/ Unclas Towarad Microgravity Research Strategy SPACE STUDIES BOARD NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL Toward a Microgravity Research Strategy Committee on Microgravity Research Space Studies Board Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1992 NOTICE: The project that isthe subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of dis- tinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communi- ties. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council. Support for this project was provided by Contract NASW 4627 between the National Acad- emy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Copies of this report are available from Space Studies Board National Research Council 210l Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418 Printed in the United States of America COMMITTEE ON MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH ROBERT F. SEKERKA,* Carnegie Mellon University, Chairman ROBERT A. BROWN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology FRANKLIN D. LEMKEY, United Technologies Research Center WILLIAM A. SIRIGNANO, University of California, Irvine THOMAS A. STEITZ, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Space Studies Board Member (July 1989 to June 1991) JOHN R. CARRUTHERS Space Studies Board Staff JOYCE M. PURCELL, Executive Secretary MELANIE M. GREEN, Administrative Secretary CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Secretary *Member, Space Studies Board, July 1989 to June 1992. iii SPACE STUDIES BOARD LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Chairman JOSEPH A. BURNS, Cornell University ANDREA K. DUPREE, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics JOHN A. DUTTON, Pennsylvania State University LARRY W. ESPOSITO, University of Colorado, Boulder JAMES P. FERRIS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute HERBERT FRIEDMAN, Naval Research Laboratory (retired) RICHARD L. GARWIN, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center RICCARDO G1ACCONI, Space Telescope Science Institute NOEL W. HINNERS, Martin Marietta Civil Space and Communications Company JAMES R. HOUCK, Cornell University DAVID A. LANDGREBE, Purdue University RICHARD S. LINDZEN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology JOHN H. McELROY, University of Texas at Arlington WILLIAM J. MERRELL, JR., Texas A&M University RICHARD K. MOORE, University of Kansas ROBERT H. MOSER, The NutraSweet Company NORMAN F. NESS, University of Delaware MARCIA NEUGEBAUER, Jet Propulsion Laboratory MARK SETTLE, ARCO Oil and Gas Company WILLIAM A. SIRIGNANO, University of California, Irvine FRED TUREK, Northwestern University ARTHUR B.C. WALKER, Stanford University MARC S. ALLEN, Director iv COMMISSION ON PHYSICAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, AND APPLICATIONS NORMAN HACKERMAN, Robert A. Welch Foundation, Chairman PETER J. BICKEL, University of California at Berkeley GEORGE F. CARRIER, Harvard University GEORGE W. CLARK, Massachusetts Institute of Technology DEAN E. EASTMAN, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center MARYE ANNE FOX, University of Texas PHILLIP A. GRIFFITHS, Institute for Advanced Studies NEAL F. LANE, Rice University ROBERT W. LUCKY, AT&T Bell Laboratories CLAIRE E. MAX, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory CHRISTOPHER F. McKEE, University of California at Berkeley JAMES W. MITCHELL, AT&T Bell Laboratories RICHARD S. N1CHOLSON, American Association for the Advancement of Science ALAN SCHRIESHEIM, Argonne National Laboratory KENNETH G. WILSON, Ohio State University NORMAN METZGER, Executive Director Contents SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction, 1 Nature of the Field, 2 Status of the Field, 2 The Conduct of Microgravity Research, 3 Conclusions and Recommendations, 4 References, 6 1 OVERVIEW OF MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH Examples of Microgravity Experiments, 8 Reference, 10 2 STATUS OF THE FIELD 11 References, 13 3 THE CONDUCT OF MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH 14 Instrumentation, 14 Manned Versus Robotic Interaction, 15 Range of Microgravity Facilities, 16 Microgravity Research Outside the United States, 18 Commercial Programs, 19 The Research and Analysis Program, 21 References, 22 PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMED vii viii CONTENTS 4 TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH STRATEGY 24 APPENDIXES A Biological Sciences, 29 B Combustion Science, 35 C Electronic Materials, 40 D Fluids, Interfaces, and Transport, 45 E Glasses and Ceramics, 52 F Metals and Alloys, 56