|
 On
23 July 2003, the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, S.P.
Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia and European
Space Agency (ESA) concluded a contract on a flight of Dutch
astronaut Andre Kuipers, member of the European astronaut
corps, as a flight engineer of transport manned spacecraft
Soyuz TMA-4 as part of the visiting crew VC-6 (April 2004,
ISS-8, ISS-9 phase) to the International Space Station (ISS),
and performance of DSM DELTA Project (ESA) scientific investigations
and experiments.
DSM DELTA Project foresees the performance of 58 sessions
for 22 experiments in the following areas:
Allocation of Experiments and Number
of Sessions by Research Areas
| Research Area |
Experiment Name |
Totally |
Number of Sessions |
|
Life Science Research
|
FLOW,
KAPPA,
ACTIN,
ICE-FIRST,
TUBUL,
CIRCA,
SYMPATHO-3,
MUSCLE,
EYE TRACKIGN
DEVICE, MOTION
PERCEPTION, SUIT |
11
|
38
|
| Biotechnology
Research |
SAMPLE,
PROMISS-3 |
2 |
5
|
| Technological
Research |
ARGES,
HEAT,
MOUSE
TELEMETER, 3D
CAMERA-2
|
3
|
3
|
| Geophysical
Research |
LSO-H |
1
|
1
|
| Educational
Projects |
VIDEO-3,
ARISS-3,
SEEDS,
GRAPHOBOX,
BUG
ENERGY |
5
|
11
|
|
Total:
|
22
|
58
|
DSM DELTA Project Experimentss
| Life Science |
| FLOW |
Microgravity and Bone cell mechanosensitivity. |
| KAPPA |
The
influence of weightlessness on the activation of the
transcription factor (NF-kB). |
| ACTIN |
The
role of weightlessness on actin metabolism in mammalian
cells. |
| ICE-FIRST |
Study
of genome stability on muscle growth and survivability
of their functional capabilities. |
| TUBUL |
Study
of influence of microgravity on the cell structure and
the determination of the division plane in plants. |
| CIRCA |
24-hour
monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate in weightlessness. |
| SYMPATHO-3 |
Study
of sympathoadrenal activity in weightlessness conditions. |
| MUSCLE |
Assessment
of the effect of microgravity on sacral and neurophysiological
properties of multifidus and transversus abdominis muscles. |
| EYE
TRACKING DEVICE |
3D
eye tracking device. |
| MOTION
PERCEPTION |
Vestibular
adaptation to G-transitions. |
| SUIT |
Establish
the role of tactile information presentation on orientation
behavior. |
| Biotechnology |
| SAMPLE |
Molecular and physiological analysis of bacterial samples
isolated from the ISS. |
| PROMISS-3* |
Protein
Crystal Growth Monitoring by Digital Holographic Microscope. |
| Technology
|
| ARGES* |
Measurement of plasma density by radially resolved high-resolution
emission spectroscopy. |
| HEAT* |
Heat
transfer performance of a grooved heat pipe. |
| MOUSE
TELEMETER |
Mouse
telemeter. |
| Geophysical
Investigations |
| LSO-H |
Observation of lightings and sprites. |
| Educational
program |
| VIDEO-3 |
Demonstration of some effects of weightlessness on the
human body. |
| ARISS-3 |
Carrying
out radio amateur sessions from the ISS with pupils
and students on the ground. |
| SEEDS |
Growth
of plants in microgravity. |
| GRAPHOBOX |
Study
of effect of phototropism and gravitropism of plants
in microgravity. |
| BUG
ENERGY |
Study
of features of bacteria energy generation in microgravity. |
* Experiments will be conducted on the ISS US On-orbit-Segment.
Public Relations and Symbolic activities are also foreseen
in the frame of the Project.
Twenty two project experiments will be performed on the
Russian Segment of the ISS. Three experiments, i.e. PROMISS-3,
ARGES and HEAT will be conducted on the US On-orbit Segment.
Basically all experiments within DSM DELTA Project will
be performed by VC-6 Flight-Engineer-1, Dutch astronaut
A. Kuipers. He will conduct fourteen experiments by himself
with no assistance of the Russian cosmonauts. However, Crew
Commander of ISS-9 G.I. Padalka will be involved in human
physiology experiments CIRCA and SYMPATHO-3 as an assistant.
He will also enable to conduct photo and video imagery in
experiments VIDEO-3, SEEDS, GRAPHOBOX, BUG ENERGY. Experiment
PROMISS-3 will be conducted before the beginning of VC-6
by the ISS-8 Crew Commander American astronaut M. Foel.
The DSM DELTA Project experiments will use the hardware
to be uploaded under this project, as well as hardware already
available onboard ISS RS (left after completion of Andromede
(LSO-H, CIRCA experiments), Marco Polo (CIRCA experiment)
and SSM Cervantes Projects (PROMISS-3 experiment).
For the implementation of the Project experiments and activities
the following resources are required:
| CARGO FLOW |
|
Ascent to the ISS RS
- by Progress M1-11
- by Soyuz TMA-4
TOTAL
|
65.20 kg
54.23 kg
119.43 kg
|
|
Return of materials with SE results:
by Soyuz TMA-3
|
|
| POWER CONSUMPTION |
| Daily average |
up to 100 W
|
| CREW TIME |
| Flight engineer-1 of VC-6
(Andre Kuipers) |
53 h 35 min
|
| ISS-9 Crew commander (Gennady
Padalka) |
7 h 50 min
|
| Flight engineer of ISS-8
(Alexander Kaleri) |
1 h 10 min
|
| TOTAL |
62 h 35 min
|
Upon completion of the DSM DELTA Project activities it
is planned to hand over the results of 23 experiments to
the principal investigators, covering:
| · Experimental program |
- |
21 items |
|
| of which early retrieval
items |
- |
10 items |
|
| · Symbolic activity activity |
- |
2 items |
|
The visiting crew VC-6 mission is scheduled from April
19 to April 30, 2004. The duration of the mated flight as
part of the Russian Segment of ISS is 9 days.
The International crew consisting of VC-6 flight engineer-1
Andre Kuipers (the Netherlands) will be delivered to the
ISS RS by transport manned spacecraft Soyuz TMA-4 and returned
in the descent capsule of transport manned spacecraft Soyuz
TMA-3 together with the ISS-8 increment crew consisting
of American astronaut Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut
Alexander Kaleri.
|
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