Astronaut Donald Thomas works in the spacelab aboard the space shuttle Columbia Sunday, July 6, 1997, in this image from television. AP Photo/NASA TV

Astronauts conduct metal tests on mission's sixth day

Web posted July 7, 1997

Associated Press

SPACE CENTER, Houston - Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts ran tests on metals Sunday that eventually could lead to better sporting goods on Earth.

On the sixth day of their 16-day science mission, astronaut Gregory Linteris activated an experiment involving zirconium-based alloys that may help researchers determine superior ways to process metallic glasses.

``We are taking fundamental measurements of these alloys, in some cases for the first time,'' said project scientist Jan Rogers of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

``These measurements will be used to make better products on Earth. For instance, findings from metallic glass investigations may be used to improve sporting good products, such as golf clubs, because of their good elastic properties.''

Besides sporting goods, metallic glasses could be used in the future in the computer industry and at processing plants. Present applications include transformer cores and hard-facing for oil field drills bits.

The experiment is one of 33 being conducted by the seven-member shuttle crew, flying for the second time in three months because a defective generator forced an early return to Earth in April.

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