ISS - Expedition 67 Mission patch.
Aug 26, 2022
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Aug 22 that included student investigations run on Raspberry Pi computers on station, monitoring behavioral and cognitive adaptation in crew members, and testing air- and water-based systems to grow plants in space.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place aboard the orbiting lab:
Student slices of Pi
Image above: This preflight image shows upgraded hardware for AstroPi, an ESA investigation where students conduct scientific investigations in space by writing programs for one of two Raspberry Pi computers on the space station. Image Credit: ESA.
AstroPi, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), offers students the opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing programs for two recently upgraded Raspberry Pi computers. The computers are equipped with hardware that measures the environment inside the space station, detects how the station moves through space, and picks up the Earth’s magnetic field. One is equipped with an infrared camera and the other with a standard visible spectrum camera. Education programs such as this one encourages interest in scientific and technical disciplines, and AstroPi in particular helps students appreciate and understand the benefits, challenges, and importance of space to Europe’s economy. During the week, crew members moved one of the AstroPi units to the Node 2 window, set up for night-time photography, and captured imagery of both units to help student teams develop frames of reference to use with their sensors.
Tracking effects of spaceflight
Image above: The SpaceX Dragon capsule, the 25th commercial resupply mission, departs the space station to return samples and hardware from multiple investigations to Earth, enabling researchers to continue data collection and analysis on the ground. Image Credit: NASA.
Stressors of long-duration spaceflight can affect the behavioral health and performance of crew members. Scientists need a standardized toolkit that rapidly and reliably assesses the risk of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions during long-duration spaceflight missions. Behavioral Core Measures collects a suite of measurements that measures the ability of crew members to complete telerobotic operations within the first 24 hours after landing. This information could help determine what tasks a crewmember can perform when landing on the surface of Mars after months in weightlessness, for example. It also could help determine crew health and performance requirements and inform the design of space vehicles and surface architecture. This type of tool has applications for Earth-based operations that involve isolated, confined, and extreme environments, such as during Antarctic research expeditions as well. This investigation is only one of many conducted on the space station to determine how space affects the human mind and body. During the week, crew members conducted a robotic session for the investigation.
Plants in liquid and air
Current systems for growing plants in space are small, their water and nutrient delivery systems do not scale well for longer spaceflight, and they can have issues with maintenance and sanitation. XROOTS tests using hydroponic (liquid-based) and aeroponic (air-based) techniques to grow plants without soil or other traditional growth media, which could enable production of crops on a larger scale for future space exploration. Growth system components developed for this investigation also could enhance cultivation of plants on Earth in settings such as greenhouses. The space station hosts a variety of investigations into growing plants in space. XROOTS is currently in its third planting, and crew members conducted routine inspection of the seed cartridges and growing plants during the week.
Image above: The Expedition 67 crew inside the space station's Harmony module, clockwise from bottom: Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev, NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Kjell Lindgren, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Korsakov, and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins. Image Credit: NASA.
Other investigations involving the crew:
- ISS Ham Radio sessions engage students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community in direct communication with astronauts via ground-based amateur radio units. This experience helps inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=337
- NutrISS, an investigation from ESA, assesses body composition and energy balance using wearable sensors. Results could lead to improved physical health and quality of life for astronauts and better clinical management of malnourished, obese, or immobilized patients on Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7875
- Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4), a collaboration between ESA and the Russian State Space Corporation (Roscosmos), studies how plasma crystals form in microgravity. Results 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
- Butterfly IQ Ultrasound demonstrates a portable ultrasound device for use in space. This technology could provide critical medical capabilities to crews on long duration missions where immediate ground support is not an option. The device also has potential applications for medical care in remote and isolated settings on Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8211
- Wireless Compose-2, an investigation from ESA, demonstrates an infrastructure for wireless transmission of data and a smart shirt for measuring forces generated by the heart as it moves blood. This technology could help monitor the health of astronauts on future missions and this investigation also could improve use of the technology on the ground.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8563
Space to Ground: Paving the Way: 08/26/2022
The space station, a robust microgravity laboratory with a multitude of specialized research facilities and tools, has supported many scientific breakthroughs from investigations spanning every major scientific discipline. The ISS Benefits for Humanity 2022 publication details the expanding universe of results realized from more than 20 years of experiments conducted on the station.
Related links:
Expedition 67: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition67/index.html
AstroPi: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7534
Behavioral Core Measures: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7537
XROOTS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8088
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 67.
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