STS-107 Status Report #11 January 25, 2003 – 5:00 p.m. CST
Space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts completed an experiment studying
the activity of bone cells in microgravity and began final tests with a
technology demonstration designed to investigate the behavior of
capillary-pumped loops in space as the 16-day international science mission
completed Flight Day 10.
Toward the end of their workday at 1 a.m. CST this morning, Pilot
Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Dave Brown and Michael Anderson of the
Blue Team took time out from their experiment schedule for interviews
with reporters from Black Entertainment TV, WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., and
KNSD-TV in San Diego. Following handover talks, Commander Rick
Husband, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, and Payload
Specialist Ilan Ramon of the Red Team began their workday.
Clark completed operations with the OSTEO (Osteoporosis Experiment in
Orbit) investigation for STS-107. The experiment studied the activity of
bone cells in microgravity by looking at normal activity and activity
under the influence of various drugs. Clark also continued work on the
Bioreactor Demonstration System, which is using the NASA-developed
bioreactor to grow prostate cancer tissues. The objective is to learn how
the cancer spreads into bones and aid in the development of future
treatment methods. She also worked on a study of how bacteria and yeast
develop in space and how microgravity affects their response to antibiotics.
Investigations with the Combined Two-Phase Loop Experiment were begun
using a third cooling loop. Testing of this loop will continue for about
48 hours. The testing is performed to learn about the behavior of the
loop in microgravity. The investigation examines three different
two-phase thermal loops by transporting different amounts of heat from an
evaporator to a condenser and then radiating the heat into space.
The Facility for Adsorption and Surface Tension, known as FAST, has
completed the last pre-planned sequence of experiments. It is designed to
measure the response of surface tension to carefully controlled changes
in the surface areas of bubbles or droplets.
Ramon continued investigations with the SOFBALL (Structures of Flame
Balls) experiment. The experiment studies lean combustion to help
engineers design engines with better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions of
pollution.
Television from the crew, narrated by Ramon, was downlinked around
11:30 a.m. showing various aspects of experiment operations conducted by
both teams. Husband maneuvered Columbia today as required for any
scientific activities.
McCool, Brown and Anderson were awakened at 2:39 p.m. to the sounds of
“I Say a Little Prayer for You” sung by Dionne Warwick. The song was
played for Anderson from his wife.
Husband ended his 10th day in space by calibrating two Israeli cameras
that will be used to continue photographing dust particles, sprites and
other electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere. The crew hope to
use the camera to observe a substantial plume of dust and smoke that
extends from the Nigerian coast westward toward the Atlantic and an
additional plume off the coast of Mauritania and Mali. Sprites in storms over
Western Australia near Perth also will be observed. Sprites are
electrical discharges that shoot up from the tops of thunderstorms into the
Earth’s ionosphere.
All of Columbia’s systems continue to operate in excellent shape.
It was a quiet day on board the International Space Station, meanwhile,
as Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin
and ISS Science Officer Don Pettit enjoyed a light workday. They will
also partake in an off-duty day tomorrow before resuming normal
scientific research and routine station maintenance activities on Monday.
The next STS-107 status report will be issued Sunday afternoon, or
earlier, if events warrant.
