processes 

which can enhance the quality of life on Earth, and contribute to the health and welfare of the increasing 

numbers of persons spending time in space. 

Aging 

Evidence from previous microgravity experiments indicates that gravity affects single cells. No matter 

what effect any environmental factor produces on living systems, it begins with single cells or a group of 

single cells acting together. Microgravity appears to slow cell growth. How this affects the aging process 

will be tested using human lymphocytes. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 34 

Multi-drug Resistance 

The broad objective of drug resistance experiments is to gain an understanding of the role of gravity and 

effect of microgravity on cell membranes. Drugs must cross cell membranes to be effective; however, 

many drugs lose their effectiveness after several years of use because patients develop multi-drug 

resistance. Researchers believe that the mechanisms of multi-drug resistance may be more easily 

understood for cells in microgravity where cellular metabolism is slowed. 

Neuro-muscular Development 

There are a number of diseases which result from faulty nerve-muscle interactions and these disorders are a 

target for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry research. The development of nerve tissue is 

influenced by the communication between nerve and muscle cells and depends on membrane interactions. 

Previous flight experiments have shown that microgravity slows the growth and development of these cells 

and significantly alters the cytoskeleton. Frog cells will be flown as a model to investigate development of 

membrane associated interactions. 

Gravity Sensing and Calcium Metabolism 

Calcium is known to regulate many cellular activities leading to growth, differentiation, and transduction 

of signals from the cell membrane to produce genetic responses. The UAH investigation will fly an 

experiment using the Bioprocessing Modules to evaluate the development of gravity in understanding 

calcium dynamics in cells and has economical value in the area of calcium and bone metabolism. 

Production of Plant Cell Products 

Pharmaceutical products from plants have been used for treatment of various types of cancer. These plant 

products include vinblastin and taxol. Cultured cells from soy bean plants will be flown in the MDA 

minilabs to assess the effect of microgravity on growth, development and production of secondary 

metabolites. These cells, grown in ground-based tests, produce a product with strong anti-colon cancer 

activity. Preliminary evidence suggests that microgravity may provide an advantage for higher production 

of this material. 

Protein Crystal Growth 

Protein crystal growth experiments will be flown to gain information on the specific structure and growth 

characteristics of selected economically important proteins. Information will be used to develop more 

complex experiments on future missions. 

COMMERCIAL ITA EXPERIMENTS 

The private sector commercial experiments on CMIX-03 utilizing the ITA hardware have three main 

thrusts: biomedical research involving the growth of protein crystals for cancer research; the 

microencapsulation of drugs; and an ITA- sponsored student space education program. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 35 

Urokinase Breast Cancer Experiment 

The most significant commercial experiment on the CMIX-03 payload is an experiment to grow large 

protein crystals of urokinase for breast cancer research. Urokinase is an enzyme which is present when 

breast cancer spreads (cancer metastasis). ITA, with its team of scientists and engineers, will dedicate 60 to 

90 space experiments to the growth of large protein crystals of at least 100 microns for analysis. Small 

urokinase protein crystals have been grown on the CMIX- 01 (STS-52) and CMIX-02 (STS-56) Shuttle 

flights. The crystals were not large enough for analysis. Urokinase protein crystals grown on the ground 

are not large enough for analysis. If a 100+ micron protein crystal can be obtained on the CMIX-03 

mission, the three-dimensional structure will be determined in the laboratories of crystallographers. A 

cancer research center has agreed to try to develop and test drugs to inhibit urokinase and hence breast 

cancer metastasis. 

The scientists and engineers on the research team believe that the chance of achieving their goal of large 

urokinase crystals is enhanced because the STS-67 mission is twice as long (16 days) as the previous 

CMIX missions and the growth rate is believed to be linear. In addition, the hardware has been modified to 

provide two temperatures and four separate crystal growth techniques. 

Microencapsulation of Drugs 

The second major commercial thrust is experiments involving the encapsulation of drugs or living cells for 

new medical therapies. This series of commercial microencapsulation experiments will continue the studies 

conducted on STS-52 (CMIX-01) and STS-56 (CMIX-02) wherein an anti-tumor drug (cis-platinum) was 

co-encapsulated with a radiocontrast medium into spherical, multilayer liquid microcapsules. This is a 

commercial joint venture with the Institute for Research, Houston, TX. 

The objectives of the Microgravity Encapsulation of Drugs (MED) are for experiments on microcapsules to 

enable testing against tumors in mice as a necessary step towards clinical studies in cancer patients. 

Another separate group of microencapsulation experiments involves the mixing of polymer solutions 

which ultimately may be used to encapsulate pancreatic islet cells to facilitate transplantation into diabetic 

patients. 

Student Space Education Program 

The third major thrust involves school students as part of ITA’s Student Space Education Program to 

increase awareness and interest in science and space technology. ITA is donating a portion of its hardware 

and personnel on every CMIX mission to flying student experiments as a “hands-on” experience for 

students. To date, some 400 students and 30 teachers from seven states have participated in this private 

sector- sponsored program for students to conduct Space Shuttle microgravity experiments on the CMIX 

payload. 

CMIX-03 Payload Hardware 

The CMIX-3 hardware consists of four Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA) Minilabs, two of which 

will contain experiments developed by the UAH CMDS and its industry affiliates. Additional hardware to 

fly on this mission includes ITA’s Liquids Mixing Apparatus and UAH’s BioProcessing Modules. The 

other two Midas, commercially marketed by ITA, will contain experiments developed by ITA’s customers, 

international users, and university research institutions. 

Dr. Marian Lewis, of the UAH/CMDS, is the Project Manager for the CMIX Program and Mr. John M. 

Cassanto, President of ITA, is the Program Manager for the commercial half of the CMIX payload. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 36 

PROTEIN CRYSTAL GROWTH EXPERIMENTS 

The STS-67 mission will carry two systems in Shuttle middeck lockers to continue space-based research 

into the structure of proteins and other macromolecules. Vapor Diffusion Apparatus trays will be housed 

within a temperature- controlled Thermal Enclosure System, which fills the area normally occupied by two 

lockers. The Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity will be housed in a Single-locker Thermal 

Enclosure System. 

Proteins are important, complex biochemicals that serve a variety of purposes in living organisms. 

Determining the molecular structure of proteins will lead to a greater understanding of how the organisms 

function. Knowledge of the structures also can help the pharmaceutical industry develop disease-fighting 

drugs. 

X-Ray crystallography currently offers the best route to determine the three-dimensional structure of 

macromolecules, particularly proteins. In this technique, researchers grow crystals of purified proteins, 

then collect X-Ray diffraction data on the crystals. The three-dimensional structure is then determined by 

analysis of this data. Unfortunately, crystals grown in the gravity environment of Earth often have internal 

defects that make such analysis difficult or impossible. 

As demonstrated on Space Shuttle missions since 1985, some protein crystals grown in space Ñ away from 

gravity’s distortions Ñ are larger and have fewer defects. The experiments help develop techniques and 

methods to improve the protein crystallization process on Earth as well as in space. 

Both systems will grow crystals using the vapor diffusion method, which has been highly effective in 

previous Shuttle experiments. In vapor diffusion, water evaporates from a protein solution and is absorbed 

by a more concentrated reservoir solution contained in a wicking material. As the protein concentration 

rises, the protein crystals form. 

Vapor Diffusion Apparatus Experiments 

Dr. Larry DeLucas University of Alabama at Birmingham 

Birmingham, AL 

This investigation continues a very successful series of space-based protein crystal growth experiments, 

which has produced some of the highest-quality crystals of several proteins. Previous experiments have 

helped determine the structures of porcine elastase, used to study emphysema; gamma-interferon, which 

stimulates the immune system and is used to treat cancer and viral diseases; and Factor D, important in 

understanding the body’s defenses against infection. 

On STS-67, the Vapor Diffusion Apparatus experiments will be contained in a Thermal Enclosure System 

(TES), which is the size of two mid-deck lockers. The TES, set at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees 

Celsius), will contain four vapor diffusion apparatus trays, each containing 20 individual crystallization 

chambers. Each experiment chamber includes a double-barreled syringe containing protein solution in one 

barrel and precipitant solution in the other. A reservoir of concentrated precipitant solution is contained in 

the wicking material lining the experiment chamber. 

To activate the experiments at the beginning of the mission, a crew member will turn a ganging mechanism 

on the side of each tray to push the syringe pistons forward and extrude the protein droplets onto the 

syringe tip. During the course of the experiments, water molecules will migrate from the drops through the 

vapor space to the more concentrated reservoirs, increasing the protein and precipitant concentrations in 

the drops. The increased concentration in the drops will initiate crystal growth. At the end of the mission, 

the experiments will be deactivated by drawing the protein drops and crystals back into the syringes. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 37 

Some of the proteins to be grown in the Vapor Diffusion Apparatus Experiments include: 

Protein Affiliation Description 

Pyruvate Kinase University of Texas Medical 

Branch at Galveston 

Pyruvate kinase is an important 

control enzyme in the pathway 

that generates energy from 

glucose. The three dimensional 

structure of this enzyme will 

contribute to the understanding of 

the function of this important 

regulatory enzyme. 

PEP Carboxykinase University of Saskatchewan, 

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 

Canada 

This is an important enzyme in 

the production of glucose from 

non-carbohydrate sources by 

living systems. Structural 

information about this protein 

will provide insight into the 

mechanisms of this process. 

Mur b Bristol-Myers Squibb This protein, a product of the E. 

coli bacteria, is a potential 

therapeutic target for the 

development of new antibiotic 

[additional text is missing from 

all known sources] 

Aldehyde Reductase University of Alabama at 

Birmingham 

This enzyme has been implicated 

in diabetic complications of the 

eyes and the kidneys. Its threedimensional structure is a key 

factor in developing inhibitors to 

the enzyme’s damaging activity. 

Thaumatin University of Alabama at 

Birmingham 

Thaumatin is a sweet tasting 

protein isolated from an African 

plant. It has commercial potential 

as a sweetener because of its 

potency and stability over a wide 

pH range. 

Aminoglycoside 

Phosphotransferase type III 

McMaster University, Hamilton, 

Ontario, Canada 

This enzyme phosphorylates a 

group of antibiotics and renders 

them clinically ineffective. The 

three-dimensional structure of the 

protein will provide information 

about antibiotic resistance and 

may aid in designing strategies to 

circumvent this problem. 

HIV-(1)-Protease Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. HIV-(1)-Protease is a critical 

enzyme in the life cycle of the 

human immunodeficiency virus. 

It is an important target in the 

search for a vaccine for HIV and 

for drug treatments for AIDS. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 38 

Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity 

Dr. Daniel Carter 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

Huntsville, AL 

The Protein Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity (PCAM) is the second test of a new design for 

growing large quantities of protein crystals in orbit. It first flew aboard STS-63 in February 1995. The 

apparatus holds more than six times as many samples as are normally accommodated in the same amount 

of space. 

A controlled-temperature enclosure occupying a single Shuttle mid-deck locker, called the Single-locker 

Thermal Enclosure System (STES), will hold six cylinders containing a total of 378 samples Ñ one of the 

largest quantities in any single protein crystal growth experiment to date. In most experiments of this type, 

a single locker accommodated a maximum of 60 samples. The STES will maintain temperatures at 72 

degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). 

Each cylinder contains nine trays held in position by guide rods and separated from each other by bumper 

plates with springs. The trays are sealed by an adhesive elastomer. Each tray holds seven sample wells, 

surrounded by a donut-shaped reservoir with a wicking material to absorb the protein carrier solution as it 

evaporates. 

To start the experiment, a crew member will open the front of the thermal enclosure, then rotate a shaft on 

the end of the cylinder with a ratchet from an orbiter tool kit. This will allow diffusion to start and protein 

crystal growth to begin. Near the end of the mission, a crew member will rotate the shaft in the opposite 

direction to stop diffusion. 

A few of the candidate proteins for this flight of the PCAM are human cytomegalovirus assemblin (a factor 

in virus duplication), parathyroid hormone antagonist (a controlling factor in bone growth), pseudoknot 26 

(a potential HIV inhibitor), human antithrombin III (a blood clotting factor), and an HIV protease/drug 

complex (a factor in viral replication). 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 39 

MIDDECK ACTIVE CONTROL EXPERIMENT 

The Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE) is designed to study the active control of flexible 

structures in space. In this experiment, a small, multi-body platform will be assembled and free-floated 

inside the Space Shuttle. Tests will be conducted on the platform to measure how disturbances caused by a 

payload impacts the performance of another nearby payload which is attached to the same supporting 

structure. 

MACE consists of three separate hardware elements: The Multi-body Platform, the Experiment Support 

Module, and the Ku- Band Interface Unit. The Multi-body Platform consists of a long flexible 

polycarbonate structure. A two axis gimbaling payload is located at either end, and a three-axis torque 

wheel/rate gyro platform is located in the center. By swapping out certain components, the platform can be 

reconfigured into more complex geometries, thereby increasing the complexity of the control problem. 

Actuators consisting of 7 motors and two piezoelectric bending elements and sensors, consisting of rate 

gyros, strain gauges, and encoders, are distributed along the structure to facilitate active control. The 

Experiment Support Module contains all the electronics necessary to conduct the experiment. The KuBand Interface Unit allows downlink and uplink of data from the middeck. 

On-orbit, the astronaut will set-up the test article and attach it to the Experiment Support Module. A series 

of tests will be performed by using a hand-held terminal for selecting and controlling programmed test 

protocols. The astronaut will monitor the experiment and videotape its operation. At the end of each test 

day, the astronaut will select several of the test result data files for downlink via the Ku-Band Interface 

System. The MACE ground team will use this data to adjust the test protocols during the mission. These 

new protocols will be later uplinked and run on the hardware. MACE is expected to take 44 hours of onorbit time. Mission Commander Steve Oswald and Pilot William Gregory will operate the hardware on 

orbit. 

MACE is an IN-STEP (In-Space Technology Experiments Program) experiment, sponsored by NASA’s 

Office of Space Access and Technology, that was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

in collaboration with Payload Systems, Inc., NASA’s Langley Research Center, and Lockheed Missiles 

and Space Company. The experiment will provide a fundamental understanding of the effects of 

microgravity on the interaction between the dynamics of structures and attached payloads and validate 

control strategies and algorithms that will be applicable to a wide range of future space missions. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 40 

SHUTTLE AMATEUR RADIO EXPERIMENT (SAREX) 

Students from 26 schools in the U.S., South Africa, India and Australia will have a chance to speak via 

amateur radio with astronauts aboard Endeavour during the STS-67 mission. Ground-based amateur radio 

operators (“hams”) will be able to contact the Shuttle through automated computer-to-computer amateur 

(packet) radio links. There also will be voice contacts with the general ham community as time permits. 

Shuttle Commander Stephen S. Oswald (call sign KB5YSR), pilot William G. Gregory, (call sign 

KC5MGA), mission specialists Tamara E. Jernigan (call sign KC5MGF) and Wendy B. Lawrence 

(KC5KII) and Payload Specialists Ron Parise (WA4SIR) and Sam Durrance (N3TQA) will talk with the 

students. 

Students in the following schools will have the opportunity to talk directly with orbiting astronauts for 

approximately 4 to 8 minutes: 

• Brewton Elementary School, Brewton, AL (WD4SBV) 

• Watson Elementary School, Huntsville, AR (W5TM) 

• Fullbright Avenue Elementary, Canoga Park, CA (W6SD) 

• Tri City Christian Schools, Vista, CA (KK6FX) 

• Plymouth Center School, Plymouth, CT (KD1OY) 

• Bishop Planetarium & South Florida Museum, Bradenton, FL (KB4SYV) 

• Renfroe Middle School, Decatur, GA (KM4LS) 

• Pearl City High School, Pearl City, HI (AH6IO) 

• Waihe’e Elementary School, Wailuku, HI (KH6HHG) 

• Highland Park H. S., Highland Park, IL (W9MON) 

• Kentucky Tech, Montgomery County Area Vocational Education Center, Mt. Sterling, KY 

(WD4EUD) 

• U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (W3ADO) 

• Lutherville Elementary/Ridgely Middle School, Lutherville, MD (WA3GOV) 

• Silver Spring/Burtonsville Schools, Silver Spring, MD (N3CJN) 

• William Bryant Elementary, Blue Springs, MO (WA0NKE) 

• Plank Road South School, Webster, NY (KB2JDS) 

• Lockport H. S., Lockport, NY (N2IQL) 

• Saint Peters School, Greenville, NC 

• Washington Senior H. S., Washington C.H., OH (N8MNB) 

• Bethany Middle School, Bethany, OK (KB5KIJ) 

• Tarkington Middle School, Cleveland, TX (N5AF) 

• Chisum Jr./Sr. H.S., Paris, TX (KA5CJJ) 

• J. J. Fray Elementary School, Rustburg, VA (K4HEX) 

• Group of Scholars from South Africa, South Africa (ZS5AKV) 

• Little Lilly’s English School, Bangalore, India (VY2RMS) 

• Cobram Secondary College, Cobram, Australia (VK3KLN) 

The radio contacts are part of the SAREX project, a joint effort by NASA, the American Radio Relay 

League (ARRL), and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corp. 

The project, which has flown on 15 previous Shuttle missions, is designed to encourage public 

participation in the space program and support the conduct of educational initiatives to demonstrate the 

effectiveness of communications between the Shuttle and low-cost ground stations using amateur radio 

voice and digital techniques. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 41 

Several audio and digital communication services have been developed to disseminate Shuttle and 

SAREX-specific information during the flight. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 42 

The ARRL ham radio station (W1AW) will include SAREX information in its regular voice and teletype 

bulletins. 

The amateur radio station at the Goddard Space Flight Center, (WA3NAN), will operate around the clock 

during the mission, providing SAREX information, retransmitting live Shuttle air-to-ground audio, and 

retransmitting many SAREX school group contacts. 

Information about orbital elements, contact times, frequencies and crew operating schedules will be 

available during the mission from NASA ARRL (Steve Mansfield, 203/666- 1541) and AMSAT (Frank 

Bauer, 301/286-8496). AMSAT will provide information bulletins for interested parties on the Internet and 

amateur packet radio. 

Current Keplerian elements to track the Shuttle are available from the NASA Spacelink computer 

information system, computer bulletin board system (BBS) (205) 895-0028 or via the Internet: 

spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov., and the ARRL BBS (203) 666-0578. The latest element sets and mission 

information are also available via the Johnson Space Center (JSC) ARC BBS or the Goddard Space Flight 

Center (GSFC) BBS. The JSC number is (713) 244-5625, 9600 Baud or less. The GSFC BBS is available 

via Internet. The address is wa3nan.gsfc.nasa.gov. 

STS-67 SAREX Frequencies 

Routine SAREX transmissions from the Space Shuttle may be monitored on a worldwide downlink 

frequency of 145.55 MHz. 

The voice uplink frequencies are (except Europe): 

144.91 MHz 

144.93 

144.95 

144.97 

144.99 

The voice uplink frequencies for Europe only are: 

144.70 

144.75 

144.80 

Note: The astronauts will not favor any one of the above frequencies. Therefore, the ability to talk with an 

astronaut depends on selecting one of the above frequencies chosen by the astronaut. 

The worldwide amateur packet frequencies are: 

Packet downlink 145.55 MHz 

Packet uplink 144.49 MHz 

The Goddard Space Flight Center amateur radio club 

planned HF operating frequencies are: 

3.860 MHz 7.185 14.295 21.395 28.650 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 43 

STS-67 CREWMEMBERS 

STS067-S-002 -- Official STS-67 preflight crew portrait. In front are astronauts (left to right) Stephen S. 

Oswald, mission commander; Tamara E. Jernigan, payload commander; and William G. Gregory, pilot. In 

the back are (left to right) Ronald A. Parise, payload specialist; astronauts Wendy B. Lawrence, and John 

Grunsfeld, both mission specialists; and Samuel T. Durrance, payload specialist. Dr. Durrance is a 

research scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 

Maryland. Dr. Parise is a senior scientist in the Space Observatories Department, Computer Sciences 

Corporation, Silver Spring, Maryland. Both payload specialists flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia 

for STS-35/ASTRO-1 mission in December 1990. 

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 44 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

STEPHEN S. OSWALD, 43, will lead STS-67’s seven-member crew, serving as Commander. This is his 

third space flight. 

Selected as an astronaut in 1985. Oswald was born in Seattle, WA, but considers Bellingham, WA, to be 

his hometown. He received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval 

Academy in 1973 and was designated as a naval aviator in September 1974. Following training in the A-7 

aircraft, he flew the Corsair-II aboard the USS Midway from 1975-1977. In 1978, he attended the U.S. 

Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, MD. Upon graduation, he remained at the Naval Air Test Center 

conducting flying qualities, performance and propulsion flight tests on the A-7 and F/A-18 aircraft through 

1981. 

Oswald resigned from active Navy duty and joined Westinghouse Electric Corp. as a civilian test pilot. 

During 1983-1984, he was involved in developmental flight testing of various airborne weapons systems 

for Westinghouse, including the F-16C and B-1B radars. He has logged over 6,000 flight hours in 40 

different aircraft. 

Oswald joined NASA in 1984 as an aerospace engineer and instructor pilot. Since being selected as an 

astronaut, he has served as Pilot for STS-42 and STS-56, flown in January 1992 and April 1993, 

respectively. The International Microgravity Laboratory-1, the primary payload on STS-42, included major 

microgravity experiments conducted over the eight-day flight in Discovery’s Spacelab module. STS-56 

was the second Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science mission. This nine-day flight also 

included the deployment and retrieval of the SPARTAN spacecraft. With the completion of his second 

mission, Oswald has logged more than 400 hours in space. 

WILLIAM G. GREGORY (Lt. Col., USAF), 37, will serve as Pilot for STS-67. This is his first shuttle 

mission. 

Born in Lockport, NY., Gregory received a bachelor of science degree in engineering science from the Air 

Force Academy in 1979, a master of science degree in engineering mechanics from Columbia University in 

1980 and a master of science degree in management from Troy State University in 1984. 

Between 1981 and 1986, Gregory served as an operational fighter pilot flying the D and F models of the F111. In this capacity, he served as an instructor pilot at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., and Cannon Air Force 

Base, NM. He attended the USAF Test Pilot School in 1987. Between 1988 and 1990, Gregory served as a 

test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, flying the F-4, A-7D and all five models of the F-15. He has 

accumulated more than 3,500 hours of flight time in more than 40 types of aircraft. Gregory was selected 

for the astronaut corps in 1990. 

JOHN M. GRUNSFELD, Ph.D., 36, also will be making his first space flight on STS-67. Grunsfeld will 

serve as Mission Specialist 1. 

Grunsfeld was born in Chicago, IL, and received a bachelor of science degree in physics from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980. He earned a master of science degrees and a doctor of 

philosophy degree in physics from the University of Chicago in 1984 and 1988, respectively. 

Grunsfeld has held a variety of academic positions at institutions including the University of Chicago, 

California Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo/Institute of Space and Astronautical 

Science. His research has covered X-Ray and gamma-ray astronomy, high energy cosmic ray studies, and 

development of new detectors and instrumentation. He also has studied binary pulsars and energetic X-Ray 

and gamma ray sources using NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, X-Ray astronomy satellites, 

radio telescopes and optical telescopes. Grunsfeld was selected as an astronaut in 1992. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 45 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

WENDY B. LAWRENCE, Commander (Select), USN, will serve as flight engineer and will carry the 

designation Mission Specialist 2 during her first shuttle flight. 

Lawrence, 35, was born in Jacksonville, FL, and received a bachelor of science degree in ocean 

engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981. She earned a master of science degree in ocean 

engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution in 1988. 

Lawrence was designated as a naval aviator in July 1982 and has more than 1500 hours of flight time. She 

also has conducted more than 800 shipboard landings in six different types of helicopters. While stationed 

at Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SIX, she was one of the first two female helicopter pilots to make 

a long deployment to the Indian Ocean as part of a carrier battle group. In October 1990, she reported to 

the U.S. Naval Academy where she served as a physics instructor. Lawrence is a member of the astronaut 

class of 1992. 

TAMARA E. JERNIGAN, Ph.D., 35, will serve as the Payload Commander and Mission Specialist 3 

during her third space flight. 

Born in Chattanooga, TN, Jernigan received a bachelor of science degree with honors in physics in 1981, 

and a master of science degree in engineering science in 1983, both from Stanford University. She earned a 

master of science degree in astronomy from the University of California-Berkeley in 1985 and earned her 

doctorate in space physics and astronomy from Rice University in 1988. 

After graduating from Stanford, Jernigan served as a research scientist in the Theoretical Studies Branch at 

NASA’s Ames Research Center from June 1981 to July 1985. Her research interests have included the 

study of bipolar outflows in regions of star formation, gamma ray bursts and shock wave phenomena in the 

interstellar medium. 

Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1985, Jernigan has held a wide variety of technical assignments 

including software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, operations coordination on 

secondary payloads, spacecraft communicator for five shuttle flights, lead astronaut for flight software 

development, and chief of the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch. 

Jernigan’s first shuttle flight was STS-40 in June 1991, a nine-day mission called Spacelab Life Sciences1, the first mission dedicated to investigating how the human body adapted to microgravity. Her second 

mission, STS-52 in October 1992, was a 10-day flight during which crew members deployed the Laser 

Geodynamics Satellite and operated the U.S. Microgravity Payload-1. Jernigan has logged about 455 hours 

in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 46 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

SAMUEL T. DURRANCE, Ph.D., 51, will be returning to space for a second time as one of two payload 

specialists for the ASTRO-2 mission. He first flew in that capacity on the ASTRO- 1 mission aboard 

Columbia on the STS-35 flight in December 1990. Durrance will carry the designation Payload Specialist 

1. 

Durrance was born in Tallahassee, FL, but considers Tampa, to be his hometown. He earned a bachelor of 

science and mater of science degrees in physics from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1972 and 

1974, respectively. He then received a doctor of philosophy degree in astrogeophysics from the University 

of Colorado in 1980. 

Durrance is a Principal Research Scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins 

University, Baltimore, MD. He is co-investigator for the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope, one of the 

instruments flying as part of the ASTRO Observatory. 

Durrance has made International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite observations of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn 

and Uranus. He has directed a program to develop adaptive optics instrumentation resulting in the design 

and construction of the Adaptive Optics Coronagraph, which is now being used at the Palomar 

Observatory in California. In addition, he participated in the design construction, calibration and 

integration of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope and the ASTRO Observatory. His main astronomical 

interests are in the origin and evolution of planets, both in our own solar system and around other stars. 

RONALD PARISE, Ph.D., rounds out the STS-67 crew as Payload Specialist 2. Parise will be making his 

second space flight, having first flown during the ASTRO-1 mission in December 1990. 

Parise, 43, was born in Warren, OH, and received his bachelor of science degree in physics with minors in 

mathematics, astronomy and geology from Youngstown State University in 1973. He received a master of 

science degree and a doctor of philosophy degree in astronomy from the University of Florida in 1977 and 

1979, respectively. 

Parise currently is a senior scientist in the Space Observatories Department of Computer Sciences 

Corporation in Silver Spring, MD. He also is a member of the research team for the Ultraviolet Imaging 

Telescope, one of the ASTRO-2 instruments. Parise has been involved in all aspects of flight hardware 

development, electronic systems design and mission planning activities for the Ultraviolet Imaging 

Telescope. He has studied the circumstellar material in binary star systems using the Copernicus satellite as 

well as the International Ultraviolet Explorer. His current research involves the study of the later stages of 

the evolution of low mass stars in globular clusters. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 47 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF MARCH 1995 

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

STS-63 

02/03/95 - 02/11/95 

STS-64 

09/09/94 - 09/20/94 

STS-60 

02/03/94 - -2/11/94 

STS-65 

07/08/94 0 07/23/94 

STS-51 

09/12/93 - 09/22/93 

STS-62 

03/04/94 - 03/18/94 

STS-56 

04/08/83 - 04/17/93 

STS-58 

10/18/93 - 11/01/93 

STS-53 

12/02/92 - 12/09/92 

STS-55 

04/26/93 - 05/06/93 

STS-42 

01/22/92 - 01/30/92 

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-40 

06/05/91 - 06/14/91 

STS-41 

10/06/90 - 10/10/90 

STS-45 

03/24/92 - 04/02/92 

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-32 

01/09/90 - 01/20/90 

STS-61A 

10/30/85 - 11/06/85 

STS-33 

11/22/89 - 11/27/89 

STS-43 

08/02/91 - 08/11/91 

STS-28 

08/08/89 - 08/13/89 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-29 

03/13/89 - 03/18/89 

STS-37 

04/05/91 - 04/11/91 

STS-61C 

01/12/86 - 01/18/86 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-26 

09/29/88 - 10/03/88 

STS-38 

11/15/90 - 11/20/90 

STS-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 

(17 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(20 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(13 flights) 

OV-105 

Endeavour 

(7 flights)