ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr) (06/07/91)
STS-40 POCC STATUS REPORT 6 p.m. CDT June 5, 1991 After a one hour, 24 minute delay due to marginal weather, Columbia was launched today on shuttle mission STS-40 with the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 module in the payload bay, the 41st shuttle launch. Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1) is the first dedicated life sciences Shuttle mission. The objective is to carry out a comprehensive interrelated set of experiments aimed at understanding the physiological responses of humans exposed to microgravity. Studies will be carried out over the next nine days that will investigate the changes that occur to the cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary systems, the renal/endocrine systems, the musculoskeletal system, the neurovestibular system, the immune system, as well as the various components of the blood. Science activities today began while the orbiter was still on the launch pad, with readings being taken from a catheter with which Mission Specialist Drew Gaffney was instrumented. The indwelling catheter measures some of the important cardiovascular and fluid shift changes experienced. Data also was gathered soon after launch with the earliest measurements of changes in leg volume due to fluid shifts as well as blood sample and urine sample collections. In addition, payload crew members were injected with chemical tracers that will help track certain changes in kidney function. Three hours and 44 minutes after launch, the first crew member entered the Spacelab module to begin preparing for remaining activities. Those included echocardiography measurements to obtain ultrasound images of the heart, an immunology experiment aimed at looking at how well lymphocytes, white blood cells, function in microgravity. -- Eric Behr, Illinois State University, Mathematics Department Internet: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Bitnet: ebehr@ilstu