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

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-54 

PRESS KIT 

JANUARY 1993 

TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE 

DIFFUSE X-RAY SPECTROMETER 
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STS-54 INSIGNIA 

STS054-S-001 -- The mission insignia depicts the American bald eagle soaring above the Earth and is 

emblematic of the space shuttle Endeavour in service to the United States and the world. The eagle is 

clutching an eight-pointed star in its talons and is placing this larger star among a constellation of four 

others, representing the placement of the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite into orbit among the four 

already in service. The blackness of space -- with stars conspicuously absent -- represents our other 

primary mission in carrying the Diffuse X-Ray Spectrometer to orbit to conduct astronomical observations 

of invisible X-Ray sources within the Milky Way Galaxy. The depiction of Earth showing our home 

continent of North America is an expression of the crew's and NASA's intention that the medical and 

scientific experiments conducted on board be for the benefit of mankind. The clouds and blue of the Earth 

represent the crew's part in NASA's Mission to Planet Earth in conducting Earth observation photography. 

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. 
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 

NASA Headquarters 

Office of Space Flight/Office of Space Systems Development 

Mark Hess/Jim Cast/Ed Campion 

(Phone: 202/453-8536) 

Office of Space Science and Applications 

Paula Cleggett-Haleim/Mike Braukus/Brian Dunbar 

(Phone: 202/453-1547) 

Office of Space Communications/Office of Safety & Mission Quality Technology 

Dwayne Brown 

(Phone: 202/358-0547) 

Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology Communications 

Barbara Selby 

(Phone: 703/358-1983) 

Office of Aeronautics 

Drucella Andersen/Les Dorr 

(Phone: 202/453-2754) 

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Langley Research Center 

Jane Hutchison Jean Drummond Clough 

(Phone: 415/604-4968) (Phone: 804/864-6122) 

 

Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Lewis Research Center 

Nancy Lovato Mary Ann Peto 

(Phone: 805/258-3448) (Phone: 216/433-2899) 

 

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Marshall Space Flight Center 

Dolores Beasley June Malone 

(Phone: 301/286-2806) (Phone: 205/544-0034) 

 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Stennis Space Center 

James Wilson Myron Webb 

(Phone: 818/354-5011) (Phone: 601/688-3341) 

 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX Wallops Flight Center 

James Hartsfield Keith Koehler 

(Phone: 713/483-5111) (Phone: 804/824-1579) 

Kennedy Space Center, FL 

George Diller 

(Phone: 407/867-2468) 
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CONTENTS 

GENERAL BACKGROUND 

 Media Services Information 5 

 Quick-Look Facts 6 

 Summary Timeline 7 

 Payload and Vehicle Weights 8 

 STS-54 Orbital Events Summary 9 

 Space Shuttle Abort Modes 10 

 Prelaunch Processing 11 

CARGO BAY PAYLOADS & ACTIVITIES 

 Tracking Data Relay Satellite-F (TDRS-F) 12 

 Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) 20 

 Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS) 24 

 Extravehicular Activities for STS-54 28 

MIDDECK PAYLOADS 

 Chromosomes Experiment (CHROMEX) 29 

 Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 30 

 Physiological & Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE) 36 

 Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) 37 

 Application Specific Preprogrammed Experiment Culture System Physics of Toys (ASPEC) 39 

 

CREW BIOGRAPHIES & MISSION MANAGEMENT 

 STS-54 Crew Biographies 40 

 Mission Management for STS-54 43 
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MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION 

NASA Select Television Transmission 

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

longitude, frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. 

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

the mission at Kennedy Space Center, FL; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Ames-Dryden 

Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA; Johnson Space Center, Houston, and NASA Headquarters, 

Washington, DC. The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission 

operations. 

Television schedules also may be obtained by calling COMSTOR 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 news center. 

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, the science team will occur at 

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

planned. 
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STS-54 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date/Site: Jan. 13, 1993/Kennedy Space Center, FL -- Pad 39B 

Launch Time: 8:52 a.m. EST 

Orbiter: Endeavour (OV-105) - 3rd Flight 

Orbit/Inclination: 160 n.m./28.45 degrees 

Mission Duration: 5 days, 0 hours, 23 minutes, 32 seconds 

Landing Time/Date: 8:34 a.m. EST, Jan. 19, 1993 

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, FL 

 

Abort Landing Sites: Return To Launch Site Abort - KSC, FL 

 Transatlantic Abort Landing - Banjul, The Gambia 

 Ben Guerir, Morocco 

 Moron, Spain 

 Abort-Once-Around - Edwards AFB, CA; KSC/White Sands, NM 

 

Crew: John Casper - Commander 

 Don McMonagle - Pilot 

 Mario Runco Jr. - MS1 (EV2) 

 Greg Harbaugh - MS2 (EV1) 

 Susan Helms - MS3 

 

Cargo Bay Payloads: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-F 

 Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer 

 

Middeck Payloads: Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 

 Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space Experiment 

 Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment 

 Space Acceleration Measurement System 

 Solid Surface Combustion Experiment 
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STS-54 SUMMARY TIMELINE 

Flight Day 1 

Launch/post insertion 

TDRS-F deploy (nominal deploy is 6 hours, 13 minutes MET) 

Separation burn (178 n.m. x 162 n.m. orbit) 

DXS activation 

Flight Day 2 

DXS operations 

Circularization burn (162 n.m. x 162 n.m. orbit) 

CGBA operations 

Medical DSOs 

Flight Day 3 

DXS operations 

CGBA operations 

SSCE operations 

CHROMEX/PARE operations 

Flight Day 4 

DXS operations 

CGBA operations 

Medical DSOs 

CHROMEX/PARE operations 

Flight Day 5 

DXS operations 

EVA 

Flight Day 6 

Flight Control Systems checkout 

Cabin stow 

Flight Day 7 

Deorbit Preparation 

Deorbit Burn 

Entry 

Landing 
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STS-54 VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS 

 Pounds

 

Orbiter (Endeavour) Empty and three SSMEs 173,174 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-F (TDRS-F) 5,586 

Two-Stage Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) 32,670 

Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS) 2,625 

Medical Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSOs) 34 

Total Vehicle at Solid Rocket Booster Ignition 4,525,222 

Orbiter Landing Weight 205,000 
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STS-54 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY 

Event 

Elapsed 

Time 

Velocity 

change 

Orbit

(n.m.) 

 

Launch 0:00:00:00 N/A N/A 

OMS-2 0:00:42:00 221 fps 163x160 

TDRS deploy 0:06:13:00 N/A 163 x 160 

Sep 1 0:06:14:00 2.2 fps 162 x 160 

OMS-3 0:06:28:00 31 fps 178 x 162 

OMS-4 1:02:09:00 28 fps 162 x 161 

Deorbit 5:22:32:00 306 fps N/A 

Landing 5:23:32:00 N/A N/A 
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SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES 

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

its payload. Abort modes include: 

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

105-nautical mile orbit with orbital maneuvering system engines. 

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

around before landing at either Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., White Sands Space Harbor, NM, or 

the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center, FL. 

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

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

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

reach Banjul, would result in a pitch around and thrust back toward KSC until within gliding distance 

of the Shuttle Landing Facility. 

STS-54 contingency landing sites are Edwards Air Force Base, the Kennedy Space Center, White Sands 

Space Harbor, Banjul, Ben Guerir and Moron. 
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STS-54 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING 

Processing of Endeavour began with its landing at KSC after the STS-47 mission. It was deserviced from 

its previous flight and prepared for the upcoming STS-54 mission. Endeavour spent a total of 64 calendar 

days in the Orbiter Processing Facility. 

The Space Shuttle Endeavour was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building for Pad 39-B on Dec. 3. 

The TDRS-F/IUS-13 was installed into the orbiter's payload bay the following day. 

A standard 43-hour launch countdown is scheduled to begin 3 days prior to launch. During the countdown, 

the orbiter's fuel cell storage tanks and all orbiter systems will be prepared for flight. 

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

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

will begin taking their assigned seats in the crew cabin. 

Endeavour's end-of-mission landing is planned at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. 

Endeavour's next flight, STS-57, targeted for May 1993, is a planned 7-day mission which will involve the 

SPACEHAB-1 payload and the retrieval of the EURECA satellite. 
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TRACKING DATA RELAY SATELLITE-F (TDRS-F) 

History 

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) is a space-based network that provides 

communications, tracking, telemetry, data acquisition and command services essential to the Space Shuttle 

and low-Earth orbital spacecraft missions. All Shuttle missions and nearly all NASA spacecraft in Earth 

orbit require TDRSS's support capabilities for mission success. 

The TDRSS was initiated following studies in the early 1970s which showed that a system of 

telecommunications satellites, operated from a single ground station, could better meet the requirements of 

NASA missions. In addition, the system was seen as a means of halting the spiraling costs of upgrading 

and operating a network of tracking and communications ground stations located around the world. 

The TDRSS has enabled NASA to cut telecommunications costs by as much as 60 percent while increased 

data acquisition and communications with Earth-orbital spacecraft from 15 to 85 percent -- and in some 

cases to 100 percent -- depending on a spacecraft's orbital position. 

In addition to the Shuttle, TDRSS customers include the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, Upper 

Atmosphere Research Satellite, Hubble Space Telescope, Cosmic Background Explorer, Extreme 

Ultraviolet Explorer, TOPEX-Poseidon, both Landsat spacecrafts and other non-NASA missions. Among 

future TDRSS-dependent missions are Space Station Freedom (SSF) and the Earth Observation System 

(EOS). It is estimated that over $70 billion in space missions through the end of this decade are TDRSSdependent. 

The TDRSS consists of two major elements: A constellation of three geosynchronous satellites -- two 

operational and one in ready reserve -- and a ground terminal located at White Sands, NM. A second 

TDRSS ground terminal is under development to eliminate a critical single point of failure. 

To meet the growing demand for communications capabilities for future missions, such as SSF and the 

EOS, increased TDRSS capacity will be required to meet these additional mission requirements. 

Current Status 

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-6) is the sixth in a series of communications spacecraft 

planned for the TDRSS. 

TDRS-1, has exceeded its design life of 7 years and is continuing to provide limited services. TDRS-2 was 

lost in the Challenger accident. TDRSs 3-5 are operating, but only two are fully functional. In the event of 

a malfunction of one of these fully operational TDRS, the absence of a third fully operational satellite in 

ready reserve would severely impact orbiting customers for nearly a year before an emergency 

replenishment launch could be conducted. 

The successful launch and checkout of TDRS-6 will give NASA the essential requirement of having two 

fully operational satellites and a fully operational ready reserve capability. This will assure that NASA 

communications, telemetry and data acquisition capabilities required by space missions will not be 

jeopardized. 

Following the successful launch and checkout of TDRS-6, the TDRSS constellation will be reconfigured. 

Because of the flexible capability of the TDRSS, one TDRS spacecraft will provide service to the Compton 

Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), including real-time transmission of scientific data. This is required 

because of a problem with the GRO's tape recorders. To accommodate this activity, NASA will operate 

TDRS-1 
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through an existing station at Tidbinbilla, Australia, moving TDRS-1 from 171 degrees west longitude to 

85 degrees east longitude (over the Indian Ocean south of Ceylon). 

Data from GRO will be relayed to the ground terminal at White Sands, via an Intelsat satellite. From White 

Sands, the data will be sent to the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. Control of the TDRS 

spacecraft will remain at White Sands. 

TDRS SPACECRAFT LAUNCH AND OPERATIONAL STATUS 

Spacecraft Mission Date Status

 

TDRS-1 STS-6 April 5, 1983 Partially functional 

TDRS-2 STS-51L January 1986 Destroyed 

TDRS-3 STS-26 Sept. 29, 1988 Partially functional 

TDRS-4 STS-29 March 13, 1989 Fully functional 

TDRS-5 STS-43 August 2, 1991 Fully functional 

TDRS SPACECRAFT CURRENT AND RECONFIGURED POSITION 

Current Position 

TDRS-1 171 degrees west (East of Gilbert Islands and South of Hawaii) 

 

TDRS-3 62 degrees west 

 

TDRS-4 41 degrees west (over the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil) 

 

TDRS-5 174 degrees west (East of Gilbert Islands and South of Hawaii) 

Reconfigured Position after TDRS-F (6 on orbit) 

TDRS-1 85 degrees east 

 

TDRS-3 171 degrees west 

 

TDRS-4 41 degrees west 

 

TDRS-5 174 degrees west 

 

TDRS-6 62 degrees west 
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Deployment Sequence 

TDRS-6 will be deployed from Endeavour cargo bay approximately 6 hours after launch on orbit 5 over 

the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. Injection burn to geostationary orbit will be initiated at 77 degrees east 

longitude (Indian Ocean, south of India), placing the satellite in orbit at 178 degrees west longitude (over 

the Pacific near the Gilbert Islands). 

The STS-54 crew elevates the Inertial Upper Stage/TDRS (IUS/TDRS) to 29 degrees in the payload bay 

for preliminary tests and then raises it to 58 degrees for deployment. A spring-loaded ejection system is 

used for deploying the IUS/TDRS. 

The first burn of the IUS booster will take place 1 hour after deployment or about 7 hours after STS-54 

launch. The IUS second and final burn, to circularize the orbit, will take place 5.5 hours after the first burn, 

approximately 12.5 hours into the mission. Separation of the booster and satellite will occur at 13 hours 

after launch. 

Upon reaching geostationary orbit, the deployment of TDRS appendages and antennas is started. The total 

time required for the deployment sequence is 8-9 hours: 

1. Deploy solar arrays. 

2. Deploy space-ground link boom. 

3. Deploy C-band boom. 

4. Separation of IUS and TDRS. 

5. Release single access booms. 

6. Position single access antennas. 

7. Open single access antennas. 

During steps 5, 6 and 7, Earth acquisition is taking place concurrently. 

TDRS is three-axis stabilized with the multiple access body, fixed antennas pointing constantly at the Earth 

while the solar arrays track the sun. 

Communication System 

TDRS satellites do not process customer traffic in either direction. Rather, they operate as "bent pipe" 

repeaters, relaying signals and data between the user spacecraft and the ground terminal and vice versa. 

Nominally, the TDRSS is intended to meet the requirements of up to 24 customer spacecraft, including the 

Space Shuttle, simultaneously. It provides two types of service: multiple access which can relay data from 

as many as 20 low data rate (100 bits per second to 50 kilobits per second) customer satellites 

simultaneously and single access antennas which provide two high data rate channels to 300 megabits per 

second from both the east and west locations. 

The White Sands Ground Terminal (WSGT) provides a location with a clear line-of-sight to the TDRSs 

and a place where rain conditions have limited interference with the availability of the Ku-band uplink and 

downlink channels. The WSGT is operated for NASA by GTE Government Systems Corp., Needham 

Heights, Mass. 

Co-located at White Sands is the NASA Ground Terminal operated by Bendix Field Engineering Corp., 

Columbia, MD. This terminal provides the interface between WSGT and other primary network elements 

located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, MD. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 18 

Facilities at GSFC include the Network Control Center (NCC) which provides system scheduling and is the 

focal point for NASA communications and the WSGT and TDRSS users; the Flight Dynamics Facility 

which provides the network with antenna pointing information for user spacecraft and the TDRSs and the 

NASA Communications Network (NASCOM) which provides the common carrier interface through Earth 

terminals at Goddard, White Sands and the Johnson Space Center, Houston. 

The NCC console operators monitor network performances, schedule emergency interfaces, isolate faults 

in the system, account for system use, test the system and conduct simulations. 

The user services available from the space network are provided through NASCOM, a global system 

providing operational communications support to all NASA projects. NASCOM offers voice, data and 

teletype links with the space network, the Ground Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network and the user 

spacecraft control centers. 

NASA's Office of Space Communications, Washington, DC, has overall management responsibility of 

these tracking, data acquisition and communications facilities. 

TDRS Components 

TDRSs are composed of three distinct modules -- an equipment module, a communications payload 

module and an antenna module. The modular design reduces the cost of individual design and construction 

efforts that, in turn, lower the cost of each satellite. 

The equipment module housing the subsystems that operate the satellite is located in the lower hexagon of 

the spacecraft. The attitude control subsystem stabilizes the satellite to provide accurate antenna pointing 

and proper orientation of the solar panels to the sun. The electrical power subsystems consists of two solar 

panels that provide a 10-year power supply of approximately 1,700 watts. The thermal control subsystem 

consists of surface coatings and controlled electric heaters. 

The payload module is composed of the electronic equipment required to provide communications between 

the user spacecraft and the ground. The receivers and transmitters for single access services are mounted in 

compartments on the back of the single-access antennas. 

The antenna module is composed of seven antenna systems: two single-access, the multiple access array, 

space-to-ground link and the S-band omni for satellite health and housekeeping. Commercial K-band and 

C-band antennas round out the complement. 

For single-access service, the TDRSs have dual-feed S-band, Ku-band parabolic (umbrella-like) antennas. 

These antennas are free to be positioned in two axis, directing the radio beam to orbiting user spacecraft 

below. These antennas primarily relay communications to and from user spacecraft. The high data rates 

provided by these antennas are available to users on a time-shared basis. Each antenna is capable of 

supporting two user spacecraft services simultaneously -- one at S-band and one at Ku-band-provided both 

users are within the beam width of the antenna. 

The multiple access antenna array is hard-mounted in one position on the surface of the antenna module 

facing the Earth Another antenna, a 6.5-foot (2-meter) parabolic reflector, provides the prime link for 

relaying transmissions to and from the ground terminal at Ku-band. 
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Project Support 

TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, Calif., is the prime spacecraft contractor. Ground 

operations at the White Sands complex are conducted by GTE Government Systems Corp., Needham 

Heights, Mass., and Bendix Field Engineering Corp., Columbia, MD. 
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INERTIAL UPPER STAGE (IUS) 

The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) will be used with the Space Shuttle to transport NASA's sixth Tracking and 

Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-F) to geosynchronous orbit, some 22,300 statute miles (35,880 km) from 

Earth. 

Background 

The IUS was originally designed as a temporary stand-in for a reusable space tug, and the IUS was named 

the Interim Upper Stage. The word "Inertial" (signifying the guidance technique) later replaced "Interim" 

when it was determined that the IUS would be needed through the 1990's. In addition to the TDRS 

missions, the IUS was utilized for the Magellan, Galileo and Ulysses planetary missions. 

The IUS was developed and built under contract to the Air Force Systems Command's Space Division. The 

Space Division is executive agent for all Department of Defense activities pertaining to the Space Shuttle 

system and provides the IUS to NASA for Space Shuttle use. Boeing Aerospace Company, Seattle, was 

selected in August 1976 to build the IUS. 

Specifications 

IUS-13, to be used on mission STS-54, is a two-stage rocket. Each stage has a solid rocket motor, preferred 

over liquid-fueled engines for their relative simplicity, high reliability, low cost and safety. 

The IUS is 17 feet (5.18 meters) long and 9.25 feet (2.8 m) in diameter. It consists of an aft skirt; an aft 

stage solid rocket motor containing 21,400 pounds (9,707 kg) of propellant generating approximately 

42,000 pounds (188,496 Newtons) of thrust; an interstage; a forward stage solid rocket motor with 6,000 

pounds (2,722 kg) of propellant generating approximately 18,000 pounds (80,784 Newtons) of thrust and 

an equipment support section. 

The equipment support section contains the avionics which provide guidance, navigation, control, 

telemetry, command and data management, reaction control and electrical power. All mission-critical 

components of the avionics system, along with thrust vector actuators, reaction control thrusters, motor 

igniter and pyrotechnic stage separation equipment are redundant to assure reliability of better than 98 

percent. 

Airborne Support Equipment 

The IUS Airborne Support Equipment (ASE) is the mechanical, avionics, and structural equipment located 

in the orbiter. The ASE supports the IUS and the TDRS-F in the orbiter payload bay and elevates the 

IUS/TDRS for final checkout and deployment from the orbiter. 

The IUS ASE consists of the structure, aft tilt frame actuator, batteries, electronics and cabling to support 

the IUS/TDRS combination. These ASE subsystems enable the deployment of the combined vehicle; 

provide, distribute and/or control electrical power to the IUS and satellite and serve as communication 

conduits between the IUS and/or satellite and the orbiter. 

IUS Structure 

The IUS structure is capable of supporting the loads generated internally and also by the cantilevered 

spacecraft during orbiter operations and the IUS free flight. In addition, the structure physically supports 

all the equipment and solid rocket motors within the IUS, and provides the mechanisms for IUS stage 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 21 

separation. The major structural assemblies of the two-stage IUS are the equipment support section, 

interstage and aft skirt. It is made of aluminum skin-stringer construction with longerons and ring frames. 

Equipment Support Section 

The Equipment Support Section houses the majority of the IUS avionics. The top of the equipment support 

section contains the spacecraft interface mounting ring and electrical interface connector segment for 

mating and integrating the spacecraft with the IUS. Thermal isolation is provided by a multi-layer 

insulation blanket across the interface between the IUS and TDRS. 

IUS Avionics Subsystems 

The avionics subsystems consist of the telemetry, tracking and command subsystems; guidance and 

navigation subsystem; data management; thrust vector control and electrical power subsystems. These 

subsystems include all electronic and electrical hardware used to perform all computations, signal 

conditioning, data processing and formatting associated with navigation, guidance, control, data and 

redundancy management. The IUS avionics subsystems also provide the equipment for communications 

with the orbiter and ground stations as well as electrical power distribution. 

Attitude control in response to guidance commands is provided by thrust vectoring during powered flight 

and by reaction control thrusters while coasting. 

Attitude is compared with guidance commands to generate error signals. During solid motor firing, these 

commands gimbal the IUS's movable nozzle to provide the desired attitude pitch and yaw control. The 

IUS's roll axis thrusters maintain roll control. While coasting, the error signals are processed in the 

computer to generate thruster commands to maintain the vehicle's altitude or to maneuver the vehicle. 

The IUS electrical power subsystem consists of avionics batteries, IUS power distribution units, power 

transfer unit, utility batteries, pyrotechnic switching unit, IUS wiring harness and umbilical, and staging 

connectors. The IUS avionics system distributes electrical power to the IUS/TDRS interface connector for 

all mission phases from prelaunch to spacecraft separation. 

IUS Solid Rocket Motors 

The IUS uses a large and a small solid rocket motor employing movable nozzles for thrust vector control. 

The nozzles provide up to 4 degrees of steering on the large motor and 7 degrees on the small motor. The 

large motor is the longest thrusting duration solid rocket motor ever developed for space, with the 

capability to thrust as long as 150 seconds. Mission requirements and constraints (such as weight) can be 

met by tailoring the amount of solid propellant carried. 

Reaction Control System 

The reaction control system controls the IUS/TDRS's attitude during coasting; roll control during SRM 

thrustings and velocity impulses for accurate orbit injection. 

As a minimum, the IUS includes one reaction control fuel tank with a capacity of 120 pounds (54.4 kg) of 

hydrazine. Production options are available to add a second or third tank. IUS-13 will carry two tanks, each 

with 120 pounds (54.4 kg) of fuel. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 22 

To avoid spacecraft contamination, the IUS has no forward facing thrusters. The reaction control system 

also provides the velocities for spacing between several spacecraft deployments and for avoiding collision 

or contamination after the spacecraft separates. 

IUS-to-Spacecraft Interfaces 

The TDRS spacecraft is physically attached to the IUS at eight attachment points, providing substantial 

load-carrying capability while minimizing the transfer of heat across the connecting points. Power, 

command and data transmission between the two are provided by several IUS interface connectors. 

In addition, the IUS provides an insulation blanket of multiple layers of double-aluminized Kapton and 

polyester net spacers across the IUS/TDRS interface. The outer layer of the blanket, facing the TDRS 

spacecraft, is a special Teflon-coated fabric called Beta cloth. The blankets are vented toward and into the 

IUS cavity, which in turn is vented to the orbiter payload bay. There is no gas flow between the spacecraft 

and the IUS. The thermal blankets are grounded to the IUS structure to prevent electrostatic charge 

buildup. 

Flight Sequence 

After the orbiter payload bay doors are opened in orbit, the orbiter will maintain a preselected attitude to 

keep the payload within thermal requirements and constraints. 

On-orbit predeployment checkout begins, followed by an IUS command link check and spacecraft 

communications command check. Orbiter trim maneuvers normally are performed at this time. 

Forward payload restraints will be released and the aft frame of the airborne support equipment will tilt the 

IUS/TDRS to 29 degrees. This will extend the TDRS into space just outside the orbiter payload bay, 

allowing direct communication with Earth during systems checkout. The orbiter will then be maneuvered 

to the deployment attitude. If a problem has developed within the spacecraft or IUS, the IUS and its 

payload can be restowed. 

Prior to deployment, the spacecraft electrical power source will be switched from orbiter power to IUS 

internal power by the orbiter flight crew. After verifying that the spacecraft is on IUS internal power and 

that all IUS/TDRS predeployment operations have been successfully completed, a GO/NO-GO decision for 

IUS/TDRS deployment will be sent to the crew. 

When the orbiter flight crew is given a GO decision, they will activate the pyrotechnics that separates the 

IUS/TDRS umbilical cables. The crew will then command the electromechanical tilt actuator to raise the 

tilt table to a 58-degree deployment position. 

The orbiter's RCS thrusters will be inhibited and a pyrotechnic separation device initiated to physically 

separate the IUS/spacecraft combination from the tilt table. Compressed springs provide the force to 

jettison the IUS/TDRS from the orbiter payload bay at approximately 0.10 meters (4.2 inches) per second. 

The deployment is normally performed in the shadow of the orbiter or in Earth eclipse. 

The tilt table will be lowered to minus 6 degrees after IUS and its spacecraft are deployed. Approximately 

19 minutes after IUS/TDRS deployment, the orbiter's engines will be ignited to move the orbiter away 

from the IUS/TDRS. 

At this point, the IUS/TDRS is controlled by the IUS onboard computers. Approximately 10 minutes after 

the IUS/TDRS is ejected from the orbiter, the IUS onboard computer will send out signals used by the IUS 

and/or TDRS to begin mission sequence events. This signal also will enable the reaction control system. 

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

subsequent operations will be sequenced by the IUS computer, from transfer orbit injection through 

spacecraft separation and IUS deactivation. 

After the RCS has been activated, the IUS will maneuver to the required thermal attitude and perform any 

required spacecraft thermal control maneuvers. 

At approximately 45 minutes after ejection from the orbiter, the pyrotechnic inhibits for the first solid 

rocket motor will be removed. The belly of the orbiter has been oriented towards the IUS/TDRS 

combination to protect the orbiter windows from the IUS's plume. The IUS will recompute the first ignition 

time and maneuvers necessary to attain the proper attitude for the first thrusting period. 

When the proper transfer orbit opportunity is reached, the IUS computer will send the signal to ignite the 

first stage motor. This is expected at approximately 60 minutes after deployment (L+7 hours, 13 minutes). 

After firing approximately 146 seconds and prior to reaching the apogee point of its trajectory, the IUS 

first stage will expend its fuel. While coasting, the IUS will perform any maneuvers needed by TDRS for 

thermal protection or communications. When this is completed, the IUS first stage and interstage will be 

separated from the IUS second stage. 

Approximately 6 hours, 12 minutes after deployment at approximately L+12:30, the second stage motor 

will be ignited, thrusting for about 108 seconds. After burn is complete, the IUS stabilizes the TDRS while 

the solar arrays and two antennas are deployed. The IUS second stage will separate and perform a final 

collision/contamination avoidance maneuver before deactivating. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 24 

DIFFUSE X-RAY SPECTROMETER (DXS) 

The Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS) addresses a fundamental question of present-day astrophysics -- 

what is the origin and nature of the interstellar medium, the matter that fills the space between stars? 

The DXS will study the hottest components of the interstellar medium, gases at temperatures at 

approximately 1 million degrees Kelvin, by detecting the x-rays emitted there. By measuring the gas 

temperature and composition, the DXS will provide important clues to the origin, evolution and physical 

state of this constituent of the Milky Way galaxy. 

The hot interstellar medium is one phase in the life cycle of the material in this galaxy. By studying this life 

cycle, the DXS scientists hope to learn more about the way the mass and energy of the galaxy are 

redistributed as it evolves. A better understanding of the evolution of the galaxy is one of the steps toward 

understanding the nature and evolution of galaxies, which contain most of the visible matter in the 

Universe. 

The DXS, developed by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, consists of two identical instruments, one 

mounted to each side of the Shuttle cargo bay. A DXS instrument consists of a detector, its associated gas 

supply and electronics. Each instrument is mounted to a 200-pound (91-kg) plate, which is attached to the 

side of the Shuttle bay. 

These plates are part of the Goddard Space Flight Center's Shuttle Payload of Opportunity Carrier (SPOC) 

standard hardware, which is part of the Hitchhiker carrier system. 

The Hitchhiker system provides real-time communications between the payload and customers in the 

Hitchhiker control center at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The carrier system is modular 

and expandable in accordance with payload requirements. Hitchhikers were created to provide a quick 

reaction and low-cost capability for flying small payloads in the Shuttle payload bay. 

DXS Science 

A large percentage of x-rays from space do not originate from specific objects like stars or galaxies, but 

from some source that appears to be distributed over the entire sky. Astronomers have found that these 

emissions fall into two types: high-energy or "hard" x-rays that may be the unresolved emissions from a 

collection of distant galaxies and low-energy or "soft" x-rays that are not yet well understood. DXS will 

study the latter. 

Because low energy x-rays cannot travel more than a few hundred light years in interstellar space before 

they are absorbed, most of the diffuse soft x-ray background observed must have originated in the Milky 

Way galaxy from the vicinity of Earth's solar system. 

The DXS measures the arrival direction and wavelength of incident low energy x-rays in the wavelength 

range of 42 to 84 angstroms -- an angstrom is one ten-thousandth of a millimeter. From this information, 

the DXS scientists will be able to determine the spectrum (brightness at each wavelength) of the diffuse 

soft x-ray background from each of several regions of the sky. 

By analyzing these spectral features, scientists can identify the temperature, the ionization state and the 

elements which constitute this plasma. From these data they can tell whether the plasma is young and 

heated in the last 100,000 years or old and heated millions of years ago. 

Previous experiments were not capable of measuring the spectrum of the diffuse soft x-ray background. 

With its spectral determination capability, the DXS will make this type of measurement possible for the 

first time. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 25 

DXS Operations 

Once the Shuttle is on orbit and the payload bay doors are open, a crew member will activate the 

experiment. DXS will be operated from Goddard's Payload Operations Control Center (POCC). University 

of Wisconsin personnel at Goddard will control and monitor the DXS, and Goddard personnel will monitor 

and control the operations of the Hitchhiker carrier support hardware. 

The DXS instruments will collect x-ray data during approximately 64 orbital nights over 4 flight days. In 

the orbit day periods throughout the mission, the DXS will perform sensor calibrations and will 

periodically replenish the detectors' gas supply. Goddard's Flight Dynamics Facility and the Spacelab Data 

Processing Facility will assist the DXS POCC operations and data processing activities. 

After the Shuttle lands, the DXS instruments will be transported to the University of Wisconsin for postflight testing and calibration. 

DXS History 

The DXS investigation was proposed and selected in response to a 1978 announcement of opportunity to 

conduct scientific investigations aboard the Space Shuttle. NASA selected DXS and four other 

astrophysics investigations, including three ultraviolet instruments and one x-ray telescope that flew in 

December 1990 on the STS-35/Astro-1 mission. All have scientific objectives and requirements that can be 

accomplished in a 5-10 day Shuttle mission. 

DXS was originally manifested to fly with the Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT) on the second 

Shuttle High Energy Astrophysics Laboratory flight. In the re-manifesting that followed the Challenger 

accident, BBXRT flew on Astro-1, and DXS moved to STS-54. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 26 
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Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 28 

STS-54 EVA TEST OBJECTIVE 

On the fifth day of the STS-54 flight, Mission Specialists Greg Harbaugh and Mario Runco Jr., will 

perform the first in a series of test spacewalks to be conducted on Shuttle missions during the years leading 

up to the construction of Space Station Freedom, scheduled to begin in early 1996. 

Harbaugh will be designated Extravehicular Crew Member 1 (EV1) and Runco will be EV2. Mission 

Specialist Susan Helms will assist with the spacewalk from inside Endeavour's cabin as the intravehicular 

activity crew member (IV), tracking the progress of Harbaugh and Runco as they move through various 

tasks in the cargo bay. 

The spacewalk tests are designed to refine training methods for future spacewalks, expand the experience 

of ground controllers, instructors and astronauts and aid in better understanding the differences between 

true weightlessness and the underwater facility used to train crew members. 

During the STS-54 spacewalk, Runco and Harbaugh will evaluate how well they adapt to spacewalking, 

test their abilities to move about the cargo bay with and without carrying items, test the ability to climb into 

a foot restraint without handholds and test their ability to align a large object in weightlessness. 

The spacewalk is the lowest priority test being performed on STS-54. No extra cargo has been added to the 

flight for the test, and it will not have any impact on the other payloads aboard Endeavour. 

To simulate carrying a large object, the astronauts will carry one another: to evaluate how well large tools 

can be used, they will work with a tool already aboard Endeavour designed to manually raise the tilt table 

for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite's Inertial Upper Stage booster; to simulate how well they can 

align an object, they will attempt to place each other into the brackets in Endeavour's airlock that hold the 

spacesuit backpacks when not in use. 

Flight controllers expect many of these tasks to be awkward for the spacewalkers, and finding out just how 

difficult they will be is one goal of the tests. Information from this spacewalk test will be combined with 

information from many more that will follow to refine the understanding of difficulties involved with 

spacewalk work. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 29 

DEVELOPMENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES INFLUENCING 

SEED PRODUCTION IN MICROGRAVITY (CHROMEX-4) 

Principal Investigator Dr. Mary Musgrave, Louisiana State University 

CHROMEX-4 is designed to gain an understanding of the reproductive abnormalities which apparently 

occur in plants exposed to microgravity, and to determine whether changes in developmental processes 

may be due to spaceflight conditions, especially microgravity. This experiment also will help 

understanding how gravity influences fertilization and development on Earth. 

To date, only a few studies have been conducted on developing seeds in space, and they all showed very 

poor seed production. NASA would like to use plants as a source of food and atmospheric cleansing for 

astronauts staying in space for extended periods of time. Seed production is vital if crops like wheat and 

rice are to be utilized for food. 

The effects of microgravity on the seed production of Arabidopsis thaliana will be studied. Arabidopsis 

thaliana is a small, cress-type plant with white flowers. Its small size, small genome and short life cycle (45 

days) make it ideal for gene mapping studies. It was chosen because it is small enough to fit in the flight 

hardware, and its rapid life cycle and numerous flowers will ensure that a maximum number of 

reproductive stages can be observed in a limited number *of plants. Arabidopsis seeds will be planted 

preflight so that 14-day-old plants, capable of producing seeds, can be flown. 

These plants will be flown inside the Plant Growth Unit (PGU), a closed system that provides day/night 

lighting located in the orbiter middeck. The PGU will hold six Plant Growth Chambers (PGCs), each of 

which will contain six plants. The PGCs provide structural and nutritional support to the plants while on 

orbit. 

The PGU replaces one standard middeck locker and requires 28 volts of power from the orbiter. This 

hardware provides lighting, limited temperature control and data acquisition for post-flight analysis. The 

PGU has previously flown on STS-3, -51F, -29 and -41. 

Following the flight, the flowers and developing seeds will be preserved and their structures will be 

subjected to gross morphological and histological analysis to determine the locations and life cycle stages 

of reproductive abnormality. These structures will be examined in detail by electron-microscopy. 

The remaining plant tissue also will be analyzed for soluble carbohydrate, starch and chlorophyll. Sections 

of roots and leaves would examine other physiological processes that might be affected as a result of 

exposure to microgravity. All data will be compared with data gathered from 1g ground controls conducted 

at a later date using identical hardware. 

Dr. Mary Musgrave of Louisiana State University is the Principal Investigator. The experiment is 

sponsored by the Life Sciences Division of NASA's Office of Space Science and Application. The 

experiment is managed by the Kennedy Space Center. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 30 

COMMERCIAL GENERIC BIOPROCESSING APPARATUS (CGBA) 

The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) payload is sponsored by NASA's Office of 

Advanced Concepts and Technology and is developed by BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Center 

for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The purpose of 

the CGBA is to allow a wide variety of sophisticated biomaterials, life sciences and biotechnology 

investigations to be performed in one apparatus in the microgravity environment. 

Commercial Investigations 

During the STS-54 mission, the CGBA will support 28 separate commercial investigations, loosely 

classified in three application areas: biomedical testing and drug development, controlled ecological life 

support system (CELSS) and agricultural development and manufacture of biological-based materials. 

Biomedical Testing and Drug Development: To collect information on how microgravity affects biological 

organisms, the CGBA will include 12 biomedical test models. Of the 12 test models, five are related to 

immune disorders. 

One will investigate the process in which certain cells engulf and destroy foreign materials (phagocytosis); 

another will study bone marrow cell cultures; two others will study the ability of the immune system to 

respond to infectious-type materials (lymphocyte and T-cell induction) and one will investigate the ability 

of immune cells to kill infectious cells (TNF-Mediated Cytotoxicity). 

The other seven test models -- which are related to bone and developmental disorders, wound healing, 

cancer and cellular disorders -- will investigate bone tissue formation, brine shrimp development, pancreas 

and lung development, tissue regeneration, inhibition of cell division processes, stimulation of cell division 

processes and the ability of protein channels to pass materials through cell membranes. 

Test model results will provide information to better understand diseases and disorders that affect human 

health, including cancer, osteoporosis and AIDS. In the future, these models may be used for the 

development and testing of new drugs to treat these diseases. 

CELSS Development: To gain knowledge on how microgravity affects micro-organisms, small animal 

systems, algae and higher plant life. The CGBA will include 10 ecological test systems. Four test systems 

will examine miniature wasp and fruit fly development, seed germination and seedling processes for 

CELSS studies. 

Another four test systems will investigate bacterial products and processes and bacterial colonies for waste 

management applications. Two other systems (Triiodid and Zirconium Peroxide) will study new materials 

to control build-up of unwanted bacteria and other micro-organisms. 

Test system results will provide research information with many commercial applications. For example, 

evaluating higher plant growth in microgravity could lead to new commercial opportunities in controlled 

agriculture applications. Test systems that alter micro-organisms or animal cells to produce important 

pharmaceuticals later could be returned to Earth for large-scale production. Similarly, it may be possible to 

manipulate agricultural materials to produce valuable seed stocks. 

Biomaterials Products and Processes: The CGBA also will be used to investigate six different biomaterials 

products and processes. Two investigations will attempt to grow large protein and RNA crystals to yield 

information for use in commercial drug development. A third investigation will evaluate the assembly of 

virus shells for use in a commercially-developed drug delivery system. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 31 

Another investigation will attempt to form a homogenous matrix of special light-sensitive biological 

molecules called bacteriorhodopsin. Such a matrix may be used in novel electronic mass storage systems 

associated with computers. A fifth experiment will use bacteria to form magnetosomes (tiny magnets) for 

potential use in advanced electronics. A sixth investigation will use fibrin clot materials as a model of 

potentially implantable materials that could be developed commercially as replacements for skin, tendons, 

blood vessels and even cornea. 

Results from the 28 investigations will be considered in determining subsequent steps toward 

commercialization. STS-54 marks the second of six CGBA flights. Future flights will continue to focus on 

selecting and developing investigations that show the greatest commercial potential. 

Flight Hardware 

The CGBA consists of 192 Fluids Processing Apparatuses (FPAs) and 24 Group Activation Packs (GAPs). 

Each GAP will house eight FPAs. The FPAs will contain biological sample materials which are mixed onorbit to begin and end an experiment. Individual experiments will use two to 12 FPAs each. 

Half of the FPAs and GAPs will be stored in the orbiter middeck in two Commercial Refrigerator 

Incubator Modules (CRIM). The other half will be stored in a standard stowage locker. Each CRIM holds 

six GAPs and will be operated at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees F. -- mammalian body temperature) to 

support cell culture investigations. 

FPA: Sample materials are contained inside a glass barrel that has rubber stoppers to separate three 

chambers. For each investigation, the chambers will contain precursor, initiation and termination fluids, 

respectively. The loaded glass barrel will be assembled into a plastic sheath that protects the glass from 

breakage and serves as a second level of sample fluid containment. 

The FPAs are operated by a plunger mechanism that will be depressed on-orbit, causing the chambers of 

precursor fluid and the stoppers to move forward inside the glass barrel. When a specific stopper reaches 

an indentation in the glass barrel, initiation fluid from the second chamber is injected into the first chamber, 

activating the biological process. 

Once processing is complete, the plunger will again be depressed until the termination fluid in the third 

chamber is injected across the bypass in the glass barrel into the first chamber. 

GAP: The GAP consists of a 4-inch diameter plastic cylinder and two aluminum endcaps. Eight FPAs will 

be contained around the inside circumference of the GAP cylinder. A crank extends into one end of the 

GAP and attaches to a metal pressure plate. By rotating the crank, the plate will advance and depress the 

eight FPA plungers simultaneously. 

On-orbit Operations 

Mission Specialists Susan Helms and Greg Harbaugh are the primary and backup crew members, 

respectively, responsible for CGBA operations. Upon reaching orbit, they will initiate the various 

investigations by attaching a crank handle to each GAP. 

Turning the crank will cause an internal plate to advance and push the plungers on the contained FPAs. 

This action causes the fluids in the forward chambers of each FPA to mix. Most of the GAPs will be 

activated on either the first or second flight day. 

The crew will terminate the investigations in a manner similar to activation. Attaching and turning the GAP 

crank will cause further depression of the FPA plungers causing the fluid in the rear chamber to mix with 

the 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 32 

processed biological materials. This fluid typically will stop the process or "fix" the sample for return to 

Earth in a preserved state. Each of the 24 GAPs will be terminated at different time points during the 

mission. In this manner, sample materials can be processed from as little as 2 hours to nearly the entire 

mission duration. 

For most of the investigations, simultaneous ground controls will be run. Using identical hardware and 

sample fluids and materials, ground personnel will activate and terminate FPAs in parallel with the flight 

crew. Synchronization will be accomplished based on indications from the crew as to when specific GAPs 

are operated. A temperature controlled environment at NASA's Kennedy Space Center will be used to 

duplicate flight conditions. 

After Endeavor has landed, the CRIMs and stowage locker will be turned over to BioServe personnel for 

deintegration. Some sample processing will be performed at Kennedy. Most FPAs will be shipped or handcarried back to the sponsoring labs for detailed analysis. 

Dr. Marvin Luttges, Director of the BioServe CCDS, is Program Manager for CGBA. Drs. Louis Stodieck 

and Michael Robinson, also of BioServe, are responsible for mission management. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 33 

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) Experiments 

Experiment PI Affiliation Experiment Description Commercial Application 

Lymphocyte Induction 

Process 

U. of Alabama in 

Huntsville 

Examine immune system's ability to respond to 

infectious-type materials. 

Immune Disorders 

T-Cell Induction Test 

Model 

Kansas State U. Examines immune system's ability to respond 

to infectious-type materials. 

Immune Disorders 

TNF-Mediated Cytoxicity 

Test Model 

Kansas State U. Examines immune cells' ability to kill 

infectious cells. 

Immune Disorders 

Bone Marrow Cell Culture 

Test System 

Kansas State U. Studies bone marrow cultures in microgravity. Immune Disorders 

Phagocytosis Process 

Testing 

U. of Rochester Investigates process in which certain cells 

engulf and destroy foreign materials. 

Immune Disorders 

Bone Organ Culture Test 

Model 

Kansas State U. Studies bone tissue formation in microgravity. Bone Disorders 

Pancreas and Lung 

Development Tests 

Kansas State U. Examines lung and pancreas development in 

microgravity. 

Development Disorders 

Regeneration Test Model Spaceport Florida Investigates tissue regeneration in 

microgravity. 

Wound Healing Testing 

Brine Shrimp Test System Kansas State U. Examines brine shrimp development in 

microgravity. 

Development Disorders 

Inhibitor Protein Test 

Model 

Kansas State U. Studies inhibition of cell division processes. Cancer 

Gap Junction Processes Kansas State U. Investigates ability of protein channels to pass 

materials through cell membranes 

Cellular Disorders 

Cell Division Processes U. of Colorado Studies stimulation of cell division processes. Cellular Disorders 

Seed Germination 

Products 

U. of Colorado Studies seed germination in microgravity. Controlled Ecological Life 

Support System (CELSS) 

Studies 

Seeding Processes Kansas State U. Examines seedling processes in microgravity. CELSS Studies 

Miniature Wasp Test 

System 

U. of Colorado Investigates miniature wasp development in 

microgravity. 

CELSS Studies 

Fruit Fly Test System Kansas State U. Examines fruit fly development in 

microgravity. 

CELSS Studies 

Bacterial Products and 

Processes 

U. of Colorado Studies bacterial products, processes and 

colonies in microgravity. 

Waste Management 

Bacterial Products and 

Processes 

Kansas State U. Studies bacterial products, processes and 

colonies in microgravity. 

Waste Management 

Bacterial Colony Test 

System 

U. of Colorado Studies bacterial products, processes and 

colonies in microgravity. 

Waste Management 

Triiodid Product Testing U. of Colorado Investigates new materials to control build-up 

of unwanted bacteria and other microorganisms. 

Microbial Control. 

Zirconium Peroxide 

Product Testing 

Kansas State U. Investigates new materials to control build-up 

of unwanted bacteria and other microorganisms. 

Microbial Control. 

Virus Capsid Product Kansas State U. Evaluates assembly of virus shells. Drug Delivery System 

Protein Crystal 

Morphology Products 

U. of Colorado Growth of large protein crystals. Drug Development 

RNA Crystal Growth 

Products 

U. of Colorado Growth of large RNA crystals. Drug Development 

Bacteriorhodopsin 

Biomatrix Products 

Syracuse U. Formation of homogeneous matrix using 

special light-sensitive biological molecules. 

Data Mass Storage 

Magnetosome Assembly 

Processes 

U. of Colorado Formation of magnetosomes (tiny magnets) 

using bacteria. 

Advanced Electronics 

Fibrin Clot Materials U. of Colorado Use of fibrin clot materials as a model of 

potentially implantable materials. 

Synthetic Implants 
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Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 36 

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL RODENT EXPERIMENT .02 

Principal Investigator Kenneth M. Baldwin, Ph.D. 

Department of Physiology and Biophysics 

University of California, Irvine 

Co-Investigator Vincent J. Caiozzo, Ph.D. 

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, College of Medicine 

University of California, Irvine 

The second Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE.02) is a secondary payload flight experiment 

located in a Space Shuttle's mid-deck locker. 

The goal of PARE.02 is to determine the extent to which short-term exposure to microgravity alters the size, strength 

and endurance capacity (stamina) of skeletal muscles normally used to help support the body against the force of 

gravity. 

The study, managed by NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif., will use rodents because their muscles 

are known to respond rapidly to altered gravity forces. 

When individuals are exposed to the microgravity of space, there appears to be a significant loss in muscle mass. This 

appears to be because the muscle must no longer exert a sufficient level of force, which produces a signal to the body 

to conserve mass. However, the loss of muscle mass hinders one's capability to function when returning to Earth. All 

movement patterns are difficult, and the individual may be prone to accidents because of this instability. Scientists 

need to find the extent to which the muscle atrophies, what impact the atrophy process has on muscle performance and 

how to prevent the atrophy from occurring. 

Second, the problem of muscle atrophy is similar in part to what is seen on Earth during the normal aging. As one gets 

older, he/she becomes less physically active and the degree of muscle disuse is exaggerated. This leads to the same 

problems as occur during exposure to microgravity. Thus, if the problem of atrophy in space can be solved, scientists 

should have a good insight for maintaining the muscle system in a more viable condition as humans age. 

Millions of dollars are spent annually to treat older individuals with injuries and disabilities resulting from the general 

problem of muscle and bone weakness, particularly in the female population. 

The information derived from such a project has obvious practical relevance to the entire health care industry. Any 

insight that can be generated to prevent body dysfunction and injury, as well as to rehabilitate the musculoskeletal 

system from the effects of disuse atrophy, are very important to the broad range population base of our society. 

With the advent of the Space Shuttle program and Spacelab, it is now possible to expose both humans and animals to 

the unique environment of microgravity. In this way scientists can begin to partition out the specific effects of gravity 

in regulating the structural and functional properties of the organ systems of the body. 

The Shuttle makes it possible for life to exist in a new environment that is entirely foreign to the body, thereby 

enabling scientists to understand how the force of gravity normally impacts health and well-being. 

This is the second phase of this research experiment. The first studied the effects of microgravity on how the muscle 

cells process the food humans eat and transform the food into the energy necessary to enable the muscles to function. 

The experiment distinguished that the muscles isolated from animals exposed to zero gravity had a reduced capacity to 

process fat substrate while retaining a normal capacity to process carbohydrate for energy. 

This finding has important implications if it occurs in the intact individual, because it would force a person to use 

his/her energy stores of carbohydrate at a faster rate. When this occurs the muscle loses its stamina and the individual 

cannot sustain physical activity for as long a time. 

The PARE.02 project will examine the extent to which the muscle loses its stamina after exposure to microgravity for 

6 days. 

NASA's Ames Research Center provides payload and science management and support for PARE.02. The project is 

sponsored by the Life Sciences Division of NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 37 

SOLID SURFACE COMBUSTION EXPERIMENT (SSCE) 

Principal Investigator Professor Robert A. Altenkirch 

Dean of Engineering, Mississippi State University 

The purpose of the SSCE is to study the physical and chemical mechanisms of flame propagation over 

solid fuels in the absence of gravity-driven buoyant or externally-imposed airflows. The controlling 

mechanisms of flame propagation in microgravity are different than in normal gravity. 

On Earth, gravity causes the air heated by the flame to rise. This air flow, called buoyant convention, feeds 

oxygen to the flame and cools the fire, creating competing effects. In microgravity, this flow is absent. 

Therefore, the fire is sustained only by the oxygen that it consumes as it migrates along the fuel's surface. 

The results of the SSCE have a practical application in the evaluation of spacecraft fire hazards, as well as 

providing a better understanding of flame propagation in microgravity and on Earth. 

The SSCE occupies four standard lockers in the orbiter middeck. The experiment consists of two parts -- 

the chamber module and the camera module. The chamber module consists of a sealed combustion 

chamber which houses the sample and is filled with a combination of oxygen and nitrogen. The chamber 

has two perpendicular viewports -- one on the side and one on the top. 

Two 16-mm color movie cameras mounted on the camera module record the combustion process through 

the viewports. In addition, thermocouples measure temperature data while a pressure transducer measures 

changes in chamber pressure. These data are stored in the experiment computer for post-flight analysis. 

Ashless filter paper was tested on the first five flights with different mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen and 

with varying pressures. The final three tests will use polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), commonly known 

as Plexiglas*. Typically, one configuration will be tested per mission. For this mission, the chamber will 

contain a 35:65 ratio by volume of oxygen to nitrogen at a total pressure of 1.0 atmosphere. 

A crew member provides power to the experiment and by activating a switch, the crew member ignites the 

fuel and data collection begins. After approximately 75 seconds, the sample self-extinguishes and data 

collection ceases. The entire process takes approximately 25 minutes. 

This is the sixth in a series of eight experiments studying flame propagation in space. The experiment was 

flown aboard the STS-41, STS-40, STS-43, STS-50 and STS-47 Shuttle missions in October 1990, June 

1991, August 1991, June 1992 and September 1992, respectively. 

SSCE was conceived by Professor Robert A. Altenkirch, Dean of Engineering at Mississippi State 

University, and was built by the NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland. The project is sponsored by the 

NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division of the Office of Space Science and Applications. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 38 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 39 

APPLICATION SPECIFIC PREPROGRAMMED EXPERIMENT CULTURE 

SYSTEM PHYSICS OF TOYS (ASPEC) PHYSICS OF TOYS 

The STS-54 mission will carry a collection of children's toys for an educational post-flight videotape on the 

Physics of Toys. A similar opportunity took place on STS-51D in April 1985, and the subsequent 

videotape of demonstrations conducted by the crew has become one of the most popular educational 

resources NASA has offered to schools. 

Toys have long been used to help teach basic and advanced scientific principles and concepts of force, 

motion and energy. Many toys depend on these principles and concepts to function. Although teachers are 

able to anticipate what toys may do in space, free from the gravity vector, unexpected actions may be 

observed. The possibility of discovery turns Physics of Toys from just a collection of valuable science 

demonstrations into legitimate science experiments. 

The tape to be created on STS-54 will feature new toys, toys that have been flown before and toys that 

children can make themselves. The tape will be available to schools in the Fall of 1993. The tape will use 

toys to teach some basic principles of science and math to students using an investigative approach. 

Children will be encouraged to investigate the same toys in the normal 1-gravity environment of Earth and 

then speculate on what those same toys will do in the microgravity of space flight. 

In addition to the videotape, selected students in grades 3-5 from the crewmembers' hometowns will 

actively participate as investigators and will talk with the orbiting crew. Through telephone and television 

links, these students, while in their classrooms or other school facilities, will ask the crew questions about 

the Physics of Toys experiments. In preparation for this opportunity, NASA traveled to each of the schools 

involved and conducted pre-experiments with the toys. 

The Physics of Toys experiment is scheduled around noon EST on flight day 3. The experiment will begin 

with a brief videotape showing highlights of the mission and a few of the coming events. There will be a 

brief introduction to the experiment and then the first crewmember will take questions. Only one school 

will be able to talk to a crewmember at a time. Each school will have approximately 8 minutes. The order 

of the crewmembers and schools is as follows. 

• Sacred Heart School, Bronx, NY, will experiment with car and track and klacker balls. (Mario Runco) 

• Thomas A. Edison Elementary School, Willoughby, Ohio, will experiment with a basketball and 

magnetic marbles. (Greg Harbaugh) 

• Shaver Elementary School, Portland, Ore., will experiment with swimming toys and a flipping mouse. 

(Susan Helms) 

• Westwood Heights Schools, Flint, Mich., will experiment with gravitrons and a balloon helicopter. 

(Donald McMonagle) 

Any time remaining in the experiment after all schools have asked their questions will be filled with 

selected demonstration of flying toys by crew Commander John Casper. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 40 

STS-54 CREWMEMBERS 

STS054-S-002 -- STS-54 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, crewmembers, wearing launch and entry 

suits (LESs), pose for their official crew portrait on the flight deck of JSC's motion based (MB) shuttle 

mission simulator (SMS). Left to right are mission specialist Mario Runco Jr., mission commander John 

H. Casper, pilot Donald R. McMonagle, and mission specialists Susan J. Helms and Gregory J. Harbaugh. 

MB-SMS is located in JSC's Mission Simulation and Training Facility Bldg 5. Portrait made by NASA JSC 

contract photographer Scott A. Wickes. 

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 41 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JOHN H. CASPER, 48, Col., USAF, is Commander of Endeavour's third space mission. Selected to be an 

astronaut in 1984, Casper, from Gainesville, GA, is making his second Shuttle flight. 

Casper served as Pilot on Atlantis' STS-36 mission in February 1990, which carried Department of Defense 

payloads and a number of secondary payloads. 

A graduate of Chamblee High School in Chamblee, GA, in 1961, Casper received a bachelor of science 

degree in engineering science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966 and a master of science degree in 

astronautics from Purdue University in 1967. He is a 1986 graduate of the Air Force Air War College. 

Casper received his pilot wings at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in 1968 and has logged more than 6,000 

flying hours in 50 different aircraft. His first Shuttle mission lasted 106 hours. 

DONALD (DON) R. MCMONAGLE, 38, Col., USAF, is Pilot of STS-54. Born in Flint, Mich., 

McMonagle was selected as a pilot astronaut in 1987 and made his first flight as a mission specialist 

aboard Discovery on STS-39 in April 1991, an unclassified Department of Defense mission. 

McMonagle graduated from Hamady High School in Flint in 1970. He holds a bachelor of science degree 

in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master of science in mechanical 

engineering from California State University, Fresno. 

He graduated from pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., in 1975 and has more than 4,200 

hours of flying experience in a variety of aircraft, primarily the T-38, F-4, F-15 and F-16. He logged more 

than 199 hours in space on his first Shuttle mission. 

GREGORY (GREG) J. HARBAUGH, 35, will serve as Mission Specialist 1. Before being selected as an 

astronaut in 1978, Harbaugh held engineering and technical management positions in various areas of 

Space Shuttle flight operations -- particularly data processing systems -- and supported real-time Shuttle 

operations from the JSC Mission Control Center for most of the flights from STS-1 to STS-51L. 

Harbaugh, who considers Willoughby, Ohio, as his hometown, graduated from Willoughby South High 

School in 1974, received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from 

Purdue University in 1978 and a master of science degree in physical science from the University of 

Houston-Clear Lake in 1986. 

Harbaugh flew as a mission specialist on STS-39 and was responsible for operation of the remote 

manipulator system robot arm and the Infrared Background Signature Survey spacecraft. With the 

completion of the mission, he had logged 199 hours in space. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 42 

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

MARIO RUNCO JR., 39, Lt. Cdr., USN, will serve as Mission Specialist 2. From Yonkers, NY, Runco 

graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY, in 1970. 

He received a bachelor of science degree in meteorology and physical oceanography from City College of 

New York in 1974 and a master of science degree in meteorology from Rutgers University, New 

Brunswick, NJ, in 1976. 

After graduating from Rutgers, Runco worked for a year as a research hydrologist conducting ground 

water surveys for the U.S. Geological Survey on Long Island, NY He worked as a New Jersey State 

Trooper until entering the U.S. Navy in 1978 and being commissioned that same year. 

He served in various Navy posts, being designated a Naval Surface Warfare Officer and conducting 

hydrographic and oceanography surveys of the Java Sea and Indian Ocean before joining NASA. 

Runco served as a mission specialist aboard Atlantis on STS-44 in November 1991, which deployed the 

Defense Support Program satellite and conducted two Military Man in Space experiments, three radiation 

monitoring experiments and numerous medical tests. Runco logged more than 166 hours on that flight. 

SUSAN J. HELMS, 33, Capt., USAF, will serve as Mission Specialist 3 on STS-54. From Portland, Ore., 

she was selected as an astronaut in 1990. 

Helms graduated from Parkrose Senior High School in Portland in 1976, received a bachelor of science 

degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980 and a master of science 

degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1985. 

Helms was an F-16 weapons separation engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, and served as an assistant 

professor of aeronautics at the academy. In 1987, she attended Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air 

Force Base, Calif. and worked as a flight test engineer and project officer on the CF-18 aircraft at CFB 

Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. As a flight test engineer, she has flown in 30 different types of U.S. and 

Canadian military aircraft. This will be her first Space Shuttle flight. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 43 

MISSION MANAGEMENT FOR STS-54 

NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, DC 

Office of Space Flight 

Jeremiah W. Pearson III Associate Administrator 

Brian O'Connor Deputy Associate Administrator 

Tom Utsman Director, Space Shuttle 

Leonard Nicholson Manager, Space Shuttle 

Brewster Shaw Deputy Manager, Space Shuttle 

Office of Space Science and Applications 

Dr. Lennard Fisk Associate Administrator 

Al Diaz Deputy Associate Administrator 

Dr. George Newton Acting Director, Astrophysics Division 

Robert Benson Director, Flight Systems Division 

David Jarrett DXS Program Manager 

Dr. Louis Kaluzienski DXS Program Scientist 

Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology 

Gregory M. Reck Acting Associate Administrator 

Ray J. Arnold, Director Commercial Innovation & Competitiveness 

Richard H. Ott, Director Commercial Flight Experiments 

Garland C. Misener Chief, Flight Requirements & Accommodations 

Office of Space Communications 

Charles Force Associate Administrator 

Jerry Fitts Deputy Associate Administrator 

Eugene Ferrick Director, Space Network 

Jimie Maley Manager, Launch and Space Segment 

Daniel Brandel Manager, TDRSS Continuation 

Raymond Newman Manager, Ground Segment 

Wilson Lundy Manager, White Sands Space Network Complex 

Office of Safety and Mission Quality 

Col. Frederick Gregory Associate Administrator 

Charles Mertz (Acting) Deputy Associate Administrator 

Richard Perry Director, Programs Assurance 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 44 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL 

Robert L. Crippen Director 

James A. "Gene" Thomas Deputy Director 

Jay F. Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations 

Robert B. Sieck Launch Director 

John J. "Tip" Talone Endeavour Flow Director 

J. Robert Lang Director, Vehicle Engineering 

Al J. Parrish Director of Safety Reliability and Quality Assurance 

John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations 

P. Thomas Breakfield Director, Shuttle Payload Operations 

Joanne H. Morgan Director, Payload Project Management 

Roelof Schuiling STS-54 Payload Processing Manager 

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, HUNTSVILLE, AL 

Thomas J. Lee Director 

Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director 

Harry G. Craft Manager, Payload Projects Office 

Alexander A. McCool Manager, Shuttle Projects Office 

Dr. George McDonough Director, Science and Engineering 

James H. Ehl Director, Safety and Mission Assurance 

Otto Goetz Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project 

Victor Keith Henson Manager, Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor Project 

Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project 

Parker Counts Manager, External Tank Project 

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX 

Aaron Cohen Director 

Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director 

Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects 

David Leestma Director, Flight Crew Operations 

Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations 

Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering 

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

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 

Roy S. Estess Director 

Gerald Smith Deputy Director 

J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations 

AMES-DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY, EDWARDS, CA 

Kenneth J. Szalai Director 

T. G. Ayers Deputy Director 

James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 45 

AMES RESEARCH CENTER, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 

Dr. Dale L. Compton Director 

Victor L. Peterson Deputy Director 

Dr. Joseph C. Sharp Director, Space Research 

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD 

Dr. John Klineberg Center Director 

Thomas E. Huber Director, Engineering Directorate 

Theodore C. Goldsmith Project Manager, Shuttle Small Payloads 

Steven C. Dunker DXS Project Manager 

Vernon J. Weyers Director, Flight Projects 

Dale L. Fahnestock Director, Mission Operations and Data Systems 

Daniel A. Spintman Chief, Networks Division 

Vaughn E. Turner Chief, Communications Division 

Charles Vanek Project Manager, TDRS 

Thomas E. Williams Deputy Project Manager, TDRS 

Anthony B. Comberiate TDRS Manager 

Gary A. Morse Network Director 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 46 

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF JANUARY 1993 

52 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM -- 27 SINCE RETURN TO FLIGHT 

STS-53 

12/02/92 - 12/09/92 

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-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 - 12/0191 

STS-32 

01/09/90 - 01/20/90 

STS-61A 

10/30/85 - 11/06/85 

STS-33 

11/22/89 - 11/27/89 

STS-43 

08/02/91 - 08/11/91 

STS-28 

08/08/89 - 08/13/89 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-29 

03/13/89 - 03/18/89 

STS-37 

04/05/91 - 04/11/91 

STS-61C 

01/12/86 - 01/18/86 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-26 

09/29/88 - 10/03/88 

STS-38 

11/15/90 - 11/20/90 

STS-9 

11/28/83 - 12/08/83 

STS-41G 

10/05/84 - 10/13/84 

STS-51-I 

08/27/85 - 09/03/85 

STS-36 

02/28/90 - 03/04/90 

STS-5 

11/11/82 - 11/16/82 

STS-41C 

04/06/84 - 04/13/84 

STS-51G 

06/17/85 - 06/24/85 

STS-34 

10/18/89 - 10/23/89 

STS-4 

06/27/82 - 07/04/82 

STS-41B 

02/03/84 - 02/11/84 

STS-51D 

04/12/85 - 04/19/85 

STS-30 

05/04/89 - 05/08/89 

STS-3 

03/22/82 - 03/30/82 

STS-8 

08/30/83 - 09/05/83 

STS-51C 

01/24/85 - 01/27/85 

STS-27 

12/02/88 - 12/06/88 

STS-2 

11/12/81 - 11/14/81 

STS-7 

06/18/83 - 06/24/83 

STS-51A 

11/08/84 - 11/16/84 

STS-61B 

11/26/85 - 12/03/85 

STS-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 

(13 flights) 

OV-099 

Challenger 

(10 flights) 

OV-103 

Discovery 

(15 flights) 

OV-104 

Atlantis 

(12 flights) 

OV-105 

Endeavour 

(2 flights)