get away special the first ten years

8/7/2019 Get Away Special the First Ten Years

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GFT AWAY SPECIAL: [Ht!(NASA) 46 p CSCL 22A

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GET AWAY SPECIAL.. the first ten years


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This publication is dedicated to the experimenters who created GAS payloads and to the NASA employees andcontractors who helped make their dreams a reality.

FOREWORDThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Get Away

Special Program has been unique in the aerospace world for the exceptionalrange of nonprofessional and profes._ional experimenters who have gainedaccess to space through it. For this reason, the program is brimming with

noteworthy stories about people and thei_ scientific endeavors. The completionof the Get Away Special Program's first ten years in 1987 posed an ideal time

to compile these experiences.This brief history begins with the origins of the Get Away Special Program in

The Concept section. It continues to tell of milestones in the program's devel-opment in the STS Mission Descriptions. Perhaps most interesting, particu-larly to potential experimenters, are the overviews of individual customer

payloads, chronologically grouped with their respective Shuttle missions.We hope this publication gives a sense of the novel opportunities that havebeen taken and continue to exist in the Get Away Special Program.


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ContentsThe Concept .......................... 3STS-3 Flight Verification Payload ......... 5STS-4 ................................ 6

GO01 The First Flight .............. 7STS-5 ................................ 8G026 German Materials Processing.. 8STS-6 ................................ 9

G005 Japanese Snowflakes ......... 9G049 Air Force Cadets ........... 10G381 Exposing Seeds to Space ..... 10

STS-7 ............................... 11G002G009G012G033G088G305G345

German Students ........... 12Purdue University Students .. 12New Jersey Students ........ 13Cal Tech Students .......... 13Soldering in Space .......... 14Space UV Radiation Test ..... 14Ultraviolet Film Test ........ 14

STS-8 ............................... 15G346 Cosmic Ray Upset .......... 16G347 Ultraviolet Film Test ........ 16G348 Atomic Oxygen Test ........ 17G475 Snowflakes in Space ........ 17

STS-41 -B ............................ 18C004 Space Paks ................ 19GO08 Utah Students .............. 19GO51 GTE's Metalarc Lamp ........ 20G309 Cosmic Ray Upset II ........ 20G349 Atomic Oxygen Experiment.. 20

STS-41-G ............................ 21G007 Radio Signals From Space ...22G013G032G038G074C306

Halogen Lamps ............ 22Shooting BB's at Waterballs .. 22Space Art ................. 23Improving Spacecraft Fueling. 23Trapped Ions in Space ....... 24

G4_9 ( o>mic Ray Upset ll ........ 24C518 Utah Payloads Fly Again .... 24

STS-51-D ........................... 25GO3k_ Waterball Collisions ........ 25G471 Capillary Pumped Loop ..... 25

STS-51-B ............................ 26GOIO Northern Utah Satellite ..... 27G_08 (;LOM'R Satellite ........... 27

STS-51-G ........................... 28(;02G027G028G034G._ 14(_;471

Liquid Sloshing Test ........ 28( eramic Technology ....... 29Manganese-Bismuth Alloy .. 29L/Paso High Schools ....... 30UV Radiat ion Environment.. 30( apillary Pumped Loop ..... 30

STS-61-A ............................ 31(;308 (;t()M.R's Deployment ...... 31

STS-61-B ............................ 32G479 Canadian Vapor Deposition . 32

STS-61-C ............................ 33EMP GAS Bridge Environment .... 34C007 Radio Transmissions Test .... 34G062 Penn State/GE Payload ...... 34G310 Air Force Vibrat ing Beams... 35G332 Houston High Schools ...... 35G446 Chemical Analysis Tests .... 35C,449 Medical Laser Tests ........ 36(;4fi2, _, &4 Cosmic Background .... 36C,470 Moth in Space Project ...... 37G481 7ransporting Art Supplies ... 37C494 Canadian PHOTONS Test... 37

Chart of Payload Customers andRepresentatives .................... 38

Into The Next Decade ................ 40For More Information ................. 40


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The original GAS Team was a handful of NASA engineers who conceived the pro-gram's hardware and procedures. The team members included (L to R) Clarke Prouty,Leonard Arnowitz, John Laudadio, Bob McDonnell, Dave Wing, James Barrowman,and James O'Brien.

The ConceptTO TELL the Get Away Special story is to tell more than

50 stories in one, for each payload came from the excite-ment, dreams, and efforts of groups of individuals. Therewere students who built their first space experiments;experienced scientists with projects that could lead to newmaterials; companies testing products for living and work-ing in space; and others, such as artists and medical profes-sionals, who turned their thoughts to experimentation inspace for the first time. Finally, there is the story of theNASA and contractor personnel who conceived the pro-gram and worked together to make it happen.

In the mid 1970s, the Customer Services Division atNASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. began man-ifesting (assigning) major payloads aboard Shuttle mis-sions. It soon became apparent that most missions wouldhave a small amount of capacity left after the majorpayloads were installed. NASA's discussions of how to bestutilize this capacity led to the Small Self-ContainedPayloads Program, now familiarly known as the Get AwaySpecial Program or, simply, the GAS Program.

From its beginning, those working in the GAS Programrealized that it really was a special program. It was anavenue, never before available, to space experimentationfor the "man and woman on the street." In the expensiveworld of space exploration such an opportunity had beennonexistent. Anyone, including domestic and interna-tional organizations, could perform a small space experi-ment through the GAS program. It was hoped that byopening GAS to the broadest community possible, manygoals of national interest would be served: encouragingthe use of space by all; enhancing education with hands-

on space research opportunities; inexpensively testingideas that could later grow into major space experiments;and, finally, generating new activities unique to space.

In October 1976, John Yardley, Associate Administratorfor the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters,announced the inception of the GAS Program at a con-vention of the International Astronautical Federation inAnaheim, California. The next day, Mr. R. Gilbert Moorepurchased the first GAS payload reservation. Mr. Mooreenthusiastically advocated the GAS program throughoutaerospace circles, and his advocacy soon bore fruit, asothers began depositing money for GAS payload reserva-tions.

Over the next few months, NASA worked to define theprogram's boundaries. Only payloads of a scientific re-search and development nature that met NASA safetyregulations would be accepted. Payloads would have to beself-contained, supplying their own power, means of datacollection, and event sequencing. NASA's original conceptwas to fly payloads in closed containers with no externalcontrols available. Recognizing that the technical experi-ence of GAS customers would range widely, NASA de-signed a container that could contain potential hazards.

Three payload options evolved: a 21/2-cubic-foot con-tainer for payloads up to 60 pounds, costing $3000; a 21/2.cubic-foot container for payloads 61 to 100 pounds for$5000; and a 5-cubic-foot container for 200-poundpayloads for $10,000. This pricing policy was modeledafter the policy for major Shuttle payloads, which arecharged by payload weight and volume.

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Preparing to lift a payload into the orbiter

Early in 1977, NASA assigned the GAS Program to theSounding Rocket Division at the Goddard Space FlightCenter in Greenbelt, Maryland. Later renamed the SpecialPayloads Division, its personnel had, at that time, accumu-lated twenty years of hands-on engineering experience inflying sounding rocket payloads. Their expertise was idealfor a small payloads program. A handful of engineersbegan meeting weekly to define the hardware and pro-cedures necessary for the GAS Program. This was thebeginning of the GAS team.

Meanwhile, news of the GAS Program had passed byword-of-mouth through the aerospace community. Withno publicity since Yardley's initial announcement the pre-vious year, over one hundred payload reservation num-bers had already been issued.

IN THE TEN YEARS and 53 payloads flown since theprogram's inception, the GAS team has kept its enthusi-asm for the program -- largely because of the experimen-ters' high level of enthusiasm and endless ability toconceive and design thought-provoking experiments. Theoriginators of the GAS Program could not have envisionedthe innovativeness of some of the customers' payloads. Asyou will learn, customers' requirements for these experi-ments sometimes prompted the GAS team to develop

new equipment and procedures to meet their experimen-ters' needs.Importantly, the GAS Program continues to meet its

original goal of providing access to space to everyone. Theprogram offers an inexpensive vehicle through which bothnovices and professionals can explore new concepts inspace at little risk. With major payloads, a failing experi-ment can be catastrophic; the failure of a GAS experimentcan, however, be a useful experience from which bothstudents and scientists can learn and prepare for biggermissions in the future.

Since the program's early days, the GAS team at God-dard has relied on numerous NASA and contractor per-sonnel at the Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers.Without their active support, GAS payloads would neverhave left the ground. GAS team members at Johnsonhelped establish simplified integration, operational, andsafety documentation procedures. Personnel at Kennedystreamlined techniques and procedures for processingpayloads from arrival at Kennedy to installation in theorbiters and from their postflight removal to their shipmentback to the experimenters. As well, Kennedy team mere-bers found a home for the GAS Program on Cape Ca-naveral.

READERS INTRIGUED BY THE EXPERIMENTS inthis publication will no doubt wonder about their results.An unusual feature of the GAS Program is that experimen-ters are not required to furnish postflight reports to NASA.NASA feels that GAS customers can best speak for theirown experiments. The following payload descriptionshave been compiled from preflight press releases anddiscussions with GAS experimenters. Generally, payloadresults are mentioned only when they illustrate lessons thatwere learned. Readers can, however, review the payloadsand their results in more detail by obtaining papers pre-sented by the experimenters at NASA's Annual Get AwaySpecial Experimenter's Symposiums. Symposium pro-ceedings are available from:

The National Technical Information ServiceSpringfield, Virginia 22161

The proceedings of each symposium are assigned a con-ference publication number, as listed below:

GAS Experimenter's NASA ConferenceSymposium Publication No.1984 ......................... 23241985 ......................... 24011986 ......................... 24381987 ......................... 2500THE GAS TEAM HOPES this brief history of the experi-

ments flown through January 18, 1986, illu_s_ates both thediverse use of the GAS program and its vastp0ssibilities.We also hope it will stimulate others to become explorersof space.

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ORI(3fNAL, PA(3_:PHOTOGRAPH

STS-3Columbia, March 22, 1982

BEFORE GAS CUSTOMERS COULD PREPARE real-istic payload designs, they needed an accurate descriptionof the environment inside a GAS container. Early in theprogram, the GAS team proposed flying a Flight Verifica-tion Payload (FVP) for this purpose. The FVP wouldrecord the vibrations, pressure, and microgravity inside aGAS container, as well as the internal and external tern-perature levels.

The GAS team did not anticipate flying this or any otherpayload until the Space Shuttle test flights (missionsSTS-I through STS-4) were complete in June 1982. Afterthe first two test flights, this situation changed. Based onthe Shuttle's test performance, NASA managers and engi-neers grew confident that the Shuttle could handle morepayloads. However, in expanding its capacity, they had tomaintain the Shuttle's center of gravity in the optimumlocation for controllability during re-entry and landing.Considering this, J0hnson Space Center mission plannersrealized--_a't another 550 pounds -- the approximateweight Of a"(_,S container and its adapter (installation)beam -- was needed as ballast for STS-3's aft (rear) cargobay. Thus, the GAS Program and the FVP received anearly go-ahead for the STS-3 flight in March 1982.

Although opportune, this decision posed an immediatehardware problem for the GAS team. Generally, lightpayloads, such as GAS containers, are to be located in theforward end of the cargo bay. Consequently, the adapterbeams built for installing GAS payloads in the orbiterwould not fit in the aft section.

Johnson engineers came to the rescue. They quicklyfabricated a GAS adapter beam for the aft starboard(right) side of the bay. In this location the FVP (and otherearly GAS payloads) flew as scheduled. Following theFVP's successful flight, the GAS team distributed the testresults to its existing experimenter community and laterincorporated them in the GAS Experimenter Handbook.Along with its environmental data, the FVP proved

invaluable in an unforeseen way. For the first time, theteam had to design a GAS payload and provide for itsintegration and installation in the Space TransportationSystem (STS). With Johnson and Kennedy Space Cen-ters' personnel the team members developed proceduresfor manifesting, shipping, checking, inspecting, installing,and deintegrating (postflight) the _ Having put the FVPthrough these operations, such procedures were consider-ably eased for future GAS customers.

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Attaching the first GAS payload to its adapter beam in the Columbia cargo bay

STS-4Columbia, June 27, 1982

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WHEN PREPARING THE FIRST CUSTOMERpayloads for flight, the GAS team ran into an unexpecteddifficulty: clearly understanding the customers' payloadneeds (for example, length of operation, control com-mands, safety requirements). Numerous discussions withtheir first customer, the Utah State University (USU)group, culminated with USU's submission of two inch-thick documents concerning their payload. Obviously, amore efficient way of getting payload specifications wasneeded.

Ironically, the team's problem stemmed from one ofthe GAS program's strongest points -- that it brought newpeople into space exploration. Having never dealt withinexperienced space experimenters, the team memberssoon found they could not expect the same level of knowl-edge about space or NASA requirements as they assumedfrom seasoned experimenters. The team's experienceswith USU and its other early customers enabled it to

develop a questionnaire entitled the Payload Accomoda-tiGriS Requirements (PAR). Still in use, this document --much shorter than the material submitted by USU -- asksspecific questions that help everyone understand apayload's flight requirements.

The actual leg-work involved in attaching the firstpayload in the orbiter's payload bay began three monthsprior to launch, when the USU group put payload G001 ina private plane and headed for Kennedy Space Center.Once there, the GAS team and USU crew carried outpreflight preparations: inspecting G001 f_._)ost-shipmentdamage, installing its batteries, running, afinal 'preflightcheck on the experiments, e[nd integral:ing'G001 into theflight container. Next, a truck delivered the payload to theorbiter, and while Kennedy personnel installed it, the GASteam and a USU representative witnessed the process andstood by for consultation. After final electrical interfacechecks in the orbiter, installation was complete. Having


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runsmoothly,hisprocessecametandardorallfollow-ingGASflights.AsSTS-4oaredntotheskyaboveKennedynJune27, 1982,USUstudents,aculty,andtheirsupporterscheeredheirexperimentsntospace.However,uringtheircelebrationaterthatnight,theylearnedhatNASAcouldnotturnontheirpayload.BackatGoddard,GASengineerserealreadyssessingheproblem.Afternten-sirestudy,heyconcludedhatoneofthewiresconnecting

STS-4the payload controller in the crew compartment to theGAS container was broken. Working closely with JohnsonSpace Center, the engineers devised a procedure to re-route the connection in orbit. Johnson sent instructions toColumbia's crew; they made the new connection, and thepayload was turned on. This unexpected, but exciting,beginning for the GAS Program illustrated that havingpeople in space to perform operations is vital when prob-lems arise.

PAYLOAD: G001CUSTOMER: R. Gilbert MooreThe Maiden Voyage: When R. Gilbert Moore, a MartinThiokol Corporation executive, donated the first GAS

payload to Utah State University (USU), he presented USUstudents with a new world of hands-on space research.From this first payload a scholarship program emerged in

which undergraduate students could design and buildexperiments to be flown in GAS payloads. Students havesince generated four payloads, totalling 22 experiments,while assist ing other universities and institutions with their

GAS projects.USU'S first payload was very ambitious. Students put ten

experiments into a 5-cubic-foot GAS container. Oneexperiment grew successive generations of fruit flies to seeif microgravity would affect their genetic structure. Othertests examined the effects of microgravity on epoxy resin-

graphite composite curing, brine shrimp genetics,duckweed root growth, soldering, homogeneous alloyformation, surface tension, growth rate of algae, andthermal conductivity of a water and oil mixture. A

student's master degree thesis surveyed the distribution oftemperature within the payload. Perhaps the biggestchallenge went to the graduate student who integrated all

the experiments into the payload -- locating andscheduling their operations so that power and thermalrequirements would not conflict.

The day after the GAS Program was announced, GilbertMoore (center) made the first reservation with Chet Lee,Director of Customer Services, and Donna Miller, GASProgram Manager.

ORIGINAL P_E/BL@CK AND WHITE PrlofOGP, J_H

The G001 team: (L to R, kneeling) sponsors GilbertMoore and Phyllis Moore; USU Professor Rex Megill;(standing) Thiokol Corporation advisor Donald Cook;students Amber Dalley, Russ Laher, Terrance Thomas,David Yoel, James Elwell, Bruce Moore, Walt Moore,Steven Walker, and Kelly Hunt; Thiokol advisors LynnHankins and Gladyce O'Dell.


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STS-5Columbia, November 11, 1982

WITH FOUR TEST FLIGHTS under its wings, theorbiter opened its cargo bay to commercial customers.Aboard was the first GAS payload owned by aninternational customer, the German AerospaceResearch Establishment (DFVLR). DFVLR was alsofirst of many sophisticated organizations to seize theopportunity offered by the GAS Program to performmicrogravity materials processing research at relativelylow cost. Such research aims to create perfect crystals,high-strength metals and alloys, and new chemicals foruses as varied as communications systems, spacecraftmaterials, and medicine.

ORIGINAL PAGE_(3,1,..G[:{PHOTOGRAPH

Postflight: the GAS team rushes a payload from the orbiterto the GAS fa(ility where experimenters can see thepayload's results.

PAYLOAD: G026CUSTOMER: DFVLR, The German Aerospace Research

Establishment; H. Schreiber, H. Hebenstrick

First in a series of 25 GAS payloads managed by theGerman Aerospace Research Establishment (DFVLR), G026was part of the German material science program called

Project MAUS. German scientists anticipated an increasedunderstanding of the preparation of dispersion alloys in

space from G026. They were working with the knowledgethat several combinations of two d if ferent metals can bedissolved together in their liquid state above a certain

temperature (consolute temperature), but cannot be mixedbelow this temperature. They used such a combination of

gallium and mercury in G026 to investigate the dissolutionprocess above the consolute temperature, as well as the

time-dependent stability of the resulting dispersion,composed of mercury droplets in gallium. For the first

time, X-ray recordings were to be used to provide real-timedata of the different states of the experiment sequence.Previously, dispersions could not be observed as theyoccurred and, instead, clues to the proce.ss had to be

sought when the solidified samples were returned to Earth.

O_fOINAL P_EA/:'4D WIitTE PtJOTOGRAPH

X-ray technology would make the first recordings of dis-persion alloys forming in space on G026. Preparing thepayload: (L to R) Gary Waiters, GAS Field OperationsManager, and German scientists Dr. Gunter Otto and Dr.Peter Vits.


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STS-6Challenger, April 4, 1983

THE GAS TEAM FACED an unusual and unexpectedchallenge during preflight preparations of STS-6. TheChallenger was at the launch pad with the GAS payloadsalready installed, when problems with the major payload,the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, (TDRS), delayed theShuttle's launch. The GAS team grew concerned that inthe interim before launch the batteries in GAS payloadG005 would drain.

Normally, the GAS team would not have access to theorbiter after GAS payloads have been installed. On thisoccasion, however, the Kennedy Space Center personnelwere working on the TDRS away from the launch pad.This left the cargo bay empty -- and created a uniqueopportunity for the GAS team.

The team contacted experimenter Shigeru Kimura inTokyo to learn if he wanted his payload removed from theChallenger so that the batteries could be recharged.Kimura's response was immediate: his crew flew fromJapan and joined the team at Kennedy for the job.

After Kennedy's personnel and contractors removedG005 from the cargo bay, the payload was delivered to theGAS team and Kimura's crew at the GAS preparationfacility. The two teams removed the experiment from thecontainer, took out its batteries and charged and re-installed them. Then, once again, they ran a full preflightcheck and returned G005 to the orbiter, ready for flight.

Two "firsts" for the GAS program also marked thismission. STS-6 gave the GAS Program the first oppor-tunity to fly more than one payload. Of the three flown,payload G381, built by the George W. Park Seed Com-pany, went from concept to installation in about 90 days.This record time was accomplished by a company with noprevious experience in space experimentation -- proofthat the GAS Program could, indeed, provide experimen-ters rapid access to space.

In an unusual procedure, GAS team members removedG005 from the forward end of the cargo bay to rechargeits batteries. ORIGINAL PAGE

COLOR PHOTOGRAPI.I

(L to R)The late Shigeru Kimura, Asahi Shimbun's payloadmanager, with the students who suggested making snow-flakes in space, Toshio Agawa and Haruhiko Oda.

li_k_CK

PAYLOAD: G005CUSTOMER: The Asahi Shimbun;Shigeru KimuraOver 17,000 ideas from Japanese scientists, universityprofessors, engineers, and students flooded Tokyo's AsahiShimbun newspaper after it sol icited themes for a GASpayload. The winning entry came from two high schoolboys. Their suggestion? Making snow in microgravity.Since a Japanese physicist had produced the first artif icialsnow on Earth,. it seemed appropriate to newspaper editorShigeru Kimura that Japan crystallize the first artif icialsnow in space. Executing this task in the small volume of aGAS container required the collaboration of engineeringand scientific experts. Before flight, scientists could onlyguess what shape flakes would take in the absence ofgravity -- possibly,symmetrical, maybe even spherical.The answer, to be observed and recorded by home videoequipment) would contribute data on the growth of semi-conductor crystals and other materials from vapor sourcesin space.

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STS-6

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets prepare G049 for flight.ORIC:INAL PA_

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOG_.._PAYLOAD: G381

CUSTOMER: George W. Park Seed Co.;George B. Park, Jr.A man with a vision, George B. Park, Jr. realized that

future space station inhabitants may need to grow theirown food. As vice president of the George W. Park SeedCompany, Park wanted to learn how to package seeds forspace shipment. His researchers packed 25 pounds of fruit

and vegetable seeds into G381, some in simple dacronbags, others in sealed plastic pouch_s. Within the

container were two compartments --- one holding theEarth's atmosphere, the other vented to the cargo bay. The

seeds in the vented compartment were exposed to thevacuum, severe temperatures, and radiation of space. After

returning to Earth, the seeds would be grown andcompared to two control groups that had remained onEarth. The outcomes of this payload convinced the SeedCompany to fly a more advanced seed experiment in theLong Duration Exposure Facility, placed in orbit by theShuttle in 1984.

PAY LOA D:CUSTOMER:

G049U.S. Air Force Academy;General Robert E. Kelley

Air Force academy cadets in Colorado Springs designedresearch and development projects for the Shuttle and thenmarketed them to their instructor in a programmanagement course based around the Academy's first GAScontainer. The cadets behind two of the experiments inG049 were It_oking to the day when structures would bebuilt in space. ()ne ._uch experiment on metal beamjoining demon.sttated that beams could be soldered inspace. Another on k_amed metal (a metal in which asigni ficant amount


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STS-7Challenger, June 18, 1983

THE GAS TEAM'S RESOURCEFULNESS was chal-lenged by the STS-7 mission. More GAS payloads were tofly on this mission than on all the previous flights com-bined. To complicate matters, during preparation of theseven payloads, the program inaugurated and set up anew GAS preparation facility at Cape Canaveral. Theteam soon learned that all the payloads could not behandled at once in their new building. Therefore, they alsohad to plan and execute a flow of work through the facility.

At the same time, a nev_ piece of container' hardwarewas being prepared for its first flight. Since the beginning ofthe program, many customers had requested the ability tofully expose their experiments to space, so in the originalprogram policy, NASA committed itself to providing this

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optional service. The U.S. Air Force, having payloads thatrequired full exposure, offered to fund the design andfabrication of a Motorized Door Assembly (MDA) if the AirForce could be the first to use it. Following their initial useof the MDA, it would belong to NASA and be available toall GAS experimenters. The first payload to use the MDAwas conceived and built by the U.S. Naval Research Labo-ratory. Since the Laboratory is near Goddard Space FlightCenter, the GAS team decided to integrate the payloadwith the MDA at Goddard and ship the assembled payloadas a unit to the launch site.

The challenges of STS-7 drew the GAS Program for-ward; having met them, the GAS team knew they wereready for the heavier flight schedules ahead.

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STS-7PAYLOAD: G002

CUSTOMER: Kayser-Threde GMBH;Reiner KlettWinners of a nationwide competition among West GermanHigh School students provided the experiments for G002.Their five experiments covered a ful l spectrum of science

and technology with studies of crystal growth, nickelcatalysts, plant contamination by heavy metals,

microprocessor controlled sequencers, and a biostackstudying the inf luence of cosmic radiation on plant seeds.The competition was organized by the nonprofi t JugendForscht Association and funded by the German Ministryfor Research and Technology. The aerospace companyKayser-Threde donated the GAS flight opportunity and

helped the students build and integrate their experiments.

This crystal formed in microgravity in the German YouthFair Science Organization's payload.

BLACK A_IJ WHITE Pi_U/OGR,_._r-.

\

PAYLOAD: G009CUSTOMER: Purdue UniversityPurdue University students conducted three experimentsin their payk_ad, the first tested seed growth inmicrogravity in an unconventional way -- by germinatingseeds on a _pinning disc. The degree of gravity on aspinning wheel is highest at its rim and lowest at its center.Using this t_ct, the qudents planned to chart the influenceof different levelg or gravity on seed germination byplacing seeds at different radial locations on the disk. Theirpayload a/so included a nuclear particle detectionexperiment. This experiment traced and recorded the path_of nuclear part ic les encountered in the near-Earth spaceenvironment. A third experiment on f luid dynamicsmeasured the bulk oscillations of a drop of mercuryimmerse(] in a clear liquid. Purdue's Schools of Science,Engineering, and ,_4riculture developed the flight hardwarefor the proje( t, with the U.S. Navy providing access to thenecessary te_t tacil it ies_

Purdue Student Gene McGinnis concentrates on G009'spreparation.

BLACK f_."iD V,'_v,TE p!-_O-;,?C;_'\_P

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PAYLOAD: GO12CUSTOMER: RCA; David Shore

Science, art, shop, and music students took part in thefive-year GAS project at Camden and Woodrow WilsonHigh Schools in Camden, New Jersey. Backed by theirfaculties and technical experts at RCA Corporation andTemple Universi ty, science students built an ant farm tolearn if weightlessness would affect the colony's socialstructure. Behind the scenes, helpers from other classes

fabricated the container housing, painted Orbit "81 murals,produced a GAS newsletter, and enacted plays for fund

raisers. Although the colony perished aboard the Shuttle,learning did not stop after the flight. Biology students

investigated the colony upon its return. They concludedthat the ants died of dehydration when the GAS containerwas purged with dry air during preflight preparations. Evenso, students rated their project a success: in their words, it"gave Camden students the opportunity to prove that they

are as capable in the sciences as they are in sports."

STS-7

Students and teachers of Camden and Woodrow WilsonHigh Schools work with their RCA sponsors on the antcolony experiment.

BLACK AND VVHfTE PHuiOGR.,,\pN

PAYLOAD: G033CUSTOMER: Steven Speilberg

Movie director Steven Speilberg donated G033 to theCalifornia Institute of Technology after receiving the

payload as a gift. Working late nights and holidays, fifteenundergraduates in Cal Tech's Student Space Organizationdesigned and built two experiments, as well as the

computer that ran and monitored their payload. Oneexperiment examined oil and water separation in

microgravity. The second experiment grew radish seeds,testing the theory that roots grow downward becausegravity forces dense structures (amyloplasts) to settle to thebottom of root cells.

The seven GAS payloads on STS-7 were photographedfrom the German Shuttle Pallet Satellite (STS's majorpayload). The German payload was flying free in spaceafter the remote manipulator system (foreground)lifted itout of the Shuttle bay.

ORIGINAl: PAGEI::ILACK AND _'d--IiTE PHOi"OGRAPH

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STS-8Challenger, August 30, 1983

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR 12 GAS PAYLOADS to rideon STS-8 came on such short notice that only fourcustomers could accept the flight offer. One of thecustomer groups jumped at the flight opportunity -- eventhough their payload was only in the conceptual stage.Their reason? The unusual orbit and orientation plannedfor the STS-8 mission.

Because of the requirements of one of the majorpayloads, STS-8 was planned to fly at a lower than normalaltitude in the upper atmosphere, where there are moreatmospheric constituents than in higher altitude orbits. Itwould also have a different orientation. On most missions,the cargo bay faces the Earth's surface, making the Shuttleappear upside-down to a ground-based observer.However, during part of the STS-8 mission, the cargo baywould face into the direction of flight.

The orbit and inclination were ideal for scientists atGoddard Space Flight Center who were planning a GASpayload to monitor atomic oxygen. These oxygen atoms

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are most prevalent in the upper atmosphere, and with theirexperiment heading into the airflow, more atomic oxygenwould collide into its sensors than normally possible.

The only part of this experiment that was somewhatprepared two months prior to flight was the Con-tamination Monitor Package (CMP). The CMP held thedistinction of being the first experiment to be attached tothe outside of a GAS container. Having been usedpreviously as part of a major payload, the only changerequired on the CMP was modification of its mountinghardware so that it could be attached to the GAScontainer. On the other hand, the rest of the experiment,including its command package and electronics, had to bemodified, integrated, and assembled. The experimenters"went all out" to complete their payload in time, evenborrowing a tape recorder, battery, and interfaceelectronics box. In 56 days their payload was ready forinstallation -- another record time for the preparation of aGAS payload.

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PAYLOAD: G348CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Flight Center;Noel W. Hinners

On several occasions, NASA's Space Shuttles havereturned from missions with their outercoatings andthermal blanket coverings dramatically changed. The white

outercoating on the bay structures and fixtures came backcovered with powder; the shiny gold thermal blankets on

the payloads were dulled; and both coatings weresignif icantly thinner. GAS payload G348 investigated suchchanges caused by atomic oxygen erosion. Present at low

orbital alti tudes, atomic oxygen (an oxygen atom) tearsdown certain materials. G348 measured the mass loss ofcarbon and osmium, two materials known to readily

oxidize. The results were expected to provide insights forfuture low-orbit missions, such as the Space Station whichwill use a carbon-based epoxy in its construction.

STS-8

The heart of the atomic oxygen test was this sensingelement mounted on the GAS container lid.

CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD: G475

The Asahi Shimbun;Shigeru Kimura

A successful reflight: Seemingly simple, making the firstsnowflakes in space was actually a sophisticatedengineering task. Data from the Asahi Shimbun's

unsuccessful first attempt on STS-6 revealed that theextreme cold in space had lowered the water in theirexperiment to minus seven degrees Centigrade (19F),

much colder than anticipated. Consequently, the heaterscould not heat the water enough to generate water vaporfor snow crystals. Engineers also suspected that since thereis no convection in zero gravity, the water vapor could not

have spread to the field-of-view of the cameras anyway.After their evaluation, engineers tripled the power of the

heaters and added a small fan, and NASA arranged to turnon the experiment as early in the mission as possible. Thevalue of the orbiter's ability to return experiments to Earth

for evaluation and modification was again demonstrated bythe successful refl ight of this payload.

Video recordings showed the difference between snow-flakes formed on earth (top) and those formed in space(bottom). The dark lines through the flakes are the rabbithairs on which they formed.

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The morning before launch (Photo by J.B. Edwards, Hercules, Inc.)

STS-41-BChallenger, February 3, 1984

O[_IGINAL PAGE#i,l_.OR PHOTOGRAPH

JOINING JAPAN AND GERMANY as early interna-tional GAS participants, the University of Aberdeen inScotland accepted Utah State University's (USU's) offer toshare its GAS container on this mission. Smooth integra-tion of both universities' projects into one container wasenhanced by the development of "space paks."

After USU's first payload (G001) of 10 experiments, thefaculty knew they needed a means of isolating experi-merits from each other and of fairly allotting container

space to as many students as possible. The students andfaculty in USU's Get Away Special curriculum devised"space paks"-- hexagonal trays that would house individ-ual experiments. Typical of the cooperation and sharing ofexpertise among GAS customers, USU shared their spacepaks with other customers on this and subsequent mis-sions. For USU, the space paks became a method ofstandardizing the space available for experiments in theirGAS containers.

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PAYLOAD: G004CUSTOMER: Utah State University;Dr. L. R. Megill

International sharing: Space science students at theUniversity of Aberdeen in Scotland used one of the

University of Utah's (USU) newly designed space paks onthis payload. Aberdeen students flew experiments on spore

growth, three-dimensional Brownian motion, anddimensional stability. USU students filled two other space

paks in G004 with experiments that probed capillaryaction in the absence of the overpowering force of gravity.One of the experiments looked at capillary waves on a

water surface; the other, at thermocapillary flow incolumns of melted wax.

STS-41-B

Utah students (L to R) David Prince, Sawat Tantiphan-wadi, and Scott Thomas proudly display their space paks(Photo by J.B. Edwards, Hercules, Inc.).

PAYLOAD: G008CUSTOMER: Utah State University;Dr. L. R. Megill

Two universities and a high school from Utah sharedpayload G008, purchased by the Utah section of theAmer ican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Threestudents from Brighton High School in Salt Lake City

prepared a radish seed germination experiment todetermine if light sources could control the direction ofstem growth in the absence of gravi ty. A Universi ty of Utah

group studied the crystallization of three different proteinsamples (human antibodies) in small capil lary tubes. And

Utah State University students redesigned a solderingexperiment already flown on STS-4 and tested a heat pipe

to be used in a future space experiment.

._d

Watching the Shuttle take to space: Gilbert Moore,Thiokol Corporation, and David Prince, Brighton HighSchool, Utah. (Photo by J.B. Edwards, Hercules, Inc.)

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STS-41-BPAYLOAD: G051CUSTOMER: GTE Laboratories, Inc.Gas-discharge lamp research: GTE Laboratories f lew GO51to test the effects r,f microgravity on Sylvania Metalarclamps. These high-powered gas-discharge lamps are usedin industrial buildings, stadiums, and other sports facilities.On Earth, gravity-reduced convection plays an importantrole in the separation of vapors that are mixed in the arctube. This demixing produces changes in light output,color, and overal l lamp efficiency. GTE flew its payload tosee what happens inside the arc tube when the effects ofgravity are separated #om other influences. Three cameraswere programmed to take over 700 photographs of the arc:tubes and to collect data on power, temperature, and lightoutput through(_ut ti le experiments.

Glen Duchene (L to R) and Alfred Bellows of GTE makefinal preparations of the gas-discharge lamp experiment.

PAYLOAD: G309CUSTOMER: Department of Defense Space Test Program;Colonel John T. ViolaSince existing data _n the sensitivity of microcircuits tocosmic rays in _pace was sparse and inconclusive, theDepartment of Defense (DOD) flew the Cosmic Ray UpsetExperiment again. This payload, first flown on STS-8,contained a device, sensitive to cosmic rays. Thereby,experimenters could establish a good baseline reference ofthe probability' and incidence of cosmic rays inducingerrors in microcircuits.

Roy Mclntosh preparing the Atomic Oxygen Experimentfor its second flight.

Om,!_INAL PACEBLZC_ k;"a '/JH[TE , I.J,OGRAPH

PAY LOA D:CUSTOMER:

G349Goddard Space Flight Center;Noel W. Hinners

To expand knowledge of the little understood phenomenonof atomic oxygen erosion, Goddard Space Flight Centerexperimenters flew the atomic oxygen ContaminationMonitor Package (CMP) a second time. Whereas the CMP'sf irst f light on 51_-8 had been at an attitude and altitudewhich enhanced the effects of atomic oxygen, i ts f light onSTS-41-B exposed it to a normal orbit where little atomicoxygen was expected. Exper imenters then compared thecorrosive effect_ from both altitudes.

2O


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Preflight installation: GAS containers can be seen on both sides of the forward cargo bay. The round hatch in frontof the installation crew is the airlock by which astronauts leave the cabin and enter, the cargo bay during missions.

STS-41-GChallenger, October 5, 1984 GOLOR PHOTOGRAPrl

AMONG THE EIGHT GAS PAYLOADS aboardSTS-41-G was the first to attempt radio transmissionsduring a mission. The radio experiment, built by the Mar-shall Space Flight Center Amateur Radio Club (MARC),was to collect real-time data, temperature, and pressurereadings from the other three experiments on G007. Itwould then convert the readings into voice signals and

transmit them to short-wave radio recipients, who wouldsubsequently mail the data to MARC for analysis. AI-though a fascinating project, sending transmissions from aGAS payload during a Shuttle mission presented missioncoordination difficulties. This prompted NASA not to ac-cept other GAS payloads with transmitting requirements.

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STS-41-GPAYLOA D:CUSTOMER: G007Alabama Space and Rocket Center;Edward O. BuckbeeFrom this mission, the Project Explorer payload (GO07)attempted to tran_sn,_i t radio-frequency measurements toground-based radio hams around the world. The uniqueexperiment was built by the Marshall Space Flight CenterAmateur Radio Club (MARC). The other experiments inG007 were created by Alabama univerity students, guidedby the Alabama. Mississippi section of the AmericanInstitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and four majorAlabama universities. These experiments investigated thegrowth of a complex inorganic compound withexceptional conductive properties (potassiumtetracyanoplatinatei; the solidification of an alloy withsuperplastic properties (lead-antimony); and thegermination and growth of radish seeds in space.Unfortunatel_ the payload did not operate, but becausethe problem did not stem from a customer error, ProjectExplorer was awarded a reflight on STS-61-C.

The "box" to the left of the t-shaped attenna is a Digi-talker, which turned G007's data into voice signals thatwere broadcast to radio hams around the world.

(L to R) Gunter Schmitt and Christian Schmidt of Kayser-Threde and Neil Barthelme of Goddard Space FlightCenter

A Nippon Electric Company engineer prepares G032.22

PAYLOAD: G0t 3CUSTOMER: Kayser-Threde GMBH;Reiner KlettOf basic interest to space endeavors, the HALEX payloadtested the perfom_ance of halogen lamps. The lamps wereto be the heat _ource for optical radiation furnacesplanned for future material science processing in space.Up until the flight _t this GAS payload, it was uncertainwhether the lamps would perform as predicted duringextended periods of microgravity. The flight, financed bythe European Space Agency, was intended to verify thelamp's perfc)rman( _' k_r more than 60 hours.

OR!qtf'-:ALPA,'L'.".',- :,_!,i__Fi-iOZOGRAP_

PAYLOAD: G032CUSTOMER: Asahi National Broadcasting Company, Ltd.What happens when BB's are shot at free-standing spheresof water in n_icrogravity? Would they be repelled by thewater's surface tension? Would they burst the water ball?Knowing that surt_ e tension holds water in a sphericalshape in microgravity, the Asahi National BroadcastingCompany designed an experiment to answer thesequestions. Their experiment generated water balls and thenfired stainless steel BB's at them at varying speeds. Inrecording the impacts, they would learn more about thestrength of surfa_ e tension in the absence of gravity.In a different vein, a second experiment in their payload

used five small electrical furnaces to produce newmaterials -- a lead-zinc alloy, a glass composite (orceramic) and ( rvqals of an indium-antimony mixture.


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$TS-41-GI

Artist Joseph McShane assembles his experimental space sculpture.PAYLOAD: G038CUSTOMER: MarshalI-McShane;Ioseph W. McShaneSpace Art: Artists who want to use GAS payloads foraesthetic purposes first must satisfy the program's scienti ficexperimental requirements. Through his unique payload,artist Joseph McShane did both -- performing valuableresearch while realizing his desire to capture the essenceof space for those who are earth-bound, McShane usedvacuum deposition techniques to coat eight glass sphereswith gold, platinum, and other metals to create lustrousspace sculptures. His deposition process was similar tothat used on Earth to coat lenses, glass, and mirrors, but

the vacuum and weightlessness of space allowed a highlyuniform coating that was just a few microns thick.A ninth control sphere was evacuated to the natural

vacuum level of space and sealed. Once back on Earth,McShane could take measurements from it to determinethe vacuum level at which the other depositions hadoccurred. This sphere -- rather, the "pure space" within it-- was particularly meaningful to McShane, for it allowedindividuals to contemplate space firsthand.

PAYLOAD: G074CUSTOMER: McDonnell Douglas Aslronautics Company;Henry E. DuehlmeirerCreating a more versatile, inexpensive way of supplyingfuel to spacecraft engines was the goal of this McDonnellDouglas payload. Its experiments demonstrated twomethods of delivering partially full tanks of liquid fuel, freeof gas bubbles, to engines that control and direct orbitingspacecraft. These zero-gravity fuel system tests wereparticularly concerned with studying the fluid dynamics ofliquid fuels in tanks during the course of the mission.

(L to R) Technician Chris Noll and project managerGeorge Orton prepare their payload for a vibration test.

. _.... O_.qt_.;AL PAOEil}J__,,.,K A:._a ,,, .... ",_"d, j_ Fi-!O '_OGRApN

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STS-41-GPAYLOAD: G306

CUSTOMER: Department of Defense Space Test Program;Colonel Richard B. KehlSkylab Missions in 1973 and 1974 observed an

unexpectedly large flux of heavy ions (electrically chargedions of oxygen and heavier atomic elements) capable of

upsetting the microelectronic circuits on satel li tes. PayloadG306, the Trapped Ion_s in Space (TRIS) experiment,

recorded the tiny radiation damage tracks /eft by such ionsas they passed through a stack of track-detecting plastic

sheets during flight. Upon return to Earth, the tracks wereetched chemically, revealing cone-shaped pits whereparticles had passed. Investigators then studied the pits todeduce the energies and arr ival direct ions of the differenttypes of ions collected by TRIS. Sponsored by the U.S. Air

Force, TRIS was a joint project of the Cosmic RayAstrophysics Group at the Naval Research Laboratoryand the U.S. Naval Academy_ Sigma Pi Sigma Physics

Honors Society.

Lorraine Beahm of the Naval Research Laboratoryprepares the Trapped Ions in Space payload.

PAYLOAD: G469CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Flight Center;Noel W. Hinners

CRUX III evolved from the earl ier Co,smic Ray UpsetExperiments f lown on STS-8 and STS-41-B. A cooperative

effort by IBM Corporation and Goddard Space FlightCenter , CRUX III tested four different types of advanced,state-of-the-art microcircuits, totaling over 12 megabits.

These devices were expected to be more sensitive tocosmic ray upset than those flown previously. Addit ional ly,STS-4 I-G_ angle of inclination provided for measurements

at high lat itudes where the cosmic ray spectrum is notshielded by Earth's magnetosphere_ U_us, the cosmic rayenvironment was harsher by orders of magni tude than ithad been for the previous CRUX payloads carried atlower latitudes.

CUSTOMER: PAYLOAD: G518Utah State University;Bartell C. JensenThe ability to refly GAS experiments within a shortturnaround period was demonstrated by Utah State

University (USU) students on their G518 payload. FourUSU experiments flown as two different payloads onSTS-41-B were reconfigured into thL_ single payload,which flew just four months later on STS-41-G. The brieftime between their flights might be one of the fastest

turnarounds for space experiments in NASA history; itcertainly was for any university program associated withthe Shuttle. The experiments explored several basic

physical processes in microgravity: capillary' waves causedwhen water is excited; separation ot flux and solder;

thermocapillary convection; and a fluid flow system in aheat pipe experiment.

USU student Scott Thomas readies his thermocapillaryexperiment.

._, _,-_ _/_ ._ _'" " ' , _-_,'_/-\PH

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STS-51-DDiscovery, April 12, 1985

ON TUESDAY, March 12, 1985, Johnson SpaceCenter and NASA Headquarters personnel decided thatfour GAS payloads could be added to the Shuttle's Aprilflight -- if the payloads could be ready for installation bythe upcoming weekend. GAS team members made atelephone canvass of experimenters with flight-readypayloads and found only two customer organizations thatcould prepare their payloads by the deadline.

One of these payloads, G471, was an experiment atGoddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and had to beshipped by truck to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Theother payload, G035, was from the Asahi NationalBroadcasting Co. of Tokyo. Fortunately, this payload hadalready arrived at Kennedy in preparation for anupcoming flight; however, the payload manager andengineers were still in Japan. After their initial Tuesdayphone discussion, the payload manager and two engi-neers from the customer's contractor, the Nippon ElectricCompany, boarded a jet. They arrived at KennedyThursday evening to start preflight preparations. BySaturday, G035 was installed in the Discovery. Without adoubt, the customers and GAS team had integrated theirpayloads in the shortest time possible.

The Capillary Pumped Loop Experiment demonstrated anew way to transfer waste heat away from the orbiter andinto space.

BLACK AND WHITE i:'ML,.I'C.".-R:\PH

Metal BB's hitting water spheres in space gave G035'sresearchers more knowledge about surface tension ofwater in microgravi ty.PAYLOAD: G035CUSTOMER: Asahi National Broadcasting Co. Ltd.On the f irst flight of the Asahi Nat ional BroadcastingCompany's payload (G032 on STS-4 l-G) the materialsprocessing experiments went smoothly, but the water in theWater Ball Collision experiment froze. The companyarranged a ref light , G035, adding more heaters to thesecond payload. This time, spheres of water formed asplanned. BB'S were fired into the spheres at varying speedsto learn if they could overcome the surface tension. Videocameras recorded the fascinating collisions, yielding newinsight on the force of surface tension in microgravity. Thesuccess of this payload's second flight clearly demonstratedthe value of being able to retrieve, evaluate, modify, andfelly experimental payloads flown aboard Shuttle missions.PAYLOAD: G471CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Flight Center;Noel W. HinnersBased on a natural process: the same principal by whichplants transport water from their roots to their leaves wasused in designing the Capillary Pumped Loop experiment.The purpose of this Goddard payload was to demonstratethat a capillary pumped system could transfer waste heatfrom a spacecraft out into space. The two pumps in thesystem, built by the OAO Corporation, had no movingparts. Instead, each pump contained a wick of porousmaterial saturated with fluid. When heat was added to thefluid, it evaporated, producing a pressure gradient orpumping action that circulated the fluid (the same actionby which water ascends plant stems.) The fluid t ravel led --transporting the heat -- to a condenser. This ent ire system,mounted on a condenser plate, was attached to a specialGAS container top plate designed by the experimenters;through this the heat radiated into space.

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STS-51-BChallenger, April 29, 1985

A NEW ERA commenced for the GAS program with thelaunch of STS-51-B. Onboard were the first two satellitesto be ejected from a GAS container -- G010, the North-ern Utah Satellite (NUSAT), and G308, the Global LowOrbiting Message Relay (GLOMR). The pioneering energybehind this new capability came from the Utah StateUniversity Get Away Special community. Repeatedly,since their earliest discussions with NASA, they had askedthe agency to consider launching small satellites from GAScontainers. From these ongoing discussions it becameapparent that if t he demands on the orbiter and crew couldbe held to a minimum, useful satellites could be ejectedfrom GAS containers.

A cooperative development effort with the NUSATteam began. The NUSAT group cont_ributed the designand fabrication of the satellite support pedestal and ejec-tion spring system, adapting a proven Delta Rocket releasemechanism to suit GAS satellite release requirements.They carried this work out under regular NASA review.Meanwhile, the GAS team developed the interface elec -_tronics necessary to support GAS satellite ejection. TheGAS team also modified the existing motorized door as-sembly to create the Full Diameter Motorized Door Assem-bly which would allow a satellite to exit through the fulldiameter of the GAS payload container. As a result of thesecombined efforts, the deployment of satellites became anoptional service for future GAS customers.

Hal Merritt, a Globesat engineer wifh the NUSAT team,checks the satellite's solar cel ls.26

The first satellites ejected from GAS containers -- the Northern(GLOMR) -- took to space on STS-51 -B.

_K A_iD '"" r.

(L to R) Ioe Ducosin,team manager, showsastronauts NormanThagard and Col. Fred


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llite (NUSAT) and the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay

STS-51-BPAYLOAD: G010CUSTOMER: R. Gilbert MooreThe pioneer GAS satell ite sprang into a twenty-month orbitfrom this payload. The brain-child of a Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) engineer, the Northern Utah Satellite(NUSAT) was built as a Weber State College senior classproject. Its purpose was to provide a safer and moreefficient means for the FAA to calibrate airport radarequipment. The college students assembled NUSAT withcomponents and technical backup from an all-volunteerteam from Utah State University, New Mexico StateUniversity, the FAA, Goddard Space Flight Center, the U.S.Air Force, and more than 26 private corporations. BecauseNUSAT was the first-of-a-kind, as well as an example ofextraordinary cooperation between education, industry,and government, the NUSAT structural test prototypebecame part of the Smithsonian Institution's permanentcollection in October 1987.ORIGINAL P._,(__$

PAYLOAD: G308CUSTOMER: Departmenl of Defense Space Test Program;

Colonel William F. FralzkeWorking like an electronic mail system: the Global LowOrbiting Message Relay (GLOMR) satellite was planned topick up digital data streams from ground users, store thedata, and deliver the messages in these data streams tocustomers" computer terminals upon command. Built byDefense Systems, Inc. of McLean, Virginia, GLOMR wasdesigned to remain in orbit about one year. Unfortunately,because of a malfunction in the Motorized Door Assembly,GLOMR was not deployed on this mission.

Gregory the spring ped-l that will eject GAS sat-es from their mission.

ORIGINAL PA..e.,AND WHITE I_:i_.'L)SRAPi_

This ejection mechanism would lift NUSAT into an inde-pendent orbit.27


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STS-51-GDiscovery, June 17, 1985

THE GAS PROGRAM CONTINUED ITS BUSIESTYEAR, as six more GAS payloads took to space on theDiscovery. Three of the payloads were from West Germancustomers, one (G025) from the ERNO-Raumfahrt-tecknik firm, the other two (G027 and G028) from theFederal Republic of Germany's material science program,Project MAUS. The project MAUS payloads were the firstto use the GAS Program's dual payload option. Thisoption was added to better accomodate customers withnumerous GAS payloads. According to the GAS pro-gram's original policy, a customer could fly one payloadevery eleven missions. This policy cost some users --especially those who had to travel long distances --excessive travel and time away from work. Consequently,the GAS program adopted the dual payload option, whichallowed users to fly two payloads on one Shuttle flightevery 20 missions.

ORIQ_N,_Lg_,_OR PHOTOGRAPH

PAYLOAD: G025CUSTOMER: ERNO-Raumfahrltechnik GMBH;H. Hoffman & P.SandermeierThe development of future spacecraft fuel tanks wasadvanced in payload G025, which examined the behaviorof liquid in a tank in microgravity. This Liquid Sloshingexperiment simulated the behavior of l iquid propellants insatellite tankg during in-orbit operations. The experimentsubjected a _e_erence f luid in a hemispherical model tankto l inear acceleration inputs of known levels andfrequencies The experiment results were expected tovalidate and refine characteristics of tank-fluid systems andto be especially u._c_fulin the design of devices thatmanage propellants in surface tension tanks. Theexperiment was designed and built by the European firm,MBB/ERNO, Bremen, West Germany.

This Liquid Sloshing Experiment provided information formanaging propellants in surface tension tanks.

t:=.-,I,_!,_._L PA_E"[BLACK Ai'!D V,"n!rd PHOrOSRAPh

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PAYLOAD: G027CUSTOMER: DFVLR;H. Schreiber & H. HebenstrickCeramic technology research involving slipcasting under

microgravity was performed in payload G027 byGermany's materials research project MAUS. On Earth, theprocess of using ceramic slurry (a watery clay mixture) to

form complex shapes of hollow bodies has limitedapplications. Gravitational influences, such as

sedimentation of dispersed particles in the slurry, causedeformities. To avoid these, materials with equal densitiesor stabilizing additives must be used; both remedies have

their limitations. Project MAUS scientists designed thisexperiment to demonstrate that slipcasting under

microgravity is possible using a kneaded wax withdispersed particles of different density, diameter,and concentration.

STS-51-G

German scientists designed G027 to demonstrate thepossibility of slipcasting under microgravity.

PAYLOAD: G028CUSTOMER: DFVLR;H. Schreiber & H. HebenstrickBy melting and resofidifying a manganese-bismuth alloy inmicrogravity, the German Project MAUS experimenters

anticipated an increase in the yield of compoundformation. Manganese-bismuth forms by a peritectic

reaction, one which transforms a mixture of two differentphases (in this case, manganese --a solid -- and bismuth-- a liquid) into a single phase compound upon cooling.

On Earth this reaction is incomplete, since thecomponents exhibit different densities and becomeseparated by sedimentation and buoyancy. The pure

compound manganese-bismuth has promising applicationsas an inexpensive magnetic material because of its highly

coercive strength.

An inexpensive magnetic material was expected to resultfrom this German payload.

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STS-51-Gm

o

Mike Izquierdo, technical advisor to the El Paso students,connects their experiments to the flight controller. (Photoby Rudy Gutierrez, The El Paso Times)

PAYLOAD: G034CUSTOMER: Dickshire Coors; Richard N. AzarEl Paso area high school students designed and built theexperiments in thi, GAS payload -- an effort spanningnearly three year.s for the students and eight for theirsponsors and advisors. Their microgravity experimentsstudied: the growth of lettuce seeds; barley seedgermination; the growth of brine shrimp; germination ofturnip seeds ; the regeneration of the flat worm planeria;the wicking ot fuels; the effectiveness of antibiotics onbacteria; the growth of soil mold; crystallization in zerogravity; the symbiotic growth of the unicelluar algaechlorella and the milk product kefir; the operation ofliquid laser_; and _he effectiveness of Dynamic RandomAccess Memon (_mputer chips without ozone protection.

PAY LOA D:CUSTOMER:

G314Department of Defense Space Test Program;Lt. Colonel Joseph S. Kuzniar

Originally flown on STS-7, the Space Ult raviole t RadiationEnvironment (SUREj instruments once again gathered dataon radiation in the upper atmosphere. SURE consisted of aspectrometer whk h separated the extreme ultravioletwavelength band into two intervals of 128 discretewavelengths By ubserving and recording the radiation atdistinct wavelengths , ,_URE obtained signatures (character-istics) of atmo._pheric and ionospheric atoms, molecules,and ions The_(' measurements provided a means ofremotely sensing4 the ionosphere and upper atmosphere.

PAYLOAD: G471CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Fligh! Center;Noel W. Hinners

When Goddard Space Flight Center experimenters openedthe capillary pumped loop payload after its flight onSTS-5 I-D, they found their payload had not beenturned on. Because the problem stemmed from NASAinterface electroni( s, the payload was awarded a reflighton this mission.

Capillary Pumped Loop Experiment: the condensationloop and fluid management system can be seen (left)before the electronics, heaters and sensors were inte-grated on the payload (right).

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ORICtNAL PAGECOt.OR PHOTO(3RAPH

f//

(L to R)GAS team members Gary Waiters and Jim O'Brieninspect the GLOMR satellite before its second flight.

_'PI '' , ; ' "BLACK A_.'.DWH!T;- _;_,,31OGRAPr_

STS-61-AChallenger, October 30, 1985

THE CHALLENGER'S ENTIRE CARGO BAY waschartered by the German Federal Ministry of Research andTechnology (BMFT) for their "Deutschland SpacelabMission D-I." But thanks to their courtesy, room wasmade in the Challenger for the reflight of the GLOMRsatellite (G308).

PAYLOAD: G308CUSTOMER: Department of Defense Test Program;Colonel William F. Fratzke

On its first flight on STS-5 I-B, the Global Low Orbit ingMessage Relay (GLOMR) satellite was not deployed fromits GAS container because a microswitch in the MotorizedDoor Assembly malfunctioned. After GLOMR returned toEarth, engineers evaluated the problem and developed animprovement for mounting and setting the switch.GLOMR was successfully deployed from G308 andremained in orbit for 14 months -- longer than itsdesigners had expected.

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STS-61-BAtlantis, November 26, 1986 (_Rt_tNAL PA_PHOTOGRAPH

WITH ONLY ONE GAS PAYLOAD scheduled forSTS-61-B, this mission required relatively little prepara-tion by the GAS team. The timing was fortunate, sinceteam members were already making arrangements for theJanuary flight of STS-61-C, the most demanding missionof their first 10 years.

Students from Ecole Secondaire Chalebois prepare their"Toward a Better Mirror" payload.32

PAYLOAD: G479CUSTOMER: Telesal Canada;E.D. ThompsonTowards a better mirror: Telesat Canada, Canada'sdomestic satel li te carr ier, sponsored a nationwide contestfor high school _qudents to propose a GAS experiment.Students from the Eco/e 5econdaire Charlebois in Ottawapresented the idea of labricating mirrors in space. Theysuggested that m u_inR a vapor deposition technique in themicrogravity environment of space, a more uniformdistribution of a relic(tire coating on a glass substratecould be achiew_d than possible on Earth.

A_.ND 'vVH!f PrI'JI-OGRAI-,n


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The GAS bridge (foreground) being lowered for installa-tion into the payload canister, a transport container thesize of the Shuttle bay.

Holding a dozen payloads, the GAS bridge saved valu-able installation time inside STS-61-C.

STS-61-CColumbia, January 12, 1986

ORIGINAL PAGE_._I.OR PHOTOGRAPH

STS-61-C PROVIDED A GRAND FINALE for the firstdecade of the GAS Program. Aboard the Columbia werethirteen GAS payloads -- the most allotted to one mission-- and the new GAS bridge, a structure that spans thepayload bay and can carry a dozen GAS containers.

Neither these payloads nor the bridge were originallyscheduled for STS-61-C, but about five months beforelaunch NASA officials realized that one of the mission'smajor payloads might not be ready in time. This wouldleave a large amount of unused space in the orbiter --creating an opportunity for a different payload orpayloads. The GAS team was notified that the GAS bridgeand an additional GAS payload could possibly fly on theColumbia. Before the openings were firm, the teamneeded to ask their customers if they wanted the flightopportunities. In doing so, they warned the customers thateven after they performed preflight preparations at Ken-nedy, their payloads could not fly if the major one werefinished in time. All the contacted customers decided that apossible flight was worth the risk.

By October, as preflight preparations of the GASpayloads at Kennedy neared_ompletion, the GAS teamand customers learned their gamble bad paid off., They,would indeed fly on STS-61-C. ; ''j

The next step was installing the thirteen payloads in theColumbia. According to customary procedures, one wassent to Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility for installa-

tion. But to cut costly work-time inside the orbiter, theother twelve would be installed on the bridge before goingto the orbiter. Since the bridge was too big for the GASpreparation facility, the twelve payloads were trucked to adifferent building. There they were mounted on the bridgeand each individually connected to the bridge electricalharness. Once installed in the orbiter, a single connectionfrom this harness would connect all the payloads to theGAS control wiring in the cargo bay.

Next, a t_uck moved the bridge to the Operations andChangeout Building for installation in a weather-proofcanister the size of the orbiter bay. Once loaded with thebridge and the major payloads, the canister was moved tothe launch pad and placed inside the payload changeoutroom in the tower next to the orbiter. This "clean-room"rotated around until its doors mated with the orbiter's baydoors. The bridge and payloads were then transferred tothe Columbia without danger of dust or dirt con-tamination.

Aside from the new procedures concerning the bridge,the mission held a number of other notable events: theonly radio transmissions of GAS experiment data weremade; three GAS containers were electrically intercon-nected side-by-side as a single payload; three payloadswith Motorized Door Assemblies were flown; and an En-vironmental Monitoring Package measured the effect ofthe launch and landing environment on the bridge.

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STS-61-CThe Environmental Measurement Payload

To understand the physical forces which work on the GASbridge during a Shuttle mission, the (;AS team conceivedthe Environmental Measurement Payload (EMP). Designed

and built by Goddard's Special Payloads l)ivision, the EMPmeasured the effects of launch and landing forces on thebridge, and, hence, on the internal environment of theGAS containers. Sound levels, vibrations, and temperature

were measured by attaching acoustical pickups,accelerometers, st rain gauges, and thermocouples to thebridge. These instruments were connected to a GAScontainer with equipment that controlled the instruments

and recorded their data.

PAYLOAD: G007CUSTOMER: Alabama Space and Rocket Center;Edward O. Buckbee

New Capabilities resulted from an initial setback: whenGO07 flew on STS-41-G, it was not turned on. Postflightinvestigation determined the experimenters were not at

fault, and they were awarded this refl ight. Takingadvantage of the experience gained from their first flight,the experimenters refined their original payload for this

mission. They installed a Solid Rocket Booster batterymore powerful than the type previously used. This made it

possible to add a new oven to the al loy solidificationexperiment and heaters to the radish seed experiment. Thetimeline of the crystal growth chamber changed from 24hours to full mission duration. The radio transmissions

experiment increased its output from 0.5 to 5.0 watts, andtransmissions occurred at the start of each minute insteadof every four minutes. With these improvements, the

experiments and radio transmissions on G007's secondflight yielded excellent data.

The GAS bridge is trucked across Kennedy Space Centerfor installation in the orbiter canister along with the majorpayloads.

Penn State students Troy Taylor (left) and Dave Moulassemble G062.34

PAYLOA D:CUSTOMER:

G062General Eleclric Co. Space Division;Bob Birman

G062 not only provided Penn State engineering studentswith f irst-hand ('xperience in spacecraft testing; it alsoprovided data on critical problems facing aerospaceindustries. Fuel slodl, which causes a disturbance in thespin axis of _atellites, was one of the problems investigatedon the payload. In another experiment, liquid dropletswere formed and _hattered, yielding the liquid_ surfacetension. Con_parmg this data with that collected on Earth,students could determine the effect of gravity on surfacetension and help quantify surface tension formulae. A thirdexperiment _va._dedgned to determine how convectioncontributes to heal transfer by comparing two identicalexperiments, cme performed in space, the other on Earth.G062 was donated to Penn State University by GeneralElectr ic 's Space Divis ion.

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PAYLOAD: G310CUSTOMER: Department of Defense Space Test Program;Colonel William F. FratzkeHow would vibrating metal react in microgravity? Wouldthe lack of atmospheric pressure in space make vibrations

last longer or be stronger than on Earth? These types ofquestions -- relevant to designers and bui lders of solar

arrays and other spacecraft structures -- were studied in theU.S. Air Force Academy's Flexible Beam Experiment

(FLEXBEAM). To carry out this research, an aluminum beam,fixed at one end and free at the other, was struck with ahammer driven by a rotary solenoid. Five strain gauges

measured vibrations. A damping solenoid at the beam's f reeend then brought the vibrations under control. The damping

characteristics were recorded for comparison with thosefrom an Earth-bound control experiment.

STS-61-C

FLEXBEAM measured microgravity's impact on vibratingmetal.

PAYLOAD: G332CUSTOMER: Booker T. Washington High School;F.D. Wesley

Students from Houston's Booker T. Washington HighSchool and the High School for Engineering Professionsshared payload G332 to conduct research in the areas of

the life sciences and fluid physics. Washington Highstudents flew the brine shrimp Artemia to determine thebehaviorJal and physiological effects of microgravity on

cysts hatched in space. Students from the engineering highschool examined the thermal conductivity and bubble

velocity of air and water, substances which separate whencombined on earth due to differences in their densities.

ORIGINAL PA(_oLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH

Booker T. Washington High School students receive aproclamation for their GAS payload from Houston MayorKathy Whitmire and City Councilman Dale Gorczynski(behind mayor).

PAYLOAD: G446CUSTOMER: AIItech Associates, Inc.;Brent R. Erwin

Fields as varied as medicine, law enforcement, andpetroleum processing could benefit from the results fromG446. Designed by AIItech Associates, Inc. of Waukegan,Illinois, this experiment manufactured High Performance

Liquid Chromatography Analytical Columns inmicrogravity. Used for chemical analysis, the columnsal low the separat ion of a chemical mixture into its

components, so the chemicals can be quantified. Whenmanufactured on Earth, the columns are not as efficient astheoretically possible, because the minute particles with

which they are packed do not settle uniformly. Theexperiment's designers expected that by reducing gravity, a

more efficient column could be produced.

S AIItech Associates expected G446-to prove that a micro-gravity environment could benefit chemical analysiswork.35


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STS-61-CPAYLOAD: G449CUSTOMER: St. Mary's Hospital, MilwaukeePROJECT JULIE ,Vomt Utilization of Laser IntegratedExperiments; marked two firsts for the GAS program: it wasthe first payload flown by a private hospital and laterbecame the first to be displayed at the National Air andSpace Museum. Project Julie was built by Saint Mary'sHospital of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which had solicited thepayload's 20 medical and laser experiments fromresearchers throughout the nation.

Sister Julie Hanser, President of St. Mary's Hospital, andMike Muckerheide, payload manager, report on G449'sresults at a postflight press conference.

PAYLOADS:CUSTOMER: G462, 463, & 464NASA Office of Space Science andApplications; Burton I. EdelsonAn ambitious viewing agenda was planned for this three-container payk_ad. The two ultraviolet spectrometers in thisUltraviolet Cosmic Background Experiment (UVX) were tolook into diqant _pace to observe the high energy spectrumthought to be a_._,_ciated with the origin of the universe.Other observalional targets included galaxies, dust areas,the Comet Halley, and selected stars.The experimenti_ design was as unique as its function: it

was the only set ot GAS experiments to fly as a group ofthree electrically interconnected containers. It consisted ofthe Feldman .Sf_e(trophotometer from Johns HopkinsUniversity (in container G463); the Bowyer UVSpectrometer from the University of California, Berkeley (incontainer G404); and the GSFC support avionics system(payload G462). Finding an opportunity to f ly thesethree GAS ( ontainer.s side-by-side was so dif ficul t thatthe UVX experim,'nt will retain the distinction ofbeing the only experiment to use three or moreinterconne( ted C _5 containers.

President Reagan examines GAS hardware with James Beggs(I), NASA Administrator, and Dr. Vincent Salomonson (r),Chief, Goddard's Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, during aGoddard visit.

BLACK AI,_D WHITE PitTOGRAPH

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CUSTOMER: PAYLOAD: G470Goddard Space Flight Center;Noel W. HinnersThe moth in space project was developed by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Goddard SpaceFlight Center to learn if weightlessness could be a key to

halting the devastation caused by gypsy moths. These pestshave been responsible for defoliating millions of acres of

trees in the United States. USDA scientists hoped toincrease their ability to raise sterile male moths, whichwould then be mated with females to produce sterileoffspring. If weightlessness were found to reduce the

insect's hibernation period, sterile males could be bredmore quickly, and the defoliation brought under control.

STS-61-C

The thermograph in the center of the gypsy moth experi-ment recorded temperature over long periods of time.

PAYLOAD: G481CUSTOMER: Vertical Horizons;Howard Wishnow

Aside from survival, people living in space will have manyneeds, among them, the aesthetic. Artist Ellery Kurtz andenvironmental psychologist Howard Wishnow founded

Vertical Horizons, a company dedicated to theenhancement of life in space. Their GAS payload

transported samples of painted linen canvases and otherartistic materials into space. They evaluated the materials

postflight to learn how the space environment had affectedthem. The experiment formed a foundation for the future

study of methods for transporting visual art objects in space.

c, t _, !C)RI,__,,,;,_,_P^e_::BLACK A[';D '_'l_i!:-L i';_,..-__,..'G}_.,,;_Wli (L to R) Ellery Kurtz and Howard Wishnow discuss thepigments used in the artwork experiments in G481.

PAYLOAD: G494CUSTOMER: National Research Council of Canada;

R.D. HendryPHOTONS (Photometric Thermospheric Oxygen Nightglow

Study) was designed to study oxygen chemistry in theEarth's thermosphere, as well as the "shutle glow" causedby the chemical reaction between Shuttle emissions andthe space environment. In the thermosphere, the region

between 80 and 500 kilometers (50 and 300 miles) abovethe Earth, the atmosphere changes from a molecular to anatomic nature. Currently, little is known about thethermosphere. With more information, better models can

be made to predict both natural and human-relatedchanges in this region. The second aspect of PHOTONS"

study provided information on how light contamination or"shuttle glow" affects measurements made by telescopes,

interferometers, and other instruments carried on theShuttle. To carry out its two-fold research, PHOTONS used

seven photometers built at the Herzberg Institute ofAstrophysics of the National ResearchCouncil of Canada.

Studying shuttle glow was one of G494's goals. FrankHarris, National Research Council of Canada, checks thepayload.

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PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:

G038MarshalI-McShaneJoseph W McShaneJoseph W. McShaneTimothy PremackG074McDonnel l Douglas Astronautics CompanyHenry E. DuehlmeirerGeorge f. OrtonAlan LindenmoyerG306DOD Space Test ProgramColonel Richard B. KehlDr. James AdamsRichard J.PalaceG469Goddard Space Flight CenterNoel W. HinnersNorman E. PetersonNorman E. PetersonG518Utah State Universi tyBartell C. JensenDr. L. R. MegillAlan Lindenmoyer

STS-51-D, April 12, 1985, 2 PayloadsPAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA T[_CH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:

G035Asahi Nat iona l Broadcast ing Co.Kazuo Fuj imotoMark D. GoansG471Goddard Space Flight CenterNoel W. HinnersRoy MclntoshGerard Durback

STS-51-B, April 29 1985, 2 PayloadsPAYLOAD: G0! 0CUSTOMER: R. Gilbert MoorePAYLOAD MGR: Dr. L. R. MegillNASA TECH MGR: Lawrence L. ThomasPAYLOAD: G308CUSTOMER: DOD Space Test ProgramColonel William F. FratzkePAYLOAD MGR: Dr. George SebestyenNASA TECH MGR: Lawrence ThomasSTS-51-G, June 17, 1985, 6 PayloadsPAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOA D:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TECH MGR:PAYLOAD:CUSTOMER:PAYLOAD MGR:NASA TFCH MGR:

G025ERNO-Raumfahrttechnik GMBHH. Hoffman & P SandermeierDr. Peter VitsLeroy F.ShifflettG027DFVLRH. Schreiber & H. HebenstrickDieter BaumLeroy F.ShiflettG028DFVLRH. Schreiber & H. Hebens trickDieter BaumLeroy ShiflettG034Dickshire CoorsRichard N. AzarSuzanne S. AzarLawrence ThomasG314DOD Space Test ProgramLt. Colonel Joseph S. KuzniarRobert ConwayHenry W. Albright

PAYLOAD: (;471CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Flight Center

Noel W. HinnersPAYLOAD MGR: Roy MclntoshNASA TECH MGR: Gerard DurbackSTS-61-A, October 30, 1985, 1 PayloadPAYLOAD: G308CUSTOMER: DOD Test Program

Colonel William E FratzkePAYLOAD MGR: Dr. George SebestyenNASA TECH MGR: Lawrence ThomasSTS-61-B, November 26, 1985, 1 PayloadPAYLOAD: G479CUSTOMER: Telsat Canada

E. D. ThompsonPAYLOAD MGR: Brian ButtersNASA TECH MGR: Robert DemorestSTS-61-C, January 12, 1986, ! 2 PayloadsPAYLOAD: G007CUSTOMER: Alabama Space and Rocket Center

Edward O. BuckbeePAYLOAD MGR: Konrad K. DannenbergNASA TECH MGR: Jack O. GottleibPAYLOAD: G062CUSTOMER: General Electr ic Space Div is ion

Bob Bi rmanPAYLOAD MGR: Cathy WolfgangNASA TECH MGR: Charles R. LavertyPAYLOAD: G310CUSTOMER: DOD Space Test ProgramColonel William FratzkePAYLOAD MGR: Captain Christopher J. WorsowiczNASA TECH MGR: David W. PetersPAYLOAD: G332CUSTOMER: Booker T. Washington High School

E D. WesleyPAYLOAD MGR: D. WesleyNASA TECH MGR: Phillip 7. SmithPAYLOAD: G446CUSTOMER: AII tech Associates , Inc.

Brent R. ErwinPAYLOAD MGR: Brent R. ErwinNASA TECH MGR: Fred M. WittenPAYLOAD: G449CUSTOMER: St. Mary's Hospital, MilwaukeePAYLOAD MGR: Myron C. MuckerheideNASA TECH MGR: Alan LindenmoyerPAYLOADS: G462, 463, & 464CUSTOMER: NASA Office of Space Science and

ApplicationsBurton I. Edelson

PAYLOAD MGR: Theodore C. GoldsmithNASA TECH MGR: Norman E. PetersonPAYLOAD: G470CUSTOMER: Goddard Space Flight Center

Noel W. HinnersPAYLOAD MGR: Dora K. HayesNASA TECH MGR: Mark D. GoansPAYLOAD: G481CUSTOMER: Vertical Horizons

Howard WishnowPAYLOAD MGR: Howard WishnowNASA TECH MGR: Richard ScottPAYLOAD: G494CUSTOMER: National Research Council of Canada

R.D. HendryPAYLOAD MGR: C.R. BarrettNASA TECH MGR: Robert Demorest

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Into the Next DecadeToday, ten years after its inception, the GAS Program has more than fulfilled its

promise. Hundreds of people who, otherwise, could not have flown experiments inspace have done so through the program.As well, spin-offs from the program have been abundant. Many of the youngscientists and engineers who executed GAS experiments as part of their educationsare now working for NASA or within the aerospace industry. Universities haveestablished space science curriculums around the availabil ity of GAS payloads.Professional scientists and engineers thoughout the world have made advances inresearch pertaining to medicine, materials processing, and space technology. GASresearch options now include the deployment of GAS satellites.As for the future, GAS payload fl ight opportunities are beginning to appear inproposed Shuttle manifests. As of June 1988, customers have reserved 495 pa_'loadsfor future flights; of these, 93 have already submitted their payload requirements toNASA for review.With these achievements behind us, the NASA GAS team and GAS experimentercommunity look with eagerness to the flight opportunities and challenges awaitingin the program's second decade.

Additional InformationFor further information on GAS Program policies and reservat ion procedurescontact:

The Get Away Special Program ManagerCode MCNNASA HeadquartersWashington, D.C. 20546

For technical information pertaining to payloads contact:The Get Away Special Technical Liaison OfficerCode 740Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland 20771

get away special the first ten years

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