STS-107 MCC Status Report #04<br />Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 5:00 p.m. CST<br />Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas<br /><br />Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts pointed two Israeli cameras over the<br />Atlantic and the Mediterranean today in search of small dust particles that<br />might impact the weather and began experiments in human life sciences in the<br />third day of the STS-107 scientific research flight.<br /><br />Red Team members Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla<br />and Laurel Clark and Israeli Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon were awakened at<br />4:39 a.m. CST. Following a handover with their Blue Team counterparts, they<br />took over for Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Dave Brown and<br />Mike Anderson, who began an eight-hour sleep period at 9:39 a.m. CST.<br /><br />Specific experiment highlights today included:<br /><br />· A radiometric camera and a video camera were aimed at the Atlantic and the<br />Mediterranean as part of the Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment. Although<br />no dust was detected due to heavy cloud coverage, initial analysis showed<br />that the two cameras are working well, supplying high-quality images. The<br />cloud patterns imaged by the cameras showed remarkable details. The intent<br />of the experiment is to help researchers better understand how dust<br />particles in the atmosphere affect climate.<br /><br />· An experiment that looks at the movement of calcium through the body to<br />further understanding of bone loss in space began. Astronauts took oral<br />calcium tracers that will be monitored over the course of the mission to<br />examine how calcium metabolism changes in an astronaut's body during<br />spaceflight.<br /><br />· In the physical sciences, the second run of the Mechanics of Granular<br />Materials was completed. The objective of the experiment is to improve and<br />enhance science and technology in many disciplines including earthquake<br />engineering and soil mechanics. Results may lead to answers concerning the<br />consequences of earthquakes, such as damage to soils and foundations.<br /><br />Shortly after 2 p.m. CST, Red Team members took time out from their<br />experiment schedule to talk with reporters from CNN, CBS News and Fox News<br />Channel. Asked about the importance of the flight to Israel, Ramon commented<br />that he views the mission as an "opening for great science for our nation."<br /><br />-more-<br /><br />The Blue Team will be awakened at 5:39 p.m. CST to continue work on the more<br />than 80 experiments aboard Columbia. Scheduled activities include initiation<br />of experiments in the Combustion Module. It will be used to conduct three<br />experiments that examine soot formation, lean combustion and fire<br />suppression.<br /><br />All systems aboard Columbia continue to function well.<br /><br />Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox,<br />Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit<br />observed a milestone today as they presided over the final run of the<br />Zeolite Crystal Growth experiment in the Destiny Lab. Experiment results may<br />contribute to the technology used to make gasoline, products for the<br />chemical industry and commercial film products.<br /><br />The Expedition crew conducted a weekly planning conference with flight<br />controllers in Houston and downlinked video of maintenance work performed<br />this past week. Crewmembers have a light schedule of duties this weekend<br />before resuming their full schedule of activities on Monday.<br /><br />The next STS-107 mission status report will be issued Sunday afternoon, or<br />earlier if events warrant.