SpaceX's 22nd cargo replenishment mission, carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations, was launched to the International Space Station on June 3 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Experiments on the Dragon spacecraft include water bear tolerance to the space environment, whether microgravity in space has an effect on symbiotic relationships, and analysis of kidney stone formation.
Important payloads for this replenishment mission include:
Tardigrades in space
A close-up image of a tardigrade. The Cell Science 4 mission brought tardigrades, known as tardigrades, to the International Space Station for study, with the goal of identifying their genes involved in adaptation and survival in high-stress environments.
Image credit: Thomas Boothby, University of Wyoming, USA
The inconspicuous tiny creatures in the picture have a vitality beyond our imagination: the lowest and highest temperature environment on Earth, the environment that has dried up for decades, the powerful space radiation, and there is no wave in the face of these tardigrades.
This chubby-looking eight-legged animal could become a hero who triumphs over the impossible. Tardigrade is another name for tardigrade, named for its microscope appearance and common habitat in water, and has the superpower to survive even in extremely harsh conditions. This makes them model organisms for studying the survival of organisms under the extreme conditions of Earth and space. In addition, the researchers sequenced the genome of one of the tardigrade animals, Hypsibius exemplaris, and developed methods to measure how different environmental conditions affect gene expression in tardigrades.
Understanding how they tolerate extreme environments, such as the microgravity and high levels of radiation that astronauts experience in space, could allow us to better study options for protecting humans from the stresses of long-term space travel. Aboard the International Space Station, an experiment called Cell Science-04 will help reveal how tardigrades do this.
These findings can help us better understand the impact of stressors on humans in space and support the development of related countermeasures. "For organisms, including humans, we've evolved enough to adapt to life on Earth, but spaceflight is still a very challenging thing," said Thomas Boothby, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming and principal investigator of the experiment. What 'tricks' did they use to survive when they reached space, and what techniques did their descendants use over time, and were they the same or changed from generation to generation? And whether we can learn their tricks and adapt them to protect astronauts in space. ”
One of the survival techniques of tardigrades may be to produce more antioxidants to combat harmful changes to the body due to increased radiation from space.
"We've observed how they react in the face of radiation from Earth," Boothby said, "and we think the way tardigrades evolve to fend off the extremes of The Planet may also be the reason for protecting them from the pressures of spaceflight." ”
The research team will study what happens to the genes of tardigrades in space, and understand which genes are expressed and silently for short- and long-term spaceflight, which will help researchers determine specific ways for tardigrades to survive in this stressful environment. For example, if one of their solutions is to turn up antioxidant production, the genes involved in the process should be affected.
Identifying which genes are also activated or silent by other environmental stresses will help identify genes that respond only to spaceflight. Experiment 4 of Cell Science will be followed up to test which genes are really needed for tardigrades to adapt and survive in this high-stress environment.
Data from the space station experiment will also provide a comparison for Earth-based studies, which are more common and less expensive, studying the responses of tardigrades under simulated spaceflight conditions. Experiments on the space station will tell researchers how similar these ground simulation conditions are to actual spaceflight.
The little heroes of the Cell Science 4 experiment were not the first tardigrades to set foot in space with astronauts, as experiments outside the space station have shown that they can survive even in the vacuum of space. This time, NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, has developed and built a special scientific device for the space station where tardigrades can survive and reproduce, and the Ames Research Center is also responsible for managing the task. This special scientific device, called the Bioculture System, uses it to grow cells, tissues, and tiny animals in space, allowing scientists to monitor them in real time and remotely, better control and adjust their growth conditions in the culture system, and complete special long-term studies.
In the long run, if we can figure out why the survival elasticity of tardigrade animals is so great, we may be able to protect biological materials (such as food and medicine) from extreme temperatures, dryness and radiation exposure, which will be very important and valuable for long-term deep space exploration missions. A small tardigrade may bring us great possibilities.
Symbiotic squid and microorganisms in a microgravity environment
Close-up image of juvenile squid. These immature Hawaiian short-tailed squid are part of the UMAMI experiment, which aims to investigate whether space will alter the symbiotic relationship between squid and Vibrio Phylogenes.
Image credit: Jamie S. Foster, University of Florida
The Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) studyed the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Microbes play an important role in the normal development of animal tissues and in maintaining human health, "Animals, including humans, rely on the microbes that are with us to maintain a healthy digestive system and immune system," said Jamie Foster, principal investigator at UMAMI. The UMAMI experiment used the luminous short-tailed squid (bobtail squid) to study important issues related to the health of these animals. ”
The Hawaiian short-tailed squid (Euprymna scolopes) is a common animal model used to study the symbiotic relationship between two species. The survey helps determine whether spaceflight can alter mutually beneficial relationships between organisms, supporting the development of conservation and mitigation measures to help astronauts stay healthy during long-term space missions. This work also helps us better understand the complex interactions between animals and beneficial microbes, including new ways in which microbes are used to spread between animal tissues. This knowledge helps identify ways to protect and strengthen these relationships to improve human health and well-being on Earth.
On-site ultrasound technology
The technology demonstration "Butterfly iQ Ultrasound" demonstrated the use of portable ultrasound in a microgravity environment in combination with a mobile computing device. The demonstration collected feedback from the station crew on the difficulty and quality of ultrasound image manipulation, including image acquisition, display and storage.
"For future exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit, astronauts do not have immediate access to ground-based support, and this commercially readily available technology can play a role in providing important medical capabilities." Kadambari Suri, Integration Manager of the Butterfly iQ Technology Demonstration, said, "The technology demonstration also checks the validity of the instant commands when the crew uses the device autonomously. "Beyond that, the technology also has potential value for applications across the planet, such as healthcare in remote areas and isolated environments."
Develop better machine drivers
Pilote, an experiment by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), uses touch-based or touch-simulated virtual reality and interfaces to test the effectiveness of robotic arms and spacecraft remote operations. Ergonomic tests that control robotic arms and spacecraft must be carried out under microgravity, as the ergonomic principles used in the design of tests on Earth do not apply to conditions on spacecraft in orbit. Pilote compared existing technologies and new technologies, including those recently developed for remote control operations, as well as other technologies used to fly the CanadaRm2 and Soyuz spacecraft. In addition, the experiment also compared the performance of astronauts on the ground and long-term space missions. The experimental results could help optimize the ergonomic design of workstations on the space station, as well as future spacecraft for lunar and Mars missions.
In space and on Earth, protect the kidneys
During spaceflight, the susceptibility of some crew members to kidney stones increases, which can have a negative impact on their health and mission execution. Kidney Cells-02 uses a 3D model of kidney cells (or tissue chip) to study how microgravity affects the formation of microcrystals that can lead to kidney stones. The Kidney Cell 2 experiment is part of tissue chips in Space, which is run by the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and the National Center for Advancing at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Translational Sciences, NCATS) collaborated to implement the goal of analyzing the impact of microgravity on human health and translating it into medical improvements on Earth. The experiment may reveal key pathways for the development and progression of kidney disease, providing treatment and prevention of kidney stones to astronauts and people with up to 10 percent of kidney stones on Earth.
"With this study, we hope to identify biomarkers or 'signatures' that change cellular changes during kidney stone formation," said lead researcher Ed Kelly, "which may show that we are developing new therapeutic interventions." The rationale for conducting this research on the space station is that microcrystals behave in a similar way to what is happening in our human kidneys, meaning they are suspended in kidney chip tubes and don't sink to the bottom as they would in a lab on Earth. ”
Produce cotton with more tenacious vitality
Cotton seedlings prepared for improved cotton on-orbit breeding experiments. The experimental study of improved cotton in orbital cultivation studies the impact of root structure on plant resilience, water use efficiency and carbon sequestration capacity at the critical stage of seedling establishment.
Image credit: Simon Gilroy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cotton plants that overexpress a gene will show greater resistance to stress factors such as drought, and under certain stress conditions, cotton fiber yields 20% higher than plants without this gene. Researchers currently believe that this resilience is related to the strengthened root system, which can use a larger volume of soil to obtain water and nutrients. The Targeting Improved Cotton Through On-orbit Cultivation (TICTOC) experiment examines how root structure affects plant resilience, water use efficiency and carbon sequestration capacity at critical stages of seedling formation. Root growth patterns are closely related to gravity, and TICTOC can help determine which environmental factors and genes regulate root development in the absence of gravity.
Cotton is used in a wide variety of everyday consumer goods, from clothes to bed sheets to coffee filter paper, but cotton production involves a lot of water use and agricultural chemicals. "We hope to reveal the characteristics of cotton root formation that breeders and scientists can use to improve the planting characteristics of cotton plants, such as drought resistance or nutrient absorption, which are key factors in the environmental impact of modern agriculture." Simon Gilroy, the lead researcher of the experiment, said. Improved understanding of cotton root systems and associated gene expression can facilitate the development of more robust cotton plants while reducing the use of water and pesticides.
Additional energy source
Images of space standing flying over the Earth. This image shows the planned configuration of six iROSA solar arrays designed to power the Isitel
Image credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center/Boeing
New solar panels were also sent to the space station, increasing the amount of energy used for research and other activities inside the station. The ISS Roll-out Solar Array (iROSA) consists of compact panels that can be rolled open like a long carpet based on techniques previously demonstrated on the space station. Expedition 65 members plan to begin preparing to supplement the station's existing rigid panels with two of six new arrays this summer.
References:
[1]https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex-22-research-highlights
[2]https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/microscopic-superheroes-to-help-protect-astronaut-health-in-space