ISS - Expedition 66 Mission patch.
Jan 28, 2022
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Jan. 24 that included several studies of plant growth and development and an examination of how liquid behaves in a tank in microgravity.
International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: ESA
The space station, continuously inhabited by humans for 21 years, has supported many scientific breakthroughs. A robust microgravity laboratory with dozens of research facilities and tools, the station supports investigations spanning every major scientific discipline, conveying benefits to future space exploration and advancing basic and applied research on Earth. The orbiting lab also provides a platform for a growing commercial presence in low-Earth orbit that includes research, satellite services, and in-space manufacturing.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place:
Plants in space
Humans have grown plants for food on Earth for some 10,000 years. One day, they may do so on other planets. Scientists are using the space station to conduct a range of studies on growing plants in microgravity. In addition to allowing astronauts to grow some of their own food on future missions, this work could help scientists engineer more hardy crops for Earth. This week crew members conducted several such studies.
Image above: This image shows growth of cotton cells during the Plant Habitat-05 study, which looks at gene expression in certain cells and could help identify ways to engineer cotton plants with specific qualities such as drought resistance. Image Credit: NASA.
The way that commercial crops have been cultivated can make it difficult to engineer varieties with specific traits. Plant Habitat-05 studies gene expression in certain cotton plant cells to better understand this resistance to genetic engineering and possibly identify ways to create specific qualities such as drought resistance. The investigation is hosted in the station’s Advanced Plant Habitat. Crew members took photographs of designated experiment plates and prepared for harvesting during the week.
Image above: NASA astronaut Kayla Barron conducts operations for MVP Plant-01, an investigation that could help scientists understand the molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks behind how plants sense and adapt to changes in their environment. Image Credit: NASA.
MVP Plant-01 examines shoot and root development in plants and the molecular mechanisms behind how plants sense and adapt to changes in their environment. Results could contribute to the design of plants better able to withstand adverse environmental conditions, including long-duration spaceflight. During the week, crew members installed hardware into the Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) to initiate the investigation.
Veggie PONDS uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the station’s Veggie plant growth facility to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens. Results could improve our understanding of how plants respond to microgravity and demonstrate reliable vegetable production on orbit. The crew installed Veggie Ponds modules into Veggie to initiate the science run and conducted water fill and thinning of plants during the week.
Tempest in a tank
Image above: A view of the FLUIDICS experiment equipment showing one of the three transparent spheres. Image Credits: CNES/French Space Agency.
An investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), FLUIDICS uses three liquid-filled spheres to observe and analyze sloshing and wave turbulence. A better understanding of liquid sloshing in a tank in microgravity could improve the guidance and precision of satellites and optimize lifetime of these craft through better fuel management. Wave turbulence at the surface of liquids is affected by gravity on Earth, but in microgravity, scientists can study only the liquid’s surface tension. A better understanding of wave turbulence could provide insights into measuring the volume of liquid in a sphere, helping to improve ways to determine how much fuel is left in a tank. Results also could provide a better understanding of how Earth’s oceans work, including the phenomenon of "rogue waves," help improve climate prediction systems, and optimize the use of ocean-based renewable energy. During the week, crew members installed the FLUIDICS hardware and initiated several science runs.
Other investigations involving the crew:
- Students across Europe use two augmented Raspberry Pi computers aboard the space station for AstroPi, an education program coordinated by ESA. The program helps motivate students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7534
- ESA’s Acoustic Diagnostics investigation tests the hearing of crew members before, during, and after flight to assess possible adverse effects of noise and the microgravity environment on human hearing.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7898
- CIMON, an ESA investigation, observes the effects of crew support by an artificial intelligence (AI) using an interactive robotic free flyer that navigates autonomously. Spaceflight missions involve substantial stress and workload, and AI assistance with tasks could reduce that stress.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7639
- MVP Cell-01 studies cartilage and bone tissue cultures subjected to mechanical injury and treated with a pharmaceutical. The work could lead to treatments for a disease called Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis, where a traumatic joint injury leads to arthritis.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7663
- Bioprint FirstAid, an ESA investigation, demonstrates a portable, handheld bioprinter that uses a patient’s own skin cells to create a tissue-forming patch to cover a wound and accelerate the healing process.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8552
- ESA’s Touching Surfaces tests laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces on the space station. Results could help determine the most suitable materials for future spacecraft and habitations 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
- Flame Design, part of the ACME series of payloads, studies the production and control of soot in oxygen-enriched combustion and the design of soot-free flames. This research may lead to cleaner and more efficient burner designs for combustion applications on Earth and aid the development of future space-based combustion devices for tasks such as solid waste processing or to improve spacecraft fire safety.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2059
- Food Acceptability looks at how the appeal of food changes during long-duration missions. Whether crew members like and actually eat food has a direct effect on caloric intake and associated nutritional benefits.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7562
Space to Ground: Next Day Delivery: 01/28/2022
Related links:
Expedition 66: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition66/index.html
Plant Habitat-05: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8341
Advanced Plant Habitat: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=2036
MVP Plant-01: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8297
Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1777
Veggie PONDS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7581
Veggie: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=374
FLUIDICS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2043
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 Expedition 66.
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