Jun 4 1976
From The Space Library
Kennedy Space Center announced award of a $40 214 contract extension of 12 mo to Ky. State Univ. for continuing its studies of the effects of oxygen atmospheres on animals. The animal under study was the vinegar fly-Drosophila melanogaster-which was grown and tested under 5%, 20%, and 60% oxygen concentrations (normal oxygen content of earth's atmosphere is 21 %). Studies over 2 yr showed that, at the 5% and 20% oxygen levels, survival rates of the initial generation of the flies were the same. Flies in a 60% oxygen environment had a survival rate like that of the flies in the 20% environment, for up to 20 days; after 20 days, flies in the 60% atmosphere died. Tissue studies indicated that exposure to a 60% oxygen environment resulted in physical changes, including accelerated aging and problems in the nervous system. The contract extension would permit studies of the mortality, fertility, and gene frequencies of the flies over 10 or more generations. The data would aid in establishing proper oxygen content in manned spacecraft atmospheres during future manned missions, and in selecting humans to participate in manned missions and in deep-sea dives. (KSC Release 198-76)
A fully metallic replica of the Spacelab-called a "hard" mockup-had begun assembly near Bremen, West Germany, at the plant of ERNO, a subsidiary of VFW-Fokker and prime contractor for the Spacelab. The role of the replica was to ensure that all nonelectrical elements of the complex craft would be compatible; 4 additional Spacelabs would be constructed, including the flight unit, only one of which would be constructed. The next model would be the "high fidelity" model, to be built after final design details are agreed on later in 1976; it would be used for crew training. The next-Engineering Mockup 1-would be sent to the U.S. in 1978 for fitting into the Shuttle. The flight unit would be scheduled for shipment to Kennedy Space Center a year later; finally, Engineering Mockup 2 would be built and kept in Europe to help members of the European Space Agency (ESA) prepare missions over the 10-yr operational period. The single flight version, designed to make at least 50 flights, would carry a wide range of scientific and technological experiments for which the experimenters would be expected to pay a fee. The Europeans hoped to modify this policy in view of their nearly $400 million investment in the project. (NYT, 4 June 76, A-15)
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