(24 Jun 1996) English/Nat
On its fourth day in space, the astronauts on board the US Shuttle Columbia are continuing their experiments as they try for a 17-day shuttle record in orbit around the Earth.
Human behaviour is the focus on this flight as the astronauts experiment on themselves to determine the effects of prolonged space flight.
By knowing how the body reacts to weightlessness, scientists hope they can counteract some of the harmful effects of space flight.
Columbia's astronauts have powered down all nonessential systems as they try to stay aloft for 17 days.
That would be a record for a shuttle flight, though it pales in comparison with the months that astronauts aboard Russia's Mir station have been in space.
The bulk of the mission is concentrating on how the body behaves outside Earth's gravity.
NASA says the data gathered here will be used when a permanently-manned international space station is built.
Scientists had been hoping to study motion sickness, which is common among astronauts.
But crew members say they have adapted so well they are not suffering from the malady.
There are also tests of pure science going on.
One study tracks how fluids flow over the surface of a bubble in a weightless vacuum.
Scientists hope that results from these tests will help them develop countermeasures to slow the body's deterioration in a weightless environment.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I actually look forward to spending more time in space after this. If we get the international space station up, we'll be staying up there for periods of up to two and three months at a time."
SUPER CAPTION:
Richard M. Linnehan, Mission Specialist
Fighting these health problems will allow astronauts to stay aboard the planned international space station longer.
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