van Loon Jack J W A
Dutch Experiment Support Center (DESC), Oral Biology, ACTA Vrije Universiteit & Univ. van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J Gravit Physiol. 2004 Mar;11(1):57-65.
Future Space Shuttle flights shall be characterized by activities necessary to further build the International Space Station, ISS. During these missions limited resources are available to conduct biological experiments in space. The Shuttles' Middeck is a very suitable place to conduct science during the ISS assembly missions or dedicated science missions. The BIOPACK, which flew its first mission during the STS-107, provides a versatile Middeck Locker based research tool for gravitational biology studies. The core facility occupies the space of only two Middeck Lockers. Experiment temperatures are controlled for bacteria, plant, invertebrate and mammalian cultures. Gravity levels and profiles can be set ranging from 0 to 2.0 x g on three independent centrifuges. This provides the experimenter with a 1.0 x g on-board reference and intermediate hypogravity and hypergravity data points to investigate e.g. threshold levels in biological responses. Temperature sensitive items can be stored in the facilities' -10 degrees C and +4 degrees C stowage areas. During STS-107 the facility also included a small glovebox (GBX) and passive temperature controlled units (PTCU). The GBX provides the experimenter with two extra levels of containment for safe sample handling. This biological research facility is a late access (L-10 hrs) laboratory, which, when reaching orbit, could automatically be starting up reducing important experiment lag-time and valuable crew time. The system is completely telecommanded when needed. During flight system parameters like temperatures, centrifuge speeds, experiment commanding or sensor readouts can be monitored and changed when needed. Although ISS provides a wide range of research facilities there is still need for an STS-based late access facility such as the BIOPACK providing experimenters with a very versatile research cabinet for biological experiments under microgravity and in-flight control conditions.
未来航天飞机的飞行将以进一步建设国际空间站（ISS）所需的活动为特征。在这些任务期间，可用于在太空进行生物实验的资源有限。航天飞机的中甲板是在国际空间站组装任务或专门的科学任务期间进行科学实验的非常合适的场所。BIOPACK在STS - 107任务中首次飞行，它为基于中甲板储物柜的重力生物学研究提供了一种多功能研究工具。核心设施仅占用两个中甲板储物柜的空间。可对细菌、植物、无脊椎动物和哺乳动物培养物的实验温度进行控制。在三个独立的离心机上，重力水平和剖面可设置为0至2.0 x g。这为实验者提供了一个1.0 x g的机载参考以及中间微重力和超重力数据点，以研究例如生物反应中的阈值水平。对温度敏感的物品可存放在设施的-10摄氏度和+4摄氏度的存放区域。在STS - 107任务期间，该设施还包括一个小型手套箱（GBX）和被动温度控制单元（PTCU）。GBX为实验者提供了额外两级的防护，以安全处理样品。这个生物研究设施是一个延迟接入（L - 10小时）实验室，进入轨道后可以自动启动，减少重要的实验延迟时间和宝贵的航天员时间。该系统在需要时完全由遥控指令控制。在飞行过程中，诸如温度、离心机速度、实验指令或传感器读数等系统参数可被监测，并在需要时进行更改。尽管国际空间站提供了广泛的研究设施，但仍然需要一个基于航天飞机的延迟接入设施，如BIOPACK，为实验者提供一个在微重力和飞行控制条件下进行生物实验的非常通用的研究柜。
