STS-90 Day 10 Highlights

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On Sunday, April 26, 1998, 6:00 a.m. CDT, STS-90 MCC Status Report # 19 reports:

Columbia's astronauts were awakened at 5:29 a.m. Central time this morning to the sound of "Every Breath You Take" by the Police to begin their tenth day of research work in the Spacelab science module.

This will be a relatively light day of scientific activity on board Columbia. The science crew of Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Dave Williams, along with Payload Specialists Jay Buckey and Jim Pawelczyk, will continue investigations into how the human nervous system adapts to the weightlessness of space. All four will serve as subjects in a vestibular experiment that uses an on-board rotating chair. The Visual and Vestibular Integration System (VVIS) correlates eye movements with balance. Developed by the European Space Agency, the chair stimulates the human balance system with both spinning and tilting sensations. Infrared video cameras observe and capture the eye movements that accompany the exercise.

Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss and Pilot Scott Altman will take turns operating the Portable In-Flight Landing Operations Trainer (PILOT), a laptop computer and joystick system that allows them to simulate approaches and landings to the Kennedy Space Center.to maintain their piloting skills.

Mission Specialist Dave Williams will take time from his scientific work to chat with the British Broadcasting System's Wales Network at 9:34 a.m. Central time The interview will focus on the progress of Williams' research in this, his first flight in space. Williams is of Welsh ancestry.

About 2 p.m., the astronauts are scheduled to begin four hours of off-duty time to relax and enjoy the sights from orbit. They will begin their eight-hour sleep period at 9:09 tonight.

Columbia remains in a 153 x 133 nautical mile orbit, circling the Earth every 90 minutes. The shuttles prime carbon dioxide cleansing system, known as the Regenerative Carbon Dioxide Removal System, or RCRS, is in perfect working order after being brought back on line late yesterday following the repair of a leaking valve.

The next STS-90 status report will be issued about 6 p.m. Sunday or as events warrant.

On Sunday, April 26, 1998, 6:00 p.m. CDT, STS-90 MCC Status Report # 20 reports:

Columbia's seven-member crew took a break from scientific activity today to enjoy a relaxing afternoon with four hours of scheduled off-duty time.

Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the science crew Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Dave Williams and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey and Jim Pawelczyk continued to support the Visual and Vestibular Integration System (VVIS) investigation. Investigators are studying the correlation between eye movement and the inner ear as the astronauts each took a turn in the rotating chair. Researchers hope to better understand how the balance organs in the ear, and all the connections they make to the eyes, brain and muscles, adapt to the microgravity environment.

Mission Specialist Kay Hire also spent time with an investigation that evaluates an astronauts eye-hand coordination during various phases of the mission. Wearing a special glove with light-emitting diodes, Hire tracked a variety of targets projected on a screen. Researchers can study the track created by the diodes to determine any changes in performance and evaluate how the astronauts are adapting to space.

Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss and Pilot Scott Altman practiced with the Portable In-Flight Landing Operations Trainer (PILOT), a laptop computer and joystick system that allows them to simulate approaches and landings to the Kennedy Space Center.to maintain their piloting skills.

Searfoss and Williams took time from their activities this morning to talk with the British Broadcasting Systems Wales Network. The interview focused on the progress of the mission and Williams and Searfoss Welsh ancestry.

The crew will begin its scheduled sleep period at 9:09 p.m. central time today, receiving a wake-up call from Mission Control about 5 a.m. Monday to begin Flight Day 11. Columbia remains in a 153 x 133 nautical mile orbit, circling the Earth every 90 minutes.

The next STS-90 status report will be issued at about 6 a.m. Monday or as events warrant.

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