Tag: Biological & Physical Sciences

NASA Science Activation Teams Present at National Rural STEM Summit

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1 min read NASA Science Activation Teams Present at National Rural STEM Summit NASA Science Activation (SciAct) teams participated in the National Rural STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) Summit held June 4-7, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. Hosted by Kalman Mannis of the Rural Activation and Innovation Network (Arizona Science Center) and the SciTech Institute, the summit fostered learning and sharing among organizations dedicated to creating partnerships and pathways for authentic STEM learning in rural communities. Participants included: Matt Cass and Randi Neff from SciAct’s Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative, who…

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Space Station Research Advances NASA’s Plans to Explore the Moon, Mars

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4 Min Read Space Station Research Advances NASA’s Plans to Explore the Moon, Mars The full moon is pictured as the International Space Station orbited 254 miles above the Pacific Ocean northeast of Guam. Credits: NASA Space, the saying goes, is hard. And the farther humans go, the harder it can get. Some of the challenges on missions to explore the Moon and Mars include preventing microbial contamination of these destinations, navigating there safely, protecting crew members and hardware from radiation, and maintaining and repairing equipment. Research on the International…

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International Space Station welcomes biological and physical science experiments

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3 min read International Space Station welcomes biological and physical science experiments NASA is sending several biological and physical sciences experiments and equipment aboard SpaceX’s 30th commercial resupply services mission. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth. Not only can these experiments provide pioneering scientific discovery – they enable sustainable deep space exploration and support transformative engineering. The commercial resupply launch took place Thursday, March 21,…

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Zero-Boil-Off Tank Experiments to Enable Long-Duration Space Exploration

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10 Min Read Zero-Boil-Off Tank Experiments to Enable Long-Duration Space Exploration Figure 1. The Gateway space station—humanity’s first space station around the Moon—will be capable of being refueled in space. Credits: NASA Do we have enough fuel to get to our destination? This is probably one of the first questions that comes to mind whenever your family gets ready to embark on a road trip. If the trip is long, you will need to visit gas stations along your route to refuel during your travel. NASA is grappling with similar…

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International Space Station Welcomes Trio of Experiments Focused on Enhancing Life Beyond Earth

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3 min read International Space Station Welcomes Trio of Experiments Focused on Enhancing Life Beyond Earth NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division is sending three physical sciences and space biology experiments and equipment to the International Space Station aboard Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply services mission. These experiments aim to pioneer scientific discovery, enable sustainable deep space exploration, and support transformative engineering. The launch is scheduled to take place no earlier than Tuesday, January 30, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Using Microbes to Improve Plant Growth in…

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Station Science 101: Epigenetics Research in Space

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A growing body of research suggests a link between epigenetic mechanisms and a wide variety of illnesses and behaviors, including cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune illnesses, and cognitive dysfunction. Epigenetics also plays a role in the changes humans and other living things experience in space. This phenomenon has become part of studies in a wide variety of fields, including microgravity research conducted aboard the International Space Station. So just what is epigenetics? According to a paper from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, it includes any process that alters gene…

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2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge Announces 10 Global Winners

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5 min read 2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge Announces 10 Global Winners This Earth observation was captured during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station on September 2, 2014. European Space Agency Astronaut Alexander Gerst Ten teams from around the world have been named the Global Winners of the 2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge. The Challenge is the largest annual global hackathon, and gives participants the opportunity to engage with real world problems we face on Earth and in space. The 2023…

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Growing Beyond Earth High School Student Wins the American Society of Gravitational Space Research Scholarship

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1 min read Growing Beyond Earth High School Student Wins the American Society of Gravitational Space Research Scholarship Growing Beyond Earth is a 6th-12th grade classroom-based citizen science project developed by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with scientists at NASA, designed to advance NASA research on growing plants in space. It includes a series of plant experiments conducted by students in a Fairchild-designed plant habitat similar to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) on the International Space Station. On November 18th, 2023, South Florida High School student, Leonardo Ravelo, was…

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NASA’s Cold Atom Lab Sets Stage for Quantum Chemistry in Space

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7 min read NASA’s Cold Atom Lab Sets Stage for Quantum Chemistry in Space This animation depicts six finely tuned lasers used inside NASA’s Cold Atom Lab to slow down atoms, lowering their temperature. Scientists can now use the lab to see how different types of atoms interact with each other at these cold temperatures. NASA/JPL-Caltech The remotely operated facility aboard the International Space Station has created another tool that researchers can use to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us. For the first time in space, scientists…

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Investigations launching aboard SpaceX-29 will help humans go farther and stay longer in space

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The SpaceX-29 commercial resupply spacecraft will deliver numerous physical sciences and space biology experiments, along with other cargo, to the International Space Station. The research aboard this resupply services mission will help researchers learn how humans, and the plants needed to sustain them, can thrive in deep space. The biological and physical sciences investigations headed to the Space Station are: Plant Water Management-5 and 6 (PWM-5 and 6) NASA has grown plants on the Space Station even without the help of gravity. But microgravity does present challenges and affects Space…

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