Launch from Cape Canaveral (
KSC
) and
landing on Cape Canaveral (
KSC
), Runway 33.
Due to a bad weather forecast
the managers decided on March 02, 1994 to delay the launch for 24 hours. So,
the external tank was not filled at this time and
NASA
saved 400,000 dollars.
The primary
payloads were the
USMP
-02 microgravity experiments package and the
OAST
-2 engineering and technology payload, both in the
orbiter's cargo bay. The two-week mission also featured a number of biomedical
experiments focusing on the effects of long duration spaceflight.
The
United States Microgravity Payload-2 (
USMP
-2)
was the second in a series of missions to
study the effects of microgravity on materials and fundamental sciences.
USMP
microgravity experiments were designed to be accomplished in the Space Shuttle
payload bay.
The
USMP
-2 mission consisted of five experiments. The
Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF) studied the
directional solidification of semiconductor materials in microgravity. The
Critical Fluid Light Scattering Experiment (also called Zeno) measured the
fluctuations of the density of xenon very near its liquid/vapor "critical
point." The critical point occurs at a condition of temperature and pressure
where a fluid is simultaneously a gas and a liquid with the same
density.
The Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE) was designed to
test theories concerning the effect of gravity-driven fluid flows on dendritic
solidification of molten materials. Materials for the Study of Interesting
Phenomena of Solidification on Earth and in Orbit (MEPHISTO) used several
simultaneous measurement techniques in reduced gravity to investigate the
precise nature of solidification.
The objective of the Space Acceleration
Measurement System (SAMS) was to measure the components of the microgravity
environment on the
USMP
carrier in support of the major experiments and to provide data for orbiter
dynamic analysis studies.
One experiment on
USMP
-02 was the
Isothermal Dendritic Growth
Experiment (IDGE)
. That experiment continued to assemble data to test
theories concerning the effect of gravity-driven fluid flows on dendritic
solidification of molten materials.
The
Critical Fluid Light
Scattering Experiment, or ZENO
, science team reported that they expect to
locate the critical temperature of xenon at "any time". Team members closely
watched computer data traces which indicate their experiment was very near the
critical temperature - the goal of a lengthy, methodical "sensitive" search
process. This is a more precise search for the critical temperature after its
location has been determined within a narrow band. Once the temperature is
located, the team will spend nearly 24 hours taking a good look at the
phenomenon they've waited years to see. They will study the properties of xenon
at its critical point, taking subtle optical measurements in the region
surrounding it. A fluid's "critical point" occurs at a condition of temperature
and pressure where the fluid is simultaneously a gas and a liquid. By
understanding how matter behaves at the critical point, scientists hope to gain
a better insight into a variety of physics problems ranging from phase changes
in fluids to changes in the composition and magnetic properties of
solids.
The
Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS)
continued to measure the microgravity environment on the
USMP
-2 carrier in support of the four other
experiments on board. The SAMS team began sending results of their data
collection during various orbiter activities to
STS
-62 crew members. The crew was interested in how
they can minimize their influence on the microgravity environment. Measurements
are made with the system at specific times when microgravity disturbances may
be caused by events such as crew exercise and movement of the Shuttle's Ku-band
antenna. Such observations also collect "signatures" which the team will be
able to easily identify in future data.
A related system, the
Orbital
Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE)
, is managed by
NASA
's Johnson Space Center. It is useful on missions
such as
USMP
-2 where it is important to accurately
characterize a wide variety of disturbances in the microgravity environment.
Working closely with SAMS, the OARE records any low-frequency activity such as
the Shuttle's friction with the rarefied upper atmosphere. SAMS is most
suitable for recording higher-frequency activity such as crew exercise. The
OARE instrument continues to process data in support of the
USMP
-2 experiments, and team members say all is going
well.
The
Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE)
continued
to assemble data to test theories concerning the effect of gravity-driven fluid
flows on dendritic solidification of molten materials. When the
USMP
-2 mission is over, the IDGE team will study
hundreds of photographs taken of the dendrites grown in microgravity. Learning
more about how dendrites grow is one valuable key to developing better metal
products and improving our industrial competitiveness.
The
Advanced
Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF)
studies the
directional solidification of semiconductor materials in microgravity.
Downlinked experiment data indicates that solidification of a crystal of
mercury cadmium telluride is taking place, and the AADSF science team is
constantly monitoring this slow but steady progress. Testing the AADSF in
microgravity is beneficial because on Earth, gravity causes fluids to rise or
fall within the melted portion; a warm liquid is less dense than a cool one and
will rise to the top of the melt. These convective movements of molten material
contribute to physical flaws in the internal structure of the growing crystal.
Such flaws affect a crystal's overall electrical characteristics, and
consequently, its usefulness in electronic devices.
The
MEPHISTO
team reported that they have gathered good data with their directional
solidification furnace. Currently, however, the team is still troubleshooting a
problem discovered on Saturday night with a troublesome "Seebeck measurement".
This electronic signal measures changes in the microstructure of a solidifying
metal, and is conducted on one of three experiment samples of bismuth-tin.
Other measurement techniques will be used on the two remaining samples later in
the mission; both these samples are operating nominally. Measurement data from
the three samples will give scientists insight into the precise nature of
solidification in reduced gravity.
OAST
-2
contained six experiments on the field of
technology for the space station, satellites, sensors and more.
The overall
objective of this payload was to obtain technology data to support future needs
for advanced satellites, sensors, microcircuits and the international space
station.
The six experiments and their overall mission objectives
were:
Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment (SAMPIE)
-
Determine the arcing and current collection behavior of different types, sizes
and shapes of solar cells, solar modules and spacecraft materials. The Solar
Array Module Plasma
Interaction Experiment (SAMPIE)
investigated the
plasma interactions of high voltage space power systems with the space plasma
in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
- Determine
the microgravity behavior of two different thermal energy storage salts that
undergo repeated melting and freezing. The Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
experiments were designed to provide data about the microgravity behavior of
thermal energy storage salts which undergo repeated freezing and melting. This
type of data has never been obtained before and has a direct impact on the
development of on-orbit energy storage systems.
Experimental
Investigation of Spacecraft Glow (EISG) and Spacecraft Kinetic Infrared Test
(SKIRT)
- Develop an understanding of the physical processes leading to the
spacecraft glow phenomena by studying infrared, visible and far-ultraviolet
light emissions as a function of surface temperature and orbital altitude. The
Experimental Investigation of Spacecraft Glow (EISG) and Spacecraft Kinetic
Infrared Test (SKIRT) experiments investigated the phenomenon known as
spacecraft glow. This is an aura of light created around the leading or
front-facing surfaces of all spacecraft as they orbit Earth. Oxygen and
nitrogen form molecules in excited states when the spacecraft rams into them at
high velocity.
Emulsion Chamber Technology (ECT)
- Measure background
cosmic ray radiation as a function of shielding and radiation energy
photographic films. The Emulsion Chamber Technology (ECT) experiment tested the
sensitivity of photographic materials, used as detectors for cosmic ray
analysis, to deterioration effects from heat, mechanical vibration and unwanted
background radiation.
Cryogenic Two Phase (CRYOTP)
- Determine the
performance of microgravity nitrogen space heat pipe and cryogenically-cooled,
vibration-free, phase-change-material thermal storage unit thermal energy
control technologies. The Cryogenic Two Phase (CRYOTP) experiment was
investigating the use of very cold liquids - cryogens - for the purpose of heat
dissipation. Heat pipes are being tested as possible solutions to thermal
control problems. The heat pipe is a very efficient heat transfer device
commonly used for cooling electronic components and sensors. A heat pipe is
essentially a closed, evacuated tube that contains a porous structure, called a
wick, and a small quantity of liquid, called the working fluid.
STS
-62 was the sixth Space Shuttle flight of the
Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV)
Instrument, a highly
calibrated instrument that can be used to check data from ozone-measuring
instruments on freeflying satellites. Data from SSBUV were compared to
observations from instruments on
NASA
's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (
UARS
), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration NOAA-9 and NOAA-11 satellites. Calibration of these data sets
ensures the most accurate readings possible for the detection of atmospheric
ozone trends.
SSBUV and the NOAA SBUV instruments estimated the amount and
height distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere by measuring incoming
solar ultraviolet radiation and ultraviolet radiation reflected or scattered
back from the Earth's atmosphere. Because ozone absorbs ultraviolet energy, the
difference in these measurements can be used to derive ozone levels in the
atmosphere.
The five previous SSBUV flights occurred on
STS-34
in October 1989,
STS-41
in October 1990,
STS-43
in August 1991,
STS-45
/
ATLAS
in March 1992 and
STS-56
/
ATLAS
-2 in April 1993.
Powerful electromagnets,
generating an attraction force of 3,200 pounds (1,451 kg), will be used to
grapple objects with the robot arm in Columbia's payload bay during a flight
demonstration of the Dexterous End Effector (DEE).
The new end effector and
grapple fixture design will increase the arm's dexterity and alignment
accuracy, provide operators with a sense of touch and allow the use of more
compact "handles" on satellites and payloads.
During the test, three
STS
-62 crew members took turns operating and observing
the remote manipulator system (
RMS
) in a series of 1-hour sessions, each involving
approximately eight tasks, for a total of about 24 hours. The tasks were
involved aligning the arm with targets, grappling a test probe, inserting the
test probe into receptacles of progressively smaller clearances and applying
force and torque to the probe with the arm.
DEE incorporated a magnetic end
effector (MEE), a targeting and reflective alignment concept (TRAC) camera
system and a carrier latch assembly (CLA). MEE used two U-shaped electromagnets
to grab and release payloads fitted with a flat, ferrous grapple fixture or
"handle." MEE provided a reliable method of maintaining a good grip on the
payload and a safer, more reliable method for releasing it in the event of an
RMS
or orbiter failure.
TRAC provided a simpler,
faster, more intuitive grapple alignment targeting system and could be used
manually or automatically. It allowed for the precise alignment of two objects
using a video system and a mirrored target. In essence, the operator looked
through a camera that points outward from the center of DEE at the target until
the camera can see its own reflection, then finishes the process by lining up a
set of cross hairs.
The
Limited Duration Space Candidate Materials
Exposure (LDCE)
flight series used small cargo bay payload accommodations
to evaluate materials being considered for use in space structures.
The
STS
-62 LDCE activities exposed three identical sets of
materials to the space environment. Each set was comprised of 264 samples
mounted in its own container, the lid of which opened mechanically to expose
the samples. The containers were positioned such that when open, the samples
face directly up and out of the payload bay. One container was opened soon
after reaching orbit and was left open until preparations for orbiter
reentry.
A second container was handled the same way except that its lid was
returned to the closed position during mission segments when the cargo bay was
facing the direction of orbital motion (the "ram" direction). The third
container was opened only during those times that the cargo bay is facing the
ram direction.
Proteins are vital to all life, playing roles from
providing nourishment to fighting disease. Since 1985,
Protein Crystal
Growth (
PCG
)
experiments aboard the Space Shuttle have
been helping scientists determine the complex molecular structures of important
proteins. The
PCG
experiment hardware for
STS
-62 incorporates several improvements based on
experience from past Shuttle flights.
Two different experiments on
STS
-62 used the vapor diffusion technique to grow
protein crystals in space. One of the two techniques was the improved version
of the vapor diffusion apparatus used on previous flights. The other was a
flight test of off-the-shelf crystallization chambers commonly used in
Earth-based labs.
The
Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG)
payload was located in the Shuttle middeck and used the space required for up
to two standard middeck lockers. It has been shown that the weightlessness of
spaceflight provides an excellent environment for improving the quality of
protein crystals, which can be used in medical and scientific research. It is
expected that the techniques developed by CMC will become the basis for
commercially viable endeavors with significant benefit to the U.S. economy,
along with providing dramatic advances in medicine and other scientific
activities.
The
Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE)
was
a reusable Space Shuttle middeck facility designed to study the nonlinear,
gravity-dependent behavior of two types of space hardware - contained fluids
and large space structures - planned for future spacecraft. MODE was classified
as a complex secondary payload and occupies 4 middeck lockers. The experiment
required less than 115 watts to operate.
MODE was first flown on
STS-48
(Discovery, September 1991) where
two separate fluids and structures experiments were combined into a single
mission to take advantage of the commonality in the required electronics. In 18
hours of on-orbit operation, the MODE hardware performed flawlessly and
returned more than 600 megabytes of high-quality data on the nonlinear behavior
of fluids and truss structures in the microgravity environment of the Shuttle
middeck.
MODE/
STS
-62 performed an extensive array of tests on
various configurations of the MODE Structural Test Article (STA) to expand on
the structural dynamics results of the
STS-48
mission.
The
Extended Duration Orbiter (
EDO
) Medical Project
was designed to assess the
impact of long-duration spaceflight, 10 or more days, on astronaut health;
identify any operational medical concerns and test countermeasures for the
adverse effects of weightlessness on human physiology.
For the
STS
-62 mission, the Medical Sciences Division of the
Johnson Space Center, Houston, was sponsoring 11 DSOs that support the project.
All of the studies have been flown on previous Shuttle missions.
The
Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC)
experiment on
STS
-62 was the first phase of a series of four
development tests that will fly on upcoming Shuttle missions to assist in
development of the Bioreactor, a cell-culture growth device under development
at the Johnson Space Center. The BSTC tested the performance of a temperature
control device being developed for use with the Bioreactor. Proper control of
temperature is a critical element of cell culture growth. The BSTC experiment
did not include a prototype Bioreactor onboard. It was a test of a heating
device that may be used with the Bioreactor and the experiment took one middeck
locker onboard Columbia. Colon carcinoma cells completely sealed in cellculture
chambers were loaded into the unit prior to launch. The only crew interaction
required was to turn the temperature controller on the outside of the
experiment to 35 degrees Centigrade after reaching orbit. Following landing,
the cell cultures were removed by ground personnel and the specimens studied to
evaluate the operation of the temperature controller.
The primary
objective of
Physiological Systems Experiment-04 (PSE-04)
was to study
the complex interrelationship between the immune and skeletal systems during
exposure to microgravity. Previous
NASA
and Center for Cell Research flight experiments
have demonstrated that microgravity exposure rapidly impairs musculo-skeletal
and immune system functions simultaneously.
The simultaneous impairment of
these two systems also occurs in some disease states on Earth and indicates
that the physiological controls of the two systems may be linked. To test the
linkage hypothesis, a pharmaceutic that has the capacity to modulate both bone
and immune cell function was administered to 12 adult female rats prior to
spaceflight.
The
Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
supported more than 15 commercial life science investigations that have
application in biomaterials, biotechnology, medicine and agriculture.
Investigations have been selected on the basis of commercial potential and
ability to take advantage of the extended orbit time on this flight.
Each
experiment sample was contained in a custom designed test tube called the
Fluids Processing Apparatus (FPA). Each FPA typically contained three separate
fluids that could be mixed sequentially on orbit by depressing a plunger
mechanism. Generally, the first two fluids were mixed early in the
mission.
The
Air Force Maui Optical Site (
AMOS
)
tests allowed ground- based electro-optical
sensors located on Mt. Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii, to collect imagery and
signature data of the orbiter during cooperative overflights. The scientific
observations made of the orbiter, while performing reaction control system
thruster firings, water dumps or payload bay light activation or the phenomena
of "Shuttle glow", a well-documented fluorescent effect created as the Shuttle
interacts with atomic oxygen in Earth orbit, and were used to support the
calibration of the
AMOS
sensors and the validation of spacecraft
contamination models. The
AMOS
tests had no payload unique flight hardware and
only required that the orbiter be in predefined attitude operations and
lighting conditions.