Some of the earliest concerns about fluid behavior in microgravity was the management of propellants in spacecraft tanks as they orbited the Earth. On the ground, gravity pulls a fluid to a bottom of a tank (ig, left). In orbit, fluid behavior depends on surface tension, viscosity, wetting effects with the container wall, and other factors. In some cases, a propellant can wet a tank and leave a large gas bubbles in the center (ug, right). Similar probelms can affect much smaller experiments using fluids in small spaces. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Research Center.
iss059e063757 (5/17/2019) --- Photo documentation of the Cell Culture Module Fluid Behavior investigation in the Destiny module onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Cell Culture Module Fluid Behavior Demonstration investigation verifies the functionality of a common 96-well plate. A series of fluid experiments assesses how the capillary action of the plate performs in a microgravity environment in comparison to ground-based control.
iss063e001782 (April 21, 2020) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy works on the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) replacing components in the research device that studies the behavior of fluids in microgravity. The FIR will help promote the design of advanced space-based fuel tanks and other complex fluid transfer systems.
iss063e001804 (April 21, 2020) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy works on the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) replacing components in the research device that studies the behavior of fluids in microgravity. The FIR will help promote the design of advanced space-based fuel tanks and other complex fluid transfer systems.
iss073e0134929 (6/9/2025) ---NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers sets up the station’s Ring Sheared Drop module. This system makes it possible to study liquid protein solutions without using containers, eliminating interactions between the solutions and container walls that can affect results. Ring Sheared Drop-IBP-2 studies the behavior of protein fluids in microgravity and tests computer models to predict that fluid’s behavior. Better models could help could advance manufacturing processes in space and on Earth for producing next-generation medicines for treating cancers and other diseases.NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers sets up the station’s Ring Sheared Drop module. This system makes it possible to study liquid protein solutions without using containers, eliminating interactions between the solutions and container walls that can affect results. Ring Sheared Drop-IBP-2 studies the behavior of protein fluids in microgravity and tests computer models to predict that fluid’s behavior. Better models could help could advance manufacturing processes in space and on Earth for producing next-generation medicines for treating cancers and other diseases.
iss073e0177064 (6/11/2025) --- Scientists can study protein solutions without interference from container walls and gravity driven forces present on Earth using the space station’s Ring Sheared Drop module. The device pins a drop of liquid between two rings and holds it in place with surface tension. JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi sets up for Ring Sheared Drop-IBP-2, a study of the behavior of protein fluids in microgravity. The investigation uses the module to test computer models to predict fluid behavior that could lead to improved processes for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, 3D printing, food processing, and microelectronics.
iss073e0177065 (6/11/2025) --- Scientists can study protein solutions without interference from container walls and gravity driven forces present on Earth using the space station’s Ring Sheared Drop module. The device pins a drop of liquid between two rings and holds it in place with surface tension. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi sets up for Ring Sheared Drop-IBP-2, a study of the behavior of protein fluids in microgravity. The investigation uses the module to test computer models to predict fluid behavior that could lead to improved processes for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, 3D printing, food processing, and microelectronics.
iss068e006399 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) and Bob Hines of NASA have fun with fluid physics as they observe the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
iss064e023935 (Jan. 14, 2021) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins sets up the ACE-T-Ellipsoids study inside the Light Microscopy Module. The investigation designs and assembles complex three-dimensional colloids – small particles suspended within a fluid medium – and controls density and behavior of the particles with temperature.
iss068e006386 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio has fun with fluid physics as he observes the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
iss068e006306 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren has fun with fluid physics as he observes the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
iss068e005874 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Bob Hines has fun with fluid physics as he observes the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
iss068e005884 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti has fun with fluid physics as she observes the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
iss068e006271 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins has fun with fluid physics as she observes the behavior of a free-flying water bubble inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Shear thirning will cause a normally viscous fluid -- such as pie filling or whipped cream -- to deform and flow more readily under high shear conditions. In shear thinning, a pocket of fluid will deform and move one edge forward, as depicted here.
iss050e014941 (12/8/2016) --- NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough during Capillary Flow Experiment-2 (CFE-2) with the Interior Corner Flow 1 hardware. The Capillary Flow Experiments demonstrate how capillary forces work in space, how differently shaped containers change the wicking behavior of a wetting fluid, and how such can be used to passively separate liquids and gases. Understanding how microgravity amplifies these behaviors could improve the reliability of such key processes as water purification fuel storage and supply, and general liquid transport aboard spacecraft.
iss073e0917782 (Oct. 23, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim conducts research operations for the Fluid Particles investigation inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. The fluid physics experiment may help researchers understand how particles in a liquid interface come together to form larger structures or clusters in microgravity advancing fire suppression, lunar dust control, and plant growth in space. Earth benefits may include insights into pollen behavior, algae blooms, plastic pollution, and sea salt transfer during storms.
STS062-52-025 (4-18 March 1994) --- Astronaut Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist, works with the Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) aboard the earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. The reusable test facility is designed to study the nonlinear, gravity-dependent behavior of two types of space hardware -- contained fluids and (as depicted here) large space structures -- planned for future spacecraft.
iss057e105652 (11/21/2018) --- A view of the Pump Application using Pulsed Electromagnets for Liquid reLocation (PAPELL) - NanoRacks Module-76 experiment which examines the behavior of special magnetic fluid transport systems to determine how these systems perform in space. PAPELL uses cameras and other automated equipment to monitor exactly how ferrofluids travel across grids of electromagnets and through pipes when manipulated with an electromagnetic field under a range of different conditions. The results will contribute to the development of a low wear, low maintenance pumping system.
AS17-162-24063 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- A close-up view of the equipment used for the Heat Flow and Convection Experiment, an engineering and operational test and demonstration carried out aboard the Apollo 17 command module during the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. Three test cells were used in the demonstration for measuring and observing fluid flow behavior in the absence of gravity in space flight. Data obtained from such demonstrations will be valuable in the design of future science experiments and for manufacturing processes in space.
STS062-23-017 (4-18 March 1994) --- Astronaut Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, mission specialist, works with Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) aboard the earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. The reusable test facility is designed to study the nonlinear, gravity-dependent behavior of two types of space hardware -- contained fluids and (as depicted here) large space structures -- planned for future spacecraft.
iss057e105655 (11/21/2018) --- A view of the Pump Application using Pulsed Electromagnets for Liquid reLocation (PAPELL) - NanoRacks Module-76 experiment which examines the behavior of special magnetic fluid transport systems to determine how these systems perform in space. PAPELL uses cameras and other automated equipment to monitor exactly how ferrofluids travel across grids of electromagnets and through pipes when manipulated with an electromagnetic field under a range of different conditions. The results will contribute to the development of a low wear, low maintenance pumping system.
Astronaut Karen Nyberg,Expedition 36 flight engineer,works on the Capillary Flow Experiment (CFE) Vane Gap-1 (VG-1) setup in the Node 2/Harmony. The CFE-2 vessel is used to observe fluid interface and critical wetting behavior in a cylindrical chamber with elliptic cross-section and an adjustable central perforated vane. The primary objective of the Vane Gap experiments is to determine equilibrium interface configurations and critical wetting conditions for interfaces between interior corners separated by a gap.
The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of liquid xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Resembling a tiny bit of window screen, the oscillator at the heart of CVX-2 will vibrate between two pairs of paddle-like electrodes. The slight bend in the shape of the mesh has no effect on the data. What counts are the mesh's displacement in the xenon fluid and the rate at which the displacement dampens. The unit shown here is encased in a small test cell and capped with a sapphire windown to contain the xenon at high pressure.
ISS019-E-013244 (2 May 2009) --- Astronaut Michael Barratt, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, uses a computer during a session with the Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test?4 (BCAT-4) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. This experiment studies the long-term behavior of colloids ? fine particles suspended in a fluid in a microgravity environment, where the effects of sedimentation and convention are removed. Results from this study may lead to new colloid materials with applications in the communications and computer industries for switches, displays and optical devices with properties that could rival those of lasers.
ISS019-E-013241 (2 May 2009) --- Astronaut Michael Barratt, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, prepares to photograph Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test?4 (BCAT-4) experiment samples in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. This experiment studies the long-term behavior of colloids ? fine particles suspended in a fluid in a microgravity environment, where the effects of sedimentation and convention are removed. Results from this study may lead to new colloid materials with applications in the communications and computer industries for switches, displays and optical devices with properties that could rival those of lasers.
ISS019-E-013240 (2 May 2009) --- Astronaut Michael Barratt, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, conducts a session with the Binodal Colloidal Aggregation Test?4 (BCAT-4) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. This experiment studies the long-term behavior of colloids ? fine particles suspended in a fluid in a microgravity environment, where the effects of sedimentation and convention are removed. Results from this study may lead to new colloid materials with applications in the communications and computer industries for switches, displays and optical devices with properties that could rival those of lasers.
iss073e0886460 (Oct. 20, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman installs research hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module’s Microgravity Science Glovebox. The equipment supports the Fluid Particles experiment, which helps researchers understand how particles in a liquid interface come together to form larger structures or clusters in microgravity. Results could advance fire suppression, lunar dust control, and plant growth in space. Earth benefits may include insights into pollen behavior, algae blooms, plastic pollution, and sea salt transfer during storms.
iss073e0917010 (Oct. 21, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Mike Fincke gives a thumbs-up in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. Fincke had just completed research operations for the Fluid Particles experiment, which helps researchers understand how particles in a liquid interface come together to form larger structures or clusters in microgravity. Results could advance fire suppression, lunar dust control, and plant growth in space. Earth benefits may include insights into pollen behavior, algae blooms, plastic pollution, and sea salt transfer during storms.
The first United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) was one of NASA's science and technology programs that provided scientists an opportunity to research various scientific investigations in a weightlessness environment inside the Spacelab module. It also provided demonstrations of new equipment to help prepare for advanced microgravity research and processing aboard the Space Station. The USML-1 flew in orbit for extended periods, providing greater opportunities for research in materials science, fluid dynamics, biotechnology (crystal growth), and combustion science. This is a close-up view of the Drop Physics Module (DPM) in the USML science laboratory. The DPM was dedicated to the detailed study of the dynamics of fluid drops in microgravity: their equilibrium shapes, the dynamics of their flows, and their stable and chaotic behaviors. It also demonstrated a technique known as containerless processing. The DPM and microgravity combine to remove the effects of the container, such as chemical contamination and shape, on the sample being studied. Sound waves, generating acoustic forces, were used to suspend a sample in microgravity and to hold a sample of free drops away from the walls of the experiment chamber, which isolated the sample from potentially harmful external influences. The DPM gave scientists the opportunity to test theories of classical fluid physics, which have not been confirmed by experiments conducted on Earth. This image is a close-up view of the DPM. The USML-1 flew aboard the STS-50 mission on June 1992, and was managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center.
The Spacelab-J (SL-J) mission was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Before long-term space ventures are attempted, numerous questions must be answered: how will gravity play in the early development of an organism, and how will new generations of a species be conceived and develop normally in microgravity. The Effects of Weightlessness on the Development of Amphibian Eggs Fertilized in Space experiment aboard SL-J examined aspects of these questions. To investigate the effect of microgravity on amphibian development, female frogs carried aboard SL-J were induced to ovulate and shed eggs. These eggs were then fertilized in the microgravity environment. Half were incubated in microgravity, while the other half were incubated in a centrifuge that spins to simulate normal gravity. This photograph shows astronaut Mark Lee working with one of the adult female frogs inside the incubator. The mission also examined the swimming behavior of tadpoles grown in the absence of gravity. The Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
The Spacelab-J (SL-J) mission was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Before long-term space ventures are attempted, numerous questions must be answered: how will gravity play in the early development of an organism, and how will new generations of a species be conceived and develop normally in microgravity. The Effects of Weightlessness on the Development of Amphibian Eggs Fertilized in Space experiment aboard SL-J examined aspects of these questions. To investigate the effect of microgravity on amphibian development, female frogs carried aboard SL-J were induced to ovulate and shed eggs. These eggs were then fertilized in the microgravity environment. Half were incubated in microgravity, while the other half were incubated in a centrifuge that spins to simulate normal gravity. This photograph shows an astronaut working with one of the adult female frogs inside the incubator. The mission also examined the swimming behavior of tadpoles grown in the absence of gravity. The Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
Two researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center demonstrate the test equipment they devised to study the transfer of liquid in microgravity onboard the Apollo 14 mission. The test was an early step in developing the ability to transfer liquids from a tanker vehicle to spacecraft in space. Researchers needed to know the tank’s outflow characteristics, the fluid’s behavior when entering new tank, and the effects of accelerations. Others had performed some calculations and analytical studies, but no one had examined the complete transfer from one tank to another in microgravity. The early calculations concluded that the transfer process was impossible without devices to control the liquid and gas. This investigation specifically sought to demonstrate the effectiveness of two different surface-tension baffle designs. The experiment was an entirely closed system with two baffled-tanks. The researchers also built a similar device without the baffles. The experiment was carried onboard the Apollo 14 spacecraft and conducted during the coast period on the way to the moon. The two surface tension baffle designs in the separate tanks were shown to be effective both as supply tanks and as receiver tanks. The liquid transferred within two percent of the design value with ingesting gas. The unbaffled tanks ingested gas after only 12-percent of the fluid had transferred.
STS078-301-021 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), holds up a test container to a Spacelab camera. The test involves the Bubble Drop Particle Unit (BDPU), which Favier is showing to ground controllers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in order to check the condition of the unit prior to heating in the BDPU facility. The test container holds experimental fluid and allows experiment observation through optical windows. BDPU contains three internal cameras that are used to continuously downlink BDPU activity so that behavior of the bubbles can be monitored. Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan, mission specialist, conducts biomedical testing in the background.
S91-47323 (18 Sept 1991) --- Constantine Costes, left, a student experimenter sponsored by United Space Boosters Inc, in Huntsville, Alabama, discusses his student experiment, "Zero-G Rise of Liquid Through Porous Media" with astronauts Ronald J. Grabe (right), STS 42 mission commander; and William Readdy, mission specialist. The student experimenter and crew members are in the Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT) in the Shuttle Mockup and Integration Laboratory. While attending Randolph School, a high school in Huntsville, Alabama, Costes was chosen in the national competition to participate in the Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP). The experiment, contained in a middeck locker, involves the investigation of the effects of gravity on the flow characteristics of a fluid. Both pure capillary and forced flow behavior will be investigated. A ground based experiment was conducted so that gravity influenced data can be compared to that gathered in weightlessness. Costes is now a candidate for a Ph.D in mathematics at Harvard University.
A researcher fills a small container used to represent a liquid hydrogen tank in preparation for a microgravity test in the 2.2-Second Drop Tower at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. For over a decade, NASA Lewis endeavored to make liquid hydrogen a viable propellant. Hydrogen’s light weight and high energy made it very appealing for rocket propulsion. One of the unknowns at the time was the behavior of fluids in the microgravity of space. Rocket designers needed to know where the propellant would be inside the fuel tank in order to pump it to the engine. NASA Lewis utilized sounding rockets, research aircraft, and the 2.2 Second Drop Tower to study liquids in microgravity. The drop tower, originally built as a fuel distillation tower in 1948, descended into a steep ravine. By early 1961 the facility was converted into an eight-floor, 100-foot tower connected to a shop and laboratory space. Small glass tanks, like this one, were installed in experiment carts with cameras to film the liquid’s behavior during freefall. Thousands of drop tower tests in the early 1960s provided an increased understanding of low-gravity processes and phenomena. The tower only afforded a relatively short experiment time but was sufficient enough that the research could be expanded upon using longer duration freefalls on sounding rockets or aircraft. The results of the early experimental fluid studies verified predictions made by Lewis researchers that the total surface energy would be minimized in microgravity.
Andy Stofan views a small-scale tank built to study the sloshing characteristics of liquid hydrogen at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Stofan was tasked with the study of propellant motion, or sloshing, in space vehicle propellant tanks. At the time, there was little knowledge of the behavior of fluids in microgravity or the effects of the launch on the propellant’s motion. Sloshing in the tank could alter a spacecraft’s trajectory or move the propellant away from the turbopump. Stofan became an expert and authored numerous technical reports on the subject. Stofan was assigned to the original Centaur Project Office in 1962 as a member of the Propellant Systems Section. Stofan was instrumental in solving a dynamic instability problem on the Centaur vehicle and served as the systems engineer for the development of the Centaur propellant utilization system. The solution was also applied to the upper-stages of Saturn. In 1966, Stofan was named Head of the Propellant Systems Section. Stofan continued rising through the managerial ranks at Lewis. In 1967 he became Project Manager of a test program that successfully demonstrated the use of a pressurization system for the Centaur vehicle; in 1969 the Assistant Project Manager on the Improved Centaur project; in 1970 Manager of the Titan/Centaur Project Office; in 1974 Director of the Launch Vehicles Division. In 1978, Stofan was appointed Deputy Associate Administrator for the Headquarters Office of Space Science. In 1982, he was named Director of Lewis Research Center.
Japanese astronaut, Mamoru Mohri, talks to Japanese students from the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour during the Spacelab-J (SL-J) mission. The SL-J mission was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. From the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC), NASDA President, Mr. Yamano, speaks to Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, a Japanese crew member aboard the STS-47 Spacelab J mission.
The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Featured together in joint ground activities during the SL-J mission are NASA/NASDA personnel at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Pictured in the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are NASDA alternate payload specialists Dr. Doi and Dr. Mukai.
A technician prepares a test sample in the Zero Gravity Research Facility clean room at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. The Zero Gravity Research Facility contained a drop tower which provided five seconds of microgravity during freefall in its 450-foot deep vacuum chamber. The facility has been used for a variety of studies relating to the behavior of fluids and flames in microgravity. During normal operations, a cylindrical 3-foot diameter and 11-foot long vehicle was used to house the experiments, instrumentation, and high speed cameras. The 4.5-foot long and 1.5-foot wide rectangular vehicle, seen in this photograph, was used less frequently. A 3-foot diameter orb was used for the special ten-second drops in which the package was pneumatically shot to the top of the tower then dropped. The facility also contained a control room, shop offices, tool and equipment rooms, and this clean room. The 242.5-foot long and 19.5-foot wide clean room was equipped with specialized cleaning equipment. In the 1960s the room was rated as a class 10,000 clean room, but I was capable of meeting the class 100 requirements. The room included a fume hood, ultrasonic cleaner, and a laminar flow station which operated as a class 100 environment. The environment in the clean room was maintained at 71° F and a relative humidity of 45- percent.
The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Pictured along with George Norris in the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are NASDA alternate payload specialists Dr. Doi and Dr. Mukai.
The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Featured together in the Science Operation Area (SOA) are payload specialists’ first Materials Processing Test during NASA/NASDA joint ground activities at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
The group of Japanese researchers of the Spacelab-J (SL-J) were thumbs-up in the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center after the successful launch of Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour that carried their experiments. The SL-J was a joint mission of NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted microgravity investigations in materials and life sciences. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, frogs, and frog eggs. The POCC was the air/ground communications channel between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. The Spacelab science operations were a cooperative effort between the science astronaut crew in orbit and their colleagues in the POCC. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
This unnamed, approximately 30-kilometer diameter crater, formed in the Southern highlands of Mars. This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows regions of geologic diversity within, making this an interesting spot for scientists to study how different Martian processes interact with each other. Gullies, or channels formed by fluids such as water or lava, cut into the rim and sides of this crater. The presence of gullies can reveal clues about the ancient history of Mars, such as the amount of flowing fluid needed to form them and roughly how long ago that happened. This crater may also host features actively changing on the surface of Mars known as "recurring slope lineae" (RSL). Manifesting as dark streaks on steep slopes such as the walls of craters, scientists posit briny flows of small volumes of water as a possible RSL formation method. Studying the behavior of RSL further may provide evidence for the presence of water on Mars today. Moving toward the crater floor, one can observe patterns indicative of dunes. Dunes arise from the breakdown of exposed rocks by wind and subsequent manipulation of the eroded sand particles into wave-like structures. The presence of dust devil tracks provides additional evidence for significant wind activity at this location. These dunes are very dusty and so likely haven't been active (moved) in some time. HiRISE also captured a small, relatively fresh crater on the floor near the dunes. One of the most ubiquitous processes in the solar system, impact cratering can drastically change the surface of a planetary body. As such, craters provide sources of comparison between planets, moons, and other bodies across the solar system. Impacts still occur today, helping scientists find relative ages of different areas of a planet and discover materials buried under the surface. All of these processes have altered the surface of Mars in the past and continue to do so today. Since gully formation, wind erosion, and impact cratering could have interacted with each other for many years, planetary scientists find it difficult to work backwards and make definitive statements about ancient Martian history. However, HiRISE imagery has aided in closing these gaps in our scientific knowledge. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21654
Overnight on October 4-5, 2012, a mass of energetic particles from the atmosphere of the Sun were flung out into space, a phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Three days later, the storm from the Sun stirred up the magnetic field around Earth and produced gorgeous displays of northern lights. NASA satellites track such storms from their origin to their crossing of interplanetary space to their arrival in the atmosphere of Earth. Using the “day-night band” (DNB) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite acquired this view of the aurora borealis early on the morning of October 8, 2012. The northern lights stretch across Canada’s Quebec and Ontario provinces in the image, and are part of the auroral oval that expanded to middle latitudes because of a geomagnetic storm. The DNB sensor detects dim light signals such as auroras, airglow, gas flares, city lights, and reflected moonlight. In the case of the image above, the sensor detected the visible light emissions as energetic particles rained down from Earth’s magnetosphere and into the gases of the upper atmosphere. The images are similar to those collected by the Operational Linescan System flown on U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites for the past three decades. “When I first saw images like this as a graduate student, I was immediately struck by the fluid dynamic characteristics of the aurora,” said Tom Moore, a space physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. “Viewing the aurora in this way makes it immediately clear that space weather is an interaction of fluids from the Sun with those of the Earth's upper atmosphere. The electrodynamics make for important differences between plasmas and ordinary fluids, but familiar behaviors (for example, waves and vortices) are still very apparent. It makes me wonder at the ability of apparently empty space to behave like a fluid.” Auroras typically occur when solar flares and coronal mass ejections—or even an active solar wind stream—disturb and distort the magnetosphere, the cocoon of space protected by Earth’s magnetic field. The collision of solar particles and pressure into our planet’s magnetosphere accelerates particles trapped in the space around Earth (such as in the radiation belts). Those particles are sent crashing down into Earth’s upper atmosphere—at altitudes of 100 to 400 kilometers (60 to 250 miles)—where they excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules and release photons of light. The results are rays, sheets, and curtains of dancing light in the sky. Auroras are a beautiful expression of the connection between Sun and Earth, but not all of the connections are benign. Auroras are connected to geomagnetic storms, which can distort radio communications (particularly high frequencies), disrupt electric power systems on the ground, and give slight but detectable doses of radiation to flight crews and passengers on high-latitude airplane flights and on spacecraft. The advantage of images like those from VIIRS and DMSP is resolution, according to space physicist Patrick Newell of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. “You can see very fine detail in the aurora because of the low altitude and the high resolution of the camera,” he said. Most aurora scientists prefer to use images from missions dedicated to aurora studies (such as Polar, IMAGE, and ground-based imagers), which can offer many more images of a storm (rather than one per orbit) and can allow researchers to calculate the energy moving through the atmosphere. There are no science satellites flying right now that provide such a view, though astronauts regularly photograph and film auroras from the International Space Station. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day-Night Band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and the University of Wisconsin's Community Satellite Processing Package. Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense. Caption by Mike Carlowicz. 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