Viewing page 12 of 63
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
9 updates during the flight as to which targets would be worthwhile. We received only one CLOUDS message during the flight. These issues notwithstanding, the PI was reported to be quite happy with the results of the CLOUDS experiment on 41-D. GLOW EXPERIMENT When 41-D was remanifested, the DTO to photograph on-orbit surface glow was relegated to the shopping list. The DTO consisted of two parts. The principle objective was to obtain photography of the Orbiter surface glow, and flow from test strips affixed to the RMS, using a slit/grating with an image intensifier. A secondary objective was to use the same slit/grating/intensifier combination to record spectra of the horizon airglow. One night pass was devoted to the glow experiment on flight day 6 which allowed time to complete the primary objective of obtaining spectra of the RMS test strips, the OMS pod, and the vertical tail. It was the observation of the crew that the glow experiment equipment was easily assembled on orbit. The bogen bracket was essential for being able to position the assembly. Despite the best efforts of the crew to mount the assembly securely, there was still some "slop" which made the intervalometer mandatory, as it would have been impossible to take exposures manually and be sure the camera had not moved. The flightdeck was darkened and the middeck access covers installed. A small handheld flashlight provided whatever illumination was required for recording data and reading intervalometer settings. It was the opinion of the crew at the time that the window shade for W9 was not required. It was also the crew's observation that the lens hood for W10 did not fit and, therefore, was not used. The crew was able to observe glow from the OMS pods and vertical tail without the use of the intensifier. Glow from the strips on the RMS was far less noticeable. STUDENT EXPERIMENT STS 41-D flew a student experiment designated Float Zone Crystal Growth Experiment, the objective of which was to demonstrate the feasibility of one method of crystal doping and purification with emphasis on technology demonstration as a precursor to future commercial application. On-orbit operation of this experiment was difficult for several reasons. The details of the physics involved in float zone creation are difficult in zero-g than on earth and, therefore, the crew was never able to train for the effects which they would see in orbit. Second, the experiment evidently had inadequate circuit margins which resulted in the experiment fusing blowing at power levels less than had been briefed would be required for float zone creation. Finally, the LCD displays in the experiment apparatus which are required for crew control of the experiment function gradually failed during the duration of the experiment run time. These factors resulted in the crew devoting more than 6 crewman-hours to the student experiment before the effort was abandoned. An additional complicating factor was the requirement to provide live PAO television of the experiment operations which necessarily ties the operations to ground sites with TV capability. This requirement, coupled with the rescheduling of
