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