ISS - Expedition 62 Mission patch.
April 17, 2020
Aboard the International Space Station the week of April 13, crew members conducted scientific investigations that included studies of perception of motion in space and how microgravity affects the human immune system and muscles. New crew members NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner began the first full week of their 195-day mission. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan and cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka undocked from the space station April 17 for return to Earth.
Image above: The Soyuz MS-16 crew ship carrying the Expedition 63 crew – NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner – approaches the International Space Station as it orbits above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru. 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:
Perceiving self-motion in space
The Effect of Long Duration Hypogravity on the Perception of Self-Motion (VECTION), an investigation by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), determines how microgravity may disrupt an astronaut's visual interpretation of motion, orientation and distance. It also examines how that ability may adapt and change upon return to Earth by using multiple experimental time points during flight and upon return to Earth. During the week, crew members set up hardware, performed sessions and transferred data to the ground, where investigators confirmed its arrival.
Muscles, toned
The ESA (European Space Agency) Muscle Tone in Space (Myotones) investigation observes the effects of long-term exposure to spaceflight on the biochemical properties of muscles, such as tone, stiffness and elasticity. Results may provide a better understanding of the principles of human resting muscle tone and lead to development of new strategies for alternative rehabilitation treatments for future space missions and on Earth. Crew members set up and performed a Myotones session on seven muscles, two tendons and one fascia area, targets either known to be affected by atrophy during extended inactivity periods or used as a control.
Image above: The aurora australis or southern lights as seen near the southern-most point of the International Space Station's orbital trek above the Indian Ocean. Image Credit: NASA.
Keeping the immune system functioning
The human immune system is altered during spaceflight, which may increase the likelihood of adverse health events in crew members. An investigation called Functional Immune Alterations, Latent Herpesvirus Reactivation, Physiological Stress and Clinical Incidence Onboard the International Space Station (Functional Immune) analyzes blood and saliva samples to determine changes taking place in the immune systems of crew members during flight. These observed changes also are compared with health information that crew members themselves report. Results could provide new insight into the possible health risks of long-duration space travel, including future missions to Mars, asteroids or other distant destinations.
Image above: NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir set up to take photos of Earth from the space station’s Window Observation Research Facility, or WORF, which has the highest quality optics ever flown on a human-occupied spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- Veggie PONDS (Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System) cultivates lettuce and mizuna greens that are harvested on-orbit for consumption and scientific analysis.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7581
- Food Acceptability examines the effect of repetitive consumption of the somewhat limited selection of foods available during spaceflight. “Menu fatigue” resulting from this limited choice may, over time, contribute to the loss of body mass often experienced by crew members.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7562
- The ISS Experience creates virtual reality videos from footage taken by astronauts of 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
- The Probiotics investigation from the Japan 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
- 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
Space to Ground: Adversity and Triumph: 04/17/2020
Related links:
Expedition 62: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition62/index.html
Artemis: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
VECTION: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7484
Myotones: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7573
Functional Immune: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2011
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 62/63.
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