STS-90 Neurolab Program - STS-90 Status Report Flight Day 11 (April 27 CDT) -

Flight Day 11 (April 27 CDT)

VVIS Off-Axis Rotator,
horizontal (FD5).
MPEG MOVIE [12sec:789KB]

The STS-90 crewmembers were awakened at 5:09 a.m. (CDT), and began Flight Day 11 activities. Today, the crew members conducted several experiments involving how the human nervous system adapts to the weightlessness of space, the Effects of Gravity on Postnatal Motor Development Experiment with rats, the influence of gravity on blood pressure, additional runs in a rotating chair to measure the response of human eyes and inner ears in maintaining balance in a weightless environment and the Valsalva test. Ths Valsalva test stimulates the pressure receptors in the neck and chest and measures those responses.

The crew will go to sleep at 8:59 p.m. (CDT) this evening and receive a wake up call from Mission Control Center (MCC) tomorrow morning at 4:59 a.m.

Status of Japan related experiments

The "Spatial Orientation of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex"experiment was conducted using the Visual Vestibular Investigation System (VVIS: a rotating chair). Mission Specialist (MS)@Williams operated the VVIS, and the data of MS Linnehan and Payload Specialist Buckey was acquired.
MS Hire exchanged data recording magnetic tape of the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU). The magnetic tapes for recording neural signals are exchanged twice per day.
The neural data has been obtained from the Fish Packages (FPs) of VFEU.

The 45 young rats died, which is an unexpectedly high mortality rate among the rat neonates, was reported today by Mammalian Development Team. It was likely as the result of maternal neglect. Forty-five of rats remain now. Linnehan and his crew mates investigated the animal enclosures and intervened, providing fluid and nourishment to some of the young rats by hand, in an effort to save them.

Last Updated : April 28, 1998