Liftoff to Learning: Assignment: Spacelab!
|Video Title: Assignment: Spacelab!
Video Length: 16:05
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Description: This program shows how the unique microgravity
environment of Earth orbit is used for scientific experiments and
how the rules of scientific experimentation and safety that apply
to research on Earth also apply to astronauts in space.
Science Process Skills:
Subjects: Scientific experimentation in microgravity.
-Organisms and environments
-Regulation and behavior
- Properties of objects and materials
Unifying Concepts and Processes
-Change, constancy, and measurement
Table of Contents
In the past three decades, hundreds of astronauts have rocketed into space.
Each time, the astronauts' bodies adapted to the unique microgravity environment
of space and then re-adapted to Earth's gravity upon return. In spite
of this extensive experience, the mechanisms responsible for that adaptation
remain a mystery.
The Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS) missions (two flights so far) have sought
to collect data that will enable scientists to solve the mystery. During
the second SLS mission (SLS-2), a series of comprehensive experiments
were conducted that provided researchers from across the nation access
to the most unique laboratory available to science--the microgravity environment
In microgravity, virtually every human physiological system undergoes
some form of adaptation. The capacity of the cardiovascular system diminishes.
Muscle and bone density also begin to decrease. A shifting of the body's
fluids affects the renal and endocrine systems, as well as the way the
blood system operates. In addition, the balance and position sensing organs
of the neurovestibular system must re-adapt to an environment where up
and down no longer matter.
SLS-2 consisted of 14 experiments focusing on the cardiovascular, regulatory,
neurovestibular, and musculoskeletal systems of the body. Eight of the
experiments used the astronaut crew as subjects and six used rats. A broad
range of instruments helped gather data on the human subjects including:
a Gas Analyzer Mass Spectrometer, a rotating dome, a rotating chair, a
Body Mass Measuring Device, an In-flight Blood Collection System, a Urine
Monitoring System, strip chart recorders, incubators, refrigerator/freezers,
a low-gravity centrifuge, and an echocardiograph.
The primary goal of the SLS-2 mission was to address important biomedical
questions about the human body's physiological responses to microgravity
and subsequent readaptation to gravity. The science was also constructed
to ensure crew health and safety on missions of up to 16 days in duration.
A third goal of SLS-2 was to demonstrate the effectiveness of hardware
standardization in experiment-to-rack interfaces for future applications
on the International Space Station.
Video Background Information
The original idea for this videotape came from a group of LaPorte, Texas
teachers who were concerned with getting students to follow laboratory
safety procedures. As a result, this videotape emphasizes the importance
of safety while conducting basic procedures in space and on Earth. In
particular, the importance of eye protection is stressed. Also covered
are the reasons for scientific controls and detailed laboratory procedures,
such as labeling, to ensure the validity of the experimental data collected
The video features the SLS-2 flight because of the strong science emphasis
of its mission. Detailed laboratory procedures, scientific controls, and
safety procedures were essential to the success of the mission.
Control - The portion of a scientific experiment used as a
reference base to compare the action of variables.
Cardiovascular Deconditioning - A weakening of the cardiovascular
system caused by the effects of microgravity.
Cardiovascular System - A body system consisting of the heart,
arteries, and veins.
General Purpose Workstation - An enclosed retractable
cabinet used to contain materials that might easily get loose in the
Hypothesis - An unproven theory that tentatively explains a phenomena.
Mass - The amount of matter contained in an object.
Mass Measurement Device - A device used to measure mass in
Microgravity - An environment, produced by freefall, that alters
the local effects of gravity and makes objects seem weightless.
Repeatability - Conducting the same experiment several times
to confirm that the results are consistent.
Spacelab - A cylindrical laboratory module containing scientific
facilities that is carried in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle.
Variable - Materials or conditions that can be changed in a
The following activities can be used to demonstrate some of the concepts
presented in this videotape.
Designing For Space Science Experiments
Paper and pencils
Challenge students to design a science experiment that could be conducted
in microgravity on the Space Shuttle. The students should state a hypothesis
to be tested and design the research procedures to be followed. The design
should include a sketch of the apparatus used. If time is available, students
can construct working models of their apparatus and actually conduct the
ground-based control portion of the experiment. Students can gather information
for their experiments by connecting to Spacelink via computers and modems.
See the reference section of this guide for details.
Antacid Tablet Experiment
Materials (per experiment setup)
Beakers or jars
Cold and hot water
Partially fill two beakers with water. The water in one beaker should be
hot and the other cold. Measure and chart the temperature of the two beakers.
Formulate a hypothesis that relates the amount of time required to consume
an antacid tablet with the temperature of the water into which it is placed.
Using a stopwatch to time the reaction, drop an antacid tablet in each beaker.
How long did it take for each tablet to be consumed?
If small groups of students are each conducting the experiment, the temperatures
of each beaker can be varied so that groups can share a broad range of data
with each other. Have students plot a graph for the time it takes for each
tablet to be consumed against the temperature of the water. Analyze the
results to confirm or reject the experiment hypothesis.
(This activity was adapted from the NASA curriculum resource Microgravity
- Teacher's Guide With Activities for Physical Science, EG-103. Refer
to the reference section for more information about this guide.)
| Metal yardstick*
Plastic 35mm film canister
Pillow foam (cut in plug shape to fit canister)
2 bolts and nuts
Drill and bit
Coins or other objects to be measured
Graph paper, ruler, and pencil
Pennies and nickels
*Available from hardware store
On Earth, mass measurement is simple. The samples and subjects are measured
on a scale or beam balance. Calibrated springs in scales are compressed
to derive the needed measurement. Beam balances measure an unknown mass
by comparison to a known mass (kilogram weights). In both of these methods,
the measurement is dependent upon the force produced by Earth's gravitational
In space, neither method works because of the freefall condition of orbit.
However, a third method for mass measurement is possible using the principle
of inertia. Inertia is the property of matter that causes it to resist
acceleration. The amount of resistance to acceleration is directly proportional
to the object's mass.
To measure mass in space, scientists use an inertial balance. An inertial
balance is a spring device that vibrates the subject or sample being measured.
The frequency of the vibration will vary with the mass of the object and
the stiffness of the spring (in this diagram, the yard stick). For a given
spring, an object with greater mass will vibrate more slowly than an object
with less mass. The object to be measured is placed in the inertial balance,
and a spring mechanism starts the vibration. The time needed to complete
a given number of cycles is measured, and the mass of the object is calculated.
Using the drill and bit to make the necessary holes, bolt two blocks of
wood to the opposite sides of one end of the steel yardstick. Tape an
empty plastic film canister to the opposite end of the yardstick. Insert
the foam plug. Anchor the wood block end of the inertial balance to a
table top with C-clamps. The other end of the yardstick should be free
to swing from side to side.
Calibrate the inertial balance by placing objects of known mass (pennies)
in the sample bucket (canister with foam plug). Begin with just the bucket.
Push the end of the yardstick to one side and release it. Using a stopwatch
or clock with a second hand, time how long it takes for the stick to complete
25 cycles. Plot the time on a graph above the value of 0. (See sample
graph) Place a single penny in the bucket. Use the foam to anchor the
penny so that it does not move inside the bucket. Any movement of the
sample mass will result in an error (oscillations of the mass can cause
a dampening effect). Measure the time needed to complete 25 cycles. Plot
the number over the value of 1 on the graph. Repeat the procedure for
different numbers of pennies up to 10. Draw a line on the graph through
the plotted points.
Use your inertial balance to measure the mass of unknown objects by placing
them in the film canister. Find the horizontal line that represents the
number of vibrations for the unknown object. Follow the line until it
intersects the graph plot. Follow a vertical line from that point on the
plot to the penny scale at the bottom of the graph. This will give the
mass of the object in "penny" units.
Note: This activity makes use of pennies as a standard of
measurement. If you have access to a metric beam balance, you can
calibrate the inertial balance into metric mass measurements using
the weights as the standards.
1. Does the length of the ruler make a difference in the results?
2. What are some of the possible sources of error in measuring the
3. Why is it important to use foam to anchor the pennies in the
Lujan, B. 8 White, R. (1994), Human Physiology In Space. Teacher's Manual,
National Institute of Health, The Universities Space Research Association
and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1994.
Vogt, Gregory L., Wargo, Michael J. Microgravity - Teaching Guide With
Activities for Physical Science, EG-103, National Aeronautics and Space
Baker, Diedra, dir. Space Basics, National Aeronautics and Space
All Systems Go!, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1992.
Newman, Jeanne, et al, dir., From Undersea to Outer Space, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1993.
STS-58 Crew Biographies
E. Blaha (COL, USAF)
Pilot: Richard A. Searfoss
(Lt. COL, USAF)
Payload Commander: M. Rhea Seddon (M.D.)
Mission Specialist: Shannon W. Lucid (Ph.D.)
Mission Specialist: David A. Wolf (M.D.)
Mission Specialist: William S. "Bill"
McArthur, Jr. (Lt. COL, USA)
To obtain biographic information, click on highlighted names