Orbiter.ch Space News: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of August 12, 2019

mardi 20 août 2019

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of August 12, 2019

ISS - Expedition 60 Mission patch.

Aug. 20, 2019

Scientific studies continued aboard the International Space Station last week, including experiments on acoustics, crystal growth, the effects of microgravity on stem cells, and more. Crew members also prepared for an upcoming extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, to install an International Docking Adapter or IDA. Use of these standardized docking facilities allows the space station to accommodate multiple spacecraft, from new commercial craft to other yet-to-be designed international vehicles. The space station is a test bed for learning what keeps humans healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrating technologies for future exploration, including Artemis, NASA’s program to return humans to the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars.

Image above: NASA astronaut Christina Koch takes images of Earth from the cupola as the space station flies 259 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South America. Image Credit: NASA.

Here are details on some of the science conducted on the orbiting laboratory during the week of August 12:

Space may be silent but the space station is not

The crew completed questionnaires and measured ambient background noise for the Acoustic Diagnostics investigation, which tests the hearing of crew members before, during, and after flight to assess possible adverse effects of noise and microgravity. Researchers compare the relationship between the detection of sounds naturally generated from within the inner ear and hearing loss from exposure to noisy environments.

Toward a longer shelf life for antibodies

Image above: Monoclonal antibodies like this one bind selectively to targets, meaning they can fight a wide range of diseases while leaving healthy tissues and cells intact. CASIS PCG 19 compares antibody formulation stability in microgravity and on Earth. Image Credit: NASA.

Vials for the CASIS PCG 19 investigation incubated at different temperatures for two weeks. The crew transferred these vials to the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) to preserve them. This investigation examines the stability of monoclonal antibody formulations in microgravity. These formulations degrade over time but discarding them leads to increased cost and limits locations on Earth where patients can benefit from them. Storing formulations in microgravity may reveal processes that lead to degradation and, ultimately, to methods for slowing it down.

Understanding stem cells in space

Animation above: European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano conducts operations for the Micro-15 investigation, which examines the influence of microgravity on stem cell differentiation, gene expression and cell proliferation. Animation Credit: NASA.

Stem cells are capable of becoming any type of cell in the body, a process known as cell differentiation. Prior flight experiments and ground-based simulations have demonstrated that microgravity influences this differentiation as well as gene expression and cell proliferation in stem cells. The Micro-15 investigation examines the mechanisms behind these observations using three-dimensional (3D) cultures of mammalian stem cells. The crew prepared the culture sets and initiated incubation. Sets of twelve samples will incubate for various lengths of time before retrieval and fixing.

Keeping tabs on astronaut health

Bio-Monitor tests a wearable garment capable of monitoring an astronaut’s heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature and other parameters for up to 48 hours in a non-invasive and unobtrusive way. The space station is equipped with health and life sciences research tools, but the capability for continuous and simultaneous recording of several physiological parameters is lacking. The Bio-Monitor could help address these gaps. Last week, a crew member wore the garment and headband connected to the data unit for a 72-hour session.

Other investigations on which the crew performed work:

- Lighting Effects studies the effects on crew member circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance when solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) replace fluorescent light bulbs on the space station:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2013

- The ISS Experience creates short virtual reality videos from footage taken during the yearlong investigation covering different aspects of crew life, execution of science and the international partnerships involved on the space station:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7877

- Food Acceptability examines changes in the appeal of food aboard the space station during long-duration missions. “Menu fatigue” from repeatedly consuming a limited choice of foods may contribute to the loss of body mass often experienced by crew members, potentially affecting astronaut health, especially as mission length increases:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7562

- Standard Measures captures a consistent and simple set of measures from crew members throughout the ISS Program to characterize adaptive responses to and risks of living in space:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7711

- Goodyear Tire evaluates creation of silica fillers using traditional techniques in microgravity, which may yield results not possible on Earth:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7716

- Rodent Research-17 (RR-17) uses young and old mice to evaluate the physiological, cellular and molecular effects of microgravity and spaceflight:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7992

Space to Ground: Robotic Refueling: 08/16/2019