ISS - Expedition 63 Mission patch.
Sept. 25, 2020
Scientific work conducted during the week of September 21 aboard the International Space Station included continued studies of compounds in space station air, as well as briefings about which foods are best for astronauts’ immune systems in space. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft is scheduled to launch next week to the space station from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, carrying thousands of pounds of scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, commercial products, and other cargo.
Image above: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy captured this image of Houston, Texas at night while traveling on the International Space Station with the Expedition 63 crew. 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 about some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
Saving time with a small device
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SAM) demonstrates the capabilities of a small, portable device known as a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. This instrument measures trace organic compounds in space station air, as well as basic atmosphere contents, such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane and water. SAM uses little power and transmits data back to the ground research team every two seconds, eliminating the need to return air samples to Earth for analysis. This week, the crew transferred SAM to a new location on an EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to the Space Station (EXPRESS) rack. EXPRESS is made up of several multipurpose racks that support and store research experiments by providing stowage, power, command and control, data, cooling, and many more functions to the payloads. The crew also removed the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) plug, which was used during the transition to protect the sensor while the unit was turned off.
Hands-off experiments
Image above: View of the Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) payload. NICER’s mission is to perform an in-depth study of neutron stars, and it aids in the understanding of ultra-dense matter. Image Credit: NASA.
Adaptation is a vital part of space exploration, and part of that process is shifting some research and experimentation responsibilities over to automated systems in order to complete more science on station. The Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) is one of several astrophysics observatories mounted externally on the space station and can operate with little to no crew involvement thanks to these systems. NICER studies the extraordinary physics of neutron stars, the glowing cinders left behind when massive stars explode as supernovas. These stars are the densest objects in the universe and contain exotic states of matter impossible to replicate in any lab. They shine most brightly in narrow beams that sweep the sky as the stars spin, and from a great distance appear to pulse like lighthouse beacons, giving them the name “pulsar.” NICER also contains software for the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) demonstration, which studies using pulsars as natural beacons for a future GPS-like system for spacecraft navigation.
Microgravity meals
A changing immune system is just one of many physiological effects astronauts experience during their missions in space. To study how the immune system changes in microgravity, NASA scientists monitor what the astronauts eat because immune function is linked to diet. These data help determine dietary alterations that could improve immune function as crew members adjust to the new environment. The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status During Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) investigation documents the effects of dietary improvements on immune function and the gut microbiome, as well as the ability of those improvements to support adaptation to spaceflight. With improved understanding of food’s effects on physiology, scientists can continue to improve the spaceflight diet and crew health. Crew members conducted briefings for the investigation during the week.
Image above: Bubble detectors, seen here in the cupola (lower center), measure neutron radiation on the space station for the Radi-N2 investigation. Image Credit: NASA.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
- The Packed Bed Reactor Experiment-Water Recovery (PBRE-WR) investigation, which uses the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), examines the rates at which a gas and liquid flow simultaneously (known as two-phase flow) through a filter in the space station water processor.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8068
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=341
- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF) uses electrostatic levitation to eliminate the need for a container, something only possible in microgravity, and examines the behavior of materials.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1738
- The Burning Rate Emulator (BRE) investigation is a fire safety study conducted in the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) as part of the Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (ACME) project.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7629
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1651
- Radi-N2, a Canadian Space Agency investigation, uses bubble detectors to better characterize the neutron environment on the space station, helping to define the risk it poses to crew members.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=874
- The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Water Recovery System (JWRS) investigation from JAXA demonstrates a way to generate drinkable water from urine.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2049
- 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
- Crew members regularly photograph various features and natural events on Earth using digital handheld cameras for the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) investigation. Photographs are publically available at the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=84
https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/
Related links:
Expedition 63: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition63/index.html
Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SAM): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1843
EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to the Space Station (EXPRESS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=598
Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1705
Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/future-space-travelers-may-follow-cosmic-lighthouses-sextant-results
Food Physiology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7870
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/overview.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, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 63.
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