NASA Life Sciences Research Goes On Line

[Keith L. Cowing]

RELEASE:  95-97

NASA LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH GOES ON LINE

    Beginning today on the Internet, computer users will be 
able to access the first stage of a NASA data archive that 
eventually will provide the wealth of scientific knowledge 
developed from 30 years of space-based research into the effects
of microgravity on living systems, including the human body.

    The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA) contains overview 
information on the 18 experiments conducted on the Spacelab 
Life Sciences-1 mission that flew on board the Shuttle in June 
1991.  As the system grows and matures, information from other 
life sciences research conducted on other missions, such as the 
International Microgravity Laboratory flights, Spacelab-Japan 
and Spacelab Life Sciences-2, will be included.

    "We have a great deal of valuable information in our life 
sciences archive," said Gerry Taylor, Project Manager of the 
Life Sciences Data Archive and staff scientist in the Life 
Sciences Program Integration Office at the Johnson Space Center 
(JSC), Houston.  "Now, people will be able to learn about the 
research we have done and how it has direct applications to 
their own quality of life here on Earth."

    The information is housed at the National Space Science 
Data Center (NSSDC) with active links to a number of other 
NASA-related home pages.  Internet users can access the 
information at: 

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/life/nssdc/life_home.html

    The archives are designed for easy use by researchers, 
educators and students.  The Master Catalog will serve as a 
top-level directory describing each completed life science 
space flight, and provide an overview of each experiment 
conducted during the flight.  Beginning in the Fall of 1995, 
users also will be able to order several CD-ROM products from 
the NSSDC for more detailed information about a single mission 
or single experiment.  The Mission CD-ROMs will provide 
information about the mission itself; the available LSDA 
Experiment CD-ROM will contain fundamental, analyzed and 
summarized data for any particular life sciences experiment 
conducted on a flight.

    "We are very excited about the prospect of sharing this 
wealth of knowledge with the American public," Taylor said.  
"With the archives available through the Internet, researchers 
will be able to stay current with space life science research 
and results, and will benefit from having a central location 
where they can find this information."

    Taylor also stressed that the information available on the 
Internet will be valuable to students and educators in 
preparing research papers or class lessons, and in proposing 
student experiments to NASA.

    The Life Sciences Data Archive was developed jointly by the 
Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications at 
NASA Headquarters; JSC; Ames Research Center, Mountain View, 
CA; and Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD; with 
support from Martin Marietta Services Group, Houston, TX; 
Futron Corp. and the Uniformed Services University of Health 
Sciences, Bethesda, MD; Lockheed Engineering and Science Group, 
Houston, TX and Sunnyvale, CA; Hughes STX, Greenbelt, MD; Mains 
Associates, Berkeley, CA; and Universities Space Research 
Association, Washington, DC.

                       - end -

-- 
Keith L. Cowing  -  Manager of Planning and Operations
American Institute of Biological Sciences
10700 Parkridge Blvd Suite 380  -  Reston, VA, USA 22091
703-758-1212 voice  -  703-758-1222 fax
kcowing at aibs.org  -  gopher://aibs.org