Orbiter.ch Space News: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of May 18, 2020

vendredi 22 mai 2020

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of May 18, 2020

ISS - Expedition 63 Mission patch.

May 22, 2020

During the week of May 18, research activities aboard the International Space Station included studies on how spaceflight affects muscles and the gut microbiota and tests of using levitation to melt substances to make glass and metal alloys. Crew members also conducted preparations for the arrival of SpaceX Demo-2 and NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, targeted for Thursday, May 28, following launch on Wednesday. Part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Demo-2 marks the first launch of astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil since 2011.

Image above: The space station passes over the first typhoon of the season, Vongfong, in the South Pacific Ocean, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ambo.
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:

Landing in the dust

Image above: Hourglass structures used in the Hourglass investigation of the behavior of various materials in different gravity conditions to advance understanding of regolith, the dust-like particles that cover the Moon and other celestial bodies. Image Credit: JAXA.

Crew members installed hardware, ground teams initiated experiment runs and the crew removed experiment units and downloaded data for Hourglass. This Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) investigation examines the behavior of various granular materials under different gravity conditions. The materials simulate regolith, a dust that covers the surface of planets and planetary-like bodies. Results could support the design of vehicles and instruments that come into contact with the surfaces of planets and other celestial bodies, such as landing gear, soil sampling devices and roving vehicles.

Muscles in space

The ESA (European Space Agency) Muscle Tone in Space (Myotones) investigation observes how long-term exposure to spaceflight affects the biochemical properties of muscles, such as tone, stiffness and elasticity. A better understanding of human resting muscle tone could help lead to development of new strategies for alternative rehabilitation treatments for people on future space missions and on Earth. Crew members performed Myotones sessions on specific muscles and collected blood samples during the week.

Better food for adapting to space

The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status During Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) documents the effects of dietary improvements on immune function and the gut microbiome and the ability of those improvements to support adaptation to spaceflight. These factors are linked, but only diet can be easily and meaningfully changed on Earth or during flight. Researchers track daily food intake during the duration of a crew member’s flight and for several pre- and post-flight sessions and have weekly in-flight conferences to discuss diet with the crew members.

Floating and melting materials

Image above: The Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). ELF supports a variety of physical science experiments, including one on levitating materials for melting. Image Credit: NASA.

When raw materials are melted to make glass, metals and other materials, reactions between those materials and the crucible or container that holds them can cause imperfections. Using static electricity to cause the materials to levitate or float prevents these reactions and is much easier in microgravity than on Earth. Scientists are studying melting of floating materials in the JAXA Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) on the space station. ELF supports a variety of physical science experiments on creating new materials and measuring their properties.

Other investigations on which the crew performed work:

Animation above: ROSCOSMOS cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin replaces a gas bottle in the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) in preparation for flame studies controlled by the ground. Animation Credit: NASA.

- Structure and Response of Spherical Diffusion Flames (s-Flame) studies the structure and dynamics of soot-free and sooty flames. Findings could contribute to development of engines with improved efficiency and reduced emissions on Earth. S-Flame is part of the Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (ACME) project, a series of independent studies of gaseous flames performed in the station’s Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR).
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2063

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1651

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=317

- Astrobee tests three self-contained, free-flying robots designed to assist astronauts with routine chores, give ground controllers additional eyes and ears and perform crew monitoring, sampling and logistics management.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891

- The NASA Sample Cartridge Assembly-Gravitational Effects on Distortion in Sintering (MSL SCA-GEDS-German) experiment determines the underlying principles for forecasting density, size, shape and properties for liquid phase sintered bodies over a broad range of compositions in Earth gravity and microgravity.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1762

Space to Ground: Preparing for Launch: 05/22/2020