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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Modulation of mechanosensitive calcium-selective cation channels by temperature

Gating of associations of mechanosensitive Ca(2+)-selective cation co-channels in the plasmalemma of onion epidermis has a strong and unusual temperature dependence. Tension-dependent activity rises steeply as temperature is lowered from 25 degrees C to about 6 degrees C, but drops to a low level at about 5 degrees C. Under the conditions tested (with Mg2+ and K+ at the cytosolic face of outside-out membrane patches), promotion results both from more bursting at all observed linkage levels and from longer duration of bursts of co-channels linked as quadruplets and quintuplets. Co-channel conductance decreases linearly, but only modestly, with declining temperature. It is proposed that these and related mechanosensitive channels may participate in a variety of responses to temperature, including thermonasty, thermotropism, hydrotropism, and both cold damage and cold acclimation.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2006

Bidirectional Reflectance Function Measurement of Molecular Contaminant Scattering in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

Bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of optical surfaces both before and after molecular contamination were done using UV, VUV and visible light. Molecular contamination of optical surfaces from outgassed material has been shown in many cases to proceed from acclimation centers, and to produce many roughly hemispherical "islands" of contamination on the surface. Vacuum Ultraviolet (VW) wavelengths are used here to measure angularly scattered light from optical surfaces.

Herren, Kenneth A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Mie Scattering of Growing Molecular Contaminants

Molecular contamination of optical surfaces from outgassed material has been shown in many cases to proceed from acclimation centers and to produce many roughly hemispherical "islands" of contamination on the surface. The mathematics of the hemispherical scattering is simplified by introducing a Virtual source below the plane of the optic, in this case a mirror, allowing the use of Mie theory to produce a solution for the resulting sphere .in transmission. Experimentally, a fixed wavelength in the vacuum ultraviolet was used as the illumination source and scattered light from the polished and coated glass mirrors was detected at a fixed angle as the contamination islands grew in time.

Herren, Kenneth A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Medical Devices Assess, Treat Balance Disorders

You may have heard the phrase as difficult as walking and chewing gum as a joking way of referring to something that is not difficult at all. Just walking, however, is not all that simple physiologically speaking. Even standing upright is an undertaking requiring the complex cooperation of multiple motor and sensory systems including vision, the inner ear, somatosensation (sensation from the skin), and proprioception (the sense of the body s parts in relation to each other). The compromised performance of any of these elements can lead to a balance disorder, which in some form affects nearly half of Americans at least once in their lifetimes, from the elderly, to those with neurological or vestibular (inner ear) dysfunction, to athletes with musculoskeletal injuries, to astronauts returning from space. Readjusting to Earth s gravity has a significant impact on an astronaut s ability to balance, a result of the brain switching to a different "model" for interpreting sensory input in normal gravity versus weightlessness. While acclimating, astronauts can experience headaches, motion sickness, and problems with perception. To help ease the transition and study the effects of weightlessness on the body, NASA has conducted many investigations into post-flight balance control, realizing this research can help treat patients with balance disorders on Earth as well. In the 1960s, the NASA-sponsored Man Vehicle Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) studied the effects of prolonged space flight on astronauts. The lab s work intrigued MIT doctoral candidate Lewis Nashner, who began conducting NASA-funded research on human movement and balance under the supervision of Dr. Larry Young in the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 1982, Nashner s work resulted in a noninvasive clinical technique for assessing the cooperative systems that allow the body to balance, commonly referred to as computerized dynamic posturography (CDP). CDP employs a series of dynamic protocols to isolate and assess balance function deficiencies. The technology was based on Nashner s novel, engineering-inspired concept of balance as an adaptable collaboration between multiple sensory and motor systems. CDP proved useful not only for examining astronauts, but for anyone suffering from balance problems. Today, CDP is the standard medical tool for objectively evaluating balance control.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2014

Risk of Oxidative Damage to Bone from Increased Iron Stores During Space Flight

Iron stores are increased secondary to neocytolysis of red blood cells and a high dietary intake of iron during space flight. This raises concerns about the risk of excess iron causing oxidative damage in many tissues, including bone. Biomarkers of iron status, oxidative damage, and bone resorption during space flight were analyzed for 23 (16 M/7 F) International Space Station crewmembers as part of the Nutrition SMO project. Up to 5 in-flight blood samples and 24-h urine pools were collected over the course of the 4-6 month missions. Serum iron increased slightly during space flight and was decreased at landing (P < 0.0004). An increase in serum ferritin early in flight (217% in women and 68% in men, P < 0.0004), returning to preflight concentrations at landing, and a decrease in transferrin and transferrin receptors during flight indicated that a transient increase in iron stores occurred. No inflammatory response was observed during flight. The oxidative damage markers 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and prostaglandin F(sub 2(alpha)) were positively correlated (both P < 0.001) with serum ferritin. A greater area under the curve for ferritin during flight was correlated with greater changes in bone mineral density of several bone regions after flight (1). In a separate study (2), a ground-based investigation was conducted that examined the combined effects of radiation exposure and iron overload on sensitivity to radiation injury in several physiological systems in 12-wk male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were acclimated to an adequate iron diet (45 mg iron (ferric citrate)/kg diet) for 3 wk and then assigned to one of four groups: adequate iron (Fe) diet/no radiation, adequate Fe diet/ radiation, moderately high Fe diet (650 mg Fe (ferric citrate)/kg diet)/no radiation, and moderately high Fe diet/radiation. Animals remained on the assigned diet for 4 wk. Starting on day 14 of experimental diet treatment, animals were exposed to a fractionated dose (0.375 Gy) of Cs-137 every other day (3 Gy total dose). On day 29 (24 h after last radiation exposure), animals were euthanized. Oxidative stress markers in the liver, bone, eyes, and serum were assessed. There was evidence that the iron diet contributed to DNA damage as well as radiation exposure in the liver, eyes, and bone. Together, the results suggest that increased iron stores do constitute a risk factor for oxidative damage and bone resorption, during space flight and on Earth. Funded by the Human Health and Countermeasures Element of the NASA Human Research Program.

Zwart, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Human Performance in Simulated Reduced Gravity Environments

NASA is currently designing a new space suit capable of working in deep space and on Mars. Designing a suit is very difficult and often requires trade‐offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. Our current understanding of human performance in reduced gravity in a planetary environment (the moon or Mars) is limited to lunar observations, studies from the Apollo program, and recent suit tests conducted at JSC using reduced gravity simulators. This study will look at our most recent reduced gravity simulations performed on the new Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) compared to the C‐9 reduced gravity plane. Methods: Subjects ambulated in reduced gravity analogs to obtain a baseline for human performance. Subjects were tested in lunar gravity (1.6 m/sq s) and Earth gravity (9.8 m/sq s) in shirt‐sleeves. Subjects ambulated over ground at prescribed speeds on the ARGOS, but ambulated at a self‐selected speed on the C‐9 due to time limitations. Subjects on the ARGOS were given over 3 minutes to acclimate to the different conditions before data was collected. Nine healthy subjects were tested in the ARGOS (6 males, 3 females, 79.5 +/- 15.7 kg), while six subjects were tested on the C‐9 (6 males, 78.8 +/- 11.2 kg). Data was collected with an optical motion capture system (Vicon, Oxford, UK) and was analyzed using customized analysis scripts in BodyBuilder (Vicon, Oxford, UK) and MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA). Results: In all offloaded conditions, variation between subjects increased compared to 1‐g. Kinematics in the ARGOS at lunar gravity resembled earth gravity ambulation more closely than the C‐9 ambulation. Toe‐off occurred 10% earlier in both reduced gravity environments compared to earth gravity, shortening the stance phase. Likewise, ankle, knee, and hip angles remained consistently flexed and had reduced peaks compared to earth gravity. Ground reaction forces in lunar gravity (normalized to Earth body weight) were 0.4 +/- 0.2 on the ARGOS, but only 0.2 +/- 0.1 on the C‐9. Discussion: Gait analysis showed differences in joint kinematics and temporal‐spatial parameters between the reduced gravity simulators and with respect to earth gravity. Although most of the subjects chose a somewhat unique ambulation style as a result of learning to ambulate in a new environment, all but two were consistent with keeping an Earth‐like gait. Learning how reduced gravity affects ambulation will help NASA to determine optimal suit designs, influence mission planning, help train crew, and may shed light on the underlying methods the body uses to optimize gait for energetic efficiency. Conclusion: Kinematic and kinetic analysis demonstrated noteworthy differences between an offloaded environment and 1‐g, as would be expected. The analysis showed a trend to change the ambulation style in an offloaded environment to a rolling‐loping walk (resembling crosscountry skiing) with increased swing time. This ambulation modification, particularly in the ARGOS, indicated that the relative kinetic energy of the subject was increased, on average, per the static body weight compared to the 1‐g condition. How much of this was influenced by the active offloading of the ARGOS system is unknown.

Cowley, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS2017

Effects of Acute Exposures to Carbon Dioxide upon Cognitive Functions

Carbon dioxide (CO2) originates from human metabolism and typically remains about 10-fold higher in concentration on the International Space Station (ISS) than at the earth's surface. There have been recurring complaints by crew members of episodes of "mental viscosity" adversely affecting their performance, and there is evidence from the ISS that associates CO2 levels with reports of headaches by crewmembers. Consequently, flight rules have been employed to control CO2 below 3 mm Hg, which is well below the existing Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentration (SMAC) of 10 mm Hg for 24-hour exposures, and 5.3 mm Hg for exposures of 7 to 180 days. Headaches, while sometime debilitating themselves, are also symptoms that can provide evidence that physiological defense mechanisms have been breached, and there is evidence that CO2 has effects at levels below the threshold for headaches. This concern appears to be substantiated in reports that CO2 at concentrations below 2 mm Hg substantially reduced some cognitive functions that are associated with the ability to make complex decisions in conditions that are characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and delayed feedback. These are conditions that could be encountered by crews in off-nominal situations or during the first missions beyond low earth orbit. Therefore, we set out to determine if decision-making under volatile, uncertain, confusing and ambiguous circumstances, where feedback is delayed or absent, is correlated with low levels of CO2 during acute exposures (several hours) in crew-like subjects and to determine if additional cognitive domains are sensitive to concentrations of CO2 at, or below, current ISS levels by using a test battery that is currently available onboard ISS. We enrolled 22 volunteers (8 females, 14 males) between the ages of 30-55 (38.8 +/- 7.0) years whose training and professional experience reflect that of the astronaut corps. Subjects were divided among 4 study groups. Exposures occurred in the 20-foot environmental chamber in Bldg 7 at JSC. Each group was exposed to each of four concentrations of CO2 (600, 1200, 2500, and 5000 ppm), and the exposure order was balanced across the groups which were randomly assigned to 4 possible complete exposure orders. Study participants and investigators were blinded to the exposure order. Each exposure lasted 4 hours and occurred on the same day each week for 4 consecutive weeks. Testing included the Strategic Management Simulation (SMS) methodology and the Cognition battery of psychometric measures that are being utilized aboard the ISS. Subjects participated in a familiarization session one week prior to the start of exposure sessions. Each exposure session followed the schedule noted in Figure 1 below. On the morning of each exposure, subjects completed the Cognition battery in a conference room at indoor ambient CO2 levels. Subjects then entered the exposure chamber and were acclimated to the environment for 15 minutes before completing another round of the Cognition battery. After a 20 minute rest, subject completed the approx.80 minute SMS. Subjects were allowed another 20 minute rest period before completing the final Cognition test battery in the exposure chamber. Subjects then returned to the conference room where they completed one final round of Cognition. Data from both testing methodologies are currently being analyzed and will be presented. Study investigators have not yet been unblinded to the coded exposure concentrations, but preliminary results suggest differences.

Ryder, V. E.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Behavioral Adaptations of Female Mice on the International Space Station

Adult female mice were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an early life science mission utilizing NASA's Rodent Habitat. Its primary purpose was to provide further insight into the influence of a microgravity environment on various aspects of mammalian physiology and well-being as part of an ongoing program of research aimed ultimately at understanding and ameliorating the deleterious influences of space on the human body. The present study took advantage of video collected from fixed, in-flight cameras within the habitat itself, to assess behavioral adaptations observed among in-flight mice aboard the ISS and differences in behavior with respect to a control group on the ground. Data collection consisted of several behavioral measures recorded by a trained observer with the assistance of interactive behavior analysis software. Specific behavioral measures included frequencies of conspecific interactionsociability, time spent feeding and conducting hygienic behavior, and relative durations of thigmotactic behavior, which is commonly used as an index of anxiety. Data were used to test tentative hypotheses that such behaviors differ significantly across mice under microgravity versus 1g conditions, and the assumption that the novel experience of microgravity itself may represent an initially anxiogenic stimulus which an animal will eventually acclimate to, perhaps through habituation.

Behavior in space↗
NASA NTRS2017

Characterizing the Effects of Chronic 2G Centrifugation on the Rat Skeletal System

During weightlessness, the skeletal system of astronauts is negatively affected by decreased calcium absorption and bone mass loss. Therefore, it is necessary to counteract these changes for long-term skeletal health during space flights. Our long-term plan is to assess artificial gravity (AG) as a possible solution to mitigate these changes. In this study, we aim to determine the skeletal acclimation to chronic centrifugation. We hypothesize that a 2G hypergravity environment causes an anabolic response in growing male rats. Specifically, we predict chronic 2G to increase tissue mineral density, bone volume fraction of the cancellous tissue and to increase overall bone strength. Systemically, we predict that bone formation markers (i.e., osteocalcin) are elevated and resorption markers (i.e., tartrate resistant acid phosphatase) are decreased or unchanged from controls. The experiment has three groups, each with an n8: chronic 2g, cage control (housed on the centrifuge, but not spun), and a vivarium control (normal rat caging). Pre-pubescent, male Long-Evans rats were used to assess our hypothesis. This group was subject to 90 days of 2G via centrifugation performed at the Chronic Acceleration Research Unit (CARU) at University of California Davis. After 90 days, animals were euthanized and tissues collected. Blood was drawn via cardiac puncture and the right leg collected for structural (via microcomputed tomography) and strength quantification. Understanding how counteract these skeletal changes will have major impacts for both the space-faring astronauts and the people living on Earth.

rat↗
NASA NTRS2017

Behavioral Adaptations of Female Mice on the International Space Station

Adult female mice were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an early life science mission utilizing NASA's Rodent Habitat. Its primary purpose was to provide further insight into the influence of a microgravity environment on various aspects of mammalian physiology and well-being as part of an ongoing program of research aimed ultimately at understanding and ameliorating the deleterious influences of space on the human body. The present study took advantage of video collected from fixed, in-flight cameras within the habitat itself, to assess behavioral adaptations observed among in-flight mice aboard the ISS and differences in behavior with respect to a control group on the ground. Data collection consisted of several behavioral measures recorded by a trained observer with the assistance of interactive behavior analysis software. Specific behavioral measures included frequencies of conspecific interactionsociability, time spent feeding and conducting hygienic behavior, and relative durations of thigmotactic behavior, which is commonly used as an index of anxiety. Data were used to test tentative hypotheses that such behaviors differ significantly across mice under microgravity versus 1g conditions, and the assumption that the novel experience of microgravity itself may represent an initially anxiogenic stimulus which an animal will eventually acclimate to, perhaps through habituation.

rodent behavior↗
NASA NTRS2017

GES DISC Data Recipes in Jupyter Notebooks

The Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project manages twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) which are geographically dispersed across the United States. The DAACs are responsible for ingesting, processing, archiving, and distributing Earth science data produced from various sources (satellites, aircraft, field measurements, etc.). In response to projections of an exponential increase in data production, there has been a recent effort to prototype various DAAC activities in the cloud computing environment. This, in turn, led to the creation of an initiative, called the Cloud Analysis Toolkit to Enable Earth Science (CATEES), to develop a Python software package in order to transition Earth science data processing to the cloud. This project, in particular, supports CATEES and has two primary goals. One, to transition data recipes created by the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Service Center (GES DISC) into an interactive and educational environment using JupyterNotebooks. Two, to acclimate Earth scientists to cloud computing. To accomplish these goals, we create JupyterNotebooks to compartmentalize the different steps of data analysis and help users obtain and parse data from the command line. We also develop a Docker container, comprised of Jupyter Notebooks, Python dependencies, and command line tools, and configure it into an easy-to-deploy package. The end result is an end-to-end product that simulates the use case of end users working in the cloud computing environment.

discoverability↗
NASA NTRS2019

Satellite-Detected Ocean Ecosystem Response to Volcanic Eruption in the Subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean

Volcanic eruptions in the Aleutian archipelago during the summer of 2008 deposited large quantities of iron-laden ash to the Subarctic North Pacific Ocean. The surface ocean ecosystem response has been previously characterized using limited in situ and autonomous field measurements and numerical modeling, but basin-scale satellite remote sensing has been limited to a simple description of chlorophyll variability. Here, we show that the ecosystem response is a complex combination of phytoplankton biomass and physiology that can be described with satellite ocean color diagnostics such as the chlorophyll to carbon biomass ratio (Chl:Cphyto) and chlorophyll fluorescence yield. Together, these quantities outline a more complete picture of ecological response spanning unique signals of iron stress (and relief from), photo acclimation, changes in phytoplankton growth rate, increases in biomass, and timescales of decay for these processes.

Ocean Ecosystem↗
NASA NTRS2019

Investigating Neuro-Consequences of Spaceflight Using Drosophila Melanogaster

Research on human acclimation to spaceflight, including the recent NASA's Twin Study, reports complex effects of the spaceflight environment on health, with both acute and prolonged changes in multiple tissues. Spaceflight includes multiple factors such as microgravity, ionizing radiation, physiological stress, and disrupted circadian rhythms, that have been shown to contribute to pathophysiological responses that target immunity, bone and muscle integrity, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In this study, we used a well-established spaceflight model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, to assess spaceflight-associated changes on the nervous system. With 75% disease gene orthology to humans, short generation time, large sample size and ease of genetic, neuronal and behavioral studies, Drosophila is an excellent model to study nervous system dysfunction. Here, we present results from MVP-Fly-01 spaceflight mission that was launched on SpaceX CRS-14. The MVP hardware (developed by Techshot) used in this mission enabled us to have an in-flight 1g centrifuge, to distinguish the changes resulting from gravity versus those induced by other environmental factors associated with spaceflight. We observe behavioral impairments (p<0.001) and synaptic deficits, including decreased synaptic connections (p<0.05), in 3rd instar larvae which were developed in space. Furthermore, space-grown microgravity adults show a decrease in neuronal (p<0.05) and dendritic field (p<0.01) in adult brains coupled with an increased number of apoptotic cells (p<0.001) compared to in-flight 1g controls, suggesting increased neuronal loss under spaceflight conditions. In summary, we observe that altered gravity leads to gross neurological deficits. To better understand the long-term effects of spaceflight on the nervous system, longitudinal and multigenerational changes were also identified. This study will help elucidate the different approaches to prevent nervous system dysfunction in astronauts during spaceflight, while also contributing to a better understanding of the pathways that are related to some CNS disorders on Earth.

Iyer, Janani↗
NASA NTRS2020

Community Composition and Photosynthetic Physiology of Phytoplankton in the Western Subarctic Pacific Near the Kuril Islands With Special Reference to Iron Availability

The western subarctic Pacific (WSP) is known as one of the most productive regions among the world's oceans in spring. However, its oceanic waters are also known as a high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll region during summer due to low iron (Fe) availability in seawater. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated that the distribution of Fe in the WSP is complex and heterogeneous. This study thus investigated the effects of Fe availability on the community composition and photophysiology of surface phytoplankton from coastal to offshore waters in the WSP in the summer of 2014. Although relatively high concentrations (>2 mg/m3) of chlorophyll (chl) a were found in the Sea of Okhotsk and some coastal waters, low chl a concentrations (<1 mg/m3) were commonly observed in offshore waters. Based on dissolved Fe and macronutrient concentrations, we deduced that low Fe availability limited phytoplankton growth in offshore waters, whereas low silicate and/or nitrate levels limited growth in the shelf areas. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed that the centric diatom Chaetoceros exclusively dominated the diatom assemblages in the shelf and coexisted with pennate diatoms in offshore waters, respectively. Primary productivity in surface waters was negatively correlated with the bottom of the euphotic layer or the light saturation index of the photosynthesis‐irradiance curve, which indicates that the phytoplankton assemblages were well acclimated to in situ light conditions regardless of the water masses.

Yoshida, Kazuhiro↗
NASA NTRS2020

A Bornean Peat Swamp Forest is a Net Source of Carbon Dioxide to the Atmosphere

Tropical peat forests are a globally important reservoir of carbon, but little is known about CO2 exchange on an annual basis. We measured CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and tropical peat swamp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia using the eddy covariance technique over 4 years from 2011 to 2014. The CO2 fluxes varied between seasons and years. A small carbon uptake took place during the rainy season at the beginning of 2011, while a substantial net efflux of >600 g C/m2 occurred over a 2 month period in the middle of the dry season. Conversely, the peat ecosystem was a source of carbon during both the dry and rainy seasons in subsequent years and more carbon was lost during the rainy season relative to the dry season. Our results demonstrate that the forest was a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere during every year of measurement with annual efflux ranging from 183 to 632 g C m−2 year−1, noting that annual flux values were sensitive to gap filling methodology. This is in contrast to the typical view of tropical peat forests which must have acted as net C sinks over time scales of centuries to millennia to create the peat deposits. Path analyses revealed that the gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were primarily affected by vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Results suggest that future increases in VPD could further reduce the C sink strength and result in additional net CO2 losses from this tropical peat swamp forest in the absence of plant acclimation to such changes in atmospheric dryness.

Borneo↗
NASA NTRS2019

Satellite‐Detected Ocean Ecosystem Response to Volcanic Eruptions in the Subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean

Volcanic eruptions in the Aleutian Archipelago during the summer of 2008 deposited large quantities of iron‐laden ash to the subarctic North Pacific Ocean. The surface ocean ecosystem response has been previously characterized using limited in situ and autonomous field measurements and numerical modeling, but basin‐scale satellite remote sensing has been limited to a simple description of chlorophyll variability. Here, we show that the ecosystem response is a complex combination of phytoplankton biomass and physiology that can be described with satellite ocean color diagnostics such as the chlorophyll‐to‐carbon biomass ratio (Chl:Cphyto) and chlorophyll fluorescence yield. Together, these quantities outline a more complete picture of ecological responses spanning unique signals of iron stress (and relief from), photo acclimation, changes in phytoplankton growth rate, increases in biomass, and timescales of decay for these processes.

T.K. Westberry↗
NASA NTRS2021

NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory and AA FRMS - A Working Relationship

American Airlines and NASA Ames Research Center have a long-standing partnership to conduct human factors fatigue research in airline operations. Since 2016, using a mechanism known as a Space Act Agreement, NASA Ames’ Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory has worked with the American’s Fatigue Risk Management team to gather sleep and alertness data from volunteer flight crew members. Operations studied include long-range transpacific flights, timing of inflight rest breaks during augmented flights, and rates of acclimation related to flights making theater changes. This mutually beneficial collaborative working arrangement allows American to conduct operations of specific interest under the FAA’s Alternative Means of Compliance process and provides NASA with a means to gather and analyze data that can be used to inform operational safety-related decisions. Earlier this year, results from the study of inflight rest breaks was published in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance. A total of 500 American pilots responded to a survey with landing crew reporting more and better-quality sleep during break 2 than break 3. Subsequent ratings of sleepiness and alertness at TOD were significantly better for crew who used break 2. Findings from this study were reported to the FAA leading to an inflight fatigue mitigation capability for many pilots in the industry. An upcoming study is to evaluate workload and alertness levels during Caribbean Turn (DFW-SJO-DFW) operations. For this study, the FRMS team and NASA will ask volunteers to collect data on sleep, workload, performance, and alertness using scientifically valid methods The information gained in this study will help inform how workload and fatigue interact with duty duration during short-haul, daytime operations.

in-flight rest↗
NASA NTRS2022

Co-leveraging Scientific Advances in Space Biology and Astrobiology Towards Achieving NASA’s Life Science Objectives

Executive Summary: Distinct lines of scientific inquiry drives the separation of NASA’s fundamental life science research into Space Biology and Astrobiology. This division developed as a way to place life scientists alongside experts in the physical constraints that define the acclimation, adaptation and evolution of biology systems relevant to their respective subjects. For astrobiology, integration with disciplines such as geology, geochemistry, astronomy, planetary science, etc., enables a comprehensive assessment of the physical environment and its co-evolution with biological processes. Space Biology’s co-location with Physical Sciences places life science researchers adjacent to experts in the physical phenomena associated with microgravity and spaceflight, enabling an understanding of how the spaceflight environment affects biological systems. Despite this separation, aspects of both disciplines have converged on a similar, fundamental objective: to describe and understand the dynamics of complex living communities in the contexts of their physical environments. While the environmental systems and timescales are dramatically different, continuing to motivate the separation into distinct fields, similarities in the underlying objective present opportunities to find efficiencies, reduce overlap, and minimize duplication of effort. Space Biology and Astrobiology share a common need to understand microbial physiology in extreme environments – whether the ‘built’ spaceflight environment or the natural environments in which many astrobiology studies are conducted. In particular, open questions in each discipline require the development of quantitative frameworks, applicable at the ecosystem level, that support predictive capabilities for environments where observations are sparse. Additionally, both disciplines have a need to prepare, detect, and analyze the (potential) biological signal in complex samples-often in a completely autonomous fashion. The next decade will see NASA Space Biology moving to understand and describe the effects of the beyond low-earth orbit (BLEO) spaceflight environment on living systems. This new direction will dramatically reduce the opportunities for ground-based analysis of space-flown samples, driving space biology investigations towards fully autonomous experiments and missions. At the same time, astrobiology life detection missions aimed at detecting biosignatures on Mars and icy moons in the outer solar system could benefit from fully automated sample processing and analysis. There are opportunities to leverage instrument and method development between both disciplines within the context of these BLEO missions.

Astrobiology↗