ISS - Expedition 62 Mission patch.
Feb. 28, 2020
Scientific investigations conducted aboard the International Space Station the week of Feb. 24 included studies of complex plasmas and shifts in body fluids in space. Crew members also completed initial unloading operations from the recently arrived Cygnus resupply craft, configuring it for easy access to the remaining cargo and as temporary stowage in anticipation of arrival of the SpaceX 20th resupply mission in early March.
Image above: An image taken as the space station orbited 265 miles above Canada shows the eastern United State coasts of, from bottom left to top right, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. 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:
Understanding plasma crystals
The crew performed four experiment runs over several days for the Plasma Krystal-4 (PK-4) investigation, a collaboration between the ESA (European Space Agency) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) to study complex plasmas. These are low temperature gaseous mixtures of ionized gas, neutral gas and micron-sized particles. The particles can become highly charged and interact with each other, leading to self-organized structures called plasma crystals.
Plasmas occur throughout the universe, from the interstellar medium to the heat shields of spacecraft re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Understanding how plasma crystals form in microgravity could shed light on plasma phenomena in space and possibly lead to new research methods or improved spacecraft designs.
Producing isobutene from E. coli
The crew retrieved samples for the Tapping Microgravity to Enhance Biofuel Production (STaARS BioScience-9) investigation and placed them in cold stowage. This research examines the rates of production of isobutene from a genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Isobutene is a widely used biofuel, and producing it from cultures aboard spacecraft could enhance the sustainability of future long-duration missions. The microgravity experiment also may help identify better ways to produce isobutene on Earth, reducing dependence on petrochemical processes and petroleum resources.
Taking a look at vision changes
Image above: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir configures the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) inside the Fluids Integrated Rack. The LMM enables novel research on microscopic phenomena in microgravity with the capability of remotely acquiring and downloading digital images and videos across many levels of magnification. Image Credit: NASA.
More than half of American astronauts experience vision changes and anatomical changes to their eyes during and after long-duration space flight. During spaceflight, body fluids shift into the head, increasing pressure in the brain. Scientists suspect that this increased pressure pushes on the back of the eye, changing its shape and affecting vision. The Fluid Shifts investigation measures how much fluid moves from the lower to the upper body and in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the effect on fluid pressure in the head, vision and eye structures.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
Image above: NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan conducts the OsteoOmics investigation, which studies the cellular mechanisms of bone loss associated with microgravity and could help researchers understand the mechanisms of bone loss in a wide range of disorders. Image Credit: NASA.
- OsteoOmics investigates the molecular and metabolic changes that occur in osteoblasts, cells in the body that form bone, in real and simulated microgravity.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1149
- 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
- Sally Ride EarthKAM allows students to remotely control a camera to take photographs of coastlines, mountain ranges and other interesting features and phenomena from space. The EarthKAM team posts the images online for the public and participating classrooms to view.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=87
- 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
- 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
- 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: Investigating Bone Loss: 02/28/2020
Related links:
Expedition 62: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition62/index.html
Plasma Krystal-4 (PK-4): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1192
STaARS BioScience-9: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7783
Fluid Shifts: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1126
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 Expedition 62.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
