#ov101

(gaboxadol, OV101)

Retrieval of fear memories can be state-dependent, meaning that they are best retrieved if the brain states at encoding and retrieval are similar. Such states can be induced by activating extrasynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAAR) with the broad α-subunit activator gaboxadol.

GABAAR agonist gaboxadol (GBX), which specifically activates extrasynaptic GABAAR (Chandra et al. 2006), is capable of eliciting state-dependent contextual fear conditioning.

“Northwestern Medicine scientists, led by Dr. Radulovic, used mice in their study of repressed memories. The team gave the mice gaboxadol, a drug that stimulates receptors associated with hidden memories, to change their brain state.

The mice were then put in a box and given a brief, mild shock. The next day, when the mice were returned to the same box, they moved freely and without fear — indicating to the scientists that they did not recall the earlier shock. However, when the scientists gave the mice the drug again, returning them to the previous mental state, the mice froze in fear when in the box. The scientists concluded that only when the mice were returned to the brain state in which they experienced stress did they remember that experience.”

May 1, 1979 - Enterprise becomes first shuttle to roll out, laying groundwork for shuttle operations at KSC.

Following a year of vibration testing at Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, space shuttle Enterprise was delivered to Kennedy Space Center in April, 1979. Over the course of three and a half months, the mockup orbiter would validate Kennedy’s modifications to accommodate the new fleet of space vehicles, which were a radical departure from the capsules the center was built for.

Enterprise was used to validate the new Orbiter Processing Facilities, and the procedures in them. Following this, the orbiter was then used to test and validate hoisting and movement operations in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Finally, technicians practiced assembling a shuttle stack by mating Enterprise to a pair of SRB’s and an External Tank.

On May 1, 1979, the first-ever shuttle stack departed the Vehicle Assembly Building for LC-39A. Although the crawler has a maximum speed of 2 miles per hour, the stack was driven at various speeds in order to test vibration stresses during crawler transport. This was later used to determine optimal rollout speeds for future shuttle missions.

Once at the pad, technicians practiced fueling the External Tank for the first time - a critical step for Coulmbia’s Wet Dress Rehearsal in the month’s prior to her maiden voyage. This test revealed an undiscovered problem that endangered the orbiter and it’s crew - ice buildup at the tip of the ET, where supercold Liquid Oxygen was venting. 

The Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is lowered to the floor of the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building during destacking operations.

The Enterprise, mated to an external tank and twin inert solid rocket boosters, formed a nonlaunchable Space Shuttle which was used for fit and fuction checks of assembly, test and launch facilities at the nation's Spaceport.