Life and Research in the International Space Station

Nikolaos Papageorgiou, Science Teacher

Wednesday 25/09/2013

8th Junior High School, Volos, Greece

Presented in the framework of “Stars over Europe” Comenius program

Life and Research in the International Space Station

“Life and Research in I.S.S.” presentation deals with the structure and operation of the International Space Station, the conditions of living inside it and the experiments that take place inside it, accompanied by several breathtaking photos of the Earth taken from it.

I.S.S. assembling and maintenance is a multinational project. It was modularly configured and its configuration is still under way. ISS completes 16 full orbits in a day around the Earth at a distance of 400 kilometers from its surface.

It provides sufficient living conditions for survival in space, employing liquid and air recycling to the highest possible level. Its main energy resource is solar power, which is also used to produce oxygen with water electrolysis.

ISS crew are multinational and engage into numerous activities and everyday procedures to be able to live in the station and also keep fit.

They also spend hours performing multitudes of scientific experiments. The “weightlessness” conditions in ISS, unfiltered UV radiation from the Sun, especially in the wild space, are ideal for experiments in the areas of Physics, Medicine, Biology and Technology. Many of the experiments are closely tied to everyday life applications such as foams, endurable materials, microbial resistance to extreme physical conditions etc.

Life and Research in the International Space Station

As of Nov 2009 How to build a space staion

80 m lång; 108 m bred; 400 ton massa80 m long; 108 m wide; 400 ton mass

ISS – The International Space Station

Power: 80 kW Air Pressure: Sea Surface Crew : 6 persons

Orbit : ≈400 km altitude / 51.6º inclination

First part was launched in 1998

Fully manned since November 2000

The cosmonauts experience 16 rises and sets in 24 hours as ISS completes its revolution around the earth in 90 min.

In order to live in space:

We maintain our supplies and recycle as much as we can.

The cost of putting in orbit 1 Kg of load today between 10000 to 25000 $

For emergency needs, there are liquid oxygen tanks and hypercloric lithium combustion devices

CaAl2Si4O12.nH2O

CO2 is removed from air through filters base on zeolith which acts in molecular frame

Future recycling of CO2 will employ a chemical process discovered a century ago by the French chemist Paul Sabatier, who has found that under high temperatures and pressures hydrogen and CO2 are forming methane and water

Other side products of human metabolism like methane from intestines and ammonia from sweat are removed by carbon filters

Therefore the main source of oxygen in ISS is water!

While the main source of Power is solar cells

Today CO2 is expelled in space but it will be

recycled in the future.

Water vapor and urine are recycled.

Lets have a look at the every day life of cosmonauts on ISS

In the bedroom

• There is no “up” and “down” in space. In order to sleep you have to put your body in a sleeping bag secured on a wall.

• cosmonauts are using ear shields to avoid the

noise of life support devices which are continuously operational. There is also the noise produced by thermal expansion and contraction of ISS itself.

In the Kitchen

Hydrated food: The water is removed from the food on the earth for easy restoration and cheap transportation to space station. Thermally stabilized food: This kind of food can be stored at room temperature. Fish (tuna) are prepared in tin cans.Radiated food: Most beef products are cooked and packaged into flexible aluminum cases and sterilized with the use of ionizing radiation so that they can be preserved at room temperature.Natural food: e.g. Nuts and biscuits. Fresh food: e.g. Apples and bananas

In the toilette

In the Gym

Space walks (or extra-vehicular activities) are necessary for the construction, maintenance and installment of scientific devices out

of the Station.

The “walk" uniform has a skeleton of steel rings, embedded in high quality rubber material which has considerable weight

”Travel picture of 2006”

cosmonauts over N. Zealand and Cook straight

On the earthOn the earth In space (µG)In space (µG)

Soy plants

• Crews spend around 160 workhours a week performing scientific experiments in Physics, Medicine, Biology and technology....

3D video recording and photographing

Which line is longer ?

Immune systemin SPACE

Over 50% of Apollo mission cosmonauts suffered from viral and bacterial infections during and post

flight.Why did this happen?

What can we do to avoid it?

Effect on T-lymphocytes

Effect on cosmonautsThe effect on the immune system was attributed

to stress-producing factors:1. The effect of microgravity on cell functions

2. The effect of cosmic radiation3. The effect of mental fatigue on the endocrine system

Future mission to Mars threats:Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation

Exposure to increased intensity cosmic radiation Development of resistant microorganisms in chambers

“Lack of earth view” syndrome

Osteoporosis

It has been proved that low-resistance high-frequency exercise is equally favorable for the production of bone mass with the high-

resistance low-frequency exercise

In weightlessness conditions

Study of arterial pressure aiming to understand phenomena related to long term bed rest (e.g. Postural hypotension, muscle atrophy etc)

”Space Survivors”

CyanobacteriaLichensWater bearSeeds

Experiments in scientific laboratory Columbus

European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF)

Lichens survival time reached 18 months Bacillus pumilus bacteria survived the exposure to space, being

protected from UV-C radiation (darkness) for the duration of journey to Mars

Cryptolithic or endolithic bacteria of Antartica survived both the exposure to space and the simulation of Martial conditions

Plant seeds survive in high percentage if protected from UV-C radiation

More experiments: Exposure of organic and inorganic substances to space (UV)

to observe possible corrosion Micrometeorite studies in Space

Algae and fungi symbiosis

In reality, lichens are not simple organisms but composite symbiotic organisms consisting of plants (algae) and fungi. Algae photosynthesize and provide food to fungi which in turn create the

proper environment for development

ESA Presentation | Martin Zell | ESA/ESTEC | 13/09/2010 | HSF-U | Slide 26

Gravity sensing by plants

Cardamom root exposed to change of gravity field for 2 h

Lentil root cells which have been centrifuged for various periods of time and in weightlessness conditions (right)

The so-called cell skeletonis made of a protein network of actin family, which supports the stability of cell form in the form of scaffolding. These proteins are common to plants and animals, are relative to myosin which is the protein of motion. The position of the various organelles inside cell is the result of the balance of gravitational force and the tension of this protein network.

ESA Presentation | Martin Zell | ESA/ESTEC | 13/09/2010 | HSF-U | Slide 27

Behavior of emulsions and foamy materialsFire extinguishing foams, metallic foams, protein foams

Foam is a state of matter which can not be classified as solid or liquid

In stability experiments we compare the survival time in earth

gravity conditions to the one in microgravity conditions and the

role that various embeddable solid particles play is assumed

Human spaceflight

ESA Presentation | EUB # 10 | 30 – 31 Jan. 2012 | HSO-U | Slide 28

- New lightweight TiAl turbine blades for jet engines and gas

- New NiAl catalytic powders for hydrogen fuel cells and other chemical processes

Ground

Solidification in microgravity conditions

space

Who would like to see the earth from

above?

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov Venice, Italy – Mar ’07,

ISS014E17346

Fires in a Canyon in Utah, Sep 2010

Some millionpics from ISS

Aurora on ISS

Green light from atomic O (557 nm) on 100-150 km height.

Red light from atomic O (630 nm) on 300-500 km height.

View from the window of ISS

River Parana (left) which flows out to Rio de la Plata (right)

Sajama (Bolivia) and Lauca (Chile) National Parks

Elizabeth riff in Tasman Sea east of Australia .Taken with a 400mm lens from an altitude of 178 nautical

miles (329.656 km) on Sep 11, 2009

Dam in Cameroon near Mbam river

6.1 Ν 11.3 Ε

Human

lighting

Cumulonimbus clouds seen from space

Earth’s atmosphere looks so thin !

Departure from ISS with mixed feelings….

However, it will continue to be there to be used at least

until 2020

Departure from ISS over Ionian Sea and return to Earth

Thank you all for your attention !