ISS - Expedition 64 Mission patch.
Mar 19, 2021
International Space Station (ISS), an orbital laboratory. Animation Credit: ESA
The week of March 15, crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations, including studies of the melting-solidification process and changes in muscle properties in microgravity and tests of protective coatings and robot maneuvers.
The seven crew members currently inhabiting the station include four from NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, providing increased crew time for science activities on the orbiting lab. The space station has been continuously inhabited by humans for 20 years and has supported many scientific breakthroughs during that time. The station provides a platform for long-duration research in microgravity and for learning to live and work in space, experience that supports Artemis, NASA’s program to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars.
Image above: This image shows the mouth of the Mississippi River emptying into the Gulf of Mexico south of New Orleans, Louisiana, as the International Space Station orbits 262 miles above. Image Credit: Roscosmos.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
Melting and solidifying transparent materials
Crew members installed hardware for Transparent Alloys, a set of five experiments from ESA (European Space Agency) to improve the understanding of melting-solidification processes in plastics. Microgravity removes the effects of walls and convection during the process, enabling better observation of the dynamics of pattern formation. Solidification of organic transparent substances serves as a model for solidification of metallic alloys, so these studies add to basic knowledge for solidification dynamics and microstructure formation. Results could have implications for industrial casting processes and the metallic products manufactured using them.
Monitoring markers for muscle health
Existing data on muscle atrophy caused by disuse suggest that during spaceflight, muscle stiffness decreases, particularly in those muscles most important for postural support and movement, such as running and walking. Myotones, an investigation from ESA, uses biomarkers to observe the biochemical properties of muscles during long-term spaceflight. Exercise countermeasures performed during flight may improve or even recover these properties. By providing insight into principles of human resting muscle tone, results could help support development of new treatments for rehabilitation, both on Earth and for future space missions. Crew members marked locations of the seven muscles, two tendons, and one area of fascia studied in the investigation and took measurements with the Myotones device during the week.
Better paint protection in space
Image above: The colored strips visible on the exterior of the space station in this image are different coatings exposed to the environment of space for the STP-H5 ICE investigation, conducted to determine their stability for use protecting the outside of spacecraft and as markings to guide robotic and human navigation. Image Credit: NASA.
In space, harsh radiation and extreme temperatures corrode paint and coatings protecting the outside of spacecraft, which could potentially damage the hull and pose a risk to crew members. STP-H5 ICE exposes new coatings to space for two years to determine their stability in that environment. Optical coatings also are used for special markings that robotic and human navigators rely on to capture or repair spacecraft. Results could contribute to further improvement in coatings for both uses. Crew members documented samples during the week.
Great hopping robots!
Robots used in space either free-fly or zero-g climb by grasping handrails with their robotic manipulators. Hopping maneuvers offer a potentially faster method of movement that uses less propellant or fuel. Astrobatics tests these maneuvers using one of the station’s free-flying Astrobee robots, which uses its perching arms and handrails on the space station to demonstrate vehicle guidance and control. The ability to hop between locations in a spacecraft or on a planet expands the mobility of a robotic vehicle. Robotics have a wide range of applications on space missions, including assisting crew on intra- or extravehicular activities, equipment servicing, removal of orbital debris, conducting on-orbit assembly, grappling and moving equipment and samples, and exploration. During the week, crew members conducted a session for the experiment.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
Image above: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins pose with plants growing inside a container for Asian Herb in Space, a study on cultivating fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and food flavoring. Image Credit: NASA.
- An investigation from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Asian Herb in Space studies several fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and flavoring food, examining differences in their aroma that may result from microgravity-related cellular changes. Results could benefit future plant growth efforts in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2052
- Ribosome Profiling, an investigation from JAXA, aims to provide insight into how gravity affects gene expression, with a special focus on translation regulation, using a state-of-art technique. The work could help researchers understand why aging-related changes often occur in space and may lead to better treatments for those changes.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7985
Image above: NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is shown with the HUNCH Tape Dispenser developed by high school students to enable one-handed operation for crew members. Image Credit: NASA.
- Crew members regularly use tape for a variety of tasks, but tape currently used often must be cut with scissors, requiring two hands. HUNCH Tape Dispenser tests a dispenser designed by high school students that crew members can operate with one hand. It could improve efficiency of operations and scientific research on the space station.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7957
- Standard Measures collects a set of core measurements from astronauts before, during, and after long-duration missions to create a data repository to monitor and interpret how humans adapt to living in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7711
- Loss of muscle mass and strength represent a major challenge for astronauts on future long space voyages. Micro-16 uses a model organism, the C. elegans worm, to test whether decreased expression of muscle proteins is associated with decreased strength.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7654
- Antimicrobial Coatings tests a coating to control microbial growth on several different materials that represent high-touch surfaces. Some microbes change characteristics in microgravity, potentially creating new risks to crew health and spacecraft.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8352
- Food Acceptability looks at how the appeal of food changes during long-duration missions. Whether crew members like and actually eat foods directly affects caloric intake and associated nutritional benefits.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7562
Space to Ground: Tournament Earth: 03/19/2021
Related links:
Expedition 64: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition64/index.html
Transparent Alloys: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8215
Myotones: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7573
STP-H5 ICE: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1749
Astrobatics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7841
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), Animation (mentioned), Video (NASA), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist.
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