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Tomorrow morning NASA will launch the first of three fluid-flow experiments designed by Mark Weislogel, an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Portland State University, to the International Space Station.

Weislogel's group of experiments, known collectively as the Capillary Flow Experiment, is one of only three projects selected by NASA as the result of a nationwide "fast to flight" effort to create alternative small-scale, hand-held experiments in the wake of the space shuttle Columbia tragedy in February 2003. The temporary grounding of the shuttle fleet halted NASA's plan for sending large research experiments to the space station. Now, smaller Russian Progress rockets are supplying the space station, warranting the need for experiments that can be transported in limited cargo space. Weislogel's experiment is currently scheduled for launch at 3:58 a.m. (PST) aboard a Russian Progress Module (flight 13P).

Weislogel's experiments will analyze the flow of fluids in weightless or near-weightless environments-research that may help develop improved fluid-management systems for fuels, cooling systems, wastewater recycling and other vital elements of spacecraft. The experiment headed into space tomorrow addresses key concerns relevant to cryogenic and liquid propellant storage tanks. Specifically, the investigation focuses of an important mathematical condition used to model such systems and the extent to which it can be extrapolated.

Since 1986 Prof. Weislogel has conducted fundamental and applied thermal/fluids research, systems analyses, and engineering research and development. He has 10 years aerospace experience working with NASA, specializing in microgravity capillary flows and phenomena and leading to numerous drop tower tests, low-g aircraft campaigns, and five space flight experiments aboard the Space Shuttle and Russian Mir Space Station. Current research interests include macroscale and microscale capillary-driven flows in complex geometries, passive cooling systems, microscale thermal devices, and microgravity fluid mechanics. Weislogel has over 40 publications including two patents.

In early February Weislogel will travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center to train the next crew on the second installment of the experiment to be sent to space later in 2004.

Contact: Erin Malecha, (503) 725-8794