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NASA NTRS2018

Miniature Exercise Device-2 (MED-2): Preliminary ISS Evaluation Results for a Compact Motorized Resistive and Aerobic Rowing Exercise Device

Future human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) will require onboard equipment to provide exercise capabilities for the crew to counter the adverse physiological effects of long-duration microgravity. To accomplish this within the physical constraints of a space vehicle or transit module, a single miniature device that provides both resistive and aerobic exercise modalities is required. To meet this need, Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division (ER) developed the Miniature Exercise Device-2 (MED-2). MED-2 integrates a torque-controlled servomotor and a series-elastic actuator to provide highly-controllable load profiles and a large magnitude output performance in a very small package. This innovative technology is derived from years of JSC/ER design, development and operational experience with cutting-edge robotics, motor controllers, software and actuator/sensor miniaturization, including Robonaut 2 and MED-1. MED-2 was presented at the 2016 ISS R&D Conference. This is an update now that the last of six crewmembers will have completed planned MED-2 sessions on the International Space Station (ISS) in May 2018.Current state-of-the-art ISS exercise equipment consists of two treadmills, a resistive exercise device and two cycle ergometers with a total mass of several thousand pounds and a total volume of several cubic yards. This equipment has proven vital to mitigate the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular degradation effects of microgravity. However, due to the large operational volume and mass of these ISS devices, tailoring them for smaller vehicles, such as Orion, is not possible. In addition, each of the current ISS devices targets a single specific modality. Compared to the existing spaceflight (and even terrestrial) exercise equipment, MED-2 is a new archetype altogether. The combined features of compact size, multi-modality and high-performance is attributable to its innovative series elastic actuator and motor controller. Following its arrival on ISS in 2016, MED-2 was evaluated in two parts. The first and shorter evaluation was an engineering functional checkout of the hardware. As this was a novel exercise device previously never used on ISS, the initial checkout assessed the operation of the hardware and ensured the motion and dynamic range of the crew did not present any collision or other hazards. The second portion of the study collected the heart rates, kinematics and utilized operational volumes of six astronauts to determine the quality of both the resistive and aerobic exercise modalities as delivered by MED-2. Investigators from JSC Biomedical Research and Environmental Science Division (SK) and Glenn Research Center are currently evaluating the data and preparing preliminary results. For the resistive exercise modality, MED-2 demonstrated a range of constant resistive loads from 10-150 lbf. With a displacement range of 84 inches, the MED-2 accommodates users from 5th percentile Japanese female through 95th percentile American male for all of its certified exercises. The displacement measurement accuracy has also been verified within 2.5 percent full range. The crew was able to successfully perform all prescribed resistive exercises, except Goblet Squats which were not feasible with a constant load profile. For the aerobic exercise modality, MED-2 simulated a rowing motion with prescribed and user-selected resistance levels. It has demonstrated rates up to 60 strokes per minute on the ground. MED-2 loads and displacements performance are the same as those cited for the resistive modality. Although each of the crew was able to perform the prescribed aerobic rowing sets, there was considerable variability in the rowing motion among different crewmembers. Also, as expected, the crew was unable to get the full benefits of a typical terrestrial rowing stroke because the current configuration does not allow the user to reach past their feet. These observations have already informed the requirements for other microgravity rowing devices currently in development. One of the unique features of the MED-2 device is the intuitive touch-screen control system. This One Portal graphical user interface (GUI) was developed based on JSC/ER’s heritage knowledge and experience of developing and sustaining the current ISS exercise equipment. Through this interface, the crew easily performed prepared prescriptions as well as had the ability to adjust exercise modality, load and other exercise details such as number of repetitions and number of sets. This touch-screen and GUI fulfilled the MED-2 project goal to simplify the interaction between the user and the device. Furthermore, the extent to which MED-2 utilizes a touchscreen and GUI to control exercise equipment is unmatched among the existing ISS exercise devices. As a motorized device, MED-2 technology can provide a customizable force profile that can be varied as a function of strap displacement, strap velocity or a combination of these and other variables. During 2017, JSC/ER developed and flight-certified a resistive exercise algorithm that mimics the 1-G inertial effects of free-weights and enables adjustable eccentric-to-concentric loading ratios. Subsequent development will explore varying the load profiles and incorporating additional exercises beyond the current list of certified movements.

Exercise↗
NASA NTRS2014

NASA Physical Sciences - Presentation to Annual Two Phase Heat Transfer International Topical Team Meeting

The Two-phase Heat Transfer International Topical Team consists of researchers and members from various space agencies including ESA, JAXA, CSA, and RSA. This presentation included descriptions various fluid experiments either being conducted by or planned by NASA for the International Space Station in the areas of two-phase flow, flow boiling, capillary flow, and crygenic fluid storage.

boiling↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Science of Detached Bridgman Growth and Solutocapillary Convection in Solid Solution Crystals

Bridgman and Float-zone crystal growth experiments are planned for NASA's First Materials Science Research Rack using the European Space Agency's Materials Science Laboratory with the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and Float Zone Furnace with Rotating Magnetic Field (FMF) inserts, respectively. Samples will include germanium and germanium-silicon alloys with up to 10 atomic percent silicon. The Bridgman part of the investigation includes detached growth samples and so there will be a solid-liquid-gas tri-junction in those experiments just as there will be in all float-zone experiments. There are other similarities as well as significant differences between the types of growth that will be discussed. The presentation will call attention to the reasons that experiments in microgravity will provide information unattainable from Earth-based experiments.

Szofran, F. R.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Humans on the International Space Station-How Research, Operations, and International Collaboration are Leading to New Understanding of Human Physiology and Performance in Microgravity

As the International Space Station (ISS) nears completion, and full international utilization is achieved, we are at a scientific crossroads. ISS is the premier location for research aimed at understanding the effects of microgravity on the human body. For applications to future human exploration, it is key for validation, quantification, and mitigation of a wide variety of spaceflight risks to health and human performance. Understanding and mitigating these risks is the focus of NASA s Human Research Program. However, NASA s approach to defining human research objectives is only one of many approaches within the ISS international partnership (including Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Each of these agencies selects and implements their own ISS research, with independent but related objectives for human and life sciences research. Because the science itself is also international and collaborative, investigations that are led by one ISS partner also often include cooperative scientists from around the world. The operation of the ISS generates significant additional data that is not directly linked to specific investigations. Such data comes from medical monitoring of crew members, life support and radiation monitoring, and from the systems that have been implemented to protect the health of the crew (such as exercise hardware). We provide examples of these international synergies in human research on ISS and highlight key early accomplishments that derive from these broad interfaces. Taken as a whole, the combination of diverse research objectives, operational data, international sharing of research resources on ISS, and scientific collaboration provide a robust research approach and capability that no one partner could achieve alone.

Ronbinson, Julie A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Space Life Sciences at NASA: Spaceflight Health Policy and Standards

In January 2005, the President proposed a new initiative, the Vision for Space Exploration. To accomplish the goals within the vision for space exploration, physicians and researchers at Johnson Space Center are establishing spaceflight health standards. These standards include fitness for duty criteria (FFD), permissible exposure limits (PELs), and permissible outcome limits (POLs). POLs delineate an acceptable maximum decrement or change in a physiological or behavioral parameter, as the result of exposure to the space environment. For example cardiovascular fitness for duty standards might be a measurable clinical parameter minimum that allows successful performance of all required duties. An example of a permissible exposure limit for radiation might be the quantifiable limit of exposure over a given length of time (e.g. life time radiation exposure). An example of a permissible outcome limit might be the length of microgravity exposure that would minimize bone loss. The purpose of spaceflight health standards is to promote operational and vehicle design requirements, aid in medical decision making during space missions, and guide the development of countermeasures. Standards will be based on scientific and clinical evidence including research findings, lessons learned from previous space missions, studies conducted in space analog environments, current standards of medical practices, risk management data, and expert recommendations. To focus the research community on the needs for exploration missions, NASA has developed the Bioastronautics Roadmap. The Bioastronautics Roadmap, NASA's approach to identification of risks to human space flight, revised baseline was released in February 2005. This document was reviewed by the Institute of Medicine in November 2004 and the final report was received in October 2005. The roadmap defines the most important research and operational needs that will be used to set policy, standards (define acceptable risk), and implement an overall Risk Management and Analysis process. Currently NASA is drafting spaceflight health standards for neurosensory alterations, space radiation exposure, behavioral health, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular fitness, immunological compromise, bone demineralization, and nutrition.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Space medicine research: Needs for the 21st century

Space medicine research in the 21st century will continue to focus on the four major areas including: (1) expansion of the current incomplete knowledge base of clinical and subclinical physiological changes due to microgravity; (2) development of countermeasures to extend the capabilities of the human performance envelope in extended duration flights; (3) development of novel methods for delivering all aspects of a comprehensive health care system in extreme remote conditions: and (4) further research and application of systems for biological materials processing. New space transportation vehicles will place unique physiologic and human factors demands on the human system, while providing better access to platforms for materials processing. Success in meeting the demands in each of the noted research areas will require an extensive, interactive team approach. Personnel from the medical research,operational, developmental, and basic science communities will be essential to success.

Pepper, L. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Testing A Concept of Operations for the Space Algae-2 Spaceflight Experiment

Algae has abundant potential spaceflight applications to enable future crewed missions and habitation beyond low-Earth orbit, including production of essential nutrients, oxygen, and biofuels. Implementing algae production in space requires understanding how different algae species respond to spaceflight stressors such as microgravity and radiation over a realistic production time course. Space Algae-2 is focusing on Arthrospira platensis, a filamentous cyanobacteria commonly known as Spirulina. A. platensis is a human nutritional supplement on Earth that is a good source of essential amino acids, β-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, and antioxidants. The Space Algae-2 experiment plans to grow and passage A. platensis continuously aboard the International Space Station for six months. The algae produced will be analyzed with multi-omics profiling to monitor for genetic and phenotype stability in the spaceflight environment. This presentation will report the results from pre-flight science verification tests of the concept of operations for Space Algae-2. The purpose of these tests was to determine if the proposed crew operations for serial passages, sample collection, and sample preservation are feasible to meet science requirements for axenic culturing and preservation of DNA, RNA, protein, and nutritional metabolites.

Microalgae↗
NASA NTRS2015

Growth of InSb and InI Crystals on Earth and in Microgravity

During the past 40 years, dozens of semiconductor crystal growth experiments have been conducted in space laboratories. The subsequent analysis of the space-grown crystals revealed (i) that weak convection existed in virtually all melt-growth experiments, (ii) de-wetting significantly reduced the level of stress-induced defects, and (iii) particularly encouraging results were obtained in vapor-growth experiments. In 2002, following a decade of ground based research in growing doped Ge and GaSb crystals, a series of crystal growth experiments was performed at the ISS, within the SUBSA (Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules) investigation. Te- and Zn-doped InSb crystals were grown from the melt. The specially designed furnace provided a side-view of the melt and precise seeding measurement of the growth rate. At present, under sponsorship of CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, www.iss-casis.org), we are conducting ground-based experiments with indium mono-iodide (InI) in preparation for the "SUBSA II" ISS investigation, planned for 2017. The experiments include: i) Horizontal Bridgman (HB) growth and ii) Vapor Transport (VT) growth. Finite element modeling will also be conducted, to optimize the design of the flight ampoules, for vapor and melt growth.

Ostrogorsky, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

An Overview of the Materials Science Research at the Marshall Space Flight Center Electrostatic Levitator Facility and Recent CDDF Efforts

Containerless processing is an important tool for materials research. The freedom from a crucible allows processing of liquid materials in a metastable undercooled state, as well as allowing processing of high temperature and highly reactive melts. Electrostatic levitation (ESL) is a containerless method which provides a number of unique advantages, including the ability to process non-conducting materials, the ability to operate in ultra-high vacuum or at moderate gas pressure (approx. = 5 atm), and the decoupling of positioning force from sample heating. ESL also has the potential to reduce internal flow velocities below those possible with electromagnetic, acoustic, or aero-acoustic techniques. In electrostatic levitation, the acceleration of gravity (or residual acceleration in reduced gravity) is opposed by the action of an applied electric field on a charged sample. Microgravity allows electrostatic levitation to work even more effectively. The ESL facility at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center is in use for materials research and thermophysical property measurement by a number of different internal and external investigators. Results from the recent CDDF studies on the high energy X-ray beamline at the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Laboratory will be presented. The Microgravity Research Program supports the facility.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Farming in space: environmental and biophysical concerns

The colonization of space will depend on our ability to routinely provide for the metabolic needs (oxygen, water, and food) of a crew with minimal re-supply from Earth. On Earth, these functions are facilitated by the cultivation of plant crops, thus it is important to develop plant-based food production systems to sustain the presence of mankind in space. Farming practices on earth have evolved for thousands of years to meet both the demands of an ever-increasing population and the availability of scarce resources, and now these practices must adapt to accommodate the effects of global warming. Similar challenges are expected when earth-based agricultural practices are adapted for space-based agriculture. A key variable in space is gravity; planets (e.g. Mars, 1/3 g) and moons (e.g. Earth's moon, 1/6 g) differ from spacecraft orbiting the Earth (e.g. Space stations) or orbital transfer vehicles that are subject to microgravity. The movement of heat, water vapor, CO2 and O2 between plant surfaces and their environment is also affected by gravity. In microgravity, these processes may also be affected by reduced mass transport and thicker boundary layers around plant organs caused by the absence of buoyancy dependent convective transport. Future space farmers will have to adapt their practices to accommodate microgravity, high and low extremes in ambient temperatures, reduced atmospheric pressures, atmospheres containing high volatile organic carbon contents, and elevated to super-elevated CO2 concentrations. Farming in space must also be carried out within power-, volume-, and mass-limited life support systems and must share resources with manned crews. Improved lighting and sensor technologies will have to be developed and tested for use in space. These developments should also help make crop production in terrestrial controlled environments (plant growth chambers and greenhouses) more efficient and, therefore, make these alternative agricultural systems more economically feasible food production systems. c2002 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review↗
NASA NTRS1999

Using Transom Jack in the Human Engineering Analysis of the Materials Science Research Rack-1 and Quench Module Insert

This paper describes the human engineering analysis performed on the Materials Science Research Rack-1 and Quench Module Insert (MSRR-1/QMI) using Transom Jack (Jack) software. The Jack software was used to model a virtual environment consisting of the MSRR-1/QMI hardware configuration and human figures representing the 95th percentile male and 5th percentile female. The purpose of the simulation was to assess the human interfaces in the design for their ability to meet the requirements of the Pressurized Payloads Interface Requirements Document - International Space Program, Revision C (SSP 57000). Jack was used in the evaluation because of its ability to correctly model anthropometric body measurements and the physical behavior of astronauts working in microgravity, which is referred to as the neutral body posture. The Jack model allows evaluation of crewmember interaction with hardware through task simulation including but not limited to collision avoidance behaviors, hand/eye coordination, reach path planning, and automatic grasping to part contours. Specifically, this virtual simulation depicts the human figures performing the QMI installation and check-out, sample cartridge insertion and removal, and gas bottle drawer removal. These tasks were evaluated in terms of adequate clearance in reach envelopes, adequate accessibility in work envelopes, appropriate line of sight in visual envelopes, and accommodation of full size range for male and female stature maneuverability. The results of the human engineering analysis virtual simulation indicate that most of the associated requirements of SSP 57000 were met. However, some hardware design considerations and crew procedures modifications are recommended to improve accessibility, provide an adequate work envelope, reduce awkward body posture, and eliminate permanent protrusions.

Dunn, Mariea C.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Expression of Novel Gene Products Upregulated by Disuse is Normalized by an Osteogenic Mechanical Stimulus: Evidence for the Molecular Basis of a Low Level Biomechanical Countermeasure for Osteoporosis?

The National Research Council's report entitled: A Strategy for Space Biology and Medical Science, highlighted several areas of fundamental scientific investigation which must be addressed to make long-term space exploration not only feasible, but safe. This "Goldberg Strategy," as well as several subsequent reports published by the NRC's Space Studies Board (e.g., Assessment of Programs in Space Biology and Medicine, Smith et. al., 1991), suggests that the principal hurdle to man's extended presence in space is the osteopenia which parallels reduced gravity. Ironically, the most significant risk to the skeleton may only be realized on return to normal gravitational fields, and full recovery of bone mass may never occur. Effective counter-measures to this microgravity induced bone loss are thus essential. Considering the similarities of space and aging induced osteopenia, an indisputable benefit of such a prophylaxis would be its potential as a treatment for the bone loss which plagues over 25 million people in the U.S. The osteogenic potential of mechanical strain is strongly frequency dependent, with sensitivity increasing up through at least 60 Hz (cycles per second). One hundred seconds per day of a 1 Hz cyclic loading will inhibit disuse osteopenia only if sufficient in magnitude to engender 1000 microstrain (mu(epsilon)) in the tissue. When loading is applied at 30 Hz, however, mechanical strains on the order of 5O mu(epsilon) (approx. 1% of the peak strains which occur in bone during vigorous functional activity), can stimulate bone formation in a duration dependent manner. In longer term animal studies, strains of less than 10 mu(epsilon), induced non-invasively via a whole body vibration, will stimulate bone formation on the surfaces of trabeculae, increase bone density, and improve strength. Finally, preliminary results from a double blind prospective clinical trial shows promise in inhibiting the bone loss which parallels the menopause. Based on these observations, we propose that these high frequency, low magnitude, mechanical strains effectively serve as a "surrogate" for musculoskeletal ground reaction forces, and thus represent an ideal countermeasure to the osteopenia which parallels microgravity conditions. The specific goal of this NASA funded work is to identify genes in bone upregulated by disuse, and to determine the efficacy of an osteogenic mechanical stimulus to downregulate their expression.

Rubin, C.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modeled microgravity suppressed invasion and migration of human glioblastoma U87 cells through downregulating store-operated calcium entry

Glioblastoma is the most common brain tumor and is characterized with robust invasion and migration potential resulting in poor prognosis. Previous investigations have demonstrated that modeled microgravity (MMG) could decline the cell proliferation and attenuate the metastasis potential in several cell lines. In this study, we studied the effects of MMG on the invasion and migration potentials of glioblastoma in human glioblastoma U87 cells. We found that MMG stimulation significantly attenuated the invasion and migration potentials, decreased thapsigargin (TG) induced store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) and downregulated the expression of Orai1 in U87 cells. Inhibition of SOCE by 2-APB or stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) downregulation both mimicked the effects of MMG on the invasion and migration potentials in U87 cells. Furthermore, upregulation of Orai1 significantly weakened the effects of MMG on the invasion and migration potentials in U87 cells. Therefore, these findings indicated that MMG stimulation inhibited the invasion and migration potentials of U87 cells by downregulating the expression of Orai1 and sequentially decreasing the SOCE, suggesting that MMG might be a new potential therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma treatment in the future. - Highlights: • Modeled microgravity (MMG) suppressed migration and invasion in U87 cells. • MMG downregulated the SOCE and the expression of Orai1. • SOCE inhibition mimicked the effects of MMG on migration and invasion potentials. • Restoration of SOCE diminished the effects of MMG on migration and invasion.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Tethered gravity laboratories study

The scope of the study is to investigate ways of controlling the microgravity environment of the International Space Station by means of a tethered system. Four main study tasks were performed. First, researchers analyzed the utilization of the tether systems to improve the lowest possible steady gravity level on the Space Station and the tether capability to actively control the center of gravity position in order to compensate for activities that would upset the mass distribution of the Station. The purpose of the second task was to evaluate the whole of the experiments performable in a variable gravity environment and the related beneficial residual accelerations, both for pure and applied research in the fields of fluid, materials, and life science, so as to assess the relevance of a variable g-level laboratory. The third task involves the Tethered Variable Gravity Laboratory. The use of the facility that would crawl along a deployed tether and expose experiments to varying intensities of reduced gravity is discussed. Last, a study performed on the Attitude Tether Stabilizer concept is discussed. The stabilization effect of ballast masses tethered to the Space Station was investigated as a means of assisting the attitude control system of the Station.

Lucchetti, F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Starfire 1 Consort III Launch

The Consort 3 is a commercial suborbital rocket that carried 12 microgravity experiments. It was launched on a Starfire rocket on May 16, 1990, from the Naval Ordnance Missile Test Station facilities at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), NM. The videotape opens with approximately 2 minutes of a man speaking into a microphone but there is no sound. This is followed by a brief summary of the payload, and the expected trajectory, a view of the launch vehicle, the countdown and the launch. The videotape then shows a film clip from the University of Alabama, with Dr. Francis Wessling, project manager for the Consort 3 project, speaking about the mission goals in the materials sciences experimentation. The video shows footage of the payload being assembled. The next section is a discussion by Dr. Roy Hammustedt, of Pennsylvania State University, who reviews the Penn State Bio Module,and the goal of learning about the effects of gravity on physiology. This is followed by George Maybee, from McDonald Douglas, who spoke about the payload integration process while the video shows some of the construction. The last section of the videotape shows a press conference at the launch site. Ana Villamil answers questions from the press about the flight.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Functional Meta-Analysis of the Proteomic Responses of Arabidopsis Seedlings to the Spaceflight Environment Reveals Multi-Dimensional Sources of Variability across Spaceflight Experiments

The human quest for sustainable habitation of extraterrestrial environments necessitates a robust understanding of life’s adaptability to the unique conditions of spaceflight. This study provides a comprehensive proteomic dissection of the Arabidopsis plant’s responses to the spaceflight environment through a meta-analysis of proteomics data from four separate spaceflight experiments conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) in different hardware configurations. Raw proteomics LC/MS spectra were analyzed for differential expression in MaxQuant and Perseus software. The analysis of dissimilarities among the datasets reveals the multidimensional nature of plant proteomic responses to spaceflight, impacted by variables such as spaceflight hardware, seedling age, lighting conditions, and proteomic quantification techniques. By contrasting datasets that varied in light exposure, we elucidated proteins involved in photomorphogenesis and skotomorphogenesis in plant spaceflight responses. Additionally, with data from an onboard 1 g control experiment, we isolated proteins that specifically respond to the microgravity environment and those that respond to other spaceflight conditions. This study identified proteins and associated metabolic pathways that are consistently impacted across the datasets. Notably, these shared proteins were associated with critical metabolic functions, including carbon metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and amino acid biosynthesis, underscoring their potential significance in Arabidopsis’ spaceflight adaptation mechanisms and informing strategies for successful space farming.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dynamic scaling for the growth of non-equilibrium fluctuations during thermophoretic diffusion in microgravity

Diffusion processes are widespread in biological and chemical systems, where they play a fundamental role in the exchange of substances at the cellular level and in determining the rate of chemical reactions. Recently, the classical picture that portrays diffusion as random uncorrelated motion of molecules has been revised, when it was shown that giant non-equilibrium fluctuations develop during diffusion processes. Under microgravity conditions and at steady-state, non-equilibrium fluctuations exhibit scale invariance and their size is only limited by the boundaries of the system. Here in this work, we investigate the onset of non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations induced by thermophoretic diffusion in microgravity, a regime not accessible to analytical calculations but of great relevance for the understanding of several natural and technological processes. A combination of state of the art simulations and experiments allows us to attain a fully quantitative description of the development of fluctuations during transient diffusion in microgravity. Both experiments and simulations show that during the onset the fluctuations exhibit scale invariance at large wave vectors. In a broader range of wave vectors simulations predict a spinodal-like growth of fluctuations, where the amplitude and length-scale of the dominant mode are determined by the thickness of the diffuse layer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1986

Biological and Medical Experiments on the Space Shuttle, 1981 - 1985

This volume is the first in a planned series of reports intended to provide a comprehensive record of all the biological and medical experiments and samples flown on the Space Shuttle. Experiments described have been conducted over a five-year period, beginning with the first plant studies conducted on STS-2 in November 1981, and extending through STS 61-C, the last mission to fly before the tragic Challenger accident of January 1986. Experiments were sponsored within NASA not only by the Life Sciences Division of the Office of Space Science and Applications, but also by the Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) and the Get Away Special (GAS) Program. Independent medical studies were conducted as well on the Shuttle crew under the auspices of the Space Biomedical Research Institute at Johnson Space Center. In addition, cooperative agreements between NASA and foreign government agencies led to a number of independent experiments and also paved the way for the joint US/ESA Spacelab 1 mission and the German (DFVLR) Spacelab D-1. Experiments included: (1) medically oriented studies of the crew aimed at identifying, preventing, or treating health problems due to space travel; (2) projects to study morphological, physiological, or behavioral effects of microgravity on animals and plants; (3) studies of the effects of microgravity on cells and tissues; and (4) radiation experiments monitoring the spacecraft environment with chemical or biological dosimeters or testing radiation effects on simple organisms and seeds.

Halstead, Thora W.↗