STS-90 Neurolab Program - STS-90 Status Report Flight Day 4 (April 20 CDT) -

Flight Day 4 (April 20 CDT)

Scene of experiment using
head mount display

The STS-90 crewmembers were awakened at 7:19 a.m. CDT with the song "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Browne to begin Flight Day 4 activities. The Mission Control Center dedicated this song to STS-90 crewmembers who conducted some experiments related to the eye.

The crew will conduct the Escher Staircase Behavior Testing of Adult Rats experiment today.
Also, all four members of the payload crew will continue their work with Virtual Environment Generator (VEG). This VEG evaluates visual and inner ear cues help the astronauts determine body orientation changes in the absence of gravity. This experiment could have important applications for people on Earth who suffer from balance and orientation difficulties.

The crew will go to sleep at 10:59 p.m. CDT this evening and receive a wake up call from Mission Control tomorrow morning at 6:59 a.m.

Status of Japan related experiments

Following yesterday's in-flight maintenance procedure by Altman and Hire, the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU) that serves as home to four oyster toadfish continues to operate in good condition. Hire will spend part of today recording VFEU operations and imparting some accelerations to the fish pack units to keep the fish active and help with data sensor collection. A tape for recording neural data will be replaced with a new one twice a day.

Last Updated : April 21, 1998