ISS - Expedition 61 Mission patch / ISS - Expedition 62 Mission patch.
Feb. 12, 2020
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted a number of scientific studies the week of Feb. 3, including research on artificial intelligence assistance, wearable health monitors and the immune system. NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) and Alexander Skvortsov of ROSCOSMOS departed the station late on Feb. 5, landing in Kazakhstan a few hours later. Koch logged the second longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut and the longest by a woman – 328 days. Former astronaut Scott Kelly lived aboard the station for 340 continuous days.
Image above: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir in front of the closed hatch of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter. Attached to the hatch is the SlingShot small satellite deployer loaded with eight CubeSats, deployed into Earth orbit for communications and atmospheric research several hours after Cygnus departed the space station on Jan. 31, 2019. 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.
Image above: NASA astronaut Christina Koch outside the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft after she, Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) and Alexander Skvortsov of ROSCOSMOS landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Koch returned to Earth after logging 328 days in space – the longest spaceflight in history by a woman – as a member of Expeditions 59-60-61. Skvortsov and Parmitano returned after 201 days in space where they served as members of Expedition 60-61. Image Credit: NASA.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
With a little help from AI
The crew updated software and performed activation and checkout steps for the Pilot Study with the Crew Interactive MObile companioN (CIMON), an investigation sponsored by the ESA (European Space Agency). This technology demonstration project and observational study examines how support by an artificial intelligence (AI) affects crew members in terms of efficiency and acceptance during long-term missions in space. Spaceflight missions put crew members under a substantial amount of stress and workload, and AI could provide operational support to lighten that load.
Vital signs
The crew performed 48-hour sessions with the Bio-Monitor garment and data collection unit. The space station is equipped with health and life sciences research tools, but lacks the capability for continuous and simultaneous recording of several types of physiological data. In addition, the medical devices in use often are bulky and invasive and using them can be disruptive and time-consuming. The Canadian Space Agency’s Bio-Monitor Commissioning activity tests a garment capable of up to 48 hours of non-invasive and non-intrusive monitoring. The garment monitors pulse and electrical activity of the heart, blood pressure, breathing rate and volume, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and physical activity levels.
Keeping an eye on the immune system
Functional Immune analyzes blood and saliva samples to determine the changes taking place in the immune systems of crew members during flight. These changes are compared with information reported by the same crew members about stress, sleep disruption and other factors known to affect the immune system. Results could provide new insight into the possible health risks of long-duration space travel and help protect humans on future missions such as to the Moon and Mars. Crew members collected saliva samples and completed questionnaires for the investigation during the week.
Image above: The Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman departing the vicinity of the International Space Station after its release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Cygnus had completed an 88-day stay attached to the Unity module after delivering nearly 8,200 pounds of research materials and supplies to space station on Nov. 4, 2019. Image Credit: NASA.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- The Confined Combustion investigation studies flame spread in confined spaces, specifically the interactions between spreading flames and surrounding walls. Flame spread in spaces such as 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
- Probiotics are live microorganisms that aid digestion and improve overall health. The Probiotics investigation from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) studies whether these beneficial bacteria improve the human intestinal microbiota and immune function.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2047
- JAXA PCG grows high quality protein crystals in microgravity so scientists on Earth can determine their protein structures in detail. These structures can be used to develop pharmaceuticals and catalysts for a variety of industries.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=151
- Food Acceptability examines the effect of repetitive consumption of the food currently available during spaceflight. “Menu fatigue” resulting from a limited choice of foods over time 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
- Standard Measures captures an ongoing, optimized set of measures from crew members to characterize how their bodies adapt to living in space. Researchers use these measures to create a data repository for high-level monitoring of the effectiveness of countermeasures and better interpretation of health and performance outcomes.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7711
- Actiwatch, a sleep-wake monitor worn by a crew member, analyzes circadian rhythms, sleep-wake patterns, and activity. The data are used in a number of studies on sleep and biological rhythms.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=838
Space to Ground: Record Breaking: 02/07/2020
Related links:
Expedition 61: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition61/index.html
Expedition 62: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition62/index.html
Crew Interactive MObile companioN (CIMON): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7639
Bio-Monitor : https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7392
Functional Immune: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2011
Artemis: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
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
Images (mentioned), Video (NASA), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expeditions 61 & 62.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
