Orbiter.ch Space News: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of February 17, 2020

vendredi 21 février 2020

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of February 17, 2020

ISS - Expedition 62 Mission patch.

Feb. 21, 2020

The three members of Expedition 62 currently aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific research the week of Feb. 17 that included studies of neutron radiation, bone loss and phage therapy. New scientific experiments and facilities and supplies arrived early on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on the Northrop Grumman 13th commercial resupply services mission. The Cygnus spacecraft remains at the space station until May. NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative deployed nine small satellites, including AzTechSat-1, developed by the Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) in Mexico that will use the Globalstar satellite constellation for satellite phone and low-speed data communications.

Image above: New scientific experiments and supplies arrived at the space station early on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft, shown here attached to the Unity module shortly after being captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Cygnus remains docked at the space station for three months. 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:

Nowhere to hide for neutrons

Image above: One of the bubble detectors for the Radi-N2 investigation, which characterizes the neutron environment aboard the space station in order to help define the risk posed to the health of crew members and support development of measures to protect them on future long spaceflights. Image Credit: NASA.

The crew deployed detectors for the Radi-N2 investigation near Cupola windows. This Canadian Space Agency investigation uses bubble detectors to better characterize the neutron environment on the space station, which could help define the risk this radiation source poses to crew members and provide data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future spaceflight. Neutrons make up a significant fraction of the biologically effective radiation exposure in low-Earth orbit. The bubble detectors monitor neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

A close look at osteoblasts

Image above: Osteoblast and osteoclast cells fixed and stained for the OsteoOmics investigation, which examines bone-forming cells to determine the molecular mechanisms behind bone loss experienced by people in space. Image Credits: Bruce Hammer, University of Minnesota.

Humans experience bone loss in microgravity as well as from disease or prolonged bed rest on Earth. OsteoOmics investigates the molecular and metabolic changes that occur in osteoblasts, cells in the body that form bone, in real and simulated microgravity. A better understanding of these changes could help researchers understand the mechanisms of bone loss in space and on Earth and lead to better prevention and treatment.

During the week, crew members conducted set-up and operations for the investigation.

Fighting viruses with phages

Bacteriophages, viruses that invade and destroy bacteria, have potential for fighting infectious diseases. With resistance to antibiotics increasing, phage therapy offers a possible alternative. In addition, phages can eliminate harmful bacteria without causing large-scale damage to the body’s beneficial bacterial population or microbiome. Scientists also can evolve phages in the laboratory to remain potent even if resistant bacteria develop.

Phage Evolution examines the effects of microgravity and radiation exposure on phage and host interactions, including phage specificity for a host and host resistance to specific phages. A better understanding of the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on bacteriophages and hosts could result in significant developments for phage technology, ultimately helping protect the health of astronauts on future missions. Crew members performed set-up activities in the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab (SABL) and the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for the investigation.

Other investigations on which the crew performed work:

- ISS HAM gives students an opportunity to talk directly with crew members via ham radio when the space station passes over their schools. This interaction engages and educates students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=337

- Zero-G Oven examines heat transfer properties and the process of baking food in microgravity. On future long-duration missions, fresh-baked food could have psychological and physiological benefits for crew members.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7993

- 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

Space to Ground: Liftoff from Virginia: 02/21/2020