Activity on Experiment Operations in the First Microgravity Science Laboratory Mission

Abstract

In April and July, the first microgravity science laboratory missions (STS-83 and STS-94) were done, respectively. The mission done in April (STS-83) returned after only 4 days because of an accident involving fuel cells. NASA promptly set the reflight mission (STS-94) for July. Five organizations from USA (NASA), Japan (NASDA), Germany (DARA and DLR) and Europe (ESA) provided 13 experimental facilities, and 28 experimental themes were performed. NASDA was responsible for the Large Isothermal Furnace (LIF), with which the experimental programs of four Japanese (Drs. Yamamura, Itami, Uchida and Yoda) and two American (Drs. German and Mattiesen) principal investigators were carried out through 25 experiments. This paper describes the outline of these two missions related with the NASDA activity on experiment operations with the LIF.