yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (05/07/91)
neurovestibular and hematopoietic. Seven of the investigations will use laboratory rats as subjects. A gravitational biology experiment will study jellyfish development and behavior. Ames Research Center also has developed several pieces of flight hardware to support these experiments. The Ames payload consists of a research animal holding facility (RAHF), two animal enclosure modules (AEMs), a general purpose work station and associated general purpose transfer unit, a refrigerator/incubator module, a small mass measuring instrument and eight animal experiments. A brief description of each of those experiments follows. Regulation of Erythropoiesis During Space Flight Principal Investigator: Robert D. Lange, M.D. University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville, Tenn. Regulation of Blood Volume During Space Flight Principal Investigator: Clarence Alfrey, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas This combined investigation will explore the mechanisms for changes seen in red blood cell mass and blood volume in crews on previous space flights. Several factors known to affect erythropoiesis will be examined. It also will determine whether comparable changes occur in the rat and if the rat is a satisfactory model for studying microgravity-induced changes in human blood. Previous space flight crews have consistently exhibited decreased red blood cell mass and plasma volume. The mechanisms responsible for these changes are not known, although a decrease in red blood cell production may play a role in altered red cell mass. The SLS-1 hematology experiments will study two parts of the blood system: the liquid portion (plasma), which contains water, proteins, nutrients, electrolytes, hormones and metabolic wastes and a cellular portion, which contains red and white blood cells and platelets. Bone, Calcium and Space Flight Principal Investigator: Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D. NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif. Weightlessness causes a slow loss of calcium and phosphorus from the bones during and immediately following space flight. Negative calcium balance, decreased bone density and inhibition of bone formation have been reported. Most of the loss is thought to occur in the leg bones and the spine, which are responsible for movement and erect posture. Previous studies of rodents exposed to microgravity have shown decreased skeletal growth early in the mission; reduced concentrations of a protein secreted by bone-forming cells, suggesting a reduction in the activity of these cells; and reduced leg bone breaking strength and reduced bone mass in the spine. Formation of bone probably does not cease abruptly, but more likely decreases gradually as the number and/or activity of bone- forming cells decreases. This experiment will allow more precise calculation of the length of flight time required to significantly inhibit bone formation in rats. Dr. Morey-Holton's experiment focuses on growth that occurs in a number of specific bones such as the leg, spine and jaw. The study also will document alterations in bone growth patterns and bone-breaking strength in rodents exposed to weightlessness and it will determine whether bone formation returns to normal levels after space flight. A Study of the Effects of Space Travel on Mammalian Gravity Receptors Principal Investigator: Muriel Ross, Ph.D. NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif. The neurovestibular system, which helps animals orient their bodies, is very sensitive to gravity. In space, gravity no longer influences the tiny otolith crystals, which are small, calcified gravity receptors in the inner ear. In micro-gravity, information sent to the brain from the inner ear and other sensory organs may conflict with cues anticipated from past experiences in Earth's normal gravity field. This conflict results in disorientation. Previous flight experience has shown that vestibular symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and dizziness and instability when standing, occur in more than half of the astronauts during the first few days of flight, with some symptoms lasting for up to 10 days post-flight. This study investigates structural changes that may occur within the inner ear in response to the microgravity of space. It seeks to define the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the otoliths. Scientists suspect that otolith degeneration may occur as a result of changes in the body's calcium levels, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, body fluid distribution and hormone secretions. The study also will examine the degree to which any changes noted remain static, progress or recover during a 7-day period post-flight. Effects of Microgravity-Induced Weightlessness on Aurelia Ephyra Differentiation and Statolith Synthesis Principal Investigator: Dorothy B. Spangenberg, Ph.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk, Va. Jellyfish are among the simplest organisms possessing a nervous system. They use structures called rhopalia to maintain their correct orientation in water. Rhopalia have statoliths that are analogous to mammalian otoliths, the gravity-sensing organs of the inner ear that help mammals maintain balance. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the role microgravity plays in the development and function of gravity- receptor structures of Aurelia (a type of jellyfish). Ephyrae are a tiny form of the jellyfish. This experiment will study the gravity receptors of ephyrae to determine how microgravity influences their development and function, as well as the animals' swimming behavior. Skeletal Myosin Isoenzymes in Rats Exposed to Microgravity Principal Investigator: Joseph Foon Yoong Hoh, Ph.D. University of Sydney Sydney, Australia Skeletal muscle fibers exist in two forms, classified as slow- twitch or fast-twitch, depending on how fast they contract. The two forms develop similar forces when contracting but they contract at different speeds. The speed of contraction is directly related to the amount of the protein myosin in muscle fibers. Myosin is made up of five isoenzymes, which differ in structure and in enzyme activity. In Earth's gravity, a low-firing frequency stimulates the slow- twitch fibers, which support a body against gravity. The fast- twitch fibers, which are related to body movement, contract in response to high-frequency nerve impulses. This study will examine how microgravity affects the speed of muscle contractions. Because stimuli to the slow-twitch anti- gravity muscles should be greatly reduced in microgravity, the concentration of myosin isoenzymes in these fibers should be lower. This experiment should provide additional data to help explain how microgravity affects the speed of muscle contractions and the growth and proliferation of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. Effects of Microgravity on Biochemical and Metabolic Properties of Skeletal Muscle in Rats Principal Investigator: Kenneth M. Baldwin, Ph.D. University of California Irvine, Calif. It has been proposed that a loss of muscle mass in astronauts during weightlessness produces the observed loss of strength and endurance, particularly in the anti-gravity muscles. One explanation is that exposure to microgravity results in the removal of sufficient stress or tension on the muscles to maintain adequate levels of certain proteins and enzymes. These proteins and enzymes enable cells to use oxygen to convert nutrients into energy. When gravitational stress is reduced, protein activity also decreases and muscles become more dependent on glycogen stored in the liver and muscles for energy. As the body metabolizes glycogen, muscle endurance decreases. Radioactive carbon compounds will be used to evaluate energy metabolism in the hind leg muscles of the rats exposed to microgravity. The concentration of the enzymes reflects the kind of metabolic activity occurring in muscles during periods of reduced gravitational stress. In addition, skeletal muscle cells of flight and ground-control animals will be compared to assess any changes in the concentration of enzymes that break down glycogen. The Effects of Microgravity on the Electron Microscopy, Histochemistry and Protease Activities of Rat Hindlimb Muscles Principal Investigator: Danny A. Riley, Ph.D. Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wis. The anti-gravity skeletal muscles of astronauts exposed to microgravity for extended periods exhibit progressive weakness. Studies of rodents flown in space for 7 days on a previous mission have shown a 40 percent loss of mass in the anti-gravity leg muscles. Other studies indicate the loss of strength may result from simple muscle fiber shrinkage, death of muscle cells and/or degeneration of motor innervation. In addition, the biochemical process that generates energy in muscle cells was almost totally absent. The progressive atrophy of certain muscles in microgravity is the focus of this study, which compares the atrophy rates of muscles used primarily to oppose gravity with those muscles used for movement. Investigators will examine muscle tissues of flight and ground- control rodents to look for the shrinkage or death of muscle cells, breakdown of muscle fibers or degeneration of motor nerves. Scientists also hope to discover the chemical basis for atrophy by analyzing the concentration of enzymes that facilitate the breakdown of proteins within cells. GET AWAY SPECIAL EXPERIMENTS NASA's Get Away Special (GAS) program's goal is to provide access to space to everyone by offering an inexpensive way for individuals and organizations, both private and public of all countries, to send scientific research and development experiments on board a Space Shuttle for a modest fee on a space-available basis. The GAS bridge, capable of holding a maximum of 12 canisters (or cans), fits across the payload bay of the orbiter and offers a convenient and economic way of flying several canisters simultaneously. To date, 55 GAS cans have flown on 15 missions. The GAS program began in 1982 and is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Clarke Prouty is GAS project manager and Larry Thomas is Technical liaison officer. The 12 GAS experiments on STS-40 are: (G-021) Solid State Microaccelerometer Experiment This experiment, sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), is part of ESA's In-Orbit Technology Demonstration Program, which makes use of flight opportunities available on European and American carriers to fly technology experiments. The objective of the experiment is to test a new kind of very sensitive, highly miniaturized accelerometers, intended for applications on a number of ESA space missions. Using a block of silicon material etched to create a frame with a mass suspended on two beams, the experiment was devised to subject accelerometers to known vibration stimuli while in the microgravity environment of the Shuttle orbit. As a result of the extreme sensitivity of the accelerometers, noise created by the crew or Shuttle systems could reduced the quality of the measurements. Because of this, the crew will switch on the experiment prior to a sleep period. The experiment will work autonomously and will last about 3 hours. After the sleep period, the crew will switch it off again. The payload was designed and built by two Swiss companies, Compagnie Industrielle Radioelectrique S.A. and Centre Suisse D'Elecronique et de Microtechnique S.A. The NASA technical manager (NTM) is Richard Hoffman. (G-052) Experiment in Crystal Growth This experiment was designed to grow crystals of gallium arsenide (GaAs). GaAs is a versatile electronic material used in high speed electronics and opto-electronics. The payload will grow two selenium-doped GaAs crystals. The crystals will be 1 inch in diameter by 3.5 inches long and will be grown using a gradient freeze growth technique. Growth of the two crystals in space is part of a comprehensive research program to systematically investigate the effect of gravity-driven fluid flow on GaAs crystal growth. The payload was designed and constructed at GTE Laboratories in Waltham, Mass., and is jointly sponsored by GTE, NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and the U.S. Air Force Wright Research and Development Center Materials Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio. Scientists from each research institution will contribute to characterization of the space-grown crystals. The NTM is Dave Peters. (G-091) Orbital Ball Bearing Experiment A team of researchers from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) have built an experiment apparatus called the Orbital Ball Bearing Experiment (OBBFX) to test the effects of melting cylindrical metal pellets in microgravity. If successful, this experiment may produce a type of ball bearing which has never before been built. One of the goals of the OBBEX experiment is to create the world's first seamless, hollow ball bearing. The hollow characteristic of the ball can improve the service life rating of a ball bearing. This permits higher speeds and higher load applications and may reduce the friction encountered in normal operation. With faculty support, the OBBFX was designed and built as part of a senior year design project at California State University, Northridge. Funding for the experiment was provided by two Southern California companies: Moore Industries Inc., a manufacturer of industrial control systems, and Industrial Tektonics, Inc., a specialty bearing manufacturer. Additional funding was supplied by the Aerospace Corporation, The CSUN Foundation and several individuals. The NTM is Don Carson. (G-105) In-Space Commercial Processing Scientists at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will use five experiments to study possible commercial in-space processing opportunities. Those experiments and another in cosmic ray research are co-sponsored by UAH's Consortium for Materials Development in Space and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. While Columbia is in orbit, two experiment packages in the canister will process organic films and crystals that might be used in optical communications and computers. Another will electroplate metals to study special catalytic or reactory properties, or resistance to corrosion. A fourth experiment will study technology used to refine and process organic materials, such as medical samples. The fifth UAH experiment will collect cosmic ray interactions on film emulsion while also helping scientists assess materials that may be used in future massive cosmic ray detectors to be flown aboard the Shuttle or Space Station Freedom or to determine exposure to energetic particles on Earth. The sixth experiment is provided by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, a state-owned, space science museum. It will study the effects of cosmic radiation on the chromosomes and genes of a common yeast. The NTM is Larry Thomas. (G-286) Foamed Ultralight Metals The scientific aim of this payload is to demonstrate the feasibility of producing, in orbit, foams of ultralight metals for possible application as shock-absorbing panel-backing to improve the shielding of both manned and unmanned vehicles and satellites, including Space Station Freedom, against hypervelocity impacts either from micrometeroids or orbiting debris. The concept of using ultralight, reactive alloys in the space environment, where their reactivity is not an issue, offers many advantages in the engineering of large-scale space structures. Similarly, the idea of using metal foams made from such alloys as shock-absorbing backing to improve the effectiveness of satellite armor may offer substantial benefits in the design of Space Station Freedom. The payload was built at Duke University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. The project was supported by Omni Magazine, which offered the canister as part of a national contest in 1983, and by the School of Engineering in subsequent years. The NTM is Don Carson. (G-405) Chemical Precipitate Formation This payload will return data concerning the formation of six insoluble inorganic chemical precipitates. The experiment will investigate the rate of formation and terminal size of precipitate particles when the growth is not impaired by settling due to gravity. The experiment is sponsored by the Frontiers of Science Foundation of Oklahoma, a private, non-profit organization established to promote science education within Oklahoma, in conjunction with Louisiana Tech University. In 1983, the foundation sponsored a contest among high school students to conceptualize an experiment which would fly aboard the Shuttle. The revisions for the payload were performed at the Louisiana Tech University, where the payload manager currently serves on the faculty in mechanical engineering. After flight and analysis of data the payload will be donated and displayed at the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum in Oklahoma City. The NTM is Larry Thomas. G-408) Five Microgravity Experiments Five student experiments from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute are included in one GAS can. One will attempt to grow large zeolite crystals. Another will study the behavior of fluids in microgravity. A third, the Environmental Data Acquisition System, will record information about sound, light, temperature and pressure within the GAS can. The fourth will measure the acceleration of the Shuttle along three axes with a high degree of precision. A fifth experiment will study the fogging of film in space. The experimental packages are sponsored by the MITRE Corp. Bedford, Mass. The NTM is Don Carson. (G-451) Flower and Vegetable Seeds Exposure to Space Sakana Seeds Corporation in Yokohama, Japan, and the Nissho Iwai American Corporation in New York, N.Y., will jointly send 19 varieties of flower and vegetable seeds into space to determine how the unknown variables of microgravity will affect seed growth. After the Shuttle lands and the seeds are recovered, the companies plan to distribute the seeds widely to amateur growers. The NTM is Herbert Foster. (G-455) Semiconductor Crystal Growth Experiment This payload was developed to investigate the potential advantages of crystal growth under microgravity. There are two experiments -- PbSnTe crystal growth from vapor and GaAs crystal growth from metallic solution. The payload is sponsored by Fujitsu Limited in Kawasaki, Japan, and Nissho Iwai Corporation in Tokyo. The NTM is David Shrewsberry. (G-507) Orbiter Stability Experiment This experiment, developed at Goddard Space Flight Center, will measure the Space Shuttle's spectrum of small angular motions (or "jitter") produced by the operation of mechanical systems, thruster firings and human motions during normal crew activity. In addition to the vibration measurements that will be made, Goddard's GAS can also carries a passive experiment to test the effects of radiation on photographic film. The experiment was developed and provided by Dr. Ernest Hammond of Morgan State University, Baltimore, Md. The NTM is Neal Barthleme. (G-616) The Effect of Cosmic Radiation on Floppy Disks & Plant Seeds Exposure to Microgravity This payload consists of two experiments. The first will investigate static computer memory (floppy disks) to determine if cosmically charged particles will produce changes in data integrity or structure. The second will look for changes in the physiology or growth of 38 different types of plant seeds. Each cultivator will be examined post-flight in comparison with samples from the same seed lot, that remained on the Earth, for a wide variety of possible effects or changes. Several of the floppy disks contain programs developed by elementary school students. In addition, a large number of plant seeds will be distributed to every elementary and junior high school student in the Redlands, Calif., Unified School District, the sponsor of the experiment. The NTM is Charles Kim. (G-486) Six Active Soldering Experiments No information on this payload was provided by the sponsor, EDSYN, Inc. of Van Nuys, Calif. The NTM is Bernard Karmilowicz. ORBITER EXPERIMENTS PROGRAM The advent of operations of the Space Shuttle orbiter provided an opportunity for researchers to perform flight experiments on a full-scale, lifting vehicle during atmospheric entry. To take advantage of this opportunity, NASA's Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology instituted the orbiter experiments (OEX) program in 1976. The OEX program provides a mechanism for flight research experiments to be developed and flown aboard a Space Shuttle orbiter. Since the program's inception, 13 experiments have been developed for flight. Principal investigators for these experiments represent NASA's Langley and Ames Research Centers, Johnson Space Center and Goddard Space Flight Center. Seven OEX experiments will be flown on STS-40. Included among this group will be six experiments conceived by Langley researchers and one experiment developed by Johnson. Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) The SEADS nosecap on the orbiter Columbia contains 14 penetration assemblies, each containing a small hole through which the nosecap surface air pressure is sensed. Measurement of the pressure levels and distribution allows post-flight determination of vehicle attitude and atmospheric density during entry. SEADS, which has flown on four previous flights of Columbia, operates in an altitude range of 300,000 feet to landing. Paul M. Siemers III, Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., is the principal investigator. Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS) The SUMS experiment complements SEADS by enabling measurement of atmospheric density above 300,000 feet. SUMS samples air through a small hole on the lower surface of the vehicle just aft of the nosecap. It uses a mass spectrometer operating as a pressure sensing device to measure atmospheric density in the high altitude, rarefied flow regime where the pressure is too low for the use of ordinary pressure sensors. The mass spectrometer, incorprated in the SUMS experiment, was spare equipment originally developed for the Viking Mars Lander. SUMS was previously flown on STS-61C and STS-35. Robert C. Blanchard and Roy J. Duckett of Langley Research Center are co-principal investigators. Both SEADS and SUMS provide entry atmospheric environmental (density) information. These data, when combined with vehicle motion data, are used to determine in-flight aerodynamic performance characteristics of the orbiter. Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP) The ACIP instrumentation includes three-axis sets of linear accelerometers, angular accelerometers and angular rate gyros, which sense the orbiter's motions during flight. ACIP provides the vehicle motion data which is used in conjunction with the SEADS environmental information for determination of aerodynamic characteristics below about 300,000 feet altitude. The ACIP has flown on all flights of orbiters Columbia and Challenger. David B. Kanipe, Johnson Space Center, Houston, is the ACIP principal investigator. High Resolution Accelerometer Package (HiRAP) This instrument is a three-axis set of highly sensitive accelerometers which measure vehicle motions during the high altitude portion (above 300,000 feet) of entry. This instrument provides the companion vehicle motion data to be used with the SUMS results. HiRAP has been flown on 12 previous missions of the orbiters Columbia and Challenger. Robert C. Blanchard, Langley Research Center, is the HiRAP principal investigator. Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) complements the ACIP and HiRAP instruments by extending the altitude range over which vehicle acceleration data can be obtained to orbital altitudes. Like the HiRAP, the OARE instrument comprises a three- axis set of extremely sensitive linear accelerometers. The OARE sensors are substantially more sensitive than the HiRAP sensors. Because of their extreme measurement sensitivity, the OARE sensors cannot be adequately calibrated on the ground (in a 1-g environment). Consequently, the sensors are mounted on a rotary calibration table which enables an accurate instrument calibration to be performed on orbit. The OARE instrument is installed for flight on a special mounting plate within the orbiter's payload bay. OARE data are recorded on the mission payload recorder. This is the first flight for the OARE instrument. Principal investigator is Robert C. Blanchard of Langley Research Center. Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing (SILTS) This experiment uses a scanning infrared radiometer located atop the vertical tail to collect infrared images of the orbiter's leeside (upper) surfaces during entry, for the purpose of measuring the temperature distribution and the aerodynamic heating environment. On two previous missions, the experiment obtained images of the left wing. For STS-35 and STS-40, the experiment has been configured to obtain images of the upper fuselage. SILTS has flown on four Columbia flights. David A. Throckmorton and E. Vincent Zoby of Langley Research Center are co-principal investigators. Aerothermal Instrumentation Package (AIP) The AIP comprises some 125 measurements of aerodynamic surface temperature and pressure at discrete locations on the upper surface of the orbiter's left wing and fuselage and the vertical tail. These sensors were originally part of the development flight instrumentation system that flew aboard Columbia during its Orbital Flight Test missions (STS-1 through 5). They have been reactivated through the use of an AIP-unique data handling system. Among other applications, the AIP data provide "ground-truth" information for the SILTS experiment. The AIP has flown on three previous Columbia flights. David A. Throckmorton, Langley Research Center, is principal investigator. STS-40 CREW BIOGRAPHIES Marine Corps Col. Bryan D. O'Connor, 44, will serve as Commander of STS-40 and will be making his second space flight. O'Connor, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. He graduated from Twentynine Palms High School in 1964, received a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 and received a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the University of West Florida in 1970. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1968 and following several overseas assignments, graduated from the Navy Test Pilot School and began duty as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center's Strike Test Directorate. He served as project pilot for various very short take off and landing (VSTOL) research aircraft, including preliminary evaluation of the YAV-88 advanced Harrier prototype. After selection as an astronaut, he served as a T-38 chase pilot for STS-3 and as spacecraft communicator for STS-5 through STS-9. He then served as pilot of Atlantis on STS-61B from Nov. 26 through Dec. 3, 1985, during which the crew deployed three communications satellites and conducted two Space Station assembly test spacewalks. O'Connor has logged more than 165 hours in space and more than 4,100 hours flying time in jet aircraft. Air Force Lt. Col. Sidney M. Gutierrez, 39, will serve as Pilot. Selected as an astronaut in 1984, Gutierrez, from Albuquerque, N.M., will be making his first space flight. Gutierrez graduated from Valley High School, Albuquerque, in 1969, received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy in 1973 and received a master of arts in management from Webster College in 1977. He was a member of the Air Force Academy collegiate parachute team while in college with a master parachutist rating and over 550 jumps. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, he was assigned as a T-38 instructor pilot from 1975-1977 at Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas. He attended the Air Force Test Pilot School in 1981 and was assigned to the F-16 Falcon Combined Test Force upon graduation, where he stayed until joining NASA. At NASA, his duties have included work in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboaratory and as the lead astronaut for Shuttle software development, verification and future requirements definition. He has logged more than 3,000 hours flying time in 30 different types of aircraft, sailplanes and balloons. James P. Bagian, M.D., 39, will serve as Mission Specialist 1 (MS1). Selected as an astronaut in 1980, Bagian is from Philadelphia, Pa., and will be making his second space flight. Bagian graduated from Central High School, Philadelphia, in 1969, received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1973 and received a doctorate of medicine from Thomas Jefferson University in 1977. Bagian worked as a mechanical engineer at the Naval Air Test Center while pursuing his doctorate. Upon graduation, he served a 1-year residency with the Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa. Subsequently, he joined NASA as a flight surgeon, concurrently completing studies at the Air Force Flight Surgeons School and School of Aerospace Medicine, San Antonio, Texas. Bagian is a Lt. Col. in the Air Force Reserve. After selection as an astronaut, Bagian worked in planning and providing emergency medical and rescue support for the first six Shuttle flights. Bagian served as a mission specialist aboard Discovery on STS-29, March 13-18, 1989, on which the crew deployed a tracking and data relay satellite, conducted a Space Station heat pipe radiator experiment, two student experiments and a chromosome and plant cell division experiment. Tamara E. Jernigan, Ph.D., 32, will serve as Mission Specialist 2 (MS2). Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Jernigan is from Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and will be making her first space flight. Jernigan graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1977, received a bachelor of science in physics and a master of science in engineering science from Stanford University in 1981 and 1983, respectively, received a master of science in astronomy from the University of California-Berkley in 1985 and received a doctorate in space physics and astronomy from Rice University, Houston, Texas, in 1988. After selection as an astronaut, Jernigan worked as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control for five Shuttle flights. Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D., 43, will serve as Mission Specialist 3 (MS3). Selected as an astronaut in 1978, Seddon is from Murfreesboro, Tenn., and will be making her second space flight. Seddon graduated from Central High School, Murfreesboro, in 1965, received a bachelor of arts in physiology from the University of California-Berkley in 1970 and received a doctorate of medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1973. She completed a surgical internship and 3 years of general surgery residency in Memphis following graduation. Seddon served as a Mission Specialist aboard Discovery on STS- 51D, April 12-19, 1985. During the flight, the crew deployed three communications satellites and conducted the first unscheduled Shuttle spacewalk to correct a malfunction of one satellite. Seddon has logged 168 hours of space flight. Francis Andrew Gaffney, M.D., 44, will serve as Payload Specialist 1 (PS1). Gaffney will be making his first space flight and his hometown is Carlsbad, N.M. Gaffney graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1964, received a bachelor of arts from the University of California-Berkley in 1968, received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of New Mexico in 1972 and received a fellowship in cardiology from the University of Texas in 1975. He completed a 3-year medical internship and residency at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975, and went on to receive a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, becoming a faculty associate and an assistant professor of medicine there in 1979. From 1979-1987, he served as assistant director of echocardiography at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas. Gaffney served as a visiting senior scientist with NASA from 1987-1989. He is a co-investigator on an experiment aboard STS-40 that studies human cardiovascular adaptation to space flight. Millie Hughes-Fulford, Ph.D., 46, will serve as Payload Specialist 2 (PS2). Hughes-Fulford, from Mineral Wells, Texas, will be making her first space flight. Hughes-Fulford graduated from Mineral Wells High School in 1972, received a bachelor of science in chemistry from Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas and received a doctorate in chemistry from Texas Woman's University, Denton, in 1972. Since 1973, she has worked at the University of California and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, doing extensive research on cholesterol metabolism, cell differentation, DNA synthesis and cell growth. After assignment by NASA, she has continued her research, concentrating on a study of cellular and molecular mechanisms for bone formation as it relates to space flight. STS-40 MISSION MANAGEMENT NASA Headquarters Washington, D.C. Richard H. Truly Administrator J. R. Thompson Deputy Administrator Dr. William B. Lenoir Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight Robert L. Crippen Director, Space Shuttle Leonard S. Nicholson Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Program) Brewster Shaw Deputy Director, Space Shuttle (Operations) Dr. Lennard A. Fisk Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications Alphonso V. Diaz Deputy Associate Administrator, Space Science and Applications Dr. Arnauld Nicogossian Director, Life Sciences Division Dr. Ronald J. White Program Scientist Robert Benson Director, Flight Systems Division Gary McCollum Program Manager, SLS Mission Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Forrest S. McCartney Director Jay Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations Robert B. Sieck Launch Director John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations JoAnn H. Morgan Director, Payload Project Management Mike Kinnan STS-40 Payload Manager Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala. Thomas J. Lee Director Dr. J. Wayne Littles Deputy Director G. Porter Bridwell Manager, Shuttle Projects Office Dr. George F. McDonough Director, Science and Engineering Alexander A. McCool Director, Safety and Mission Assurance Victor Keith Henson Manager, Solid Rocket Motor Project Cary H. Rutland Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project Jerry W. Smelser Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Gerald C. Ladner Manager, External Tank Project Stennis Space Center Bay St. Louis, Miss. Roy S. Estess Director Gerald W. Smith Deputy Director J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas Aaron Cohen Director Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director Daniel Germany Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects Paul J. Weitz Acting Director, Flight Crew Operations Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering Charles S. Harlan Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Langley Research Center Hampton, Va. Richard H. Petersen Langley Director W. Ray Hook Director for Space William H. Piland Chief, Space Systems Division Delma C. Freeman, Jr. Assistant Chief, Space Systems Division Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility Edwards, Calif. Kenneth J. Szalai Director T. G. Ayers Deputy Director James R. Phelps Chief, Shuttle Support Office