Orbiter.ch Space News: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of January 6, 2020

vendredi 10 janvier 2020

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of January 6, 2020

ISS - Expedition 61 Mission patch.

Jan. 10, 2020

The week of Jan. 6, the crew of the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations including research on protein crystal growth, biofilm control and improving the intestinal microbiome of crew members. The crew packed samples from a number of studies into the SpaceX Dragon for return to Earth for analysis. Dragon departed the space station early the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, splashing down in the Pacific a few hours later.

Image above: A waxing crescent Moon is pictured as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above the north African country of Algeria. Image Credit: NASA.

Now in its 20th year of continuous human presence, the space station provides a platform for long-duration research in microgravity and for learning to live and work in space. Experience gained on the orbiting lab supports Artemis, NASA’s program to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars.

Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:

Improving crystal growth in space

Image above: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir works on the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a 3-D biological printer that tests the printing of human organs and tissues in space away from the detrimental effects of Earth’s gravity. Image Credit: NASA.

The crew prepared crystals grown as part of the Effects of Impurities on Perfection of Protein Crystals, Partition Functions, and Growth Mechanisms (Advanced Nano Step) investigation for return to Earth. This Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) experiment monitors and records how specific impurities affect the development and quality of protein crystals. Detailed analysis of protein crystal structure contributes to research on production of targeted pharmaceuticals and therapies. More than 20 years of experiments have shown that microgravity produces higher quality protein crystals, but the improved success rate has been at most 60 percent. Advanced Nano Step aims to improve that rate, shorten the time needed for sample preparation, and find out what kinds of impurities reduce the quality of space-grown protein crystals.

Better control of biofilms

Animation above: NASA astronaut Christina Koch conducts operations for Space Biofilms. This investigation examines microbial species and their formation of biofilms, communities of microorganisms that attach to each other and to different surfaces. Animation Credit: NASA.

The crew also stowed Group Activation Packs (GAPs) from Space Biofilms into the Dragon capsule for return to Earth. This investigation examines microbial species and their formation of biofilms, or communities of microorganisms that attach to each other and to different surfaces. Biofilms can cause equipment malfunction and human illness and could present serious problems on future long-term space missions. Better control of biofilms could help better maintain crewed spacecraft and protect the health and safety of crew members as well as help prevent the introduction of Earth-based microbes to planetary bodies on which humans land.

A busy week for JAXA

Crew members conducted operations for several other JAXA investigations (JAXA) during the week, including Probiotics and Colloidal Clusters. Scientists are concerned that some harmful bacteria may grow stronger and more virulent in microgravity. At the same time, the human immune system becomes weaker in space, representing an increased risk to crew health. The Probiotics investigation studies whether beneficial bacteria (probiotics) improve the human intestinal microbiota and immune function on long-duration space missions. The crew collected saliva samples and completed questionnaires for the investigation.

JAXA’s Colloidal Clusters investigates the mechanism behind formation of clusters containing negatively and positively charged particles suspended in liquid. These clusters may be useful as building blocks for future photonic, or light-manipulating, materials. Crew members transferred investigation samples to the FROST facility in preparation for their eventual return to Earth for analysis. Two FROST units on the space station provide cold stowage to support experiments that require low temperatures and serve as additional cold storage for experiment samples such as plant cells, seeds and other materials.

Image above: Image from a burn conducted for the Confined Combustion investigation of flame spread in confined spaces, which may pose a more serious hazard than flame spread in open spaces. Image Credit: NASA.

Other investigations on which the crew performed work:

- The Confined Combustion investigation studies flame spread in confined spaces. Flame spread in such spaces, including buildings and vehicles, may pose a more serious hazard than it does in open spaces.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7886

- Radi-N2, an investigation by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), characterizes the neutron radiation environment on the space station to help define the risk to crew members and support development of advanced protective measures for future spaceflight.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=874

- RR-19 examines the potential benefits of targeting the myostatin (MSTN) and activin signaling pathways to prevent skeletal muscle and bone loss during spaceflight.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8075

- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Space Moss investigation determines how microgravity affects mosses. Tiny plants without roots, mosses grow in a very small area, an advantage for their potential use on long space voyages.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7892

- BioFabrication Facility (BFF) tests the printing of human organs and tissues in microgravity, a first step toward manufacturing entire human organs in space using refined biological 3D printing techniques.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7599

- Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology (BEST) studies the use of DNA sequencing to identify microbial organisms and improve understanding of how humans, plants and microbes adapt to living in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7687

- 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

- Vascular Echo examines changes in blood vessels and hearts of crew members in space and their recovery upon return to Earth. Some returning crew members have much stiffer arteries after space flight.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1664

Space to Ground: Descending Dragon: 01/10/2020