ISS - Expedition 59 Mission patch.
May 7, 2019
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station installed a variety of hardware and set up science experiments that arrived via a Cygnus resupply ship. Crew members also collected samples for investigations.
Space to Ground: The Droids You're Looking For: 05/03/2019
Here are details on some of the scientific activities the Expedition 59 crew members conducted the week of April 29:
Documenting life on the space station
A crewmember performed an ISS Experience Log recording and hardware setup in the US LAB to record on-orbit operations, including an introduction prior to crew activities. The ISS Experience creates a cinematic virtual reality film documenting daily life aboard the space station. The eight-to-ten-minute videos created from footage taken during the six-month investigation cover different aspects of crew life, execution of science aboard the station, and the international partnerships involved.
Flying robots in space
Image above: NASA astronaut Anne McClain shown next to the Astrobee robot on an initial test flight inside the ISS. The Astrobee facility enables robotic free flyer technology research in microgravity and is used to test computer vision, robotic manipulation, control algorithms, and Human-Robot Interaction. Image Credit: NASA.
Crewmembers reviewed procedures and performed a test fly around of the Astrobee free flyer. Astrobee is a series of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots. The first two robots arrived on Cygnus. The third robot will arrive this summer on SpaceX CRS-18. The robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station. The autonomous robots, powered by fans and vision-based navigation, perform crew monitoring, sampling, logistics management, and accommodate up to three investigations.
Animation above: NASA astronaut Anne McClain connects one of two Astrobee robots into a docking station for initial activation and checkout. Third robot will arrive during the summer. The autonomous robots, powered by fans and vision-based navigation, perform crew monitoring, sampling, logistics management, and can accommodate up to three investigations. Animation Credit: NASA.
Testing immune response in microgravity
The crew restocked Rodent Habitats 3 and 4 and completed Mass Measurement Injection activities. The crew also replaced food bars in Habitats 1 and 2. Rodent Research-12, Tetanus Antibody Response by B cells in Space (TARBIS), examines the effects of spaceflight on the function of antibody production and immune memory. Spaceflight has a dramatic influence on immune response, but there is little research on its effect following a challenge to the body’s immune system. Using a mouse model makes this possible since the mouse immune system closely parallels that of humans.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens which are to be harvested on-orbit and consumed, with samples returned to Earth for analysis: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7581
Image above: Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques injects water to irrigate Veggie PONDS seedlings. PONDS units have features designed to mitigate microgravity’s effects on water distribution while also increasing oxygen exchange and providing sufficient room for root zone growth. Image Credit: NASA.
- The Fiber Optic Production investigation creates optical fibers with high commercial value aboard the ISS using a blend of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, sodium, and aluminum called ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7630
- The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Educational Payload Operations (EPO) activities are intended to encourage and strengthen the teaching of science curriculum, and through this, to stimulate the curiosity of students and motivate them towards further study of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=228
Related links:
Expedition 59: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html
The ISS Experience: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7877
Astrobee: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891
TARBIS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7868
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
Images (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Video (NASA), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/Jorge Sotomayor, Lead Increment Scientist Expeditions 59/60.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
