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Sunday, July 21, 1996
(This article originally appeared in the Toronto Sun, Sunday, July 21, 1996, while Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason worked in Russia on experiments that would be conducted on space station Mir. In November, Tryggvason was named to shuttle mission STS - 85, Aug. 7 - 18, 1997.)
Good vibrations
Canadian astronaut puts cosmonauts to the test
By MATTHEW FISHER-- Toronto Sun
STAR CITY, Russia - - Bjarni Tryggvason's dream is to fly in space.
That's why he joined the Canadian space program as an astronaut when the
program began 12 years ago. That's why he is one of seven Canadians still in
the Canadian astronaut program today.
But he hasn't flown yet.
Tryggvason is a fluid dynamics engineer and applied mathematician based at
the Canadian space headquarters in Montreal. While waiting for his first
flight aboard one of NASA's space shuttles, Tryggvason, who is 50 but is so
fit and boyish - looking that he could pass for 30, has been busy training other
astronauts and cosmonauts on a piece of scientific equipment developed in
Canada.
Tryggvason and three other Canadian scientists have spent many weeks this
year in Moscow teaching Americans and Russians going into space how to operate
a Canadian - designed and built Microgravity Isolation Mount being used for the
first time as a platform to conduct experiments aboard the Mir space station.
A layman's explanation of the purpose of the invention, which weighs 30
kilos and can fit into a boxy suitcase, is to provide a vibration - free
environment in space in which alloys can be cooked. The results are then
transmitted to Earth, where they are analyzed.
"If you put your hand against the side of a car as it is running, a
vibration is always there," Tryggvason said during a brief tour of Star City,
where the Russian space program is based, and of Russia's mission control in a
distant suburb of Moscow.
"You can't feel it, but the space station also vibrates about one - tenth of
a G (gravity force). We're trying to get it down to a micro G, or
one - thousandth of a G."
The Canadian isolation mount, which cost several million dollars to
develop, was powered up on May 15.
Tryggvason, who is of Icelandic descent, has been working on the device
since 1990. To Russia this is a NASA project, although the Canadians here deal
directly with the Mir staff. The actual experiments now being conducted aboard
Mir are half - Canadian and half - American. They are being conducted by Shannon
Lucid, a 53 - year - old American biochemist who went up in space in March.
Tryggvason is still waiting his turn. Of the seven current Canadian
astronauts, three - Marc Garneau (twice), Chris Hadfield and Robert Thirsk -
have made it to the launch pad.
As with everyone on the team, Tryggvason comes with an impressive resume.
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Tryggvason spent most his formative years in
Canada, graduating from the University of British Columbia in engineering
physics. The single father of two later specialized in fluid dynamics and
worked for the National Research Council in studying the Ocean Ranger tragedy
of 1982. He was one of the original group of astronauts chosen in 1983 and has
been doing flight experiments ever since.
The road to space now goes through Star City, where Tryggvason teaches with
a microgravity mount that has not been adapted for use in space like the one
on Mir. Although making a device which meets the stringent safety standard of
NASA and the Russians costs $250,000 a pop, it is not a particularly imposing
machine. It has a floater, which is computer - controlled, and a set of magnets,
which allows a platform to levitate above a console with several plugs and
toggles.
"How does it benefit mankind? A darn good question," Tryggvason said,
smiling broadly. "Science wants to learn how to predict when things will
happen. Nobody can predict where science will take us; what materials we will
be able to produce 10 years from now.
"But we will have better jet engines, better metals in our cars, products
that last longer. If we can improve the science in even small areas where we
presently are spending billions of dollars, we could pay for the entire space
program as well as adding to our body of knowledge."
Canada has received more "space time" between May and September on Mir for
its low - vibration experiments than it has had for other experiments on shuttle
flights over the last 10 years. The Canadian platform is to make its debut on
a shuttle mission next year.
"There is an element of anxiety in doing something new like this, but we
haven't heard anything yet about problems," Tryggvason said.
Standing in Russia's mission control room, before a huge map of the world
and a digital board recording the space station's 58,493rd orbit of the Earth,
Tryggvason was gung - ho about working alongside Russian space experts -
something that would have been unthinkable when he went to become a NASA
astronaut in Texas in the mid - 80s.
"It's neat being here. Once you get past the door you have total freedom
here," the Canadian said. "It is not the same relaxed atmosphere in Houston,
where there are lots of badges.
"Cosmonauts are very similar to astronauts, but some of their training is
even more demanding than ours. These cosmonauts are sharp. Every one of them
is outstanding, some more so than others."
His Russian partner, Pyotr Subarov, knows the levitation platform so well
now that he does much of the cosmonauts' training.
Teaching is one thing. Getting a mission is another.
Having already waited 12 years for his first shuttle flight, Tryggvason was
polite, but understandably non - commital about when he might get to take off
from Cape Canavral. It is, after all, a decision that will be made by others.
"I hope to go up a year from now," Tryggvason said.
As he spoke, he gazed mystically at the mission control map, where he could
see Mir and his Microgravity Isolation Mount was looping slowly over South
America.
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