Orbiter.ch Space News: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of December 3, 2018

mardi 11 décembre 2018

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of December 3, 2018

ISS - Expedition 57 Mission patch.

Dec. 11, 2018

NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Oleg Konenenko of the Russian space agency Roscosmos joined Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency), Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos aboard the International Space Station last week.

Image above: NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Oleg Konenenko of the Russian space agency Roscosmos joined Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency),Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos aboard the space station last week. Image Credit: NASA.

In addition to expanding the crew, the station also received tons of new science aboard the SpaceX CRS-16 Dragon. Science included investigations like Molecular Muscle, Rodent Research-8, Perfect Crystals and many more.

Image above: Dragon’s 16th mission to the orbital lab will deliver almost 5,700 pounds of science, crew supplies and hardware. Image Credit: NASA.

Here’s a look at some of the science conducted last week aboard the orbiting lab:

Habitats readied for rodent investigation

Spending a lot of time in space causes changes to the human body, including bone, muscle, the cardiovascular system and the immune system. Similar changes occur as people age on Earth. That makes spaceflight an opportunity to study – and perhaps lessen – the effects of aging.

Rodent Research-8 (RR-8) examines the physiology of aging and the effect of age on disease progression using groups of young and old mice flown in space and kept on Earth. Last week, crew members prepared for the arrival of the mice by installing two habitats and stowing habitats used in previous investigations.

Spinning science: cement solidification in space

Solidifying cement in microgravity minimizes gravity-driven phenomena and creates a different microstructure than that observed in typical laboratory conditions on Earth. Understanding the process in microgravity is essential to advancing the ultimate use of cement in extraterrestrial settings, such as Mars or the Moon.

MVP-Cell-05 investigates the complex process of cement solidification at various levels of gravity (lunar, Mars and 0.7 g). The MVP facility, used to conduct research in space with a wide variety of sample types, includes internal carousels that simultaneously can produce up to 2 g of artificial gravity.

Last week, a crewmember mixed control and experiment samples within the portable glove bag. Eight experiment samples were inserted into the MVP centrifuge facility to simulate 0.7 g.

Learn more about the MVP facility here: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/Spinning_Science_MVP_Arrives_At_ISS

Image above: NASA astronaut and station commander Alexander Gerst working on the CASIS PCG-16 investigation. CASIS PCG-16 evaluates growth of LRRK2 protein crystals in microgravity, a protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease. Image Credit: NASA.

Virtual reality sessions test sensory perception aboard orbiting lab

The VECTION investigation, sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), examines how lack of gravity disrupts a person’s ability to visually interpret motion, orientation and distance. A better understanding of the vestibular system and its involvement in sensory perception – learning when and how to trust their eyes, touch and other senses – could help humans in a range of environments, from under water to outer space.

Last week, a crew member performed configuration steps for the VECTION software, as well as verification of the virtual reality headset and trackball components. Later, crew members deployed the VECTION hardware and performed experiment sessions, downlinking data to the ground afterwards.

To learn more about this investigation, click here: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/human_senses_in_space

Other work was done on these investigations:

- CASIS PCG 16 evaluates growth of LRRK2 protein crystals in microgravity. LRRK2 is implicated in Parkinson’s disease, but crystals of the protein grown on Earth are too small and compact to study: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7855

- Cemsica tests using particles of calcium-silicate (C-S) to synthesize nanoporous membranes (those with pores 100 nanometers or smaller) that can separate carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules from air or other gases: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7721

- The Marrow investigation studies the effect of microgravity on bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on the bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the bone marrow: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1673

- Molecular Muscle examines the molecular mechanisms behind muscle loss and the potential for developing countermeasures targeting those mechanisms: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7576

- Behavioral Core Measures examines an integrated, standardized suite of measurements for its ability to rapidly and reliably assess the risk of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders during long-duration spaceflight: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7537

- Standard Measures collects a set of core measurements related to many human spaceflight risks from astronauts before, during, and after long-duration missions. The aim is to ensure consistent capture of an optimized, minimal set of measures from crew members until the end of the International Space Station Program in order to characterize the adaptive responses to and risks of living in space: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7711

Space to Ground: Four Orbits Later: 12/07/2018