Chat with B.J. Navarro
May 19, l998 - 11:00a.m. PDT

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 5 - 11:01:29 ]
Good morning, at least here on the west coast. The room is open now for posting your question! Thanks for joining us.

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 10 - 11:09:26 ]
Hello Ashley: I lived in National City when I went to eighth grade. During a mission such as Neurolab I averaged 55 hours per week but when things are not hectic I try to stick to 40 hours a week. Sometime thats tough! During the actual flight days of Neurolab, April 27 through landing, I had one week that I work 70 hours. That many hours in a week is very unusual. BJ

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 18 - 11:13:13 ]
RE: [Everette-Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] Good Morning. What are the types of things that you store? When my class went to the Challenger space center there were a lot of robots and wires for the probe. I was wondering if thats what you store.
Everette: I provide experiment unique equipment, which is hardware used to perform experiments in the Spacelab. I also provide maintenance items for the animal habitats we fly. An item I provided for Neurolab were feeder kits 34 actually, with food for the animals and lots of gloves!! BJ

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 25 - 11:15:15 ]
RE: [Tori/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall] Do you still want to be a teacher?
Tori: Sometimes I do, but I really enjoy going to the classrooms and talking about what I do with the children. If I didn't work for NASA I couldn't share all that I know and do with the children that I do get to visit and talk to. The job that I have is really a dream come true for me. BJ

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 31 - 11:17:48 ]
RE: [Ashley-Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] In your job, are you the only person that is stowage manager or do you have have groups?
Ashley: I'm the only Stowage Manager here at Ames Research Center but I have a group of people that work with and for me to perform design engineering of the experiment hardware, another group of people that build the hardware and other who help me get it shipped to the right locations at the right time. Basically I have to make sure they all talk to each other and understand what has to be done so we all can do it right and be successful. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 32 - 11:19:54 ]
RE: [Quinton/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall] How many experiments do you use in one day?
Quinton: On the mission Neurolab that I just finished the astronaut crew members worked on Ames experiments and Johnson Space Center experiments. Sometimes on one day they were doing five different experiment in the spacelab at the same time. I thought it was pretty cool while I was monitoring their progress myself. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 33 - 11:22:41 ]
RE: [Ben/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall] Hi, Have you ever had an elementary student tell you how to do one of your projects in space?
Ben: No I have never had an elementary school student help with a space experiment but I had a group of sixth graders do a calcium plant experiment similar to an experiment that we flew on Space Life Science 2. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 35 - 11:23:50 ]
RE: [Rachael/Home-rachael] Everyone try to see the last quarter of the moon tonight
Rachael: Thanks for the recommendation. I really like looking up at the moon and trying to find the U. S. Flag. My seven year old is really enjoying learning about the sun and all the planets. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 36 - 11:24:26 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Let's give B.J. a chance to catch up. You're sending really good questions, we want to give her a chance to give you good answers.
Yeah, I'm typing as fast as I can! bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 38 - 11:25:52 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Here's an earlier message B.J.[ Felicia/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall - 8 - 11:08:15 ] Have you ever tasted astronaut food?
Felicia: I have never tasted astronaut food. Did you know that they love to take both chocolate and peanut flavored M @ M's to space as a snack! bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 40 - 11:28:57 ]
RE: [Ariel-Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] What problems do you have on your mission?
Ariel: Sometimes we have problems during experiment procedures but generally because we have a group of technical people listening and watching we help solve it before it becomes a big problem. I was one of those people listening in on the Neurolab mission and it was great to help the astronauts when something wasn't working right. Of course, our goal is to have NO PROBLEMS and we work very hard to make this happen. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 41 - 11:30:13 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] One more: [ tekele/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall - 17 - 11:10:56 ] How long does the mission last?
Tekele: The STS-90 Neurolab mission lasted 17 days. Each shuttle mission is different depending on what is being done during the mission. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 44 - 11:33:35 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] From above: [ Rachael/Home-rachael - 15 - 11:10:52 ] Hello BJ. Have you ever been in space?
Rachael: I have never been in space but I get an opportunity to talk to the astronaut crew members that have flown on the missions I work. Also, while we are designing hardware to use in space, microgravity, we have engineers who get to test the hardware on a special plane called a KC-135 which simulates gravity for about 3 minutes. I work with people who have ridden on this plane. I get car sick very easy so I don't think I would do too well. I really like being the one who gets the stuff into the shuttle to be used in space and helps train the astronauts to use it. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 45 - 11:34:50 ]
RE: [rachael] What does ARC stand for?
Rachael: Ames Research Center, that's where I work and where I am communicating to you from. I am located near Mountain View, California. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 49 - 11:37:49 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Above: [ Tiffany/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall - 20 - 11:13:39 ] Why do you like the middle part of the experiment verification best?
Tiffany: I like to see the hardware really be used after we have designed it and built it. It takes two years to make the idea become a piece of hardware, sometimes longer, and it's a long time to work on something. I really enjoy the hands on the hardware and see it work part. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 51 - 11:40:44 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] [ Everette-Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool - 22 - 11:14:17 ] I heard you were the manager of stowage. What do the other people do
Everette: We have people who train the astronauts to use the stowage, take care of the animals and perform our experiments. We have people that design the hardware, build it, test it, clean it, fix it, and ship it where it needs to go. We have lots of different people that make sure that we are doing things in order, the right way and on time. We also have people that keep track of how much it cost to do what we do. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 54 - 11:43:52 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] Here's a question from Zack: [ Zach/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall - 14 - 11:10:20 ] How many tools do you pack?
Zack: With the experiment hardware that I stow we alway pack a few tools that are unique that the crew members may need to fix a problem. Also, the crew themselves have an orbitor tool kit located in the shuttle middeck which is put together for them. In the Spacelab we also have a rack called the workbench and in it there are drawers with tools, tape, velcro and all kinds of stuff they may need. I'm not exactly sure of the exact quantity but it's like a big giant tool box. They have different types of screw drivers and all kinds of things. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 56 - 11:47:15 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] Hom many people work on your team?
Linda: We started out about three years ago with 15 people then we grew to 35 here at ARC and many more at the various scientist's sites throughout the United States. At flight there were probably around 50 or more ARC people supporting the flight. The total number is in the hundreds: scientists, team members and others we hire to help at Kennedy Space Center. I don't know the exact number. Lots!!! bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 59 - 11:50:03 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] What experiments did you do on Neurolab? What team were you on?
Brian: We had a cricket, snail, swordtail fish, toadfish, mice and rat experiments. All of these were looking at the effects of microgravity on brain. How vision, balance, perception is changed by the lack of gravity. I don't know all the scientific details but it was sure a zoo up there! bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 60 - 11:52:18 ]
RE: [Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] Is there a certain way the experiments must be unloaded after a mission?
Patti: Yes. When gravity is reintroduced to the experiment specimens depending on what they are, changes can occur within minutes to hours. So we know this ahead of time and make plans to have sensitive specimens removed in a specific order. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 63 - 11:57:30 ]
RE: [Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] You said you might be the logistics manager for the space station in 2002, how will that job be different than what you do now?
Patti: Logistics is another way to say coordinate putting things in lockers to go to Space Station. We will use the Shuttle but will use different types of racks and drawers. I'll have to be familiar with the layout and space available and the kinds of experiments that will be conducted in the Space Station. It would like buying new furniture and household items for a new house you are going to live in and figuring out where everything should go and how often you need clean and take care of the items to keep living and working comfortably. It sounds like a neat job, what do you think? bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 64 - 12:02:08 ]
RE: [CindyR/Harker] What if any minor problems occurred during the mission of STS-90?
Cindy: During one of the animal experiments where we were recording how neonates walked on a platform, a cable that sends the video signal to the recorder got bumped so much it stopped sending the signal and we couldn't receive. Unfortunately I had not sent a spare cable just a spare camera lens and some spare camcorders, so we replaced the camera and cable with an 8mm camcorder and recorded onto it. It wasn't quite as good a recording but we still had one camera that was recording the front view and the camcorder recorded the side view. bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 65 - 12:02:22 ]
It's time to move on to the 12:00 chat with Space Team Online. See http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/spaceday.html for the schedule. Perhaps BJ will be willing to stick around a little to answer some of the "hidden" questions, and you can check back for your answers later.

[ Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool - 66 - 12:03:02 ]
BJ: I'm going to wrap it up. Thanks for answering some of my questions!

[ rachael - 69 - 12:03:02 ]
Bye thank you so much

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 71 - 12:05:47 ]
RE: [CindyR/Harker] BJ, since our teacher is a friend of yours and worked with you at ARC, is there anyway you can come visit our class and talk about Neurolab?
Cindy and your science class! Yes I would love to come and visit. I need to get a slide show together so I have some neat stuff to show you. I'd like to make it a very low key visit. Let's just meet in your classroom and have questions prepared. I'll tell you how the space shuttle is prepare for launch! bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 72 - 12:06:32 ]
Goodbye all. Join our ongoing Countdown to Space Day chats! And thank to you B.J. for all the great answers! We do appreciate it.

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 73 - 12:09:27 ]
RE: [Patti/DiscoveryCharterSchool] When your a stowage manager, do you ever get a head ache or get mad at someone for messing up?
Patti: Yes, sometimes I do get headaches I use advil when I do. When I get upset I try not to yell at the people I work with, I usually take a walk and think about what made me upset and how to help fix it! bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 88 - 12:26:38 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] How many missons have you worked on?
The best way to find that information is to go to BJ's bio. She actually provided us with a list, and if you add Neurolab, you've got your total: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/navarro.html see the link to "my duty sheet"

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 90 - 12:28:27 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] Have you been involved with any other space stations?
Yes, I have participated in several life science shuttle missions. You can check out which ones by reviewing my bio at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/navarro.html bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 91 - 12:29:05 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] What requirements did it take to get your job?
Unless B.J. has something to add to this, I think her bio is again the best place to get this info.

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 92 - 12:31:03 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] What kinds of training did you have to do for Neurolab?
To the job that I have it was required for me to have an advanced college degree. I needed to know how to communicate verbally and in writing and how to track a project from conception to disposal. I learned these things my getting a Master of Science Degree in Systems Management with an emphasis in Logistics Management. I also have some specialize government training classes that I have taken for Project Management. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 93 - 12:31:41 ]
RE: [rachael] Got to go will you be here for the next chat Landa
This was my first chat and I had fun. We'll see if Linda who runs the chat sessions asks me again! bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 94 - 12:32:02 ]
RE: [rachael] Got to go will you be here for the next chat Landa
The next chat is for the Space Team Online project, and Oran will be moderating that one.

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 95 - 12:33:33 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] I heard many of the mice on Neurolab died. What happened?
Actually you heard that some neonates died, which are young rats. We have a team of scientist and engineers assigned to find out what exactly did happen. So right now we don't have the answer but we hope to know soon. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 96 - 12:47:48 ]
RE: [Linda/NASAQuest] And: [ Greg/RuralHall-Linda/RuralHall - 21 - 11:13:58 ] How many backup experiments do you have for each launch?
Greg: We don't have backup experiments on board the shuttle but we do build backup experiment hardware. Some of the experiment hardware has time sensitive material inside it. So if the shuttle doesn't launch on time we have to take the hardware off and put fresh material in new hardware kits. So we actually build three additional sets of the time sensitive experiment hardware kits plus some subassembly items. We try to always build two of each piece of experiment hardware in case one gets broke or lost on the way to Kennedy Space Center. bj

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 97 - 12:56:21 ]
RE: [BJNavarro/ARC] This was my first chat and I had fun. We'll see if Linda who runs the chat sessions asks me again! bj
You really handled a LOT of questions, BJ. I'm delighted that you want to come back! This has been great fun!

[ CindyR/Harker - 98 - 13:47:25 ]
BJ, thanks for the Chat!

[ Linda/NASAQuest
B.J. Went on after we all signed off and answered the rest of the questions for you! Wow -- I think NASA's gain could have been the classroom's loss except for B.J.'s willingness to share with us. Thank you BJ!!!!!

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 100 - 14:30:15 ]
RE: [Brian/Middlebrook] What happens when a drop of water gets out of your reach?
When we perform experiments with liquids we do them inside a General Purpose Work Station. It's a box with arm hole with a laminar flow hood on top. This is so things like water are contained. If a droplet of water was floating in it we would take a dry wipe and dabbed it into the wipe. Then bag the wipe in a ziplock back and put it in a trash pouch. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 101 - 14:33:28 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] Why do you want to do space stuff?
I wanted to work for NASA and provide support for the Space Station because I like helping people be successful and enjoy being a member of a team. I also thought working for NASA would be cool and it is!

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 102 - 14:36:58 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] What kind of equipment do you use on one experiment?
Some equipment we design special for the scientist who create the experiment, like walking platforms for rodents. Some equipment we modify that is already used here on earth like small cameras and cables. We just build special brackets and change things so they won't create a hazard to the astronauts in the microgravity environment. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 103 - 14:39:02 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] How long did the longest experiment last? What was it?
One of the experiments we did actually was done on three different days and took approximately 4 hours on each day. This included setting up the experiment, getting things out of lockers, doing the experiment and cleaning up and putting everything back. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 104 - 14:45:03 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] How much does a locker weigh?
Each drawer and locker that we use is sized for the space it takes in the assigned Spacelab rack and weighs an amount empty and has a maximum weight it can hold full. We have 14 overhead lockers in the spacelab that measure 11.9 X 20.4 X 20.6, empty each weights around 15 lbs full it cannot exceed 44 lbs. I keep track of each item that goes in each locker, how much it weighs to make sure the lockers and drawers are not overweight and all the items fit good inside. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 106 - 14:48:32 ]
RE: [Linda/RuralHall] What percentage of experiments worked?
I don't know the exact percentage but all of the experiment worked in some fashion. Some may not have worked exactly like we thought. The scientist who have received the data and specimens from the experiments have told us everything looks really good and they are getting their questions answered. They all have more questions to answer and are looking forward to analyzing their results and publishing their findings. bj

[ BJNavarro/ARC - 107 - 14:52:28 ]
RE: [CindyR/Harker] How much time did you and your team have to prepare for the launch of STS-90?
Cindy and Harker students! I've been working on this mission for three years. So, what grade were you in when I started this mission? My youngest son was in preschool, he just turned 7 and is finishing first grade! Basically a Spacelab mission takes three years and a small payload that flies in the orbitor middeck about 18 months. We are already working on the space station hardware for a proposed flight in the year 2001. How old will you be when NASA finishes building the International Space Station? bj