SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES MISSION AND EXPERIMENTS Many volumes of research remain to be recorded and studied regarding adaptation of humans to the weightless environment of space flight. The blanks, however, will begin to be filled following the broad range of experiments to be conducted on the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1). With the help of the STS-40 crew, investigators from across the nation will conduct tests on the cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, musculoskeletal and neurovestibular systems. There are 18 primary experiments chosen for SLS-1. Those using human subjects are managed by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, and those using animals are managed by the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Organized by the managing NASA center, this section of the press kit will summarize the 18 experiments, identify the principal investigators and list flight hardware used to support the experiments. Johnson Space Center Spacelab Life Sciences-1 Experiments Activities involved with the human experiments on-board Columbia are managed by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas. Preflight baseline data collection will be performed primarily at Johnson Space Center with several tests scheduled at the Kennedy Space Center just prior to launch. Investigators will perform post-flight tests at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif. A broad range of instruments -- some, unique hardware and others, standard equipment -- will be used by the human subjects throughout the mission. Equipment will include a neck chamber, cardiopulmonary rebreathing unit, gas analyzer mass spectrometer, rotating dome, inflight blood collection system, urine monitoring system, bag-in-box assembly, strip chart recorders, physiological monitoring system, incubators, low-gravity centrifuge, echocardiograph and venous occlusion cuff controller. In total, the 10 experiments will explore the capabilities of the human body in space. A brief description of these experiments follows: Influence of Weightlessness Upon Human Autonomic Cardiovascular Controls Principal investigator: Dwain L. Eckberg, M.D. Medical College of Virginia Richmond, Va. This experiment will investigate the theory that lightheadedness and a reduction in blood pressures in astronauts upon standing after landing may arise because the normal reflex system regulating blood pressure behaves differently after having adapted to a microgravity environment. For this experiment, some SLS-1 crewmembers will wear neck chambers that resemble whip-lash collars to detect blood pressure in the neck. Investigators will take blood pressure measurements both before and after the flight for comparison. Astronauts will take the same measurements themselves on orbit to map changes that occur during spaceflight. Inflight Study of Cardiovascular Deconditioning Principal investigator: Leon E. Farhi, M.D. State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y. Just how rapidly astronauts become accustomed to microgravity and then readjust to the normal gravitational forces on Earth is the focus of this study. By analyzing the gas composition of a mixture which the STS-40 astronauts "rebreathe," investigators will calculate how much blood is being delivered by the heart to the body during space flight. This experiment uses a non-invasive technique of prolonged expiration and rebreathing -- inhaling in previously exhaled gases -- to measure the cardiovascular and respiratory changes. The technique furnishes information on functions including the amount of blood pumped out of the heart, oxygen usage and carbon dioxide released by the body, heart contractions, blood pressure and lung functioning. Astronauts will perform the rebreathing technique while resting and while pedaling on an exercise bike to provide a look at the heart's ability to cope with added physical stress. On the first and last days of the STS-40 mission, only resting measurements will be taken. Rest and graded exercise measurements are made on most other days. Vestibular Experiments in Spacelab Principal investigator: Laurence R. Young, Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Mass. A joint U.S./Canadian research program has been developed to perform a set of closely related experiments to investigate space motion sickness, any associated changes in inner ear vestibular function during weightlessness and the impact of those changes postflight. Parts of this experiment will be carried out inflight, other parts on the ground both pre- and post-flight. As part of the inflight activities, the team will study the interaction between conflicting visual, vestibular and tactile information. Investigators expect crew members to become increasingly dependent on visual and tactile cues for spatial orientation. The test calls for a crew member to place his/her head in a rotating dome hemispherical display to induce a sensation of self-rotation in the direction opposite to the dome rotation. The astronaut will then move a joy stick to indicate his/her perception of self-motion. Awareness of position by astronauts is important for reaching tasks especially during landing operations. The objective of several tests during the flight will document the loss of sense of orientation and limb position in the absence of visual cues and will determine what mechanisms underlie the phenomenon. During the presleep period, crewmembers will view several targets placed about the interior of Spacelab. They then will be blindfolded and asked to describe the position of their limbs in reference to their torso and to point to the targets. In post sleep, crew members upon waking and while blindfolded perceive their posture, position of their limbs and location of familiar orbiter structures, recording the accuracy of their perceptions. The next two parts of this experiment will be performed as time permits on the SLS-1 mission or continued on a later Spacelab mission. Both experiments have been previously performed by crewmembers in space. The next part looks at the causes and treatment of space motion sickness (SMS) and evaluates the success of Earth-based tests to predict SMS susceptibility. Two crew members will wear an acceleration recording unit (ARU) to measure all head movement and to provide detailed commentary regarding the time, course and and signs of SMS. Subjects wearing the ARU will wear the collar for several hours during the mission and if desired, when symptoms occur. The influence of the collar on the resulting head movement pattern and SMS symptoms will be monitored. Another battery of tests performed preflight will attempt to determine which test or combination of tests could aid in predicting SMS. Protein Metabolism During Space Flight Principal investigator: T. Peter Stein, Ph.D. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Camden, N.J. This study involves several tests looking at the mechanisms involved in protein metabolism including changes in protein synthesis rates, muscle breakdown rates and use of dietary nitrogen in a weightless environment. This experiment will examine whole body protein metabolism by measuring the concentration of 15N-glycine, an amino acid in protein, in saliva and urine samples from crew members and ground control subjects preflight, inflight and postflight. Crew members will collect urine samples throughout the flight. On the second and eighth flight days, astronauts also will take oral doses of 15N-glycine. Crew members will collect and freeze a urine sample 10 hours after the ingestion of the glycine for postflight analyses. Urinary 3-methyl histidine, a marker for muscle protein breakdown also will be monitored. Fluid-Electrolyte Regulation During Spaceflight Principal investigator: Carolyn Leach-Huntoon, Ph.D. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas Adaptation to the weightless environment is known to change fluid, electrolyte, renal and circulatory processes in humans. A shift of body fluids from the lower limbs to the upper body occurs to all astronauts while in space. This experiment makes detailed measurements before, during and after flight to determine immediate and long-term changes in kidney function; changes in water, salt and mineral balance; shifts in body fluids from cells and tissues; and immediate and long-term changes in levels of hormones which affect kidney function and circulation. Test protocol requires that crew members collect urine samples throughout the flight. Body mass is measured daily and a log is kept of all food, fluids and medication taken in flight. Fasting blood samples are collected from the crew members as soon as possible inflight and at specified intervals on selected flight days thereafter. Tests will determine the amount of certain tracers that can be released from a given volume of blood or plasma into urine in a specified amount of time, measuring the rate and loss of body water and determining changes in blood plasma volume and extracellular fluid. Measurements will be made two times inflight by collecting blood samples at timed intervals after each subject has received a precalculated dose of a tracer, a chemical which allows the compound to be tracked as it moves through the body. Total body water is measured during flight using water labeled with a heavy isotope of oxygen. Each subject drinks a premeasured dose of the tracer and subsequently collects urine samples at timed intervals. Plasma volume and extracellular fluid volume are measured by collecting blood samples at timed intervals after tracer injections. Hormonal changes are investigated by sensitive assays of both plasma and urine. * * * Pulmonary Function During Weightlessness Principal investigator: John B. West, M.D., Ph.D. University of California San Diego, Calif. This experiment provides an opportunity for study of the properties of the human lung without the influence of gravity. In the microgravity Spacelab, a model of lung function will be developed to serve as a basis for comparison for the normal and diseased lung. Also, investigators will glean information about the lung for planning longer space missions. There will be a series of eight breath tests conducted with measurements taken at rest and after breathing various test bag mixtures. The test assembly allows the subject to switch from breathing cabin air to inhaling premixed gases in separate breathing bags. Breathing exercises involve the inhalation of specially prepared gas mixtures. The tests are designed to examine the distribution and movement of blood and gas within the pulmonary system and how these measurements compare to normal respiration. By measuring gas concentrations, the flow of gas through the lungs into the blood stream and rate of blood flow into the lungs, investigators hope to better understand the human pulmonary function here on Earth and learn how gravity plays a part in influencing lung function. Lymphocyte Proliferation in Weightlessness Principal investigator: Augusto Cogoli, Ph.D. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland Following investigations carried out during Spacelab 1 and the German D-1 shuttle missions, this experiment will investigate the effect of weightlessness on the activation of lymphocyte reproduction. The study also will test whether there is a possible alteration of the cells responsible for part of the immune defense system during space flight. STS-40 will repeat the basic Spacelab-1 experiment. Lymphocytes will be purified from human blood collected 12 hours before launch. The cells will be resuspended in a culture medium, sealed in culture blocks and stowed on Columbia's middeck. Inflight, the samples will be exposed to a mitogen (a substance that promotes cell division) and allowed to grow in the weightless environment. Some of the samples also will be exposed to varying gravity levels on the low-gravity centrifuge. These samples will serve as a control group as they will experience the same environmental conditions with the exception of micro-gravity. The stimulation of the lymphocytes to reproduce is determined by monitoring the incorporation of a chemical isotope tracer into the cells' DNA. Investigators will gather further information on lymphocytes from blood samples taken from the crew inflight. Influence of Space Flight on Erythrokinetics in Man Principal investigator: Clarence Alfrey, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas The most consistent finding from space flight is the decrease in circulating red blood cells or erythrocytes and subsequent reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This experiment studies the mechanisms which may be responsible for this decrease, including the effect of space flight on red blood cell production rate and the role of changes in body weight and plasma volume on red blood cell production. Blood samples taken pre-, post- and inflight will trace the life of astronauts' red blood cells. By measuring the volume of red blood cells and plasma, researchers will check the rate of production and destruction of blood in both normal and microgravity conditions. On flight day two, crew members will receive an injection of a tracer that will measure the amount of new red blood cells. Tracers (chemicals that will attach to the red blood cell to allowing them to be tracked) injected before launch will measure the destruction rate of red blood cells. Crew members will draw blood samples on the second, third, fourth, eighth and ninth days of flight. Cardiovascular Adaptation to Microgravity Principal investigator: C. Gunnar Blomqvist, M.D. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas This experiment will focus on the acute changes in cardiovascular function, heart dimensions and function at rest, response to maximal exercise and control mechanisms. The experiment seeks to increase the understanding of microgravity-induced changes in the cardiovascular structure and function responsible for a common problem during return to normal gravity of orthostatic hypotension or the inability to maintain normal blood pressure and flow while in an upright position. Central venous pressure -- measurements of changes in the blood pressure in the great veins near the heart -- will be observed in one crew member. A cardiologist will insert a catheter into a vein in the arm and position it near the heart prior to flight. Measurements then will be recorded for 24 hours beginning prior to launch and extending for at least 4 hours into space flight, at which time the catheter is removed. The catheter data will indicate the degree of body fluid redistribution and the speed at which the redistribution occurs. Echocardiograph measurements, a method of sending high frequency sound into the body to provide a view of the heart, will be performed on crew members each day. Leg flow and compliance measurements will gather information on leg blood flow and leg vein pressure-volume relationships. During flow measurements, blood in the veins of the leg will be stopped for a short period of time by inflating a cuff above the knee. Compliance measurements, the amount of blood that pools for a given increased pressure in the veins will be obtained by inflating and incrementally deflating the cuff over different pressures and holding that pressure until the volume of the leg reaches an equilibrium. Pathophysiology of Mineral Loss During Space Flight Principal investigator: Claude D. Arnaud, M.D. University of California San Francisco, Calif. Changes in calcium balance during space flight is an area of concern for researchers since the changes appear to be similar to those observed in humans with osteoporosis, a condition in which bone mass decreases and the bones become porous and brittle and are prone to fracturing or breaking. Because of potential health problems for astronauts returning to Earth after long space flights, the mechanisms which cause these changes are of great interest in space medicine. This experiment will measure the changes which occur during space flight in circulating levels of calcium metabolizing hormones and to directly measure the uptake and release of calcium in the body. Investigators believe there may be significant changes in the amount of these hormones produced due to an increase in the breakdown and reassimilation of bone tissue and that these changes begin to occur within hours after entering the weightless environment. Each crew member will be weighed daily and will keep a log of all food, fluids and medications ingested. They also will draw blood samples on selected days to determine the role of calcium regulating hormones on the observed changes in calcium balance. The experiment is repeated on selected days preflight and postflight. A simultaneous ground experiment is performed using non-crew member subjects. * * * The Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., as the developer of nonhuman life sciences experiments, will supply eight investigations to the SLS-1 mission. They are designed to increase our knowledge about the functioning of basic life processes during exposure to microgravity. These experiments will examine three systems: musculoskeletal, neurovestibular and hematopoietic. Seven of the investigations will use laboratory rats as subjects. A gravitational biology experiment will study jellyfish development and behavior. Ames Research Center also has developed several pieces of flight hardware to support these experiments. The Ames payload consists of a research animal holding facility (RAHF), two animal enclosure modules (AEMs), a general purpose work station and associated general purpose transfer unit, a refrigerator/incubator module, a small mass measuring instrument and eight animal experiments. A brief description of each of those experiments follows. Regulation of Erythropoiesis During Space Flight Principal Investigator: Robert D. Lange, M.D. University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville, Tenn. Regulation of Blood Volume During Space Flight Principal Investigator: Clarence Alfrey, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas This combined investigation will explore the mechanisms for changes seen in red blood cell mass and blood volume in crews on previous space flights. Several factors known to affect erythropoiesis will be examined. It also will determine whether comparable changes occur in the rat and if the rat is a satisfactory model for studying microgravity-induced changes in human blood. Previous space flight crews have consistently exhibited decreased red blood cell mass and plasma volume. The mechanisms responsible for these changes are not known, although a decrease in red blood cell production may play a role in altered red cell mass. The SLS-1 hematology experiments will study two parts of the blood system: the liquid portion (plasma), which contains water, proteins, nutrients, electrolytes, hormones and metabolic wastes and a cellular portion, which contains red and white blood cells and platelets. Bone, Calcium and Space Flight Principal Investigator: Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D. NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif. Weightlessness causes a slow loss of calcium and phosphorus from the bones during and immediately following space flight. Negative calcium balance, decreased bone density and inhibition of bone formation have been reported. Most of the loss is thought to occur in the leg bones and the spine, which are responsible for movement and erect posture. Previous studies of rodents exposed to microgravity have shown decreased skeletal growth early in the mission; reduced concentrations of a protein secreted by bone-forming cells, suggesting a reduction in the activity of these cells; and reduced leg bone breaking strength and reduced bone mass in the spine. Formation of bone probably does not cease abruptly, but more likely decreases gradually as the number and/or activity of bone- forming cells decreases. This experiment will allow more precise calculation of the length of flight time required to significantly inhibit bone formation in rats. Dr. Morey-Holton's experiment focuses on growth that occurs in a number of specific bones such as the leg, spine and jaw. The study also will document alterations in bone growth patterns and bone-breaking strength in rodents exposed to weightlessness and it will determine whether bone formation returns to normal levels after space flight. A Study of the Effects of Space Travel on Mammalian Gravity Receptors Principal Investigator: Muriel Ross, Ph.D. NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif. The neurovestibular system, which helps animals orient their bodies, is very sensitive to gravity. In space, gravity no longer influences the tiny otolith crystals, which are small, calcified gravity receptors in the inner ear. In micro-gravity, information sent to the brain from the inner ear and other sensory organs may conflict with cues anticipated from past experiences in Earth's normal gravity field. This conflict results in disorientation. Previous flight experience has shown that vestibular symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and dizziness and instability when standing, occur in more than half of the astronauts during the first few days of flight, with some symptoms lasting for up to 10 days post-flight. This study investigates structural changes that may occur within the inner ear in response to the microgravity of space. It seeks to define the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the otoliths. Scientists suspect that otolith degeneration may occur as a result of changes in the body's calcium levels, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, body fluid distribution and hormone secretions. The study also will examine the degree to which any changes noted remain static, progress or recover during a 7-day period post-flight. Effects of Microgravity-Induced Weightlessness on Aurelia Ephyra Differentiation and Statolith Synthesis Principal Investigator: Dorothy B. Spangenberg, Ph.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk, Va. Jellyfish are among the simplest organisms possessing a nervous system. They use structures called rhopalia to maintain their correct orientation in water. Rhopalia have statoliths that are analogous to mammalian otoliths, the gravity-sensing organs of the inner ear that help mammals maintain balance. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the role microgravity plays in the development and function of gravity- receptor structures of Aurelia (a type of jellyfish). Ephyrae are a tiny form of the jellyfish. This experiment will study the gravity receptors of ephyrae to determine how microgravity influences their development and function, as well as the animals' swimming behavior. Skeletal Myosin Isoenzymes in Rats Exposed to Microgravity Principal Investigator: Joseph Foon Yoong Hoh, Ph.D. University of Sydney Sydney, Australia Skeletal muscle fibers exist in two forms, classified as slow- twitch or fast-twitch, depending on how fast they contract. The two forms develop similar forces when contracting but they contract at different speeds. The speed of contraction is directly related to the amount of the protein myosin in muscle fibers. Myosin is made up of five isoenzymes, which differ in structure and in enzyme activity. In Earth's gravity, a low-firing frequency stimulates the slow- twitch fibers, which support a body against gravity. The fast- twitch fibers, which are related to body movement, contract in response to high-frequency nerve impulses. This study will examine how microgravity affects the speed of muscle contractions. Because stimuli to the slow-twitch anti- gravity muscles should be greatly reduced in microgravity, the concentration of myosin isoenzymes in these fibers should be lower. This experiment should provide additional data to help explain how microgravity affects the speed of muscle contractions and the growth and proliferation of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. Effects of Microgravity on Biochemical and Metabolic Properties of Skeletal Muscle in Rats Principal Investigator: Kenneth M. Baldwin, Ph.D. University of California Irvine, Calif. It has been proposed that a loss of muscle mass in astronauts during weightlessness produces the observed loss of strength and endurance, particularly in the anti-gravity muscles. One explanation is that exposure to microgravity results in the removal of sufficient stress or tension on the muscles to maintain adequate levels of certain proteins and enzymes. These proteins and enzymes enable cells to use oxygen to convert nutrients into energy. When gravitational stress is reduced, protein activity also decreases and muscles become more dependent on glycogen stored in the liver and muscles for energy. As the body metabolizes glycogen, muscle endurance decreases. Radioactive carbon compounds will be used to evaluate energy metabolism in the hind leg muscles of the rats exposed to microgravity. The concentration of the enzymes reflects the kind of metabolic activity occurring in muscles during periods of reduced gravitational stress. In addition, skeletal muscle cells of flight and ground-control animals will be compared to assess any changes in the concentration of enzymes that break down glycogen. The Effects of Microgravity on the Electron Microscopy, Histochemistry and Protease Activities of Rat Hindlimb Muscles Principal Investigator: Danny A. Riley, Ph.D. Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wis. The anti-gravity skeletal muscles of astronauts exposed to microgravity for extended periods exhibit progressive weakness. Studies of rodents flown in space for 7 days on a previous mission have shown a 40 percent loss of mass in the anti-gravity leg muscles. Other studies indicate the loss of strength may result from simple muscle fiber shrinkage, death of muscle cells and/or degeneration of motor innervation. In addition, the biochemical process that generates energy in muscle cells was almost totally absent. The progressive atrophy of certain muscles in microgravity is the focus of this study, which compares the atrophy rates of muscles used primarily to oppose gravity with those muscles used for movement. Investigators will examine muscle tissues of flight and ground-control rodents to look for the shrinkage or death of muscle cells, breakdown of muscle fibers or degeneration of motor nerves. Scientists also hope to discover the chemical basis for atrophy by analyzing the concentration of enzymes that facilitate the breakdown of proteins within cells. * * * * * * STS-40 CREW BIOGRAPHIES Marine Corps Col. Bryan D. O'Connor, 44, will serve as Commander of STS-40 and will be making his second space flight. O'Connor, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. He graduated from Twentynine Palms High School in 1964, received a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 and received a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the University of West Florida in 1970. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1968 and following several overseas assignments, graduated from the Navy Test Pilot School and began duty as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center's Strike Test Directorate. He served as project pilot for various very short take off and landing (VSTOL) research aircraft, including preliminary evaluation of the YAV-88 advanced Harrier prototype. After selection as an astronaut, he served as a T-38 chase pilot for STS-3 and as spacecraft communicator for STS-5 through STS-9. He then served as pilot of Atlantis on STS-61B from Nov. 26 through Dec. 3, 1985, during which the crew deployed three communications satellites and conducted two Space Station assembly test spacewalks. O'Connor has logged more than 165 hours in space and more than 4,100 hours flying time in jet aircraft. Air Force Lt. Col. Sidney M. Gutierrez, 39, will serve as Pilot. Selected as an astronaut in 1984, Gutierrez, from Albuquerque, N.M., will be making his first space flight. Gutierrez graduated from Valley High School, Albuquerque, in 1969, received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy in 1973 and received a master of arts in management from Webster College in 1977. He was a member of the Air Force Academy collegiate parachute team while in college with a master parachutist rating and over 550 jumps. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, he was assigned as a T-38 instructor pilot from 1975-1977 at Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas. He attended the Air Force Test Pilot School in 1981 and was assigned to the F-16 Falcon Combined Test Force upon graduation, where he stayed until joining NASA. At NASA, his duties have included work in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboaratory and as the lead astronaut for Shuttle software development, verification and future requirements definition. He has logged more than 3,000 hours flying time in 30 different types of aircraft, sailplanes and balloons. James P. Bagian, M.D., 39, will serve as Mission Specialist 1 (MS1). Selected as an astronaut in 1980, Bagian is from Philadelphia, Pa., and will be making his second space flight. Bagian graduated from Central High School, Philadelphia, in 1969, received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1973 and received a doctorate of medicine from Thomas Jefferson University in 1977. Bagian worked as a mechanical engineer at the Naval Air Test Center while pursuing his doctorate. Upon graduation, he served a 1-year residency with the Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa. Subsequently, he joined NASA as a flight surgeon, concurrently completing studies at the Air Force Flight Surgeons School and School of Aerospace Medicine, San Antonio, Texas. Bagian is a Lt. Col. in the Air Force Reserve. After selection as an astronaut, Bagian worked in planning and providing emergency medical and rescue support for the first six Shuttle flights. Bagian served as a mission specialist aboard Discovery on STS-29, March 13-18, 1989, on which the crew deployed a tracking and data relay satellite, conducted a Space Station heat pipe radiator experiment, two student experiments and a chromosome and plant cell division experiment. Tamara E. Jernigan, Ph.D., 32, will serve as Mission Specialist 2 (MS2). Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Jernigan is from Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and will be making her first space flight. Jernigan graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1977, received a bachelor of science in physics and a master of science in engineering science from Stanford University in 1981 and 1983, respectively, received a master of science in astronomy from the University of California-Berkley in 1985 and received a doctorate in space physics and astronomy from Rice University, Houston, Texas, in 1988. After selection as an astronaut, Jernigan worked as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control for five Shuttle flights. Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D., 43, will serve as Mission Specialist 3 (MS3). Selected as an astronaut in 1978, Seddon is from Murfreesboro, Tenn., and will be making her second space flight. Seddon graduated from Central High School, Murfreesboro, in 1965, received a bachelor of arts in physiology from the University of California-Berkley in 1970 and received a doctorate of medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1973. She completed a surgical internship and 3 years of general surgery residency in Memphis following graduation. Seddon served as a Mission Specialist aboard Discovery on STS- 51D, April 12-19, 1985. During the flight, the crew deployed three communications satellites and conducted the first unscheduled Shuttle spacewalk to correct a malfunction of one satellite. Seddon has logged 168 hours of space flight. Francis Andrew Gaffney, M.D., 44, will serve as Payload Specialist 1 (PS1). Gaffney will be making his first space flight and his hometown is Carlsbad, N.M. Gaffney graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1964, received a bachelor of arts from the University of California-Berkley in 1968, received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of New Mexico in 1972 and received a fellowship in cardiology from the University of Texas in 1975. He completed a 3-year medical internship and residency at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975, and went on to receive a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, becoming a faculty associate and an assistant professor of medicine there in 1979. From 1979-1987, he served as assistant director of echocardiography at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas. Gaffney served as a visiting senior scientist with NASA from 1987-1989. He is a co-investigator on an experiment aboard STS-40 that studies human cardiovascular adaptation to space flight. Millie Hughes-Fulford, Ph.D., 46, will serve as Payload Specialist 2 (PS2). Hughes-Fulford, from Mineral Wells, Texas, will be making her first space flight. Hughes-Fulford graduated from Mineral Wells High School in 1972, received a bachelor of science in chemistry from Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas and received a doctorate in chemistry from Texas Woman's University, Denton, in 1972. Since 1973, she has worked at the University of California and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, doing extensive research on cholesterol metabolism, cell differentation, DNA synthesis and cell growth. After assignment by NASA, she has continued her research, concentrating on a study of cellular and molecular mechanisms for bone formation as it relates to space flight. STS-40 SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES Day One Ascent OMS 2 engine firing Spacelab activation Metabolic experiment operations Echocardiograph operations Day Two Baroreflex tests Pulmonary function tests Echocardiograph activities Cardiovascular operations Ames Research Center operations Day Three Ames Research Center operations Rotating dome operations Echocardiograph activities DTOs Day Four Baroreflex/Pulmonary function tests Ames Research Center operations Day Five Pulmonary function tests Cardiovascular operations Echocardiograph activities Day Six Rotating dome operations Echocardiograph activities Cardiovascular operations Ames Research Center operations Day Seven DTOs Ames Research Center operations Day Eight Baroreflex tests Echocardiograph Cardiovascular operations Day Nine Pulmonary function tests Flight control systems checkout Echocardiograph tests Cardiovascular operations Cabin stow Partial Spacelab deactivation Day Ten Spacelab deactivation Deorbit preparation Deorbit burn Landing STS-40 QUICK LOOK Launch Date: May 24, 1991 Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 39B Launch Window: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. EDT Orbiter: Columbia (OV-102) Orbit: 160 by 150 nautical miles, 39 degrees inclination Landing Date/Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PDT, June 2, 1991 Primary Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Abort Landing Sites: Return to Launch Site - Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Transoceanic Abort Landing - Ben Guerir, Morroco Abort Once Around - White Sands Space Harbor, N. M. Crew: Bryan D. O'Connor, Commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, Pilot; James P. Bagian, Mission Specialist 1; Tamara E. Jernigan, Mission Specialist 2; M. Rhea Seddon, Mission Specialist 3; Francis A. (Drew) Gaffney, Payload Specialist 1; Millie Hughes-Fulford, Payload Specialist 2 Cargo Bay Payloads: Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) Get Away Special (GAS) Bridge experiments Middeck Payloads: Physiological Monitoring System (PMS) Urine Monitoring System (UMS) Animal Enclosure Modules (AEM) STS-40 VEHICLE AND PAYLOAD WEIGHTS (Pounds) Orbiter (Columbia), empty and 3 SSMEs 172,482 Spacelab Life Sciences-1 Module 21,271 GAS Bridge Assembly 4,885 Spacelab Support Equipment 750 Space Acceleration Measurement System 250 Detailed Test Objectives 88 Detailed Supplementary Objectives 35 Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,519,081 Orbiter Landing Weight 225,492 STS-40 PRELAUNCH PROCESSING Processing the orbiter Columbia for the STS-40 mission at Kennedy Space Center began Feb. 9, following its last mission - STS-35/Astro I. About 40 modifications were made to Columbia during its 10 and a half-week stay in the OPF. These modifications enhance the performance and efficiency of the orbiter's complex systems. While in the OPF, four modified external tank door bellcrank housings were installed. Small cracks previously were found in three of the housings. Space Shuttle main engine locations for this flight are as follows: engine 2015 in the No. 1 position, engine 2022 in the No. 2 position and engine 2027 in the No. 3 position. These engines were installed in March. The Crew Equipment Interface Test with the STS-40 flight crew was conducted on April 7 in the OPF. This test provided an opportunity for the crew to become familiar with the configuration of the orbiter and anything that is unique to the STS-40 mission. Technicians installed the Spacelab module on March 24 and successfully conducted the required tests. The Spacelab tunnel, leading from the orbiter's airlock to the module, was installed April 3. Booster stacking operations on mobile launcher platform 3 began March 16 with the left and right aft boosters. These segments later were destacked to allow a realignment of the launch platform holddown posts. Restacking began on March 23 with the left aft booster. Stacking of all booster segments was completed by April 11. The external tank was mated to the boosters on April 17 and Columbia was transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building on April 26 where it was mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters. The STS-40 vehicle was rolled out to Launch Pad 39-B on May 2. A launch countdown dress rehearsal was scheduled for May 6-7 at Kennedy Space Center. A standard 43-hour launch countdown is scheduled to begin three days prior to launch. During the countdown, the orbiter's onboard fuel and oxidizer storage tanks will be loaded and all orbiter systems will be prepared for flight. About 9 hours before launch, the external tank will be filled with its flight load of a half a million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. About two and one-half hours before liftoff, the flight crew will begin taking their assigned seats in the crew cabin. KSC's recovery teams will prepare the orbiter Columbia for the return trip to Florida following the end-of-mission landing at Edwards AFB, Calif. Orbiter turnaround operations at Dryden Flight Research Facility typically take about five days. A 2-day ferry flight is planned because of the additional weight of the orbiter returning with the Spacelab. The extra weight will require several refueling stops during the ferry flight. Following post-flight deservicing and removal of the Spacelab payload and major orbiter components at Kennedy Space Center, Columbia will be readied for ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. The orbiter is scheduled to undergo extensive modifications, including changes to accommodate an extended duration mission, at the Rockwell manufacturing plant during a 6-month period from August 1991 to January 1992. Columbia's next scheduled flight is STS-50, a planned extended duration mission with the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory payload targeted for launch in June 1992.