Northrop Grumman - Cygnus NG-15 Mission patch.
Feb. 11, 2021
Experiments that use worms to study muscle loss, examine how astronauts sleep, and test high-powered computers in space, along with more scientific studies and supplies, are ready for launch to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft. The spacecraft is targeted to launch at 12:36 p.m. EST on Feb. 20 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Cygnus space cargo arrival to ISS. Image Credit: NASA
Many of the experiments carried by this spacecraft build on previous studies conducted during the more than 20 years of continuous human habitation of the International Space Station, helping us explore farther into space and benefiting humans back on Earth.
Here are details on some of the scientific investigations that Northrop Grumman’s 15th commercial resupply services mission (NG CRS-15) is delivering to the space station:
Space worms to the rescue
Animation above: An adult worm moves around small pillars inside of a microscope slide. This same process will be observed in microgravity by the Micro-16 research team to study the links between gene expression and muscle strength.
Animation Credit: Texas Tech University.
Tiny worms could help us determine the cause of muscle weakening that astronauts can experience in microgravity. Astronauts work out more than two hours a day aboard the space station to prevent bone and muscle loss caused by living in a microgravity environment during long-duration missions. Thanks to a new device for measuring the muscle strength of tiny C. elegans worms, researchers with the Micro-16 study can test whether decreased expression of muscle proteins is associated with this decreased strength. The device consists of a small microscope slide filled with little rubber pillars. The strength of the worms is measured by how much force the worms apply to the pillars as they move around the slide.
“Results from this study could provide insights into mechanisms causing muscle strength decline in the elderly since physiological changes occurring in spaceflight mimic accelerated aging,” says professor of Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech University Siva Vanapalli, Ph.D. These results may support new therapies to combat the effects of age-related muscle loss on Earth.
A new vision
Image above: Researchers move the CubeLab containing a new LambdaVision study, which evaluates a manufacturing system using a light-activated protein that replaces the function of damaged cells in the eye in an artificial retina. Image Credit: Lambda Vision.
Millions of people on Earth suffer from retinal degenerative diseases. These conditions have no cure, although treatments can slow their progression. Artificial retinas or retinal implants may provide a way to restore meaningful vision for those affected. In 2018, startup LambdaVision sent their first experiment to the space station to determine whether the process used to create artificial retinal implants by forming a thin film one layer at a time may work better in microgravity.
A second experiment by LambdaVision launching on NG CRS-15, Protein-Based Artificial Retina Manufacturing, builds on the first project, evaluating a manufacturing system that uses a light-activated protein to replace the function of damaged cells in the eye. This information may help LambdaVision uncover whether microgravity optimizes production of these retinas, and could assist people back on Earth.
“Each flight is iterative and an important part of the research and development process,” says Nicole Wagner, Ph.D., president and CEO of LambdaVision. “This flight will allow us to continue to gather critical information on the overall design of the system and influence of microgravity on the layering process, as well as the necessary controls required to support good manufacturing processes.”
I dream of space
Image above: ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti floats inside a sleeping bag in her personal crew quarters on the International Space Station in 2014. The new ESA Dreams experiment will provide a closer look at astronaut sleep in microgravity. Image Credit: NASA.
Strapped inside sleeping bags, astronauts often report getting a better night’s sleep during their stays aboard the space station than when lying on a bed on Earth. The ESA (European Space Agency) Dreams experiment will provide a quantitative look at these astronaut sleep reports. When crew members get ready for bed, they will add another step: donning a sleep monitoring headband. The investigation serves as a technology demonstration of the Dry-EEG Headband in microgravity while also monitoring astronaut sleep quality during a long-duration mission. Raw data will be available to scientists for analysis, and the crew can input direct feedback on their sleep via an application on a tablet. Sleep is central to human health, so a better understanding of sleep in space provides a more comprehensive picture of human health in microgravity.
Preparing for the Moon
Image above: The moon rising over the southern Pacific Ocean is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 40 crew member on the International Space Station. Experiments such as A-HoSS help refine technologies that are helping us return to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. Image Credit: NASA.
The International Space Station serves as a testing ground for technologies we plan to use on future Artemis missions to the Moon. The NASA A-HoSS investigation puts to the test tools planned for use on the crewed Artemis II mission that will orbit the Moon. Built as the primary radiation detection system for the Orion spacecraft, the Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor (HERA) was modified for operation on the space station.
“The A-HoSS operations and data from the space station will provide direct experience with the Artemis HERA system as well as insight for flight control teams to more effectively utilize the information provided by the instrument,” says A-HoSS Project Lead Nicholas Stoffle at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Verifying that HERA can operate without error for 30 days validates the system for crewed Artemis mission operations. A related investigation, ISS HERA, flew in 2019 aboard the space station. ISS HERA provided data and operational feedback in preparation for the Orion spacecraft’s uncrewed Artemis I mission that will launch in 2021.
A life support upgrade
The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is a crucial element of regenerative life support hardware that provides clean air and water to the space station crew. Current systems enable recovery of about 93% of the water and water vapor on the station. The system will get an upgrade thanks to the Exploration ECLSS: Brine Processor System. This investigation demonstrates technology to recover additional water from the Urine Processor Assembly. The brine processor’s dual membrane bladder allows water vapor to pass through while filtering out the brine and the majority of contaminants. Long-duration crewed exploration missions require about 98% water recovery, and this technology demonstration in brine processing will help achieve this goal. This Brine Processor System plans to close this gap for the urine waste stream of the space station.
Crystal clear
Image above: Aeropyrum pernix Flap Endonuclease-1 (FEN-1) protein crystals are shown grown under Earth gravity conditions. FEN-1 will serve as the experimental protein for the Real Time Protein Crystal Growth 2 study. Image Credit: University of Toledo.
There are more than 100,000 proteins in the human body. Every structure is different, and each one of them holds important information related to our health. Each protein has a unique and complicated structure that is closely related to its function. Therefore, revealing a protein’s structure leads to an understanding of its function. However, it is difficult to analyze protein structures here on Earth, where gravity interferes with optimal growth. Previous research has shown that microgravity produces high-quality protein crystals that can be analyzed to identify possible targets for drugs to treat disease.
The Real-Time Protein Crystal Growth 2 study plans to produce high-quality protein crystals for up to eight proteins that will undergo detailed analysis back on Earth.
“Real-Time Protein Crystal Growth 2 affords us the opportunity to grow, monitor, and optimize protein crystal growth in microgravity through real-time communication with space station crew members,” says University of Toledo Ph.D. candidate Victoria Drago.
Astronauts will check the crystals, report on their growth, and then make changes based on initial observations.
Science Launching on Northrop Grumman's 15th Resupply Mission
Video above: Experiments using worms to study muscle weakening, examining how astronauts sleep, and testing high-powered computers in space will be launching, along with more scientific experiments and supplies, to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft. This Cygnus is named the S.S. Katherine Johnson, after the NASA mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of our early human spaceflight missions. Video Credit: NASA.
Related links:
Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html
Micro-16: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7654
Protein-Based Artificial Retina Manufacturing: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8377
Dreams: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8344
A-HoSS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8234
ISS HERA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7605
Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS): https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/eclss.html
Exploration ECLSS: Brine Processor System: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8102
Real-Time Protein Crystal Growth 2: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8073
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
Animation (mentioned), Images (mentioned), Video (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/JSC/International Space Station Program Science Office/Erin Winick.
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