>>> IGNITION SEQUENCE START.
♪
>> GOOD MORNING.
WELCOME TO MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON AND THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION FLIGHT CONTROL
ROOM WHERE THE ORBIT TWO TEAM OF
FLIGHT CONTROLLERS IS ON DUTY
RIGHT NOW MONITORING THE
STATION'S SYSTEMS ON ORBIT,
WHILE GETTING SET FOR ACTIVITY
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
RIGHT NOW STATION COMMANDER IS
BUSY WITH STATION MAINTENANCE,
AND FLIGHT ENGINEERS DREW MORGAN
AND JESSICA MEIR ARE OFF DUTY
TODAY SINCE THEY WILL BE WORKING
THIS WEEKEND TO WELCOME A NEW
CARGO SHIP THAT'S SCHEDULED TO
LAUNCH LATER TODAY.
>> WELCOME TO SPACE TO GROUND.
I'M LEAH CHESHIRE.
COMING UP SOON, THE CYGNUS
SPACECRAFT WILL ASCEND TO ITS
KNEW PLACE IN SPACE AFTER RIDING
AN ANTARES ROCKET.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN IS SCHEDULED TO
LAUNCH TODAY.
LAUNCHING DURING BLACK HISTORY
MONTH, IT'S NAMED IN HONOR OF
THE FIRST FEDERAL AMERICAN TO BE
SELECTED AS AN ASTRONAUT.
THE COMPANY'S RESUPPLY MISSION
WILL DELIVER OVER 7,500 POUNDS
OF CREW SUPPLIES, RESEARCH
INVESTIGATIONS, SPACE WALK
EQUIPMENT, AND MORE.
CYGNUS WILL ARRIVE AT THE
STATION ON FEBRUARY 16th, WHERE
NASA ASTRONAUT JESSICA MEIR WILL
MONITOR ITS APPROACH AND
RENDEZVOUS BEFORE IT IS CAPTURED
BY THE CANADA ARM 2, CONTROLLED
BY ANDREW MORGAN.
AS WE PLAN TO VENTURE FURTHER
INTO SPACE, WE KNOW THAT
INCREASED EXPOSURE TO RADIATION
IN SPACE CAN POSE HEALTH HAZARDS
FOR ASTRONAUTS.
RESEARCH ON THE SPACE STATION
MIGHT HELP US PREPARE FOR THOSE
LONGER JOURNEYS.
ASTRONAUT LONG-TERM HEALTH CAN
BE AFFECTED AS RADIATION MAY
CAUSE DOUBLE STRAND BREAKS IN
THEIR DNA.
THE GENES IN SPACE EXPERIMENT
DETERMINES THE OPTIMAL DNA
REPAIR MECHANISM THAT'S SAFE TO
USE IN A SPACE FLIGHT
ENVIRONMENT.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ENTIRE
DNA DAMAGE MUTATION AND REPAIR
PROCESS IS BEING EVALUATED IN
SPACE AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL.
NOT ONLY WILL THIS RESEARCH HELP
US PREPARE FOR LONG-DURATION
MISSIONS TO THE MOON AND MARS,
IT ALSO MAY HELP DEVELOP
PROCEDURES TO PROTECT PEOPLE IN
REMOTE AND HARSH LOCATIONS ON
EARTH.
THIS WEEK WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING
JUST A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF
MESSAGES WE'VE RECEIVED WITH THE
HASHTAG CONGRATS CHRISTINA,
AFTER CHRISTINA KOCH COMPLETED A
328-DAY MISSION TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THE LONGEST SINGLE DURATION
MISSION FOR A WOMAN.
EZEKIEL SENT HIS CONGRATULATIONS
BUT ADMITTED HE WOULD MISS
SEEING CHRISTINA'S SPACE HAIR.
EVAN RECALLED WATCHING THE FIRST
ALL-WOMAN SPACE WALK DURING
WHICH CHRISTINA AND JESSICA MEIR
VENTURED OUTSIDE THE STATION IN
OCTOBER.
J.J. SAID THEY LEFT THEIR
11-YEAR-OLD STAY UP TOO LATE TO
WATCH THE LANDING, BUT WE THINK
IT WAS WORTH IT.
PRIOR TO BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT,
CHRISTINA CONDUCTED REMOTE
SCIENTIFIC FIELD WORK IN
ANTARCTICA.
KEEP SENDING MANY YOUR QUESTIONS
USING #ASKNASA.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
>> INCLUDED AMONG THE 7500
POUNDS OF CARGO ON THE CYGNUS
SHIP LAUNCHING TODAY IS MATERIAL
FOR THE CREW MEMBERS AND MORE
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SUPPLIES.
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
IS A LABORATORY IN SPACE, WHERE
SCIENTISTS CAN REMOVE THE
CONSTANT OF GRAVITY FROM AN
EQUATION IN WAYS THEY JUST CAN'T
DO ON EARTH.
IT'S A TRICK THAT CAN BE
ESPECIALLY USEFUL IN NATURAL
SCIENCES.
FOR INSTANCE, RESEARCHERS ARE
WORKING TO LEARN HOW SURFACE
TENSION AND CAPILLARY FLOW CAN
BE HARNESSED TO IMPROVE SYSTEMS
FOR MOVING FLUIDS IN
MICROGRAVITY, LIKE MOVING
PROPELLANTS IN FUEL TANKS DURING
SPACE TRAVEL.
♪
>> THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION'S LABORATORY MODULES
SUPPORT EXPERIMENTS IN A NUMBER
OF SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, THE FLAME
DESIGN INVESTIGATION IS LOOKING
INTO THE QUANTITY OF SOOT
PRODUCED UNDER DIFFERENT BURNING
CONDITIONS, AND IT COULD
GENERATE DATA THAT LEADS TO THE
CREATION OF NEW BURNERS THAT ARE
MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS
POLLUTING.
♪
>> THE SCIENTISTS BEHIND THE
EXPERIMENTS YOU'VE JUST SEEN HAD
TO PUT THEIR LIFE'S WORK ON TOP
OF THE CONTROLLED EXPLOSION THAT
IS A ROCKET LAUNCH IN ORDER TO
GET THE EXPERIMENT TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
IN THIS NEW SEASON OF THE NASA
EXPLORER SERIES, WE'RE FOCUSING
ON THOSE SCIENTISTS.
HERE IN PART TWO, YOU MEET A
TEAM OF RESEARCHERS AS THEY WORK
TO PREPARE AN EXPERIMENT TO
LAUNCH TO SPACE FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
>> THESE ARE FROM THE SLOSH
EXPERIMENT.
>> MICROGRAVITY HAS A LOT TO
TEACH US.
TAKE THESE CONTAINERS.
THE GREEN LIQUID INSIDE IS
SHOWING US HOW FUEL SWIRLS
AROUND IN A TANK WHILE IT MOVES
THROUGH SPACE.
WHAT WE LEARN COULD HELP US
DESIGN SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT
SPACECRAFT.
AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE ARE
CONDUCTING CLOSE TO 300
DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTS ABOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
RESEARCH LIKE THIS IS PREPARING
US FOR THE FUTURE OF SPACE
EXPLORATION.
>> THAT'S COOL.
♪
>> WE REALLY CAN'T MIMIC THE
ENVIRONMENT ON THE SPACE STATION
ANYWHERE ON THIS PLANET, AND
IT'S WHAT MAKES IT SUCH A
SPECIAL PLACE AND WHY SCIENTISTS
FROM MANY UNIVERSITIES, SEVERAL
COMPANIES LIKE TO SEND THEIR
SCIENCE UP.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU REMOVE GRAVITY,
MANY THINGS ACT DIFFERENTLY.
THIS SEASON, WE'RE EXPLORING WHY
WE SENT SCIENCE TO SPACE AND
WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT THERE.
SPOILER ALERT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO
BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO CONDUCT
RESEARCH IN MICROGRAVITY.
>> SO THIS IS OUR FIRST PROJECT
THAT'S GOING UP TO THE STATION,
AND OUR FIRST PROJECT WORKING
WITH, YOU KNOW, ANYONE INVOLVED
IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.
SO IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME FOR
US.
THE TRANSITION FROM WHAT AM I
DOING WITH MY LIFE IN THE MIDDLE
OF GRADUATE SCHOOL TO HERE I AM
SITTING IN HOUSTON GETTING READY
FOR OUR LAUNCH, I CAN'T HARDLY
BELIEVE IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
>> MEET ELAINE, ONE OF THE
CO-FOUNDERS OF A MEDICAL DEVICE
START-UP BASED IN VIRGINIA.
HER COMPANY IS DEVELOPING A GEL
PATCH THAT CAN SERVE AS A
REPLACEMENT FOR EARDRUM REPAIR
SURGERY.
THAT COULD HAVE HUGE BENEFITS
HERE ON EARTH, BUT LAUNCH THAT
GEL TO SPACE AND THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR USE GROW EVEN
MORE.
FIRST, WE HAVE TO BACK UP A FEW
STEPS.
PUTTING YOUR LIFE'S WORK ON TOP
OF A ROCKET MAY SEEM LIKE A
DAUNTING TASK, BUT THERE'S A
SYSTEM IN PLACE TO HELP
SCIENTISTS WHO KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT SPACE FLIGHT GET THEIR
RESEARCH INTO ORBIT.
YOU SEE, NASA AND ITS
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AREN'T
THE ONLY SOURCE OF SCIENCE
ABOARD THE SPACE STATION.
THE ISS U.S. NATIONAL LABORATORY
CREATES PATHWAYS TO SPACE FOR
COMPANIES, UNIVERSITIES, AND
EVEN YOUNG STUDENTS.
IF YOU'RE STARTING A JOURNEY
INTO THE UNKNOWN, IT HELPS TO
HAVE AN EXPERT AT YOUR SIDE TO
NAVIGATE THE WAY.
THE NATIONAL LAB CONNECTS
RESEARCHERS WITH IMPLEMENTATION
PARTNERS WHO PROVIDE RESOURCES
AND GUIDANCE FOR TAKING AN
EXPERIMENT FROM EARTH TO
MICROGRAVITY.
ELAINE AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING
WITH A TEAM.
>> THEY HAVE THE READER.
THEY'RE COORDINATING THE LAUNCH
AND GETTING ALL THE MATERIALS
TOGETHER FOR US.
WE'RE GLAD WE'RE WORKING WITH
THEM BECAUSE WE'RE GLAD SOMEBODY
HAS DONE THIS BEFORE THAT CAN
HELP US ALONG WITH THE PROCESS.
THE PROJECT WE'RE SENDING TO THE
SPACE STATION IS LOOKING AT HOW
HYDROGEL BEHAVES IN MICROGRAVITY
CONDITIONS.
WE'RE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT
HOW THE STRUCTURE CHANGES AND
HOW DRUG RELEASE CHANGES IN THE
ABSENCE OF GRAVITY.
>> I'M A CO-FOUNDER OF THIS
TECHNOLOGY.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE TEAM SINCE
DAY ZERO.
HYDROGELS ARE A VERY IMPORTANT
MATERIAL.
THEY ARE HIGH VOLUME WATER THAT
CAN VERY WELL MIMIC THE EXTRA
CELLULAR MATRIX OF OUR BODY.
SO WE REALLY THOUGHT THAT
ANSWERING THIS QUESTION CAN
REALLY HELP THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY.
>> CONFUSED?
DON'T WORRY, WE'VE GOT YOU
COVERED.
THINK OF HYDROGELS LIKE A SCOOP
OF GELATIN.
NOT QUITE A LIQUID, NOT QUITE A
SOLID, DEFINITELY MADE UP OF
MOSTLY WATER.
WE CAN USE HYDROGELS TO COVER
WOUNDS AND EVEN DELIVER
ANTIBIOTICS TO PROMOTE HEALING.
FOR THAT REASON, HYDROGELS ARE
BEING STUDIED FOR THINGS LIKE
USE ON BATTLEFIELDS.
>> IF YOU CAN'T GET GOOD MEDICAL
CARE RIGHT AWAY, YOU COULD APPLY
THAT HYDROGEL DIRECTLY TO THE
WOUND SITE.
WHAT ABOUT IN SPACE?
WHAT IF WE'RE FAR AWAY FROM
EARTH'S SURFACE ON OUR WAY
TOWARDS MARS AND WE HAVE A WOUND
ON AN ARM OR LEG AND NEED A
BETTER WAY TO TREAT THAT WOUND
AND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T BECOME
INFECTED.
SO THE HYDROGEL ITSELF IS A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF A DUAL-PURPOSE
TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN USE NOT
ONLY ON THE EARTH BUT UP IN
SPACE.
>> THIS RESEARCH COULD PROVIDE
PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN FOUNDATIONS
FOR FUTURE HYDROGEL STUDIES.
IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW
MICROGRAVITY CAN OFFER NEW
INSIGHTS INTO SYSTEMS WE'VE
ALREADY EXPLORED ON EARTH.
>> THE DATA WE'RE COLLECTING IS
SO BASIC SCIENCE THAT IT'S HARD
TO FIND THE PROJECT AT THIS
STAGE.
>> WHEN IT GETS TO SPACE, IT
GOES INTO THE HANDS OF
ASTRONAUTS WHO WILL RUN THE
EXPERIMENT IN ORBIT.
JUST LIKE TRAINING FOR LAUNCH,
LANDING, AND SPACE WALKS, CREW
MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN HOURS OF
SCIENTIFIC TRAINING TO PREPARE
THEM FOR RUNNING MANY OF THE
HUNDREDS OF EXPERIMENTS THAT ARE
ONGOING ABOARD THE SPACE
STATION.
READY TO GO TO CLASS WITH AN
ASTRONAUT?
WE'LL TAKE YOU ALONG.
>> WELL, A LOT HAS CHANGED IN 11
YEARS.
IT WAS A NEW EXPERIMENT, SO HE
HADN'T SEEN THAT EITHER.
THEY TELL US, YOU KNOW, HEY,
THIS IS A LOT EASIER TO GO
UPSIDE DOWN.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN
MICROGRAVITY AND THIS WILL WORK
DIFFERENTLY.
>> THE STRUCTURE OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
RELIES ON A SERIES OF TRUSSES
ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND THE
DIFFERENT FORCES THE STATION
ENCOUNTERS IN LOW-EVERETT ORBIT.
IN THIS DEMONSTRATION VIDEO,
RICKY ARNOLD EXPLAINS THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THOSE STRUCTURES
AND THE FORCES THEY'RE UP
AGAINST IN MICROGRAVITY.
♪
>> HEY THERE.
I'M NASA ASTRONAUT RICKY ARNOLD.
WELCOME ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
THE SPACE STATION TRUSS.
THE TRUSS SEGMENT IS JUST ABOUT
100 METERS FROM SIDE TO SIDE.
A TRUSS IS A SEGMENT OR PART OF
THE WHOLE INTEGRATED TRUSS
STRUCTURE.
THE TRUSSES ARE USED TO SUPPORT
THE 16 SOLAR RAY PANELS, WHICH
PROVIDE ENERGY FOR US AND
RADIATORS THAT GET RID OF EXCESS
HEAT THAT BUILDS UP INSIDE THE
SPACE STATION.
THE DESIGN OF THE TRUSS INVOLVES
TRIANGLES AND BEAMS, WHICH CAN
BE SEEN ON EARTH IN STRUCTURES
LIKE BRIDGES.
WHY TRIANGLES?
THIS IS BECAUSE OF THEIR YOU
KNEE GEOMETRIC PROPERTIES, THEIR
METHODS OF TRANSFERRING LOADS,
AND THEIR SPATIAL OPENNESS.
TRIANGLES ARE MORE RIGID THAN
RECTANGULAR SHAPES BECAUSE THEY
HAVE FEWER JOINTS.
THE LARGER NUMBER OF JOINTS IN A
SHAPE, THE MORE PRONE THAT SHAPE
IS TO BE IMPACTED BY SHEER
FORCES.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
TODAY IS SOME OF THE FORCES THAT
CAN ACT UPON THE TRUSS.
WELL, THE FIRST FORCE I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IS COMPRESSION FORCE.
AND COMPRESSION FORCE IS JUST
LIKE IT SOUNDS, TWO THINGS
COMING TOGETHER.
SO IF WE APPLY A COMPRESSION
FORCE TO THE TRUSS, WHAT DO YOU
THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WELL, LET ME GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
AND YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE WHERE
THE TRUSS WOULD BEND.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OPPOSITE
FORCE OF COMPRESSION IS?
IT'S GOING TO BE PULLING APART.
WE CALL THAT A TENSION FORCE.
A TENSION FORCE IS WHAT'S GOING
TO HELP MAYBE EVEN RIGIDIZE THE
TRUSS SEGMENT, BUT IT ALSO COULD
POTENTIALLY PULL IT APART.
I'M NOT GOING TO PULL APART THIS
TAPE MEASURE BECAUSE WE PROBABLY
NEED IT LATER FOR SOME WORK WE
HAVE TO DO.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY, THIS
NEXT FORCE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
IS BASICALLY KIND OF LIKE A
TWISTING FORCE.
WE CALL IT TORSION.
EVEN WHEN I JUST LET GO OF THE
TAPE MEASURE, YOU CAN SEE IT
WILL ACTUALLY START TO HAPPEN A
LITTLE BIT.
YOU CAN START TO SEE BECAUSE THE
CENTER OF MASS IS ACTUALLY RIGHT
HERE, WHERE MOST OF THE TAPE
MEASURE IS LOCATED, AND WHEN I
LET IT GO, THE TAPE MEASURE
ITSELF STARTS TO TWIST JUST A
LITTLE BIT.
FINALLY, THE FOURTH FORCE THAT
CAN ACT ALONG A TRUSS SEGMENT
CAN OCCUR AT A SINGLE POINT
WHERE TWO OPPOSING FORCES WORK
ON A SINGLE POINT ALONG THE
TRUSS, JUST LIKE THEY CAN UPON
THE EARTH'S SURFACE.
THINK ABOUT SOME EARTHQUAKES.
YOU CAN HAVE A PLATE OR ALONG A
FAULT LINE WHERE ONE SIDE OF THE
FAULT LINE IS MOVING UPWARD OR
BEING FORCED UPWARD WHILE THE
OTHER FORCE IS MOVING DOWNWARD.
THAT'S CALLED A SHEAR FORCE.
ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT, WHERE
DO THESE FORCES COME FROM?
ONE FORCE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE
LARGELY OUT OF THE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE, WE STILL HAVE DRAG
WITH THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,
WHICH CAN IMPART LOADS OR IMPART
A FORCE ON THE TRUSS SEGMENT.
ANOTHER I ALREADY HINTED AT
EARLIER IS CREW WORKING INSIDE.
WE'RE UP HERE EXERCISING, MOVING
HEAVY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT
AROUND.
SO WE HAVE AN AMAZING
ENGINEERING TEAM ON THE GROUND,
AND WE HAVE SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES
THAT THEIR JOB IS TO MONITOR ALL
THE FORCES IMPARTED UPON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THEY KEEP TRACK OF ALL THOSE
VARIOUS FORCES I TALKED ABOUT
AND WHERE THEY COULD BE COMING
FROM, THE ATMOSPHERE, VISITING
VEHICLES, OR EVEN THINGS THE
CREW ARE DOING INSIDE THE SPACE
STATION.
TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FORCES
AREN'T SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO
CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO THIS
WONDERFUL LABORATORY AND LIVING
SPACE WE HAVE UP HERE IN
LOW-EARTH ORBIT.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME
TODAY.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
SO LONG.
>> LESSONS FROM SPACE LIKE THE
ONES RICKY ARNOLD HAS TAUGHT
WERE DESIGNED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE PRESENCE OF A FORMER
CLASSROOM TEACHER AS A MEMBER OF
THE STATION CREW IN ORDER TO
HELP STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS
ON THE GROUND IN THEIR STUDIES
OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, AND MATH.
THE EFFORT WAS BUILT ON AN
EXAMPLE SET BY ANOTHER TEACHER
MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.
>> REACH FOR IT.
PRESENTED BY SCIENCE AT NASA.
IN AUGUST 1984, PRESIDENT RONALD
REAGAN ANNOUNCED NASA'S PLAN TO
SEND ONE OF AMERICA'S FINEST, A
TEACHER, TO SPACE ABOARD SPACE
SHUTTLE CHALLENGER.
OF 11,000 ASPIRANTS FOR THE
ADVENTURE, 37-YEAR-OLD HIGH
SCHOOL TEACHER CHRISTA McCOME
LUFF FROM CONCORD, NEW
HAMPSHIRE, WAS CHOSEN.
AS THE FIRST TEACHER TRAVELLING
TO SPACE, SHE PLANNED TO CONDUCT
SCIENCE DEMONSTRATIONS FROM
LOW-EARTH ORBIT TO GET STUDENTS,
QUOTE, EXCITED ABOUT HISTORY,
ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND ABOUT
SPACE, END QUOTE.
TRAGICALLY, CHALLENGER BROKE
APART SOON AFTER LIFT-OFF ON
JANUARY 28th, 1986.
THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS, AND THE
PLANNED DEMONSTRATIONS WERE
SHELVED.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
ASTRONAUTS HAVE BROUGHT THE
MISSION FULL CIRCLE BY
COMPLETING AND FILMING ON ORBIT
HER ENVISIONED LESSONS AS A
TRIBUTE TO HER LEGACY.
U.S. CREW MEMBERS ABOARD THE
STATION HAVE ALSO PERFORMED AND
CAPTURED OTHER BRIEF, ENGAGING
LESSONS.
AS PART OF THE YEAR OF EDUCATION
ON STATION, NASA HAS MADE ALL OF
THE DEMOS AVAILABLE TO
CLASSROOMS AROUND THE WORLD.
CHROMATOGRAPHY IS ONE OF THE
MOST INTERESTING LESSONS THAT
HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO LIFE.
IT PROVIDES HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
FOR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANCE OF CAPILLARY ACTION
AND CHROMATOGRAPHY AND COMPARE
HOW THEY WORK IN MICROGRAVITY
VERSUS ON EARTH.
CAPILLARY ACTION OCCURS ANY TIME
A LIQUID SPONTANEOUSLY FLOWS
INTO A NARROW TUBE OR POROUS
MATERIAL.
IT'S HOW PLANTS GET WATER FROM
THEIR ROOTS TO THEIR LEAVES.
IT'S HOW OUR BLOOD MAKES A ROUND
TRIP THROUGH OUR BODIES.
AND IT'S HOW THOSE PAPER TOWELS
SOAKED UP THE ORANGE JUICE YOU
SPILLED THIS MORNING.
CHROMATOGRAPHY IS A TECHNIQUE
THAT USES CAPILLARY ACTION TO
SEPARATE MIXTURES SO THEY CAN BE
ANALYZED.
ON EARTH, CHROMATOGRAPHY IS USED
FOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS STUDYING
SAMPLES AT A CRIME SCENE.
CHROMATOGRAPHY IS AN ESSENTIAL
TECHNIQUE FOR SPACE FLIGHT TOO.
FOR INSTANCE, KEEPING CREW
PERSONS SAFE FROM CONTAMINANTS
INCLUDES ANALYZING UNKNOWNS,
WHICH CAN BE CRITICAL ON LONG
SPACE MISSIONS.
AN EXAMPLE OF A YEAR OF
EDUCATION FEATURES RANDY
SLINGSHOTTING OBJECTS OF ALL
SIZES ACROSS THE INSIDE OF THE
SPACE STATION WITH A BUNGEE
CORD.
HE'S ILLUSTRATING HOW NEWTON'S
SECOND LAW OF MOTION HOLDS TRUE
IN MICROGRAVITY, JUST LIKE ON
EARTH.
SIMPLY PUT, NEWTON'S LAW STATES
THAT THE GREATER THE MASS OF AN
OBJECT, THE MORE FORCE IT WILL
TAKE TO ACCELERATE IT.
YEAR OF EDUCATION ON STATION
ALSO INCLUDED MORE THAN 60
OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUNDREDS OF
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO CONNECT
VIA IN-FLIGHT EDUCATION
DOWNLINKS WITH ASTRONAUTS ABOARD
THE SPACE STATION FOR LIVE
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS.
PARTICIPANTS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT
ALL ASPECTS OF LIVING AND
WORKING IN SPACE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS RAMSEY.
MY QUESTION IS HAVE YOU EVER HAD
THE IDEA TO GET A LOT OF WATER,
POUR IT OUT, AND SEE WHAT
HAPPENS?
>> SEE HOW IT JUST STICKS TO MY
HAND?
IT JUST STICKS RIGHT TO THE
SURFACE.
SO I THINK DRINK MY LEMONADE
RIGHT FROM MY HAND.
>> HOW DO YOU GROW PLANTS IN
MICROGRAVITY WITHOUT SOIL AND
WATER GETTING EVERYWHERE?
>> ONE OF THE PLANTS ACTUAL USES
PILLOWS THAT ARE IMPREGNATED
WITH MOISTURE AND THE NUTRIENTS
THEY NEED.
WE HAVE ANOTHER ADVANCED PLANT
HABITAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON
WHERE THERE'S A RESERVOIR AND
THE WATER, IT'S ALL VERY
CONTROLLED, PRETTY MUCH SOIL
FREE.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS NUTRIENTS
AND WATER.
>> HI, I'M LEXI.
WOULD A YO-YO WORK IN
MICROGRAVITY?
>> I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME
TO PRACTICE.
SO HERE WE GO.
MY FIRST YO-YO.
SO IT WORKS.
BUT
BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, AND LET
ME FIND OUT IF THEY DO WORK.
>> WITH THE YEAR OF EDUCATION ON
STATION, NASA'S GOAL WAS TO DO
WHAT CHRISTA AND HER OPTIMISM
DID SO WELL, INSPIRE STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS TO, QUOTE, REACH
FOR IT, PUSH YOURSELF AS FAR AS
YOU CAN, END QUOTE.
FOR MORE ON NASA'S YEAR OF
EDUCATION ON STATION, GO TO
WWW.NASA.GOV/STEMONSTATION.
FOR OTHER INSPIRING NASA
HAPPENINGS, VISIT
SCIENCE.NASA.GOV.
>> 239 DIFFERENT HUMAN BEINGS SO
FAR HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
LOOK DOWN AT EARTH FROM A WINDOW
ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A
CONTINUOUS HUMAN PRESENCE FOR
MORE THAN 19 YEARS NOW.
THE 20th ANNIVERSARY COMING UP
IN NOVEMBER.
SOME OF THEM, HAVE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE THAN
ONE VISIT.
TRACY IS ONE WHO SAYS THAT
EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED HER
PERSPECTIVE ON THIS PLANET.
♪
>> MY FIRST LOOK AT THE EARTH
FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT WAS ON
ASSENT, LOOKING AT THE AFT
WINDOW BEHIND ME, KNOWING I WAS
THE FIRST ONE THAT HAD TO GET
OUT OF MY SEAT AND FILM THE
EXTERNAL TANK FALLING AWAY.
THAT WAS MY FIRST JOB, ASIDE
FROM ALL THE MONITORING I HAD TO
DO.
SO MY VIEW WAS VERY FLEETING AND
VERY TECH MY CALL.
IT WAS BACKGROUND TO THE TASK I
HAD AT HAND.
THAT WAS POINTING A CAMERA AT AN
EXTERNAL TANK SO IT COULD BE
ANALYZED.
WHEN WE GOT INTO ORBIT, WE HAD A
VERY FAST-PACED MISSION, WHICH
ALL SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS WERE.
YOU HAD 10 TO 12 DAYS OF
FAST-PACED WORK.
IT WAS MY COMMANDER, SCOTT
KELLY, WHO CARVED OUT 90 MINUTES
OF THE ENTIRE ORBIT ON FLIGHT
AND SAID, TO THE THREE OF US, I
WANT YOU GUYS ALL IN THAT
WINDOW, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO
MOVE.
HE PRECOORDINATED IT, GOT THE
LIGHTS TURNED OFF ON THE STATION
SO WE COULD SEE EVERYTHING IN
ITS GRANDEUR.
THAT WAS THE FIRST MOMENT I HAD
TO REALLY SOAK IT IN.
I DISCOVERED A LOT OF THINGS
ABOUT MY REACTION TO THAT VIEW
IN THAT RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE WAS MY
SPACE STATION FLIGHT, WHERE I
LIVED UP THERE FOR SIX MONTHS.
EVERY NIGHT THAT I COULD, I WAS
PLANTED IN THERE, MUCH LIKE THE
PICTURE SHOWS, GAZING AT IT.
THERE WASN'T A SINGLE REGRET I
HAD ABOUT THE TIME I SPENT
THERE.
IN FACT, IT ALMOST, I DARE SAY,
GRIEVED ME TO THINK ABOUT HOW IN
THE WORLD AM I GOING TO DESCRIBE
THIS.
THERE'S NO WORDS.
THERE'S NO PICTURE I COULD TAKE
TO DO IT JUSTICE.
THERE'S NO WATER COLORS THAT I
COULD PUT ON PAPER TO COME CLOSE
TO THE VIVIDNESS, THE
EVER-CHANGING PICTURE THAT I
SEE, STARING AT THIS PLANET.
EVERYTHING FROM THE COLORS TO
WHAT CHANGES THE ATMOSPHERE GO
THROUGH, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE
SUN ANGLE IS AND WHETHER THE
MOON IS IN THE VIEW OR NOT, TO
JUST HOW FAST WE'RE GOING OVER
THE SURFACE OF IT, THE WAY
SHADOWS ARE CHANGING.
YOU COULD SEE THE SAME LAND MASS
OVER A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS, AND
IT LOOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
BECAUSE OF THAT.
TO THEN LOOKING AT THE STARS IN
THE BLACKNESS.
A BLACK THAT NOTHING HERE ON
EARTH EVER COULD REPLICATE.
AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE SPACE
STATION AROUND YOU AND YOU'RE
LIKE, THIS IS AMAZING.
AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE A
PART OF THIS STRUCTURE, EITHER
AT THEIR DESKS, YOU KNOW,
CREATING THE NEXT GREAT MARVEL
OR THEY'RE SITTING IN MISSION
CONTROL, CONTROLLING EVERYTHING.
THAT'S WHERE IT KIND OF HITS
YOU.
YOU ARE BUT A SMALL FRACTION OF
THE HUMAN RACE THAT WILL EVER
GET TO SEE THIS, THE WAY IT IS
RIGHT NOW.
♪
>> YOU CAN GET ANOTHER LOOK AT
ANY OF THE STORIES WE FEATURED
TODAY BY CHECKING US OUT ON OUR
YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK SITES.
THERE ARE THE ADDRESSES.
BE SURE TO LOOK AROUND FOR OTHER
STUFF, TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS
OF GOOD STUFF THERE FOR YOU TO
SEE.
AND IF YOU'RE OUT ON THE
INTERNET ANYWAY, CHECK OUT
"HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PODCAST."
WE TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT ALL THEIR
WORK IN SPACE EXPLORATION.
TODAY, GARY JORDAN LEARNS MORE
ABOUT HOW NASA ASTRONAUTS ARE
TRAINED FOR THEIR MISSION IN A
CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF TRAINING
OFFICER KATHY BOLT.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND ALL OF OUR
PREVIOUS EPISODES.
YOU'LL ALSO FIND THE FULL
LIBRARY OF ALL THE NASA
PODCASTS, ALL OF WHICH YOU CAN
ALSO LISTEN TO ON APPLE
PODCASTS, GOOGLE PODCASTS, AND
SOUND CLOUD.
THIS IS MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON.