Wildfires have been burning across the state of California since August 2020. As the fires continue to rage, NASA Earth science missions have observed increased numbers of airborne particles known as aerosols across the country. Different types of aerosols scatter or absorb sunlight to varying degrees, depending on their size, type and location. While most […]
Space Biology on Station Seeks to Improve Human Health
Space biology was the dominant research theme aboard the International Space Station today. The Expedition 64 crew explored heart cells, muscles and more to understand how microgravity impacts the human body. The Cardinal Heart study has been under way all week with the crew observing engineered heart tissue samples through a microscope in Japan’s Kibo …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/15/2020
Payloads Cardinal Heart: Following the delay of the microscopy activities from Monday, today the crew performed both the microscopic observation of the cells as well as the cell culture media exchange. Effect of Microgravity on Drug Responses Using Engineered Heart Tissues (Cardinal Heart) studies the effects of change in gravitational force on cardiovascular cells at …
More Heart Research as Next Cygnus Cargo Mission Booked
The Expedition 64 crew continues exploring how microgravity affects the heart to improve health for humans on and off the Earth. Northrop Grumman has booked its next Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station for early next year. NASA Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Michael Hopkins partnered up today for the Cardinal Heart study …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/14/2020
Payloads AstroRad Vest: The crew completed a range-of-motion and test with and without the vest installed, and then completed a general survey. The AstroRad vest is a personal protective equipment (PPE) device which functions as a radiation shield for astronauts. The AstroRad shields astronauts from space-borne ionizing radiation in an efficient way, provides operational simplification, …
NASA Administrator Signs Statement of Intent with Brazil on Artemis Cooperation
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and the Government of Brazil Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI) Marcos Pontes signed a joint statement of intent during a virtual meeting on Dec. 14, 2020. The statement describes Brazil’s intention to be the first country in South America to sign the Artemis Accords. Brazil has expressed interest in …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/11/2020
Payloads JAXA Low Temp PCG: The crew retrieved the Low Temp PCG Sample from cold stowage and initiated protein crystal growth with historical documentation of the sample condition. The PCG Sample was re-inserted back into cold stowage. The objective of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Low Temperature Protein Crystallization Growth (JAXA Low Temp PCG) investigation …
NASA Adjusts IMAP Schedule to Accommodate COVID-19 Precautions
To accommodate schedule changes due to precautions regarding COVID-19, the preliminary design review for NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, or IMAP, has been moved from February to May 2021. Similarly, the launch readiness date is delayed from Oct. 1, 2024, to Feb. 1, 2025.
Cancer and Heart Studies, Spacesuit Swaps Aboard Station Today
Life science continues ramping up aboard the International Space Station as the Expedition 64 crew explores cancer therapies and heart conditions. NASA Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover set up research hardware to create high quality antibody crystals Thursday morning for a new cancer study. The space medical research could accelerate the development of …