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A tool that assist surgeons manipulate surgical insturments more precisely than is possible manually was developed. The tool is a telemanipulator that scales down the surgeon's hand motion and filters tremor in the motion.
Weightlessness effect on fertilized frog egg ability to divide, differentiate and develop normally
Weightlessness effects on fertilized frog egg development on board Gemini 8 and 12 manned orbital flights, discussing cell division, differentiation and embryogenesis
Transsensor implantation, sham implantation, no implantation and lighting effects on rat body composition, noting fat and water content
Actoballistocardiography based on piezoelectricity for biorythmic activity, respiratory movements and heart rate of small animals
Long term zero gravity effects on mammal physiologic rhythms characteristics, studying rats in biosatellite orbits
The objective of experiment was to determine the effect of weightlessness on the ability of a fertilized frog egg to divide normally and to differentiate and form a normal embryo. This experiment was first attempted on the Gemini 8 mission and was completed only partially because of the early termination of that mission.
Study in which unrestrained, fertilized eggs of Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis were rotated in a plane parallel to the normal gravity vector. In R. pipiens rotation at 1/4 rpm for five days at 18 C produced a significantly increased number of commonly occurring abnormalities. Rotation at 1/15, 1/8, 1, 2, 5 and 10 rpm did not significantly affect normal development. X. laevis eggs reacted similarly. R. pipiens eggs were most sensitive to rotation at 1/4 rpm when exposure was initiated before first cleavage. Mixing of intracellular constituents apparently occurred only at 1/4 rpm in R. pipiens (of the clinostat speeds studied), and may have been the cause of the increased abnormality observed at this rate.
A closed passive system independent of support from the spacecraft or its crew was developed to house five pocket mice for their flight on Apollo XVII. The reaction of potassium superoxide with carbon dioxide and water vapor to produce oxygen provided a habitable atmosphere within the experiment package. The performance of the system and the ability of the mice to survive the key preflight tests gave reasonable assurance that the mice would also withstand the Apollo flight.-
The final phase to fly five pocket mice in the Apollo XVII command module was carried out at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. Upon completion of the 13-d space flight, the package was removed from the spacecraft and, after having been purged with an oxygen-helium gas mixture, was flown to American Samoa. Four of the five mice were recovered alive from the package. Analysis of the mouse that died during the flight revealed several factors that could have contributed to its death, the chief of which was massive hemorrhage in its middle ear cavities.
The Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) program is proposed to provide a long-duration, earth-orbiting facility to expose selected specimens in a series of biomedical experiments through the 1980's. Launched and retrieved by the Space Transportation System, the fully reusable, free-flying BESS will contain all systems necessary to conduct a six-month to one-year spaceflight mission. The spacecraft system will consist of a large pressurized experiment module and a standard NASA service module currently conceived as the Goddard Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS). The experiment module will contain the life-support systems, waste management system, specimen-holding facilities, and monitoring, evaluating, and data-handling equipment. Although a variety of specimens will be flown in basic biological and medical studies, the primate was taken as the principal design driver since it has a maximal life-support demand.
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A research and development program was undertaken to evaluate the skeletal losses of subhuman primates in hypodynamic environments. The goals of the program are: (1) to uncover the mechanisms by which weightlessness affects the skeletal system; (2) to determine the consequences and reversibility of bone mineral losses; and (3) to acquire a body of data needed to formulate an appropriate countermeasure program for the prevention of skeletal deconditioning. Space flight experiment simulation facilities are under development and will be tested for their capability in supporting certain of the requirements for these investigations.
Since the orientation of unfertilized eggs and the righting of eggs after grey crescent formation do not affect the axes, attention here is directed toward a comparative study of the initial rotation of the fertilized egg, the so-called rotation of orientation (R-of-O). The goal of the investigation is to determine the timing and dynamics of the R-of-O (as distinct from inversion rotations), to confirm prior observations, and to examine the influence of gravity compensation at periods that might be crucial. Gravity compensation for 1 hr during the R-of-O is found to yield fewer abnormalities. It is hypothesized that it changes the axes and that return to normal conditions permits regulation. Longer exposure is found to yield more abnormalities, perhaps by perturbing both the action of the aster and regulation.
This study examines the responses of squirrel monkeys to acute +2Gz exposure. Body temperature responses of loosely restrained animals were recorded via a thermistor in the colon. Behavioral responses were recorded by video monitoring. After baseline recording at 1G, monkeys were exposed to 2G for 60 min. The body temperature started to fall within 10 min of the onset of centrifugation and declined an average of 1.4 C in 60 min. This is in contrast to a stable body temperature during the control period. Further, after a few minutes at 2G, the animals became drowsy and appeared to fall asleep. During the control period, however, they were alert and continually shifting their gaze about the cage. Thus, primates are susceptible to hypergravic fields in the +Gz orientation. The depression in primate body temperature was consistent and significant. Further, the observed drowsiness in this study has significant ramifications regarding alertness and performance in man.
In response to a recognized need for an in-flight animal housing facility to support Spacelab life sciences investigators, a rack and system compatible Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF) has been developed. A series of ground tests is planned to insure its satisfactory performance under certain simulated conditions of flight exposure and use. However, even under the best conditions of simulation, confidence gained in ground testing will not approach that resulting from actual spaceflight operation. The Spacelab Mission 3 provides an opportunity to perform an inflight Verification Test (VT) of the RAHF. Lessons learned from the RAHF-VT and baseline performance data will be invaluable in preparation for subsequent dedicated life sciences missions.
The Research Animal Holding Facility, developed to support rodent and squirrel monkey animal husbandry in the Spacelab environment, is to be tested during the Spacelab Mission 3 flight. The configuration and function of the payload hardware elements, the assembly and test program, the operational rationale, and the scientific approach of this mission are examined. Topics covered include animal life support systems, the squirrel monkey restraint, the camera-mirror system, the dynamic environment measurement system, the biotelemetry system, and the ground support equipment. Consideration is also given to animal pretests, loading the animals during their 12 hour light cycle, and animal early recovery after landing. This mission will be the first time that relatively large samples of monkeys and rats will be flown in space and also cared for and observed by man.
A CELSS (Controlled Ecological Life Support System) is a device that utilizes photosynthetic organisms and light energy to regenerate waste materials into oxygen and food for a crew in space. The results of studies with the CELSS program suggest that a bioregenerative life support system is a useful and effective method of regenerating consumable materials for crew sustenance. The data suggests that the operation of a CELSS in space is practical if plants can be made to behave predictably in the space environment. Much of the work centers on the biological components of the CELSS system. Ways of achieving high efficiency and long term stability of all components of the system are examined. Included are explorations of the conversion of nonedible cellulose to edible materials, nitrogen fixation by biological and chemical methods, and methods of waste processing. A description is provided of the extent to which a bioregenerative life support system can meet the constraints of the space environment, and the degree is assessed to which system efficiency and stability can be increased during the next decade.