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There's Still Science on the Space Station

While it might be overshadowed by viral videos, there is still science on the ISS.
The crew of Expedition 35. via

Last week, Chris Hadfield made his triumphant return to Earth. The first Canadian to command the International Space Station, Hadfield and his relentless social media efforts helped rekindle the public’s love affair with space.

He tweeted amazing pictures for orbit, recorded that brilliant rendition of "Space Oddity," and generally made space accessible to everyone. But NASA doesn’t launch crews just to create social media stars. Though we didn’t see it on YouTube, there was science done on the ISS while Hadfield was at the helm.

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Part of the crew’s orbital work is routine maintenance. They have to make sure the station stays in the correct orbit, and be ready to adjust that orbit should the station be threatened by a rogue piece of space debris. The crew also has to make sure their life support system and cooling arrays are up and running. They also had to run experiments, many of which have important implications for the future of spaceflight, though they’re less YouTube friendly than a video of Hadfield wringing a towel out in microgravity.

During his five month sojourn in space, Hadfield himself conducted more than 130 experiments. He and his crew of five flight engineers – Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov, Alexander Misurkin, and Roman Romanenko; and two NASA astronauts, Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn – set a record by spending 71 hours in one week on scientific research.

One experiment called InSPACE—an acronym for “Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions"—has engineering implications on Earth. At the heart of this experiment are fluids called magnetorheological suspensions, fluids containing ellipsoid shaped particles that change the physical properties of that fluid in response to magnetic fields.

Hadfield mixing colloids in test tubes and watching structures form. via

These fluids are classified as smart materials because they can transition into a solid-like state by forming a criss-cross microstructure in the presence of a magnetic field. Sort of like the one of Earth. These fluids are already used as vibration dampening systems that can be turned on or off (such as those used in high-end car suspensions), but the data gathered on the ISS will help engineers use the material to build building and bridges that can better withstand earthquakes.

Looking ahead at human endeavors in space was the Sonographic Astronaut Vertebral Examination (or spinal ultrasound) experiment. We know microgravity takes its toll on the human body, and this experiment set out to characterize spinal changes during and after spaceflight. It's rather important work as long-term spaceflight comes closer to reality.

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Pre- and post-flight MRIs and high fidelity ultrasounds, combined with in-flight ultrasounds, will give aerospace doctors the information they need to anticipate health risks in microgravity, including spinal alterations, back pain, and potential spinal injury. As a bonus, this research will also help determine just how accurate MRIs and musculoskeletal ultrasounds are in identifying spinal anatomy and might lead to novel imaging and training techniques in the future.

There was also a stem cell experiment on board, courtesy of the Japanese space agency JAXA. The goal behind this experiment wasn’t to learn about stem cells directly but to gather data on how space radiation affects the DNA repair gene response mechanism by studying the development of stem cells after have flown in space. Stem cells were launched frozen, and after months exposed to space radiation they will be microinjected into mouse-8-cell embryos.

As the mice grow, scientists will analyze what influence the space-exposed cells have on their development. Like the spinal ultrasound experiment, this one will help future astronauts. It will help scientists understand the effects of space radiation, particularly developmental issues stemming from long-duration mission, and protect space travelers from the adverse effects.

The HICO experiment mounted outsie on the ISS. via

There was an environmental experiment on board, too, the HICO and RAIDS Experiment Payload. HICO—the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean—uses a specialized visible and near-infrared camera to detect, identify, and quantify coastal features from orbit. This included water depth and clarity, chlorophyll content, and seafloor composition, all relevant data for both civilian and naval purposes. The data gathered on the ISS can be matched with data collected on the ground to develop algorithms that will allow scientists to map indicators of water quality.

Bringing science to the next generation was the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites-Zero-Robotics (SPHERES-Zero-Robotics) experiment. This was a competition that gave high school student the opportunity to design research to be carried out on the station. As part of a competition, students wrote algorithms to direct SPHERES to accomplish tasks relevant to future missions. Each algorithm was tested by the SPHERES team, and the best designs were selected to operate the SPHERES satellites aboard the station. So while it might be overshadowed by viral videos, there is still science on the ISS.