scholarly journals Sequencing DNA, RNA and related molecules as a tool to advance space exploration

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 10-13
Author(s):  
Aaron S. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Space Station ◽  
The Moon ◽  
International Space ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Harmful Organisms ◽  
New Challenges

As humans seek to return to the Moon, and eventually to Mars and beyond, new challenges must be overcome to keep astronauts safe and healthy. This includes protecting crew members from harmful organisms in their environment, treating infections that may arise, monitoring nutrition and understanding how the human body adapts to spaceflight during missions that could last multiple years. Since the International Space Station (ISS) was first occupied in 2000, crew health has been monitored with thorough check-ups before and after flight, and the collection of many samples during flight that are brought back to Earth for analysis. During longer missions to more distant solar system locales, where returning samples to Earth is no longer practical, being able to analyse samples aboard the spacecraft could be very important.

scholarly journals Microbially-Enhanced Vanadium Mining and Bioremediation Under Micro- and Mars Gravity on the International Space Station

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Cockell ◽  
Rosa Santomartino ◽  
Kai Finster ◽  
Annemiek C. Waajen ◽  
Natasha Nicholson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Solar System ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Station ◽  
High Strength ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Human Settlements ◽  
Corrosion Resistant ◽  
International Space ◽  
Solar System Objects

As humans explore and settle in space, they will need to mine elements to support industries such as manufacturing and construction. In preparation for the establishment of permanent human settlements across the Solar System, we conducted the ESA BioRock experiment on board the International Space Station to investigate whether biological mining could be accomplished under extraterrestrial gravity conditions. We tested the hypothesis that the gravity (g) level influenced the efficacy with which biomining could be achieved from basalt, an abundant material on the Moon and Mars, by quantifying bioleaching by three different microorganisms under microgravity, simulated Mars and Earth gravitational conditions. One element of interest in mining is vanadium (V), which is added to steel to fabricate high strength, corrosion-resistant structural materials for buildings, transportation, tools and other applications. The results showed that Sphingomonas desiccabilis and Bacillus subtilis enhanced the leaching of vanadium under the three gravity conditions compared to sterile controls by 184.92 to 283.22%, respectively. Gravity did not have a significant effect on mean leaching, thus showing the potential for biomining on Solar System objects with diverse gravitational conditions. Our results demonstrate the potential to use microorganisms to conduct elemental mining and other bioindustrial processes in space locations with non-1 × g gravity. These same principles apply to extraterrestrial bioremediation and elemental recycling beyond Earth.

The International Space Station

2019 ◽  
pp. 79-95
Author(s):  
Chris Nie
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Space Station ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Moon ◽  
New Era ◽  
International Space ◽  
Space Race ◽  
Future Space ◽  
Technical Details

A new era of spaceflight dawned following the conclusion of the United States and Russian space race. This new era has been marked by the design, assembly, and operation of one of the greatest engineering feats mankind has accomplished, the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is comprised of hundreds of thousands of kilograms of material built on the ground and transported to space for assembly. It houses an artificial atmosphere to sustain life in outer space and has been continually inhabited for over 15 years. This chapter describes the technical complexity of the ISS, the background of how it was assembled, its major systems, details of crew life onboard, commercial usage of the resource, and examples of mishaps that have occurred during the ISS's operation. The technical details of the ISS provide a glimpse into what future space stations that might orbit the Moon and Mars will resemble.

scholarly journals Shuttle diplomacy

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (07) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Burton Dicht
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Space Program ◽  
International Space ◽  
New Vision ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The U.S

This article analyzes the decisions and technological challenges that drove the Space Shuttle’s development. The goal of the Shuttle program was to create a reusable vehicle that could reduce the cost of delivering humans and large payloads into space. Although the Shuttle was a remarkable flying machine, it never lived up to the goals of an airline-style operation with low operating costs. In January 2004, a year after the Columbia accident, President George W. Bush unveiled the “Vision for U.S. Space Exploration” to guide the U.S. space effort for the next two decades. A major component of the new vision, driven by the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, was to retire the Space Shuttle fleet as soon as the International Space Station assembly was completed. With cancellation of the Constellation program in 2010, the planned successor to the Shuttle, the U.S. space program is now in an era of uncertainty.

NASA sets sights on private space stations

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Private Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Space ◽  
Foreign Governments ◽  
Corporate Clients

Subject Space stations. Significance As Washington returns its sights to the moon, it is reforming its policies regarding the International Space Station (ISS) with a view to jump-starting a 'low-earth orbit economy' in which private firms offer services to corporate clients, foreign governments and wealthy individuals. Impacts China's space station, due for completion in 2022, could draw third-country projects away from commercial US space stations. Governments are more promising clients for commercial crewed spaceflight than 'space tourists' are. Commercial stations and passenger spacecraft could make human spaceflight accessible to allied states. Spaceflight will remain politicised.

scholarly journals Study of dose distribution in a human body in international space station compartments with the tissue-equivalent spherical phantom

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. i61-i61 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. Shurshakov ◽  
R. V. Tolochek ◽  
I. S. Kartsev ◽  
V. M. Petrov ◽  
I. V. Nikolaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Dose Distribution ◽  
Space Station ◽  
International Space ◽  
Tissue Equivalent

scholarly journals Probiotics on the Board of the International Space Station: from the Space Experiment to the Space Production.

2020 ◽  
pp. 104-119
Author(s):  
E.V. Popova ◽  
I.V. Kutnik ◽  
A.I. Kobatov ◽  
N.B. Verbitskaya ◽  
I.V. Churilova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Space Experiment ◽  
International Space ◽  
Probiotic Potential ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Space Production ◽  
The Impact

Since 2007, a series of experiments on the production and use of product with high probiotic potential is being performed on the board of the ISS in order to weaken the impact of mutagenic factors on the human body. The first research objective was to develop the technology of the microorganism emulsive cultivation under weightless conditions on the board of the ISS. The second research objective was to obtain products of microbiological origin good for maintaining the required composition of human endo-microflora. Crews of the ISS-49 through ISS-63 were involved in the research in the framework of the “Probiovit” space experiment. The paper analyzes and summarizes obtained experimental results.

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