April 19th, 1995

Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk Assigned to Shuttle Mission

Dr. Thirsk will begin Payload Orientation Training in mid-April at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

During STS-78, Columbia's crew will conduct a series of 21 experiments aboard the Spacelab --a fully-equipped international space laboratory carried in the shuttle's cargo bay. Dr. Thirsk and the other six crew members will perform 15 life sciences experiments investigating the physiological changes and adaptations that occur in the microgravity environment. They will also study the effects of microgravity on their sleep cycles and on their performance in doing various tasks.

A Canadian experiment designed by a McGill university team and sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency's Space Science Program will investigate neurological and visual changes the astronauts might experience in adapting to their space environment. This experiment provides for the first time the opportunity to bridge the gap between these changes and similar ones experienced on Earth. Research on disorientation in space will help scientists understand some of the problems associated with posture and vertigo leading to falls and broken bones, a serious concern for an aging population.

The six microgravity experiments will focus on protein crystallization, fluid physics and materials science. Already, work in these areas is generating a better understanding of the structure and properties of these materials. In time, this knowledge will allow scientists and engineers to improve Earth-based processing and manufacturing.

This life and Microgravity Spacelab mission provides yet another opportunity to further our knowledge and enhance our understanding of adapting to a gravity-free environment.

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