Padalka during OASIS Macro Camera Alignment in the U.S. Laboratory iss044e005118 (6/26/2015) --- Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka in the U.S. Laboratory in the process of aligning the Observation Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) Macro Camera. The Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands In Space (OASIS) studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers known as smectic islands. Liquid crystals are used for display screens in televisions and clocks, and they also occur in soaps and in cell membranes. The experiment allows detailed studies of the behavior of these structures, and how microgravity affects their unique ability to act like both a liquid and a solid crystal.
