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Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Jan. 17 that included testing a fiber optic radiation dosimeter, monitoring microbes in a plant growth system, and examining whether specific bacterial strains can protect DNA through the stresses of space travel. Crew members also packed scientific samples for return on the SpaceX Dragon cargo vessel, which is scheduled to undock from the space station on Sat., Jan. 22, with splashdown the next afternoon off the coast of Florida.
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:
Real-time radiation monitoring
Lumina demonstrates a dosimeter using optical fibers that darken when exposed to radiation to monitor in real time the radiation dose received by crew members. This ESA (European Space Agency) investigation examines measuring radiation under realistic space conditions and behavior of the fibers when exposed to a low radiation dose rate for extended periods of time in space. Monitoring ionizing radiation is a key challenge for future longer-term space exploration, and a fiber-based dosimeter that provides real-time measurements could make it possible to anticipate potentially dangerous radiation flares and react to them properly. A fiber-based dosimeter also has promising applications in the medical and nuclear industries on Earth. During the week, crew members transferred data from the device and input settings to a tablet app that is synchronized with computers on the ground.
Keeping the veggies clean
Veggie Monitoring collects microbial samples from the surface of the station’s Veggie plant production system as part of quarterly Environmental Health System (EHS) sample collections. This continual monitoring supports crew safety and contributes to a data set used for evaluating spacecraft environmental microbial limits. Growing plants could be a key part of longer exploration missions, and this investigation could help establish requirements to protect these systems as well as the plants and crew from contamination. The Veggie system is open to the cabin environment, so identifying which microbes are present and how they may affect the system is important. Producing safe, nutritious food in the challenging conditions in space may contribute to improved food production in harsh and remote environments on Earth as well. Crew members took photos of sample collection for Veggie Monitoring during the week.
Space-faring microbes
DNA components are integral to synthetic biology studies and bioengineering of organisms for a variety of applications, including producing pharmaceuticals and consumer products. Rhodium Synthetic Cryptobiology tests using specific bacterial strains to protect and preserve DNA during the stresses of launch, on-orbit stowage, and return to Earth. Results could provide an improved process for preparing and transferring scientific samples, executing experimental procedures, and preserving results in space and extreme environments on Earth. During this week, crew members packed the investigation for return on the departing SpaceX CRS-24 Dragon cargo ship.
Other investigations involving the crew:
- Turbine SCM tests a commercial in-space manufacturing device that thermally processes superalloy parts in microgravity for future use in turbine engines on Earth. Results could contribute to the ongoing commercialization of space and improve the performance of turbine engines in industries such as aerospace and power generation.
- Cimon, an ESA investigation, observes the efficiency and crew acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) support 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.
- Dreams, an ESA investigation, tests using a headband to monitor astronaut sleep quality during long-duration spaceflight. Sleep plays a major role in human health and well-being, but devices currently available do not provide effective monitoring of sleep quality.
- The harsh conditions in space can corrode the paint and coatings that protect spacecraft exteriors and optical markings used for robotic and human navigation. STP-H5 ICE tests how new spacecraft coatings hold up during exposure to space.
- 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.
- Advanced Nano Step from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) monitors, records, and analyzes how specific impurities affect the quality of protein crystals grown in space. Results could advance capabilities for research on and production of materials and drugs in space and may prove useful for crystallization trials conducted on Earth.
- 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.
- Vascular Aging, an investigation by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), analyzes changes in the arteries of crew members. Results could point to mechanisms for reducing cardiovascular risk and help identify and detect blood biomarkers that predict early signs of cardiovascular aging.
- 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.
For daily updates, follow @ISS_Research, Space Station Research and Technology News, or our Facebook. Follow ISS National Lab for information on its sponsored investigations. For opportunities to see the space station pass over your town, check out Spot the Station.
John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist
Expedition 66