Release: J97-15 

ATLANTIS READY TO FLY SIXTH SHUTTLE-MIR MISSION 

 The continuing cooperative effort in space exploration 

between the United States and Russia will be the focus of 

NASA's fourth Shuttle mission of 1997 with the launch of Space 

Shuttle Atlantis on Mission STS-84. 

 This is the sixth of nine planned missions to Mir and the 

third one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Astronaut 

Jerry Linenger, who has been on Mir since mid-January, will be 

replaced by astronaut Mike Foale. Foale will spend more than 

four months on the orbiting Russian facility. He will return to 

Earth on Space Shuttle Mission STS-86, scheduled for launch in 

late September. 

 Atlantis will again be carrying the SPACEHAB module in the 

payload bay of the orbiter. The double module configuration 

will house experiments to be performed by Atlantis' crew along 

with logistics equipment to be transferred to Mir. 

 The STS-84 crew will be commanded by Charlie Precourt who will 

be making his third Shuttle flight. The pilot, Eileen Collins, 

will be making her second flight. There are five mission 

specialists assigned to this flight. Jean-Francois Clervoy from 

the European Space Agency (ESA), serving as Mission Specialist1, is making his second flight. Mission Specialist-2 Carlos 

Noriega and Mission Specialist-3 Ed Lu are both making their 

first space flight. Elena Kondakova from the Russian Space 

Agency, serving as Mission Specialist-4, is making her first 

flight on the Shuttle and second space flight having flown 

previously on the Mir space station. Mike Foale, making his 

fourth space flight, will be Mission Specialist-5 for launch 

through docking with Mir. Shortly after docking, Foale and 

Linenger will conduct their handover with Foale becoming a 

member of the Mir crew and Linenger becoming STS-84 Mission 

Specialist-6 through the end of the flight. 

 Atlantis is targeted for an early morning launch on May 

15, 1997 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A. 

The current launch time of 4:08 a.m. EDT may vary slightly 

based on calculations of Mir's precise location in space at the 

time of liftoff due to Shuttle rendezvous phasing requirements. 

The STS-84 mission is scheduled to last 9 days, 3 hours, 44 

minutes. An on-time launch on May 15 and nominal mission 

duration would have Atlantis landing back at Kennedy Space 

Center on May 24 at about 7:52 a.m. EDT. 

 Atlantis' rendezvous and docking with the Mir actually 

begin with the precisely timed launch setting the orbiter on a 

course for rendezvous with the orbiting Russian facility. Over 

the next two to three days, periodic firings of Atlantis' small 

thruster engines will gradually bring the Shuttle within closer 

proximity to Mir. 

 The STS-84 mission is part of the NASA/Mir program which 
consists of nine Shuttle-Mir dockings and seven long duration 

flights of U.S. astronauts aboard the Russian space station. 

The U.S. astronauts will launch and land on a Shuttle and serve 

as Mir crew members while the Mir cosmonauts use their 

traditional Soyuz vehicle for launch and landing. This series 

of missions will expand U.S. research on Mir by providing 

resupply materials for experiments to be performed aboard the 

station as well as returning experiment samples and data to 

Earth. 

 The current Mir 23 mission began when cosmonauts Vasily 

Tsibliev and Alexander Lazutkin and German Researcher Reinhold 

Ewald of DARA were launched on Feb. 10, 1997, in a Soyuz 

vehicle and docked with the Mir two days later. Jerry Linenger 

began his stay on the orbiting Russian facility with the Mir 22 

crew in mid-January with the docking of STS-81. He became a 

member of the Mir 23 crew and continued his science 

investigations when the Mir 22 crew and Ewald returned to Earth 

on March 2. After Linenger and Foale complete their handover, 

Foale will work with the Mir 23 crew until the arrival of Mir 

24 cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev, Pavel Vinogradov and ESA 

Researcher Leopold Eyharts in August 1997. After the Mir 23 

crew and Eyharts return to Earth in a Soyuz vehicle, Foale will 

complete his tour with the Mir 24 crew. Foale will be replaced 

by NASA Astronaut Wendy Lawrence when Atlantis again docks with 

Mir in late September. 

 The STS-84 mission and the work performed by Foale during 

his time on the Mir station will include investigations in the 

fields of advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental 

biology, human life sciences, International Space Station risk 

mitigation, microgravity sciences and space sciences. 

 STS-84 will involve the transfer of 7,314 pounds of water 

and logistics to and from the Mir. During the docked phase, 

1,025 pounds of water, 844.9 pounds of U.S. science equipment, 

2,576.4 pounds of Russian logistics along with 392.7 pounds of 

miscellaneous material will be transferred to Mir. Returning to 

Earth aboard Atlantis will be 897.4 pounds of U.S. science 

material, 1,171.2 pounds of Russian logistics, 30 pounds of ESA 

material and 376.4 pounds of miscellaneous material. 

 STS-84 will be the 19th flight of Atlantis and the 84th 

mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in 

April 1981. 

 MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION 

NASA Television Transmission 

 NASA Television is now available at a new satellite 

location. NASA TV is now available through the GE2 satellite 

system which is located on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees west 

longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. 

 The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter 

and for mission briefings will be available during the mission 
at Kennedy Space Center, FL; Marshall Space Flight Center, 

Huntsville, AL; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA; 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; and NASA Headquarters, 

Washington, DC. The television schedule will be updated to 

reflect changes dictated by mission operations. 

Status Reports 

 Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on-orbit 

activities and landing operations will be produced by the 

appropriate NASA newscenter. 

Briefings 

 A mission press briefing schedule will be issued before 

launch. During the mission, status briefings by a flight 

director or mission operations representative and when 

appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur 

at least once each day. The updated NASA television schedule 

will indicate when mission briefings are planned. 

Internet Information 

 Information on STS-83 is available through several sources 

on the Internet. The primary source for mission information is 

the NASA Shuttle Web, part of the World Wide Web. This site 

contains information on the crew and their mission and will be 

regularly updated with status reports, photos and video clips 

throughout the flight. The NASA Shuttle Web's address is: 

 http://shuttle.nasa.gov 

 If that address is busy or unavailable, Shuttle 

information is available through the Office of Space Flight 

Home Page: 

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

 General information on NASA and its programs is available 

through the NASA Home Page and the NASA Public Affairs Home 

Page: 

 http://www.nasa.gov 

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

 Information on other current NASA activities is available 

through the Today@NASA page: 

 http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html 

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

 http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/ntv.html 

 Status reports, TV schedules and other information also 
are available from the NASA Headquarters FTP (File Transfer 

Protocol) server, ftp.hq.nasa.gov. Log in as anonymous and go 

to 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: 

 * Pre-launch status reports (KSC): 

ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/ksc 

 * Mission status reports(JSC): 

ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc 

 * Daily TV schedules: 

ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/jsc/tvsked. 

 NASA Spacelink, a resource for educators, also provides 

mission information via the Internet. Spacelink may be accessed 

at the following address: 

 http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov 

Access by CompuServe 

 Users with CompuServe accounts can access NASA press 

releases by typing "GO NASA" (no quotes) and making a selection 

from the categories offered. 

 STS-84 QUICK LOOK 

Launch Date/Site: May 15, 1997/KSC Launch Pad 39-A 

Launch Time: 4:08 A.M. EST 

Launch Window: 7 minutes 

Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104), 19th flight 

Orbit Altitude/Inclination: 160 nautical miles, 51.6 

degrees 

 213 nautical miles at docking 

Mission Duration: 9 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes 

Landing Date: May 24, 1997 

Landing Time: 7:52 A.M. EDT 

Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida 

Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC 

 Transoceanic Abort Sites - Zaragoza, Spain 

 Ben Guerir, Morocco 

 Moron, Spain 

 Abort-Once Around - Kennedy Space Center 

Crew: Charlie Precourt, Commander (CDR), 

3rd flight 

 Eileen Collins, Pilot (PLT), 2nd 

flight 

 Jean-Francois Clervoy (ESA), Mission Specialist 

1, 2nd flight 

 Carlos Noriega, Mission Specialist 2, 

1st flight 

 Ed Lu, Mission Specialist 3, 1st 

flight 

 Elena Kondakova (RSA), Mission 

Specialist 4, 1st flight 
 Mike Foale, Mission Specialist 5, 4th 

flight, ascent-docking 

 Jerry Linenger, Mission Specialist 6, 

2nd flight, 

 docking-landing 

EVA Crewmembers: Jean-Francois Clervoy (EV 1), Ed Lu (EV 

2) 

(if needed, contingency) 

Cargo Bay Payloads: Orbiter Docking System 

 Spacehab-DM 

 European Proximity Sensor 

 

In-Cabin Payloads: SIMPLEX 

 MSX 

 CREAM 

 RMEÕs 

 CREW RESPONSIBILITIES 

Payloads Prime Backup 

Spacehab Systems Clervoy Kondakova 

Spacehab Science Clervoy Lu, 

Kondakova 

Orbiter Docking System Clervoy Others 

ESA Prox Ops Sensor Collins Noriega 

Russian Logistics Transfers Lu Clervoy 

Mir Structural Dynamics Tests Precourt Collins 

Mir Photographic Surveys Lu Collins 

SIMPLEX Collins Precourt 

 

MSX Precourt Collins 

Joint U.S.-Russian Science Kondakova, Foale Lu, 

Noriega 

EVA Clervoy (EV 1) Lu (EV 2) 

Intravehicular Crew Member Noriega ---- 

Earth Observations Collins Noriega 

Russian Language Kondakova Foale 

 Developmental Test Objectives 

 Detailed Supplementary Objectives 

 Risk Mitigation Experiments 
DTO 255: Wraparound DAP Flight Test Verification 

DTO 312: External Tank TPS Performance 

DTO 416: Water Spray Boiler Quick Restart Capability 

DTO 663: Acoustical Noise Dosimeter Data 

DTO 700-10 Orbiter Space Vision System Videotaping 

DTO 700-12 Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation 

System 

DTO 700-14: Single String Global Positioning System 

DTO 805: Crosswind Landing Performance 

DTO 1118: Photographic and Video Survey of Mir Space 

Station 

DSO 331: Integration of the Space Shuttle Launch and Entry 

Suit 

DSO 487: Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers 

DSO 802: Educational Activities 

RME 1302: Mir Electrical Characteristics 

RME 1303: Shuttle/Mir Experiment Kit Transport 

RME 1312: Realtime Radiation Monitor Device 

RME 1314: ESA Proximity Operations Sensor 

RME 1317: Mir Structual Dynamics Experiment 

RME 1318: Treadmill Vibration Isolation System B 

 PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS 

Vehicle/Payload Pounds 

Orbiter (Atlantis) empty and 3 SSMEÕs 152,178 

Shuttle System at SRB Ignition 4,512,109 

Orbiter Weight at Landing with Cargo 221,087 

Spacehab-DM 9,231 

Orbiter Docking System 4,016 

 STS-84 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY 

 (based on a May 15, 1997 launch) 

EVENT MET TIME OF DAY (EDT) 

Launch 0/00:00 4:08 AM, May 15 

Docking 1/18:30 10:38 PM, May 16 

Hatch Opening 1/20:20 12:28 AM, May 17 

Crew News Conference 6/02:00 5:08 AM, May 21 

Undocking 6/16:56 9:04 PM, May 21 

KSC Landing 9/03:44 7:52 AM, May 24 

(Mission Elapsed Time for all events will change for launch 

dates beyond May 15 because of rendezvous requirements for 

Atlantis to reach the Mir Space Station) 
 MISSION SUMMARY TIMELINE 

Flight Day One: 

Launch/Ascent 

OMS-2 Burn 

Payload Bay Door Opening 

Spacehab Activation 

Rendezvous Maneuvers 

Flight Day 2: 

Spacehab Experiment Operations 

Centerline Camera Mount 

Rendezvous Tool Checkout 

VHF Radio Setup and Checkout 

Rendezvous Maneuvers 

Water Bag Fills 

Flight Day 3: 

Rendezvous Maneuvers 

Mir Docking 

Hatch Opening/Welcoming Ceremony 

Soyuz Seatliner and Installation 

Crew Transfer 

Spacehab Experiment Operations 

Flight Day 4: 

Spacehab Experiment Operations 

Elektron Transfer 

Logistics Transfers 

Foale/Linenger Handover 

Flight Day 5: 

Logistics Transfers 

Spacehab Experiment Operations 

Mir Structual Dynamics Tests 

Foale/Linenger Handover 

Flight Day 6: 

Logistics Transfers 

Spacehab Experiment Operations 

Foale/Linenger Handover 

Flight Day 7: 

Mir Tour 

Final Logistics Transfers 

Final Foale/Linenger Handover 

Crew News Conference and Farewell Ceremony 

Hatch Closing 

Flight Day 8: 

Mir Undocking and Seperation 

Transfer Item Stowage 

Off-Duty Time 

Flight Day 9: 

Flight Control System Checkout 

Reaction Control System Hot-Fire 
Cabin Stowage 

Deorbit Preparation and Entry Review 

Flight Day 10: 

Spacehab Deactivation 

Recumbent Seat Setup 

Deorbit Preparation 

Deorbit Burn 

KSC Landing 

 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-84 include: 

* Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) -- Partial loss of main engine thrust 

late enough to permit reaching a minimal 105-nautical mile 

orbit with the orbital maneuvering system engines. 

* Abort-Once-Around (AOA) -- Earlier main engine shutdown with 

the capability to allow one orbit of the Earth before landing 

at the Kennedy Space Center, FL. 

* Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) -- Loss of one or more main 

engines midway through powered flight would force a landing at 

either Zaragoza or Moronin Spain or Ben Guerir in Morocco. 

* Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) -- Early shutdown of one or more 

engines, and without enough energy to reach a TAL site, would 

result in a pitch around and thrust back toward Kennedy until 

within gliding distance. 

 STS-84 MIR RENDEZVOUS, DOCKING & UNDOCKING 

 Atlantis' rendezvous and docking with the Russian Space 

Station Mir actually begins with the precisely timed launch of 

the shuttle on a course for the Mir, and, over the next two 

days, periodic small engine firings that will gradually bring 

Atlantis to a point eight nautical miles behind Mir on docking 

day, the starting point for a final approach to the station. 

Mir Rendezvous & Docking-- Flight Day 3 

 About two hours before the scheduled docking time on 

Flight Day Three of the mission, Atlantis will reach a point 

about eight nautical miles behind the Mir Space Station and 

conduct a Terminal Phase Initiation (TI) burn, beginning the 

final phase of the rendezvous. Atlantis will close the final 

eight nautical miles to Mir during the next orbit. As Atlantis 

approaches, the shuttle's rendezvous radar system will begin 

tracking Mir and providing range and closing rate information 

to Atlantis. Atlantis' crew also will begin air-to-air 

communications with the Mir crew using a VHF radio. 
 As Atlantis reaches close proximity to Mir, the Trajectory 

Control Sensor, a laser ranging device mounted in the payload 

bay, will supplement the shuttle's onboard navigation 

information by supplying additional data on the range and 

closing rate. As Atlantis closes in on the Mir, the shuttle 

will have the opportunity for four small successive engine 

firings to fine-tune its approach using its onboard navigation 

information. Identical to prior Mir dockings, Atlantis will aim 

for a point directly below Mir, along the Earth radius vector 

(R-Bar), an imaginary line drawn between the Mir center of 

gravity and the center of Earth. Approaching along the R-Bar, 

from directly underneath the Mir, allows natural forces to 

assist in braking Atlantis' approach. During this approach, the 

crew will begin using a hand-held laser ranging device to 

supplement distance and closing rate measurements made by other 

shuttle navigational equipment. 

 The manual phase of the rendezvous will begin just as 

Atlantis reaches a point about a half-mile below Mir. Commander 

Charlie Precourt will fly the shuttle using the aft flight deck 

controls as Atlantis begins moving up toward Mir. Because of 

the approach from underneath Mir, Precourt will have to perform 

very few braking firings. However, if such firings are 

required, the shuttle's jets will be used in a mode called 

"Low-Z," a technique that uses slightly offset jets on 

Atlantis' nose and tail to slow the spacecraft rather than 

firing jets pointed directly at Mir. This technique avoids 

contamination of the space station and its solar arrays by 

exhaust from the shuttle steering jets. 

 Using the centerline camera fixed in the center of 

Atlantis' docking mechanism, Precourt will center Atlantis' 

docking mechanism with the Docking Module mechanism on Mir, 

continually refining this alignment as he approaches within 300 

feet of the station. 

 At a distance of about 30 feet from docking, Precourt will 

stop Atlantis and stationkeep momentarily to adjust the docking 

mechanism alignment, if necessary. At that time, a final go or 

no- go decision to proceed with the docking will be made by 

flight control teams in both Houston and Moscow. 

 When Atlantis proceeds with docking, the shuttle crew will 

use ship-to-ship communications with Mir to inform the Mir crew 

of the shuttle's status and to keep them informed of major 

events, including confirmation of contact, capture and the 

conclusion of damping. Damping, the halt of any relative motion 

between the two spacecraft after docking, is performed by shock 

absorber-type springs within the docking device. Mission 

Specialist Jean-Francois Clervoy will oversee the operation of 

the Orbiter Docking System from onboard Atlantis. 

Undocking and Separation 

Once Atlantis is ready to undock from Mir, the initial 
separation will be performed by springs that will gently push 

the shuttle away from the docking module. Both the Mir and 

Atlantis will be in a mode called "free drift" during the 

undocking, a mode that has the steering jets of each spacecraft 

shut off to avoid any inadvertent firings. 

 Once the docking mechanism's springs have pushed Atlantis 

away to a distance of about two feet from Mir, where the 

docking devices will be clear of one another, Atlantis' 

steering jets will be turned back on and fired in the Low-Z 

mode to begin slowly moving away from Mir. 

 For the STS-84 mission, Atlantis will continue away from 

Mir until it reaches a distance of 3,000 feet below the Mir in 

order to test a European laser docking sensor. Unlike previous 

Shuttle-Mir flights, there will be no fly-around of the station 

for photo documentation. When Atlantis reaches the 3,000 foot 

distance, instead of firing jet thrusters to perform a 

separation maneuver, the Shuttle will depend on the natural 

forces of one spacecraft being in a lower orbit than another 

which will cause the Shuttle to move ahead of the Mir. 

Testing of new rendezvous and docking technology 

 New ESA-developed technology will be tested during the 

Shuttle's approach and departure from Mir. A GPS receiver and 

an optical rendezvous sensor on the Shuttle, together with 

equipment already installed on Mir, will be operated for the 

first time in space in an enactment of how ESA's unmanned 

Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will approach and depart the 

International Space Station when it delivers supplies to it 

early in the next century. 

 During the long-range approach to Mir (starting 3 hours 

before docking), ESAÕs European Proximity Operations Sensor GPS 

receivers on Atlantis and Mir will receive data from Navstar 

Global Positioning Satellites on the position of the other 

craft. The accuracy of that relative navigational data will 

later be compared with true data from the ShuttleÕs rendezvous 

radar. 

 When the Shuttle is at 170 feet from Mir, the short-range 

experiment will begin. Navigation will be handed over to the 

optical rendezvous sensor. Data will again later be compared to 

true figures, this time supplied by the NASA Trajectory Control 

System (TCS), a laser ranging device in the payload bay. 

 The experiments will be repeated during the departure. To 

allow that, the method that Atlantis will use to move away from 

Mir had to be changed. For the first time, the Shuttle will 

stay on the vertical, dropping to 1000 metres below Mir before 

resuming its traditional path. 

 This test is one in a series of three flight 

demonstrations. The GPS elements of the system were tested on 

STS-80 in November 1996 and a further full flight test will be 
on the seventh Shuttle-Mir docking mission in September. 

SHUTTLE-MIR SCIENCE 

 The NASA/Mir program is now into the Phase 1B portion, 

which consists of nine Shuttle-Mir dockings and seven longduration flights of U.S. astronauts aboard the Russian space 

station between early 1996 and late 1998. The U.S. astronauts 

will launch and land on a Shuttle and serve as a Mir crewmember 

for flight durations ranging from 127 to 187 days, while the 

Mir cosmonauts stay approximately 180 days and use their 

traditional Soyuz vehicle for launch and landing. This series 

of missions will expand U.S. research on Mir by providing 

resupply materials for experiments to be performed aboard Mir 

as well as returning experimental samples and data to Earth. 

 The Mir 23 mission began when the Cosmonaut crew launched 

on February 10, 1997, in a Soyuz vehicle and docked with the 

Mir two days later. Jerry Linenger joined the Mir 22 crew with 

the January 14, 1997 docking of Atlantis during Mission STS-81. 

The return of Atlantis on STS-84 will conclude some 

experiments, continue others and commence still others. Data 

gained from the mission will supply insight for the planning 

and development of the International Space Station, Earth-based 

sciences of human and biological processes, and the advancement 

of commercial technology. 

Science Overview 

 As scientists learn more about the effects of the space 

environment, they continue to develop questions from the fields 

of human life sciences, fundamental biology, biotechnology, 

material sciences, and spacecraft structural and environmental 

dynamics. Valuable scientific information regarding these 

subjects will be returned from the NASA/Mir Program disciplines 

of advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, 

human life sciences, International Space Station risk 

mitigation, microgravity sciences and space sciences. This 

knowledge will assist researchers in developing future space 

stations, science programs, procedures for those facilities, 

and advance the knowledge base of these areas to the benefit of 

all people on Earth. 

 The advanced technology discipline will evaluate new 

technologies and techniques using the Space Shuttle as a test 

bed. An increased understanding of fluid handling and control 

can lead to enhanced an technological base for implementation 

on the International Space Station and other future space 

vehicles. 

 Earth sciences research in ocean biochemistry, land 

surface hydrology, meteorology, and atmospheric physics and 

chemistry also will be performed. Observation and documentation 

of transient natural and human-induced changes will be 

accomplished with the use of passive microwave radiometers, a 

visible region spectrometer, a side-looking radar, and handheld photography. Residence in Earth orbit will allow for 
documentation of atmospheric conditions, ecological and 

unpredictable events, and seasonal changes over long time 

periods. 

 Fundamental biology research continues developmental 

investigations in the study of the effects of the space 

environment on the biological systems of plants. Prolonged 

exposure to microgravity provides an ideal opportunity to 

determine the role gravity has on plant cell regulation and how 

this affects development and growth. Other investigations under 

this discipline will study the effect of space flight on 

circadian rhythms in the black-bodied beetle and will 

characterize the internal radiation environment of the Mir 

space station. 

 Human life sciences research consists of investigations 

that focus on the crewmember's adaptation to weightlessness in 

terms of skeletal muscle and bone changes, neurosensory 

function, psychological interactions, and the role of sleep 

during space flight in the observed changes in circadian 

rhythmicity. vestibular function, and immune system function. 

In the Space Medicine Program, environmental factors such as 

water quality, air quality, surface assessment for microbes, 

and crew microbiology will be assessed. These ambitious 

investigations will continue the characterization of the 

integrated human responses to a prolonged presence in space. 

 The International Space Station risk mitigation discipline 

consists of several technology demonstrations associated with 

human factors and maintenance of crew health and safety aboard 

the space station. In order to improve the design and operation 

of the International Space Station, information is gathered to 

fully evaluate the Mir interior and exterior environments. This 

discipline includes investigations of radio interference, crew 

force impacts to structures, particle impact on the station, 

docked configuration stability, water microbiological 

monitoring and radiation monitoring. 

 Microgravity research will advance scientific 

understanding through research in biotechnology, fluid physics, 

and materials science. The ambient acceleration and vibration 

environment of Mir will be characterized to support future 

research programs. 

 Most of the Mir 24/NASA research will be conducted on the 

Mir; however, Shuttle-based experiments will be conducted in 

the middeck and SPACEHAB modules of STS-84. 

Fundamental Biology 

 The microgravity environment on a long duration mission 

provides an ideal opportunity to determine the role gravity 

plays in molecular mechanisms at a cellular level and in 

regulatory and sensory mechanisms. An experiment using mustard 

plants will study how this affects development and fundamental 

biological growth. An experiment with black-bodied beetles will 

measure how space flight factors change circadian rhythms. 
 Fundamental biology will also characterize the radiation 

of the Mir environment and determining how it may impact 

station-based science. 

Environmental Radiation Measurements 

 Exposure of crew, equipment, and experiments to the 

ambient space radiation environment in low Earth orbit poses 

one of the most significant problems to long term space 

habitation. As part of the collaborative NASA/Mir Science 

program, a series of measurements is being compiled of the 

ionizing radiation levels aboard Mir. During the mission, 

radiation will be measured in six separate locations throughout 

the Mir using a variety of passive radiation detectors. This 

experiment will continue on later missions, where measurements 

will be used to map the ionizing radiation environment of Mir. 

These measurements will yield detailed information on 

spacecraft shielding in the 51.6-degree-orbit of the Mir. 

Comparisons will be made with predictions from space 

environment and radiation transport models. 

Greenhouse-Integrated Plant Experiments 

 The microgravity environment of the Mir space station 

provides researchers an outstanding opportunity to study the 

effects of gravity on plants, specifically mustard plants. The 

greenhouse experiment determines the effects of space flight on 

plant growth, reproduction, metabolism, and production. By 

studying the chemical, biochemical, and structural changes in 

plant tissues, researchers hope to understand how processes 

such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, stomatal 

conductance, and water use are affected by the space station 

environment. This study is an important area of research, due 

to the fact that plants could eventually be a major contributor 

to life support systems for space flight. Plants produce oxygen 

and food, while eliminating carbon dioxide and excess humidity 

from the environment. These functions are vital for sustaining 

life in a closed environment such as the Mir or the 

International Space Station. 

 Mustard is planted and grown in the "Svet," a 

Russian/Slovakian developed plant growth facility, where 

photosynthesis, transpiration, and the physiological state of 

the plants are monitored. The plants are observed daily, and 

photographs and video images are taken. Samples are also 

collected at certain developmental stages, fixed or dried, and 

returned to Earth for analysis. 

Human Life Sciences Project 

 The task of safely keeping men and women in space for long 

durations, whether they are doing research in Earth orbit or 
exploring other planets in our solar system, requires continued 

improvement in our understanding of the effects of spacefight 

factors on the ways humans live and work. The Human Life 

Sciences (HLS) project has a set of investigations planned for 

the Mir 24/NASA 5 mission to determine how the body adapts to 

weightlessness and other space flight factors, including the 

psychological aspects of a confined environment and how they 

readapt to Earth's gravitational forces. The results of these 

investigations will guide the development of ways to minimize 

any negative effects so that crewmembers can remain healthy and 

efficient during long flights, as well as after their return to 

Earth. 

Protein Crystal Growth 

 Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiments will be conducted 

in three facilities - the Gaseous Nitrogen Dewar (GND) 

facility, the Diffusion-Controlled Crystallization Apparatus 

for Microgravity (DCAM) facility and the Second-Generation 

Vapor Diffusion Apparatus (VDA-2) facility. 

Diffusion-Controlled Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity 

 The Diffusion-Controlled Crystallization Apparatus for 

Microgravity (DCAM) is designed to grow protein crystals at 

slow, controlled rates in the microgravity environment of 

space. The crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis will retrieve 

protein samples which have been growing in the DCAM on the 

Russian Mir space station since January 1997, and replace them 

with new samples. Protein crystals are used in basic 

biological research, pharmacology and drug development. 

EarthÕs gravity affects the purity and structural integrity of 

crystals. The low-gravity environment in space allows for the 

growth of larger, purer crystals of greater structural 

integrity. Analyses of some protein crystals grown in space 

have revealed more about a proteinÕs molecular structure than 

crystals grown on Earth. DCAM -- a little larger than a 35 mm 

film can -- has produced promising crystals in a long stay 

abroad the Mir space station. 

 Crew members will remove 162 ÒgrowingÓ samples and replace 

them with 162 new samples. The DCAM passively controls the 

crystallization. 

 The new samples will remain aboard Mir until September 

1997, when they will be transported back to Earth on the STS-86 

Shuttle flight. 

 Dr. Daniel Carter, New Century Pharmaceuticals Inc., 

Huntsville, Ala. Is the principal investigator for the DCAM 

facility. 

Gaseous Nitrogen Dewar 

 Frozen protein samples will be transported to the Russian 

Mir space station in a Gaseous Nitrogen Dewar (GND) on STS-84, 
and the existing protein crystals on board Mir from the STS-81 

mission will be returned to Earth for laboratory analysis. 

 This investigation is expected to contribute to the 

understanding of why proteins grow differently in the 

microgravity environment of space. 

 The GND is a vacuum jacketed container with an absorbent 

inner liner saturated with liquid nitrogen. The approximately 

19 individual protein samples will remain frozen for 

approximately two weeks, until the liquid nitrogen has 

completely boiled off. This provides ample time to transport 

and transfer the Dewar to the Mir station. After the liquid 

nitrogen is completely discharged, the samples will thaw to 

ambient temperature and protein crystals will crystallize and 

grow over the four-month duration of the mission. 

 Dr. Alexander McPherson, University of California, 

Riverside is the principal investigator for the GND facility. 

Second-Generation Vapor Diffusion Apparatus (VDA-2) 

 The experiment will grow high-quality crystals of various 

proteins using the vapor diffusion method. In addition, the 

experiment is expected to foster protein crystal growth 

research. Investigators associated with this study are from 

several international universities and research institutes. 

 Production of high-quality crystals is critically 

important in drug design. Results of studies of enzyme crystal 

structures are used to design new drugs to treat chronic 

conditions and diseases. 

 The Vapor Diffusion Apparatus -- which has flown 

previously on 22 missions -- uses the ground-based ñhanging 

dropî method of growing protein crystals. The apparatus 

includes four trays -- each containing 20 experiment chambers. 

The 80 chambers contain approximately 15 different proteins in 

a variety of mixtures. 

 Before launch, protein and precipitant solutions are 

loaded into two barrels of triple-barreled syringes, with the 

third barrel used for mixing. Each syringe protrudes into an 

experiment chamber surrounded by a reservoir. 

 The four VDA-2 trays are installed in a Commercial 

Refrigerator/Incubator Module (CRIM) and are maintained at 72 

degrees Farenheit. At approximately 12 hours into the mission, 

the experiment is activated. The protein and precipitant 

solutions are mixed to form a droplet. Water diffuses from the 

hanging droplet through the vapor space into the more 

concentrated reservoir solution. As the protein droplet 

becomes more concentrated, protein crystals grow. Temperatures 

in the CRIM -- monitored and recorded during the flight -- are 

changed gradually over several days to cause the protein 
solution to form protein crystals. The change in CRIM 

temperature is transferred from the temperature-controlled 

plate through the cylinder lids to the protein solution. 

Protein crystal growth continues until about one day before 

landing, when the experiment is deactivated. 

 Dr. Larry DeLucas at the Center for Macromolecular 

Crystallography, University of Alabama at Birmingham is the 

principal investigator. The project is managed by the 

Biotechnology Office of the Microgravity Research Program 

Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. 

Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) 

 OPM is the first experiment capable of relaying data from 

in orbit which will measure the effect of the space environment 

on optical properties, such as those of mirrors used in 

telescopes, and structural elements, such as the coatings used 

on space hardware. OPM instruments will measure various optical 

properties of the, overall showing to what extent the samples 

deteriorate over the course of the experiment. 

 American astronaut Jerry Linenger and Mir 23 Commander 

Vasily Tsibliev performed a spacewalk on April 29 during which 

they attached the monitor to the outside of the space station. 

This marked the first experiment deployed jointly by the U.S. 

and Russia, setting the stage for how the astronauts and 

cosmonauts will work together on the International Space 

Station. 

 During its scheduled nine months on Mir, the experiment 

will measure the environment's effect on nearly 100 sample 

materials. The monitor will be the first externally powered 

experiment in space, using a power-data line to receive power 

from and transmit information to the Mir. The monitor will 

collect and store measurements to be transferred weekly to a 

Mir computer, then to scientists on Earth. 

 Information gathered will be used to improve designs of 

optical and structural elements of spacecraft, particularly the 

International Space Station. It will also be used to plan 

maintenance schedules for in-orbit satellites, based on 

measured rates of degradation. 

 OPM was developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center 

and AZ Technology of Huntsville, AL. It is scheduled to be 

retrieved from Mir in February 1998 during the STS-89 mission. 

The Principal Investigator is Donald Wilkes of AZ Technology in 

Huntsville, AL. 

 EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA) 

 Europe is playing a major part in the STS-84 mission - ESA 

astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy is onboard as a member of the 

STS-84 crew along with important ESA science facilities, 
experiments and technology equipment. 

ESA astronaut on board 

 Astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy is making his second 

spaceflight. His first was as a Mission Specialist in November 

1994 on STS-66, the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and 

Science-3 (ATLAS-3) mission. 

 He has a number of crucial tasks on STS-84, including 

flight engineer during lift-off, rendezvous and docking; 

payload commander; coordinating the transfer of the four tons 

of supplies between the two craft; and performing any 

contingency spacewalks needed. 

 Clervoy joined the ESA astronaut corps in 1992. Before 

that, in 1991 and as a French astronaut, he trained in Star 

City, Russia, on the Mir and Soyuz systems. He is fluent in 

Russian. 

Biorack experiments 

The Spacehab houses ESA's Biorack and the MOMO experiment. 

Biorack - the main science payload on board - is one of 

Europe's most successful and versatile space facilities. This 

large multi-purpose unit provides temperature-controlled 

environments, centrifuges for simulating gravity and a 

protected workspace for specimen handling, all integrated into 

a single rack. Now on its sixth flight, it is carrying a total 

of 10 experiments from France, Germany and the United States. 

The cytoskeleton of the lentil root statocyte 

Dominique Driss-Ecole, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, 

France 

 If fresh food is to be grown on future space stations and 

long missions it is important to know how microgravity affects 

plant growth, particularly the development of starch which 

influences food value. This experiment - flying for the sixth 

time on Biorack - will use time-lapse photography to build on 

results from previous studies that have shown plants containing 

starch-producing amyloplasts behave differently in 

microgravity. Lentil seedlings will be grown in microgravity 

for 27 hours and then slightly fixed to allow analysis. 

Photography will follow the oscillations of the root tips and 

allow studies to be made of the root structure. 

Morphology and physiology of Loxodes after cultivation in space 

Ruth Hemmersbach, DLR-Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, 

Germany 

 Several generations of the single-celled organism Loxodes 

striatus will be grown to study the effect of microgravity on 

the health, shape, size and number of cells, and amounts of 

DNA. Complementary ground-based studies will also be carried 

out. This experiment will contribute to our understanding of 
bone decalcification under space conditions. 

The effect of microgravity on normal vestibulo-ocular reflex 

development 

Eberhard R. Horn, University of Ulm, Germany 

 To enhance understanding of vestibular/ocular development 

in all vertebrates, the experiment will compare the growth of 

four groups of tadpoles and two groups of fish embryos exposed 

to various periods of microgravity. 

Repair of radiation damage under microgravity 

Jurgen Kiefer, University of Giessen, Germany 

 A repair-deficient mutant of the yeast Saccharomyces 

cerevisiae (which cannot repair radiation damage at certain 

temperatures) will be irradiated in-flight for several days to 

determine the ability of cells to repair radiation damage in 

microgravity. Ground controls and experiments on a 1g 

centrifuge in space will allow a well-defined assessment of 

cellular repair capability. 

Dosimetric mapping inside Biorack 

Gunther Reitz, DLR-Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, 

Germany 

 When cell-damaging ionising radiation passes through 

spacecraft shielding, it yields secondary products such as 

neutrons and fragments of nuclear disintegrations. This 

experiment uses passive and active detectors to improve 

knowledge of the radiation environment inside a spacecraft. 

Lymphocyte and monocyte intra-cellular signal transduction in 

microgravity 

Didier A. Schmitt, Blood Transfusion Centre, Strasbourg, France 

 This experiment will determine the effect of microgravity 

on the distribution of the Protein Kinase C enzyme between 

different parts of white blood cells, which play an important 

role in the immune system. 

Microgravity effects on bone cell gene expression 

Millie Hughes-Fulford, University of California, San Francisco, 

USA 

 During the flight, bone-forming cell cultures 

(osteoblasts) will be activated and fixed while exposed to 

different levels of gravity. Subsequent analysis will look at 

how microgravity affects bone loss, an important factor for 

astronauts spending long periods in orbit. 

Microgravity and signal transduction pathways in sea urchin 

sperm 

Joseph S. Tash, Univ. of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, USA 

 A series of related experiments that will expand previous 

knowledge on how gravity affects sperm function and motility. 
Graviperception in starch-deficient plants 

John Z. Kiss, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA 

 Using starch-deficient mutants, this experiment is 

expected to clear up the role of starch grains in plants roots 

by confirming a correlation between gravity-induced root 

curvature and starch content. In previous studies, the 

strongest gravity-induced root curvature has been from plants 

with the highest starch content. 

Effect of microgravity on lymphocyte activation: cell-cell 

interaction and signalling 

Clarence F. Sams, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA 

 Weightlessness may interfere with activation of white 

blood cells and this study will help determine parameters under 

which microgravity alters this. Understanding the effects of 

gravity at cellular level will support immunology studies, 

cancer research and cellular biology. 

MOMO experiment 

 The MOMO experiment (Morphological Transition and Model 

Substances) will investigate solidification, one of the most 

fundamental processes in the industrial production of 

materials. 

 On Earth, solidification is affected by gravity, causing a 

buoyancy-driven convective flow in molten material. In space, 

gravity-driven convection is effectively eliminated, providing 

the opportunity to look at its effect on interface morphology. 

 One area of key interest is the surface shape and 

structure of growing solid material. In this experiment, housed 

in a Spacehab Self-standing Drawer, the transparent liquid 

alloy Succinonitril-acetone, whose solidification behaviour is 

similar to that of metals, will be used to allow in-situ 

optical observation of crystal growth. Some 1000 images of the 

solidification process will be recorded for later comparison 

with similar experiments performed on the ground. 

 STS-84 CREW BIOGRAPHIES 

CHARLES J. PRECOURT (Colonel, USAF) 

STS-84 Commander 

PERSONAL DATA - Born June 29, 1955, in Waltham, Massachusetts, 

but considers Hudson, Massachusetts, to be his hometown. 

Married to the former Lynne Denise Mungle of St. Charles, 

Missouri. They have three daughters. He enjoys golf and flying 

light aircraft. He flies a Varieze, an experimental aircraft 

that he built. His parents, Charles and Helen Precourt, reside 

in Hudson. Her parents, Loyd and Jerry Mungle, reside in 

Streetman, Texas. 
EDUCATION - Graduated from Hudson High School, Hudson, 

Massachusetts, in 1973; received a bachelor of science degree 

in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force 

Academy in 1977, a master of science degree in engineering 

management from Golden Gate University in 1988, and a master of 

arts degree in national security affairs and strategic studies 

from the United States Naval War College in 1990. While at the 

United States Air Force Academy, Precourt also attended the 

French Air Force Academy in 1976 as part of an exchange 

program. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Member of the Association of Space Explorers, 

the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the Soaring 

Society of America, and the Experimental Aircraft Association. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal 

(2), and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (2). Precourt 

is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force 

Academy and the United States Naval War College. In 1978 he was 

the Air Training Command Trophy Winner as the outstanding 

graduate of his pilot training class. In 1989 he was recipient 

of the David B. Barnes Award as the Outstanding Instructor 

Pilot at the United States Air ForceTest Pilot School. 

EXPERIENCE - Precourt graduated from Undergraduate Pilot 

Training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in 1978. Initially he 

flew as an instructor pilot in the T-37, and later as a 

maintenance test pilot in the T-37 and T-38 aircraft. From 1982 

through 1984, he flew an operational tour in the F-15 Eagle at 

Bitburg Air Base in Germany. In 1985 he attended the United 

States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in 

California. Upon graduation, Precourt was assigned as a test 

pilot at Edwards, where he flew the F-15E, F-4, A-7, and A-37 

aircraft until mid 1989, when he began studies at the United 

States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon 

graduation from the War College, Precourt joined the astronaut 

program. His flight experience includes over 5,500 hours in 

over 50 types of civil and military aircraft. He holds 

commercial pilot, multi-engine instrument, glider and certified 

flight instructor ratings. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected by NASA in January 1990, Precourt 

became an astronaut in July 1991. His technical assignments to 

date have included: Manager of ascent, entry, and launch abort 

issues for the Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch; 

spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM), providing the voice link from 

the Mission Control Center during launch and entry for several 

Space Shuttle missions; Director of Operations for NASA at the 

Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, from 

October 1995 to April 1996, with responsibility for the 

coordination and implementation of mission operations 

activities in the Moscow region for the joint U.S./Russian 

Shuttle/Mir program. A veteran of two space flights, STS-55 in 

1993 and STS-71 in 1995, Precourt has logged over 475 hours in 

space. 
Precourt flew his first space mission as a mission specialist 

aboard Columbia on STS-55, which launched from Kennedy Space 

Center, Florida, on April 26, 1993. Nearly 90 experiments were 

conducted during this German-sponsored Spacelab D-2 mission to 

investigate life sciences, materials sciences, physics, 

robotics, astronomy and the Earth and its atmosphere. STS-55 

also flew the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) making 

contact with students in 14 schools around the world. After 160 

orbits of the earth in 240 flight hours, the 10-day mission 

concluded with a landing on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force 

Base, California, on May 6, 1993. 

Most recently, (June 27 to July 7, 1995), Precourt was the 

pilot on the seven-member crew (up) and eight-member crew 

(down) of Space Shuttle mission STS-71. This was the first 

Space Shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Space Station 

Mir, and involved an exchange of crews. The Atlantis Space 

Shuttle was modified to carry a docking system compatible with 

the Russian Mir Space Station. It also carried a Spacelab 

module in the payload bay in which the crew performed various 

life sciences experiments and data collections. Mission 

duration was 235 hours, 23 minutes. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT - Precourt will command STS-84, NASA's sixth 

Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space 

Station Mir. Launch is scheduled for May 1997. 

EILEEN MARIE COLLINS (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF) 

STS-84 Pilot 

PERSONAL DATA - Born November 19, 1956, in Elmira, New York. 

Married to Pat Youngs, originally from San Antonio, Texas. They 

have one child. She enjoys running, golf, hiking, camping, 

reading, photography, astronomy. Her parents, James and Rose 

Marie Collins, reside in Elmira, New York. His parents, Pat and 

Jackie Youngs, reside in San Antonio. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Elmira Free Academy, Elmira, New 

York, in 1974; received an associate in science degree in 

mathematics/science from Corning Community College in 1976; a 

bachelor of arts degree in mathematics and economics from 

Syracuse University in 1978; a master of science degree in 

operations research from Stanford University in 1986; and a 

master of arts degree in space systems management from Webster 

University in 1989. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Member of the Air Force Association, Order of 

Daedalians, Women Military Aviators, U.S. Space Foundation, the 

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the 

Ninety-Nines. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, 

the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf 

cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf 

cluster, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in 

Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury, October 1983), and the NASA 
Space Flight Medal. 

EXPERIENCE - Collins graduated in 1979 from Air Force 

Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, where she 

was a T-38 instructor pilot until 1982. From 1983 to 1985, she 

was a C-141 aircraft commander and instructor pilot at Travis 

AFB, California. She spent the following year as a student with 

the Air Force Institute of Technology. From 1986 to 1989, she 

was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, where 

she was an assistant professor in mathematics and a T-41 

instructor pilot. She was selected for the astronaut program 

while attending the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, 

California, from which she graduated in 1990. 

She has logged over 4,700 hours in 30 different types of 

aircraft. 

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Collins became an astronaut 

in July 1991. Initially assigned to Orbiter engineering 

support, she also served on the astronaut support team 

responsible for Orbiter prelaunch checkout, final launch 

configuration, crew ingress/egress, and landing/recovery. From 

April 1995 to October 1996, she worked in Mission Control as a 

spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM). Currently, she is training 

for STS-84, the sixth Space Shuttle docking mission with the 

Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled for May 1997. 

In February 1995, Collins served as pilot on STS-63, the first 

flight of the new joint Russian-American Space Program. Mission 

highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian Space 

Station, Mir, operation of Spacehab, the deployment and 

retrieval of an astronomy satellite, and a spacewalk. Collins' 

first mission was accomplished in 129 orbits, traveling over 

2.9 million miles in 198 hours, 29 minutes. She was the first 

woman pilot of a Space Shuttle 

C. MICHAELl FOALE (Ph.D.) 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 

PERSONAL DATA - Born January 6, 1957, in Louth, England, but 

considers Cambridge, England, to be his hometown. Married to 

the former Rhonda R. Butler of Louisville, Kentucky. They have 

two children. He enjoys many outdoor activities, particularly 

wind surfing. Private flying, soaring, and project scuba diving 

have been his other major sporting interests. He also enjoys 

exploring theoretical physics and writing children's software 

on a personal computer. His parents, Colin and Mary Foale, 

reside in Cambridge, England. Her parents, Reed & Dorothy 

Butler, reside in Louisville, Kentucky. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Kings School, Canterbury, in 1975. 

He attended the University of Cambridge, Queens' College, 

receiving a bachelor of arts degree in Physics, National 

Sciences Tripos, with 1st class honors, in 1978. While at 

Queens' College, he completed his doctorate in Laboratory 

Astrophysics at Cambridge University in 1982. 
ORGANIZATIONS - Member of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 

England, and Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association. 

EXPERIENCE - While a postgraduate at Cambridge University, 

Foale participated in the organization and execution of 

scientific scuba diving projects. With the cooperation of the 

Greek government, he participated as both a member of one 

expedition and the leader of another, surveying underwater 

antiquities in Greece. In the fall of 1981, he dove on the 1543 

ocean galleon, "The Mary Rose," as a volunteer diver, learning 

excavation and survey techniques in very low visibility 

conditions. Pursuing a career in the U.S. Space Program, Foale 

moved to Houston, Texas, to work on Space Shuttle navigation 

problems at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation. In June 

1983, Foale joined NASA Johnson Space Center in the payload 

operations area of the Mission Operations Directorate. In his 

capacity as payload officer in the Mission Control Center, he 

was responsible for payload operations on Space Shuttle 

missions STS-51G, 51-I, 61-B and 61-C. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 

June 1987, Foale completed a one-year training and evaluation 

program in August 1988. Before his first flight he flew the 

Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) simulator to 

provide verification and testing of the Shuttle flight 

software, and later developed crew rescue and integrated 

operations for International Space Station Alpha. He has served 

as Deputy Chief of the Mission Development Branch in the 

Astronaut Office, and Head of the Astronaut Office Science 

Support Group. He is presently training at the Cosmonaut 

Training Center, Star City, Russia, in preparation for a long 

duration flight on the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is 

scheduled on STS-84 in May 1997. A veteran of three space 

flights, he has logged more than 634 hours in space. He flew as 

a mission specialist on STS-45 (March 24 to April 2, 1992) the 

first of the ATLAS series of missions to address the atmosphere 

and its interaction with the Sun, and again as a mission 

specialist on STS-56, carrying ATLAS-2, and the SPARTAN 

retrievable satellite which made observations of the solar 

corona. 

Most recently, he served as a mission specialist on STS-63 

(February 2-11, 1995), the first rendezvous with the Russian 

Space Station, Mir. During the flight he made a space walk 

(extravehicular activity) for 4 hours, 39 minutes, evaluating 

the effects of extremely cold conditions on his spacesuit, as 

well as moving the 2800-pound Spartan satellite as part of a 

mass handling experiment. 

CARLOS I. NORIEGA (Major, USMC) 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 

PERSONAL DATA - Born October 8, 1959, in Lima, Peru. Considers 

Santa Clara, California, to be his hometown. Married to the 

former Wendy L. Thatcher. They have five children. He enjoys 
flying, running, snow skiing, racquetball, and chasing after 

his small children. His parents, Rodolfo and Nora Noriega, 

reside in Gilbert, Arizona. Her parents, John and Elizabeth 

Thatcher, reside in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Wilcox High School, Santa Clara, 

California, in 1977. Bachelor of science degree in computer 

science from University of Southern California, 1981. Master of 

science degree in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate 

School, 1990. Master of science degree in space systems 

operations from the Naval Postgraduate School, 1990. 

ORGANIZATIONS - American Institute of Aeronautics and 

Astronautics. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal 

with Combat Distinguishing Device, Air Medal (Strike Flight 

Award), Navy Achievement Medal. 

EXPERIENCE - Noriega was a member of the Navy ROTC unit and 

received his commission in the United States Marine Corps at 

the University of Southern California in 1981. Following 

graduation from flight school, he flew CH-46 Sea Knight 

helicopters with HMM-165 from 1983 to 1985 at Marine Corps Air 

Station (MCAS) Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Noriega made two 6-month 

shipboard deployments in the West Pacific/Indian Ocean 

including operations in support of the Multi-National 

Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed his tour in 

Hawaii as the Base Operations Officer for Marine Air Base 

Squadron 24. In 1986 he was transferred to MCAS Tustin, 

California, where he served as the aviation safety officer and 

instructor pilot with HMT-301. In 1988, Noriega was selected to 

attend the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, 

where he earned two master of science degrees. Upon graduation 

in September 1990, he was assigned to United States Space 

Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to serving 

as a Space Surveillance Center Commander, he was responsible 

for the acquisition of several software development projects 

and was ultimately the command representative for the 

development and integration of the major space and missile 

warning computer system upgrades for Cheyenne Mountain Air 

Force Base. At the time of his selection, he was serving on the 

staff of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan. 

He has logged approximately 2,000 flight hours in various fixed 

wing and rotary wing aircraft. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected by NASA in December 1994, Noriega 

reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995, has 

completed a year of training and evaluation, and is currently 

qualified for assignment as a mission specialist. He was 

initially assigned to work technical issues for the Astronaut 

Office EVA/Robotics Branch while awaiting his first flight 

assignment. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT - Noriega will serve as a mission specialist 

on STS-84, NASA's sixth Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock 
with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled for May 

1997. 

EDWARD TSANG LU (Ph.D.) 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 

PERSONAL DATA - Born July 1, 1963, in Springfield, 

Massachusetts. Considers Honolulu, Hawaii, and Webster, New 

York, to be his hometowns. Unmarried. He enjoys aerobatic 

flying, coaching wrestling, piano, tennis, surfing, skiing, 

travel. His parents, Charlie and Snowlily Lu, reside in 

Fremont, California. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from R.L. Thomas High School, Webster, 

New York, in 1980. Bachelor of science degree in electrical 

engineering from Cornell University, 1984. Doctorate in applied 

physics from Stanford University, 1989. 

ORGANIZATIONS - American Astronomical Society, Aircraft Owners 

and Pilots Association. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Cornell University Presidential Scholar, 

Hughes Aircraft Company Masters Fellow. 

EXPERIENCE - Since obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. Lu has been a 

research physicist working in the fields of solar physics and 

astrophysics. He was a visiting scientist at the High Altitude 

Observatory in Boulder, Colorado, from 1989 until 1992, the 

final year holding a joint appointment with the Joint Institute 

for Laboratory Astrophysics at the University of Colorado. From 

1992 until 1995, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute 

for Astronomy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Lu has developed a 

number of new theoretical advances which have provided for the 

first time a basic understanding of the underlying physics of 

solar flares. He has published articles on a wide range of 

topics including solar flares, cosmology, solar oscillations, 

statistical mechanics, and plasma physics. He has given over 20 

invited lectures at various universities and international 

conferences. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with 

instrument and multi-engine ratings. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Selected by NASA in December 1994, Dr. Lu 

reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995, has 

completed a year of training and evaluation, and is qualified 

for assignment as a mission specialist. He was initially 

assigned to work technical issues in the Computer Support 

Branch of the Astronaut Office. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT - Dr. Lu will serve as a mission specialist 

on STS-84, NASA's sixth Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock 

with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled for May 

1997. 

JEAN-FRANCOIS CLERVOY 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 
PERSONAL DATA - Born November 19, 1958, in Longeville-les-Metz, 

France, but considers Toulouse, France, to be his hometown. 

Married to the former Laurence Boulanger. They have two 

children. He enjoys racquet sports, skill games, canyoning, 

skiing, and flying activities such as boomerang, frisbee, 

kites. His father, Jean Clervoy (French Air Force, Ret.), and 

his mother, Mireille Clervoy, reside in Franconville, France. 

Her parents, Robert and Juliette Boulanger, reside in Le 

Perreux-sur-Marne, France. 

EDUCATION - Received his baccalaurat from Collge Militaire de 

Saint Cyr l' Ecole in 1976; passed Math. Sup. and Math. Sp. M' 

at Prytane Militaire, La Flche in 1978. Graduated from Ecole 

Polytechnique, Paris, in 1981; graduated from Ecole Nationale 

Suprieure de l' Aronautique et de l' Espace, Toulouse, in 

1983; graduated as a Flight Test Engineer from Ecole du 

Personnel Navigant d' Essais et de Rception, Istres, in 1987. 

ORGANIZATIONS - Member, Association of Space Explorers. 

Honorary member of the French Aeronautics and Astronautics 

Association. 

SPECIAL HONORS - NASA Space Flight Medal. Chevalier de l' Ordre 

National du Mrite. Chevalier de l' Ordre National de la Lgion 

d' Honneur. Komarov Diploma. 

EXPERIENCE - Clervoy was seconded from the Dlgation Gnrale 

pour L' Armement (DGA) to CNES (French Space Agency) in 1983, 

where he worked on automatics and attitude control systems for 

several satellite projects. He was selected in the second group 

of French astronauts in 1985. Subsequently he participated in 

an intensive Russian language course. 

After graduating as a flight test engineer in 1987, he spent 

the next five years part-time at the Flight Test Center, 

Brtigny-sur-Orge, as Chief Test Director of the Parabolic 

Flight Program, responsible for testing and qualifying the 

Caravelle aircraft for microgravity, and part-time at the 

Hermes Crew Office, Toulouse, where he supported the European 

Manned Space Programs in the fields of extravehicular activity, 

rendezvous and docking, robotic arm, and man machine interface. 

In 1991, he trained in Star City, Moscow, on the Soyuz and Mir 

systems. In 1992, he was selected to join the astronaut corps 

of the European Space Agency (ESA). He holds military and 

civilian parachuting licenses, military and civilian diving 

licenses, and private pilot license. From 1983 to 1987, Clervoy 

was also a lecturer in signal processing and general mechanics 

at the Ecole Nationale Suprieure de l'Aronautique et de l' 

Espace, Toulouse. Jean-Franois holds a commission as Ingnieur 

en Chef de l' Armement in the DGA. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Clervoy reported to the Johnson Space Center 

in August 1992. Following one year of training he qualified as 

a mission specialist for Space Shuttle flights. Clervoy was 

initially assigned to work robotics issues for the Astronaut 

Office Mission Development Branch. 
After his first space mission he was assigned as flight 

software verification lead in the Shuttle Avionics Integration 

Laboratory (SAIL) for the Astronaut Office Mission Support 

Branch, and was responsible for designing the robotics displays 

for the Space Station Branch. 

Clervoy served as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle 

Atlantis on the STS-66 Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications 

and Science-3 mission (November 3-14, 1994). ATLAS-3 was part 

of an ongoing program to determine the Earth's energy balance 

and atmospheric change over an 11-year solar cycle. Clervoy 

used the robotic arm to deploy the CRISTA-SPAS atmospheric 

research satellite 20 hours after lift-off. Clervoy logged 262 

hours and 34 minutes in space and 175 orbits of the Earth. 

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT - Clervoy will serve as a Payload Commander 

on STS-84, NASA's sixth scheduled Shuttle mission to rendezvous 

and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is 

scheduled for May 1997. 

ELENA V. KONDAKOVA 

RSA Cosmonaut 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 

PERSONAL DATA - Born March 30, 1957, in Mitischi, Moscow 

Region. Married to Ryumin Valerii V., born 1939 in 

Komsomolskna-Amure, Kharbarovsk Region, Russia. They have one 

child. Kondakova enjoys the theater, river fishing, reading, 

traveling. Her parents, Kondakov Vladimir A. and Kondakova 

(Morozova) Klavdiya S. reside in Kaliningrad, Moscow Region. 

His parents, Ryumin Viktor N. and Ryumina (Podporina) Alexandra 

F., are deceased. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from Moscow Bauman High Technical College 

in 1980. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Hero of Russia. 

EXPERIENCE - Upon graduation, in 1980, Kondakova started to 

work in RSC-Energia completing science projects, experiments 

and research work. Then in 1989 she was selected as a cosmonaut 

candidate by RSC-Energia Main Design Bureau and sent to Gagarin 

Cosmonaut Training Center to start the course of general space 

training. After finishing the course in March, 1990, Kondakova 

was qualified as "test cosmonaut". From January through June of 

1994, she was under training for the 17th main mission and 

"Euromir-94" flight as a flight engineer of the prime crew. 

October 4, 1994 through March 9, 1995, she fulfilled her first 

flight onboard the spacecraft "Soyuz TM-17" and the orbital 

complex "Mir" as a flight engineer of the 17th main mission. 

She has spent 169 days in space, including 5 days with NASA 

Astronaut Norman Thagard. The program included a month long 

joint flight with German Astronaut Ulf Merbold. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Elena Kondakova will serve as a mission 
specialist on STS-84, NASA's sixth scheduled Shuttle mission to 

rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch 

is scheduled for May 1997. 

JERRY M. LINENGER, M.D., (Captain, Medical Corps, USN) 

Mir 22 & 23 Flight Engineer-2 

STS-84 Mission Specialist 

PERSONAL DATA - Born January 16, 1955, and raised in 

Eastpointe, Michigan. Married to the former Kathryn M. Bartmann 

of Arlington Heights, Illinois. They have one son. He enjoys 

competitive triathalons, ocean swim racing, marathons, downhill 

and cross-country skiing, scuba diving, backpacking, camping. 

Siblings include Kenneth Linenger, Susan Barry, Karen 

Brandenburg, and Barbara Vallone, all residing in Michigan. His 

mother, Frances J. Linenger, resides in Eastpointe, Michigan. 

His father, Donald W. Linenger, is deceased. 

EDUCATION - Graduated from East Detroit High School, 

Eastpointe, Michigan, in 1973; received a bachelor of science 

degree in bioscience from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977; a 

doctorate in medicine from Wayne State University in 1981; a 

master of science degree in systems management from University 

of Southern California in 1988; a master of public health 

degree in health policy from the University of North Carolina 

in 1989; a doctor of philosophy degree in epidemiology from the 

University of North Carolina in 1989. 

ORGANIZATIONS - The U.S. Naval Academy, University of Southern 

California, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and 

University of North Carolina Alumni Associations; the 

Association of Naval Aviation; the U. S. Navy Flight Surgeons 

Association; the Aerospace Medicine Association; the American 

Medical Association; the American College of Preventive 

Medicine; the Society of U.S. Navy Preventive Medicine 

Officers; and the American College of Sports Medicine. Linenger 

is board certified in preventive medicine. 

SPECIAL HONORS - Awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation; 

Navy Unit Commendation; National Defense Service Medal; Navy 

Battle Efficiency Award; Navy Commendation Medal with gold 

star; and NASA Space Flight Medal. Top graduate, Naval Flight 

Surgeon Training and Naval Safety Officer's School. Elected to 

Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Omega Alpha academic honor societies. 

Distinguished Alumni Award, Wayne State University School of 

Medicine. 

EXPERIENCE - Linenger graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and 

proceeded directly to medical school. After completing surgical 

internship training at Balboa Naval Hospital, San Diego, 

California, and aerospace medicine training at the Naval 

Aerospace Medical Institute, Pensacola, Florida, he served as a 

naval flight surgeon at Cubi Point, Republic of the 

Philippines. He was then assigned as medical advisor to the 

Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. 

After completing doctorate-level training in epidemiology, 
Linenger returned to San Diego as a research principal 

investigator at the Naval Health Research Center. He 

concurrently served as a faculty member at the University of 

California-San Diego School of Medicine in the Division of 

Sports Medicine. 

NASA EXPERIENCE - Linenger joined astronaut selection Group XIV 

at the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. Linenger flew on 

STS-64 (September 9-20, 1994) aboard the Space Shuttle 

Discovery. Mission highlights included: first use of lasers for 

environmental research; deployment and retrieval of a solar 

science satellite; robotic processing of semiconductors; use of 

an RMS-attached boom for jet thruster research; first 

untethered spacewalk in 10 years to test a self-rescue jetpack. 

In completing his first mission, Linenger has logged 10 days, 

22 hours, 51 minutes in space, completed 177 orbits, and 

traveled over 4.5 million miles. He trained at the Cosmonaut 

Training Center in Star City, Russia, in preparation for a 5 

month stay in space aboard the Russian Space Station Mir. He 

launched aboard STS-81 on January 12, 1997 and will return 

aboard STS-84 in May 1997. 

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