ISS - Expedition 58 Mission patch.
Jan. 28, 2019
Last week, Expedition 58 crew members continued conducting science aboard the International Space Station along with packing the NG-10 Cygnus resupply vehicle for its departure from the station. Upon undocking, Cygnus will boost to an altitude and inclination ideal for satellite deployment and release small satellites from the SlingShot small satellite deployment system. The cargo craft will then begin its descent toward Earth for a fiery but safe demise over the Pacific Ocean.
International Space Station (ISS). Image Credit: NASA
Here are details about some of the science conducted in space this week:
Ongoing work to protect astronauts’ eyes
After performing dilution measures last week, crew members continued collecting data for the Fluid Shifts investigation this week, performing a lower body negative pressure imaging session. This NASA investigation collects, at various intervals, dilution measurements and baseline imaging to help determine the causes for severe and lasting physical changes seen in the eyes of astronauts during spaceflight and to support development of preventive measures. A shift of fluids to the head may contribute to these changes, so one possible intervention could be reversing this fluid shift with a lower body negative pressure device.
A day in space station life
Animation above: NASA astronaut works within the Life Sciences Glovebox as a part of the Rodent Research-8 investigation. Animation Credit: NASA.
Crew members participated in a conference and ground uplinked the file needed for a firmware update for the ISS Experience. Filmed over multiple months, ISS Experience documents daily life aboard the space station using cinematic virtual reality (VR). Videos cover different aspects of crew life, execution of science aboard the station and the international partnerships involved.
Testing solution convection for better crystal growth
The crew installed a Biophysics-5 plate into the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) and Light Microscopy Module (LMM). This investigation tests whether the movement of molecules through a fluid, known as solution convection, enhances or suppresses formation of the dense liquid clusters from which crystals form. This could answer the question of why protein crystallization investigations in microgravity often generate unexpectedly low or high numbers of crystals.
Image above: The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Exposed Facility (EF). The JEM-EF is continuously exposed to the space environment and can hold up to 10 experiments at a time. Image Credit: NASA.
The FIR is a complementary fluid physics research facility designed to host investigations involving colloids, gels, bubbles, capillary action, phase changes, and other phenomena. The LMM, a modified flexible and state-of-the-art commercial light imaging microscope facility, provides researchers with a powerful diagnostic hardware and software tool in space.
Other work was performed on these investigations:
- MISSE-10 hosts a suite of eight NASA investigations aboard the Materials International Space Station Flight Facility (MISSE-FF): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7929
- Lighting Effects examines whether changing from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2013
- MSPR is a multi-purpose small payload rack in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) used for a variety of scientific experiments: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1090
- Polar Express is a Cold Stowage managed facility for transport and storage of science samples at cryogenic temperatures (-80ºC) to and from the space station: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1092
Related links:
Expedition 58: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition58/index.html
SlingShot: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7847
Fluid Shifts: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1126
ISS Experience: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7877
Biophysics-5: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7742
Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=351
Light Microscopy Module (LMM): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=531
Spot the Station: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Animation (mentioned), Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/Vic Cooley, Lead Increment Scientist Expeditions 57/58.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
