Category Archives: Space Station

IMAGE:NASA's Rodent Habitat module is shown with both access doors open. view more

Credit: NASA/Dominic Hart

Imagine if all of your physiological changes were hyper accelerated so that you passed through life cycles in weeks as opposed to decades. You'd be able to grow a beard overnight or your hair might begin graying in a matter of days or maybe menopause would come knocking by next weekend. This may seem like a far stretch from reality, but spaceflight causes significant physiological changes including an accelerated loss of muscle and bone density, and immune system dysfunction that parallel the effects of natural aging here on Earth. This makes the International Space Station (ISS) is an ideal place for scientists to conduct research on aging at a "space-aged" pace.

One of the several investigations that are part of the second rodent research mission, Rodent Research-2 will focus on the age-old phenomenon of aging. This research, sponsored by Novartis Biomedical Research Institute, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is slated to launch to the space station via SpaceX-6. Researchers will use the study to analyze how spaceflight and exposure to the microgravity environment impacts a model organism's musculoskeletal system.

Studying the disease mechanisms of muscle wasting and bone loss, which are associated with both spaceflight and aging, can provide greater insight into these processes and help to identify potential new drug targets and develop new therapeutics for other conditions as well. Advanced treatments for diseases like osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, cancer, spinal cord injury, and kidney failure could all be developed through valuable data gained through this investigation and subsequent studies.

The musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and joints. This biological system is greatly affected by the aging process and certain diseases, as well as spaceflight. Researchers anticipate that the science conducted on the space station will provide insight into molecular variations induced by spaceflight, and can applied to our knowledge of similar changes on Earth.

The ISS National Lab is now equipped with specialized hardware, like the Bone Densitometer Locker. This facility, which launched with the previous rodent research mission, allows scientists to gather data in real time. Researchers will track numerous data points from the mice test subjects, including gene expression, various biomarkers from several biological systems, and molecular changes within musculoskeletal tissues.

A second part of the Rodent Research-2 study is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX-7 and will include three separate investigations sponsored by NASA. Michael Pecaut, Ph.D., of Loma Linda University is the principal investigator for a study of the effects of spaceflight on immune system function. Michael Delp, Ph.D., of Florida State University, is the principal investigator for a study of spaceflight-induced changes in the structure of the blood-brain barrier. Data from a third study of the effect of spaceflight on liver metabolism and gene expression will be shared with the scientific community via GeneLab, NASA's new open access system for sharing of genomics data gained from research in space. NASA's Ames Research Center is responsible for carrying out all of the CASIS and NASA-funded science on this mission.

Collaboration between other government agencies and commercial entities, facilitated by CASIS and NASA, are helping to maximize the research capabilities of the ISS National Lab for the benefit of Earth.

We may still have to wait years to experience our own aging--which is likely a good thing--but thanks to space station research we may have help for treating those age-related challenges through the accelerated knowledge gained through studies like Rodent Research-2.

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'Space-age' research looks to provide new human health insights

Mondays scheduled launch will act as an errand runner for the International Space Station and the Dragon resupply spacecraft is loaded up with research equipment.

This delivery will bring an array of supplies to help assist astronauts perform experiments while in space. Let's take a look at some of the research happening at the world's laboratory in orbit.

NASA Astronaut and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are human health study subjects as part of their one-year mission living in space. Scientists hope to better understand how humans handle long-duration spaceflight from them. The Fluid Shifts Study will use Kelly and Kornienko to watch the shifting position of bodily fluids, think blood and water. Fluid creates pressure in the brain and at the back of the eye, causing the eye to change shape, which could explain the change in vision some astronauts have a experienced.

Astronauts now bring adjustable eyeglasses to ISS, even if they dont need them on Earth, because some astronauts slowly get farsighted after long periods in orbit,according to a recent Atlantic story.

Scientists hope to find a way to avoid change in vision for astronauts with the help of the Fluid Shifts Study. The results may help develop treatments for people on Earth confined to bed rest or with brain swelling.

Also headed up to the Space Station are supplies for ISSpresso, an espresso maker for the crew members to make coffee and other hot beverages, but its also an experiment. The crew will try out new cups as part of the Capillary Beverage study. They are designed to mimic the role of gravity, which would be an improvement to drinking out of a pouch with a straw all the time.

Wired UK created this graphic to show how astronauts use ISSpresso, made by Italian coffee makers Lavazza, it's a kind of a process.

The ISSpresso could lead to new brewing methods on Earth, so look out Starbucks.

This will be the sixth SpaceX resupply delivery mission to the Space Station. Watch live video of the launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station onorlandosentinel.com/goforlaunch Monday, April 13 at 4:33 p.m.

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Dragon spacecraft to deliver research supplies and caffeine boost to Space Station

A new NASA-designed information system will drive discoveries as scientists and researchers devise future investigations to be conducted aboard the International Space Station.

Specialists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, gathered critical information on the agency's physical science research to create Physical Science Informatics, a knowledge base that will give investigators access to information on previous space station research to boost future research.

The space station is an orbiting laboratory providing an ideal facility to conduct long-duration investigations in a microgravity environment. The platform allows continuous and interactive research similar to Earth-based laboratories, including key hardware for conducting investigations.

"The space station enables scientists to pursue innovations and discoveries not currently achievable by other means," said Julie Robinson, chief scientist for the International Space Station. "We want to make this coordinated scientific data available so scientists from any field can use it to propose new investigations and make advances to benefit the entire world."

Funded by the International Space Station Program, the Physical Science Informatics puts information on past, current and future space station physical science investigations in one digital repository making it easy for investigators to find out what's been done so far in research areas and devise where to go next.

"This comprehensive data will allow researchers to easily see what kinds of physical sciences experiments have been done and use that information to design new experiments for the International Space Station," said Teresa Miller, who leads the effort for Marshall's Materials and Process Laboratory.

All results are sortable and cover a variety of subjects that comprise physical science including combustion science, complex fluids, fundamental physics, materials science and biophysics.

"The informatics system provides open access of the space station physical sciences data to the global community," said Fran Chiaramonte, program scientist for physical sciences at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The goals are to increase the number of scientists participating in space station research, allow new areas of research and discovery to occur more quickly, and accelerate the research-to-product timeline through rapid and open sharing of data."

Collecting this data in a single location not only provides scientists with scientific data from NASA research, but also helps identify fields where more study is needed. Investigators will find it easy to locate information about materials properties and other physical influences of the microgravity environment.

"Informatics will help us identify gaps in our knowledge base," said Marshall Porterfield, NASA's director of Space Life and Physical Sciences at NASA Headquarters. "Too often there are lengthy delays in publishing results of experiments. The lack of access to information should not be a roadblock to discovery."

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NASA drives future discoveries with new ISS information system

Huge Typhoon Maysak filmed from The International Space Station
Typhoon Maysak Heads for Philippines. [More unreal footage here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY73hXqpmJI ] Typhoon Maysak, now downgraded from a super typhoon, and one of the ...

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Huge Typhoon Maysak filmed from The International Space Station - Video

Ants Are Space Exploring, Junk-Food Eating Anarchists
RSVP to our hangout with AsapSCIENCE and It #39;s Okay To Be Smart: http://dne.ws/1adOvhs How much do you know about ants? Here are some facts about these little guys that #39;ll blow your mind....

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Ants Are Space Exploring, Junk-Food Eating Anarchists - Video

Inside KSC! April 3, 2015
Inside KSC this week, the launch of the CRS-6 mission to carry cargo to the International Space Station is coming up and the crawler-transporter receives heavy duty modifications for the weight...

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Inside KSC! April 3, 2015 - Video

Space Station Crew Member Discusses Life in Space with the Italian Prime Minister
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency discussed her mission and its accomplishments with Italian Prime Minister...

By: NASA

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Space Station Crew Member Discusses Life in Space with the Italian Prime Minister - Video

Washington, DC company United SpaceStructureswants to create a new space station It rotates four times a minute to create artificial gravity - with the 'stem' and 'dome spinning in opposite directions It would be 1,300ft (400 metres) long, cost 200 billion ($300 billion) and take 30 years to build We believe artificial gravity is required to support long term living in space, Bill Kemp from USS told MailOnline

By Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline

Published: 04:53 EST, 8 April 2015 | Updated: 09:40 EST, 8 April 2015

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One problem with space travel is that humans arent very good at coping with reduced gravity - their bones and muscles deteriorate over time.

But one company says they have an answer - a giant rotating space cylinder that can create artificial gravity.

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A Washington, DC-based company called United Space Structures wants to create a new space station. Their giant cylinder (shown, with the ISS and Space Shuttles illustrated) could apparently replace the ISS. It would rotate four times per minute to create artificial gravity, and would be 1,300ft (400 metres) long, cost 200 billion ($300 billion) and take 30 years to build

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Could this $300 billion 'space mushroom' replace the ISS?

Have you ever wanted to see the International Space Station (ISS)?

Intergalactic travel might be out of the question, but now NASA experts are telling people when the ISS will be visible in different parts of the world - including in our region this month.

The space explorers have an updated list of times when the ISS will be able to be viewed in Dorking, Farnborough, Farnham and Guildford.

The ISS, which appears as a bright glowing object, looks like a fast-moving plane or star shooting across the horizon.

The space station is currently habited by a crew of six people and orbits at a height of about 264 miles, traveling around the earth 15 times a day.

The ISS has been in space for more than 5,800 days, during which time it has completed more than 92,000 orbits of the planet, and has been continuously occupied for more than 13 years,

To see it, look south or west in the night sky.

It pretty much looks like a bright star or fast-moving plane.

It has no flashing lights and doesn't make a sound, so that's how you can tell the difference between it and any aircraft in the sky.

Times are also available for areas bordering the region including in Worthing, Bracknell and East Grinstead.

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How to see the International Space Station flying over Surrey and north-east Hampshire

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) Ever since Alan Shepard blasted off aboard the Freedom 7 capsule in Jan. 1961, the roughly 550 individuals who have traveled into space have all come from an elite albeit similar pool of candidates.

The original "Mercury Seven" astronauts? All military pilots. Through much of NASA's space shuttle program, the space agency mostly limited its pool of astronauts to pilots, engineers, scientists and medical doctors along with the occasional politician.

In 1986, NASA expanded its criteria when it launched teacher Christa McAuliffe aboard space shuttle Challenger a flight that ended in fatal tragedy for all seven crew members. Though NASA says McAuliffe will always be remembered as the nation's first and only "Teacher in Space," the agency launched McAuliffe's backup, Barbara Morgan, as an "Educator Mission Specialist" in 2007, and says it remains committed to sending more teachers in the future.

But as the crew that makes up Expedition 44 comprised of American astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui prepares to launch for a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station, they say they're also preparing to host a new type of unconventional' astronaut: famed opera singer Sarah Brightman.

Station Soprano

Brightman, who received worldwide acclaim for her breakout role as 'Christine' in Andrew Lloyd Weber's popular 1986 rock-opera "Phantom of the Opera," has been a performing vocalist for three decades, with her official Web site calling her "the world's biggest selling soprano" who boasts a vocal range of over "three full octaves."

And if all goes as planned, in September, Brightman will be singing from an unprecedented venue, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and spending 10 days aboard the International Space Station. Using the station as her concert stage, Brightman is expected to perform a song written in collaboration with Weber especially for the occasion, along with accompaniment by artists on the Earth.

Lindgren, Kononenko and Yui will be on the station during Brightman's brief stay, and WDRB Web Producer Travis Kircher -- along with Space.com reporter Miriam Kramer -- spoke with them briefly during a round robbins phone interview about the upcoming flight.

"I'm excited that Sarah Brightman is flying," Lindgren said. "She is something of an international ambassador for arts and so I'm excited to see the arts in space to see music and do a little performance in space of something that's new."

"She's going to be reaching out to a whole new population that maybe didn't have a particular interest in space previously," he added. "And then she's just going to be something new to the space station. I can tell you that it's going to be very exciting to watch her and hear her perform up there."

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Upcoming International Space Station crew prepares to host musical celebrity