ISS - Expedition 65 Mission patch.
May 14, 2021
The week of May 10, research conducted by crew members aboard the International Space Station included studies of how probiotics affect immune function and the effects of the space environment on various materials, as well as testing a method to monitor equipment function using sound analysis.
The space station has been continuously inhabited by humans for 20 years, supporting many scientific breakthroughs. The orbiting lab 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.
International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
Protecting immune function and the gut microbiome
Immune function and the intestinal microbiota are thought to undergo changes during long-duration spaceflight. An investigation from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Probiotics studies the effects of beneficial bacteria on immune function and intestinal microbiota of crew members. These probiotics could be incorporated into the diet on future space missions, providing basic nutrition and helping to protect overall crew member health. Results also could shed light on changes that bacteria experience during spaceflight, which could contribute to efforts to reduce infections.
Testing shielding, seeds, and more
MISSE-14-NASA exposes materials targeted for potential use in de-orbit, phase change, and radiation shielding applications to the harsh environment of space. It also evaluates the effects of space radiation on 10 types of crop seeds and validates the effectiveness of passive sample containment vessels for storing seeds or other biological samples in space. A series of investigations, MISSE tests how space affects the performance and durability of a wide variety of new materials and material configurations. Similar materials fly on multiple MISSE missions. These investigations help improve models for predicting the suitability of specific materials and components for various uses in space. Such materials also have potential uses in harsh environments and conditions on Earth.
Listening in on equipment
Image above: Audio sensors for SoundSee, an investigation that tests monitoring of the acoustic environment using these sensors on Astrobee, a mobile robotic platform aboard the space station. Monitoring sound can provide early indication of equipment failure and autonomous monitoring could improve crew health and safety and reduce crew workload. Image Credit: NASA.
Sounds can provide an early indication of equipment failure. SoundSee tests a way to detect anomalies in the sounds made by equipment such as life support infrastructure and exercise machines on the space station. The investigation uses an audio sensor on Astrobee, the station’s free-flying robotic platform, and deep audio analytics, which establishes a set of acoustic data for a healthy machine and then uses that baseline to determine the presence of anomalies. Sound can transmit information from components inside a machine that would otherwise be inaccessible. This technology could provide autonomous monitoring of the functioning of equipment and help protect the health and safety of crew members on the space station and future spacecraft by keeping equipment in good working order while also reducing crew workload.
Other investigations on which the crew performed work:
Image above: NASA astronaut Megan McArthur works inside the Kibo laboratory module's Life Science Glovebox for Celestial Immunity, a study of the effects of gravity on functional immune response and the role of age in regulating immune pathways. Image Credit: NASA.
- Celestial Immunity evaluates the effects of gravity on functional immune response and the role of age in regulating immune pathways. Results could support development of new vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat existing and emerging human diseases.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7818
- 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
- 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
- Food Physiology examines the effects of an enhanced spaceflight diet on immune function, the gut microbiome, and nutritional status indicators, with the aim of documenting how dietary improvements may enhance adaptation to spaceflight.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7870
- 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
- ISS Ham Radio provides students, teachers, parents, and others the opportunity to communicate with astronauts using HAM radio units. Before a scheduled call, students learn about the station, radio waves, and other topics, and prepare a list of questions on topics they have researched.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=337
- Spaceborne Computer-2 explores adapting commercial, off-the-shelf computer systems to process data significantly faster in space with edge computing and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8221
Image above: ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet gathers hardware for a demonstration of a simple heat transfer experiment as part of the Story Time from Space science program for young people. Image Credit: NASA.
- For Story Time from Space, crew members read children's books and complete simple science experiments, helping to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1152
Space to Ground: Celestial Immunity: 05/14/2021
Related links:
Expedition 65: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition65/index.html
Probiotics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2047
MISSE-14-NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8349
SoundSee: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7860
Astrobee: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1891
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
Animation (mentioned), Images (mentioned), Video (NASA), Text, Credits: NASA/Ana Guzman/John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 65.
Greetings, Orbiter.ch
