Station Science Top News: April 27, 2023

by ISS Program Science Office | 2023-04-27

When researchers exposed a metal halide perovskite (MHP) to space, the material showed initial surface defects that solar illumination repaired. These results demonstrate that in microgravity, MHP has a stable response to solar light and can be restored. MHP also has a good charge lifetime, which helps overcome the known longevity issues of devices made with this material. Use of MHP could improve solar cells, light emitting diodes, and optoelectronic devices.

MISSE-13 continues a series of investigations that examine how the harsh environment of space affects the performance and durability of materials and material configurations for use on future space missions. MHP is a low-cost, high-performing semiconductor material that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electrical energy. The temperature coefficients and defect tolerance of perovskites make them excellent candidates for aerospace applications, but researchers needed to demonstrate their durability in space.

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View of arm moving MISSE Sample Carrier 19 during Expedition 69. Credits: NASA ing Expedition 69. — *View of arm moving MISSE Sample Carrier 19 during Expedition 69. Credits: NASA*

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A new study shows that astronauts perceive time as passing more quickly in space, and complex tasks lead to more time estimation errors before, during, and after spaceflight. Based on these findings, researchers concluded that changes in vestibular inputs in space may alter an internal clock at play during time estimations. Understanding how space affects time perception could improve cognitive performance during time-critical operations on future missions.

Time Perception in Microgravity, an ESA experiment, uses a variety of simulated tasks to quantify the subjective changes in a crew member’s time perception during and after long-duration flight. Time perception affects functions such as motion perception, sound localization, and fine motor coordination. The researchers suspect that difficulties in attention and working memory when conducting a concurrent reading task is another factor in the results.

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CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut David Saint-Jacques is shown performing the Time Perception in Microgravity investigation in the Columbus module. Credits: NASA/Anne McClain — *CSA (Canadian Space Agency)* *astronaut David Saint-Jacques is shown performing the Time Perception in Microgravity investigation in the Columbus module. Credits: NASA/Anne McClain*

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The ISS Program published a feature and posted a video for Earth Day highlighting space station platforms that support climate change research, including exterior Earth-observing instruments, the deployer for Earth-observing CubeSats, and windows that astronauts use to take photos of the planet. Some of the investigations featured are:

ECOSTRESS, which measures the temperature of the ground, created an image of Houston, Texas in June 2022 showing temperature differences between urban surfaces and cooler suburban areas and an image of heat islands during a May 2022 heat wave in India and Pakistan.
Crew Earth Observations, one of the longest running records of how our planet changes over time, supports studies of surface features such as glaciers and volcanoes and of atmospheric processes affected by volcanic eruptions.

Read more here.

Watch the video here.