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PART 1: Shuttle Team Online extended through
July SHUTTLE TEAM ONLINE EXTENDED THROUGH JULY
You may know that the microgravity mission originally flown as STS-83 has now been formally rescheduled for an early July flight (see PART 6 below for more details). Since Shuttle Team Online focuses on the science of STS-83, and a lot of that science will now be gathered in July, it no longer makes sense to end Shuttle Team Online as originally planned on May 31. Therefore, we are happy to announce that the Shuttle Team Online project has been extended through July. This means that the interactive project parts (WebChats and email Q&A) will remain active for two additional months. (The archive of the project was always planned to be available indefinitely.) Although many schools will be ending their sessions over the next month or so, we hope the project extension will serve summer schools, kids doing independent study over the summer, and other interested parties. NEXT WEBCHAT: MAY 7 WITH MIKE CIANNILLI
Fuel cells engineer Mike Ciannilli will be the next guest in the Wednesday online chat series. A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. Mike's team makes sure that the shuttle's fuel cell systems are working properly, including flight hardware and ground support and launch pad systems. Since STS-83 was brought home 12 days early because of a fuel cell problem, Mike's chat should be particularly informative His chat is scheduled for May 7 from 10-11 a.m. Pacific (1-2 p.m. Eastern). Before attending the chat, we strongly suggest that your students read Mike's biography (with job description). If you plan to chat, you must register for the event. Sign up now by sending a brief email note to rsvp-sto@quest.arc.nasa.gov This RSVP is very important, since it will allow us to ensure that the chatroom does not become too crowded. If you do not register, you will be welcome to observe the chat (but you won't be able to participate). For more details, and for the complete schedule, please visit: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/events/interact.html THE SHUTTLE TEAM ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
The opportunity to send email questions to the men and women of
NASA's shuttle team is available now until at least July 31 of 1997.
In most cases, you will receive a direct reply within 10 days to two
weeks.
We are grateful to the Shuttle folks for generously volunteering
their time to support this service.
The sections below will describe some guidelines and procedures
for the process.
K-12 students and teachers can email questions to engineers,
scientists and support staff. This interaction will be supported by
a "Smart Filter" which protects the professional from Internet
overload by acting as a buffer. The actual email addresses of these
experts will remain unlisted. Also, repetitive questions will be
answered from an accumulating database of replies; thus the
valued interaction with the experts will be saved for original
questions. (More information about how you can directly search
this database will follow later.)
TIPS FOR ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS
Each and every expert is excited about connecting with
classrooms. But it is important to remember that the time and
energy of these people is extremely valuable. If possible,
please review the materials available online to gain an overall
understanding of the basics. It would be best to ask
questions that are not easily answered elsewhere. For
example, "What is the Space Shuttle?" would not be an
appropriate question. Questions which arise from reading an
expert's biography or Field Journal are encouraged.
We recognize that this creates a gray area about whether or not a
question is appropriate. Simply use your best judgment. Since the
main idea is to excite students about the wonders of science and
research, please err on the side of having the students participate.
If you are not sure whether or not to send a question, send it.
Some teachers have used a group dynamic to refine the questions
that they email to experts. For example, after first studying shuttle
material, students divide into groups and create a few questions
per group. All of the questions are then shared, and students are
given an opportunity to find answers to their classmates'
questions. Those that remain unanswered are sent to the shuttle
team.
Ideally, the act of sending questions will further engage the
student in their learning. It may help to think back to an early
stage of development when the 3-year-old learns that repeating the
word "why" can get parents to do most of the work in a
conversation. The wise parent will try to get child involvement by
asking, "Why do you want to know?" The same is true in the
classroom. Teachers might want to help students to learn to ask
good questions. Here are three questions the students might ask
themselves as they submit their questions:
What do I want to know?
Is this information to be found in a resource I could
easily check (such as a school encyclopedia)?
Why do I want to know it? (What will I do with the
information? or How will I use what I learn?)
The last question is the most interesting. Student reflection on
why they want to know something is a very valuable learning
experience.
LOGISTICS OF SENDING IN QUESTIONS (ADDRESS AND FORMAT)
Questions will be accepted from now through July 31.
To submit a question, mail it to the following email address:
question-sto@quest.arc.nasa.gov.
We will acknowledge all questions immediately and answer as
quickly as possible. In most cases we should be able to provide an
answer within ten days to two weeks.
In the subject field, please put the letters "QA:" before a
descriptive subject. Also, provide a sentence of background
information to help the experts understand the grade level of your
students. The following example should illustrate this idea.
TO: question-sto@quest.arc.nasa.gov
FROM: your email address
SUBJECT: QA: reservicing the microgravity lab
Hello,
I am an 8th grader from Mt.View, California. I read that the
STS-83 Microgravity Lab needs to be "reserviced" before it can
fly again in July. What exactly is happening and why is this
necessary?
Thanks, Kelly Valentine
ONE QUESTION PER MESSAGE
If you or your class has several questions which are unrelated,
we ask that you please send each unrelated question in a separate
email message rather than as one message with many different
questions. While this may be inconvenient, it is important because
it will help us to keep track of the questions and ensure that no
question remains unanswered. Messages that do not follow this
request will be unnecessarily delayed as we go through the extra
step of splitting up the messages ourselves.
TWENTY QUESTION LIMIT
Any individual teacher will be limited to submitting a total of
twenty (20) questions every three months. Hopefully this will
encourage more classroom discussion about what students want
to know and will lead to research done before asking questions.
THE QUESTION ARCHIVE
All of the question/answer pairs will accumulate online for your
browsing or searching pleasure. To visit this archive, use
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/ask as the starting point.
[Editor's note: Mike is part of the team that maintains the shuttle's fuel cells. A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. Join Mike on Wednesday for his live WebChat - see above.] HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN MAKE ELECTRICITY AND WATER http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/ciannilli.html April 25, l997 The space shuttle is the most amazing vehicle ever built. Its capabilities are unsurpassed and its complexity often dazzles even those who work on it. An array of intricate systems come together to make it all possible. One such system is Fuel Cells. From the moment the space shuttle touches down on the runway until the time it once again bathes the launch pad in fire, there are many procedures and tests which need to be done. As soon as the orbiter lands and is later rolled into the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), our work begins for its next flight. Our first task is to de-service the vehicle. Basically this means draining all of the cryogenics (liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen) from our tanks onboard the orbiter. This procedure is quite detailed and can take several days to complete. Over the course of the next several weeks we perform a variety of tests and checks to make sure our entire system is ready for launch. Many of the checks date the fuel cells themselves. The fuel cells (of which there are three on the orbiter) are the actual units which generate the electrical power for the orbiter. We also perform tests to validate our PRSD system (Power Reactant, Storage and Distribution). This includes the cryogenic tanks and the network of pipes and valves that get our reactants (hydrogen and oxygen) from the tanks to the fuel cells. Other tasks involving the fuel cell system include periodic fuel cell removal and replacement, fuel cell maintenance checks and cryo tank leak checks. Complete electrical checkout of our system also occurs. In addition, as a member of the Orbiter Group within Fuel Cells there are several more tasks I perform. First, we are responsible for the entire potable water system and waste management system. Since the fuel cells produce pure water as a by product, the water system ties in directly with the fuel cells. During the "orbiter flow" (when the orbiter is in the OPF) we prepare the water to be put on the vehicle. An extensive procedure is performed to make sure the water has just the right amount of chemicals before it is loaded. From loading to launch we periodically sample the drinking water to make sure we stay within our flight limits. Also tying in with the water system is the waste management system. Post-landing we remove the waste collection system and flush out all of the pipes with an acid mixture. We then install a new one and perform an extensive leak check because this system will be exposed to the vacuum of space. Space suit supply lines are also checked during this procedure. Even more specifically, I conduct the work on our payload fluid systems. This involves the design, installation, servicing, testing and post-flight removal of this system. The actual configuration will vary from mission to mission. Often cooling, purge, oxygen and nitrogen supply systems are involved. These systems would be the interface between the orbiter and the particular payload we are bringing up to space in the payload bay. The payloads can be as varied as Spacelab (a laboratory for astronauts to work in), the space station docking adapter, very sensitive scientific satellites, replacement parts for the Hubble Space Telescope, along with many other possibilities. Next year we will be integrating the payload support requirements for missions to launch and assemble the international space station. Three weeks before launch, after the shuttle has been rolled to the launch pad, we connect our launch pad support structure to the orbiter. Approximately 3 days before launch we load our onboard tanks with liquid hydrogen (-423F) and liquid oxygen (-297F). Finally, as launch day arrives we participate in the launch countdown, configuring and monitoring our system for launch. This is a brief overview of the main tasks we are responsible for each flow. In addition, there are many "flight unique" tasks and problems that need to be troubleshot and performed. Every day is different and the schedule is very dynamic. It really is incredible to realize how much integration, planning and effort it takes to place one of these spacecraft into the heavens. And with four orbiters in the fleet, each in a different state of processing, each day is guaranteed to be a completely new one. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you out there who believe in and support the Space Shuttle Program. It is truly a fantastic adventure and is only possible because of your support. No matter if you are sitting in the Firing Room for launch, or you are interested enough to learn more about the program many miles away from Cape, you are an important part of the space program. I appreciate your interest and would be glad to answer any questions you might have. [Editor's note: as per PART 3 above, send questions to question-sto@quest.arc.nasa.gov] [Editor's note: Annalisa was a payload specialist recently at the California Space Camp. In a series of shorts we'll share some experiences of various campers, to show that students can take on space roles now before they leave school.] I WANTED TO COME TO SPACE CAMP April 1, 1997 I wanted to come to Space Camp because I like space and it sounded like fun. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer but I used to want to be a veterinarian. I was the Payload Specialist II on my space shuttle mission. I had to switch all the switches and run the experiment. I did an experiment on crystal growth. I had trouble with the microscope. Training for the mission was fun. The mission was a lot harder than I thought. It was hard to keep up with the script. We had to work together. Another thing I've done at Space Camp was try the simulators. My favorite was moonwalking. It's like walking in the air and you go bouncing up and down. The next thing we are going to do is train for another mission. I've made lots of friends at Space Camp. MICROGRAVITY SCIENCE LABORATORY MISSION SET FOR JULY
Columbia's Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL) mission will fly again in early July to complete the mission cut short earlier this month because of a fuel cell problem. The remaining Space Shuttle flights in 1997 have been adjusted to accommodate Columbia's mission, which will fly as STS-94. Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Halsell and the rest of the STS-83 crew will fly this mission and will conduct proficiency training until the flight. Space Shuttle Program managers today formally baselined the STS-94 mission to follow Atlantis' sixth docking with the Russian space station Mir next month. Astronaut Jerry Linenger will return home on STS-84 following a four-month stay on Mir, and Mike Foale will replace him as a station crew member. Managers will formally select the launch date following the Flight Readiness Review on April 30. "While shortening STS-83 was disappointing, we now are in a position to do everything possible to complete the MSL mission with minimal impact to downstream flights," said Space Shuttle Program Manager Tommy Holloway. "Also, it provides us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate our ability to respond to challenges such as this one." Reflying Columbia in July dictated that downstream flights for the remainder of the year change slightly. Following STS-94, Discovery will fly in early- to mid-August on the STS-85 mission to deploy and retrieve a science satellite to study Earth's atmosphere. The flight also will demonstrate the use and operational capability of a robot arm that will be deployed outside the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station. The seventh Shuttle-Mir docking mission on Atlantis is targeted for mid- to late-September. STS-86 will include the return of Foale from Mir and delivery of his replacement, astronaut Wendy Lawrence. The eighth and final mission scheduled in 1997 will be the STS-87 flight of Columbia slated for mid- to late-November. The 16-day mission includes the conduct of science experiments associated with the fourth flight of the U.S. Microgravity Payload and the deployment and retrieval of a science satellite. STATUS OF STS-83 POST-FLIGHT PROCESSING
Below and in the future, we'll provide some details about the post flight work being done after STS-83 and the subsequent processing of Columbia as it gets ready to fly again. These reports will contain jargon and unfamiliar terms; our intent is not to confuse you, but to provide a glimpse at all the steps involved. Detailed daily reports about Columbia's processing can be found at the NASA Shuttle Status web site at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm Since the last updates-sto message, the solid rocket booster stacking operations in the Vehicle Assembly Building were completed. Segment joint close-outs are in work and preparations are underway for next week's planned external tank/solid rocket booster mating activities. Replacement of two thrusters on Columbia's forward reaction control system (FRCS) is complete. Electrical hook-up work continues on the FRCS in the Hypergol Maintenance Facility. The FRCS should return to the OPF around May 9 to be reinstalled on the orbiter. Spacelab servicing activities and experiment testing will be in work over the next two weeks. Work on Columbia's rudder speed brake is currently happening Upcoming milestones include: - Space Shuttle main engine installation (May 7and 8) - Spacelab/orbiter interface verification test (May 7 and 8) - Forward reaction control system installation (May 10) - Landing gear functional checks (May 9)
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