NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will travel to the International Space Station on the space agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission in September. Once there, the crew members will participate in scientific research, including on blood clotting, the effects of humidity on space-grown plants and vision changes in astronauts.
Here are some details on some of the work planned for the Crew-9 expedition:
Megakaryocytes orbiting in outer space and near Earth (MeF1) studies how environmental conditions affect the development and function of megakaryocytes and platelets. Megakaryocytes, large cells found in the bone marrow, and platelets, fragments of these cells, play important roles in blood clotting and the immune response.
“Understanding the development and function of megakaryocytes and platelets during long-duration spaceflight is critical to maintaining astronaut health,” said Hansjorg Schwertz, principal investigator at the University of Utah. “Sending megakaryocyte cell cultures into space provides a unique opportunity to explore their complex differentiation process. Microgravity can also impact other blood cells, so the insights we gain are likely to improve our overall understanding of how spaceflight influences blood cell production.”
The findings could provide crucial insights into the risks of changes in inflammation, immune responses and clot formation during spaceflight and on the ground.
The explorer of the interior composition of neutron stars (MORE WELL) The telescope outside the space station measures X-rays emitted by neutron stars and other cosmic objects to help answer questions about matter and gravity.
In May 2023, NICER developed a “light leak” that allows sunlight to interfere with measurements made during the day. Special patches designed to cover some of the damage will be installed during a future spacewalk, allowing the instrument to operate 24 hours a day again.
“This will be the fourth scientific observatory and the first orbiting X-ray telescope to be repaired by astronauts,” said Keith Gendreau, principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “In just one year, we diagnosed the problem, designed and tested a solution, and delivered it for launch. The space station team of managers and safety experts, engineers and astronauts helped us get there. We look forward to resuming our normal science activities.”
Some astronauts experience vision problems, a condition called spaceflight-associated neuroocular syndrome. Complex B The investigation aims to determine whether a daily vitamin B supplement can prevent or alleviate this problem and to assess how genetics may influence individual response.
“We don’t know exactly what causes this syndrome yet, and not everyone gets it,” said Sara Zwart, lead researcher at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. “It’s likely that there are many biological factors and variations that make some astronauts more susceptible than others.”
One of these variations may be related to a metabolic pathway that requires B vitamins to function properly. Dysfunctions in this pathway can affect the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to leaks that can contribute to vision problems. Administering B vitamins known to have a positive effect on blood vessel function could minimize problems in genetically at-risk astronauts.
“The concept for this study is based on 13 years of flight and ground research,” Zwart said. “We are excited to finally be able to flight-test a low-risk countermeasure that could mitigate risks on future missions, including those to Mars.”
As people travel further and further from Earth, growing food becomes increasingly important. Scientists have conducted numerous plant-growing experiments on the space station using its Vegetarian equipment, including Veg-01B, which demonstrated that red romaine lettuce ‘Outredgeous’ is suitable for crop production in space.
Plant habitat-07 uses this lettuce to examine how moisture conditions affect the nutritional quality and microbial safety of plants. Advanced Plant Habitat controls humidity, temperature, air, light and soil moisture, creating the precise conditions needed for the experiment.
Using a plant known to grow well in space removes a difficult variable from the equation, explained Chad Vanden Bosch, principal researcher at Redwire, and the lettuce has also been proven safe to eat when grown in space.
“For crews building a base on the Moon or Mars, caring for plants may not be a priority, which is why plant growth systems need to be automated,” Bosch explained. “These systems don’t always provide ideal growing conditions, so we need to know whether plants grown in suboptimal conditions are safe to eat.”
Melissa Gaskill
International Space Station Research Communications Team
NASA Johnson Space Center
Research this database science experiments to learn more about those mentioned in this article.
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