ISS - Expedition 68 Mission patch.
Nov 29, 2022
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Nov. 21 that included radio contact between astronauts and science students on the ground, tracking how the human body adapts to microgravity, and analyzing how microgravity affects the nervous system.
Image above: The Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, with Cuba and Haiti in the foreground, are visible in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbits 258 miles above. Image Credit: NASA.
Here are details on some of the microgravity investigations currently taking place aboard the orbiting lab:
Students speak to astronauts
Animation above: NASA astronaut Josh Cassada conducts an ISS Ham Radio session. These experiences, which use amateur radio to connect students, teachers, parents, and other members of a community directly to astronauts on the space station, help inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Animation Credit: NASA.
ISS Ham Radio sessions use ground-based amateur radio units to connect students, teachers, parents, and other members of a community directly to astronauts on the space station. These radio experiences help inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. During the week, crew members spoke with students studying and monitoring natural hazards at 12 schools in nine Caribbean and Central American countries, hosted by St. Joseph´s Convent Secondary School in Saint Lucia. The crew also held a session with the community at Five Bridges Junior High School in Nova Scotia, Canada. Those students are learning about space exploration with activities that include constructing solar system models and growing tomato seeds that previously flew on the space station.
Adapting to space
For the Standard Measures investigation, crew members complete cognition tests and sleep questionnaires and collect blood, saliva, and urine samples for various analyses, including immune function and microbiome health. Other measures include artery ultrasounds and sensorimotor tests. These data, collected over the life of the space station, enable researchers to examine how crew members adapt to living and working in space and to monitor countermeasure effectiveness in support of future long-duration missions. During the week, crew members completed questionnaires and collected samples for the investigation.
Hitting a nerve
Image above: Culture Bags for the JAXA Neural Integration System investigation prior to launch to the space station. The investigation uses nematodes to examine how microgravity affects the nervous system. Image Credit: JAXA.
Neural Integration System, an investigation from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), uses the roundworm C. elegans to examine how microgravity affects the nervous system. Previous space experiments show that this species experiences muscle atrophy and reduced motor activity and metabolism in microgravity. Other research has shown that the effects of space on the nervous system may be transmitted throughout the body by neural networks. Results from this investigation could support development of countermeasures to help maintain human health and well-being on future space missions. Changes caused by microgravity resemble diseases related to aging on Earth, and this study also could provide insight into such diseases and improve quality of life for people on Earth. During the week, crew members prepared for arrival of the investigation by setting up the Confocal Space Microscope, which will be used to observe samples.
Other investigations involving the crew:
- Rhodium Microgravity Bioprospecting-1 studies a way to search for microbes that, due to changes induced by exposure to space, may yield substances with commercial value. Results could expedite the discovery of substances in plants and animals with potential uses in medicine and industry on Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8806
- Sponsored by NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and coordinated by ASI, OVOSPACE examines the effect of microgravity on bovine ovary cell cultures. This research could improve fertility treatments on Earth and help prepare for future human settlement in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8759
Image above: This image shows coarse hydrophobic sand mixed with water and air as part of preparation for Catastrophic Post-Wildfire Mudflows. This investigation studies the formation and stability of bubble-sand structures in microgravity to help improve the modeling and predicting of devastating mudflows that often follow wildfires. Image Credits: UCSD Geo-Micromechanics Research Group.
- Catastrophic Post-Wildfire Mudflows evaluates the structure and behavior of mixtures of sand, water, and trapped air in microgravity, which removes complicating forces. Climate change and global warming are increasing the occurrence of wildfires, and results could help develop models that predict the spread and velocity of mudflows and their effect on infrastructure and natural obstacles.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8799
- Cellbox-3 contains two experiments that investigate cell behavior in microgravity, where 3D structures form that closely resemble the growth and behavior of cells inside the body. These structures can be used for drug and toxicity screening and serve as models for development and maintenance of healthy tissues in a living organism.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8758
- Girl Scouts conduct experiments on plant growth, ant colonization, and brine shrimp lifecycle in Faraday boxes for Faraday-Girl Scouts, part of a year-long effort by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council to engage young people in the study and understanding of space.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8502
Space to Ground: It's a Feast: 11/23/2022
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 68: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition68/index.html
ISS Ham Radio: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=337
Standard Measures: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7711
Neural Integration System: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8809
Confocal Space Microscope: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7428
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 68.
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