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Date Posted: 21:07:48 02/05/03 Wed
Author: Adilbrand
Subject: Why is America so determined to make life so darn safe?
In reply to: Mt. Healthy Mountaineer 's message, "NASA" on 16:19:06 02/04/03 Tue

This was the first shuttle mission in three years devoted strictly to onboard science, with no spacewalks or space station visits involved. More than 80 experiments were conducted during the 16-day flight. Among the highlights:

Physicists studied how zero-gravity affected low-level combustion, an experiment that might have helped lead to leaner-burning automobile engines.

Astronauts collected scent molecules from a rose and an Asian rice flower in zero-gravity, in an experiment funded by the fragrance industry. Scientists found during a 1998 shuttle experiment that miniature roses gave off different scents in zero-G — and that those scents could be re-created synthetically on Earth to yield new fashion fragrances. The 1998 study resulted in a new perfume called “Zen” by Shiseido, as well as a body spray called “Impulse.”

Instruments made observations of the sun from space, which could have helped scientists gain new insights into the sun’s natural role in global climate change.

The crew observed atmospheric phenomena, including smoke and dust particles that could affect climate; and a type of electrical discharge that had never before been seen from space.

Arizona State University researchers sent up a project aimed at turning crew member urine and wastewater into clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing.


Shuttle crew members collected samples of their own blood, urine and saliva to detect possible bone loss, kidney stones, muscle loss or weakening of immune systems. Spiders, cancer cells, ants, carpenter bees, fish embryos, silkworms and rats were studied in space as well.

“I hope they can salvage something,” said Hideaki Moriyama, a University of Nebraska biochemist who supplied vials of proteins to the flight in hopes of finding clues to diseases like HIV-AIDS, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.

“It took more than four years to prepare those experiments,” Moriyama told The Associated Press.

Scientists will still be able to use the data that could be downloaded during the flight — but the samples that were being brought back to earth, including the fragrances, are likely lost forever.

Why risk lives for these? Why not? Why is America so determined to make life so darn safe? If the astronauts didn't want to take the risk, then they wouldn't have become astronauts, now would they?

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