Thanks to ideas of putting swarms of tiny robot bugs to work on a future space station, patients being medicated for blood clots may soon get a simple, home-use testing kit, here on Earth. Fifteen years ago as a graduate student, Vladislav Djakov started building these micro-electromechanical creatures that mimic the swarms of bugs found in nature.

Equipped with a power supply, limited intelligence and monitoring systems, the bugs would be small enough to send en masse to hard-to-reach places, like pipes carrying liquids on space stations.

There, monitoring changes in temperature or flow could warn of impending malfunctions.

To move the bugs, the scientist hit on using cilia-like motion, much like some deep-sea creatures use to propel themselves. They covered one face of the microchip with tiny cantilever arms.

"They would then move along on these like millipedes," said Dr Djakov, now Director of Sensor Development at Microvisk Technologies.

In the end, the space bugs were ahead of their time: they haven't yet progressed past the testing phase.

But the cilia approach - the cantilever arms to propel the bugs - has gone further.

Space cantilevers spin off STFC Innovation, ESA's Technology Transfer Programme partner that operates the agency's Business Incubation Centre Harwell in the UK, saw the business potential in the medical market and supported start-up company Microvisk to spin off the technology.

At Microvisk, Dr Djakov's team stripped down the microchips and put the intelligent sensing mechanisms right into the cantilever arms, almost like a cat's whiskers.

These whiskers turned out to be very good at monitoring liquids. Sweeping through, they note changes in viscosity and register if anything is suspended in the liquid.

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Space bugs for blood testing and more

Private companies developing spacecraft

More than a dozen private companies are developing spacecraft to transport cargo or people to space. Here are few of them:

SpaceX: Its seven-seat Dragon capsule in May became the first commercial spacecraft to fly to the International Space Station and return to Earth intact. Founded by PayPal co-founder and billionaire Elon Musk, the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company has won two NASA awards to carry cargo and people into orbit. Last year, it won $75 million in the second round of awards. This month, NASA promised an additional $440 million. A first test flight with people will take place in 2015.

Sierra Nevada: Sierra Nevada's Space Systems received $117.6 million from NASA in the first two rounds of awards for transport to the Space Station. This month, NASA pledged an additional $212.5 million for the Colorado-based space company to develop the Dream Chaser, which looks like a miniature version of NASA's space shuttle. The seven-seat spacecraft will launch vertically on an Atlas V rocket and land horizontally on a runway just like a plane. A first test flight is expected in 2016.

Blue Origin: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos backs this secretive Kent, Wash.-company that's trying to develop vehicles for suborbital and orbital flights. For suborbital flights above the planet's surface without reaching orbit, the company is working on the New Shepard, a capsule that can carry three or more astronauts atop a separate rocket-powered propulsion module. To transport up to seven astronauts to the Space Station, the company is developing the Space Vehicle, a capsule that launches vertically and re-enters horizontally. The company has received $20.1 million from NASA.

Boeing: The Chicago-based aerospace giant won NASA's largest award, $460 million, to build a seven-person Crew Space Transportation-100 capsule that will fly atop an Atlas V rocket. Boeing anticipates a test flight by 2016. It has received $125.2 million in NASA funding in previous rounds.

Virgin Galactic: British airline mogul Richard Branson's U.S.-based Virgin Galactic plans suborbital flights by the end of 2013. SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers and two pilots. The WhiteKnightTwo, a cargo aircraft, will launch SpaceShipTwo up to 50,000 feet. So far, VirginGalactic has collected more than $65 million in deposits from 535 customers. Tickets cost $200,000 each. The company is funded largely by Branson's Virgin Group and the Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments.

XCOR Aerospace: The Mojave, Calif.-based company is developing a Lynx suborbital and reusable launch vehicle that can accommodate two people. Flights could begin as early as the end of next year. The company says it has spent about $50 million to $60 million developing the Lynx. A ticket will cost $95,000.

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A new space race: Companies vie to haul cargo, passengers

FFA students from Flagler Palm Coast High School recently returned from a retreat. Pictured in the front row from left are Kerry Norberg, Austin Davis and Tara Norberg; second row from left are Hannah Welch and Katie Young. Along the back row are Jessica DiMaria and Madison Worley. (Provided by Johanna Davis)

Indian Trails Middle School is preparing for an event that will allow students to contact an astronaut aboard the International Space Station via amateur radio.

The event, scheduled for the week of Nov. 12, is being made possible through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, NASA, international space agencies and worldwide amateur radio groups that coordinate scheduled radio contacts between astronauts aboard the space station and schools. The 10-minute live forum will bounce between students and astronauts as the astronauts orbit 250 miles above Earth.

The event also will include guest speakers from Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University along with an array of space-replated exhibits designed by students.

More information is available at http://www.nasa.gov/education/tfs and http://flaglerschools.com/space. District contacts include Jose Nunez at nunezj@flaglerschools.com and Sabrina Crosby, event coordinator, at crosbys@flaglerschools.com.

Information about the Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club is available at fpcamateurradioclub.com.

Reading Pals volunteers needed

Flagler County Public Schools and Flagler Volunteer Services are seeking 100 volunteers to read to preschool-aged children twice a week for 25 weeks.

Each mentoring volunteer will be partnered with a selected child for a 30-minute session during class time. Each session will include reading a book, completing an activity and a discussion period.

Each volunteer can mentor up to three children. Volunteers must pass background screenings and attend a training session.

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School notes: Students to have radio contact with space station

Photo by Matt Stensland

On Friday, Space Station gas station owner Eric Dorris was selling the part-biodiesel fuel B20 for $3.90 a gallon, which Dorris said is similar to what he would be selling regular diesel for.

Steamboat Springs Space Station gas station owner Eric Dorris has began offering a cleaner burning alternative fuel to his diesel customers.

Last month, Dorris switched over his diesel tank to B20 diesel, a fuel that is a blend of 80 percent regular diesel and 20 percent biodiesel, a fuel that can be produced from soybeans, natural oils, animal fats and recycled cooking oil.

I figured, give it a shot and see what happens, said Dorris, adding that people in town with diesel vehicles had been asking him to supply B20.

Diesel has never been a great seller at Space Station, Dorris said, and sales of the B20 are similar to what he was selling with regular diesel.

On Friday, he was selling B20 for $3.90 a gallon, which Dorris said is similar to what he would be selling regular diesel for. According to the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, B20 was a few pennies more expensive per gallon. The average price between March 30 and April 13 was $4.18 for B20 and $4.12 for regular diesel.

It costs about the same, said Dorris, who is using B20 in his own truck. It runs in my truck just fine.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, B20 can be used in many diesel vehicles without any engine modifications. Besides burning cleaner, an added benefit is that the fuel acts like a lubricant and keeps parts from wearing prematurely.

The production of biodiesel hit record levels in 2011, according to the Department of Energy, largely because of government subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal program that requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels.

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Space Station now offering alternative fuel in Steamboat Springs

China's manned missions and the space station also indirectly showcase the country's ability to use space for military purposes, says Dr Manpreet Sethi.

The successful touchdown of the American spacecraft Curiosity on mars has generated much interest in India [ Images ] and the world. Certainly, this is a major milestone in earth's search for life elsewhere in space. But another event of significance for India's national security went relatively unnoticed though it took place much closer home in India's eastern neighbourhood.

On June 29, China welcomed three of its 'taikonauts' aboard Shenzhou 9 back to earth after their 13-day sojourn into outer space. Of course, this was not the first time that China had sent up a manned spacecraft. In fact, it had already demonstrated this feat in 2003 and repeated it a few times since then.

But there were two new dimensions of the recent flight. One, it carried a Chinese woman astronaut into space for the first time. Secondly and far more significantly, it demonstrated China's capability to conduct docking of a manned spacecraft with the experimental lab Tiangong 1 that China has had stationed in space since September 2011. Successful docking with an unmanned spacecraft had already been conducted in 2011 itself. But this time, the three astronauts in Shenzhou 9 established that China could precisely maneuver a space capsule to rendezvous with and attach itself to a port on the station in order to transfer people and material to sustain a space station.

Each one of these feats is meant to fit into the long term objective of having a Chinese manned space station in outer space by sometime towards the end of this decade. Such a goal was first articulated by the standing committee of the Politburo in 1992 when it approved the manned spaceflight programme.

The country has steadily moved to accomplish this and in fact, the white paper on space activities issued by China in 2011 categorically identified the national ambition to "launch space laboratories, manned spaceship and space freighters, make breakthroughs in and master space station key technologies, including astronauts' medium stay, regenerative life support and propellant refueling".

What are the implications of these developments? First of all, a Chinese space station and the demonstration of capabilities towards that objective have tremendous symbolic value for power projection. Achieving these tasks reflects favorably on the scientific, technological and industrial/manufacturing capability of the country. Not only does this enhance the reputation of China to provide commercial services to global customers, it also enhances the soft power of the country.

It is worth mentioning that China today claims international cooperation with 12 countries in the field of space. Just last year it launched satellites for three customers -- Pakistan, Eutelsat and Nigeria. Of these, the two vehicles launched for Pakistan and Nigeria were communication satellites made in China. Just last month China entered into a joint venture with Sri Lanka [ Images ] to set up its first space academy.

Indeed, for the developing world, China has become a key provider of technology and other commercial launch services at competitive rates. But more importantly, China has taken upon itself the role of a mentor in space for many smaller countries in Asia. Since 2008, Beijing [ Images ] has led the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation. With its headquarters in Beijing, it comprises Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru and Thailand. Training of foreign scientists at Chinese institutes and donation of ground stations to member countries to receive information from Chinese satellites are some of the activities that the organisation has undertaken.

As China enhances its space capabilities, it raises its profile amongst smaller nations taking tentative steps into this new domain. China plays upon the psychology of these nations by offering its space services as a means to break the monopoly of western imperialism in a pioneering field of science and technology. That China gains commercially and strategically from such relations is self evident.

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What China's space capabilities mean for India

The European Space Agency's ATV-3 space freighter will carry on with a planned manouver to readjust the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) on August 22, the agency said on Thursday.

The regularly planned reboost, by the "Edoardo Amaldi" Automated Transfer Vehicle-3, stopped "prematurely" on Wednesday due to a temperature alarm in the vehicle's propulsion system, the ESA said in a statement.

The ATV-3, docked at the ISS's Zvezda module, was scheduled to raise the station's orbit by 7.7 kilometers to an altitude of 414.42 kilometers.

"It has been jointly agreed with the ISS control centres to perform the remainder of yesterday's reboost during the next scheduled reboost slot, set for 22 August," said ESA's Jean-Michel Bois, head of Mission Operations at ATV-Control Center.

Bois said the decision was taken in order to give engineers on the ground enough time to complete their investigation into Wednesday's incident.

The reboost was intended to ensure the best conditions for the landing of Russia's Soyuz TMA-04M manned spacecraft on its return to Earth and the docking of the Soyuz TMA-06M manned spacecraft with the orbital outpost, slated for October 15.

RIA Novosti.

The Soyuz TMA-M, a new version of the legendary spacecraft

Adjustments to the station's orbit are carried out regularly to compensate for the Earth's gravity and to facilitate the successful docking and undocking of spacecraft.

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Space Station Orbit Adjustment 'to Continue on Aug. 22'

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams on Wednesday displayed the Tricolour on board the International Space Station and wished Indians on the eve of their 66th Independence Day. I wish India a very happy Independence Day for August 15... India is a wonderful country and I am very proud to be a part of India, she said in her message.

Of course, you know that I am half Indian. My father is from Gujarat. So, I am familiar with culture and customs of India. I am so proud to a part of this [Independence Day] celebration, Ms. Williams said, displaying Indias national flag.

Williams, 46, along with Yuri Malenchenko of Russia and Japans Akihiko Hoshide left for the ISS aboard a Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M on July 15 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Ms. Williams, who was a flight engineer on the stations Expedition 32 crew, became commander of Expedition 33 after reaching the space station.

Ms. Williams was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1998. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15.

She holds the record of the longest spaceflight (195 days) for female space travellers.

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Sunita Williams wishes Indians from space station

The International Space Station's robotics systems, under manual and remote control by astronauts and ground controllers, have transferred a cache of experiments from a Japanese resupply craft to external platforms aboard the orbiting outpost.

The barrel-shaped spacecraft, nicknamed Kounotori 3, reached the complex July 27, flying in formation below the station while astronauts unlimbered the lab's robotic arm to snare the HTV resupply craft from space.

Kounotori means "white stork" in Japanese.

The space station crew opened the hatch to the HTV's pressurized cargo module July 28 to begin unloading more than 7,000 pounds of equipment, including food and clothing, an aquatic habitat to study how microgravity impacts marine life, a remote-controlled Earth observation camera, a critical part for the lab's water regeneration system, and a Japanese cooling water recirculation pump, according to NASA.

The cargo craft also delivered five small CubeSat satellites and a Japanese-built deployer apparatus. The CubeSats will be released outside the space station beginning this fall.

Two payload packages mounted on an external platform inside the HTV required removal by the station's Canadian and Japanese robotics systems.

The Canadian and Japanese robot arms transferred the HTV's exposed pallet to a connecting port on the space station's Kibo laboratory Aug. 6. The outpost's Dextre robotic handyman, operating on commands from the ground, on Aug. 7 moved NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Testbed to its operating location on the space station truss.

Developed by NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the SCAN Testbed payload includes three experimental next-generation radios capable of being updated with fresh software in flight.

Future space missions could use similar radios for communications and navigation functions. Ground controllers could install new software to alter the radio's capabilities, reducing the time and money needed to ensure spacecraft radios meet a mission's changing needs.

"The ability to change the operating characteristics of the radio's software after launch allows missions to change the way a radio communicates with ground controllers, and offers the flexibility to adapt to new science opportunities and increased data return," said a fact sheet posted on a NASA website.

Continued here:

External payloads delivered to station by Japanese vessel

WASHINGTON -- Astronauts and cosmonauts will perform two spacewalks outside the International Space Station this month. NASA Television will broadcast both events live. Coverage of the first will begin at 10 a.m. EDT, Monday, Aug. 20. Coverage of the second will begin at 7 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 30.

The first spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m., Aug. 20, will feature Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency in Russian Orlan spacesuits. They will float outside the Pirs docking compartment airlock for a 6 1/2 hour spacewalk to relocate a cargo boom from Pirs to the Zarya module, complete the installation of micrometeoroid debris shields on the Zvezda service module and deploy a small science satellite.

The second spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m., Aug. 30, will feature NASA Flight Engineer Sunita Williams and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide. The duo will don U.S. extravehicular mobility unit spacesuits for the first U.S.-based spacewalk since July 2011. It will be a 6 1/2 hour excursion designed to replace a faulty power relay unit on the station's truss, rig power cables for the arrival late next year of a Russian laboratory module, and install a thermal cover on a docking port.

The spacewalks will be the 163rd and 164th in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Padalka has conducted eight previous spacewalks and will wear a suit bearing red stripes. Malenchenko has conducted four spacewalks and will wear blue stripes. For the U.S. spacewalk, Williams will wear a suit with red stripes for the fifth spacewalk in her career. Hoshide, wearing a suit with no stripes, will be conducting his first spacewalk. He is the third Japanese astronaut in history to conduct a spacewalk.

International news media planning to cover the U.S. spacewalk in-person at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston must apply for accreditation by contacting the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 6 p.m., Aug. 21. U.S. media also may begin their application process at this time. International accreditation for the first spacewalk has closed.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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Two Space Station Spacewalks to be Broadcast on NASA TV

Astronauts living on the International Space Station will cap a busy summer with a pair of spacewalks this month to upgrade and repair the exterior of their home in orbit.

On Monday, two Russian cosmonauts, Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko, will venture outside the space station to perform a variety of maintenance tasks. Ten days later, on Aug. 30, American astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will also step out into the vacuum of space to complete their own list of tasks.

The two spacewalks are the only ones planned during the station's current Expedition 32 mission, NASA officials said. Williams and Hoshide will also be performing the first NASA spacewalk in more than a year. The last American excursion outside the orbiting complex was carried out by station astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan in July 2011, during the agency's final space shuttle mission.

"Things are going extremely well on the space station," Dina Contella, Expedition 32 lead flight director at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters during a news briefing Tuesday. "The crew is in great spirits, looking forward to a pair of spacewalks coming up."

The Russian spacewalk is scheduled to last about 6.5 hours, beginning at 10:40 a.m. EDT.

The cosmonauts will install debris shields to protect parts of the Russian Zvezda service module, and will move a cargo crane from the Pirs docking module to the nearby Zarya module. The crane is being moved to make way for a new Russian laboratory unit that is scheduled to launch to space station and be installed in 2013, NASA officials said. [ Gallery: Building the International Space Station ]

If the cosmonauts complete their main tasks ahead of schedule, they will retrieve two science experiments from the exterior of the station, and release a spherical satellite part of a separate Russian experiment into space.

Padalka and Malenchenko are both veteran spacewalkers. Padalka has conducted eight spacewalks six at the International Space Station and two at the Russian Mir space station. Malenchenko has previously worked outside in the vacuum of space four times.

On Aug. 30, Williams and Hoshide will don their bulky white spacesuits and will embark on a 6.5-hour spacewalk of their own. Williams has conducted four previous spacewalks, but it will be Hoshide's first time venturing outside the orbiting lab, NASA officials said.

The NASA spacewalk, or Extravehicular Activity (EVA), is scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m. EDT on Aug. 30.

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ISS crew gears up for two space walks

As if holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a female astronaut wasn't enough, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is preparing to compete in a triathlon in space.

Williams, who is stationed aboard the International Space Station, is planning to participate in the 26th annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon in September. But unlike the more than 5,000 athletes who will gather at Zuma Beach in California to swim, bike and run, Williams will compete while orbiting more than 240 miles (386 kilometers) above Earth. She left Earth July 17 for her second long-duration stay in the orbiting lab.

Williams will participate in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon in concert with CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, for a CNN special. While Gupta sticks to a more Earthbound experience of swimming in the Pacific Ocean, bicycling and racing through the streets of Malibu, Williams will run, pedal, and engage in a series of bench presses that will serve as the microgravity equivalent of swimming.

As part of her triathlon training, Williams participated from space in the Aug. 12 Falmouth Road Race, an annual seven-mile race from Woods Hole in the town of Falmouth, Mass. [Video: Astronaut to Run Triathlon in Space]

Now she has roughly a month to prepare for the triathlon, which requires competitors to swim half a mile in the ocean, bike 18 miles and run four miles.

Astronauts on long-duration missions at the orbiting outpost exercise roughly two hours each day to combat loss of bone and muscle density. The space station is equipped with a specially designed stationary bike, treadmill (complete with harnesses to keep participants from floating away) and a machine called the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, or ARED, which acts as a weightlifting machine.

In recent interviews with CNN and WCIA radio in Illinois, Williams described the progress of her training in space, and how her body is adjusting to exercise in the microgravity environment.

"Microgravity is nice to your body," Williams told WCIA. "You can float around, it feels good, but when you simulate gravity when you're on either the treadmill or the ARED it sort of hurts. So it's been a bit of an adjustment to get into the exercise."

During her first two weeks in space, Williams spent time familiarizing herself with the machines, which are either new or have been upgraded since she was last at the space station in 2007.

"The first two weeks we've sort of used as a just-get-used-to-the-equipment, get used to the protocols that we're doing," Williams said at the time. "So I think we're at that point that we're finally adapted and ready to start building on it. So, just watch out, because now I'm ready to really start preparing for the triathlon."

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Space Triathlon: Station Astronaut to Compete Where No One Has Before

Astronauts living on the International Space Station will cap a busy summer with a pair of spacewalks this month to upgrade and repair the exterior of their home in orbit.

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Space Station Crew Gears Up for 2 Spacewalks

(Highlights: Week of July 30, 2012) -- Two biology experiments arrived at the station aboard the HTV-3. They were winners in the YouTube Space Lab global science contest. This contest challenges students to design an experiment to be conducted onboard the station. One winning experiment examines the antifungal properties of Bacillus subtilis. Another examines the predatory behavior of jumping spiders. So far, the spiders are responding well to the space environment. One has molted, which is normal. The spider experiment's designer -- a young man from Alexandria, Egypt -- has given both female spiders names. Nefertiti is the redback jumping spider and Cleopatra is the zebra jumping spider.

Four tests were successfully completed for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted flame tests at various air and gaseous nitrogen flows. These tests were run to determine if the flames would blow out at high flow rates. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

An 18-day run ended with the DEvice for the study of Critical LIquids and Crystallization Alice Like Insert (DECLIC-ALI). These runs were dedicated to the observation of the boiling process when increasing the temperature. DECLIC-ALI studies liquids at the verge of boiling. The flow of heat during boiling events is different in microgravity than it is on Earth. Understanding how heat flows in fluids at the verge of boiling will help scientists develop cooling systems for use in microgravity. On Earth, the readily variable properties of near-critical fluids makes them appealing candidates for studying numerous interesting phenomena valid for all fluids, which will ultimately lead to the development of improved solvents for chemistry and the environment. The next sequence of tests is planned for September.

The final series of 14 runs were completed for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-sponsored Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni) experiment. This is one of two physics experiments analyzing the behavior of a surface-tension-driven flow in microgravity. The next set of runs is planned for Expedition 34.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, SPRINT, Journals, Vessel Imaging, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, Pro K, Nutrition and Reaction Self Test .

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 31/32

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 30, 2012

(Highlights: Week of May 21, 2012) -- May 24 marked a 50-year milestone of capillarity fluid physics experiments in space. These investigations study how fluids move up surfaces in microgravity. The results aim to improve current computer models that are used by designers of low gravity fluid systems and may improve fluid transfer systems for water on future spacecraft.

More tests were completed for the Flame Extinguishment Experiment-2 (FLEX-2). This is the second experiment on the space station which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines using liquid fuels.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HREP-HICO) Experiment Payload has taken 5675 images to-date. The most recent HICO images include the coast of Italy, the English Channel, part of Hawaii, the coast of France and Munich, Germany. The experiment analyzes the water clarity, chlorophyll content, water depth and ocean or sea floor composition for naval purposes.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Space Headaches, Vascular, Reaction Self Test, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, and Journals.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 21, 2012

(Highlights: June 18 - July 06, 2012) -- The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) has collected its 19 billionth cosmic ray event. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

A successful checkout of the vision recognition software for Robonaut 2 was performed. Robonaut also worked with switches and buttons, collecting images of the machine vision cameras for use with future vision recognition tasks. Robonaut not only looks like a human, but it also is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, Robonaut is able to use the same tools station crew members use. In the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants for astronauts during spacewalks.

Four tests were successfully completed for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted tests at various air flow speeds and sample widths. For these tests, sample spheres were allowed to burn for several minutes, allowing the flame to spread and cover the entire sphere before turning the flow off to extinguish it. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Quiescent test points using 100 percent decane fuel were performed for the Flame Extinguishment Experiment -2 (FLEX-2). FLEX-2 encompasses five distinct investigation classes using pure and bi-component mixed fuels. Quiescent test points investigate diffusive flame behavior, extinction mechanisms, and sooting phenomena in a wide range of combustion chamber atmospheres. Sixteen tests were performed at four different chamber atmospheres all at reduced pressure. The results from FLEX-2 will lead to greater fuel efficiency of liquid-fuel engines and will minimize pollutant emissions. On Earth, FLEX-2 will help in the understanding of combustion generated pollution, and address fire hazards associated with using liquid combustibles.

The first run for Expedition 32 was conducted of the DEvice for the study of Critical LIquids and Crystallization Alice Like Insert (DECLIC-ALI). DECLIC-ALI studies liquids at the verge of boiling. The flow of heat during boiling events is different in microgravity than it is on Earth. Understanding how heat flows in fluids at the verge of boiling will help scientists develop cooling systems for use in microgravity. On Earth, the readily variable properties of near-critical fluids makes them appealing candidates for studying numerous interesting phenomena valid for all fluids, which will ultimately lead to the development of improved solvents for chemistry and the environment.

The Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team has received 124,021 images for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

Crew members made successful contact with Cirqiniq Summer Camp in Quebec, Canada, as part of the International Space Station HAM Radio experiment (ISS HAM Radio) By utilizing ham radios, this experiment gets students interested in space exploration by allowing them to talk directly with the crews living and working aboard the space station. To date, crew members have made 45 contacts in 2012 and 735 project events since ISS HAM inception.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Space Headaches, ALTEA Shield, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, and Integrated Immune.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 31/32

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of July 6, 2012

(Highlights: Week of April 23, 2012) --Several investigation samples were returned to Earth on April 27, aboard the 28S Soyuz, including:

* SOdium LOading in Microgravity (SOLO) investigation. Return of these samples completes those in-flight investigations. SOLO studies the mechanisms of fluid and salt retention in the body during spaceflight.

* Long Term Microgravity: A Model for Investigating Mechanisms of Heart Disease with New Portable Equipment (CARD) investigation. Return of those samples concludes the in-flight portion of the experiment. CARD studies blood pressure decreases in the human body exposed to microgravity on the station.

* Endocannabinoid System in human Lymphocytes Exposed to Microgravity (ROALD2). This European Space Agency study investigates the function of endocannabinoids -- substances produced within the body to activate cell membrane receptor -- in the regulation of the immune processes and cell cycle under microgravity conditions. ROALD2 identifies countermeasures against impairment of the immune system efficiency due to spaceflight.

* High Quality Protein Crystal Growth Experiment (JAXA PCG), returned more than 100 samples of 48 proteins for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency study aimed at the growth of crystals of biological macromolecules by the counter-diffusion technique. Typical objectives include: development for treatment products in the areas of infectious diseases such as malaria and influenza, as well as environment and energy solutions for biofuel and nylon resolution.

More than 1,600 children throughout Europe participated in the Spaceship Earth events on April 24, for the European Space Agency-Education Payload Operations (ESA-EPO). This activity records education demonstrations performed on the station by crew members. Each event site had scientific demonstrations and hands-on activities including ground kits that were accompanied by on-orbit videos. The children were exposed to many different physics principles.

Testing continued with the Flame Extinguishment-2 (FLEX-2) investigation. Overall, testing was successful allowing the ground team to obtain results for a wide range of droplet diameters. They were able to repeat some of the test points achieved on preceding test days allowing repeatability of the results. FLEX-2 is the second station investigation which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines on Earth that use liquid fuels.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Immune, Journals, Reaction Self Test, and VO2Max.

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of April 23, 2012

(Highlights: Week of June 04, 2012) -- Expedition 31 crew members were the first to capture the Transit of Venus from a spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. The Transit of Venus takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth becoming visible against (obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. The transit occurred June 5 and 6. The next transit alignment will not occur until 2117. These images were taken from the Docking Compartment 1, the Mini Research Module 2, and the Cupola windows. The astronauts were able to capture this historic event with the use of solar filters. The last transit occurred in 2004, but the space station crew did not have solar filters to acquire imagery. Prior to that, the last transit of Venus occurred in 1882.

The Flame Extinguishment Experiment-2 (FLEX-2) continued with surrogate fuel test points. This is the second investigation on the space station which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. FLEX-2 studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding of how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines using liquid fuels.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through June 4, 74,252 images have been received for reviewing and cataloging for the Crew Earth Observation (CEO). Recent images include Hurricane Bud off the Pacific coast of Mexico and Bigach Impact Crater, Kazakhstan. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Thermolab, Vessel Imaging, Pro K, Space Headaches, Vascular, Reaction Self Test, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Cardiovascular, VO2max, and Journals.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of June 04, 2012

(Highlights: Week of May 14, 2012) -- May 19 marked the one year anniversary of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) continuously operating on the station. To date, AMS-02 has registered more than 17 billion cosmic ray events, operating smoothly in space under extreme thermal conditions. These events have been used to carefully calibrate the particle detectors in order to fully exploit their sensitivity to search for the rarest events. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted tests at various air flow speeds and sample widths. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through the end of Expedition 30, the Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team received 223,609 of the CEO frames for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

On May 15, the International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) captured images of the Paraguay flood in South America upon request from the International Disaster Charter. The science team is currently processing the image data. ISSAC can be used to study dynamic Earth processes around the world, such as melting glaciers, ecosystem responses to seasonal changes, and human impacts, including rapid-response monitoring of natural disasters.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HREP-HICO) Experiment Payload has taken 5,649 images as of May 18. The most recent HICO images include Mono Lake in California, part of the Gulf Coast of Florida, Midway Island, part of Italy's coastline, Lake Superior and the Columbia River Mouth. The experiment analyzes the water clarity, chlorophyll content, water depth and ocean or sea floor composition for naval purposes.

Investigations from NanoRacks Modules 16 and 18 have been packed and will return to Earth with the Expedition 31 crew later this summer. A bronze and gold electroplating experiment, a biological growth experiment, and a bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance experiment were among this set of investigations. These investigations are high school experiments which are plugged into a NanoRacks Platform aboard the station. The long-term goal of this project is to create a series of student projects that are sophisticated and economically efficient, allowing students to move beyond the classrooms and into low Earth orbit with their research.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Sprint, Energy, Journals, Reaction Self Test.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 14, 2012

(Highlights: Week of May 07, 2012) -- Ground teams successfully performed vision characterization activities for Robonaut 2 by saving images of the machine vision cameras -- high-definition cameras in the head -- at various positions. Controllers also ran a script where Robonaut performed switch-throws and button presses on a taskboard. Robonaut not only looks like a human, but it also is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, Robonaut is able to use the same tools station crew members use. In the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants for astronauts during spacewalks.

Operations continued for the Burning And Suppression of Solids (BASS) investigation. BASS examines the burning and extinction characteristics of a wide variety of fuel samples in microgravity. A crew member conducted three test points where each test obtained a flame, which led to useful observations and data gathering. The BASS investigation will guide strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in microgravity. BASS results contribute to the combustion computational models used in the design of fire detection and suppression systems in microgravity and on Earth.

Through the end of Expedition 30, the Crew Earth Observation (CEO) team received 223,609 of the CEO frames for review and cataloging. For this investigation, station crew members photograph natural and human-made changes on Earth. These images provide researchers with key data to better understand the planet.

The International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) imaged three stretch targets within its primary science region, and one additional target near the coast of Greenland. The intent is to image an iceberg near the Greenland coast, and characterize the ability of ISSAC to analyze environmental change. ISSAC also imaged 40 strip targets for a total of 3,446 images that spanned 68,920 kilometers. These targets were primarily focused on the Northern Plains region of the United States, however two of these targets were taken off the coast of Newfoundland, in order to determine the camera's feasibility in studying coastal climate change.

Crew members made successful contact with the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Va., and St. Paul, Minn., as part of the International Space Station HAM Radio (ISS HAM Radio) investigation. For the Newport News event, there were about 280 attendees who joined via video teleconference from four locations: Virginia, Minnesota, New York and Louisiana. By utilizing ham radios, this investigation gets students interested in space exploration by allowing them to talk directly with the crews living and working aboard the space station.

A crew member began the Astronaut's Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight (Energy) experiment by consuming a standardized breakfast, measuring water intake, performing several oxygen uptake measurements using the Pulmonary Function System and collecting urine. This European Space Agency physiology investigation is aimed at measuring changes in energy balance in crew members following long duration spaceflight. Energy also will measure adaptations in the components of the total energy expenditure of astronauts to derive an equation for the energy requirements of astronauts.

Human research investigations continued for various crew members including, Integrated Cardiovascular, Sprint, Treadmill Kinematics, Integrated Immune, Journals, Reaction Self Test, and VO2Max.

John Love, Lead Increment Scientist Expedition 30/31

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NASA Space Station Lead Increment Scientist's Highlights For the Week of May 07, 2012

The six astronauts living aboard the International Space Station are making time in their busy schedules to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics from space.

In a new letter to Earth, NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, an avid sports fan, describes being able to catch some of the exciting events while in orbit.

"Even with all the work we had to do, we found time to get together and watch the Olympics," Acaba wrote in a post to his blog "The Great Outer Space" Tuesday (Aug. 7). "Of course everyone knows there is something special about the Olympics and that feeling is not lost in space."

Acaba and his crewmates were even able to tune in for some of the history-making moments from the 2012 Summer Olympics, which are being held in London.

"We were able to see Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympian and Gabby Douglas' nerves of steel as she won the individual Gymnastics gold medal," he said.

What Summer Olympic Sport Would You Like to See Played in Space?

Space station's Olympic spirit

Acaba added that his unique surroundings drove home the significance of the Olympics.

"To have two weeks to watch the best athletes of the world compete is a dream come true for any sports enthusiast," Acaba wrote. "To watch them while orbiting above the Earth makes them even more special for us (even though we often miss the end of a competition because we lose satellite coverage)." [Summer Olympics Cities Seen From Space (Gallery)

Acaba drew parallels between the spirit of the Olympic games, and what the astronauts are trying to accomplish on the International Space Station.

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Astronauts Watch Summer Olympics From Space