Station Science Top News: Dec. 15, 2022
Results of NASA’s Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments, or ACME, study provide the first measurements of the effects of ion-driven wind (electricity-generated wind) on flame behavior in a pure microgravity environment. These data could contribute to a better understanding of ion chemistry and lead to advances in safety for combustion devices on spacecraft.
An electric field can strongly influence flames because of its effect on the ions produced by the combustion reactions. Researchers subjected small flames of methane fuel to an electric field aboard the International Space Station and observed characteristics such as flame shape, size, and flammability. Scientists observed that the highest ion current corresponded with the most compact flames in positive electric fields, and the shortest flames in negative fields. Based on their results, researchers recommend that future tests use 70% methane fuel and a positive electric field to provide the cleanest conditions.
Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli works inside the Harmony module to configure the Combustion Integrated Rack and enable the Advanced Combustion Microgravity Experiment, or ACME. Credits: NASA
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The Micro-16 study successfully demonstrated an updated microfluidic habitat for measurement of nematode muscle strength. This device could help researchers uncover whether decreased gene expression caused by the spaceflight environment leads to natural changes in muscle strength across generations. This knowledge could be applied to helping maintain human muscle in space.
Nematodes were exposed to microgravity and examined in the updated microfluidic habitat. The new habitat has several improvements over previous technology: it protects against leaks, enables organism sorting by size, prevents clogging, and has an enhanced nematode-loading apparatus. Nematodes are a useful surrogate for studying human muscle, because nematode body-wall muscle is much like human muscle and they share 40% of our ancestor genes. The advancement of habitats and monitoring capabilities could lead to improvement of generational research. This may support muscle-atrophy research that improves astronaut quality of life on long-duration missions.
View of sample on microscope during Micro-16 experiment operations. Credits: NASA
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During this past week, space station crew members activated canisters for the Biological Research In Canisters-26, or BRIC-26, investigation. The experiment measures the effect of microgravity exposure on three fundamental genetic processes and their interactions in the bacteria Bacillus subtilis. This insight may help researchers develop ways to protect the health and safety of astronauts on future missions, as well as people on the ground.
Microgravity affects characteristics of microbes such as virulence and environmental resistance, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are unclear. Results could provide insight into the molecular mechanisms behind changes in an organism’s genetic processes and characteristics that are caused by exposure to microgravity and extreme environments on Earth.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio works on activating BRIC-26, which measures the effect of microgravity exposure on three fundamental genetic processes and their interactions in a bacterium. Credits: NASA