ISS - Expedition 60 Mission patch.
July 5, 2019
International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations last week that tracked radiation, studied heat transfer in space and supported future explorations. The current crew includes Expedition 60 Commander Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan, Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA) are scheduled to join them on July 20 – the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Research on the space station supports Artemis, NASA’s program to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there.
Here are details on some of the science conducted on the orbiting lab during the week of July 1:
A direct line to the space station
Image above: During an ISS HAM radio session, NASA astronaut Nick Hague answers questions from students on the ground. Image Credit: NASA.
Crew members conducted an ISS Ham session last week. Using amateur or ham radio, groups of students talk directly to the crew aboard the space station when it passes overhead. The students learn about the space station, radio waves, and other science and engineering topics and prepare questions before their scheduled calls. Hundreds more listen in from classrooms or auditoriums. This real-time contact with the orbiting lab sparks interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and inspires the next generation of explorers.
Tracking neutron radiation
The RADI N2 investigation seeks to better characterize the neutron radiation environment aboard the space station using bubble detectors attached to fixed locations and carried by crew members. The data could help define the risk that this type of radiation poses to crew members and support development of advanced protective measures for future spaceflight. The crew continued to deploy detectors on the space station last week.
A better way to keep cool
Image above: NASA astronaut Christina Koch demonstrates behavior of fluids in the microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.
Last week, the crew conducted a session for the Two Phase Flow investigation, which examines the heat transfer characteristics of flow boiling in microgravity. Boiling removes heat by turning liquid into vapor at the heated surface. Returning that vapor to a liquid by way of a condenser creates a cooling system. In microgravity, though, liquid and bubble behaviors differ drastically from that on Earth. The investigation creates a database on the heat transfer efficiency of liquids in space that can inform design of thermal management systems for future spacecraft. It also can support development of improved cooling systems for hybrid cars and other electronics systems that generate high heat in small spaces on Earth.
Meeting the demand for small satellites
Image above: The sun glints off the Celebes Sea of Southeast Asia in this image captured as the space station flew 225 miles above Indonesia. Image Credit: NASA.
Crew members installed the NanoRacks External Cygnus CubeSat Deployer (extCygnus NRCSD), a stackable, modular case for launching small satellites. Each deployer accommodates up to eight launch cases, helping to meet the growing demand for this type of satellite for a variety of customers. The extCygnus NRCSD releases CubeSats from the Cygnus resupply vehicle after it completes its resupply mission and leaves the space station.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- The Veg-04A investigation focuses on how light quality and fertilizer affect growth of Mizuna mustard, a leafy green crop, as part of an effort to develop the capability to produce fresh food in space. It also looks at microbial food safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the crew, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7896
- Team Task Switching looks at whether crew members have difficulty switching from one task to another and the effects of such switches to reduce negative consequences and improve individual and team motivation and effectiveness: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7538
- 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
- 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
Space to Ground: On the Bubble: 07/05/2019
Related links:
Expedition 60: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition60/index.html
ISS Ham: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=337
RADI N2: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=874
Two Phase Flow: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1034
NanoRacks External Cygnus CubeSat Deployer (extCygnus NRCSD): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=2015
ISS National Lab: https://www.issnationallab.org/
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), Video (NASA), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/Vic Cooley, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 60.
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