STS-77

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem STS-77
Mission dates
Mission: STS-77
COSPAR-ID : 1996-032A
Crew: 6th
Begin: May 19, 1996, 10:30:00  UTC
Starting place: Kennedy Space Center , LC-39B
Landing: May 29, 1996, 11:09:19 UTC
Landing place: Kennedy Space Center, Lane 33
Flight duration: 10d 0h 39m 19s
Earth orbits: 161
Rotation time : 90.1 min
Orbit inclination : 39.0 °
Apogee : 287 km
Perigee : 278 km
Covered track: 6.6 million km
Team photo
v. l. No. Daniel Bursch, Curtis Brown, Mario Runco, Marc Garneau, John Casper, Andrew Thomas
v. l. No. Daniel Bursch, Curtis Brown, Mario Runco, Marc Garneau, John Casper, Andrew Thomas
◄ Before / After ►
STS-76 STS-78

STS-77 ( english S pace T ransportation S ystem) is a mission designation for the US Space Shuttle Endeavor ( OV -105) of NASA . The launch took place on May 19, 1996. It was the 77th space shuttle mission and the eleventh flight of the space shuttle Endeavor.

team

Mission description

Spacemen and ground crews tackled four areas of responsibility during the Endeavor mission. For the first time, the inflation of a larger structure in space and the self-stabilization of the position of a small satellite without the use of propellants or gyroscopes were tested. In Spacehab a number of commercial studies in the fields was biotechnology , electronics and materials science and polymer research and agriculture employed, while several technological experiments expired largely automatically in the cargo bay.

Spartan satellite with the antenna unfolded

On the second day of the flight, a SPARTAN satellite with an inflatable parabolic antenna (IAE) was deployed. Shortly after the launch, the mechanism was activated to unfold and the antenna was brought to a size of 26 × 14 meters. This is roughly the size of a tennis court. The antenna only weighed 66 kilograms. After 90 minutes the antenna was disconnected from the satellite. It burned up a few days later in the earth's atmosphere . SPARTAN was stowed back in the shuttle's payload bay with the manipulator arm. It was the eighth mission of such a satellite. For the first time, EEPROMs were used instead of magnetic tapes for data storage . In the future, inflatable structures are to be used in experiments that do not involve large mechanical loads. This not only saves space and mass, but also saves considerable costs.

On the fourth day of the flight, the small technology satellite PAMS (Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically Damped Satellite) was catapulted out of the cargo bay. He was deliberately brought into a tailspin. It should stabilize in a certain flight position within a few days solely through the mass distribution and the effect of the earth's magnetic field . To do this, the Endeavor approached the satellite a total of three times up to about 700 meters and measured the position with the help of a laser system ( Attitude Measurement System ). In between, the distance increased to 150 kilometers at times. The satellite stabilized more slowly than predicted, but after 4 days it had reached the intended position with an accuracy of 0.05 °.

The Spacehab is a commercial space laboratory that is built into the shuttle's payload bay and offers space for a variety of experiments. It is mostly used by industrial companies to test new technologies or to manufacture new types of materials and suitable substances.

In medicine it is often necessary to isolate certain cell types. To do this, the relevant cells must be identified and separated from the others. The purpose of the Advanced Separation Process for Organic Materials (ADSEP) is to improve the understanding of gravitational effects in the manufacture of hemoglobin products. Novel blood transfusion preparations are to be developed on the basis of hemoglobin. The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus contained 272 small containers in four temperature zones. The research covered chemical substances, cell and tissue cultures as well as small animals and plants. Among other things, the effectiveness of various experimental pharmaceuticals was examined, the crystallization of RNA was examined in order to gain knowledge about the three-dimensional structure of certain oligonucleotides , chemicals to accelerate the differentiation of macrophages in the bone marrow were tested and cell growth inhibitors were tested for cancer research.

The metabolism of the plants changes in weightlessness . These changes were researched in the Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus, for example at Artimisia annua. This plant produces an active ingredient that is used against malaria. Further investigations focused on Cataranthus rosens, the effects of space flight on starch, sugar and fatty acids of special spinach plants as well as the lignin production of pine and clover. In the Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 2 experiment , the possibility of mixing the essential components of soft drinks, namely water, carbon dioxide and aroma syrup, was examined at the place of consumption. This should improve the quality of the drink and minimize foam formation. In addition, the change in taste perception in weightlessness was researched. On the middle deck of the Endeavor, Immune 3 investigated whether an insulin-like growth factor can reduce the harmful effects of space flight on the immune and bone systems. Findings in this area could also be of use on Earth, e.g. B. to relieve damage caused by radiation or chemotherapy . Three devices for the production of pure protein crystals were used on the Endeavor flight. At Commercial Protein Crystal Growth , for example, a new form of insulin was crystallized, the structure of which was precisely analyzed on earth using X-rays . In addition, proteins were produced that are used on earth against various diseases.

In Gas Permeable polymer membranes involved the development of gas-permeable contact lenses. This is intended to improve wearing comfort, longer durability and easier manufacture. In the Handheld Diffusion Test Cell experiment, a type of crystallization was tested in four test cells that does not work on earth. Two liquids run into each other without mixing. The increase in the concentration of the second liquid causes the first to solidify. Biologically relevant substances such as lysozymes , catalase , myoglobin , taumatin and ferritin were used . The crystallization of certain proteins of the tobacco mosaic virus and the yellow beet mosaic virus was also studied. The Commercial Float Zone Furnace facility was jointly developed by Germany, the USA and Canada. The aim of their use was the production of large, very pure mixed semiconductor and metal oxide crystals for electronic components and infrared detectors. For example, gallium arsenide and gallium antimonide were used. The regularity of the crystal growth is supported by a liquid shell around the actual crystallization zone.

Mercury chloride is used as an electro-optical material in spectrophotography. With the Space Experiment Facility , a mercury chloride crystal was to be produced by sintering from the liquid phase. However, an irreparable defect occurred. Sintering is the name given to the joining of powdery materials under great heat. A high degree of regularity is achieved in the experiments in space, which simplifies research into the properties of such alloys . The US national health institutes have been researching tissue loss in weightlessness for years. The research complex C7 dealt with damage at the cellular level. Bone and muscle cells from chicken embryos were used for this. During this flight, the accumulation of calcium in mature cartilage cells and damage to muscle fibers were examined. The system used for this was located in the middle deck of the shuttle.

In addition to commercial research, NASA conducted technological and scientific experiments. The shock cooling of infrared sensors by hydrogen evaporation was tested ( Brilliant Eyes Ten Kelvin Sorption Cryocooler Experiment ). This showed that this effective cooling method also works in space. It does not have any mechanically moving parts and is therefore vibration-free. In the small aquarium ARF ( Aquatic Research Facility ), embryonic development , changes in tissue structures and the orientation ability of starfish, mussels and sea urchins were studied. The development of calcareous tissue is of particular interest here. The feeding behavior of the animals was also examined. The synthesis of muscle-building proteins in the tobacco hornworm during its metamorphosis was also researched ( Biological Research In a Canister ). The endocrine system of the worm was examined using blood and muscle cell samples. Three more experiments were installed in the Endeavor's cargo bay. A position and attitude determination system based on GPS was tested ( Global Positioning System Attitude and Navigation Experiment ), the performance of a heat pump that works with liquid metal ( Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment ) and a new refueling system ( Vented Tank Resupply Experiment ) were tested ). There is an additional hole for ventilation in the tank next to the filling opening. A row of flat panels collects the liquid at the filler neck, preventing the liquid from escaping through the second opening. Further experiments in containers ( Get Away Specials ) dealt with the study of gamma radiation outbreaks, the evaporation of mercury iodide and the subsequent flow velocity of the steam, the production of nanocrystals and organic semiconductor materials, smoldering fires in porous materials, heat transport during boiling and pressure control in tanks partially filled with deep-frozen liquefied gases . In addition, various plant samples were taken, which were then examined by students from American schools.

The Endeavor landed on May 29th at the Kennedy Space Center .

See also

Web links

Commons : STS-77  - album with pictures, videos and audio files