Release No. 96-044

Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors On Mir (EDLS-Mir)

What Are The Objectives Of EDLS-Mir?

EDLS-Mir is designed to measure the forces imposed on the Russian space station Mir by the crew during their normal work routines. Simple, everyday activities, such as opening and closing a locker door or moving from one work station to another, cause vibrations on the space station that can affect some of the more sensitive microgravity experiments.

How Will The EDLS-Mir Data Improve The International Space Station?

EDLS-Mir will provide the designers of the International Space Station (ISS) with an extensive data set on the effects of crew movement on a space station's microgravity environment. In addition, EDLS will provide ISS designers with the critical information necessary for the design of both active and passive devices to control the effects of crew movement on scientific experiments. ISS engineers will use the EDLS-Mir data to develop and refine the computer models that are used to predict the effects of crew movement on the ISS.

What Hardware Components Make Up EDLS-Mir?

EDLS-Mir consists of two instrumented foot loops/restraints, a handhold and a push-off plate. The four sensors are connected to a high-speed, computer-controlled data acquisition and storage system through separate umbilical cords. The EDLS sensors will measure the magnitude and frequency of the forces the crew exert when they use the restraints.

How Will EDLS Study Crew Motions Aboard Mir?

The EDLS-Mir sensors will initially be located at the Priroda module's glove box, a high-activity area aboard Mir. The EDLS sensors will be used by Mir crew members to maintain their positions while working with the glove box during the performance of scientific experiments. When a crew member uses the EDLS restraints, any crew motion is detected by the sensors and the forces are measured at a rate of 1,500 samples per second for each restraint. Over a period of approximately six months, EDLS will be set up at several different locations aboard Mir to obtain data on a wide variety of crew operations.

Has EDLS-Mir Flown In Space Before?

Nearly all the components of EDLS-Mir flew on STS-62 in March 1994 as part of the Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE).

For more information on the Mir Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors (EDLS-Mir) experiment please contact the NASA Langley Office of Public Affairs at (757) 864-6123.

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