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UPDATE # 7 - January 2, l998 PART 1: Happy NeurYear! HAPPY NEURYEAR!
Welcome back! We've barely 90 days until launch, and timing is getting critical! As far as I can tell, folks here were able to get away at least a day or two to touch base with families in the spirit of the holiday season. I know that at least two of our team members have children under a year old they wanted to spend some quality time with. Do you know who those two are? Don't forget to keep checking the Team section. It is continually growing with information about the people that make this mission happen. We've heard from some of you about your anticipated participation in the Great Habitat Debate. We'd love to have more classrooms involved: the more the merrier! Read more about it below and join us. This should be a fun, hands-on way to learn about some of the issues confronted by scientists and engineers preparing for Neurolab. Wishing you all the best in 1998, Linda IT'S HERE! THE GREAT HABITAT DEBATE
Overview
The goal of this activity is for students to have a classroom experience
that parallels the process used by U.S. and International life scientists
and engineers as they discuss, plan, and conduct joint science on the
Neurolab mission. Through this collaborative activity we hope to:
* Encourage use of science skills (observation, data collection,
comparing and contrasting, communication, reasoning and use of
evidence, design of experiments).
* Increase understanding of the benefit of using animals in research.
* Increase understanding of the many factors involved in the proper
care and use of animals in space.
* Arouse enthusiasm, excitement, and interest in biomedical
research in space.
* Facilitate cooperative learning in the classroom.
* Involve students in critical thinking/problem solving scenarios.
Key Questions
What is needed to keep animals alive and healthy in space?
What system is best for the care and use of animals in space?
What are the primary types of research conducted with animals in
space?
What stressors effect animals in space?
Background
The use of animals as experimental subjects is an essential and
invaluable component of space biomedical research. Many of the
changes brought about by spaceflight arise within the brain,
bones, muscles, heart, and other areas of the body, not
accessible, or not within the bounds of accepted medical practice,
for the use of human subjects.
Concepts
Principles of animal care and use
Factors involved in designing Space Flight hardware
Benefits of animal research
The steps in the scientific method
Time Frame
The complete design activity should take from about a week, to a
month, depending on how much background the teacher wants to
bring in.
Design Phase: Month of January:
Classrooms around the world discuss and design animal care and use
hardware, using the Internet to debate the strengths and weaknesses of
various approaches.
The NeurOn Great Habitat Debate page includes step-by-step directions on
how to lead in-classroom group discussions, taking students from
Earth-Normal Animal Care Requirements through a discussion of the unique
conditions existing in microgravity to a design of the habitat. Special
information regarding animals on Neurolab and NASA Principles for the
Ethical Care and Use of Animals are included. You'll find them beginning
at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/habitat
If you are unable to access them on the web, we still want you to
participate as much as possible. Write to me directly at
lconrad@mail.arc.nasa.gov
and I will send you the material in an email message. Do join us!
[Editor's note: Stefan is payload systems engineer and works to make sure that the connections of the experiments in Spacelab to the power, data and thermal/environmental control systems will function properly on orbit. He is also a liaison with Neurolab's international partners] A pictorial version is available online at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/journals/rosner/12-20.html KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FOR LEVEL III/II IVT AND ICT ACTIVITIES by Stefan Rosner http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/rosner.html December 20, l997 During Level III/II payload processing test in the first two weeks of December 1997, the racks containing the experiment hardware and Spacelab floor, which were assembled during Level IV processing, are now integrated into the Spacelab module, and are being further tested. In general, the days are long and grueling, and the nights are short and restless, as the time available for powered testing of the suite of experiments and Spacelab is very precious, and schedules are tight. Generally, our day would start at 5:30 a.m. with a quick breakfast at Roberto's "Little Havana" restaurant in Cocoa Beach, where the Cuban fare includes "maduros" (fried plantains), and cafe con leche (the Cuban equivalent to a Latte). The drive to KSC from Cocoa Beach takes about a half hour, and involves driving over causeways and past many waterways. Armadillos, egrets, pelicans and alligators are commonly sighted along the way! We meet at 8:00 in a conference room in the O&C Building for a pre-test briefing, packed with all of the integrated test team to discuss the day's plan for activities. The ARC and JSC PEDs, MMO, KSC and Spacelab are all represented at this briefing. This meeting is mercifully short, and kicks off a full day of on-line testing in the Spacelab, interspersed with supporting activities in offline labs, telecons, shipping and receiving of flight hardware, etc. Most days, we consider ourselves lucky if we are able to leave KSC before 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., so that we can get something to eat and drink, and get some relaxing email and sleep before heading to Little Havana again at 5:30 a.m. the next day! KSC does not support powered Spacelab testing activities on Sundays, so we usually do get a day to relax / heal on such multi-week trips. On this trip, I was able to reestablish contact with the Ultimate playing friends I met during pre-Level IV experiment integration, and played in a "winter league" game with them. I also relaxed at Playa Linda beach for a couple of hours and went shore fishing with IPT Lead Brad Berch and friend Sam, and then headed to Orlando's Citrus Bowl to see perennial rockers, the Rolling Stones on their "opening farewell tour" called "Bridges to Babylon." We do have our fun in the Space program! [Editor's note: Chris is Payloads Engineer working on rodent hardware to make sure that water, food, air, and "bathroom" facilities are adequate for the rodents flying on Neurolab.] TERM PAPERS DO HAVE A PURPOSE! by Chris Barreras http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/barreras.html December 31, l997 Most of the hardware I support for the Neurolab project is integrated into the Spacelab at this time. The hardware is completing its, what we call, Level III/II (three-two) testing. Next will be the Level I (one) testing which, I believe, is after the Spacelab has been installed in the orbiter. Now I am working the "paper" for my project on RAHF. RAHF is an abbreviation for Research Animal Holding Facility. As with all space projects, all engineers review what they have done, file reports, close out any open discrepancies. Presently we are monitoring the drinking water at KSC in the RAHFs RACK 3 and 7. Since the water we are using in the RAHF drinking water system will sit in the lines for some time before launch, we sample the water for any high bacteria counts. Our scientists want to make sure we can provide the cleanest water to the rodents and mice. If the bacteria report is high, we ask Kennedy Space Center personnel to drain, clean and refill the RAHF drinking water system. In addition, the RAHF has interior lighting provided by small light bulbs that give no more light than a nightlite in a bedroom. During testing and processing at KSC we had to replace several light bulbs and, during this process, we damaged the bulb holders. As a result we have to do a rush effort right now to rework the bad parts during the first part of January 98. While all this is going on, I am working on reports for my projects. It is common in the aerospace industry to be working 3 or 4 items at one time. I remember in the 7th grade my science teacher assigning us term papers and how much I did not like to do them. Well, now I can see the need for doing term papers. The present report I am working is the results of our testing with the RAHF and the power it draws. It is important to know the power used by our experiment hardware. If we draw too much, then the Astronauts will have a rough time flying the orbiter Columbia. The RAHFs presently draw this much power During launch- 126 watts On orbit- 385 watts During descent - 157 watts These figures are for RACK 3 (what we call the Neonate or Mammalian Facility). RACK 7 Adult or Neuroplasticity facility is similar. To put this in perspective, the average home air conditioner uses 125 watts at 8hrs per day and a typical clother dryer at 8 loads per week uses 95 to 100 watts. At the same time I am working another report which covers how much heat the RAHFs put into the orbiter systems. Both of these reports are interesting and challenging. STATUS OF COLUMBIA PROCESSING
The primary focus of NeurOn remains that of following the Spacelab processing, but since Neurolab will be flying aboard Columbia, and since Columbia has returned following STS-87, it may interest many of you to follow the processing of the shuttle as it prepares for its next flight: Neurolab. 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 When something specific to Neurolab appears, we will report it in our updates to you. According to project Space Station Online: The payload bay doors were closed December 19 in preparation for the holiday downtime period. Shuttle Columbia was secured in the OPF with processing scheduled to resume on Jan. 5, following the holiday down period.
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