STS-123 Press Kit

8/8/2019 STS-123 Press Kit

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ii CONTENTS MARCH 2008

S P ACE S HU T T LE CO NT I NU O U S I M P R OV E M E NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3E N D E A V O U R S U M B I LI C A L W E LL D I G I TA L C A M E R A N O W H A S F LA S H C A P A B I LI TY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3

S HU T T L E R E FE R E NCE DAT A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7L AU NCH AND L ANDI NG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

LA U N C H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 A B O R T- TO - O R B I T (A TO ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1TR A N S A TLA N TI C A B O R T LA N D I N G (TA L) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 R E TU R N - TO - LA U N C H - S I TE (R TLS ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 A B O R T O N C E A R O U N D (A O A ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1LA N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1

ACR O NYM S AND ABBR E VI AT I O NS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93M E DI A AS S I S TANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 5P U BL I C AFFAI R S CO NT ACT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 7


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MARCH 2008 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

STS-123 MISSION OVERVIEW

ThisgraphicillustratesEndeavourdockedtotheInternationalSpaceStationastheshuttleroboticarmgrapplesacomponentoftheKibolaboratory.

The first pressurized component of the

Japanese Kibo laboratory, a Canadian robotic

device called Dextre and five spacewalks are

majorelementsofSTS123. Endeavours16dayflight is the longest shuttle mission to the

InternationalSpaceStation(ISS).

TheKibo laboratorywilleventuallybeberthed

to the left side of the stations Harmony

node. The Japanese Experiment Logistics

ModulePressurized Section(ELMPS), the

smaller of two pressurized modules of Kibo,

willbeattached temporarily to a docking port

onthespacefacingsideofHarmony.

Kibo is the majorJapanese contribution to the

station,andwillincreaseitsresearchcapability

in a variety of disciplines. The name, which

means hope, was chosen by the Japan

Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in a

nationalcontest.


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2 MISSION OVERVIEW MARCH 2008

STS123crewmembersareattiredintrainingversionsoftheirshuttlelaunchandentrysuits.

Fromthe

left

are

astronauts

Rick

Linnehan,

Robert

L.

Behnken,

both

mission

specialists;

GregoryH.Johnson,pilot;GarrettReisman,missionspecialist;DominicGorie,

commander;MikeForemanandJAXAsTakaoDoi,bothmissionspecialists.

Dextre,theCanadiandevice,willworkwiththe

stationsroboticarm,Canadarm2. Designedfor

station maintenance and service, Dextre is

capable of sensing forces and movement of

objects it ismanipulating. Itcanautomatically

compensateforthoseforcesandmovementsto

ensureanobjectismovedsmoothly.

Dextre is the final element of the Mobile

ServicingSystem,partofCanadascontribution

to the station. The name was chosen by

Canadianstudentsinanationalcontest. Dextre

hadbeencalled theSpecialPurposeDexterous

Manipulator.

Onceassembled,Dextrewill looka little likea

human upper torso stick figure. Itwill have

two arms, and be capable of performing

delicatetasksandusingtools. Itsfourcameras

willgivecrewmembersinsidethestationviews

of its activities. Dextrewillbe able towork

from the end of Canadarm2, or from theorbitinglaboratorysmobilebasesystem.

TheSTS123mission,alsocalledassemblyflight

1J/A, includes representationofall five station

partner interests the U.S., Japan, Canada,

RussiaandtheEuropeanSpaceAgency.


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The flight includes five scheduled spacewalks.

Three of them will include tasks devoted to

assembly ofDextre and installation of related

equipment.

Other spacewalk activities include work to

unberth Kibos ELMPS, installation of spare

parts and tools, installation of a materials

experiment, replacement of a circuitbreaker

box and demonstration of a repair procedure

for tiles of the shuttles heat shield.

Spacewalkers alsowill stow theOrbiterBoom

Sensor System (OBSS), the extension of the

shuttles robotic arm, onto the stationsmain

trussduringthefifthspacewalk.

Theboom sensor system isbeing left on the

stationbecause the size of the largeJapanese

pressurizedmoduletobe launchedonSTS124

wontallowittobecarriedinDiscoveryscargo

bay. TheOBSSwillbereturnedtoEarthatthe

endofthatmission.

ThisgraphicdepictsthelocationoftheSTS123payloadhardware.


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AstronautDominicGorie,STS123commander,donsatrainingversionofhisshuttlelaunchand

entrysuitinpreparationforapostinsertion/deorbittrainingsessionatJohnsonSpaceCenter(JSC).


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DominicGorie(GORee),50,aveteranofthree

space flights and a retiredNavy captain,will

commandEndeavour. Thespacecraftspilot is

GregoryH.Johnson, 45, anAir Force colonel.STS123 mission specialists are Robert L.

Behnken (BANKen), 37, an Air Force major;

Navy Capt. Mike Foreman, 50; Japanese

astronaut Takao (tahcowe) Doi (DOY), 53;

Rick Linnehan (LINehhan), 50, a veteran of

three shuttle flights; and Garrett Reisman(REESman),39.

AstronautsRobertL.Behnken(left)andJapanAerospaceExplorationAgencys

TakaoDoi,bothSTS123missionspecialists,participateinatrainingsession

intheSpaceVehicleMockupFacilityattheJSC.


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Reisman will remain aboard the station with

CommanderPeggyWhitson and fellow Flight

EngineerYuriMalenchenko(malENchenko).

He will replace Leopold Eyharts (arts), aFrenchAir Force general andEuropean Space

Agencyastronautwhowill return toEarthon

Endeavour. Eyhartswas launched to the sta

tionaboardAtlantisonSTS122.

The day after Endeavours launch from

Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Gorie,

Johnson andDoiwilluse the shuttles robotic

arm and its OBSS for the standard survey

of Endeavours heatresistant reinforced

carboncarbon andheat shield tiles. Behnken,

Linnehan and Reisman will check out the

spacesuitsonEndeavour.

Flightday3 isdockingday. OnceEndeavour

reachesapointabout600feetbelowthestation,

Goriewill fly it in aback flip, so station crew

members canphotograph itsheat shield. The

digital imageswillbe sent to the ground for

analysis. Gorie thenwill fly Endeavour to a

pointaheadofthestationandmaneuverittoa

docking with Pressurized Mating Adapter

No.2,attheforwardendoftheHarmonynode.

Thisgraphicdepictstherendezvouspitchmaneuverwhilecrewaboardthe

ISSphotographtheorbiterforanalysisbyspecialistsontheground.


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AstronautsGregoryH.Johnson(background),STS123pilot,andGarrettReisman,

Expedition16

flight

engineer,

use

the

virtual

reality

lab

at

JSC

to

train

for

some

oftheirdutiesaboardthespaceshuttleandspacestation.

Reisman willbecome a station crew member

withtheexchangeofhiscustomSoyuzseatliner

withthatofEyharts,whojoinstheshuttlecrew

forhisflighthome. JohnsonandBehnkenwill

use the stations Canadarm2 to remove the

pallet containingDextre from thepayloadbay

andattach it toa fixtureon the stationsmain

truss.

A

review

of

procedures

for

the

firstspacewalkwillwindup theEndeavourcrews

workingday.

Flightday4 focuseson the firstspacewalk,by

LinnehanandReisman. Foremanwillserveas

intravehicular officer, while Behnken and

Eyharts will operate the stations Canadarm2.

Tasks include preparation for the ELMPS

installationandworkonDextreassembly. Doi

andGoriewillsubsequentlyinstalltheELMPS

onHarmonywiththeshuttlearm.

Flightday5 includesoutfittingof theELMPS

vestibule,ELMPSentrybyDoiandLinnehan,

transfer of equipment and supplies between

shuttle and station, and briefings on station

activities for the new station crew member

Reisman. An hourlong procedure review

looksaheadtothesecondspacewalk.


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AstronautRickLinnehan,STS123missionspecialist,participatesin

anExtravehicularMobilityUnitspacesuitfitcheckintheSpaceStation

AirlockTestArticle(SSATA)intheCrewSystemsLaboratory. Astronaut

RobertL.Behnken,missionspecialist,assistsLinnehan.


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The second spacewalk, with Linnehan and

Foreman, isscheduled for flightday6. Itwill

focus onDextre and include installation of its

two

arms.

Behnken

will

provide

intravehicular

support while Johnson and Reisman operate

Canadarm2.

Flightday7isfilledwithavarietyofactivities,

includingworkwiththenewJapanesemodule

and transfer operations. The standard

spacewalkprocedures review, thisone for the

third spacewalk, comes toward the endof the

crewday.

EVA3,

by

Linnehan

and

Behnken,

will

occur

on flight day 8, with Foreman providing

intravehicular support. Johnson andReisman

will runCanadarm2 to help the spacewalkers

stow replacement gear and install amaterials

experiment and a Dextre platform for spare

parts.

Flight day 9 is highlighted by robotics

operations,with the station armmanipulatingDextre. ThearmfirstwillmoveDextrefromits

pallet to apower anddata grapple fixture on

the U.S. laboratory Destiny. The arm will

return the pallet to Endeavours payloadbay

and then move Dextre again, this time to a

positionwhereitwillbeprotectedduringatile

repairtestonspacewalkfour.

Flightday 10 includes some offduty time for

shuttlecrew

members

and

tool

configuration

for spacewalk four, preparations for the tile

repair test, and the standard daybefore

spacewalkproceduresreview.

Attiredinatrainingversionofhisshuttlelaunchandentrysuit,astronautMikeForeman,

STS123missionspecialist,takesamomentforaphotoduringatrainingsessioninthe

SpaceVehicleMockupFacility.


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On flight day 11, Behnken and Foreman are

scheduled to do EVA4, with intravehicular

supportfromLinnehan. Thespacewalkincludes

theshuttletilerepairtestandchangeoutofanISScircuitbreaker.

AnOBSSsurveyofEndeavourswingsandnose

capbyGorie,JohnsonandDoi is scheduled for

flight day 12. Once again, spacewalk tools

configuration and the endofday procedures

review for the flights final spacewalk are also

planned.

During the fifth and final spacewalk on flight

day13,BehnkenandForemanwillstowtheOBSSon the stationsmain truss. With Linnehan as

intravehicular officer, theyll also release launch

locks on Harmonys left and Earthfacing

commonberthingmechanismsandperformother

tasks including installation of Trundle Bearing

Assembly5instarboard SolarAlphaRotaryJoint

(SARJ)andmoreSARJinspectionwork.

Muchofflightday14smorningwillbeoffduty

timeforshuttlecrewmembers. Latertheyllalso

hold thejoint crew news conference,wrap up

equipment and logistics transfers between thestation and shuttle and check out rendezvous

tools.

Highlighting flight day 15 are crew farewells,

hatch closings, undocking, Endeavours

flyaroundofthestationwithpilotJohnsonatthe

controls,anddeparture.

Landingpreparations, includingcheckoutof the

flight control system and the reaction control

system, are the focus of flight day 16. Crewmemberswillstowitemsinthecabinandholda

deorbitbriefingjustbeforebedtime.

Deorbitpreparations,andlandingattheKennedy

Space Center (KSC) on flight day 17 wind up

Endeavours lengthy and demanding STS123

missiontotheISS.

ThisimageshowsthepressurizedKiboJapaneseExperimentLogistics

ModulethatwillbeinstalledduringtheSTS123mission.


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MARCH 2008 TIMELINEOVERVIEW 11

TIMELINE OVERVIEW

Fl ight Day 1 Launch PayloadBayDoorOpening KubandAntennaDeployment ShuttleRoboticArmActivationand

Checkout

UmbilicalWellandHandheldExternalTank

Video

and

Stills

Downlink

Fl ight Day 2

EndeavourThermalProtectionSystemSurveywithOBSS

ExtravehicularMobilityUnitCheckout CenterlineCameraInstallation OrbiterDockingSystemRingExtension OrbitalManeuveringSystemPodSurvey RendezvousToolsCheckoutFl i ght Day 3

RendezvouswiththeISS RendezvousPitchManeuverPhotographybytheExpedition16Crew

DockingtoHarmony/PressurizedMatingAdapter2

HatchOpeningandWelcoming StationtoShuttlePowerTransferSystem

(SSPTS)Activation

Canadarm2

Grapple

of

Spacelab

Pallet

containingtheDextreSpecialPurpose

DexterousManipulator(SPDM)and

transferandmatetothePayloadOrbital

ReplacementUnitAttachmentDevice

(POA)ontheMobileBaseSystem.

ReismanandEyhartsexchangeSoyuzseatliners;ReismanjoinsExpedition16,

EyhartsjoinstheSTS123crew

Extravehicular

Activity

(EVA)

1

Procedure

Review

EVA1CampoutbyLinnehanandReismanFl ight Day 4

EVA1byLinnehanandReismanJapaneseExperimentLogisticsModulePressurized

Section(ELMPS)unberthpreparations,

OrbitalReplacementUnitandTool

ChangeoutMechanisminstallationoneach

ofDextres

two

arms

JEMELMPSGrapple,UnberthandInstallationonZenithPortofHarmony

Fl i ght Day 5

JEMELMPSIngressPreparations JEMELMPSIngress Canadarm2GrappleofOBSSandHandoff

toShuttle

Robotic

Arm

EVA2ProcedureReview EVA2CampoutbyLinnehanandForeman


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12 TIMELINEOVERVIEW MARCH 2008

Fl i ght Day 6

EVA2byLinnehanandForeman(Dextreassembly)

DextreJointandBrakeTestsandDiagnostics

JEMELMPSOutfittingFl ight Day 7

JEMELMPSRacksandSystemsOutfitting DextreArmandBrakeTests

EVA

3

Procedure

Review

EVA3CampoutbyLinnehanandBehnkenFl i ght Day 8

EVA3byLinnehanandBehnken(OrbitalReplacementUnitstowage,MISSE6

lightweightadapterplateassembly

installationandtransferofMISSE6

experimentstoColumbusandDextrespare

partplatformandtoolhandlingassembly)

DextreEndEffectorCheckoutandCalibration

Fl ight Day 9

CrewOffDutyPeriods Canadarm2GrappleofDextreandTransfer

toPowerandDataGrappleFixtureon

DestinyLaboratory;DextresL.C.Armsare

Stowed

TRADEVAHardwarePreparationFl ight Day 10

CrewOffDutyPeriods EVA4ProcedureReview EVA4CampoutbyForemanandBehnken

Fl ight Day 11

EVA4byForemanandBehnken(TRADDTO,RemotePowerControlModule

replacementincluding

temporary

CMG

2

shutdownandspinup)

RetrievetheJEMTVElectronicsBoomfromtheELMPS

Fl i ght Day 12

OBSSInspectionofEndeavoursHeatShield

MobileTransporterMovefromWorksite6toWorksite4

EVA5ProcedureReview EVA5CampoutbyForemanandBehnkenFl ight Day 13

EVA5byForemanandBehnken(OBSSstowonstationtruss,repairand

replacementofDestinyLaboratory

micrometeoroid

debris

shields,

release

of

launchlocksonHarmonyportandnadir

CommonBerthingMechanisms)

InstallationofTrundleBearingAssembly5instarboardSARJ

SARJInspectionFl ight Day 14

JointCrewNewsConference CrewOffDutyPeriods RendezvousToolsCheckout FinalTransfers


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Fl i ght Day 15

FinalFarewellsandHatchClosing Undocking FlyaroundoftheISS FinalSeparationFl ight Day 16

FlightControlSystemCheckout ReactionControlSystemHotFireTest CabinStowage

EuropeanSpaceAgencys(ESAs)PAOEvent

EyhartsRecumbentSeatSetUp CrewDeorbitBriefing KuBandAntennaStowageFl i ght Day 17

DeorbitPreparations PayloadBayDoorClosing DeorbitBurn KSCLanding


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MARCH 2008 MISSION PROFILE 15

MISSION PROFILE

CREWCommander: DominicGorie

Pilot: GregoryH.Johnson

MissionSpecialist1: RobertL.BehnkenMissionSpecialist2: MikeForemanMissionSpecialist3: TakaoDoiMissionSpecialist4: RickLinnehanMissionSpecialist5: GarrettReisman(Up)MissionSpecialist5: LopoldEyharts(Down)LAUNCHOrbiter: Endeavour(OV105)LaunchSite: KennedySpaceCenter

LaunchPad39A

LaunchDate: March11,2008LaunchTime: 2:28a.m.EDT(Preferred

InPlanelaunchtimefor

3/11)

LaunchWindow: 5MinutesAltitude: 122NauticalMiles

(140Miles)

Orbital

Insertion;185NM

(213Miles)Rendezvous

Inclination: 51.6DegreesDuration: 15Days16Hours

48Minutes

VEHICLE DATA

ShuttleLiftoffWeight: 4,521,086pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLiftoffWeight: 269,767pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLandingWeight: 207,582pounds

SoftwareVersion: OI32

Space Shut t l e Main Engi nes:SSME1: 2047SSME2: 2044SSME3: 2054ExternalTank: ET126SRBSet: BI133RSRMSet: 101SHUTTLE ABORTS

Abort Landing Si tesRTLS: KennedySpaceCenterShuttle

LandingFacility

TAL: PrimaryZaragoza,SpainAlternatesMoron,Spainand

Istres,France

AOA: PrimaryKennedySpaceCenterShuttleLandingFacility;

AlternateWhiteSandsSpace

Harbor

LANDING

LandingDate: March26,2008LandingTime: 8:35p.m.EDTPrimarylandingSite: KennedySpaceCenter

ShuttleLandingFacility

PAYLOADS

KiboLogisticsModule,DextreRoboticsSystem


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16 MISSION PROFILE MARCH 2008



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MARCH 2008 MISSION PRIORITIES 17

MISSION PRIORITIES

1.

Dock

Endeavour

to

Pressurized

Mating

Adapter2anddostationsafetybriefings

forallcrewmembers

2. ReplaceExpedition16FlightEngineer

LeopoldEyhartswithExpedition16/17

FlightEngineerGarrettReismanand

transfercrewrotationcargo

3. Transferremainingitemsonflight

ballastingplan

4. InstalltheELMPS,thesmalleroftwo

pressurizedmodulesofKibo,toa

temporarypositiononadockingportonthe

spacefacingsideofHarmony

5. DocriticalELMPSactivation

6. UsingthestationsCanadarm2,unberththe

SPDM,orDextre,onitspalletandinstallit

inatemporarypositiononthestation

7. DoMobileBaseSystemcheckouttoensure

theMBScanprovideheaterpowerto

Dextre

8.

Install

umbilical

for

keep

alive

power

and

stowOBSSonstation

9. Transferwaterfromshuttletospacestation

10.Transfercriticalitems

11.TransferEuropeanplantexperiment

(WAICO)samplesfromstationtoshuttle

incubator

12.TransfertwodoublecoldbagswithHuman

ResearchProgram(HRP)nutritionsamples

andIMMUNOsamplestoshuttlemiddeck

13.AssembleanddeploySPDMDextre

14.UseCanadarm2toberthSPDMDextre

pallet

15.TransferCanadarm2yawjointfrom

shuttletostationExternalStowage

Platform

2

(ESP

2)

16.Transfertwodirectcurrentswitchingunits

fromshuttletoESP2.


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18 MISSION PRIORITIES MARCH 2008



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MARCH 2008 MISSION PERSONNEL 19

MISSION PERSONNEL

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-123

Flt.Director CAPCOM PAOAscent BryanLunney JimDutton

KevinFord(Weather)KyleHerring

Orbit1(Lead) MikeMoses TerryVirts JohnIraPetty(Lead)

Orbit2 RickLaBrode NickPatrick KylieClemPlanning MattAbbott AlvinDrew BrandiDeanEntry RichardJones JimDutton

KevinFord(Weather)KyleHerring

ShuttleTeam4 RichardJones/TonyCeccacci

N/A N/A

ISSOrbit1 KwatsiAlibaruho ZachJones N/AISSOrbit2(Lead) DanaWeigel SteveRobinson N/AISSOrbit3 GingerKerrick MarkVandeHei N/AStationTeam4 HeatherRarick BobDempsey RonSpencer

Int.PartnerFDEmilyNelson(interfaceswithCanadianSpaceAgencyandJapanAerospaceExplorationAgency)

HQPAORepresentativeatKSCforLaunchMichaelCurieJSCPAORepresentativeatKSCforLaunchRobLazaroKSCLaunchCommentatorGeorgeDillerKSCLaunchDirectorMikeLeinbachNASALaunchTestDirectorStevePayne


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20 MISSION PERSONNEL MARCH 2008



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MARCH 2008 CREW 21

STS-123 ENDEAVOUR CREW

The

STS

123

crew

patch

depicts

the

shuttle

in

orbit with the crew names trailing behind.

STS123smajor additions to the International

SpaceStation: theKiboJapaneseELMPSand

theCanadianSPDM,knownasDextre,areboth

illustrated. The station is shown in the

configuration that the STS123 crew will

encounteruponarrival.


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22 CREW MARCH 2008

ThesesevenastronautstakeabreakfromtrainingtoposefortheSTS123crewportrait. From

theright(frontrow)areastronautsDominicGorie,commander;andGregoryH.Johnson,pilot.

Fromtheleft(backrow)areastronautsRickLinnehan,RobertL.Behnken,GarrettReisman,

MikeForemanandJAXAsTakaoDoi,allmissionspecialists. Thecrewmembersare

wearingshuttlelaunchandentrysuitsthatareusedfortraining.

Shortbiographical sketchesof the crew follow

withdetailedbackgroundavailableat:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/


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MARCH 2008 CREW 23

STS-123 CREW BIOGRAPHIES

DominicGorie

RetiredNavy

Capt.

Dominic

Gorie

will

lead

the

crewofSTS123on the25th shuttlemission to

theInternationalSpaceStation. Gorieservedas

thepilotofSTS91 in1998andSTS99 in2000.

He was the commander of STS108 in 2001.

Making his fourth spaceflight, he has logged

more than 32 days in space. He has overall

responsibility for the executionof themission,

orbiter

systems

operations

and

flight

operations, including landing. In addition,

Goriewill fly theshuttle inaprocedurecalled

the rendezvous pitch maneuver while

Endeavour is 600 feet below the station to

enable the station crew to photograph the

shuttles heat shield. He then will dock

Endeavourtothestation.


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24 CREW MARCH 2008

GregoryH.Johnson

Air Force Col. Gregory H.Johnson hasmore

than4,000

flight

hours

in

more

than

40

different

aircraft. He will make his first journey into

spaceasthepilotofEndeavourfortheSTS123

mission. SelectedbyNASA in 1998,Johnson

has served as a technical assistant to the

directorof flightcrewoperations. Hehasalso

worked intheAstronautOfficesspaceshuttle,

safetyand

exploration

branches.

He

will

be

responsible for orbiter systems operations,

shuttleand station roboticarmoperationsand

willhelpGorieintherendezvousanddocking

with the station. Johnson will undock

Endeavourfromthestation.


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26 CREW MARCH 2008

MikeForeman

NavyCapt.MikeForemanwillbemakinghis

first spaceflight as mission specialist 2 for

STS123. Hehasloggedmorethan5,000hours

in more than 50 aircraft. Selected as an

astronaut in 1998,Foremanhasworked in the

AstronautOfficespacestationandspaceshuttle

branches. Foremanwillbe on the flightdeck

duringlaunchandlanding,servingastheflight

engineer to assist Gorie and Johnson. He is

designated as EV3 and will conduct three

spacewalks. He also will serve as an

intravehicular coordinator for the other two

spacewalks.


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MARCH 2008 CREW 27

TakaoDoi

JAXA astronautTakaoDoiwillbemakinghis

secondtripintospaceasmissionspecialist3for

STS123. Doi holds doctorates in both

aerospace engineering and astronomy. He

loggedmorethan376hoursinspaceforSTS87

in 1997. He conducted two spacewalks,

including the manual capture of a Spartan

satellite. Doiwas selected as an astronaut in

1985 with the National Space Development

Agency (NASDA), currently known asJAXA.

HereportedtoJSCin1995. DuringSTS123Doi

willleadtheingressandinitialsetupofthefirst

element of the Kibo Japanese Experiment

Laboratory,theELMPS.


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28 CREW MARCH 2008

RickLinnehan

AstronautRick

Linnehan,

adoctor

of

veterinary

medicine,willbemakinghisfourthspaceflight

asmissionspecialist4 fortheSTS123mission.

SelectedbyNASAin1992,hehasloggedmore

than 43 days in space, including three

spacewalks to service the Hubble Space

Telescope on ServicingMission 3B. Linnehan

flewon

STS

78

in

1996,

STS

90

in

1998

and

STS109 in 2002. Designated as EV1 for the

STS123mission, hewill oversee the planning

and choreography of all five spacewalks. He

will conduct the first three and serve as an

intravehicular coordinator for the remaining

two.


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MARCH 2008 CREW 29

GarrettReisman

AstronautGarrettReismanwillbemakinghis

first spaceflight for STS123. He holds a

doctoratein

mechanical

engineering.

Selected

byNASA in1998,Reismanhasworked in the

Astronaut Office robotics and advanced

vehicles branches. He was part of the

NEEMOVmission,livingonthebottomofthe

sea intheAquariushabitatfortwoweeks. He

isdesignatedEV4onSTS123andwillconduct

one spacewalk. He also will assist with

intravehicular

duties

during

the

other

spacewalksandoperatethestationroboticarm.

He will serve as a flight engineer during

Expedition16and the transition toExpedition

17aboardstation. Heisscheduledtoreturnon

shuttlemissionSTS124.


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30 CREW MARCH 2008

LeopoldEyharts

Leopold Eyharts, a French astronaut from the

CenterNationaldEtudesSpatiales(CNES),will

returnto

Earth

on

STS

123.

He

was

selected

as

an astronaut by CNES in 1990 and by the

European Space Agency (ESA) in 1992. His

firstmission was to the Mir Space Station in

1998,where he supported theCNES scientific

spacemissionPgase.Heperformedvarious

French experiments in the areas of medical

research, neuroscience, biology, fluid physics

and technology. He logged20days,18hours

and20

minutes

in

space.

In

1998,

ESA

assigned

EyhartstotrainatNASAsJSC. Helaunchedto

the space station on the STS122 mission in

February. He was aboard station as a flight

engineer during Expedition 16 for the

commissioning of the European Columbus

laboratory.


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PAYLOAD OVERVIEW

MARCH 2008 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 31

KIBO OVERVIEWJapans contr i buti on to t he

Int ernat i onal Space Stati on Progr am

ThefirstcomponentoftheJapaneseexperiment

module,Kibo,willflytotheInternationalSpace

Station (ISS) after 23 years of development

efforts by the Japan Aerospace Exploration

Agency JAXA. Japansroleinthespacestation

program is to develop and contribute the

Japanese

Experiment

Module

(JEM),

logistics

vehicles, and theHIITransferVehicle (HTV),

usingaccumulatedJapanesetechnologies.

Onceinorbit,theKibofacilitieswillbeusedto

perform collaborative experiments by all the

station

partners.

In

addition,

JAXA

plans

educational, cultural and commercial uses of

the Kibo facility which will provide

opportunities for expanded utilization of the

spaceenvironment.

Kibos contributions are not strictly limited to

spaceutilizations. Theactualdevelopmentand

operationofKibohasgreat significance in the

continued expansion of Japans accumulated

technologies. Acquisition of advanced

technologiesrequired

to

support

human

life

in

space enhances both the level of Japans

scientific and technological skill, and

contributes to other worldwide space

development activities in the future

exploration.

ThisisanartistsconceptimageofKibooncefullyassembledonthespacestation.


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32 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW MARCH 2008

GraphicimagesoftheKiboPressurizedModuleinteriorJapanese Experi ment Module Kibo

Kibo(keyboh)meanshope.ItisJapansfirst

humanrated space facility. Kibo willbe the

largestexperimentmoduleonthespacestation,

accommodating 31 racks in its pressurized

section, including experiment, stowage, and

systemracks.

Kibo

is

equipped

with

external

facilities that can accommodate 10exposed

experimentpayloads.

Kibo is a complex facility that enables several

kinds of specialized functions. In total, Kibo

consists of: Pressurized Module (PM) and

Exposed Facility (EF), a logistics module

attached toboth thePMandEFandaRemote

Manipulator System Japanese Experiment

Module Remote Manipulator System

(JEMRMS.)

To make maximum use of its limited space,

Kibo possesses every function required to

perform experiment activities in space: the

pressurized and exposed sections, a scientific

airlock in the PM, and a remote manipulator

system that enables operation of exposed

experiments without the assistance of a

spacewalkingcrew.

Assembly of Kibo

The Kibo elements will be delivered to the

space station by three space shuttle flights.

STS123willdeliver theELMPS,STS124will

deliverthePMandJEMRMS,andSTS127will

deliver the EF and the Experiment Logistics

ModuleExposedSection(ELMES).

For each of the three missions, a JAXA

astronaut will fly to the station to assist with

the assembly, activation, and checkout of the

Kibo component. Astronaut Takao Doi is

assignedas

aNASA

mission

specialist

for

the

STS123mission,astronautAkihikoHoshide is

assignedasamissionspecialistfortheSTS124

mission, and astronaut Koichi Wakata is

assigned as a space station flight engineer for

Expedition18.


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Takao Doi

JAXA astronaut

Akihiko

Hoshide

Koichi Wakata

JAXA astronaut

Launch of ELM-PS Launch of PM and

JEMRMS Launch of EF and ELM-

ES

STS-119(15A)

STS-127(2J/A)


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The Fi rst Component to Fl y:

Kibos ELM-PS

Kibos ELMPSwillbe launched to the space

stationaboard the space shuttleEndeavouronthe STS123/1J/Amission,which is the first of

thethreeKiborelatedISSassemblyflights. The

ELMPS isaKibostoragefacilitythatprovides

stowage space for experiment payloads,

samples, and spare items. The pressurized

interior of the ELMPS is maintained at one

atmosphere, thus providing a shirtsleeve

workingenvironment. Thecrewwillbeableto

freelymovebetweentheELMPSandthemain

experimentmodule,

called

the

Pressurized

Module. Onthespacestation,Kiboistheonly

experiment facility with its own dedicated

storagefacility.

WhentheELMPSislaunchedaboardthespace

shuttle,itwillbeusedasalogisticsmodulefor

transporting eight Kibo subsystems and

experimentrackstothespacestation. Oncethe

ELMPS is on orbit, itwillbe used as aKibo

stowage compartment. Maintenance tools,

experiment

samples,

and

other

spare

items

will

allbestoredinsidetheELMPS. Thevolumeof

theELMPSislessthanthatofthePM,andup

toeightrackscanbehousedintheELMPS.

ELMPSstructurallocation

ELM-PS Exposed Facility Unit CommonBerthingMechanism(CBM)

CBM Hatch (for PM)

4.4m

4.2m

ELMPSStructure


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ELMPS

ELM-PS Specifications

Shape: Cylindrical

Outer Diameter: 4.4 meters (14.4 feet)

Inner Diameter: 4.2 meters (13.8 feet)

Length: 4.2 meters (13.8 feet)

Mass: 18,490 pounds

Number of Racks: 8 racks

Power Required: 3 kW 120 V DC

Environment

*Temperature:

*Humidity:

18.3 to 29.4 degreesCelsius (65 to 86degrees Fahrenheit)

25 to 70 %

Design Life: More than 10 years

TheELMPSwillbeattachedtothezenithport

on top of the Harmony Node 2 module on

STS123s fourth flightday. TheELMPSwill

remainattached to theHarmonymoduleuntil

theKibo

PM

is

delivered

to

the

ISS

on

the

following space shuttlemission,STS124. The

final locationoftheELMPSwillbeonthetop

portofthePM.

ELM-PS Launch Conf i gur at i on

The ELMPS will carry five Kibo subsystem

racks, two experiment racks, andone stowage

rackwhen transported to the space station on

theSTS123mission. Thisincludessomeofthe

Kibosubsystem

racks,

which

must

be

installed

in thePMbeforeactivationafter its launchon

theSTS124mission.

With the exception of the Inter Orbit

Communication System (ICS) PM rack, the

subsystem racks shownbelow (marked in red

outline)arecrucialtotheactivationofthePM.


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The racks marked in blue outline house the

JAXA experiments. In the SAIBO Rack,

cultivation of animal cells, plants, and other

microorganisms

will

be

performed

in

both

microgravityandsimulatedgravity0.1Gto

2 G conditions. In the RYUTAI Rack, fluid

physics phenomena, solution crystallization,

andproteincrystallizationexperimentswillbe

monitored

and

analyzed.

Starboard

Forward A

ft

Electrical PowerSystem 1 (EPS1)Rack

Pressurized SectionResupply Rack (PSRR)

ExperimentRack(SAIBO)

Inter-Orbit Communication System(ICS-PM) Rack

Data Management System1 (DMS1) Rack

Experiment Rack (RYUTAI)

JEM RemoteManipulator System(JEMRMS) Rack

Work Station(WS) Rack

Airinlet

Airinlet

Airoutlet

Airoutlet

Light

Port

ImageaboveshowsracklocationsintheELMPSasseenfromthePMside. Subsystem

racksaremarkedinredoutline,experimentracksinblue,andastowagerackingreen.


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Futur e Kibo Missi ons

PressurizedModuleandJapaneseExperiment

ModuleRemoteManipulatorSystem

(JEMRMS)tobelaunchedontheSTS124/1JMission

ThePressurizedModule(PM)is11.2meters,or

36.7feetinlength,and4.4meters,or14.4feetin

diameter. ThepressurizedinteriorofthePMis

maintained at one atmosphere to provide a

shirtsleeve working environment. The ISS

crew will conduct unique microgravity

experimentswithinthePMlaboratory. ThePM

will

hold

23

racks,

10

of

which

are

International

Standard Payload Racks designed for

experimentpayloads. ThePMwillbedelivered

totheISSaboardthespaceshuttleDiscoveryon

theSTS124/1Jmission.

Kibos robotic arm, orJEMRMS, serves as an

extension of the human hand and arm in

manipulating experiments on the EF. The

JEMRMSiscomposedoftheMainArmandthe

Small Fine Arm, which both have six

articulatingjoints. TheMainArm isused for

exchangingEFpayloadsand formoving large

items. TheSmallFineArm,whichattaches to

the

end

of

the

Main

Arm,

is

used

for

more

delicate tasks. The crew will operate these

roboticarmsfromtheJEMRMSConsolelocated

in the PM. The JEMRMS will be launched,

alongwiththePM,totheISSaboardthespace

shuttleDiscoveryontheSTS124/1Jmission.

ExposedFacilityandExperimentLogistics

ModuleExposedSectiontobelaunchedon

theSTS127/2J/AMission

The EF provides a multipurpose platform

where ten science experiment and system

payloads

can

be

deployed

and

operated

in

the

unpressurized environment of space. The

experimentpayloadsattachedtotheEFwillbe

exchangedusing theJEMRMS. TheEFwillbe

delivered to the ISS aboard the space shuttle

EndeavourontheSTS127/2J/Amission.

The ELMES is attached to the end of the EF

andprovidesastoragespaceforEFexperiment

payloadsandsamples. Uptothreeexperiment

payloads canbe stored on the ELMES. The

ELMESwillbe launched, along with the EF

andICSEF,totheISSaboardthespaceshuttle

EndeavourontheSTS127/2J/Amission.


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Kibo will be capable of independent

communications with Tsukuba Space Center

(TKSC)oncetheICSisinstalledinboththePM

and

EF,

and

fully

activated.

Through

JAXAs

Data Relay Test Satellite (DRTS), commands

and voice are uplinked from the ground to

Kibo,andexperimentdata,imagedataorvoice

are downlinked from Kibo to the ground for

scientific payload operations. The ICSEFhas

anantennaandapointingmechanismthatwill

beusedtocommunicatewiththeDRTS.

TheICSEFwillbelaunched,alongwiththeEF

andELMES,totheISSaboardthespaceshuttleEndeavouron theSTS127/2J/Amission,while

the InterOrbit Communication System PM

Rack will be delivered to the ISS on

STS123/1J/A and installed in the PM during

STS124/1J.

ICS-PM Rack ICS-EF Subsystem (ICS-EF)


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KIBO MISSION CONTROL CENTER

After the Kibo element components are fully

assembled

and

activated

aboard

the

ISS,

fullscaleexperimentoperationswillbegin.

Kibo operationswillbejointlymonitored and

controlled from the Space Station Integration

and Promotion Center at Tsukuba, in Japan,

andtheMissionControlCenteratNASAsJSC

inHouston,wheretheoveralloperationsofthe

spacestationarecontrolled.

JAXA Fl i ght Cont rol Team

TheJAXA

Flight

Control

Team

(JFCT)

consists

of flight directors and more than 50 flight

controllers assigned to 10 technicaldisciplines

requiredtosupportKiboflightoperations. The

flight director oversees and directs the team,

and the flight controllers possess specialized

expertise on allKibo systems. The teamwill

monitor

and

control

Kibo

around

the

clock

in

a

threeshiftperdayschedule.

Once operational, the JFCT will monitor the

status of command uplinks, data downlinks,

systempayloadsandexperimentsaboardKibo.

The JFCT will have the capability to make

realtime changes to operations, and can

communicate directly with the crew aboard

Kibo and the various international partner

mission control centers located around the

world.The

team

will

troubleshoot

problems

or

anomalies that may occur aboard the Kibo

duringflightoperations.

KiboMissionControlRoom


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The JFCT organizes and conducts mission

specifictrainingthataccuratelysimulatesactual

Kiboflightoperations. Theteamisresponsible

for

the

preparation

and

evaluation

of

all

plans

andprocedures thatwillbeperformedby the

crew aboard Kibo, and by controllers on the

ground. In addition, the JFCT regularly

conducts contingency training for all certified

flight controllers, and candidate flight

controllers.

TherolesoftherespectivesectionsofJFCTare

asfollows:

JAXA Fl i ght Di rect or

JAXA FlightDirector (JFLIGHT) is the leader

of theJFCT. JFLIGHTwilldirect the overall

operation of Kibo, including operations

planning, system and experiment operations,

andother tasksperformedby thecrewaboard

Kibo.

The flight controllers assigned to each control

sectionmustensurethattheJFLIGHTisgiven

thecurrent

status

of

every

detail

of

Kibo

operations.

Mayumi Matsuura will serve as the lead

JFLIGHT for the STS123/1J/A mission, and

will direct the ELMPS related operations

duringthe1J/Astage.

LeadJFLIGHTforSTS123

MayumiMatsuura

Control and Network Systems, Elect r i cal

Power, and ICS Communicat ion off i cer

Control and Network Systems, Electrical

Power, and ICS Communication officer(CANSEI) is responsible for Kibos flight

control,network systems,electricalpowerand

ICScommunications. CANSEIwillmonitorthe

control statusofonboard computers,network

systems,andelectricalpower systems through

data downlinked from Kibo on a realtime

basis.

Fluid and Thermal off i cer

FluidandThermalofficer(FLAT)isresponsibleformonitoringthestatusoftheEnvironmental

Control and Life Support System and the

Thermal Control System which regulate the

heatgeneratedby theequipmentaboardKibo.

These systems will be monitored through

telemetry data downlinked from Kibo on a

realtimebasis.

Kibo Roboti cs of fi cer

Kibo Robotics officer (KIBOTT) is responsible

fortheoveralloperationofKibosroboticarms,

scientific airlock, and other associated

mechanisms. During robotic arm and airlock

operations,KIBOTTwill prepare andmonitor

therelatedsystemsnecessaryfortheflightcrew

toperformtheappropriatetasksaboardKibo.

Operati ons Planner

OperationsPlanner(JPLAN) isresponsiblefor

planning the actual flight operations. When

Kibo is in a flight operations status, JPLAN

willmonitor the status and progress of Kibo

operations and, if necessary, will amend or

modifytheoperationplansasrequired.


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System Element Investi gati on and

Integrati on offi cer

System Element Investigation and Integration

officer(SENIN)

is

responsible

for

Kibos

system

elements. SENINwillmonitorandensurethat

eachKibosystemisrunningsmoothlyandwill

integrate all systems information providedby

eachflightcontrolsection.

Tsukuba Ground Cont rol ler

TsukubaGroundController(TSUKUBAGC)is

responsible for the overall operation and

maintenance of the ground support facilities

thatare

essential

for

Kibo

flight

operations.

This includes the operations control systems

andtheoperationsnetworksystems.

JEM Communi cator

JEMCommunicator (JCOM) is responsible for

voice communications with the crew aboard

Kibo. JCOM will communicate all essential

information to the crew for operating Kibo

systems and experiments, and/or respond to

Kibospecific inquiries from the crew. JAXA

Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki (who is also

assigned as the Crew Support Astronaut for

STS123 Mission Specialist Takao Doi) will

serve as a JCOM officer during the STS123

mission.

JAXAastronautNaokoYamazakiwillserveasaJCOMofficerduringtheSTS123mission.


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Astronaut Related Intr avehicl e Act i vit y

and Equipment Support

AstronautRelatedIntravehicularActivity(IVA)

andEquipmentSupport(ARIES)isresponsiblefor IntraVehicular Activity (IVA) operations

aboardKibo. ARIESwillmanagethetoolsand

otherIVArelatedsupportequipmentonKibo.

JEM Payload off i cer

JEM Payload Officer (JEM PAYLOADS) is

responsible for Kibos experiment payload

operations, and will coordinate payload

activitieswiththePrimaryInvestigatorsofeach

respectiveexperiment.

JAXA Extr avehicul ar Act i vi ty

JAXA Extravehicular Activity (JAXA EVA) is

responsible for Kiborelated EVA operations

and will provide technical support to the

crew members who perform Kiborelated

spacewalks.

Note: The JAXA EVA console will not be

located in theSpaceStationOperationsFacility at the Tsukuba Space Center.

Instead,theJAXAEVAflightcontrollers

willbestationedattheNASAJSC.

JEM Engi neer ing Team

TheJEMEngineeringTeam(JET)isresponsible

forproviding technical evaluation of realtime

data and pre and postflight analysis. JET

consists of the JET lead and electrical

subsystem,fluidsubsystemandIVAengineers

who are members of the JEM Development

ProjectTeam. JET engineers alsowork in the

NASAMissionEvaluationRoomatNASAJSC

in order to performjoint troubleshooting and

anomalyresolution.

CANSEI FLAT

Screen ScreenScreen

J-COM J-FLIGHT SENINJEM

PAYLOAD

TSUKUBA

GC

KIBOTT ARIES J-PLAN

JEMMissionControlRoom


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Astr onaut Trai ning Facil i ty

The following activities are conducted in the

AstronautTrainingFacility(ATF)building:

JAXAastronautcandidatetraining

Astronauttrainingandhealthcare

ThisbuildingisaprimarysiteforJapansspace

medicineresearch.


Weightl ess Envir onment Test Bui l ding

The Weightless Environment Test Building

(WET) facilityprovidesasimulatedweightless

environment, using water buoyancy, forastronauttraining. Designverificationtestson

variousKibocomponents,anddevelopmentof

preliminary spacewalk procedures, were

conductedinthisfacility.


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Space Stat ion Integrat i on and Promot ion Center


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SPACE STATION INTEGRATION AND

PROMOTION CENTER

The

Space

Station

Integration

and

Promotion

Center is responsible for controlling Kibo

operations. At the center, operation of Kibo

systemsandpayloadsaresupervisedandKibo

operation plans are prepared in cooperation

with NASAs Mission Control Center and

PayloadOperationIntegrationCenter.

Thecenterisresponsibleforthefollowing:

MonitoringandcontrollingKibooperating

systems

MonitoringandcontrollingJapanese

experimentsonboardKibo

Implementingoperationplans

Supportinglaunchpreparation

Thecenterconsistsofthefollowingsections:

Mission Control Room

The Mission Control Room (MCR) provides

realtimeKibosupportona24hourbasis. This

includes monitoring the health and status of

Kibos operating systems, payloads, sending

commands,andrealtimeoperationalplanning.

User Operat ions Area

The User Operations Area (UOA) distributes

the status of Japanese experiments and

provides collecteddata to the respectiveusers

thatareresponsiblefortheexperimentsandthe

subsequentanalysis.

Operati ons Planning Room

The Operations Planning Room (OPR) is

responsible for the planning of on orbit and

ground operations based on the power

distribution, crew resources, and data

transmission capacity. If the baseline plans

need to be changed, adjustments will be

conducted

in

tandem

with

the

MCR,

the

User

OperationsAreaandNASA.

Operati ons Rehearsal Room

The Operations Rehearsal Room (ORR)

provides training for flight controllers, and

conducts integrated rehearsals and joint

simulationswithNASA.

Engi neer ing Support Room

TheEngineeringSupportRoom(ESR)provides

engineering support for Kibo operations. In

this room, the JEM Engineering Team (JET)

monitorsthedatadownlinkedtotheMCRfrom

Kibo, and provides engineering support as

required.

JAXAS EXPERIMENTS DURING THE

1J/ A STAGE

CELL WALL and RESIST WALL

Supported by NASA and ESA, JAXAs life

scienceexperimentwillbeperformedonboard

theISSduring the1J/AStage. Theexperiment

combines two research themes entitled CELL

WALLandRESISTWALL.

Seeds of thale cress, or mouseear cress

Arabidopsisthalianawillbelaunchedtothe

ISS on the STS123 mission. Using ESAs

cultivation chamber, European Modular

Cultivation System: EMCS located in the

Columbus module, half of the seeds will be

grown in a microgravity condition and the

other half will be grown in an artificial 1G

gravitycondition. Thestemsof thethalecress

will be collected into sample collection tubes


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whenthestemshavegrownto10cminheight,

approximately 43 days after initiation of

incubation, and then, will be returned to the

ground

on

the

STS

124

mission.

The goal of this research is to uncover the

molecular mechanism in plants that are

assumed to be regulated by earths

gravitational force, and/or verify the gravity

resistancemechanism,which isassumed tobe

an essential response for plants to develop

againsttheforceofgravityonearth.

Thalecress,a.k.amouseearcress

PCCandEC(PlantCultivationChamber

andExperimentContainer)

Samplecollectiontube

JAXA AEROSPACE OPEN LAB PROGRAM

Development of cl othi ng for ast ronauts

aboard spacecraft

JAXAhas

been

conducting

the

Aerospace

Open

LabProgramsinceJune2004. Thisprogram is

one of JAXAs space development support

measures,aiming forestablishingafoundation

foreasieraccess to thecurrentor future space

development programs. Currently, 25 joint

research projects are ongoing as part of the

program.

Developmentofclothing forastronautsaboard

spacecraft,known as crew cabin clothing, is

oneof

the

research

themes.

This

research

is

run

by theNearFutureSpaceLivingUnitgroup

ledby Prof. Yoshiko Taya ofJapanWomens

University.


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Shirtwithshortsleeves

The goal of this research group is to develop

crew cabin clothing that meets the safety

requirements for spaceflight, and that ensures

thefollowingfunctions:

Thermalcomfort

Cleanliness

Mobility

Beautifulclothingcontour

Lightweightandcompactdesign

Clothingdevelopedbythisresearchgroupwill

belaunched

aboard

STS

123.

During

the

mission,JAXA astronautTakaoDoiwillwear

the various clothing types developed by the

grouptoevaluatethecomfortandfunctionality

oftheclothing.

The group has developed clothing materials

withthefollowingpropertiesrequiredforcrew

cabinclothing:

Heatinsulation

Waterabsorption

Quickevaporation

Antibacterial

Odorelimination

Antistatic

Antifouling

Softandcomfortabletoskin

In addition to those properties, nonsewing

technologyhasgiven theclothingsoftnessand

wearable comfort. Cutting technology has

improved theway theclothing fitsandmoves

asthecrewworksinspace.

The group has alsodeveloped a hook& loop

fastenerwith

fire

retardant

properties

and

fabricatedwithsofttouchmaterials.

Shorts


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DEXTRE: CANADIAN ROBOTICS FOR

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Dextre

is

the

third

and

final

component

of

the

MobileServicingSystemdevelopedbyCanada

for the ISS. The twoarmed Special Purpose

Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre,

complements themobilebase and the robotic

arm Canadarm2 already installed and

operatingonthestation. ThesemaketheMSSa

vital tool for external station maintenance.

With advanced stabilization and handling

capabilities, Dextre can perform delicate

human

scale

tasks

such

as

removing

and

replacingsmallexteriorcomponents. Operated

bycrewmembersinsidethestationorbyflight

controllers on the ground, it also is equipped

with lights, video equipment, a stowage

platform,andthreerobotictools.

TheSpecialPurposeDexterousManipulatorcanperformdelicatehuman

scaletaskssuchasremovingandreplacingsmallexteriorcomponents.


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ThetechnologybehindDextreevolvedfromits

famouspredecessorCanadarm2. Dextre is the

worlds first onorbit servicing robot with an

operational

mission,

and

it

lays

the

foundation

for future satellite servicing and space

explorationcapabilities.

What Dext re Can Do

Whileonearm isused toanchorand stabilize

the system, the other can perform fine

manipulation tasks such as removing and

replacing station components, opening and

closing covers, and deploying or retracting

mechanisms.Dextre

can

either

be

attached

to

theendofCanadarm2orrideindependentlyon

the Mobile Base System. To grab objects,

Dextrehasspecialgripperswithbuiltinsocket

wrench, camera, and lights. The two pan/tilt

cameras below its rotating torso provide

operators with additional views of the work

area.

Currently, astronauts executemany tasks that

can onlybe performed during long, arduous,

and

potentially

dangerous

spacewalks.

Delivery of this element increases crew safety

andreducestheamountoftimethatastronauts

must spend outside the station for routine

maintenance. Theyshouldthereforehavemore

timeforscientificactivities.

Some of themany tasks Dextre will perform

include:

Installing and removing small payloads

suchas

batteries,

power

switching

units,

andcomputers

Providingpowertopayloads

Manipulating, installing, and removing

scientificpayloads

AtypicaltaskforDextrewouldbetoreplacea

depleted battery (100 kg, 220 pounds) and

engagealltheconnectors. Thisinvolvesbolting

and

unbolting,

as

well

as

millimetre

level

positioningaccuracy foraligningand inserting

thenewbattery.

Design Ingenuit y and Remarkable

Sensitivity

Thiskindoftaskdemandshighprecisionanda

gentle touch. To achieve this, Dextre has a

unique technology: precise sensing of the

forces and torque in its grip with automatic

compensationto

ensure

the

payload

glides

smoothlyintoitsmountingfixture. Dextrecan

pivot at the waist, and its shoulders support

two identicalarmswithsevenoffsetjointsthat

allow for great freedom of movement. The

waistjoint allows the operator to change the

position of the tools, cameras, and temporary

stowageonthe lowerbodywithrespectto the

armsontheupperbody. Dextreisdesignedto

move only one arm at a time for several

reasons: to maintain stability, to harmonize

activities with Canadarm on the shuttle and

Canadarm2onthestationandtominimizethe

possibilityofselfcollision.

Attheendofeacharmisanorbitalreplacement

unit/tool changeoutmechanism, or OTCM

paralleljawsthatholdapayloadortoolwitha

vicelike grip. Each OTCM has a retractable

motorizedsocketwrenchtoturnboltsandmate

ordetachmechanisms,aswellasacameraand

lightsfor

close

up

viewing.

A

retractable

umbilical connector can provide power, data,

andvideoconnectionfeedthroughtopayloads.

From a workstation aboard the station,

astronautscanoperateall theMobileServicing

System components, namely Canadarm2, the

mobile base, and Dextre. To prepare for


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operating each component, astronauts and

cosmonauts undergo rigorous training at the

Canadian Space Agencys Operations

Engineering

Training

Facility

at

the

John

H.

ChapmanSpaceCentreinLongueuil,Quebec.

Canadas Contr ibuti on to t he

Internati onal Space Stat i on

Renowned for its expertise in space robotics,

Canadas contribution to the ISS a unique

collaborative project with the United States,

Japan,RussiaandseveralEuropeannations

istheMobileServicingSystem. Combiningtwo

robotic elements and amobile platform, they

are designed to work together or

independently.

The

first

element,

Canadarm2,

whose technical name is the Space Station

Remote Manipulator System, was delivered

and installed by Canadian Space Agency

astronautChrisHadfield in 2001. Themobile

base systemwas added to the station in 2002.

Dextre launches aboard space shuttle

EndeavouronflightSTS123.

ThisimageillustratesDextreworkingattheendofthestationsCanadarm2.


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Dextrecanpivotatthewaistanditsshoulderssupporttwoidenticalarmswithsevenoffsetjointsthatallowforgreatfreedomofmovement.

Dextr e Qui ck Fact s

SIZE AND MASS

Height 3.67 meters (12 feet)

Width (acrossshoulders

2.37 meters(7.7 feet)

Arm Length (each): 3.35 meters (11 feet)

Mass (approx.): 1,560 kilograms(3,440 pounds)

PERFORMANCE

Handling Capability: 600 kilograms(1,323 pounds)

PositioningAccuracy(incremental):

2 millimeters(1/12 inch)

PositioningAccuracy (relativeto target):

6 millimeters(1/4 inch)

Force Accuracy 2.2 newtons(0.5 pound force)

Average OperatingPower

1,400 watts

Formoreinformation,visit:http://www.space.gc.ca


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59/114

MARCH 2008 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 55

RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING

BackdroppedbyablueandwhiteEarth,spaceshuttleEndeavourapproachestheInternational

SpaceStationduringSTS118rendezvousanddockingoperations. ARussianspacecraft,

dockedtothestation,canbeseenintherightforeground.

Rendezvous begins with a precisely timed

launch of the shuttle on the correct trajectory

for itschaseof the InternationalSpaceStation.

A series of engine firings over the next

twodayswillbringEndeavourtoapointabout

50,000feet

behind

the

station.

Once there, Endeavour will start its final

approach. About2.5hoursbeforedocking,the

shuttlesjetswillbefiredduringwhatiscalled

the terminal initiation burn. Endeavour will

cover the finalmiles to the stationduring the

nextorbit.

AsEndeavourmoves closer to the station, the

shuttles rendezvous radar system and

trajectory control sensor will give the crew

range and closingrate data. Several small

correction burns will place Endeavour about

1,000feet

below

the

station.

Commander Dominic Gorie, with help from

Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and other crew

members,willmanually fly the shuttle for the

remainderoftheapproachanddocking.


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56 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING MARCH 2008

GoriewillstopEndeavourabout600feetbelow

thestation. Oncehedeterminesthereisproper

lighting,hewillmaneuvertheshuttlethrougha

nine

minute

back

flip

called

the

Rendezvous

PitchManeuver. That allows the station crew

to take asmany as 300digital pictures of the

shuttlesheatshield.

Stationcrewmemberswillusedigitalcameras

with400mmand800mmlensestophotograph

Endeavours upper and bottom surfaces

through windows of the Zvezda Service

Module. The 400 mm lens provides up to

3inch resolution and the 800 mm lens up to

1inch

resolution.

The photography is one of several techniques

usedtoinspecttheshuttlesthermalprotection

system for possibledamage. Areas of special

interest

include

the

tiles,

the

reinforced

carbon

carbon of the nose and leading edges of the

wings,landinggeardoorsandtheelevoncove.

The photos will be downlinked through the

stations Kuband communications system for

analysis by systems engineers and mission

managers.

WhenEndeavourcompletesitsbackflip,itwill

bebackwhere it started,with itspayloadbay

facingthe

station.

ThisimageillustratesspaceshuttleEndeavourdockingwiththeInternationalSpaceStation.


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MARCH 2008 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING 57

Gorie then will fly Endeavour through a

quarter circle to a position about 400 feet

directlyinfrontofthestation. Fromthatpoint

he

will

begin

the

final

approach

to

dock

at

the

Pressurized MatingAdaptor 2 at the forward

endoftheHarmonymodule.

The shuttle crew members operate laptop

computersprocessingthenavigationaldata,the

laser range systems and Endeavours docking

mechanism.

Usingavideocameramountedinthecenterof

theOrbiterDockingSystem,Goriewill lineup

thedocking

ports

of

the

two

spacecraft.

If

necessary,hewillpause30feetfromthestation

to ensure proper alignment of the docking

mechanisms.

Hewillmaintaintheshuttlesspeedrelativeto

the station at about onetenth of a foot per

second,whilebothEndeavour and the station

aremovingatabout17,500mph. Hewillkeep

thedockingmechanismsalignedtoatolerance

of

three

inches.

When Endeavour makes contact with the

station, preliminary latches will automatically

attachthetwospacecraft. Theshuttlessteering

jets will be deactivated to reduce the forces

actingatthedockinginterface. Shockabsorber

springsinthedockingmechanismwilldampen

any relative motion between the shuttle and

station.

Oncemotion

between

the

shuttle

and

the

stationhasbeenstopped,thedockingringwill

be retracted to close a final set of latches

betweenthetwovehicles.

BackdroppedbyEarth,theInternationalSpaceStationisseenfromspace

shuttleAtlantisasthetwospacecraftbeginseparationandthe

STS122missionnearsitscompletion.


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58 RENDEZVOUS & DOCKING MARCH 2008

UNDOCKING, SEPARATION AND

DEPARTURE

At

undocking,

hooks

and

latches

will

be

openedandspringswillpushEndeavouraway

fromthestation. Theshuttlessteeringjetswill

be shut off to avoid any inadvertent firings

duringtheinitialseparation.

Once Endeavour is about two feet from the

stationandthedockingdevicesareclearofone

another,Johnsonwill turn the steeringjets on

and will manually fly Endeavour in a tight

corridor as the shuttle moves away from the

station.

Endeavour will move away about 450 feet.Then, if propellant and time permit,Johnson

willbegin to fly the shuttlearound the station

and its new laboratory. Once Endeavour

completes 1.5 revolutions of the station,

Johnsonwill fireEndeavoursjets to leave the

area.

ThisimagedepictsspaceshuttleEndeavourundocking

fromthestationfollowingtheSTS123mission.


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MARCH 2008 SPACEWALKS 59

SPACEWALKS

Five

spacewalks

performed

by

four

of

STS

123s

astronauts will help install the Japanese

ELMPSandassembleDextre,theSPDM.

Spacewalkers also will demonstrate a space

shuttle heat shield repair technique, using the

TileRepairAblatorDispenser(TRAD),similar

toacaulkgun. ForemanandBehnkenwilluse

theTRAD tomixagoolikesubstanceknown

as

STA

54

and

extrude

it

into

holes

in

several

demonstration tiles. They will smooth the

materialby tamping itwith foamtipped tools.

The repaired samples will be stowed in

Endeavours cargo bay for return to Earth,

wheretheywillundergoextensivetesting.

STS123s spacewalkswilloccuron flightdays

4,6,8,11,and13.

ThisimageillustratesthestationsroboticarmgrapplingtheOrbiterBoomSensorSystemin

preparationforitstemporarystowageonthestationsS1truss.


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60 SPACEWALKS MARCH 2008

Veteran Rick Linnehan is the missions lead

spacewalker. He conducted three spacewalks

in March 2002 during STS109, the fourth

Hubble

Space

Telescope

servicing

mission.

Linnehanwillconductthefirstthreeexcursions

with threedifferent firsttime spacewalkers

Garrett Reisman, Mike Foreman and

RobertL.Behnken.

Behnken and Foreman will perform the two

final spacewalks, including the heat shield

repairdemonstration.

The spacewalkers will be identifiable by

variousmarkings

on

their

spacesuits.

Linnehan

will wear the suit bearing solid red stripes.

Reisman will wear an allwhite spacesuit.

Foremanssuitwillbedistinguishedbybroken

horizontal

red

stripes,

and

Behnkens

suit

will

bemarkedwithadiagonalcandycanestripe.

Each spacewalk will start from the stations

Quest airlock. Theastronautswillprepareby

using the campout prebreathe protocol,

spendingthenightbeforethespacewalkinthe

airlock. The prebreathe exercise purges

nitrogen from the astronauts systems to

preventdecompressionsickness,alsoknownas

thebends.

ThisimagedepictstheKiboJapaneseExperimentModulethatwillbeinstalled

ontheInternationalSpaceStationduringtheSTS123mission.


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MissionSpecialistsRickLinnehanandGarrettReismanwill

conductthefirstofthemissionsfivescheduledspacewalks.

During the campout, the spacewalking crew

membersisolatethemselvesintheairlock. The

airlocksairpressureisloweredto10.2pounds

persquareinch(psi)whilethestationiskeptat

14.7psi,ornearsealevelpressure. Whenthey

wake up, the astronauts don oxygen masks,

and the airlockspressure is raised to 14.7psi

for an hour. Afterbreakfast, the pressure is

loweredbackto10.2psiforanadditionalhour

as the astronauts don their spacesuits. An

additional30minutesinthesuitscompletesthe

protocol. The campout procedure enables

spacewalks tobegin earlier in the crews day

thanbeforetheprotocolwasadopted.

EVA-1

EV1: Linnehan

EV4: Reisman

IV:

Foreman

BehnkenandEyhartswilloperate thestations

roboticarm

Duration: 6.5hours


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EVA-3

EV1: Linnehan

EV2:Behnken

IV: Foreman

Duration: 6.5hours

EVAOperations:

OutfitDextre

1. InstalltheORUandtoolplatform/tool

holderassembly

2. InstalltheCameraLightPanTilt

Assembly(CLPA)

3.

Remove

the

cover

PreparetheSpacelabLogisticsPalletfor

landing

MovetheMISSE6experimenttothe

Columbusmodule

TransferaspareCanadarm2yawjoint

TransfertwospareDirectCurrent

SwitchingUnits

MissionspecialistsRickLinnehanandRobertBehnkenwillconduct

themissionsthirdspacewalkscheduledforflightday8.


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EVA-4

EV2: Behnken

EV3:Foreman

IV: Linnehan

Duration: 6.5hours

EVAOperations:

ReplaceafailedRemotePowerController

Moduleonthestationstruss

TRADDetailedTestObjective(DTO)848,

theheatshieldrepairdemonstration

MissionspecialistsRobertBehnkenandMikeForemanwillconduct

themissionsfinaltwospacewalksonflightdays11and13.


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EVA-5

EV2: Behnken

EV3:Foreman

IV: Linnehan

Duration: 6.5hours

EVAOperations:

TransfertheOBSStoatemporarystowage

locationontheS1truss.

InstallELMPStrunnioncovers

ReinstallTrundleBearingAssemblyNo.5

inthestarboardSARJ

ReleaselaunchlocksonHarmonysport

andnadirCommonBerthingMechanisms

Removeadditionalcoversfromthe

starboardSARJandperforminspections,

capturedigitalphotographyandperform

debriscollection


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MARCH 2008 EXPERIMENTS 67

EXPERIMENTS

DETAILED TEST OBJECTIVESDetailed TestObjectives (DTOs) are aimed at

testing, evaluating or documenting space

shuttle systems or hardware, or proposed

improvements to the space shuttle or space

stationhardware,systemsandoperations.

DTO 848 Ti le Repai r Ablator Di spenser

The primary purpose of the detailed test

objective is to evaluate the Shuttle Tile

Ablator54 (STA54)material and a tile repairablator dispenser in a microgravity and

vacuum environment for their use as a space

shuttle thermal protection system repair

technique.

Spacewalkers Robert Behnken and Mike

Foremanonflightday11willsetupforthetest

ontheoutsideoftheDestinylab.

TheTileRepairAblatorDispenser (TRAD) is

similartoacaulkgun. Bothspacewalkerswill

use theTRAD tomixandextrude theSTA54

material into holes in several demonstration

tiles. Thespacewalkerswillwatchforswelling

ofthematerialandworkitinuntilitissmooth

by tamping the material with foamtipped

tools.

Therepairedsamplesand toolswillbestowed

in Endeavours cargobay for return to Earth.

Thesamples

will

undergo

extensive

testing

on

theground.

DTO 853 In-Fl i ght Evaluati on for Areasof CO2 Concentration

Thepurposeof theDTO is to evaluate carbon

dioxide(CO2)levelsatspecifictimesduringthe

mission and in shuttle areas that have the

potential

to

contain

elevated

levels.

The

DTO

is

beingcarriedoutover fourmissions: STS118,

STS120, STS122 and STS123. During the

missions, the data will be collected over a

periodoffivedays,duringsimilartimeperiods

andinsimilarlocations.

The CO2 levels will be recorded using the

Carbon Dioxide Monitor (CDM) a portable

handheld device designed to monitor and

quantifyCO2concentrations.

The test was prompted by the STS121 and

STS115 mission crews who reported

experiencing stuffiness and headaches while

sleeping in themiddeck area. The symptoms

arebelievedtomostlikelyresultfromexposure

tohighlevelsofCO2.

For the reported times during STS121 and

STS115, the CO2 levels within the crew

module, as indicated by the vehicle

instrumentation,were

within

the

acceptable

range. Additionally, for the course of the

docked phase, the CO2 levels in the shuttle

trackedwellwiththelevelsinthestation. The

stationcrewdidnotreportanysymptoms.

Data sampling locations for the test are

dependentuponcrewsleep locationsandhigh

activitylocationsbecausethepostsleepactivity

periodandhigh activityperiods are the times

whenCO2symptomswerereportedbythetwo

crews.

During theupcoming fourmissions, thecrews

willplacetheCDMinthemiddeckbeforethey

go to sleep so that ground controllers

can monitor CO2 levels continuously. The

informationwillbe used to identifyCO2 hot

spotswithintheshuttle.


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68 EXPERIMENTS MARCH 2008

As a result, engineering evaluations will be

made to finetune air exchange analyses, to

determine if any configuration changes are

necessary

to

optimize

airflow

and

to

determine

if operational improvements are needed or if

crew exposure time in identified areas should

belimited.

CDM technology was successfully used to

determine the existenceofCO2pocketson the

spacestation. Thekit thatwillbeusedon the

shuttlewillincludetheCDM,filtersandseveral

battery packs. The CDM is capable of

monitoring CO2 in a localized area for either

longor

short

durations

of

time,

depending

on

theoperatingmode.

DTO 805 Crosswind Landing

Performance (If opportunit y)

ThepurposeofthisDTO istodemonstratethe

capability to perform a manually controlled

landing in the presence of a crosswind. The

testingisdoneintwosteps.

1.Pre

launch:

Ensure

planning

will

allow

selection of a runway with Microwave

Scanning Beam Landing System support,

which is a set ofdual transmitters located

beside the runway providing precision

navigation vertically, horizontally and

longitudinallywith respect to the runway.

This precision navigation subsystem helps

provide a higher probability of a more

precise landingwith a crosswind of 10 to

15knotsaslateintheflightaspossible.

2. Entry: This test requires that the crew

perform amanually controlled landing in

the presence of a 90degree crosswind

componentof10to15knotssteadystate.

Duringacrosswindlanding,thedragchutewill

bedeployed afternose gear touchdownwhen

the vehicle is stable and tracking the runway

centerline.

SHORT-DURATION RESEARCHThe space shuttle and International Space

Station have an integrated research program

thatoptimizesuseofshuttlecrewmembersand

longduration space station crew members to

address research questions in a variety of

disciplines.

Forinformationonscienceonthestation:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/

science/index.html

or

http://iss-science.jsc.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Detailedinformationislocatedat:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/Expedition.html

ValidationofProceduresforMonitoringCrew

Member Immune Function (Integrated

Immune)willassess theclinicalrisksresulting

from the adverse effects of spaceflight on the

human immune system and will validate a

flightcompatible immunemonitoringstrategy.

Researchers will collect and analyze blood,

urine and saliva samples from crewmembers

before,duringandafterspaceflight tomonitor

changesintheirimmunesystems.

Maui Analysis of Upper Atmospheric

Injections

(MAUI)will

observe

the

space

shuttle engine exhaust plumes from the

Maui Space Surveillance Site inHawaii. The

observationswill occurwhen the shuttle fires

itsenginesatnightortwilight. Atelescopeand

allskyimagerswilltakeimagesanddatawhile

theshuttlefliesovertheMauisite. Theimages

will be analyzed to better understand the


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interactionbetween the spacecraft plume and

theupperatmosphere.

Test of Midodrine as a Countermeasure

Against PostFlight Orthostatic Hypotension(Midodrine) isa testof theabilityof thedrug

midodrinetoreducetheincidenceorseverityof

orthostatichypotension. Ifsuccessful,thedrug

willbe employed as a countermeasure to the

dizziness caused by the bloodpressure

decreasethatmanyastronautsexperienceupon

returningtotheEarthsgravity.

Bioavailablity and Performance Effects of

Promethazineduring

Spaceflight

(PMZ)

will

examinetheperformanceimpactingsideeffects

of promethazine and its bioavailability the

degree towhich a drug canbe absorbed and

usedby the parts of thebody onwhich it is

intended tohavean effect. Promethazine isa

medication taken by astronauts to prevent

motionsickness.

SleepWake Actigraphy and Light Exposure

during Spaceflight Short (SleepShort)will

examinethe

effects

of

spaceflight

on

the

sleepwake cycles of the astronauts during

shuttle missions. Advancing stateoftheart

technology for monitoring, diagnosing and

assessing treatmentofsleeppatterns isvital to

treatinginsomniaonEarthandinspace.

Rigidizable Inflatable GetAwaySpecial

Experiment (RIGEX) operates in the space

shuttle cargobay and is designed to test and

collect

data

on

inflated

and

rigid

structures

in

space. Inflatable tubes will be heated and

cooled to form structurally stiff tubes. Itwill

operate in the U.S. Department of Defenses

(DoD)Canister forAll PayloadEjections, also

knownasCAPE.

Sampl es Returni ng from ISS on STS-123

Nutritional Status Assessment (Nutrition) is

NASAsmostcomprehensive inflightstudy to

date of human physiologic changes duringlongduration spaceflight; this includes

measures of bone metabolism, oxidative

damage,nutritionalassessmentsandhormonal

changes. This study will impact both the

definition of nutritional requirements and

development of food systems for future space

exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

Theexperimentalsowillhelptounderstandthe

impact of countermeasures exercise and

pharmaceuticalson

nutritional

status

and

nutrientrequirementsforastronauts.

Neuroendocrine and Immune Responses in

HumansDuringandAfterLongTermStayat

ISS (Immuno)provided anunderstanding for

the development of pharmacological tools to

counter unwanted immunological side effects

during longdurationmissions in space. The

aim of this experiment was to determine

changes in stress and immune responses,

during and after a stay on the space station.

Thisexperimentwillhelpbetterunderstandthe

couplingbetweenstressandthefunctioningof

theimmunesystem.

Waving andCoiling of Arabidopsis Roots at

Different glevels (WAICO)l studied the

interaction of circumnutation (the successive

bowingorbendingindifferentdirectionsofthe

growing tip of the stems and roots) and

gravitropism(a

tendency

to

grow

toward

or

away fromgravity) inmicrogravityand1gof

Arabidopsis thaliana (commonlyknownas thalecress). This experiment flew on STS122 and

wassponsoredbytheEuropeanSpaceAgency.


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70 EXPERIMENTS MARCH 2008

A Comprehensive Characterization of

Microorganisms and Allergens in Spacecraft

(SWAB) used advancedmolecular techniques

to

comprehensively

evaluate

microbes

on

board

the space station, including pathogens

(organismsthatmaycausedisease). It tracked

changes in the microbial community as

spacecraft visit the station and new station

modules are added. This study allowed an

assessmentof the riskofmicrobes to thecrew

andthespacecraft.

Experi ments to be deli vered to ISS

TheReverse

Genetic

Approach

to

Exploring

GenesResponsibleforCellWallDynamicsin

Supporting Tissues of Arabidopsis Under

Microgravity Conditions and Role of

MicrotubuleMembraneCellWallContinuum

inGravityResistance inPlants (CWRW) is a

pair of investigations that will explore the

molecular mechanism by which the cell wall

(rigid outermost layer) construction in

Arabidopsis thaliana (a small plant of the

mustard family) is regulatedby gravity. The

second will determine the importance of the

structural connections between microtubule,

plasmamembrane,cellwallas themechanism

of gravity resistance. The results of these

investigations will support future plans to

cultivate plants on longduration exploration

missions.

BCAT4 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test4) is a

followonexperimenttoBCAT3. BCAT4will

studyten

colloidal

samples.

Seven

of

these

sampleswilldeterminephase separation rates

andaddneededpointstothephasediagramof

amodelcriticalfluidsysteminitiallystudiedin

BCAT3. Threeofthesesampleswillusemodel

hardspherestoexploreseededcolloidalcrystal

nucleation and the effects of polydispersity,

providinginsightintohownaturebringsorder

outofdisorder.

LabonaChip Application DevelopmentPortable Test System (LOCADPTS) is a

handheld device for rapid detection of

biological and chemical substances aboard the

space station. Astronauts will swab surfaces

within the cabin, add swab material to the

LOCADPTS, and within 15 minutes obtain

results on a display screen. The studys

purpose is to effectively provide an early

warning system to enable crew members to

takeremedial

measures

if

necessary

to

protect

thehealthandsafetyofthoseonthestation.

Test of Midodrine as a Countermeasure

AgainstPostFlightOrthostaticHypotension

Long (MidodrineLong) is a testof the ability

of thedrugmidodrine to reduce the incidence

or severity of orthostatic hypotension. If

successful, it will be employed as a

countermeasure to thedizzinesscausedby the

bloodpressure decrease thatmany astronauts

experience upon returning to the Earths

gravity.

Materials International Space Station

Experiment 6Aand6B(MISSE6Aand6B) is

atestbedformaterialsandcoatingsattachedto

the outside of the stationbeing evaluated for

the effects of atomic oxygen, direct sunlight,

radiation,andextremesofheatandcold. This

experimentallowsthedevelopmentandtesting

ofnew

materials

to

better

withstand

the

rigors

of spaceenvironments. Resultswillprovidea

better understanding of the durability of

variousmaterialswhentheyareexposedtothe

space environment with applications in the

designoffuturespacecraft.


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Japan Aerospace Explorati on

STS-123 Press Kit

Documents

Transcript of STS-123 Press Kit