MIR ELECTRIC FIELD CHARACTERIZATION (MEFC) EXPERIMENT

The radio frequency interference (RFI) environment projected for the International Space Station is of increasing concern due to new ground-based transmitters for communication and radar applications. The purpose of the MEFC experiment is to measure interior and exterior RFI between 400 MHz and 18 GHz bands at the 51 degree inclination. The data obtained from this experiment will be analyzed to determine whether interference mitigation techniques will be necessary for the ISS avionics equipment.

Experiment hardware consists of a frequency spectrum analyzer, antennas, mounting plate, cables, tools, and laptop computer. The experiment will be performed on the Shuttle during the docked phase of STS-76 and on both the Shuttle and Mir while STS-79 is docked.