STS-107
Report #10 
Friday, January 24, 2003 -- 5 p.m. 
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 
 
Research continued aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia today as the seven astronauts 
aboard continued to work in shifts, coordinating work with investigators on the 
ground.

Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, and 
Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of the Red Team began their workday about 5 a.m. CST, 
focusing again on work with the SOFBALL (Structures of Flame Balls) experiment and 
the ARMS (Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System) human physiology experiment. 
Husband maneuvered Columbia into the proper positions for the various experiments.

The two teams have completed seven SOFBALL runs so far, including the first of 
several using methane as a fuel, which is visible to the naked eye as a faint blue 
flame. This evening, the Blue Team will attempt the longest planned test, lasting 
2 hours, 47 minutes, while the shuttle is placed in a "free drift" configuration 
to eliminate thruster firings that could affect the test.

Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Dave Brown and Michael Anderson of 
the Blue Team were awakened about 2:30 p.m. to the sounds of "Hotel California" 
performed by members of McCool's family. Their duty shift was scheduled to begin 
about 5 p.m. after a pre-bedtime handover from the Red Team.

The Blue Team also will resume work with the Mechanics of Granular Materials 
experiment, looking at how sandy soil full of water behaves under pressure. 
Three compressions are planned over the next two days, with a final run set for 
later in the mission.

The study of spiral moss growth in space completed a set of time-critical fixations 
on several sets of moss plants, so that their growth rates can be established after 
the flight. Four more fixations are planned. The Astroculture experiment harvested 
the last of its six samples of essential oils from rose and rice flowers, which 
could eventually result in new perfume fragrances. Checks of all of the insects, 
spiders and animals aboard Columbia showed that all are healthy in their enclosures.

Flight controllers and the crew continue to manage temperatures in the Spacehab 
Research Double Module by periodically adjusting cooling loop settings. Columbia 
is in good shape, orbiting at an altitude of 180 statute miles.