NSSDCA ID: 1983-116A-09
Mission Name: STS 9/Spacelab 1The experiment objectives were (1) to determine the extent to which selected commercial lubricant wettability is affected by a zero-gravity environment, (2) to determine how bearing torque, bearing lubricant feeding, and bearing operating films are altered by operations in zero gravity, (3) to compare results with laboratory research of commercial applications, and (4) to provide data for applications in space hardware. The equipment consisted of plates for lubricant wetting and spreading tests, various journal bearings, and a flight camera to record lubricant responses. Two types of experiments were planned: wetting and spreading on stationary surfaces, and two-phase boundary in a journal-bearing configuration. In each case, the fluid-surface combination was the primary control parameter. One hundred percent of the planned objectives were accomplished.
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Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Raymond L. Gause | Principal Investigator | NASA Marshall Space Flight Center | |
Ms. Ann F. Whitaker | Principal Investigator | NASA Marshall Space Flight Center | ann.f.whitaker@msfc.nasa.gov |
Mr. Coda T. Pan | Principal Investigator | Columbia University |