STS-65 PRESS KIT IML-2 JULY 1994 PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS For Information on the Space Shuttle Ed Campion Policy/Management 202/358-1778 Headquarters, Wash., D.C. James Hartsfield Mission Operations 713/483-5111 Johnson Space Center, Astronauts Houston Bruce Buckingham Launch Processing 407/867-2468 Kennedy Space Center, Fl KSC Landing Information June Malone External Tank/SRBs/SSMEs 205/544-0034 Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Don Haley DFRC Landing Information 805/258-3448 Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. For Information on NASA-Sponsored STS-65 Experiments Mike Braukus IML-2 Payloads 202/358-1979 Headquarters, Wash., D.C. Debra Rahn International Cooperation 202/358-1639 Headquarters, Wash., D.C. Charles Redmond CPCG 202/358-1757 Headquarters, Wash., D.C. Terri Sindelar SAREX-II 202/358-1977 Headquarters, Wash., D.C. For Information on DOD-Sponsored STS-65 Experiments Dave Hess AMOS, MAST 713/483-3498 Johnson Space Center, Houston CONTENTS GENERAL BACKGROUND General Release 3 Media Services Information 5 Quick-Look Facts 6 Shuttle Abort Modes 8 Summary Timeline 9 Payload and Vehicle Weights 10 Orbital Events Summary 10 Crew Responsibilities 11 CARGO BAY PAYLOADS & ACTIVITIES International Microgravity Laboratory-2 (IML-2) 13 Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) 95 IN-CABIN PAYLOADS Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) 96 Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) 97 Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST) 97 Shuttle Amatuer Radio EXperiment. 98 STS-65 CREW BIOGRAPHIES Robert D. Cabana (Commander) 100 James Donald Halsell (Pilot) 100 Richard J. Hieb (Mission Specialist-1) 101 Carl E. Walz (Mission Specialist-2) 101 Leroy Chiao (Mission Specialist-3) 101 Donald A. Thomas (Mission Specialist-4) 102 Chiaki Naito-Mukai (Payload Specialist-1) 102 SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM INFORMATION Statistical Study of Space Shuttle Productivity 104 IML-2 Module Rack 106 Previous Space Shuttle Missions 107 Release: 94-96 INTERNATIONAL MICROGRAVITY LABORATORY MAKES SECOND FLIGHT Shuttle Mission STS-65 will see Space Shuttle Columbia and her seven-person crew conduct the second flight of the International Microgravity Laboratory-2 (IML-2), a payload that involves a world-wide research effort into the behavior of materials and life in the weightless environment of Earth- orbit. The STS-65 crew will use furnaces and other facilities to produce a variety of material structures, from crystals to metal alloys. From the experiments conducted, scientists will be able to examine subtle forces which affect material development in microgravity. Investigators also will be able to study fluid processes that are masked or distorted on Earth. This knowledge may help us develop the next generation of materials needed for high-tech applications and lead to refinement of materials such as semiconductors, superconductors, and exotic ceramics and glasses. The life science experiments conducted during IML-2 will help reveal the role of gravity in shaping life as we know it and show us how living organisms react and adapt to microgravity. The reduced gravity encountered in space allows certain characteristics of cells and organisms to be studied using innovative laboratory hardware and techniques. Insights scientists gain about life in space can increase knowledge of the factors which govern life and health on Earth. Scientists from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the French Space Agency (CNES), the German Space Agency (DARA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) have cooperated in planning experiments which will be performed during the STS-65 mission. More than 200 scientists developed over 80 investigations for the IML-2 mission. Leading the STS-65 crew will be Mission Commander Robert D. Cabana who will be making his third flight. Pilot for the mission is James Donald Halsell, Jr. who is making his first flight. The four mission specialists aboard Columbia are Richard J. Hieb, the STS-65 Payload Commander, who will be making his third flight; Carl E. Walz who will be making his second flight; Leroy Chiao, who will be making his first flight; and Donald A. Thomas who will be making his first flight. Chiaki Naito-Mukai from the National Space Development Agency of Japan will serve as a payload specialist for the STS- 65 mission and will be making her first flight. -more- -2- Launch of Columbia currently is scheduled for no earlier than July 8, 1994, at 1:11 p.m. EDT. The planned mission duration is 13 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes. An on-time launch on July 8 would produce a landing at 7:07 a.m. EDT on July 22, 1994, at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The Commercial Protein Crystal Growth payload, sponsored by the Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology (OACT), will be making its fifth flight on STS-65, using the Commercial Refrigerator/Incubator Module (CRIM) in the Shuttle middeck. This complement of experiments contains 60 different samples focusing on six proteins in various formulations to enhance the probabilities for successful results. Two Department of Defense-sponsored experiments will be flown during the STS-65 mission. The Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS) is an electrical-optical facility on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The AMOS facility tracks the orbiter as it flies over the area and records signatures from thruster firings, water dumps or the phenomena of "shuttle glow." The information obtained by AMOS is used to calibrate the infrared and optical sensors at the facility. The Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST) experiment on STS-65 is part of a five- year research program to examine the effects of ships on the marine environment. The objective of MAST is to determine how pollutants generated by ships modify the reflective properties of clouds. MAST will help in understanding the effects of man- made aerosols on clouds and the resulting impact on the climate system. The STS-65 crew will take on the role of teacher as they educate students in the United States and other countries about STS-65 mission objectives. Using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II), astronauts aboard Columbia will discuss with students what it is like to live and work in space. STS-65 will be the 17th flight of Space Shuttle Columbia and the 63rd flight of the Space Shuttle system. - end - MEDIA SERVICES INFORMATION NASA Television Transmission NASA television is now available through a new satellite system. NASA programming can now be accessed on Spacenet-2, Transponder 5, located at 69 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, Fla; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.; Johnson Space Center, Houston and NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The television schedule will be updated to reflect changes dictated by mission operations. Television schedules also may be obtained by calling 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 provided daily at noon EDT. Status Reports Status reports on countdown and mission progress, on- orbit activities and landing operations will be produced by the appropriate NASA newscenter. Briefings A mission press briefing schedule will be issued prior to launch. During the mission, status briefings by a Flight Director or Mission Operations representative, and when appropriate, representatives from the payload team, will occur at least once per day. The updated NASA television schedule will indicate when mission briefings are planned. STS-65 Quick Look Launch Date/Site: July 8, 1994/Kennedy Space Center - Pad 39A Launch Time: 1:11 p.m. EDT Orbiter: Columbia (OV-102) - 17th Flight Orbit/Inclination: 160 nautical miles/28.45 degrees Mission Duration: 13 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes Landing TIme/Date: 7:07 a.m. EDT July 22, 1994 Primary Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - KSC, Fla. TransAtlantic Abort Landing - Banjul, The Gambia; Ben Guerir, Morocco; and Moron, Spain Abort Once Around - Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. STS-65 Crew: Robert Cabana, Commander (CDR) Jim Halsell, Pilot (PLT) Rick Hieb, Payload Commander (MS1) Carl Walz, Mission Specialist 2 (MS2) Leroy Chiao, Mission Specialist 3 (MS3) Don Thomas, Mission Specialist 4 (MS4) Chiaki Mukai, Payload Specialist 1 (PS1) Red shift: Cabana, Halsell, Hieb, Mukai Blue shift: Chiao, Thomas, Walz Cargo Bay Payloads: International Microgravity Lab-2 (IML-2) Middeck Payloads: Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II) Orbiter Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST) Other: Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) Detailed Test Objectives/Detailed Supplementary Objectives: DTO 251: Entry Aerodynamic Control Surfaces Test DTO 301D: Ascent Structural Capability Evaluation DTO 307D: Entry Structural Capability Evaluation DTO 312: External Tank Thermal Protection System Performance DTO 319D: Orbiter/Payload Acceleration and Acoustics Environment Data DTO 414: Auxiliary Power Unit Shutdown Test DTO 623: Cabin Air Monitoring DTO 655: Foot Restraint Evaluation DTO 663: Acoustic Noise Dosimeter Data DTO 665: Acoustic Noise Sound Level Data DTO 667: Portable In-Flight Landing Operations Trainer DTO 674: Thermo-Electric Liquid Cooling System Evaluation DTO 805: Crosswind Landing Performance Detailed Test Objectives/Detailed Supplementary Objectives (cont'd) DTO 913: Microgravity Measurement Device DSO 314: Acceleration Data Collection DSO 326: Window Impact Observations DSO 484: Assessment of Circadian Shifting in Astronauts by Bright Light DSO 485: Inter Mars TEPC DSO 487: Immunological Assessment of Crewmembers DSO 491: Characterization of Microbial Transfer Among Crewmembers During Space Flight DSO 603B: Orthostatic Function During Entry, Landing and Egress DSO 604: Visual-Vestibular Integration as a Function of Adaptation DSO 605: Postural Equilibrium Control During Landing/Egress DSO 608: Effects of Space Flight on Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolism During Exercise DSO 610: In-Flight Assessment of Renal Stone Risk DSO 614: The Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Head and Gaze Stability During Locomotion DSO 621: In-Flight Use of Florinef to Improve Orthostatic Intolerance Postflight DSO 626: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Responses to Standing Before and After Space Flight DSO 901: Documentary Television DSO 902: Documentary Motion Picture Photography DSO 903: Documentary Still Photography SPACE SHUTTLE ABORT MODES Space Shuttle launch abort philosophy aims toward safe and intact recovery of the flight crew, Orbiter and its payload. Abort modes 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 Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. * 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, and 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-65 contingency landing sites are the Kennedy Space Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Banjul, Ben Guerir and Moron. STS-65 Summary Timeline Flight Day One Ascent OMS-2 burn (163 n.m. x 160 n.m.) IML-2 activation/operations Blue Flight Days Two-Thirteen IML-2 operations Red Flight Days Two-Thirteen IML-2 operations Blue Flight Day Fourteen IML-2 operations Red Flight Day Fourteen Flight Control Systems Checkout Lower Body Negative Pressure Device Blue/Red Flight Day Fifteen Cabin stow Payload deactivation IML-2 deactivation Deorbit Entry Landing STS-65 VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS Vehicle/Payload Pounds Orbiter (Columbia) empty and 3 SSMEs 181,443 International Microgravity Lab-2 21,187 Commercial Protein Crystal Growth 58 Orbiter Acceleration Research Experiment 249 Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II 37 Military Applications of Ship Tracks 66 Detailed Supplementary/Test Objectives 205 Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,522,321 Orbiter Landing Weight 228,640 STS-65 ORBITAL EVENTS SUMMARY EVENT START TIME VELOCITY CHANGE ORBIT (dd/hh:mm:ss) (feet per second) (n.m.) OMS-2 00/00:42:00 221 fps 163 x 160 Deorbit 13/16:56:00 270 fps N/A Touchdown 13/17:56:00 N/A N/A STS-65 CREW RESPONSIBILITIES TASK/PAYLOAD PRIMARY BACKUPS/OTHERS IML-2 Hieb Middeck Payloads: SAREX Cabana Thomas CPCG Cabana Walz MAST Walz Cabana OARE Thomas Walz, Halsell Detailed Test Objectives: DTO 312 Thomas Chiao DTO 414 Halsell Walz DTO 623 Walz Halsell DTO 655 Chiao Hieb DTO 663 Cabana Walz DTO 665 Cabana Walz DTO 667 Cabana Halsell DTO 805 Cabana Halsell Detailed Supplementary Objectives: DSO 314 Halsell Walz DSO 485 Cabana Walz Other: Photography/TV Halsell Walz In-Flight Maintenance Walz Halsell EVA Chiao (EV1) Thomas (EV2), Walz (IV) Earth Observations Halsell Cabana Medical Cabana Walz IML -2 PAYLOADS: CREW ASSIGNMENTS PAYLOAD PRIMARY BACKUPS/OTHERS AAEU Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb APCF Chiao Hieb, Thomas, Mukai BDPU Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb Biorack Chiao Hieb, Thomas, Mukai CPF Chiao Hieb, Thomas, Mukai, Cabana EDOMP Mukai Hieb, Thomas, Chiao FFEU Mukai Thomas, Hieb, Chiao LIF Mukai Thomas, Hieb, Chiao NIZEMI Chiao Hieb, Thomas, Mukai PAWS Cabana Halsell, Walz QSAM Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb RAMSES Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb RRMD Mukai Thomas, Hieb, Chiao SAMS Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb SCM Hieb Mukai TEI/CCK Mukai Thomas, Hieb, Chiao TEMPUS Thomas Mukai, Chiao, Hieb IML-2: THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL MICROGRAVITY LABORATORY The second International Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission brings together scientists from around the world in a search for answers which might only be found in the unique laboratory of space. As the Shuttle orbits Earth, it provides a nearly weightless, or microgravity, environment. Microgravity cannot be duplicated for longer than a few seconds with Earth-based facilities. The IML-2 mission objective is to conduct microgravity and life sciences research that can only be accomplished in this low-gravity environment. In a space laboratory, some of the physical processes which affect experiments on Earth are not as dominant. Gravity-related disturbances such as buoyancy, sedimentation and hydrostatic pressure cannot only limit the quality of some materials but also limit the ways materials can be studied. IML-2 scientists will use furnaces and other facilities to produce a variety of material structures, from crystals to metal alloys. They will examine subtle forces which affect material development in microgravity. Scientists also will be able to study fluid processes that are masked or distorted on Earth. Nearly every physical science depends on an understanding of these basic mechanisms. This knowledge may help us develop the next generation of materials needed for high-tech applications and lead to refinement of materials such as semiconductors, superconductors, and exotic ceramics and glasses. Life science research on IML-2 will help reveal the role of gravity in shaping life as we know it and show us how living organisms react and adapt to microgravity. Before we can make space our second home, we must understand how living things are affected by reduced gravity and radiation in the space environment. Insights scientists gain about life in space can increase knowledge of the factors which govern life and health on Earth. For instance, previous space flights have demonstrated that high quality protein crystals, suitable for X-ray analysis, can be grown in space. If the structures of certain proteins can be determined by examining these crystals, not only will we learn about an essential component of all life forms, but we could use this knowledge to improve the medical treatment of many diseases. IML-2 Science More than 200 scientists from six space agencies developed over 80 investigations for the IML-2 mission. Representatives of the European Space Agency (ESA), the French Space Agency (CNES), the German Space Agency (DARA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) are joining NASA in this mission of discovery. An international crew will conduct these experiments inside Spacelab, a versatile research laboratory which fits in the Space Shuttle cargo bay. It is an appropriate place for multi-national research, since Spacelab was developed by the ESA in the late 1970s and early 1980s as its contribution to the American Space Shuttle Program. IML-2 uses the pressurized Spacelab module. With its extra work area, power supplies, data management capability and versatile equipment racks, scientists in space can work much as they would in their laboratories on Earth. Many IML-2 experiments owe their heritage to earlier Skylab, sounding rocket and ground-based experiments. Some have evolved over several Spacelab missions. Facilities flown on previous flights are being flown again to probe new scientific questions or to expand on prior studies. This mission also will introduce some new experiment facilities, designed to give scientists additional tools for finding answers in the microgravity of space. MATERIALS SCIENCE: NASDA's Large Isothermal Furnace melts and uniformly mixes compounds, then cools them to produce a solid sample. The Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility from Germany positions metal alloys so they do not touch container walls and melts them in an ultra-pure environment. The facility records information on the alloys as they solidify. FLUID SCIENCE: The European Space Agency's Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit contains special optical diagnostics, cameras and sensors for studying fluid behavior in microgravity. Their Critical Point Facility, which flew on IML-1, investigates fluids as they undergo critical phase transitions from liquids to gases. MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT AND COUNTERMEASURE: NASA's Space Acceleration Measurement System, on its tenth flight, will be joined on IML-2 by the German Space Agency's Quasi-Steady Acceleration Measurement experiment. Together, they will give scientists the most complete picture yet of the subtle motions which can disturb sensitive microgravity experiments. Japan's Vibration Isolation Box Experiment System will test a special material designed to reduce the effect of those accelerations. BIOPROCESSING: ESA's Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility will provide a versatile environment for growing a variety of protein crystals using three different techniques. A video recording device will allow scientists to study the crystal growth process after the mission. Two experiment facilities, Applied Research on Separation Methods Using Space Electrophoresis from France and the Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit from Japan, will use electric fields to separate biological materials into their individual components. The process is widely used on Earth to produce ultra-pure products for pharmaceutical drugs. SPACE BIOLOGY: Two space biology facilities from the 1992 Japanese Spacelab-J mission will fly on IML-2. Scientists will study the spawning, fertilization, embryology and behavior of newts and fish housed in the Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit. The Thermoelectric Incubator/Cell Culture Kit will accommodate the study of plant and animal cells. IML-2 will be the third flight for the European Space Agency's Biorack, which supports investigations into the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on cells, tissues, plants, bacteria, small animals and other biological samples. The Slow Rotating Centrifuge Microscope from Germany contains equipment for observing the movement and behavior of one-celled and multi-cellular organisms at various gravity levels. Materials scientists will take advantage of its capabilities to observe the solidification of a transparent model alloy as well. HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY: Canada's Spinal Changes in Microgravity experiment, an expanded version of an IML-1 investigation, will use stereophotographs and special ultrasound and monitoring equipment to record changes in crew members' spinal and neurosensory systems. NASA's Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project will continue investigations designed to maintain and evaluate crew health and safety on long-duration Shuttle flights. The crew will use the Performance Assessment Workstation, a laptop computer, to help determine their mental ability to perform operational tasks during long-duration missions. RADIATION BIOLOGY: Germany's Biostack, a veteran of three Spacelab missions, sandwiches biological specimens between radiation detectors in a sealed container to determine how cosmic radiation affects them. Japan's Real-Time Radiation Monitoring Device will test methods which may be used for space radiation forecasting aboard future spacecraft. Mission Operations The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages IML-2 for NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Science and Applications, Washington, D.C. Experiment operations for the 14-day flight will be directed from the agency's Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility at Marshall. During the mission, hundreds of scientists and engineers representing the many IML-2 experiments will work in the Science Operations Area. From there, they can monitor experiments via video and voice links with the Shuttle, send remote commands to their instruments, discuss operations with the crew in space, and coordinate mission activities with their colleagues from other experiment teams. The ESA experiment teams will be backed up by colleagues working at remote sites in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brussels, Belgium; Naples, Italy; Toulouse, France; and Cologne, Germany. Additional science teams will be located at the Johnson Space Center and the Kennedy Space Center. Primary responsibility for operating the experiments in orbit belongs to the Spacelab science crew. Payload Commander Rick Hieb, Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao and Don Thomas, and Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai will work in two 12-hour shifts. Operating the Spacelab 24 hours a day enables scientists to get the most from valuable time in orbit. The crew will work from a preplanned master timeline, with adjustments made for unexpected opportunities. After landing, many experiment samples, some of which have limited lifetimes, will be returned to the scientists for evaluation. Later, experiment hardware will be returned to the space agency that developed it. Computer tapes, voice recordings, video tapes and other data will be organized and forwarded to investigators. Analysis of the results will start even before the Shuttle touches down and may continue for several years. The investigators will be rewarded with new insights into the intrinsic properties of materials, increased knowledge about how gravity affects living systems on Earth, and no doubt new questions to be answered in the unique laboratory of space. Large Isothermal Furnace Payload Developer: NASDA Objective: The Large Isothermal Furnace uniformly heats large materials samples in a vacuum, then cools them rapidly to determine the relationships between the structure, processing and properties of materials. On IML-2, scientists will solidify five samples under various temperature conditions, studying ceramic/metallic composites, semiconductor alloys, and liquid phase sintering. Sintering is a process for combining dissimilar metals, using heat and pressure to join them without reaching the melting point of one or both metals. Significance: Knowledge gained from post-flight sample analysis will help scientists better understand and improve production techniques on Earth. They also will use the results to assess the feasibility of producing unique materials in space. Science: In order to create lighter, stronger or more temperature-resistant materials, metallurgists often combine two or more different metals into an alloy which has more desirable qualities than each of its ingredients. Or they may combine dissimilar substances such as metals and ceramics to produce structural materials that are stronger and lighter than conventional metals. The key to success is the uniform distribution of the various chemical components throughout the finished product. On Earth, gravity causes ingredients with dissimilar densities to settle differently as heavier components are pulled downward. This gravity-induced movement, called sedimentation, causes uneven particle distribution throughout the material. It can diminish the uniformity of its microscopic structure, distort the finished product's shape, and decrease the precision of the casting process. A microgravity environment greatly reduces buoyancy- driven convection and sedimentation. This may allow the uniform mixture of dissimilar materials in spite of great density differences. Experiment Hardware and Operations: The facility is a resistance-heated vacuum furnace designed to uniformly heat large samples. It has a maximum operating temperature of about 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 !C) and can rapidly cool a sample by admitting helium gas into the heating chamber. The furnace consists of a sample container and heating element, surrounded by a vacuum chamber. A crew member inserts a sample cartridge through an access port in the front of the facility. A screw-type connector secures the sample in the furnace. Air within the chamber is evacuated through the Spacelab vent system. The furnace control equipment runs through a pre- programmed heating/cooling cycle to process the sample, and data from temperature sensors are recorded. A gas-driven piston within the sample cartridge can be used to apply pressure to the sample during the experiment. At the end of the experiment, helium gas is injected into the furnace to allow rapid cooling of the sample. The cartridge is then removed and another can be installed to start a new experiment. Sample cartridges are returned to Earth for analysis. Background: The Large Isothermal Furnace was developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). It flew on the Spacelab-J mission in September 1992. Eight samples were processed successfully during that flight and are being analyzed by investigators. Gravitational Role in Liquid Phase Sintering Experiment Facility: Large Isothermal Furnace Principal Investigator: Dr. Randall M. German Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pa. Objective: This experiment will determine how gravity changes heavy alloys of tungsten, nickel and iron during sintering, a process for combining dissimilar metals. Sintering uses heat and pressure to join powdered forms of different metals without both components. The material will be heated so the iron and nickel form a liquid, surrounding the uniformly dispersed powdered tungsten. Samples will be analyzed post-flight to investigate both macrostructural changes, such as those in shape and texture, and microstructural changes, including density and high-temperature strength. Significance: Liquid phase sintering is a process used to produce alloys of novel compositions. For example, due to density differences between the tungsten and the iron-nickel liquid that forms at high temperatures, sintering is the only process by which this alloy can be fabricated. This IML-2 investigation will add to ground-based research, which indicates that gravity plays a role in distorting the microstructure of samples sintered on Earth. Tungsten heavy alloys were chosen for this experiment because of widespread interest in the alloy system, extensive sintering experience on Earth, a large database on properties, and approximately a factor of two density difference between the liquid and solid phases. Background: Five different compositions of tungsten-nickel alloy were sintered at 2,730 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees C) in the Large Isothermal Furnace during the Spacelab-J mission. One sample set was sintered for 60 minutes, and another was sintered for 300 minutes. Samples with larger percentages of nickel tended to behave like liquids. Since they were not distorted by gravity as they would have been on Earth, they solidified into spherical shapes. Scientists concluded that the mixture of liquid and small solid particles behaves like liquid in microgravity, regardless of density differences in the materials, when a continuous liquid layer is formed at the surface. Operations: A crew member will load a sample cartridge containing seven different compositions of tungsten heavy alloy into the Large Isothermal Furnace, then activate a preprogrammed, computer-controlled processing sequence. The cartridge will be rapidly heated to 2,730 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees C) for a little over an hour, gradually cooled with water for almost another hour, then rapidly cooled by a continuous flow of helium for about 3-1/2 hours more. The astronaut then will remove the cartridge and stow it for return to Earth. The procedure will be repeated with two more cartridges. Sintering time and sample composition will be varied to identify their effects on final properties of the composites. The samples, as well as thermal and acceleration data collected during the experiment, will be analyzed post-flight. Mixing of a Melt of Multicomponent Compound Semiconductor Experiment Facility: Large Isothermal Furnace Principal Investigator: Dr. Akira Hirata Waseda University Tokyo, Japan Objective: This investigation will develop a new method for uniformly mixing melted compound semiconductors. It will test whether the components can be mixed faster and more uniformly using Marangoni convection, that is, fluid flows driven by the concentration differences on the surface of a liquid. Science: Semiconductors are made of several constituents with different densities. On Earth, gravity separates the components, as heavier materials settle from lighter ones. In space, without any mixing devices, it may be possible to mix these components more uniformly and faster using Marangoni convection, a type of fluid flow driven by differences in surface tension. Although these flows exist on Earth, they are masked by the much stronger forces of sedimentation and buoyancy-driven convection, caused by density differences within the liquid. Surface tension is the force which causes falling water to form into drops. In space, away from gravity's distortion, it forms an uncontained liquid into a perfect sphere. Previous space experiments have demonstrated that variations in the temperature on the free surface of a fluid create predictable flow patterns within that fluid. Investigators for this experiment will test whether this gentle flow is a useful tool for uniformly mixing semiconductor components. Significance: Semiconductors are materials whose conductivity is poor at low temperatures, but is improved by application of heat, light or voltage. They are widely used in computers and other electronic devices to transmit electrons in a controlled manner. A better mixture would result in a semiconductor with more uniform content, allowing it to transmit electrons more efficiently. Operations: Two different compounds of indium-gallium-antimony (InGaSb) will be melted and solidified in the Large Isothermal Furnace to form semiconductors. The experiment cartridge will contain a total of six samples. Four samples will be processed using Marangoni convection to mix the components. As a material cools and contracts, a void is left in the sample ampoule. Material next to the void forms a free surface which does not touch the sides of the ampoule, allowing Marangoni convection to occur. Two samples will be processed using only molecular diffusion to mix the components. The void created by cooling and contraction, and the resulting free surface will be eliminated by a gas-driven piston within the cartridge. It will automatically move forward to take up the empty space as the sample material contracts. The solidified crystals will be compared postflight to determine crystal quality, crystal shape, and size of crystal particulates. Scientists also will compare the effects of the two processing methods on mixing of the melted components and the uniformity of the solidified semiconductor. Background: Dr. Masami Tatsumi grew an indium-gallium-arsenide crystal in the Spacelab-J Gradient Heating Furnace. A piston was used to prevent Marangoni convection within that experiment. The resulting mixture was more uniform than that of a comparison crystal grown on Earth, but it was not completely homogeneous. Effect of Weightlessness on Microstructure and Strength of Ordered TiAl Intermetallic Alloys Experiment Facility: Large Isothermal Furnace Principal Investigator: Dr. Masao Takeyama National Research Institute of Metals Tokyo, Japan Objective: This experiment will melt and resolidify a titanium-aluminum alloy to which ceramic particles of titanium diboride have been added. The particles should increase the high-temperature strength of the material, improving the microstructure and thus the mechanical properties of the alloy. Science: Ceramic particles must be evenly distributed within an alloy to improve grain structure and mechanical properties. On Earth, differences in density between the particles and the alloy prevent uniform distribution, because gravity pulls the heavier particles downward. In microgravity, the uneven distribution caused by density differences should be prevented. Heat convection, which also affects solidification, should be minimal. Significance: Results should help investigators understand some of the principal influences that occur during this type of material processing. Insights gained about microstructural control could be applied to producing more effective materials on Earth. This technology for controlling alloy microstructure may be applied to improve high-temperature alloys needed for high-tech aircraft and spacecraft. Operations: A crew member will place a cartridge containing four titanium-aluminum samples, each 18 mm in diameter and 25 mm long, in the Large Isothermal Furnace. Two of the samples will have ceramic particles added; the others will not. They will be heated to approximately 2820 degrees Fahrenheit (1550 degrees C), then solidified in microgravity. This is planned to be the last sample cartridge processed in the furnace during IML-2, and it will remain in the facility until after landing. Post flight, scientists will study the effect of the resulting microstructure on mechanical properties such as strength. In addition to the two flight samples being compared with one another, they will be compared with those processed on the ground. Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility Tiegelfreies Elektromagnetisches Prozessieren Unter Schwerelosigkeit (TEMPUS) Payload Developer: German Space Agency (DARA) Objective: To study the solidification of materials from the liquid state, a subject of immense scientific and practical interest. Not only are solidification phenomena important to science, but many industrial processes involve solidification. On Earth, liquids generally must be held in containers, which can affect the liquid's properties. For example, a container determines a liquid's shape, and contact with the container walls can diminish the purity of the metal sample. In microgravity, samples can be processed in a containerless facility, which avoids contact with any surface. The Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility, known as TEMPUS, is a levitation melting facility for containerless processing of metallic samples in an ultraclean microgravity environment. It was developed by the German Space Agency. Science: In the absence of a container, most pure molten metals can be cooled to below their solidification point and still remain fluid. Crystalline solidification begins when small, isolated clusters of atoms arrange in a regular, repeating form. This process is known as nucleation, and the clusters are called nuclei. Atoms fall into place on these clusters causing the sites to grow until the entire mass becomes solid. Nucleation occurs at solid to liquid boundaries, such as the boundary between solid container walls and the liquid sample it holds. The container walls, consisting of arranged atoms, act as the nuclei site. The resulting solid will appear as a patchwork of many small crystals as opposed to fewer, larger crystals produced by fewer nucleation sites in microgravity. It is this undercooling phenomenon that scientists are interested in studying. Background: This is the maiden flight for the TEMPUS facility. The 22 samples accommodated by the facility are being shared by many of the principal investigators so as to gather the maximum scientific data from the limited number of alloy samples available. Therefore, as a general rule, each sample is of interest to more than one principal investigator. Hardware: The TEMPUS system uses an electric current flowing through coils of copper tubes to produce magnetic fields. By carefully forming the coils, it is possible to create an area of minimum field strength in which the sample will levitate or float. On Earth, lifting a sample in apparent defiance of gravity requires a very powerful electromagnetic force. Not only does this deform the sample and agitate the melted alloy, but independent temperature control is impossible. In microgravity, positioning of the sample and temperature control can be accomplished accurately and precisely because the power necessary for positioning the sample is greatly reduced. The reduced amount of current results in diminished fluid motion which is less intrusive on the phenomena being examined. The 22 spherical specimens, each up to 0.4 inch (10 millimeters) in diameter, can be accommodated on a storage disk within the TEMPUS unit. The disk rotates until the desired specimen is positioned over a transfer mechanism. The mechanism unlocks the sample holder and transfers the sample to the processing area within the levitation coils. Processing can occur in a vacuum, or in an ultra-pure helium/argon atmosphere. As the sample cools, experimental data are recorded. Different views of the process are recorded by video cameras. The TEMPUS system provides the means for physically manipulating the sample during processing. Rotations and oscillations can be controlled through the application of a direct current magnetic field. Nucleation can be initiated at any desired undercooled temperature by touching the sample with a needle driven by the transfer mechanism, causing the entire sample to rapidly solidify. Also, the sample can be vibrated by applying short power pulses to the heating or levitation coils. By observing how the sample reacts to vibration, properties such as surface tension and viscosity can be inferred. Operations: Experiment procedures are almost completely microprocessor-controlled and require very little crew interaction other than start up and shut down. The TEMPUS unit is reprogrammed between each experiment from the ground. The crew on board, or ground controllers, can modify any experiment parameters during sample processing. The team of investigators will study various thermodynamic and kinetic properties of 22 samples. The metallic samples have melting points between 1634 and 3362 degrees Fahrenheit (890 and 1850 degrees C) when heated in the TEMPUS unit. Effects of Nucleation by Containerless Processing in Low Gravity Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Robert J. Bayuzick Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tenn. Objective: This experiment has a two-fold purpose: - to better understand specific details of how metals solidify, and - to investigate ways in which the solidification process can be controlled. An extensive series of experiment runs will be conducted to provide comparative data for determining the time and temperature at which a metal begins to turn into a solid. Scientists hope to pinpoint what phenomenon "kicks-off" the solidification process. The series will be conducted in the Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility or TEMPUS. On Earth, the electromagnetic force necessary to levitate the sample so that it floats in apparent defiance of gravity, is so powerful that it deforms and agitates the molten metal sample. Also, levitation techniques in a 1-g environment result in large liquid flows, or convection currents, within the sample. In microgravity, the amount of electromagnetic forces required is reduced, thus causing less disturbance and stress to the free-floating, spherical sample. This containerless environment will allow the molten metal to nucleate and grow a crystal without being influenced by a container's molecular structure. Science: Pure liquid metals can remain in a liquid state below the point at which they should solidify. This process is called undercooling. In this experiment, scientists will try to keep the metal in a molten state for as long as possible, at the lowest possible temperature. The condition when an undercooled liquid first begins to solidify is called nucleation. A cluster of atoms acts as a nucleation site, or foundation, for the crystal to build upon. Free-moving atoms attach themselves to this site, growing into a solid crystal structure. Scientists hope to determine the nucleation properties for the element zirconium, a strong, ductile metallic element used chiefly in ceramic and refractory compounds as an alloying agent. The nucleation properties are what characterize the molten liquid's random movement of atoms into an ordered pattern as a solid metal. Scientists want to study this process under the condition of a high degree of undercooling. Significance: Solidifying metals is one of the most important processes in industry. Learning more about the basic nucleation phenomena may provide clues for making different materials. The nucleation phenomenon is the most basic process governing the solidification of metals. Background: This experiment has been performed on Earth using drop tubes that simulate low gravity for a few seconds. However, the precise measurement of temperature is difficult because during freefall the specimen is moving with respect to the detectors. Operations: A spherical sample of zirconium about three- eighths of an inch (8 to 10 mm) in diameter will be levitated, heated to 3542 degrees Fahrenheit (1950 degrees Celsius), melted and then cooled about 300 degrees below the normal solidification point when nucleation is expected to take place. The experiment will consist of approximately 100 melting, cooling, nucleation and solidification cycles. The series will take place over four hours. Each time the sample is melted and resolidified, the nucleation temperature and rate of crystal growth will be recorded for comparison with Earth-based results to further the understanding of nucleation phenomena. Non-Equilibrium Solidification of Largely Undercooled Melts Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Dieter M. Herlach DLR Institute for Space Simulation Cologne, Germany Objective: This experiment has a two-fold objective. First, it will investigate dendritic and eutectic solidification velocity resulting from undercooling. These measurements can be used to test and refine dendritic and eutectic solidification theories. Second, this investigation will study the nucleation of metastable phases below an alloy's normal solidification temperature. Science: Dendrites -- from the Greek word for "tree" -- are tiny branching structures that form inside molten metal alloys when they solidify during manufacturing. The size, shape and structure of the dendrites have a major effect on the strength, ductility and usefulness of an alloy. A eutectic substance -- also from a Greek word ("well-melting") -- is a material that has a melting point lower than that of any of its components. This property makes it an important material, one whose microstructure has a strong impact on mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties. An example of the eutectic phenomenon is putting salt onto ice. The salt-water mixture lowers the melting point, causing the ice to melt. Nucleation is the starting point for solidification. The tiniest possible crystal, which scientists call an embryo, sets the solidification process into motion. If the atomic arrangement within the embryo differs from that in the usual stable solid, a metastable crystalline phase forms. The atoms of these metastable crystals have different structural arrangements that change the alloy's properties, such as improving mechanical elasticity and strength. Coal is an example of a material produced at the normal solidification temperature. It is the stable, solid form of carbon. When the atomic structure solidifies at specific conditions, a diamond is created. Diamond is the metastable solid form of carbon. This means that in thousands of years a diamond will eventually turn into a piece of coal, the material's more stable form. When nucleation occurs at other temperatures below the normal solidification point, other materials can be created. Coal and diamond are just two of many possibilities, all dependent on the conditions at which nucleation occurs. Significance: There are two reasons why these experiments are performed in microgravity. First, crystal growth can be strongly affected by convective fluid flow in the molten metal. The low acceleration environment in space effectively eliminates convection. Comparing space experiment data with Earth experiment data is the only practical way to separate the effects of convection from the underlying mechanism of crystal growth. On the other hand, the experiment conditions such as containerless processing of melts in an ultraclean environment promise a substantial extension of the degree of undercooling that can be achieved. It is at these very low undercooling temperatures that scientists hope to observe the nucleation of various metastable phases. Operations: Two methods will be used to study these phenomena in the containerless environment provided within the TEMPUS facility. First, iron-nickel, nickel-carbon and nickel-silicon will be heated to 100 degrees above their melting point. Then they will be allowed to cool as far into the undercooling range as possible, until nucleation spontaneously occurs, and many independent, separate dendrites grow. The solidification velocity will be measured once nucleation occurs. The second method will use a needle to terminate the undercooling phase. The needle will provide a nucleation site, inducing solidification at a specific temperature below the normal solidification point. Investigators will carefully control where and when dendrites begin to grow inside the experiment sample. Several different time profiles at various temperatures will be obtained for each sample. The microstructure of the materials will be analyzed post flight, along with temperature, pressure and acceleration data. Alloy Undercooling Experiments Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Merton C. Flemings Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Mass. Objective: Atoms in a molten liquid alloy line up in a specified order as the alloy cools and becomes a solid crystal. Scientists hope to learn more about the order in which atoms attach to each other as they grow into a crystal structure. They also want to study the speed at which the crystallization process occurs. Science: Liquid alloys allowed to solidify slowly at their natural freezing point repeatedly form what is called an equilibrium atomic structure. Atoms are consistently ordered in an identical pattern. When the solidification process is changed, the atomic structure is affected. Molten liquids that are undercooled below the point where they usually become a solid crystallize faster than when they solidify at their normal freezing point. The particles are frozen rapidly right where they are, in a matter of milliseconds. This quick cooling creates metastable solid phases that are not considered "normal" or stable. Scientists hope their results reveal how the fast-frozen solids are different and if the metal alloy's characteristics are improved. It is possible the alloy will be stronger. The metal's properties are expected to change because undercooling allows the scientist to "supersaturate" the nickel-tin alloy. Tin makes up a small percentage of the initial alloy sample. However, when the alloy is supersaturated, a higher concentration of the sample is comprised of tin. This should alter the metal's properties. Significance: Scientists and engineers will study the experiment results to determine how the properties of metals change in an unstable fast-frozen, supersaturated state. This may help industry make better metals. For example, in the casting of high-performance metal components like jet engine turbine blades, each blade is the result of a crystal grown from a single nucleation site. Improving this process may make possible turbine blades that would have greater operating efficiency if the blades can be constructed of a metal capable of withstanding higher temperatures. Operations: Three alloy samples will be levitated, melted and solidified in the Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility, nicknamed TEMPUS. Two nickel-tin spheres, one containing 25 percent tin and one almost one-third tin, will be tested and a third sample, of pure nickel, will be processed for a control experiment. Structure and Solidification of Largely Undercooled Melts of Quasicrystal-Forming Alloys Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Knut Urban Institute for Solid State Physics Research Center Julich Julich, Germany Objective: This experiment studies a unique feature of some metallic alloys - the presence of structural elements based on atom arrangements with 20 triangular sides, a shape called icosahedral. These multi-sided structures are a fairly recent discovery known as quasicrystals. Science: Quasicrystals are so small they are called nano- crystals. Scientists are not even sure they can be considered true crystals. Because they are multi-sided -- having the icosahedral shape -- they are unstable building blocks. Therefore, they are distributed in small pockets throughout some metal alloys. As an analogy, children's building blocks - - squares, triangles and rectangles -- fit together in repetitive patterns forming a sturdy, solid structure. However, icosahedral shapes cannot tightly fit together, leaving empty spaces that weaken a building arrangement such as a crystal structure. This investigation also is interested in the undercooling phenomena of these quasicrystals. Using the TEMPUS facility, metallic alloys can be cooled well below their melting temperature without solidification. The quasicrystalline state in metallic alloys was discovered in 1984 as the third state of solid matter. The other two are normal crystalline and glassy states. Quasicrystals exhibit excellent structural order based on atom arrangements that do not permit long-range periodicity. This feature provides quasicrystalline materials with a high degree of hardness and novel electrical and physical properties. Small pockets of quasicrystals are located throughout the alloy. Significance: This experiment contributes not only to the understanding of why and how these new quasicrystals form, but also to our knowledge about the structure of molten alloys. Scientists hope to gain insight into how atoms cluster together and eventually grow into a crystal, a process called nucleation. Operations: Spherical samples of aluminum-copper-cobalt and aluminum-copper-iron about three-eighths of an inch in diameter (8 to 10 mm) will be levitated, melted and solidified at different temperatures using the TEMPUS. The samples will be analyzed post flight and the temperature, pressure and acceleration data recorded during the STS-65 flight, will be studied. Thermodynamics and Glass Formation in Undercooled Liquid Alloys Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Hans J. Fecht Technical University-Berlin Berlin, Germany Metallic Glass Research in Space: Thermophysical Properties of Metallic Glasses and Undercooled Alloys Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. William L. Johnson California Institute of Technology Pasadena, Calif. The objective and significance of Dr. Johnson's, as well as Dr. Fecht's investigations, are quite similar. The experimenters share their data and results, which is why they also can be described together. Dr. Fecht's experiment uses three alloys: zirconium-iron, zirconium-cobalt and zirconium- nickel. Dr. Johnson's alloys are zirconium-nickel and niobium- nickel. Objective: This experiment uses a new mathematical method, termed the AC method, to calculate heat capacity, an important physical characteristic of metallic alloys cooled to temperatures below the point when they would normally solidify. While the formula has been evolving over several years, this will be the first time it has been used to determine heat capacity. This is possible because pure molten alloys can remain liquid at cooler-than-normal temperatures when they are suspended in a containerless processing environment such as that provided by the TEMPUS facility. Science: A key point in understanding the physics of this experiment is that undercooled metals can remain molten many degrees below the temperature at which they normally start to form a solid crystal. At these reduced temperatures, areas with a glass-like quality can form in zirconium-based alloys. While these are not transparent, they are referred to as glass because the atoms are arranged in a similar pattern as glass used for windowpanes. The angles at which atoms are joined is not regular; in fact, the atomic structure has no long-range order at all. As short, repetitive bursts of heat are rapidly applied to the alloy sample, its temperature will correspondingly rise and fall. This temperature increase or decrease lags slightly behind the influx of heat, which is modulated through the metal in a wavelike fashion. The time difference between the addition or subtraction of heat and the resulting temperature fluctuations is directly related to the alloy's heat capacity, defined as the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of 1 gram of material by 1 degree Celsius. Scientists will use specially designed computer software to determine the heat capacity from this temperature lag. Significance: Understanding the fundamentals of undercooling and formation of metallic glasses is vital for designing such materials. They may find applications in many technological areas because of their unique mechanical and physical properties. Some present areas of application include high- powered laser choke switches, transformer cores, brazing alloys, wear-resistant coatings, and reinforcing fibers in metal matrices. In the future, these injection-molded, bulk metallic glasses could influence the state of materials science and engineering. Operations: The pure metal samples and the alloys will be levitated and heated above their melting point and then allowed to cool until they solidify. These experiments involve a series of melting-solidification. Viscosity and Surface Tension of Undercooled Melts Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Ivan Egry DLR Institute for Space Simulation Cologne, Germany Measurement of the Viscosity and Surface Tension of Undercooled Melts under Microgravity Conditions and Supporting Magnetohydrodynamic Calculations Experiment Facility: TEMPUS Principal Investigator: Dr. Julian Szekely Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Mass. The experiments of Drs. Egry and Szekely show the same area of specialization and follow identical procedures. Therefore only one description is necessary to explain the background and the goal of these experiments. Dr. Egry uses samples of the system gold-nickel; Dr. Szekely uses gold-copper samples. Objective: The aim is to gain a better understanding of microscopic interactions within molten metals, such as gold, in the unusual condition of undercooling. This experiment specifically focuses on studying viscosity and surface tension characteristics. Such measurements on undercooled metals have never before been possible. On the ground, gravity distorts the molten sample, making it difficult to determine what is taking place at the atomic level. Science: The study of viscosity and the measurement of surface tension have to do with microscopic interactions within molten metals. Materials that have high viscosity are thick and flow slowly, such as molasses and 50-weight oil as compared to 10- weight oil. Materials with low viscosity are thin and flow readily, such as water. A droplet made up of gold atoms has an even lower viscosity and therefore is expected to take a long time returning to a stable, non-oscillating sphere. Surface tension is the force acting in the surface of a liquid -- similar to a membrane -- that causes a quantity of liquid to try to minimize its total surface area. For example, it causes a drop to be spherical, in the absence of gravity. When a liquid drop is levitated and its normally spherical shape is disturbed, it will return to a sphere through a series of oscillations. The surface tension may be deduced from the frequency of the oscillations. Viscosity can be determined from the rate at which these oscillations slow down to a stable spherical shape. Significance: Understanding the underlying principles governing thermophysical properties of liquid metals, in particular, viscosity and surface tension, is a matter of high scientific interest and of benefit to industries, such as electronics and manufacturing. Knowledge of the viscosity of melts below the temperature at which they solidify will make an important contribution to the study of fluid dynamics of undercooled liquid metals. The growing field of electromagnetic processing of materials, especially the area of electromagnetic shaping of electrically conducting fluids, will benefit from this research. Operations: This experiment will levitate and heat a gold- copper alloy sample and a pure copper sample. Then the heating unit will be switched off, and the liquid metal will be cooled below its melting point. At predetermined temperatures, the sample will be squeezed by pulsing the heating coils, thus producing oscillations in the sample. When the squeezing force is switched off, scientists on the ground will monitor the frequency and rate of decay of the oscillations until the metal sample becomes stable and stops oscillating. Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit (FFEU) Payload Developer: NASDA Objective: The Free-Flow Electrophoresis Unit is being used to study whether space-based electrophoresis will improve the purity of certain biological materials which are normally difficult to separate on Earth. Electrophoresis is a process that separates biological materials into individual components using electric fields. The method is widely used with gel matrix in the DNA sequence analysis and clinical diagnosis. Significance: Widely used Earth-based electrophoresis is run in a gel matrix providing better separation, but limited for only small molecules. Matrix free free-flow electrophoresis, however, tends to remix the components during separation. Gravity-induced fluid movements such as convection (fluid flows caused by density differences) and sedimentation (settling of heavier components) tend to remix the components during separation. This prevents the production of suitable quantities of very pure substances. In space, however, with gravity no longer a dominant factor, these effects are minimal. In space, other physical processes affecting the separation of molecules, which are masked by gravity on Earth, become more apparent. Scientists are interested in how these effects might influence future space-based electrophoresis. They also can use what they learn to better understand electrophoresis processes on Earth. Science: Particles of any element or compound have an electrical charge. When exposed to an electric field, a charged molecule of an element will move toward the side of the field with the opposite charge. Eventually, all the molecules within a fluid will segregate according to their charge. Molecules separate not only according to whether they are positively or negatively charged, but also according to the strength of the charge and the size of the molecule. Molecules with greater positive or negative charges move more quickly than those with less charge. Movement of larger molecules is slowed by increased resistance from the solution in which they are suspended. During electrophoresis separation on Earth, gravity introduces flows which mix and disperse components of a solution. For molecules with nearly the same charge, the fluid movement is a more powerful influence than the tug of the electric field. Microgravity virtually eliminates these flows, making possible more thorough separation and thus more pure materials. Background: This facility is furnished by the National Space Development Agency of Japan. Along with the Thermoelectric Incubator, Cell Culture Kits and the Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit, it was part of the First Material Processing Test P Life Sciences which flew aboard Spacelab-J in 1992. IML-2 experiments will add to experience gained during the earlier mission to evaluate how much microgravity increases the effectiveness of electrophoretic separation. McDonnell Douglas Corp. flew a Continuous Flow Electrophoresis Experiment on several Space Shuttle flights in the early 1980s. Operations: The Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit separates and analyzes the distribution of materials in a solution, using a method called continuous-flow electrophoresis. In this method, material to be separated is placed into a moving stream of buffer solution. As the material passes through an electric field, the components separate into individual streams within the solution. The constant flow of material allows processing of large quantities of product. Three types of buffer solutions are contained in separate tanks. A crew member will inject the biological sample into the main electrophoresis unit, along with the selected buffer solution. The astronaut then will apply an electric field across the flowing solution stream to charge the particles suspended in it. Individual components within the mixture will separate into sub-streams, based on their relative charge and size, then flow into up to 60 separation collection tubes which can be stowed for post-flight analysis. The crew in space and scientists on the ground monitor progress of the experiment through a display window at the top of the facility. Depending on the samples being studied, they can determine concentrations of the various separation products by how they scatter light or by how much ultraviolet light the products absorb. Gravitational Role in Electrophoretic Separations of Pituitary Cells and Granules Experiment Facility: FFEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Wes Hymer Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pa. Objective: This experiment will use electrophoresis to separate pituitary cells which produce different hormones into single hormone producing components. The results will evaluate whether separation in microgravity is superior to separation on Earth. In addition, the experiment will help determine how pituitary growth hormone and prolactin, an immune-system controller, are affected by spaceflight. Science: The pituitary system produces many hormones which regulate how the body functions. Two of the hormones which are produced throughout life are growth hormone and prolactin. Growth hormone not only promotes development of long bones during adolescence; it also increases muscle mass and promotes the breakdown of fat in adults. Prolactin plays a part in controlling the immune system and stimulating milk production in women after birth. Growth hormone and prolactin come from types of specialized pituitary cells which manufacture the hormones and store them in secretory granules inside the cells before release into the bloodstream. Microgravity has been shown to negatively influence parts of this system in humans and animals. This experiment will attempt to determine whether the changes observed in pituitary cells after spaceflight are caused by an alteration to the surface of the cell, or by changes within the internal cell structure. Significance: In addition to furthering scientific knowledge of electrophoresis techniques, this experiment will shed light on how spaceflight affects growth hormone and prolactin- containing cells and granules, information important to the long-term health of space travelers. Background: Dr. Hymer studied rats from two Russian Biocosmos missions and from the 1985 Spacelab 3 mission. Post flight studies in each instance showed the rats' pituitary cells were less active after exposure to microgravity. Hymer's Shuttle middeck experiment aboard STS-46 in 1992 flew rat pituitary cells only, but the same changes occurred. This experiment takes his research to the next step, to help determine the reason for the changes. Operations: Rat pituitary cells loaded in three cell culture chambers are the samples for this experiment. Products of cells from one chamber will be stored in the Thermoelectric Incubator at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 !C) for most of the mission. Astronauts will periodically extract samples of the cell products with a syringe and refrigerate them for post flight analysis. Scientists will use these samples to determine structural and functional changes induced by various durations of exposure to microgravity. A crew member will separate cells carried in the second chamber into 30 Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit tubes. These 30 samples will be cultured in space to determine how the cells function after separation. On Flight Day 5, pituitary cells from the third chamber will be broken apart into sub-cellular particles. Electrophoresis will be used to separate prolactin and growth hormone granules. The granules will be frozen for post flight analysis to determine if internal changes occurred during the first five days of flight. Separation of Chromosome DNA of a Nematode, C. elegans, by Electrophoresis Experiment Facility: FFEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Hidesaburo Kobayashi Josai University Saitama, Japan Objective: This experiment will employ a sensitive method for electrophoresis called isoelectric focusing to separate chromosome DNA from a nematode worm. Electrophoresis is a process for separating biological materials into individual components using electric fields. This experiment uses isoelectric focusing, one of several methods for performing continuous flow electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing is an advanced electrophoresis technique for producing very pure separations of proteins, viruses, cells and other biological materials on a small scale. Science: Chromosome DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the element of a cell nucleus which is the molecular basis for heredity in many organisms. The small nematode is an excellent animal for studying the genetic basis for animal development. It is transparent, and its cellular structure is simple, with just six chromosomes. Because chromosome DNA has nearly constant electric charge density, it cannot be separated from tiny organisms like the nematode worm using standard electrophoresis techniques. Therefore, this experiment will separate the nematode chromosomes based upon their molecular sizes and minimal charge differences. Since there is no gravity-induced convection or mixing in space, the electric charge should be dominant, resulting in a successful separation. Normally, the solution in which samples are suspended for electrophoresis has a uniformly neutral pH (acid/alkaline) level. In isoloelectric focusing, the pH is graduated from more alkaline to more acidic levels across the buffer solution. The speed with which various molecules move during separation varies according to buffer solution pH levels. Different molecules stop moving, or reach their "isoelectric point," at known pH levels. Therefore, scientists design isolectric focusing experiments so motion of the material they want to collect halts at a given pH level, and unwanted materials pass on to different parts of the buffer solution. Significance: The ability to separate chromosomes and test the method in space may help solve problems in genetic mapping and molecular biology. Operations: An astronaut will inject concentrated suspensions of chromosome DNA into the Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit, along with a special buffer solution designed to test isoelectric focusing. The solution will create a pH (acid/alkaline) gradient in the flow to allow separation of materials with small charge differences. After the suspensions are separated, the astronaut will stow the products in separation tubes for post flight analysis. Investigators on the ground will subject the chromosomes to standard genetic and biochemical tests. Experiments Separating the Culture Solution of Animal Cells in High Concentration under Microgravity Experiment Facility: FFEU Principal Investigator: Mr. Tsutomu Okusawa Hitachi, Ltd. Ibaraki, Japan Objective: This experiment grows animal cells in cultures, then separates their cellular secretions in the Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit. Animal cells synthesize substances which can be valuable medical drugs. Investigators believe that two fundamental aspects of pharmaceutical production, the rate of separation and the amount of separated product, may be improved by space processing. Electrophoresis is a process for separating biological materials into individual components using electric fields. It is expected that the method is useful in the production and purification of drugs and medicines on Earth. Science: Drugs expected to work for cancer diagnosis and treatment include monoclonal antibodies, which are effective for both treatment and prevention because they provide a disease immunity. These antibodies are obtained from cultured animal cells on Earth. In the present commercial production method, animal cells are multiplied to the highest concentration possible in cell cultures. A recent method for culturing animal cells on the ground is being used to grow cells at ten times the previous rate. Then, the useful substance is separated from the culture medium through a refining process. After the medium is passed through a series of filters, final removal of unnecessary substances is accomplished by a process called liquid chromatography. However, the method is complicated and inefficient. The substances must be refined further to obtain a pure pharmaceutical product in larger quantities. Ground-based electrophoresis has been used to analyze the separation process. It has not been practical for commercial processing, though, because convective flows within the separation fluid caused by gravity reduce its effectiveness. Separation by electrophoresis in space shows promise for yielding larger amounts of a purer product. In addition, previous experiments indicate that the cells may produce antibodies at much faster rates in microgravity. Significance: Results from experiments such as this should verify the validity of the electrophoresis method in space and provide useful knowledge for establishing space-based biotechnology production in the future. Operations: A crew member will place one type of hybrid animal cell from the Cell Culture Kits into the Thermoelectric Incubator, both IML-2 life-science equipment furnished by the Japanese Space Agency. The culture will incubate and grow for five days. Then, the highly concentrated cell solution will be injected into the Free Flow Electrophoresis Unit, where the cellular secretions will be separated from the solution. The sample will be separated under three different conditions, varying flow rates and the timing and intensity of electrical charges. The crew member operating the experiment and ground controllers will determine which conditions proved the most effective. The fractions of the sample separated under those conditions will be collected and frozen for post- flight analysis. Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit (AAEU) Payload Developer: NASDA Objective: The facility provides an environment supporting studies of live fish and small amphibians under microgravity conditions. It permits observations of spawning, fertilization, embryonic stages, vestibular functioning and behavior in microgravity. Hardware: This aquarium consists of two independent life- support systems, called fish and aquarium packages. Small fish and amphibians, such as newts, live in four cassette-type aquariums, and there is a larger tank designed for fish. A special life-support system supplies oxygen, removes carbon dioxide and waste (such as ammonia and organic substances), and regulates the temperature as desired, between 59 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 25 degrees C). The crew can view the animals through a window and access them by means of a port in each enclosure. A video system can be attached to the viewing port for recording observations of behavior, such as swimming patterns. Closeup observations can be made of fertilization and embryonic development. These images, along with housekeeping data on water temperature and pressure and other parameters, are downlinked to scientists supporting the mission on the ground. Background: The AAEU was flown successfully on the Spacelab-J mission (STS-47), in a slightly different configuration. It was referred to as the vestibular function unit, and supported studies with carp. Mechanism of Vestibular Adaptation of Fish under Microgravity Experiment Facility: AAEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Akira Takabayashi Fujita-Gakuen Health University Toyoake, Japan Objective: This experiment further explores the hypothesis that space motion sickness is caused by conflicting messages sent from the eyes and the otoliths. Investigators expect to clarify the interaction between otolith organs located in the inner-ear and other gravity-sensing organs. Six goldfish will be used to study how their vestibular systems adapt to microgravity and readapt to Earth's gravity after landing. Significance: Space motion sickness usually is experienced by roughly half of all human space travelers, and may occur in other species. The investigator's team wants to evaluate mechanisms which may cause space motion sickness. This will help the effort to develop preventive measures. Science: On the ground, animals control their posture and motion by sensing gravity by means of their vestibular and eye system. Posture control is achieved by integrating information in the brain received from both the eyes and vestibular system. When animals are placed in microgravity, they tend to lose their balance, then gradually adapt with time. The most important gravity-sensing mechanism is the vestibular-otolith system in the inner ear on both sides of the goldfish. However, in microgravity, goldfish might maintain their balance only by visual input. Background: This experiment is an extension of an experiment flown as part of Spacelab-J (STS-47). Operations: In goldfish, the vestibular apparatus contains two otolith organs. Before launch one or both otoliths will be removed by surgery from five goldfish; a sixth goldfish will have both otoliths intact. All six goldfish will be flown in the Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit. The fish behavior will be videotaped once a day and analyzed after the mission. One aspect of behavior to be observed is how the fish react to light stimulation from a direction perpendicular to the aquarium (dorsal light response). Swimming patterns, including measurements of the tilting angle, velocity, and how these characteristics change over time, will be studied to learn how the fish adapt in microgravity. After Columbia lands, the readaptation process to Earth's gravity will be observed for 10 days. Otoconia: Early Development of A Gravity-Receptor Organ in Microgravity Experiment Facility: AAEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael L. Wiederhold University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, Texas Objective: The purpose is to study how the gravity-sensing organs located in the middle ear develop in microgravity using embryos of the Japanese red-bellied newt. Scientists will study the development of both the gravity-sensing otolith organs and angular-acceleration sensors, the semicircular canals. Science: All vertebrates (creatures with a spinal column) and most invertebrates have specialized receptors in their inner ears to sense gravity. In many organisms, including humans, this gravity perception occurs in organs known as otoliths. The organ contains mineral crystals called otoconia. The organ detects gravity by an interaction of the otoconia and tiny hairs (cilia) inside the inner ear. The crystals have greater density than the fluid surrounding them, so gravity pulls them down. The fall of the crystals (stones) on the hairs deflects hair bundles on top of the hair cells, causes excitation of vestibular-nerve fibers to the brain indicating body position. There is uncertainty about how the crystals, their associated receptor cells and the connections of the nerve fibers within the brain develop in space without gravity. The investigator's team wants to clarify this reflex process and also study growth development in the absence of gravity. Significance: Observations should clarify gravity-dependent vestibular information processing. These findings will help explain the fundamental role of gravity on the otoliths and how it affects development of balance control. Operations: The development process of the vestibular system including rotational acceleration sensors or semicircular canals will be investigated using Japanese red-bellied newts. Newts are very suitable for this experiment because these animals' vestibular system can develop within the planned IML-2 mission duration of 14 days. Female newts will be used, since they store the fertilized eggs in their bodies. The crew injects some of the newts with a hormone during the spaceflight to observe the early development of the gravity sensor in an embryo grown in a microgravity environment. The size of the otoliths and associated sensory structures will be determined by three- dimensional reconstruction of sections of the inner ear. The rate of calcification will be determined by labeling new calcium deposits with two different fluorescent calcium-binding dyes applied four days apart. Otolith function will be assessed by examining the newts' larvae vestibular- ocular reflex. Data from the newts flown in microgravity will be compared to controls on the ground, to embryos whose growth began three to five days before launch, and to newt embryos whose growth began on orbit. By comparing these groups, the investigators can determine if otoconial formation proceeds normally in microgravity. Fertilization and Embryonic Development of Japanese Newts in Space Experiment Facility: AAEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Masamichi Yamashita Institute for Space and Astronautical Science Kanagawa, Japan Objective: Unique aquatic animals will be used to investigate the effects of gravity on cells during early developmental stages. Science: Previous experiments have indicated that gravity affects amphibian eggs before their first cleavage. A single egg divides into many cells, and those cells mature or differentiate to form all the organs whose function makes up the living organism. Gravity is one factor that regulates this process. By studying cell differentiation in microgravity, scientists may be able to determine the effects of gravity on cells at early developmental stages. The Japanese newt starts its life from a large, single-cell egg. Gravity plays a role in the egg's development by orienting the heavy vegetal hemisphere of the egg downward. Early stages of development may be very sensitive to gravity. This may occur even before the single cell divides into two cells. To investigate this effect, scientists will study newt eggs exposed to microgravity. Significance: Fertilized newt eggs will be observed during the most dynamic stage of their life. Findings on the effects of the absence of gravity on their early development could help scientists acquire knowledge about the benefits of Earth's gravity for a biological system in early developmental stages and the mechanisms involved. Background: The experiment on IML-2 may enrich scientific results and provide a larger number of specimens to establish a good statistical base. It also provides an opportunity to compare data from independent experiments. This "AstroNewt" experiment also is scheduled to fly on the first mission of the Space Flyer Unit. This Japanese space platform will be launched by an H-II rocket. Operations: Japanese red-bellied newts mate in the autumn. The female newts go into hibernation, storing sperm in their bodies for fertilizing their eggs in the springtime. The hibernating newts will be collected and stored under controlled conditions until just before the STS-65 launch. Hibernation can be successfully terminated at any time by warming the creatures to 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). During the IML-2 mission, four newts will be kept in three water tanks in the Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit onboard Columbia. The female newts will be induced by a hormonal treatment to lay eggs in the water tanks. Two newts will receive a hormone injection on the ground prior to launch. This should result in their laying eggs three to four days later. Crew members will inject the other two newts in space. When space-borne eggs are obtained, those eggs are isolated from the mothers by a partition. Close-up video images of the eggs and embryos will be recorded to trace their time course of development. Some embryos will be preserved at specific development stages, while some will continue further development after Columbia lands. They will be kept until they hatch on Earth for the morphological and behavior studies. A simultaneous control experiment will be conducted on the ground. The adult newts and eggs will be shared with Dr. Wiederhold's "Otoconia" experiment. Mating Behavior of the Fish (Medaka) and Development of Their Eggs in Space Experiment Facility: AAEU Principal Investigator: Dr. Ken-ichi Ijiri University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan Objective: To study whether the freshwater fish, Medaka, can mate and lay eggs under the weightlessness conditions of spaceflight. If eggs are laid, scientists will study their development. The swimming behavior of this special strain of Medaka also will be observed during and after the flight. Significance: Aquaculture in space could become an important nutritional theme in the future. Fish may be included in a controlled ecological life-support system being developed for long-term human stays in space. In a practical system, fish would mate and spawn eggs, thus increasing their numbers. This experiment tests the feasibility of such an aquaculture design in microgravity, checking the mating behavior and embryonic development of a small fish. Results may help scientists plan other experiments for breeding fish in space. Science: Medaka is a small freshwater fish commonly found in ponds and rivers all over Japan's countryside. It is an excellent experimental species because it has a relatively short life cycle of three months from one generation to the next. Also, the transparent body provides for easy observation and identification of its organs during embryonic development. Therefore, scientists can determine whether microgravity impacts normal development processes. Fish usually swim in loop patterns when they are exposed to microgravity. However, a special breed of the Medaka species has not exhibited this behavior when exposed to microgravity for short periods of time on parabolic flights aboard aircraft. This tolerance to microgravity should be inherited by future generations of this breed. This experiment will examine whether this strain continues to swim normally during a longer stay in space. Operations: Two pairs of male and female Medaka will be transferred to a small cassette-type aquarium about two days prior to launch. The life support for the Medaka is continuously provided by the Aquatic Animal Experiment Unit for the entire mission. Each day, mating behavior should be completed within two hours after the transition from a 10-hour dark period to light period. After crew members visually verify the first spawning onboard Columbia, a video camera will record activity for the first two hours of the light period, which should be enough time to record the fish mating behavior. Once spawning starts, the fish will continue to lay eggs once every day for a month. Newly laid eggs first form a cluster on the belly of the female fish. After a few hours, the eggs fall away from her body. The detached eggs should flow with the water into an area separated by a mesh structure. The crew will continue video observations of the developing embryos at predetermined intervals. Detailed observations of its early embryonic development are possible because the egg envelope is transparent. The fry are expected to hatch about eight days after spawning. Investigators expect to see hatched fry swimming in the aquarium during the mission. They also are interested in the swimming behavior of the fry and adults after Columbia lands. Genetic studies of the fish will be conducted post flight. Computer analysis of fish movement based on the video images recorded on the ground and in orbit is also planned. Applied Research on Separation Methods Using Space Electrophoresis Recherche Appliquee sur les Methodes de Separation en Electrophorese Spatiale (RAMSES) Payload Developer: The French Space Agency (CNES) Objective: Scientists will conduct experiments using RAMSES to better understand the basic mechanisms that govern electrophoresis and assess gravity's impact on the process. Separating and collecting ultra-pure components of biological substances is an area of research with great importance to the pharmaceutical industry. Electrophoresis is a process for separating biological materials into individual components using an electrical field. These purified materials can then be used for other processes, such as growing crystals. This technology has been adapted for use in microgravity in the RAMSES electrophoresis unit. RAMSES is the French acronym for Applied Research on Separation Methods using Space Electrophoresis. This multi-user facility was developed by the French Space Agency in conjunction with European industrial partners. Gravity-induced fluid movements such as sedimentation (settling of heavier elements in the solution) and convection (flows within fluids caused by temperature and concentration differences) tend to remix the compounds during separation on Earth. RAMSES will allow researchers to escape these limits by taking advantage of the reduction of gravity-induced phenomena in space. The basis of the electrophoresis separation process is complex. Biological molecules in a fluid carry electric charges. Each type of molecule moves within an electric field at different speeds depending on its charge polarity, size and shape. For example, a molecule that is very negative will feel greater attractive and repulsive forces from the electric field than a slightly negative particle. Consequently, it will move more quickly than the molecule possessing less charge. The fluid in which the particles are suspended also plays a role in this process. The viscosity of the fluid or carrier solution hinders the forward movement of large molecules. With the virtual absence of convection and sedimentation in microgravity, other important phenomena normally masked by gravity come into play, affecting the separation of molecules. Scientists are particularly interested in these electro-hydrodynamic effects. These are rotating movements of the liquid that are produced by the electric field. Hardware and Operations: RAMSES is a continuous flow electrophoresis unit, meaning the biological sample to be purified is continuously injected into a carrier solution flowing up the length of a transparent separation chamber. An adjustable electric field is applied across the flow, causing the differently charged components to diverge into a wide beam consisting of separate streams. The separated streams of molecules pass through 40 outlets into collection tubes. A light absorption instrument, called a photometer, monitors the process. When it detects a significant concentration of biological material in the outlet flow, crew members will recover those collection tubes which, after storage in a refrigerator, will be returned for analysis. Otherwise the flow is diverted to a waste tank. Separation parameters -- flow rates, electric field strengths and carrier fluid temperature -- can be altered to study a wide range of conditions. This will allow the optimum separation conditions to be determined. Crewmembers can monitor the separation experiments and photograph them through a transparent window in the instrument front panel. A specialized light source provides a "sheet" of illumination across the separation chamber, producing a cross-sectional view of the sample flow behavior. The RAMSES Control Command and Acquisition System directs the operation of the complete system. It provides the user interface, acquires and stores experiment data, and provides connections with the science team on the ground. Crew members can also make adjustments. The crew will be responsible for setting up operations, monitoring the separation process and the photometer which indicates the collection tubes that are gathering the highest quality samples. These are the samples that will be returned to scientists on the ground for further research. Optimization of Protein Separation Experiment Facility: RAMSES Principal Investigator: Dr. Victor Sanchez National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) Chemical Engineering Laboratory University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France Objective: This investigation will use a unique process to separate protein solutions into individual components using an electric field. The process is called electrophoresis. Solutions of proteins will be purified by separating them into several streams, each one containing proteins of only one kind. Just one milligram (a thirty thousandth of an ounce) of protein purified for use in pharmaceuticals can be very expensive. Performing this purification in the absence of gravity may allow scientists to gather purer protein in larger quantities than is possible on Earth. Two series of experiments will be conducted to evaluate the degree of protein purification that is possible in microgravity. Three samples each contain two pure proteins that have been mixed together. This will allow the process to be tested with well-known products. Three other samples contain a great number of proteins extracted from a bacterial culture. Here most of the proteins are unidentified, and scientists are interested in how these solutions will separate. Another objective is to test whether the biological activity remains intact in the purified product. Science: A protein molecule is a complex structure that has an electric charge. Each type of protein moves at a different rate across the chamber when exposed to an electric field. Therefore, when a solution of protein molecules is passed through a separation chamber, the molecules will move away from the side with the same charge toward the opposite-charged side of the field. The particles will separate and fan out into an array of bands as they flow through the chamber. At the outlet they can be collected for further research. The principal investigator's team hopes to study a three-fold combination of effects: % how the separation process is affected by the strength of the electric field and by the length of time spent traveling through it % how the protein molecules interact with ions and molecules of the carrier solution % electro-hydrodynamics, a rotating movement of the carrier liquid caused by disturbances in the electric field due to the presence of the protein. Significance: Tomorrow's pharmaceuticals will be developed using proteins produced by biotechnology. Therefore, scientists require a precise knowledge of protein structure. To obtain this, highly purified protein molecules are necessary in sufficient quantity to allow protein crystals to be formed. Working in microgravity eliminates buoyancy forces, allowing scientists to use more highly concentrated protein solutions, higher electric field strengths and slower carrier flow rates for longer separation times. Background: IML-2 scientists will build on past progress with continuous flow electrophoresis operations in microgravity by studying a variety of biological materials and further characterizing this type of processing and the operating conditions that affect it. Investigations into electrophoresis for separating biological materials began in the 1950s. McDonnell Douglas Corp. conducted several experiments onboard the Space Shuttle during the 1980s. This French team of investigators became interested in this process in the mid- 1980s. Operations: In continuous-flow electrophoresis, a stream of carrier solution flows through a thin, rectangular chamber. When a protein mixture is injected into this flowing solution, it moves with the flow and an electric field causes the proteins to move apart across the width of the chamber. A direct current field is used here to keep the proteins always moving in the same direction. A photometer (measuring light absorption) will be used during operation for measuring protein concentrations in the 40 samples. A crew member will refrigerate the samples with the highest protein concentrations, which will be returned for post flight analysis. The first sample to be treated will contain two colored proteins. These are easily separated and will be processed under the same conditions as on Earth. This will demonstrate that the instrument is operating correctly on its maiden flight. This instrument can treat up to one milligram of protein per hour, which is considered a large amount of matter. Electrohydrodynamic Sample Distortion Experiment Facility: RAMSES Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Snyder NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala. Objective: This experiment focuses specifically on electro- hydrodynamics. This is the movement of liquid driven by an electric field. In this case, the movement will be made apparent by the use of a suspension of latex particles in liquid. Scientists will examine how the shape of a stream of particles is modified by an electric field. Electro-hydrodynamic effects are more easily observed in the absence of gravity, where convection caused by buoyancy is virtually eliminated. Sedimentation, the settling and separation of heavier elements from lighter ones, also is greatly reduced. The principal investigator's team plans to stop the flow of a carrier liquid and immobilize the stream of latex particles. On Earth, the particles would immediately settle to the bottom of the chamber. In microgravity, the originally cylindrical stream of particles should be deformed by the electric force without interference from any other movement. Significance: Continuous-flow electrophoresis is a process that allows protein mixtures, or living cell populations, to be separated into batches of highly purified products in sufficient quantity for them to be used in other processes, such as protein crystallization. However, before highly concentrated samples can be processed on a large scale, the factors governing electrophoresis must be more fully understood. One is the electro-hydrodynamic spreading of a sample stream in electrophoresis, resulting in remixing of the components that are meant to be separated, thus harming the purity of the product. Improved understanding of the physics underlying electro-hydrodynamics will help scientists better control this phenomenon and thereby improve the separation in electrophoresis. Microgravity allows highly concentrated samples to be used and observations to be made even when the carrier flow is entirely stopped. Science: Latex particles are bigger and less complex in structure than protein molecules so they are easier to study. Like proteins, the latex particles retain a positive or negative charge. This means that they also can be influenced by an electric field. The electric field around a stream of latex particles can be distorted either by varying differences in electrical conductivity or by using differences in dielectric constant. The manipulation of electrical conductivity in the liquid results in local areas through which electric current passes more easily, and areas of greater opposition to current flow. The result is a non-uniform field in the liquid. The dielectric constant involves the way in which molecules or particles tend to be oriented by an electric field. A non-uniform field causes the liquid in and around the latex-particle stream to rotate, showing up as a change in shape of the stream of particles. Background: Electro-hydrodynamic effects such as these were originally observed in the 1960s. Previous continuous-flow electrophoresis experiments exhibited electro-hydrodynamic spreading of the sample stream when electrical properties (such as conductivity and dielectric constant) of the sample stream were not the same as those of the carrier solution. Operations: Two different samples will be used to study the effect of varying the latex-particle concentration. The suspension of latex particles will be injected into a carrier solution flowing through the separation chamber of the RAMSES electrophoresis unit. The first part of this experiment uses AC fields, in which the positive and negative poles of the field are rapidly switching. The latex particles should not exhibit any net movement, allowing the electro-hydrodynamic effect itself to be observed. As the solution flows through the chamber it should widen into a continuous ribbon of latex particles. A thin sheet of light will illuminate a cross-section of this ribbon so that a crew member may view and photograph any distortions to the flow of latex particles. Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility Payload Developer: European Space Agency Objective: Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) research has two objectives: to provide difficult-to-produce, biologically important protein crystals for analysis, and to determine the physical mechanisms that govern protein crystal growth. It is the first space facility ever designed to use three different protein crystal growth techniques. Significance: Proteins are complex molecules responsible for a great many biochemical functions essential to life on Earth. Scientists strive to determine the structure and function of proteins to better understand living systems and to develop medicines. For example, the pharmaceutical industry uses structural information to design drugs which bind to a specific protein, blocking chemically active sites. Such a drug fits a protein like a key in a lock to "turn off" the protein's activity, thus regulating metabolic processes. The three-dimensional structures of proteins are determined by X-ray analysis of protein crystals. However, many proteins that interest medical researchers have not produced crystals of adequate size and quality to allow X-ray data to be collected. Crystals grown in space, where they are virtually free from the distortions of gravity, often provide better structural information than their counterparts grown on Earth. Hardware: The Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility is a fully autonomous facility except that it requires electrical power from the Shuttle and activation by a crew member when orbit is reached. Temperature control, any value between 4 and 25 degrees C is possible, activation/deactivation of the protein growth chambers, monitoring of basic housekeeping parameters, video image taking and recording of all data on a digital tape recorder are performed under control of a microprocessor. Two experiment units exist, each of which occupies one Shuttle mid-deck locker. For IML-2, both units will be held at a constant temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20!C). Each unit can accommodate 48 modular protein crystal growth chambers, 12 of which can be observed with a high- resolution, black and white video camera. Chambers for each of the three crystallization techniques are available in different volumes. All types and volumes of chambers are interchangeable within the units, so researchers can choose the best combination for their particular studies. The three protein crystallization techniques available to users of the facility are: Vapor diffusion: The protein is suspended as a drop at the end of a syringe tip in a chamber surrounded by material soaked in a concentrated precipitation agent. As water migrates from the protein solution to the precipitant solution, the concentration of protein within the drop increases. Eventually, it supersaturates, and crystal growth begins. Liquid-liquid diffusion: The protein solution, a buffer solution, and a precipitant solution are initially separated by shutters. When the shutters are removed, the precipitant diffuses through the central buffer solution into the protein solution, causing the protein to become less soluble and initiating crystal growth. Dialysis: The protein solution is separated from a reservoir of precipitating agent by a thin membrane of material that allows passage of some substances while blocking others. The precipitant moves across the membrane into the protein solution, initiating crystal development. Operations: The crew activates the Protein Crystallization Facility after reaching orbit, monitors the facility as it operates, and deactivates the equipment when experiments end. No data are transmitted to the ground during the mission. Crystal growth begins by causing a protein solution to "supersaturate," a condition where more protein is present than can remain dissolved within a volume of fluid. As a result of this supersaturation, the protein crystals precipitate out of solution and begin to grow. Video images will be made of crystals as they form. After the mission, the approximately 5,000 images will allow investigators to study the history of crystal development in microgravity. Background: This experiment facility was developed by the European Space Agency. It has flown once before, on the Spacehab-1 mission (STS-57) in 1993. Principal Investigator Proposed Protein(s) Method N. Chayen/P. Zagalsky alpha Crystacyanine vapor Great Britain diffusion A. Ducruix/M. Ries Collagenase vapor diffusion CNRS Laboratory of Rhodobacter Spheroides liquid- Crystallography liquid Gif sur Yvette, France diffusion V. Erdmann/S. Lorenz RNA vapor Free University of Berlin diffusion Berlin, Germany dialysis R. Gieg/A. Thobald Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetase vapor CNRS Institute of Molecular diffusion and Cellular Biology dialysis Strasbourg, France W. deGrip/J.V. Oostrum Rhodopsin vapor University of Njimegen diffusion Nijmegen, The Netherlands J. Helliwell/E. Snell Lysosyme dialysis University of Manchester (collaboration with Sj lin) Manchester, England J. Martial/L. Wyns Octarellin vapor Belgium Copperoxalate diffusion liquid- liquid diffusion, dialysis A. McPherson/S. Koszelak Satellite Tomacco Mosaic Virus liquid- U. of California at Riverside Satellite Panicum Mosaic Virus liquid Riverside, California Cucumber Mosaic Virus diffusion Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus L. Sj lin Ribonuclease S vapor Chalmers U. of Technology (collaboration with Helliwell) diffusion G etborg, Sweden G. Wagner Bacteriorhodopsin dialysis Justus-Liebig U. of Giessen Giessen, Germany Principal Investigator Proposed Protein(s) Method A. Yonath/H. Hansen Haloarcula marismortui vapor Max-Planck-Laboratory for 50S diffusion Ribosomal Structure Hamburg, Germany F. Jurnak Pectate lyase liquid- U. of California at Riverside liquid Riverside, California diffusion M. Garavito OmpF porin liquid- University of Chicago liquid Chicago, Illinois diffusion K. Ward Aequorin liquid- Naval Research Laboratory Phosphoilpase A1 liquid Green fluorescent protein diffusion H. Einspahr Cytochrome c (tuna) liquid- Bristol-Meyers-Squibb liquid diffusion P. Weber Alpha-thrombin (human) liquid- DuPont liquid diffusion Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit Developed by the ESA Objective: Subtle aspects of fluid physics, normally hidden by the effects of Earth's gravity, will be investigated in microgravity with the Bubble, Drop and Particle Unit, developed by the European Space Agency. Researchers will study fluid behaviors and interactions such as bubble growth, evaporation, condensation, thermocapillary flows (fluid motions generated by temperature differences along the surfaces of liquids). Such phenomena are difficult to observe on Earth because their effects are masked by gravity-induced fluid movements. Science: Our intuitive expectations of how fluids (liquids or gases) normally behave are based on their actions under the influence of gravity. For example, hot air rises because it is less dense than cooler air, and gravity's pull similarly induces convection -- flows within a fluid caused by density differences. Muddy water will clear when left standing because gravity also causes sedimentation (the separation and settling of heavier elements from lighter ones) of soil particles suspended within the water. In a microgravity environment, such gravity-driven convective flows are minimized, and other more subtle fluid movements, such as thermocapillary flows, can be observed. The flows become the main mechanism of heat transfer within fluids. Suspended particles, bubbles and liquid drops behave differently in microgravity. For example, drops of liquid become spherical, instead of teardrop, as their shape becomes dominated by surface tension effects instead of gravity. Significance: Results may be used to improve the design of spacecraft life support and fuel management systems as well as materials processing both on Earth and in space. The behavior of fluids is at the heart of many phenomena in materials processing, biotechnology and combustion science. Surface tension-driven flows (fluid flow from hot regions to cold) affect semiconductor crystal growth, welding and the spread of flames on liquids. The dynamics of liquid drops are an important aspect of chemical process technologies and in meteorology. Hardware: Crew members will exchange interchangeable experiment test containers with dedicated fluid cells located in the Bubble Drop and Particle Unit. The fluid cells can incorporate mechanical or acoustic stirrers for fluid mixing, injectors for bubbles or droplets, and heating and cooling elements to impose temperature differences within the fluid. Modular optics components support several different diagnostic techniques, including Schlieren (shadowgraph), interferometric and infrared imaging. The sample can be illuminated using fluorescent lamps, or a Helium-Neon laser. Experiments are automatically controlled by a microprocessor. Investigators on the ground can monitor the processing of their experiments and can change parameters. Crew members can also adjust and modify conditions. Cameras and sensors will observe and record temperature, density, position and interactions within the liquid-filled test cells. Bubble Migration, Coalescence and Interaction with Melting and Solidification Fronts Experiment Facility: BDPU Principal Investigator: Dr. Rodolfo Monti University of Naples Naples, Italy Objective: Bubbles form as molten alloys, crystals and glasses begin to solidify both on Earth and in microgravity. Scientists are interested in why these bubbles are not uniformly distributed within the metal, whether processed on Earth or in space. This investigation will use a transparent material to observe the movement of bubbles at the liquid-solid interface as the material first melts, then solidifies. It also will study how drops of liquid behave when exposed to a temperature gradient and interact with the solidification front -- the moving boundary where a molten substance is crystallizing into solid. Significance: This research is significant for improving techniques for material processing in space. It is important to learn how to control the movement of bubbles in a material during phase changes, such as from liquid to solid. Scientists are interested in knowing how to solidify materials, both with the bubbles included and excluded from the substance. These findings have potential applicability for industries in areas such as the production of crystals in electronic devices. Another area of industrial interest is refining the capability to disperse one material into another with extremely high uniformity by controlling the Marangoni migration of inclusions in melts. This is the movement of bubbles or drops driven by surface forces when a liquid's surface tension is affected by heat, in the form of a temperature gradient. Science: On Earth, gravity-induced convection and buoyancy alter processes that would benefit from gravity- and disturbance-free conditions. This experiment will allow scientists to observe bubble movement and the interaction with the solidification front in the absence of gravity with bubble- drop dimensions not achievable on the ground. Operations: The test sample will be a solid piece of tetracosane, a transparent material that melts at a low temperature. The material sample includes pre-formed bubbles of different sizes. The tetracosane will be heated above its melting point 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius). As the melting front reaches each bubble, the bubble will be released and is expected to migrate toward the hot side of the liquid, away from the melting front. The locations, dimensions and movement of the bubbles released by the melting front will be recorded. Other characteristics of the migration will be studied and documented. Thermocapillary Migration and Interactions of Bubbles and Drops Experiment Facility: BDPU Principal Investigator: Dr. R. Shankar Subramanian Clarkson University Potsdam, NY Objective: This experiment will study the movement and shape of gas bubbles and liquid drops in silicone oil when a temperature gradient is established within the container. The bubbles are expected to move from a position near the cold wall toward the hot wall. The gas bubbles and liquid drops will have a range of diameters and densities. Significance: Bubbles and drops are encountered in various materials processes, such as solidification and preparation of composite materials. Also, for long-duration space voyages, recycling of waste material will be essential, and separation processes used for this purpose may involve bubbles and drops. Therefore, it is important to understand the motion of bubbles and drops and to learn to manipulate them under low-gravity conditions where buoyancy is negligible. Science: Bubbles do not behave in space like they do on Earth. By managing bubbles and drops and measuring how fast they move because of a temperature difference, scientists may be able to predict various engineering applications and hardware designs. This heating and cooling simulates the melting and solidification of metals and other basic scientific principles used in other experiments. The investigator's team will study how fast the bubbles move, their size and shape. These data will be compared with mathematical predictions. Operations: A series of experiments, each lasting about four hours, will be conducted. Before each series, a temperature gradient will be established in the container. Thereafter bubbles and drops will be injected into a small rectangular cell filled with a fluid. Approximately six bubbles (or drops) will be injected in sequence. Their motion will be monitored on the ground via video. Then, the bubbles or drops will be extracted through an extraction net, in preparation for the next series of runs. Results from the experiments will be compared with predictions from theoretical models. Temperature control and bubble/drop injection can be performed automatically and under control of the investigator on the ground or by an IML-2 crew member. Bubble Behavior Under Low Gravity Experiment Facility: BDPU Principal Investigator: Dr. Antonio Viviani Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli (SUN) Aversa, Italy Objective: This experiment investigates how different size bubbles of inert gas move within a liquid. The liquid, n- heptanol, will be subjected to an uneven temperature distribution. The membrane encasing the gas bubble will react to the temperature variation within the liquid. The membrane toward the colder temperatures contracts -- a result dependent on a surface tension change on that portion of the membrane -- causing the bubble to move. The motion of the bubbles is driven by variations in the surface tension, which are induced by temperature differences along the interface (thermocapillary effect), between the liquid and the bubble. This particular kind of liquid permits measurement of an unusual, non-linear temperature-dependent surface tension. The fluid region where surface tension is at a minimum is of great interest. Science: This phenomenon can be illustrated with an analogy. Soiled clothes are washed in hot water which relaxes the surface tension of the cloth fibers permitting the dirt to be extracted. This investigation will use temperature differences and thermodynamic principles to move and extract bubbles. Scientists also want to determine if higher temperatures will cause bubbles in molten glass to migrate to an exterior surface so they can be eliminated. Significance: Earth's gravitational field acts on density differences between air and liquid, making buoyancy forces predominant. In the absence of gravity, density is eliminated and only the effects of surface tension are observed. The effects of this phenomenon on Earth are masked by buoyancy. In space, scientists can observe how bubble movement is affected solely by surface tension to gain a better understanding of the role surface tension plays on Earth. Operations: Bubbles of inert gas will be injected into the liquid n-heptanol under a temperature gradient. Investigators will determine the non-uniform velocity of the injected bubbles for different temperature ranges. They want to observe the behavior of the bubbles when they reach the center of the container where the surface tension will be at a minimum and the bubbles are expected to stop. The experiment will be repeated with several bubbles of varying size. The temperatures of the chamber walls will be varied. Sometimes the bubbles will move toward the hotter chamber wall. At other times they will move toward the cold wall. The investigators also plan to inject two bubbles to observe what happens when they come together. Images of the bubble migration will be recorded and sent to investigators on the ground. The experiment sequence is three-fold: establish optimal temperature conditions, inject bubbles, and extract the bubbles using a net mechanism. Interfacial Phenomena in a Multilayered Fluid System Experiment Facility: BDPU Principal Investigator: Dr. Jean N. Koster University of Colorado Boulder, Colo. Objective: Even in everyday life, we frequently observe that some fluids, such as oil and water, do not mix. Instead, they form layers when placed in the same container. This investigation is designed to study what is happening at the place where the immiscible liquid molecules touch each other, called the liquid-liquid interface, when temperature-driven fluid motion is generated at the contact surface. The experiment will be conducted using a multilayered immiscible fluid system. Science: Studying interface forces in low gravity will provide new and fundamental insight into a complex field of fluid physics that cannot be studied on the ground. Earth's gravity causes liquids to move convectively upward and downward when a temperature difference is generated across the surface of a liquid. So, in order to isolate and study fluid motion caused by temperature variations along the surfaces of fluids (thermocapillary motion), it is necessary to escape gravity's effects. The interface tension-driven flow where the molecules of the different liquids interact is a complex process. An industrial interest in this process developed when investigators became interested in liquid-encapsulated crystal growth, where one liquid is processed while enveloped in another liquid. For example, gallium arsenide, a useful semiconductor material, has been grown using a liquid encapsulation technique to keep the arsenide, a toxic substance, from escaping. Significance: This experiment will help scientists to better understand thermocapillary fluid physics. Physicists wanted a crystal growth furnace where the heating would not create convective flows, especially time-dependent flows, in the molten metal. Scientists believe this type of furnace, with liquid encapsulated electronic melt, could improve crystal growth in microgravity by reducing or eliminating the thermocapillary motion in electronic material. Findings from this experiment will benefit research in other areas, including environmental science, geology, advanced aerospace materials development and future space power systems. - Environmental scientists are interested in learning about the interaction between oil and the water it is floating on. Understanding immiscible fluid flows is of value for cleaning up environmental water pollution caused by oil spills. - An interesting geological application will use this knowledge to study the Earth's mantle. Two convecting, adjacent layers have an interface that physically behaves in the same manner. Computer models are used to examine tectonic movement. Operations: A special test container was developed for this experiment and that of Dr. Legros. Three fluids which do not mix are used to establish two liquid-liquid interfaces in this three-layer system composed of fluorinert, silicone oil and fluorinert. Until the experiment is begun on orbit, the three fluid layers are separated by two metal curtains in the container. At the initiation of the experiment these curtains will be retracted. Using temperature variations, fluid motions are initiated at the two liquid-liquid interfaces, such that motion at one interface competes with the other. Temperature- driven flow throughout all three fluid layers will be visualized using tracers inside the liquid. Scientists on the ground will observe the behavior of the interfaces. For example, they will be able to study the interdependent interactions between the individual layers due to temperature gradients. These data will be compared with computer model results and will subsequently help validate the mathematical models. Findings will provide a better understanding of the underlying physics involved in these processes. Thermocapillary Instability in a Three-Layer System Experiment Facility: BDPU Principal Investigator: Dr. Jean-Claude Legros Free University of Brussels Brussels, Belgium Objective: Surface-tension forces within three layers of fluids will be stud