STS-58
Columbia over North Africa
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| Mission type | Biosciences |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1993-065A |
| SATCAT no. | 22869 |
| Mission duration | 14 days, 12 minutes, 32 seconds |
| Distance travelled | 9,400,000 kilometers (5,800,000 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 225 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Columbia |
| Landing mass | 103,146 kilograms (227,398 lb) |
| Payload mass | 11,803 kilograms (26,021 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 |
| Members |
John E. Blaha Richard A. Searfoss M. Rhea Seddon William S. McArthur David A. Wolf Shannon W. Lucid Martin J. Fettman |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 18 October 1993, 14:53 UTC |
| Launch site | Kennedy LC-39B |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 1 November 1993, 15:05.42 UTC |
| Landing site | Edwards Runway 22 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee | 284 kilometres (176 mi) |
| Apogee | 294 kilometres (183 mi) |
| Inclination | 39.0 degrees |
| Period | 90.3 minutes |
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 Left to right: Wolf, Lucid, Seddon, Searfoss; Standing: Blaha, McArthur, Fettmen |
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STS-58 was a mission flown by Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. The missions was primarily devoted to experiments concerning the physiological effects of spaceflight. This was the first in-flight use of the "Portable In-flight Landing Operations Trainer" simulation software. It was also the last time Columbia would land at Edwards Air Force Base.
STS-58 was a 1993 shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences research. Columbia’s crew performed a series of experiments to gain knowledge on how the human body adapts to the weightless environment of space. Experiments focused on cardiovascular, regulatory, neurovestibular and musculoskeletal systems of the body. The experiments performed on Columbia’s crew and on laboratory animals (48 rats held in 24 cages), along with data collected on the SLS-1 mission in June 1991, will provide the most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements acquired in the space environment since the Skylab program in 1973 and 1974.
Crew members conducted experiments aimed at understanding bone tissue loss and the effects of microgravity on sensory perception. Two neurovestibular experiments investigating space motion sickness and perception changes were performed on the 2nd day as well. Astronauts Lucid and Fettman wore a headset, called an Accelerometer recording Unit, designed to continually record head movements throughout the day.
Only one minor issue came up on Tuesday, 19 October 1993 associated with a circuit breaker that tripped, cutting off power temporarily to one of the rodent cages in the module. Flight controllers in Houston reported it was not caused by a short in the electrical system and the breaker was reset, restoring power to the cage.
McArthur and Blaha began using the Lower Body Negative Pressure device on flight day 3, which is being tested as a countermeasure for the detrimental effects of microgravity. All three flight crew members will collect urine and saliva samples and keep logs of their exercise and food and fluid intake as part of the Energy Utilization detailed supplementary objective. DSO 612 looks at the nutritial and energy requirements of crew members on long-duration space flights and the relationship between fluid and food consumption.
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