Michael Braukus December 13, 1994 Headquarters, Washington, DC (Phone: 202/358-1979) RELEASE: 94-212 NEW SPACELAB SCIENCE MISSION TO FLY lN 1996 NASA has begun planning for a new multidisciplinary life and microgravity sciences Spacelab research mission to be flown on the Space Shuttle in mid-1996. The 16-day mission is scheduled for launch aboard the orbiter Columbia on Shuttle flight STS-78. The flight, carrying a crew of seven, will involve 21 investigations: fifteen in life sciences and six in microgravity sciences. The life sciences experiments will continue studies probing the changes and adaptive mechanisms of living systems including plants, animals and humans under weightless conditions. Human and animal studies are focused on the effects of microgravity on the musculoskeletal system and on sleep and performance. Life sciences experiments will investigate changes in the musculoskeletal system (bone and muscle deterioration), neurovestibular system (balance disorders), cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs) and regulatory physiology (changes in body chemistry, fluid regulation and immune system). The microgravity science investigations will focus on protein crystallization, fluid physics and materials science. In addition, vibration measurement instruments will support these experiments by characterizing in detail the microgravity environment aboard the Spacelab. Microgravity experiments will include protein crystal growth, electrohydrodynamics, fluids interface studies, high temperature directional solidification of multi-phase materials and solidification with particle pushing and engulfment. The Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) mission, as the flight has been designated, is being managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, for the Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. Mark Boudreaux of the Payload Projects Office at Marshall has been named mission manager and Dr. James P. Downey of the Center's Space Sciences Laboratory is the mission scientist. Principal investigators selected to date for the LMS mission include: ¥ Dr. J. Barry Andrews, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL ¥ Dr. Christopher Cann, University of Calif. at San Francisco, CA ¥ Dr. Paolo Cerretelli, Universite de Geneve, Centre Medical Universitaire Geneve, Switzerland ¥ Professor Pietro E. di Prampero, Universita deglie Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy ¥ Dr. Y. Reggie Edgerton, U. of Calif. at Los Angeles, CA ¥ Dr. Robert Fitts, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI ¥ Dr. Adrian LeBlanc, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX ¥ Dr. Norman Lewis, Wisconsin State University, Pullman, WI ¥ Dr. Alexander McPherson, Jr., University of Calif. at Riverside, CA ¥ Timothy Monk, University of Pittsburgh, PA ¥ Dr. Shunji Nagaoka, National Space Development Agency of Japan ¥ Sam Schiflett, USAF Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX ¥ Dr. Doru M. Stefanescu, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, AL ¥ Dr. T. Peter Stein, U. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ ¥ Dr. Peter A. Tesch, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden ¥ Dr. Douglas Watt, McGill University, Montreal, Canada ¥ Dr. John B. West, University of California, La Jolla, CA ¥ Dr. Thomas J. Wronski, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL - end - NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type the words "subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second automatic message will include additional information on the service. Questions should be directed to (202) 358-4043.