After the much-awaited return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth from the delayed space station mission, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is all set to launch an historic space mission to the International Space Station.
This SpaceX and NASA launch is set to revolutionize the research scenario at the station, transforming the Resupply Mission. As The CEO Views celebrates innovation in every aspect of business and research, we proudly present this article that eulogizes this exceptional scientific launch. This 32nd Resupply Mission brings a range of new research to the orbiting laboratory, intending to advance future space exploration and deliver benefits to humanity in every possible way.
About the 32nd Resupply Mission
Before the 32nd Resupply Services Mission, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft usually focused on vision-based navigation, plant growth advancements with less reliance on photosynthesis, and materials for drug and product manufacturing. Now, with the 32nd one, this SpaceX and NASA launch initiated the 32nd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station.
Investigations of the Space Station
The research conducted aboard the International Space Station is designed to serve multiple benefits to humanity and space exploration, like Mars and Moon missions. Here are some glimpses of the investigations that are being carried out at the station-
Smartphone Video Guidance Sensor (SVGS)
SVGS-2, or Smartphone Video Guidance Sensor-2, uses the Astrobee robots of the space station to demonstrate controlling a formation flight of small satellites using the NASA-developed vision-based sensor.
This technology-based investigation is designed to refine the movements of multiple robots, integrating the information with spacecraft systems. This technology offers the benefits of improved accuracy and system reliability for navigation, guidance, and control, with applicability to docking crewed spacecraft in orbit. It is also designed to operate multiple robots remotely on the Martian or lunar surface.
Improved Materials and Drugs
This NASA launch carries out the DNA Nano Therapeutics Mission 2, which produces the specially formed DNA-inspired molecule. This type of molecule is a customizable building block known as a Janus-based nanomaterial. Made aboard the International Space Station, these nanomaterials evaluate the effectiveness of the molecule in reducing joint inflammation and regenerating cartilage lost due to arthritis.
Environmental influences, such as gravity, affect the quality and delivery systems of these materials. They are larger and have higher uniformity and structural integrity in microgravity. Through this investigation launched by NASA and SpaceX, the best formulations for in-space production of such materials can be identified. These less-toxic, compatible, and stable nanomaterials can also be used to craft novel systems for therapy delivery that improve patient outcomes.
Particle Protection
In terms of long-duration missions, specifically during spaceflights, crew health and hardware performance should be kept safe from airborne particles. In another International Space Station investigation, the Aerosol Monitors test three varied air quality monitors in space to identify the best-suited one to ensure the crew’s health and mission success.
In the space station, the presence of dust often causes false smoke alarms, alarming crew members for no reason. Through this investigation, they can distinguish between smoke and dust, reducing false alarms and ensuring mission continuity.
Advances in Plant Growth
The SpaceX and NASA launch of Rhodium USAFA NIGHT technology under the 32nd Resupply Mission examines the response of tomato plants to microgravity. It also examines whether carbon dioxide replacement can reduce the extent to which space-grown plants depend on photosynthesis.
Through this investigation, it is examined whether supplements increase plant growth on the space station, as tested through preflight testing on Earth. Apprehending the adaptability of plants to microgravity through this investigation could help grow food during long space missions or in harsh environments on Earth.
Next-generation pharmaceutical nanostructures
The Industrial Crystallization Cassette investigation in the International Space Station is designed to add capabilities to an existing protein crystallization facility. The cassette can process more sample types, including tiny gold particles used in devices to detect cancer and other diseases. By using microgravity, larger and more uniform gold particles are produced, improving their use in research and real-life technological applications in human health.
Atomic Space Clock
An investigation by the European Space Agency (ESA), namely Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), investigates physics concepts of Einstein’s theory of relativity using two next-generation atomic clocks operated in microgravity in the space station. These clocks have been used in scientific measurement studies, fundamental research on physics, and the search for dark matter that relies on accurate atomic clocks in space. Through global navigation satellite networks, this experiment also tests a technology that synchronizes clocks worldwide.
As part of the NASA launch in collaboration with SpaceX technology, the above-discussed investigations stand at the frontier of future space exploration, driving good for humanity on the other hand. With an insight into these investigations carried out in the International Space Station, we look forward to a rapid advancement in space research in the near future.
