rjnoe@ihlts.UUCP (Roger Noe) (10/12/84)
At 11:42 EDT October 11, David Leestma left space shuttle Challenger's airlock and entered the open cargo bay. Kathryn Sullivan followed him four minutes later. Their highly successful EVA lasted 3 hours, 27 minutes and featured a test of the mechanical plumbing operations astronauts would need to perform to refuel satellites in orbit. They also repositioned a balky antenna so that locking bolts could be remotely inserted by their crew- mates. Challenger is scheduled to land at 12:24 EDT October 13 on the 15000 foot long runway at Kennedy Space Center. The reentry track will cover much of the middle U.S., including a line extending from Gary, Indiana to Cape Canaveral. Weather permitting, the double bang from the supersonic shuttle should be audible along much of this track, although it will sound very distant farther north (when the orbiter is at higher altitudes). Also, communications satellites Westar 6 and Palapa B-2 have begun their gradual descents into lower orbits reachable by the shuttle. Discovery will launch next month on mission 51-A to retrieve them. To satisfy the curiousity of those wondering about the biological differences between men and women on space walks, I have culled the following from wire service articles . . . The major medical worry was that women might be more susceptible to "the bends" than are men. The ailment potentially is a serious problem for spacewalkers since the space shuttle cabin air normally is at 14.7 pounds per square inch, and the oxygen in the space suits is at 4 PSI. An uncontrolled Air Force study suggested that while men could flush nitrogen from their bodies in 12 hours, it could take as long as 18 hours for women under the same conditions. NASA eventually concluded that the pressure reduction (to 10.2 PSI) and oxygen "prebreathing" procedures already being followed provided the solution. There was no problem with the bends on Thursday. NASA plans a definitive study on the bends in women. A second problem was finding a method of urine collection for a woman in a spacesuit. Working in a spacesuit causes a high rate of perspiration. To prevent dehydration, the astronauts are encouraged to drink water before the EVA and to sip from a quart container of water inside the helmet during the spacewalk. That results in the production of urine inside the closed spacesuit. For men, the problem is solved easily. A rubber sleeve captures the urine as it is discharged and it is then carried down a tube to a collection bag. This system would not work for women, however, since the sleeve could not be attached. At one time, doctors considered the use of a catheter inserted into the female urethra. But this causes discomfort and the possibility of infection. The final solution was direct and basic. Essentially, they wear a diaper. A garment of highly absorbent material is worn against the skin. It absorbs urine and a wicking action carries the urine away from the body. -- Roger Noe ihnp4!ihlts!rjnoe