Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts completed an experiment studying the activity of bone cells in microgravity and began final tests with a technology demonstration designed to investigate the behavior of capillary-pumped loops in space as the 16-day international science mission completed Flight Day 10. Submitted by Arthur - N1ORC

STS-107 MCC Status Report #11

Saturday, January 25, 2003 - 5:00 p.m. CST

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

Space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts completed an experiment studying the

activity of bone cells in microgravity and began final tests with a

technology demonstration designed to investigate the behavior of

capillary-pumped loops in space as the 16-day international science

mission completed Flight Day 10.

Toward the end of their workday at 1 a.m. CST this morning, Pilot Willie

McCool and Mission Specialists Dave Brown and Michael Anderson of the

Blue Team took time out from their experiment schedule for interviews

with reporters from Black Entertainment TV, WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., and

KNSD-TV in San Diego. Following handover talks, Commander Rick Husband,

Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, and Payload

Specialist Ilan Ramon of the Red Team began their workday.

Clark completed operations with the OSTEO (Osteoporosis Experiment in

Orbit) investigation for STS-107. The experiment studied the activity of

bone cells in microgravity by looking at normal activity and activity

under the influence of various drugs. Clark also continued work on the

Bioreactor Demonstration System, which is using the NASA-developed

bioreactor to grow prostate cancer tissues. The objective is to learn how

the cancer spreads into bones and aid in the development of future

treatment methods. She also worked on a study of how bacteria and yeast

develop in space and how microgravity affects their response to

antibiotics.

Investigations with the Combined Two-Phase Loop Experiment were begun

using a third cooling loop. Testing of this loop will continue for about

48 hours. The testing is performed to learn about the behavior of the

loop in microgravity. The investigation examines three different

two-phase thermal loops by transporting different amounts of heat from an

evaporator to a condenser and then radiating the heat into space.

The Facility for Adsorption and Surface Tension, known as FAST, has

completed the last pre-planned sequence of experiments. It is designed to

measure the response of surface tension to carefully controlled changes

in the surface areas of bubbles or droplets.

Ramon continued investigations with the SOFBALL (Structures of Flame

Balls) experiment. The experiment studies lean combustion to help

engineers design engines with better fuel efficiency and reduced

emissions of pollution.

Television from the crew, narrated by Ramon, was downlinked around 11:30

a.m. showing various aspects of experiment operations conducted by both

teams. Husband maneuvered Columbia today as required for any scientific

activities.

McCool, Brown and Anderson were awakened at 2:39 p.m. to the sounds of “I

Say a Little Prayer for You" sung by Dionne Warwick. The song was played

for Anderson from his wife.

Husband ended his 10th day in space by calibrating two Israeli cameras

that will be used to continue photographing dust particles, sprites and

other electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere. The crew hope to use

the camera to observe a substantial plume of dust and smoke that extends

from the Nigerian coast westward toward the Atlantic and an additional

plume off the coast of Mauritania and Mali. Sprites in storms over

Western Australia near Perth also will be observed. Sprites are

electrical discharges that shoot up from the tops of thunderstorms into

the Earth’s ionosphere.

All of Columbia's systems continue to operate in excellent shape.

It was a quiet day on board the International Space Station, meanwhile,

as Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin

and ISS Science Officer Don Pettit enjoyed a light workday. They will

also partake in an off-duty day tomorrow before resuming normal

scientific research and routine station maintenance activities on Monday.

The next STS-107 status report will be issued Sunday afternoon, or

earlier, if events warrant.