S73-34171 (9 Aug. 1973) --- Scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott, Skylab 3 science pilot, serves as test subject for the Skylab ?Human Vestibular Function? M131 Experiment, as seen in this photographic reproduction taken from a television transmission made by a color TV camera aboard the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. The objectives of the Skylab M131 experiment are to obtain data pertinent to establishing the validity of measurements of specific behavioral/physiological responses influenced by vestibular activity under one-g and zero-g conditions; to determine man?s adaptability to unusual vestibular conditions and predict habitability of future spacecraft conditions involving reduced gravity and Coriollis forces; and to measure the accuracy and variability in man?s judgment of spatial coordinates based on atypical gravity receptor cues and inadequate visual cures. Dr. Garriott is seated in the experiment?s litter chair which can rotate the test subject at predetermined rotational velocity or programmed acceleration/decelerational profile. Photo credit: NASA

S73-20678 (1 March 1973) --- Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander of the first manned Skylab mission, checks out the Human Vestibular Function, Experiment M131, during Skylab training at Johnson Space Center. Scientist-astronaut Joseph P. Kerwin, science pilot of the mission, goes over a checklist. The two men are in the work and experiments compartment of the crew quarters of the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) trainer at JSC. Photo credit: NASA

This set of photographs details Skylab's Human Vestibular Function experiment (M131). This experiment was a set of medical studies designed to determine the effect of long-duration space missions on astronauts' coordination abilities. This experiment tested the astronauts susceptibility to motion sickness in the Skylab environment, acquired data fundamental to an understanding of the functions of human gravity reception under prolonged absence of gravity, and tested for changes in the sensitivity of the semicircular canals. Data from this experiment was collected before, during, and after flight. The Marshall Space Flight Center had program management responsibility for the development of Skylab hardware and experiments.

STS058-03-020 (18 Oct.-1 Nov. 1993) --- In the Spacelab onboard the space shuttle Columbia, STS-58 Commander John Blaha is positioned at the Rotating Dome vestibular experiment as Payload Commander Rhea Seddon sets up the experiment. Photo credit: NASA

In this photograph, astronauts Owen Garriott on the body restriant system and Byron Lichtenberg prepare for a Vestibular Experiment during the Spacelab-1 mission. The Vestibular Experiments in Space were the study of the interaction among the otoliths, semicircular canals, vision, and spinal reflexes in humans. The main objective was to determine how the body, which receives redundant information for several sensory sources, interprets this information in microgravity. Another objective was to record and characterize the symptoms of space sickness experienced by crewmembers. The body restraint system was a rotating chair with a harness to hold the test subject in place. The crewmember wore an accelerometer and electrodes to record head motion and horizontal and vertical eye movement as the body rotated. The first Spacelab mission, Spacelab-1, sponsored jointly and shared equally by NASA and the European Space Agency, was a multidisciplinary mission; that is, investigations were performed in several different fields of scientific research. The overall goal of the mission was to verify Spacelab performance through a variety of scientific experiments. The Spacelab-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia for the STS-9 mission on November 28, 1983. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the mission.

This is a wide-angle view of the Orbital Workshop lower level experiment area. In center foreground is the ergometer bicycle. In center background is a litter chair for the Human Vestibular Function experiment (Skylab Experiment M131) and in right background is the Lower Body Negative Pressure System experiment (Skylab Experiment M092). The ergometer bicycle was used for metabolic activity experiments and exercise. The purpose of the Human Vestibular (irner ear) Function experiment was to examine the effect of weightlessness on man's sensitivity and susceptibility to motion rotation, and his perception of orientation. The Lower Body Negative Pressure experiment investigated the relationship between the zero gravity environment and cardiovascular deconditioning. A characteristic of cardiovascular deconditoning is the partial failure of the blood vessels resulting in the excessive pooling of the blood in the legs when a person assumes an erect posture in a gravity field. The Marshall Space Flight Center had the program management responsibility for the development of Skylab hardware and experiments.

In this Spacelab-1 mission onboard photograph, astronaut Byron Lichtenberg performs a drop experiment, one of the Vestibular Experiments in Space investigations. The experiment examined spinal reflexes to determine whether they changed in microgravity. In Earth's environment, the otoliths signal the muscles to prepare for jolts associated with falling. During the flight, the normal reflex between the otoliths and the muscles was partially inhibited early in flight, declined further as the flight progressed, and returned to normal immediately after landing, suggesting that the brain ignored or reinterpreted otolith signals during space flight. Crewmembers reported a lack of awareness of position and location of feet, difficulty in maintaining balance, and a perception that falls were more sudden, faster, and harder than similar drops experienced in preflight. Crewmembers experienced illusions as they performed prescribed movement tests. When crew members viewed various targets and then pointed at them while blindfolded, their perception of target location and position of their own limbs was inaccurate in flight compared with similar tests on the ground. The Spacelab-1 was a multidisciplinary mission; that is, investigations were performed in several different fields of scientific research. The overall goal of the mission was to verify Spacelab performance through a variety of scientific experiments. The Spacelab-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia for the STS-9 mission on November 28, 1983. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the mission.

S85-43139 (20 Sept 1985) --- Four members of the STS 61-A/Spacelab D-1 crew and two technicians are shown with a vestibular sled experiment for they will use for extensive research and testing late October and early November are (background, left to right), Astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, Reinhard Furrer, Ernst Messerschmid and Guion S. Bluford Jr. The seat shown can be moved back and forth with precisley adjusted accelerations along the fixed rails on the floor of the Spacelab aisle.

STS040-211-020 (5-14 June 1991) --- Vestibular experiment activities were captured onboard Columbia's Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) module in this 35mm scene. Astronaut James P. Bagian, STS-40 mission specialist, is in a rotating chair while wearing an accelometer and electrodes to record head motion and horizontal and vertical eye movements during the rotations. Payload specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford, lower left, assists with the test.

STS042-27-037 (22-30 Jan. 1992) --- Astronaut David C. Hilmers, STS-42 mission specialist, wearing a helmet assembly, sits in the Microgravity Vestibular Investigation (MVI) rotating chair. The scene is in the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) science module aboard Discovery. Hilmers, a mission specialist, and six other crewmembers spent more than eight days in Earth-orbit conducting experiments. Hilmer's helmet assembly is outfitted with accelerometers to measure head movements and visors that fit over each eye independently to provide visual stimuli. The chair system has three movement patterns: "sinusoidal" or traveling predictably back and forth over the same distance at a constant speed; "pseudorandom" or moving back and forth over the varying distances; and "stepped" or varying speeds beginning and stopping suddenly.

S73-32113 (9 Aug. 1973) --- Scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott, Skylab 3 science pilot, serves as test subject for the Skylab ?Human Vestibular Function? M131 Experiment, as seen in this photographic reproduction taken from a television transmission made by a color TV camera aboard the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. The objectives of the Skylab M131 experiment are to obtain data pertinent to establishing the validity of measurements of specific behavioral/physiological responses influenced by vestibular activity under one-g and zero-g conditions; to determine man?s adaptability to unusual vestibular conditions and predict habitability of future spacecraft conditions involving reduced gravity and Coriollis forces; and to measure the accuracy and variability in man?s judgment of spatial coordinates based on atypical gravity receptor cues and inadequate visual cues. Photo credit: NASA

iss051e049147 (5/24/2017) --- ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet performs the commissioning of the Gravitational References for Sensimotor Performance (GRASP) experiment, to better understand how the central nervous system (CNS) integrates information from different sensations. The data collected could help researchers better understand the workings of the human vestibular system and how it connects to the other sensory organs. This research hopes to shed light on how to best treat the loss of vestibular function on Earth.

iss051e049152 (5/24/2017) --- ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet performs the commissioning of the Gravitational References for Sensimotor Performance (GRASP) experiment, to better understand how the central nervous system (CNS) integrates information from different sensations. The data collected could help researchers better understand the workings of the human vestibular system and how it connects to the other sensory organs. This research hopes to shed light on how to best treat the loss of vestibular function on Earth.

This Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (STS-42) onboard photo shows Canadian Payload Specialist Roberta Bondar getting into the Microgravity Vestibular Investigation (MVI) chair to begin an experiment in the International Microgravity Lab-1 (IML-1) Science Module. The (MVI) chair was designed to test the crew member's visual and vestibular responses to head and body movements.

61A-01-032 (30 Oct-6 Nov 1985) --- West German Payload Specialist Ernst Messerschmid, foreground, opens a door on the materials science double rack (MSDR) to begin an experiment while Dutch Payload Specialist Wubbo J. Ockels performs a "run" on the vestibular sled in the background.

STS090-350-001 (17 April - 3 May 1998) --- Astronaut Kathryn P. Hire, mission specialist, checks out part of the Neurolab's Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU). She joined four other astronauts and two payload specialists for 16-days of research in support of the Neurolab mission.

This 1970 photograph shows the Rotating Litter Chair, a major component of Skylab's Human Vestibular Function experiment (M131). The experiment was a set of medical studies designed to determine the effect of long-duration space missions on astronauts' coordination abilities. The M131 experiment tested the astronauts susceptibility to motion sickness in the Skylab environment, acquired data fundamental to an understanding of the functions of human gravity reception under prolonged absence of gravity, and tested for changes in the sensitivity of the semicircular canals. Data from this experiment was collected before, during, and after flight. The Marshall Space Flight Center had program management responsibility for the development of Skylab hardware and experiments.

STS005-04-141 (14 Nov. 1982) --- Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV, one of two mission specialist astronauts for STS-5, participates in a biomedical test in the middeck area of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. A series of electrodes have been connected to his face for monitoring of his responses in zero-gravity. He was assisted in the test by astronaut William B. Lenoir, the flight’s other mission specialist. Dr. Allen is wearing the multi-pieced constant wear garment for space shuttle astronauts. This frame was exposed with a 35mm camera. Photo credit: NASA

S73-20695 (1 March 1973) --- Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander of the first manned Skylab mission, checks out the Human Vestibular Function, Experiment M131, during Skylab training at Johnson Space Center. Conrad is in the work and experiments compartment of the crew quarters of the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) trainer at JSC. The reference sphere with a magnetic rod is used by the astronaut to indicate body orientation non-visually. The litter chair in which he is seated can be rotated by a motor at its base or, when not being rotated, can tilt forward, backward or to either side. Photo credit: NASA

The STS-90 Neurolab payload is lowered into position into the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Columbia today in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The STS-90 Neurolab payload is positioned into the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Columbia today in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-90 Neurolab payload is lowered into its payload canister in KSC's Operations and Checkout Building. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A technician looks at the STS-90 Neurolab payload as it is moved from its test stand in KSC's Operations and Checkout Building. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians gather around the STS-90 Neurolab payload during weight and center-of-gravity measurements in KSC's Operations and Checkout Building. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-90 crew members study manuals and drawings for the mission's Neurolab payload during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout Building, where the payload is undergoing processing. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-90 is scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from KSC on April 2. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-90 Neurolab payload is lowered into its payload canister in KSC's Operations and Checkout Building. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-90 crew members check out the inside of the module for the mission's Neurolab payload during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout Building, where the payload is undergoing processing. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-90 is scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from KSC on April 2. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system

The STS-90 Neurolab payload is lowered into position into the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Columbia today in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The STS-90 Neurolab payload is prepared to be positioned into the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Columbia today in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-95 crew members gather around the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit (VFEU) which includes marine fish called toadfish. In foreground, from left, are Mission Specialist Pedro Duque of the European Space Agency (ESA), a technician from the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai of NASDA, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, and Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., who also is a senator from Ohio. At center, facing the camera, are Mission Specialist Scott E. Parazynski and Commander Curtis L. Brown Jr., in back. STS-95 will feature a variety of research payloads, including the Spartan solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, and experiments on space flight and the aging process. STS-95 is targeted for an Oct. 29 launch aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia begins its rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS078-398-032 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Astronaut Susan J. Helms, payload commander, measures the distance between Jean-Jacques Favier’s head and the luminous torque, used for the Canal and Otolith Interaction Study (COIS) on the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) mission. Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), is one of two international payload specialists on the almost-17-day flight. This view shows the Voluntary Head Movement (VHM) segment of the experiment. The VHM is meant to characterize how the coordination of head and eye movement changes as a result of spaceflight. Since most vestibular functions are influenced by gravity, the COIS experiment is meant to measure response differences in microgravity.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its morning rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its morning rollout past the newly opened tour stop, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry, to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its morning rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its morning rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS078-396-015 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), prepares a sample for the Advanced Gradient Heating Facility (AGHF) while wearing instruments that measure upper body movement. The Torso Rotation Experiment (TRE) complements other vestibular studies that measure differences in the way human beings react physically to their surroundings in microgravity. This is a typical Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) mission scene, with several experiments being performed. Astronaut Susan J. Helms, payload commander, assists Favier in the AGHF preparations. Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan (bottom right), mission specialist, tests his muscle response with the Handgrip Dynamometer. Astronaut Thomas T. (Tom) Henricks (far background), mission commander, offers assistance.

S73-30856 (29 June 1973) --- John Boyd observes a bag with two ?brackish water? minnows known as ?Mummichog Minnows? which will be onboard Skylab 3 with astronauts Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott and Jack R. Lousma. The fish were added to the flight at the request of scientist-astronaut Dr. Owen K. Garriott, science pilot. Fifty eggs from the minnows will also be included in the bag. The objective of this experiment is to show what disorientation the fish will experience when exposed to weightlessness. Many fish have vestibular apparatus quite similar to man. Even though they live in an environment usually considered to resemble weightlessness, they do perceive a gravity vector. An aquarium of the minnows, caught off the coast of Beaufort, North Carolina, is in the background. Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Ulf Merbold on the stationary seat of the mini-sled, stares into an umbrella-shaped rotating dome with colored dots. Astronaut Merbold, assisted by astronaut David Hilmer, are conducting the Visual Simulator Experiment, a space physiology experiment. The Visual Stimulator Experiment measures the relative importance of visual and vestibular information in determining body orientation. When a person looks at a rotating visual field, a false sensation of self-rotation, called circularvection, results. In weightlessness, circularvection should increase immediately and may continue to increase as the nervous system comes to rely more on visual than vestibular cues. As Astronaut Merbold stares into the rotating dome with a pattern of colored dots and its interior, he turns a knob to indicate his perception of body rotation. The strength of circularvection is calculated by comparing signals from the dome and the knob. The greater the false sense of circularvection, the more the subject is relying on visual information instead of otolith information. The IML-1 mission was the first in a series of Shuttle flights dedicated to fundamental materials and life sciences research with the international partners. The participating space agencies included: NASA, the 14-nation European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the French National Center of Space Studies (CNES), the German Space Agency and the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DAR/DLR), and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, IML-1 was launched on January 22, 1992 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (STS-42 mission).

STS-95 Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai (left), with the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), lifts the cover on a container in the Vestibular Function Experiment Unit holding one of the two toadfish that are the subjects of an experiment. Mission Specialist Scott E. Parazynski is helping her check experiments for mission STS-95. The fish will be electronically monitored to determine the effect of gravitational changes on the inner-ear system. Mukai and Parazynski and other crewmembers were making final preparations for launch, targeted for liftoff at 2 p.m. on Oct. 29. The STS-95 crew also includes Mission Commander Curtis L. Brown Jr., Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson, Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, and Mission Specialist Pedro Duque, with the European Space Agency (ESA). The mission is expected to last 8 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes, returning to KSC at 11:49 a.m. EST on Nov. 7

STS-90 Mission Specialist Kathryn (Kay) Hire enjoys the crawl between Columbia and the white room that allows access to the orbiter. The crew of STS-90 recently participated in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. Investigations during the STS-90 Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. STS-90, which will be Hire's first Shuttle flight, is scheduled for launch on April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT

Members of the STS-90 crew participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. Investigations during the STS-90 Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is moved to its workstand in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is installed in the Spacelab module by Boeing technicians in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, undergoes further processing in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is ready for processing after being placed in its workstand in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, undergoes further processing in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is installed in the Spacelab module by Boeing technicians in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

Stacie Greene, an extravehicular activity trainer from Johnson Space Center, discusses the STS-90 Neurolab mission with Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan overlooking Columbia's payload bay. The crew of STS-90 participated in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. Investigations during the STS-90 Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. STS-90 is scheduled for launch on April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-90 Neurolab payload and four Getaway Specials (GAS) await payload bay door closure in the orbiter Columbia today in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-90 Payload Specialists James Pawelczyk, Ph.D. (at left), and Jay Buckey Jr., M.D., examine items to be used during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout Building, where the Neurolab payload is undergoing processing. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-90 is scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from KSC on April 2. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is ready for processing after being placed in its workstand in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is moved to its workstand in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-90 Payload Specialist James Pawelczyk, Ph.D., holds up a panel as one of the items used during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout Building, where the Neurolab payload is undergoing processing. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-90 is scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from KSC on April 2. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is installed in the Spacelab module by Boeing technicians in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, undergoes further processing in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

STS-90 Mission Specialist Dafydd "Dave" Rhys Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency, and back-up Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai, M.D., Ph.D., with the National Space Development Agency of Japan, examine items to be used during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Operations and Checkout Building, where the Neurolab payload is undergoing processing. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-90 is scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from KSC on April 2. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, undergoes further processing in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

The Neurolab payload for STS-90, scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Columbia from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on April 2, 1998, is moved to its workstand in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90 will include Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

Members of the STS-90 crew participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. Investigations during the STS-90 Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch in April, are, left to right, Pilot Scott Altman; Payload Specialist James Pawelczyk, Ph.D.; Commander Richard Searfoss; Mission Specialists Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire; Payload Specialist Jay Buckey, M.D.; and Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan

STS042-06-031 (30 Jan 1992) - - - STS-42 Payload Specialist Roberta L. Bondar gets into the Microgravity Vestibular Investigations (MVI) rotator chair to begin an experiment. The chair is mounted in the center aisle of the International Microgravity Laboratory 1 (IML-1) Spacelab (SL) module. Just above Bondar's head is the helmet assembly which is outfitted with accelerometers to measure head movements and visors that fit over each eye independently to provide visual stimuli. The chair system has three movement patterns: "sinusoidal" or traveling predictably back and forth over the same distance at a constant speed; "pseudorandom" or moving back and forth over varying distances; and "stepped" or varying speeds beginning and stopping suddenly.

Astronaut David C. Hilmers conducts the Microgravity Vestibular Investigations (MVI) sitting in its rotator chair inside the IML-1 science module. When environmental conditions change so that the body receives new stimuli, the nervous system responds by interpreting the incoming sensory information differently. In space, the free-fall environment of an orbiting spacecraft requires that the body adapts to the virtual absence of gravity. Early in flights, crewmembers may feel disoriented or experience space motion sickness. MVI examined the effects of orbital flight on the human orientation system to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation to weightlessness. By provoking interactions among the vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems and then measuring the perceptual and sensorimotor reactions, scientists can study changes that are integral to the adaptive process. The IML-1 mission was the first in a series of Shuttle flights dedicated to fundamental materials and life sciences research with the international partners. The participating space agencies included: NASA, the 14-nation European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the French National Center of Space Studies (CNES), the German Space Agency and the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DAR/DLR), and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Both life and materials sciences benefited from the extended periods of microgravity available inside the Spacelab science module in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, IML-1 was launched on January 22, 1992 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (STS-42 mission).

S83-35768 (18-24 June 1983) --- Astronaut Sally K. Ride, mission specialist for STS-7, uses a screw driver in order to clean out an air filtering system in the mid-deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. Dr. Ride's constant wear garment bears some extras -- a cartoon of 35 busy astronauts around a Space Shuttle and the acronym TFNG, below which is written, "We deliver!" TFNG stands for thirty-five new guys, referring to the 1978 class of astronaut candidates (ASCAN) from which Dr. Ride and three of her crew members hail. The tiny two-word declarative in white lettering refers to the successful deployment of two communications satellites. This photograph was made with a 35mm camera.

Senator John Glenn visit to Johnson Space Center (JSC). Views of Glenn sitting in cockpit of T-38 in Hangar 276 with John Young, George Abbey, David Leestma and Mark Polansky observing (11150). An engineer explains SPIFEX experiment hardware to Abby, Young and Glenn in Bldg 13 (11151, 11153). Glenn talks with astronaut Terrence T. Henricks and employees in Bldg 9C, Virtual reality lab (11152). Lunch in Bldg 17 Flight Crew support division with Dr. Ellen Baker, Robert "Hoot" Gibson and John Glenn (11154). Linda Godwin, Robert Cabana, Abbey, Young, Baker, Gibson and Glenn at lunch (11155). Astronaut Mark Lee shows Glenn and his aide how to use the virtural reality helmets (11156-7). Glenn shakes the hand of Franklin Chang-Diaz with his plasma rocket in the background in the Sonny Carter Training Facility (SCTF) (11158). Glenn in the Manipulator Development Facility (MDF) Remote Manipulator System (RMS) station mock-up in Bldg 9A with Abbey, Young and aide (11159, 11186). Glenn signs a book for Thomas D. Jones as Frederick Sturckow and Linda Godwin look on (11160). Glenn inside visual-vestibular trainer in Bldg 9B (11161). In conference room meeting with astronaut corps in Bldg 4S, Glenn shakes Robert Cabana's hand (11162). John Glenn and John Young pose for a group shot with Bldg 17 Food lab personnel (11163). Glenn thanks the food lab personnel (11164). Glenn visits Bldg 5 Fixed Base (FB) middeck simulator with astronauts Terrence Henricks and Mary Ellen Weber (11165). Glenn with Charles T. Bourland (11166). STS-70 crew Donald Thomas, Terrence Henricks, Mary Ellen Weber, Nancy Currie and Kevin Kregel with Glenn's advisor (11167). STS-70 crew Thomas, Henricks, Weber, Currie and Kregel with John Glenn (11175). Glenn with Thomas, Kregel, Weber, Henricks and trainer (11176-7). David J. Homan assists Glenn's aide with virtual reality goggles (11168) and Glenn (11174). John Young in Bldg 9C equilibrium trainer (11169). Glenn with Carl Walz in flight deck mock-up of MDF in Bldg 9NE (11170, 11187). Young, Abbey, aides, Glenn and Walz examine helium balloon in MDF (11171-2). Chang-Diaz shows Glenn's tour group the plasma rocket (11173). Glenn's presentation to astronaut corps (11178-81, 11184-5). Glenn is presented with framed picture of Sonny Carter Training Facility (SCTF) (11182) and framed picture of space station (11183).