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| Space Experiment Module Carrier System |
| Overview |
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The Space Experiment Module (SEM) 09 Carrier System in Discovery's cargo bay contains educational experiments. --The "Microgravity Rainbow" of Beaver Run Elementary, Salisbury, Md., involved 45 first and second grade students who mixed 44 vials of Kool-aid. Twenty two will be flown and colors will be compared with samples and with paint color swatches after the flight. --The "Ponds" experiment Woodland Middle School, East Meadow, N.Y., involved two teachers and 210 sixth graders from two schools. They will fly samples from natural and man-made ponds, other water and related samples. --The "Sunflower Seeds in Space" experiment of Coyote Valley Elementary School, Middletown, Calif., is an effort by fourth graders to determine effects of space travel on sunflower seeds. Flown and control samples will be planted and compared after the flight. --"Operation Cheese Mold" is an experiment of Rostraver Middle School, Belle Vernon, Pa. Various cheese samples will be flown and later compared for mold growth with control samples. --"The Effect of Cosmic Radiation on Lichens" experiment of the Delta Cyber School Delta Junction, Alaska, contains two sets of eleven space capsules containing lichens. One set will be exposed to cosmic radiation and the other shielded. When the lichens return, the sets will be compared for structure or growth changes. -- "Coco for Coconauts" is an experiment of the Congress Math/Science/Technology Middle School Magnet Team, Boynton Beach, Fla. Pupils in grades six to eight will place coconut samples in vials for the flight. They will be exposed to radiation and after return examined for changes. --"A Seed for a Larger Service" experiment of the Country Center 4-H Space Science Project, Sacramento, Calif., will use a hybrid grass material to look at how spaceflight affects it at a molecular level. They will compare results to an experiment flown on STS-101. --"The Ultra Fluffy Outcome" experiment of Virginia Space Academy 2000 in Newport News, Va. compares effects of radiation and temperature on cotton candy samples flown in space to control samples. -- "MISE" (Materials in Space Experiments) of the Young Valley Scientists in Santa Ynez, Calif., will test how the space environment affects various materials, including natural materials and materials made using old and new technologies. . Also, the experiment will explain how microgravity and radiation affect materials made by old and new technologies. --SSM - Anne Arundel County Schools, Anne Arundel County, Md., students from five schools will investigate effects of the space environment on a variety of commonly used materials, including common school supplies, food samples, fabrics, shampoos, perfumes, and soaps. |
| History/Background |
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The Space Experiment Module (SEM) Carrier System is a self-contained assembly of subsystems that function together to provide structural support, power, experiment, command and data storage capabilities. The SEM-09 carrier system is a five-foot 'canister' that contains 10 experiment modules. The SEM software is required for active experimentation. The software application helps the experimenter describe the experiment, enter power consumption, parts, materials, timeline, control and command data. Also, the software is used to analyze the data for SEM compatibility and "post-flight" reports. The active modules are powered by one 12-Volt battery independent of the shuttle power supply. Each powered module has an integrated programmable control circuit board or "Module Electronic Unit" (MEU) for data sampling and storage. The MEU processes the student-devised flight operations timeline. A "Ground Module Electronic Unit" is provided to selected active experimenters for development and testing of their active experiment. The SEM canister is generally installed three months prior to launch in the Space Shuttle cargo bay. During the early state of the shuttle flight, astronauts activate the SEM canister via the Payload and General Support Computer. For active experiments (using battery power) the MEU's carry out the programmed timeline defined by the experimenters. |
Editorial/Technical Comments: ShuttlePresskit
