Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Filled With ISS Cargo
The module that will deliver food, clothing, spare parts and
research equipment to the International Space Station is being
prepared for the Space Shuttle Return to Flight mission.
The Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Raffaello, is
filled with cargo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), FL. It will
fly on the Shuttle Discovery (STS-114) mission targeted for launch
in May.
Raffaello will carry 12 large containers (racks), to the
International Space Station (ISS). Included in the cargo is the
Human Research Facility (HRF-2) which will expand the ISS
capability to support human life sciences research. A similar
facility, HRF-1, has conducted research since it was installed into
the Destiny module in May 2001. The research includes using an
ultrasound unit measuring bone loss and a gas analyzer system.
"This is a significant milestone for the Station," said Bill
Gerstenmaier, ISS Program Manager. "With Raffaello's supply
transport capabilities, we will be in a better posture onboard
Station after this first Shuttle mission. Raffaello will also
deliver a unique biomedical research capability with the HRF-2. It
will help us learn more about humans living in space."
Returning the Shuttle to flight and completing the ISS are the
first steps in the Vision for Space Exploration, a stepping-stone
strategy toward new exploration goals. Using the ISS to study human
endurance, adaptation in space, and to test new technologies and
techniques, NASA will prepare for the longer journeys to the moon,
Mars and beyond.
Biomedical instrumentation aboard HRF-2 includes a pulmonary
function system for use in conjunction with exercise equipment to
obtain measurements of aerobic capacity and cardiac output, a
refrigerated centrifuge used to separate biological substances of
differing densities, a space linear acceleration mass measurement
device to determine the on-orbit mass of crewmembers, and an
upgraded workstation used for data handling and storage.
Scientific data generated by the HRF will provide insight into
how crewmembers adapt to long-duration spaceflight and will assist
in developing procedures to ensure crew health for longer journeys
through the solar system.
The first of the supply racks was installed in Raffaello at KSC
on March 4, and the HRF-2 rack was installed on March 8. Rack
installation will be completed within the next week.
KSC and NASA's prime contractor for ISS element processing, The
Boeing Company, prepared the racks for installation. The HRF
Project is managed by NASA's Johnson Space Center and implemented
by Lockheed Martin in Houston. Raffaello was built by the Italian
Space Agency for NASA under a cooperative space agreement.