INTRODUCTION
In space, the everyday hold of things we take for granted on Earth seems very different. There is no one thing you can keep your leg on and call as floor. Your things float and in fact, even you float. You can do somersaults whenever you wish to as easily as sitting on a chair on earth, but the beauty is you can not sit on a chair in space unless and until you strap yourself to a chair which is strapped on to the floor. And everything inside your space station is strapped mostly using velcro strips, to avoid them bumping on to other things.
Have you ever seen a spherical candle flame? If not, then imagine such a flame in a bluish color. This is exactly what the astronauts might see in space since, in microgravity. There is really no up or down in such an environment. Also, another awesome thing is that the wax that melts doesn’t drip down.
Comparison of flames on earth and space (Credits- Npj Microgravity Community, Nature)
WHAT IS MICROGRAVITY?
According to NASA, microgravity is defined as the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless. It is often misunderstood that microgravity is a condition where there is no gravity. But actually, it is a condition in which the gravity is very small(‘micro’). In fact, a small amount of gravity is found everywhere in space. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be orbiting the sun.
What causes objects to float in ISS?
It would be exciting to float. Isn’t it? But why do we float in space? Simply because there is no air. To be precise, it is a vacuum and hence gravity causes all objects to fall at the same rate. This is known as ‘free fall’. To demonstrate the floating phenomenon in free fall, let’s imagine that we are going for a free-fall cabin ride in a theme park. Take your favorite toy along with you and let go of it at the start of the ride. You can see that the toy would appear to float in front of you since you and your toy are falling with the same acceleration. This is exactly the same situation in the spacecraft/ISS, where astronauts and other objects float.
Below is a wonderful picture where astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Sandy Magnus play with floating food (STS-126 shuttle mission). You can also see how things are strapped on to the walls. And if you want to know how to float in the earth, search google for “NASA’s vomit comet”.
Astronauts and objects float inside the shuttle (Credits- Air&Space Magazine)
RESEARCH IN MICROGRAVITY
Microgravity research is of immense importance, especially in science and medicine. Understanding how the human body behaves in the zero-g environment is crucial to understanding how we could adapt ourselves during long-duration missions, such as a journey to the red planet or even farther.
Effects of microgravity on the human body:
Bone loss in the body, that could accelerate age-related changes similar to osteoporosis. However, much of the loss is reversible once returned back to earth.
Changes in muscle performance and loss of muscle mass.
Affects cardiovascular health and also disrupts our circadian rhythm.
It is very important to know how the space environment affects our body since we are planning for long-duration space missions in the future. Also, studies on the space station can test a variety of technologies, systems, and materials that will be needed for future exploratory missions.
How many of you have spotted the ISS in the sky? Let me know in the comments section. If you haven’t tried, do try it out, for it is a great and fun activity to spot the engineering marvel.
Let’s now have a look at the exciting array of research that is being done in the labs of the International Space Station(ISS), more than 250 miles above Earth’s surface. These are experiments that would require conditions different than those on Earth and benefit mankind in drug discovery, nanotechnology, materials science, tissue engineering, agriculture, Earth observation, technology development, and much more.
Astronaut Christina Koch operating a 3D bioprinter onboard the ISS (Credits- NASA)
ONGOING RESEARCH
i) Research in the domain of the physical sciences, where the long-term effects of microgravity on the physical phenomenon are tested and properties of systems are studied. Example- Research on condensed matter, fundamental forces, precision measurements, quantum gases, etc.
ii) The space station helps to study the risks of long time exposure to microgravity on human health.
iii) Since it is present in the low-earth orbit, it is in a position to explore the earth sciences and space weather.
iv) The behavior of body cells and tissues drastically differ in microgravity. Hence various experiments have used the culture of cells, tissues, and small organisms as a tool to deepen our understanding of biological processes in extreme environments.
v) As we are moving towards a sustainable world, testing of alternative energy sources and efficient storage becomes crucial. The extreme radiation environment outside the space station allows rigorous testing of solar cells that is not possible on Earth.
vi) The reduced fluid movement in microgravity enables the research of materials, semiconductors, and nanoscale systems with great accuracy, thus enabling improved commercial products on Earth.
vii) There is a lot of efforts going on in the behavioral and mental health research since the environment in space station affects the psychological health of the astronauts.
viii) Innovative facilities and a variety of experiments enable advanced R&D on the ISS Lab in the fields of cell culture, rodent research, protein crystal growth, materials testing, etc.
Microgravity research has improved our understanding of many different fields and has given us immense knowledge required to propel our journey to farther places in the universe. And within the next few decades, we can expect humans to reach Mars, which was a dream a few years back and that’s our fascinating journey.
References: NASA, space.com, Air & Space Magazine, Wikipedia, livescience.com
Further Reading: