ISS - Expedition 66 Mission patch.
Nov 5, 2021
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Nov. 1 that included examining whether beneficial bacteria can improve immune function, mapping radiation exposure inside the space station, and collecting student-requested images of Earth. The launch of Crew-3 mission astronauts and additional science experiments aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon has been rescheduled, with a launch date still to be determined.
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.
Image above: An astronaut slices a red chile pepper during a taste test of peppers grown as part of the Plant Habitat-04 investigation, one of the longest and most challenging plant experiments attempted aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei conducted the first harvest of the pepper crop on Oct. 29, 2021, and crew members sanitized the peppers and conducted a taste test. The Crew-3 astronauts will take over the crop when they arrive and conduct a final harvest late November. Image Credit: NASA.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
A boost from beneficial bacteria
Probiotics, an investigation of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), studies whether probiotics or beneficial bacteria can improve immune function and the intestinal microbiota, or the community of organisms living in the digestive tract, on long-duration space missions. Results could shed light on changes that may take place in bacteria during spaceflight and benefit efforts to reduce infections. Exposing probiotics to space radiation, microgravity, and other stresses of spaceflight could provide new insight into how these bacteria cope with extreme conditions. Probiotics could be incorporated into food on future space missions to help protect the health of crew members. Results also could benefit efforts to improve the shelf life of probiotics and make it more feasible to use them to protect the health of people in extreme environments on Earth, including in remote areas and disaster zones. During the week, crew members collected saliva and fecal samples and answered questionnaires for the investigation.
Determining the dose
Image above: This image shows a detector (bright orange pack) for the DOSIS-3D investigation, which creates a 3D map of radiation distribution and levels inside the space station. Image Credit: NASA.
Crew members continually receive exposure to varying levels of radiation while in space, which can be harmful to their health. An investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), DOSIS-3D uses several active and passive detectors to determine the radiation dose and create a three-dimensional map pinpointing the distribution and levels of radiation at various locations inside the space station. The investigation also measures the energy and charge of heavy ions, tracks exposure to free neutrons, and determines the average radiation dose absorbed throughout a mission. These data could help scientists make recommendations for protecting crew members from space radiation in the future. The experiment also could provide insight into monitoring radiation exposure of commercial and military airline crews and other workers exposed to radiation on Earth.
Giving classrooms a view from space
Image above: The Niger River in the African nation of Mali is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbits 259 miles above the southwestern Sahara Desert. Image Credit: NASA.
Students remotely control a digital camera mounted on the space station to take photographs of coastlines, mountain ranges, and other interesting features and phenomena on Earth for Sally Ride EarthKAM. The EarthKAM team posts the images online, where they are available to the public and participating classrooms. Students and educators have the chance to participate in a space mission and to develop teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills while conducting collaborative investigations. Participating students track the orbit of the space station and check the weather to ensure a clear view of the target before requesting images. University of Alabama in Huntsville students operate as flight controllers. The Sally Ride EarthKAM camera has been aboard the space station since Expedition 1 and its multiple annual missions have taken tens of thousands of images. Crew members set up hardware components for a week-long imaging session and activated the camera as needed during the week.
Other investigations involving the crew:
- PK-4, a collaboration between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), studies complex plasmas, low-temperature gaseous mixtures of ionized gas, neutral gas, and micron-sized particles. Understanding how plasma crystals form in microgravity could shed light on these common phenomena in space and possibly lead to new research methods, better spacecraft designs, and improvements in industries that use plasmas on Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1192
- Touching Surfaces tests laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces as a method for reducing microbial contamination aboard the space station. Results from this ESA investigation could help determine the most suitable design for antimicrobial surfaces for spacecraft and habitats as well as for terrestrial applications such as public transportation and clinical settings.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8540
- Pilote, an investigation from ESA, tests the effectiveness of remote operation of robotic arms and space vehicles using virtual reality and haptics, or simulated touch and motion. Results may influence the design of workstations and interfaces for future spacecraft and space habitats.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8347
- Lumina is an ESA investigation demonstrating real-time monitoring of radiation dose received by crew members using a dosimeter with optical fibers that darken when exposed to radiation. Monitoring ionizing radiation is a key challenge for future space exploration and this dosimeter could help anticipate radiation flares and guide reaction to them.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8444
- Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other single board computers have increased in power, reliability, and availability while decreasing in cost. SpaceDuino studies the technical capabilities and economic benefits of this off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software in microgravity.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8506
- APM demonstrates an instrument to measure and quantify the concentration of both small and large particles in spacecraft air. Data could help show the efficiency of current filtration systems and support design of better hardware for environmental monitoring of future space vehicles and habitats, helping to keep crews safe on future missions.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7936
- An investigation from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), VECTION looks at changes in an astronaut’s ability to judge body motion and orientation and estimate distances. Results could help address issues these changes create for astronauts.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7484
- Flame Design studies the production and control of soot, which can adversely affect combustion efficiency, emissions, and equipment lifetime. Part of the ACME series of studies, this investigation could lead to more efficient and cleaner burner designs.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2059
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1651
Space to Ground: A Spice of Life: 11/05/2021
Related links:
Expedition 66: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition66/index.html
Probiotics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2047
DOSIS-3D: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=177
EarthKAM: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=87
EarthKAM images: https://www.earthkam.org/home
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/Ana Guzman/John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 66.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
