ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr) (06/07/91)
MISSION STATUS REPORT, THURSDAY, JUNE 6 11:30 A.M. CDT Columbia's crew was awakened at 4:20 a.m. CDT to Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and immediately began participating in experiments in support of the Spacelab Life Sciences mission. Blood samples were taken from each of the payload crewmembers Rhea Seddon, Jim Bagian, Drew Gaffney and Millie Hughes- Fulford. They also participated in an experiment testing respiratory functions. Orbiter crewmembers Bryan O'Connor, Sid Gutierrez and Tammy Jernigan, continue to monitor systems of Columbia with no problems being tracked. Jernigan is also assisting the payload crewmembers in the Spacelab and activating middeck experiments. Early in the day, a small drop in cabin pressure was noticed during operation of the Waste Containment System and O'Connor was asked to cycle the WCS while the environmental consumables officer monitored systems for any excessive loss of cabin atmosphere. None was seen and the WCS is functioning normally. Following discovery of a short length of environmental seal out of place after payload bay door opening, the engineering community has formed a team to determine any safety issues associated with closing the payload bay doors for landing. Possible options include examining whether the seal would move away from the latch mechanisms when the doors closed or whether a spacewalk would be required to put the seal back in place or remove it completely. The primary safety concern is the possibility of the seal binding in the latch assemblies at time of door closure. The unseated seal was discovered when remotely operated payload bay cameras surveyed the payload bay shortly after Columbia reached orbit. A thermal insulation blanket also was seen to have popped loose from the aft bulkhead, but it poses no safety problem. -- Eric Behr, Illinois State University, Mathematics Department Internet: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Bitnet: ebehr@ilstu