SLO:240A-3								

TO:		Mission Management (JSC)

FROM:		NASA-Ames Research Center (ARC)

SUBJECT:	Test and power support requirements for E088/VFEU Ground
		Support Equipment in Biological Transport Van (BTV) and
		at Pad

The E088/Highstein experiment for Neurolab / STS-90 requires that four
Toadfish specimens be transported from an off-line lab assigned to
NASDA/MHI in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) to the pad for
Module Vertical Access Kit (MVAK) late access loading into the Spacelab
module.  The flight Fish Package (FP) habitat late access hardware
requires powered GSE called Fish Package Driving Units (FPDUs) to maintain
the water temperature and oxygenation for Toadfish life support, and there
is a maximum allowable period of 20 minutes unpowered during
transportation and MVAK loading operations.

For this reason, it is necessary that the two (2) FPDUs be powered during
transportation from the SSPF to the pad in the BTV and also at the pad
while awaiting MVAK loading into the Spacelab module.  Each FPDU supports
two FPs, so there will be two such units.

FPs will be lowered one at a time through the Spacelab access
tunnel/joggle using unpowered GSE called the Fish Package Handy Carriers
(FPHCs).  Therefore, it has been envisioned that the FPDUs will be powered
in the White Room while awaiting the removal of the FPs for loading to
help meet the 20-minute maximum requirement between FP support via GSE and
the flight hardware.

There are several important issues which must be resolved so that this
operation will proceed smoothly during late access/MVAK operations in
support of the mission:  power issues, spatial issues and
operational/timeline issues.  While NASDA has supplied powered GSE for use
at the pad to support previous missions, the FPDUs are new and have not
yet been operated in the BTV or at the pad.

Power Issues:  We had planned and pre-coordinated a compatibility test of
the FPDUs with the BTV power resource at the conclusion of Level III/II
IVT/ICT testing, however, this was pre-empted by other higher priority
activities.  ARC feels that it is very important to test this as soon as
possible so that workarounds can be identified and implemented if
necessary.  Also, KSC personnel have indicated that the power receptacles
at the pad are explosion-proof Crouse-Hinds type connectors.  These are
not directly compatible with the existing FPDU power cables, which were
designed for use in the SSPF off-line labs, so some sort of "pigtail"
adapter (or similar) will be necessary.  KSC Level IV personnel have
offered to assist with this, and feel that such adapter(s) are very likely
already available from United Space Alliance (USA).  The power receptacle
type and capacity information has already been transmitted to KSC, however
such requests should be formally coordinated through the Mission
Management Office with the KSC Launch Site Support Manager.

Spatial Issues:  Several potential problems with FPDU access to the BTV
and pad/White Room have been identified and already corrected, but there
is still some question regarding spatial constraints in the White Room
which could impact the ability to have both FPDUs located there
concurrently.  ARC has recently requested layouts of the pad facilities,
which show utility power receptacle locations and all relevant
dimensions,
from the MMO so that this can be further investigated.  There may be some
pad safety issues related to the FPDU presence in the White Room and on
the Crew Access Arm due to personnel egress from the Orbiter.

Operational/Timeline Issues:  There are several potential solutions to the
spatial issues outlined above.  One scenario would involve staging and
stabilizing the powered FPDUs at the base of the pad, and then
transporting only one of them at a time up the elevator to the White Room
for pre-loading powered operation.  Then, while the first two FPs were
being loaded into the Spacelab module, the now empty FPDU could be removed
and then replaced with the second FPDU supporting the third and fourth FPs
awaiting MVAK loading.

While some of these issues can, and have been investigated, and further
timelining exercises will of course be performed during upcoming
MVAK/Vertical Access Simulator (VAS) training, ARC requests limited MMO
and KSC/Hangar L support to perform a walk-down of the pad facilities,
with a short test involving round-trip transportation of the powered FPDUs
from the SSPF to the pad via the BTV, and then up the elevator to the
White Room, where the GSE will again be activated.

The activities outlined above are a small but important component of a
larger set of activities which will be performed by NASDA/MHI personnel as
part of their upcoming Facility Trial Run (FTR) activities.  While the
term "FTR" normally implies a much larger, integrated payloads activity,
it should be pointed out that the bulk of these planned activities,
intended to verify the E088/VFEU experiment preflight operational flow and
hardware processing through turnover and recovery, will be performed by
NASDA/MHI personnel in off-line laboratories which they already occupy,
and will therefore be "transparent" to KSC.

In these proposed activities, two live (un-implanted) Toadfish will be
loaded into two of the Fish Packages to evaluate the influence of the
handling and transportation of the late access hardware between the SSPF
off-line laboratory and the pad.  Such usage of live Toadfish specimens
has been submitted to the IACUC as an addendum to the Payload FTR ACUC
protocol and approved.

The attached enclosure, NASDA/MHI document N6G-3301D, presents an outline
of these FTR activities, and includes a proposed schedule of activities.
Please note that while this document requests NASA support for simulated
prelaunch Late Access and post-landing Early Access hardware turnover
operations, the only components of this which will require additional
KSC/Hangar L support are the physical transportation of the FPDUs between
the SSPF and the pad and the powered operation of the FPDUs in the BTV
and the White Room.  The actual formal turnover of hardware to KSC Level
IV personnel is not necessary, and all such operations can be supervised
and otherwise supported by PED personnel.  Also note that the dates shown
on the proposed schedule are tentative and are very likely unrealistic
based on current hardware delivery and personnel travel schedules, as well
as STS-89 recovery operations which will require Hangar L/ BTV support.
Please consider this proposed schedule illustrative of the integrated
off-line activities leading up to the simulated turnover and
transportation of the flight and GSE hardware.  Once we have confirmed an
acceptable date on which the late / early access operations can take
place, NASDA/MHI will be able to schedule their international travel and
off-line operations accordingly.

As the mission dates are rapidly approaching, international travel for
NASDA/MHI and ARC personnel is involved and all schedules are quickly
becoming overconstrained. A rapid evaluation of this request and a reply
of concurrence with proposed date for the activities which require
KSC/Hangar L support is respectfully requested.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this request further,
please contact S. Rosner or B. Berch


Enclosures:  N6G-3301D NASDA / MHI Facility Trial Run requirements and
schedule (proposed draft)