ISS - Expedition 63 Mission patch.
April 24, 2020
The week of April 20, crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted studies of high-temperature alloy melts and plant growth in space along with other scientific investigations.
International Space Station (ISS). Animation 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:
A melting pot without the pot
The crew conducted preparations for the next sample run of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF). To produce glass, metal alloys and other materials on Earth, raw materials are melted in a container called a crucible. But chemical reactions between the materials and the crucible can cause imperfections and contaminations. JAXA-ELF investigates the properties of high-temperature melts and solidification of various materials without a container, a process possible only in the microgravity environment of the space station.
Plant portraits
Image above: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy works on Veggie PONDS, an investigation that cultivates lettuce and mizuna greens in the Veggie plant growth facility for on-orbit consumption and analysis on Earth. Image Credit: NASA.
Single-celled bacteria, plants, humans and other organisms grow differently in space. Because future long-duration space missions will require crew members to grow their own food, understanding how plants respond to space and demonstrating reliable vegetable production on orbit are important steps toward that goal. Using a new Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System, Veggie PONDS cultivates lettuce and mizuna greens in the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the space station. On previous expeditions, plants have been harvested on-orbit for consumption. During the week, the crew took photographs to document growth from this operation and prepped the Veggie Ponds modules for return to Earth.
Small satellites launched
The crew performed installation procedures during the week for the 13th mission of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), a platform that provides the capability for launching small satellites from the space station. The Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) provides positioning and deployment for individual satellites once crew members pass J-SSOD through the JEM airlock. J-SSOD-13 deploys Guatemala’s Quetzal-1 CubeSat, which tests a multispectral remote sensor, and Japan's CubeSat G-SATELLITE that demonstrates a new way to unite entertainment and space exploration.
Space Station Crew Snaps an Image of the Susquehanna River
Image above: The Susquehanna River cuts through the folds of the Valley-and-Ridge province of the Appalachian Mountains in this photograph taken by the crew of the International Space Station. Image Credits: NASA/Expedition 61; Caption by Laura Phoebus, Jacobs, JETS Contract at NASA-JSC.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- 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
- ActiWatch is a wrist device worn by crew members that contains an accelerometer to measure motion and a detector to monitor ambient lighting. The device analyzes circadian rhythms, sleep-wake patterns and activity.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=838
- Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) uses a light detection and ranging (lidar) system to provide high-resolution observations of the height and structure of Earth’s forests, which helps advance the understanding of important carbon and water cycling processes, biodiversity and habitat.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7852
Related links:
Expedition 63: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition63/index.html
JAXA Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1738
Veggie PONDS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7581
JAXA Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=883
Quetzal-1 CubeSat: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8280
G-SATELLITE CubeSat: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8287
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), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 63.
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