More than 3,000 experiments have been conducted aboard the International Space Station during the 21 years humans have been living and working in space. These experiments have provided insights helping improve life back on Earth and explore farther into the solar system. Researchers have shared these results in thousands of scientific publications.
Over the past few months, scientists shared the outcomes of space station
studies that could help us recover more water from life support systems,
construct Moon bases, grow plants in space, and more.
Here are some of the important new discoveries made and inventions created
thanks to space station research and technology demonstrations:
Click on each discovery in the list below to learn more about the study and
why it matters.
Closing the water loop for exploration: Additional water can
be recovered from the brine produced in the space station’s Urine Processor
Assembly (UPA).
Mixing cement in space to learn to construct Moon bases: Cement mixed in
space has different properties than cement mixed on Earth. Using simulated
lunar soil to inform how to construct structures on the Moon looks promising.
A new way to grow plants in space: A newly patented
system tested aboard station can provide plants water and nutrients they need
to grow in space without the use of electricity.
Communicating back home: A successful
technology demonstration aboard the space station verified a communications
technique that could enable larger amounts of data to be transmitted much
faster between space and Earth.
Studying fertility in space: Space radiation
did not affect mouse sperm DNA or fertility and yielded normal offspring with
the same success rate as ground controls.
Closing the water loop for exploration
Preflight imagery of the Brine Processor Assembly (BPA). The BPA’s dual-membrane bladder works to recover additional water from urine brine. Credits: Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz
What We Learned: Additional water can be recovered from the
brine produced in the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA), part of the station’s
environmental control and life support system (ECLSS).
Why It Matters: Future deep space exploration
missions will require spacefarers to have a nearly self-contained water system
in which they can recover, recycle, and reuse more than 98% of the water loaded
aboard their spacecraft from the beginning of their mission. The UPA
aboard the space station can achieve close to 94% recovery, but some water
remains in the brine waste product after urine is processed, and that water has
potential to be recovered. The new Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) is a
technology demonstration system that is now recovering that water on station.
The Details: The BPA technology
demonstration flew to station aboard the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft and
has now completed five de-watering cycles. Bladders from these
operational runs are planned to return to Earth on the SpaceX Dragon capsule and will
be analyzed to confirm BPA efficiency. All indications from in-orbit
telemetry are that the BPA is functioning as intended.
Mixing cement in space
to learn to construct Moon bases
European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst works on the MICS experiment aboard the International Space Station. Observations of how cement reacts in space during the hardening process may help engineers better understand its microstructure and material properties, which could improve cement processing techniques on Earth and lead to the design of safe, lightweight space habitats. Credits: NASA
What We Learned: Cement mixed in space has different
properties than cement mixed on Earth. Using simulated lunar soil to inform how
to construct structures on the Moon looks promising.
Why it matters: Now that researchers know those
properties, they are more prepared to create materials that are better
construction tools in space.
The Details: Lunar regolith simulant (JSC-1A), mock lunar
soil that emulates the properties of material from the Moon, has been used to
create metals, glasses, and cement on Earth. The Microgravity Investigation of
Cement Solidification (MICS) study conducted aboard the International Space
Station recently published results examining JSC-1A
for its potential use as a lunar construction material. Researchers found a
fine portion of lunar soil simulant can be used as a cement supplement, a
coarse portion can be used as filler, and that mixing the lunar regolith simulant,
cement, and water results in a hardy mortar. These results indicate it might be
feasible to use lunar dust as a material for building lunar bases. The Redwire Regolith Print study launched
aboard the Northrop Grumman Cygnus on its 16th commercial resupply services
mission builds on these results, using JSC-1A to see if regolith can be used
for 3D printing to study the feasibility of printing structures on the Moon or
Mars.
The MICS study also investigated the effect of microgravity on the reaction
that occurs when cement and water are mixed together. Results recently
published in ScienceDirect showed that the
cement mixed in space had a microstructure marked by long lines and more
trapped air than cement created on Earth. By learning this aboard the space
station, scientists can better anticipate the strength of cement structures in
space, and the results will contribute to the development of new materials for
the construction of extraterrestrial habitats.
Learn more: A Concrete Advantage for Space Explorers
A new way to grow plants
in space
Infographic illustrating the Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) plant growth unit. The PONDS units are an entirely passive system – meaning no electricity, no pumps and no moving parts – and the basic concept involves using a free-standing reservoir of water that plants can draw from when needed, cutting down on time astronauts would spend watering plants during the growth interval. Credits: NASA
What We Learned: A newly patented system tested aboard
station can provide plants water and nutrients they need to grow in space without
the use of electricity.
Why It Matters: On future deep space missions,
astronauts could use this method to grow fresh vegetables to supplement their
packaged diet.
The Details: The Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery
System (PONDS) is a newly patented plant growth approach that was
tested aboard the space station to water plants both in Earth’s gravity and
microgravity. The system provides reliable water delivery to seeds, transports
water from a reservoir, and provides nutrients and aeration to roots. PONDS is
passive, meaning it operates with no electricity, no pumps and no moving parts.
On future deep space missions, astronauts could use this method to grow fresh
vegetables to supplement their diet as they venture deeper into space.
What We Learned: A successful technology demonstration
aboard the space station verified a communications technique that could enable
larger amounts of data to be transmitted much faster between space and Earth.
Why It Matters: This promising test demonstrated a
new technology that could be used for faster data transmission to Earth and
could support deep space mission communications.
The Details: SOLISS, a small Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) communication terminal attached to the
space station, was tested for its laser pointing accuracy. The SOLISS
team published their results detailing
how they succeeded in establishing a bidirectional optical Ethernet link
between low-Earth orbit and the ground. This technology transmits information
faster than ever before, potentially supporting Earth’s needs while supplying
needed capabilities as humans travel farther from Earth.
Studying effects of
space radiation on fertility
What We Learned: Space radiation did not affect mouse sperm
DNA or its fertility and yielded normal offspring on Earth with the same
success rate as ground controls.
Why It Matters: Sustaining life beyond Earth either
on space stations or other planets requires a clear understanding of how the
space environment affects mammalian fertility. Before this experiment, only
non-mammalian reproductivity had been studied in space.
The Details: The Space Pup experiment sent
mouse sperm samples to the International Space Station and returned the samples
to Earth at different times, first at nine months, then two years and nine
months, and finally after 5 years and 10 months (the longest time period any
samples have been preserved in station biological research). The intent was to
determine the effects of space radiation on DNA mutations. New results
published in Science Advances from the
experiment indicate that space radiation did not affect mouse sperm DNA or
fertility and yielded normal offspring on Earth with the same success rate as
ground controls.
For daily updates, follow @ISS_Research, Space Station Research and
Technology News, or our Facebook. For opportunities
to see the space station pass over your town, check out Spot the Station.
Erin Winick Anthony
International Space Station Program Research Office
Johnson Space Center
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