KSC00pp0494

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Placed at the end of Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay are two GetAway Special (GAS) experiments, MARS (left) and SEM-06 (right). MARS is the name for part of the KSC Space Life Sciences Outreach Program. It includes 20 participating schools (ranging from elementary to high school) from all over the nation and one in Canada who have been involved in KSC Space Life Sciences projects over the past seven years. The MARS payload has 20 tubes filled with materials for various classroom investigations designed by the MARS schools. The SEM program is student-developed, focusing on the science of zero-gravity and microgravity. Selected student experiments on this sixth venture are testing the effects of space on Idaho tubers, seeds, paint, yeast, film, liquids, electronics and magnetic chips. The primary mission of STS-101 is to deliver logistics and supplies to the International Space Station, plus prepare the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000. The crew will conduct one space walk to perform maintenance on the Space Station. This will be the third assembly flight for the Space Station. STS-101 is scheduled to launch April 24 at 4:15 p.m. from Launch Pad 39A