The SOS-LUX-LAC-FLUORO-Toxicity-test on the International Space Station (ISS).

In the 21st century, an increasing number of astronauts will visit the International Space Station (ISS) for prolonged times. Therefore it is of utmost importance to provide necessary basic knowledge concerning risks to their health and their ability to work on the station and during extravehicular activities (EVA) in free space. It is the aim of one experiment of the German project TRIPLE-LUX (to be flown on the ISS) to provide an estimation of health risk resulting from exposure of the astronauts to the radiation in space inside the station as well as during extravehicular activities on one hand, and of exposure of astronauts to unavoidable or as yet unknown ISS-environmental genotoxic substances on the other. The project will (i) provide increased knowledge of the biological action of space radiation and enzymatic repair of DNA damage, (ii) uncover cellular mechanisms of synergistic interaction of microgravity and space radiation and (iii) examine the space craft milieu with highly specific biosensors. For these investigations, the bacterial biosensor SOS-LUX-LAC-FLUORO-Toxicity-test will be used, combining the SOS-LUX-Test invented at DLR Germany (Patent) with the commercially available LAC-FLUORO-Test. The SOS-LUX-Test comprises genetically modified bacteria transformed with the pBR322-derived plasmid pPLS-1. This plasmid carries the promoterless lux operon of Photobacterium leiognathi as a reporter element under control of the DNA-damage dependent SOS promoter of ColD as sensor element. This system reacts to radiation and other agents that induce DNA damages with a dose dependent measurable emission of bioluminescence of the transformed bacteria. The analogous LAC-FLUORO-Test has been developed for the detection of cellular responses to cytotoxins. It is based on the constitutive expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) mediated by the bacterial protein expression vector pGFPuv (Clontech, Palo Alto, USA). In response to cytotoxic agents, this system reacts with a dose-dependent reduction of GFP-fluorescence. Currently, a fully automated miniaturized hardware system for the bacterial set up, which includes measurements of luminescence and fluorescence or absorption and the image analysis based evaluation is under development. During the first mission of the SOS-LUX-LAC-FLUORO-Toxicity-Test on the ISS, a standardized, DNA-damaging radiation source still to be determined will be used as a genotoxic inducer. A panel of recombinant Salmonella typhimurium strains carrying either the SOS-LUX plasmid or the fluorescence-mediating lac-GFPuv plasmid will be used to determine in parallel on one microplate the genotoxic and the cytotoxic action of the applied radiation in combination with microgravity. Either in addition to or in place of the fluorometric measurements of the cytotoxic agents, photometric measurements will simultaneously monitor cell growth, giving additional data on survival of the cells. The obtained data will be available on line during the TRIPLE-LUX mission time. Though it is the main goal during the TRIPLE-LUX mission to measure the radiation effect in microgravity, the SOS-LUX-LAC-FLUORO-Toxicity-test in principle is also applicable as a biomonitor for the detection and measurement of genotoxic substances in air or in the (recycled) water system on the ISS or on earth in general.     

Exobiology research on Space Station Freedom.

The Gas-Grain Simulation Facility (GGSF) is a multidisciplinary experiment laboratory being developed by NASA at Ames Research Center for delivery to Space Station Freedom in 1998. This facility will employ the low-gravity environment of the Space Station to enable aerosol experiments of much longer duration than is possible in any ground-based laboratory. Studies of fractal aggregates that are impossible to sustain on Earth will also be enabled. Three research areas within exobiology that will benefit from the GGSF are described here. An analysis of the needs of this research and of other suggested experiments has produced a list of science requirements which the facility design must accommodate. A GGSF design concept developed in the first stage of flight hardware development to meet these requirements is also described.     

Experiments with small animals in BIOLAB and EMCS on the International Space Station.

Two ESA facilities will be available for animal research and other biological experiments on the International Space Station: the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) in the US Lab "Destiny" and BIOLAB in the European "Columbus" Laboratory. Both facilities use standard Experiment Containers, mounted on two centrifuge rotors allowing either research in microgravity or acceleration studies with variable g-levels from 0.001 to 2.0 x g. Standard interface plates provide each container with power and data lines, gas supply (controlled CO2, O2 concentration and relative humidity), and--for EMCS only--connectors to fresh and waste water reservoirs. The experiment hardware inside the containers will be developed by the user, but ESA conducted a feasibility study for several kinds of Experiment Support Equipment with potential use for research on small animals: design concepts for experiments with insects, with aquatic organisms like rotifers and nematodes, and with small aquatic animals (sea urchin larvae, tadpoles, fish youngsters) are described in detail in this presentation. Also ESA's initial steps to support experiments with rodents on the Space Station are presented.     

Remote sensing from the International Space Station

The time has come to give serious thought to the use of the International Space Station (ISS) as a space platform to advance remote sensing research in several scientific disciplines. The European scientific community has been developing instrumentation for deployment on the ISS for some time now. Recently, NASA opened competitions for scientific programs to be supported as “Missions of Opportunity” to utilize the “EXPRESS Pallet” facility on the ISS. A single EXPRESS Pallet has the capability of carrying a collection of instruments similar to the payload of a conventional satellite. A major difference between ISS and satellite programs is that the research funding will be expended on scientific instrumentation and analysis and not on a spacecraft, launch vehicle, and flight operations. As the ISS becomes fully operational, EXPRESS Pallets could be deployed in short periods of time compared to preparing a satellite program. The ability to retrieve, improve, and re-fly an instrument is important to a progressive research program. This allows the experiment to be responsive to data analysis in a timely manner and also keep pace with developing technology.     

Animal research facility for Space Station Freedom.

An integrated animal research facility is planned by NASA for Space Station Freedom which will permit long-term, man-tended experiments on the effects of space conditions on vertebrates. The key element in this facility is a standard type animal habitat which supports and maintains the animals under full bioisolation during transport and during the experiment. A holding unit accommodates the habitats with animals to be maintained at zero gravity; and a centrifuge, those to be maintained at artificial gravity for control purposes or for gravity threshold studies. A glovebox permits handling of the animals for experimental purposes and for transfer to a clean habitat. These facilities are described, and the aspects of environmental control, monitoring, and bioisolation are discussed.     

Life sciences flight hardware development for the International Space Station.

During the construction phase of the International Space Station (ISS), early flight opportunities have been identified (including designated Utilization Flights, UF) on which early science experiments may be performed. The focus of NASA's and other agencies' biological studies on the early flight opportunities is cell and molecular biology; with UF-1 scheduled to fly in fall 2001, followed by flights 8A and UF-3. Specific hardware is being developed to verify design concepts, e.g., the Avian Development Facility for incubation of small eggs and the Biomass Production System for plant cultivation. Other hardware concepts will utilize those early research opportunities onboard the ISS, e.g., an Incubator for sample cultivation, the European Modular Cultivation System for research with small plant systems, an Insect Habitat for support of insect species. Following the first Utilization Flights, additional equipment will be transported to the ISS to expand research opportunities and capabilities, e.g., a Cell Culture Unit, the Advanced Animal Habitat for rodents, an Aquatic Facility to support small fish and aquatic specimens, a Plant Research Unit for plant cultivation, and a specialized Egg Incubator for developmental biology studies. Host systems (Figure 1A, B: see text), e.g., a 2.5 m Centrifuge Rotor (g-levels from 0.01-g to 2-g) for direct comparisons between g and selectable g levels, the Life Sciences Glovebox for contained manipulations, and Habitat Holding Racks (Figure 1B: see text) will provide electrical power, communication links, and cooling to the habitats. Habitats will provide food, water, light, air and waste management as well as humidity and temperature control for a variety of research organisms. Operators on Earth and the crew on the ISS will be able to send commands to the laboratory equipment to monitor and control the environmental and experimental parameters inside specific habitats. Common laboratory equipment such as microscopes, cryo freezers, radiation dosimeters, and mass measurement devices are also currently in design stages by NASA and the ISS international partners.     

Seed-to-seed growth of Arabidopsis thaliana on the International Space Station.

The assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) as a permanent experimental outpost has provided the opportunity for quality plant research in space. To take advantage of this orbital laboratory, engineers and scientists at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR), University of Wisconsin-Madison, developed a plant growth facility capable of supporting plant growth in the microgravity environment. Utilizing this Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) plant growth facility, an experiment was conducted with the objective to grow Arabidopsis thaliana plants from seed-to-seed on the ISS. Dry Arabidopsis seeds were anchored in the root tray of the ADVASC growth chamber. These seeds were successfully germinated from May 10 until the end of June 2001. Arabidopsis plants grew and completed a full life cycle in microgravity. This experiment demonstrated that ADVASC is capable of providing environment conditions suitable for plant growth and development in microgravity. The normal progression through the life cycle, as well as the postflight morphometric analyses, demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana does not require the presence of gravity for growth and development.     

中国小朋友收到“天外来信”

"亲爱的黄幸安,在我看来,你的问题最有意思……"3月3日下午,这封发自国际空间站第27宇航组的"天外来信",由俄罗斯联邦航天局驻华首席代表罗金博士送到了嘉兴阳光小学五年级     

NASA将在国际空间站为模拟卫星填注燃料

<正>很多人也许并不知道,目前国际先进技术已经实现了在轨维修卫星,而且还将实现为在轨卫星填注燃料。最好的例子就是美国的哈勃空间望远镜,经过维修,"哈勃"的寿命延长了5年。而这一切要归功于航天飞机。目前,美国航宇局戈达德空间中心的工程师们正在开发一种在轨试验台,利用从哈勃空间望远镜维修任务获得的经验,来验证卫星燃料补给的技术。     

“国际空间”站美国国家实验室的项目管理实践

正国际空间站(ISS)运营期,如何有效地利用其实验载荷,最大化地发挥其效用并回馈社会,同时减少对国家财政资助的依赖,是一个重要的管理课题。空间科学促进中心(CASIS)作为美国航天局授权管理国际空间站美国国家实验室的非盈利性组织,自2011年运营以来,在国际空间站实验项目的管理方面取得了明显成效。     

空间站机械臂研究

空间极端环境下, 大多数舱外活动必须借助于机械臂. 机械臂是国际空间站的主要组成部分, 其对空间站的在轨组装、外部维修以及运行起着至关重要的作用, 同时机械臂可以减少航天员在舱外的工作时间和频率. 通过对国际空间站成员国关于机械臂研究概况的介绍, 包括航天飞机机械臂、空间站机械臂、欧洲机械臂、日本实验舱机械臂以及德国机械臂, 为中国空间机械臂的设计提供参考.     

Absorbed dose of secondary neutrons from galactic cosmic rays inside the International Space Station.

In this paper, we present the results of Monte-Carlo simulations of the flux and energy spectra of neutrons generated as a result of galactic cosmic ray proton interactions with the material of International Space Station (ISS) inside Zvezda Service Module, the Airlock between Russian and USA segments and one of Russian Research Modules for a full configuration of ISS. Calculations were made for ISS orbit for the energy ranges <10 and >10 MeV for both maximum and minimum of solar activity. To test the accuracy of the calculations the same simulations were made for MIR orbital station and for CORONAS-I satellite and compared with the results of measurements. Calculated and measured fluxes are in reasonable agreement.     

美国在“国际空间站”上的技术开发与验证应用研究

正作为全球最大的在轨航天器,"国际空间站"(ISS)已实现连续有人驻留超过15年,并在空间应用领域取得了众多成果。"国际空间站"成员国一致认为,最大限度地提高"国际空间站"研究能力可能带来新的探索机遇、促进商业发展并对教育事业产生积极影响。"国际空间站"已在人体学研究、生物学与生物技术、物理科学、技术开发与验证、地球与空间科学、教育等六大领域发挥了重要作用,技术开发领域的应用是其重点。由于美国对"国际空间站"应用的组织管理、项目规划和实施最为系统,因此本文以美国为主,介绍应用情况。     

Method for the prediction of the effective dose equivalent to the crew of the International Space Station

This paper describes a methodology for assessing the pre-mission exposure of space crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of an effective dose equivalent. In this approach, the PHITS Monte Carlo code was used to assess the particle transport of galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and trapped radiation for solar maximum and minimum conditions through an aluminum shield thickness. From these predicted spectra, and using fluence-to-dose conversion factors, a scaling ratio of the effective dose equivalent rate to the ICRU ambient dose equivalent rate at a 10 mm depth was determined. Only contributions from secondary neutrons, protons, and alpha particles were considered in this analysis.     

在孩子们的心里播洒航天科技的阳光——中俄“给国际空间站航天员写信活动”颁奖典礼侧记

阳春三月,暖风融融,春回地暖,万象更新。在这鲜花盛开、充满活力的日子里,中俄"给国际空间站航天员写信活动"颁奖典礼在嘉兴市经济技术开发区阳光小学隆重举行,同时也拉开了     

Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass for the International Space Station (ISS-CREAM)

The Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) instrument is configured with a suite of particle detectors to measure TeV cosmic-ray elemental spectra from protons to iron nuclei over a wide energy range. The goal is to extend direct measurements of cosmic-ray composition to the highest energies practical, and thereby have enough overlap with ground based indirect measurements to answer questions on cosmic-ray origin, acceleration and propagation. The balloon-borne CREAM was flown successfully for about 161 days in six flights over Antarctica to measure elemental spectra of Z = 1–26 nuclei over the energy range 10¹⁰ to >10¹⁴ eV. Transforming the balloon instrument into ISS-CREAM involves identification and replacement of components that would be at risk in the International Space Station (ISS) environment, in addition to assessing safety and mission assurance concerns. The transformation process includes rigorous testing of components to reduce risks and increase survivability on the launch vehicle and operations on the ISS without negatively impacting the heritage of the successful CREAM design. The project status, including results from the ongoing analysis of existing data and, particularly, plans to increase the exposure factor by another order of magnitude utilizing the International Space Station are presented.     

Preparation of the Biochip experiment on the EXPOSE-R2 mission outside the International Space Station

Biochips might be suited for planetary exploration. Indeed, they present great potential for the search for biomarkers – molecules that are the sign of past or present life in space – thanks to their size (miniaturized devices) and sensitivity. Their detection principle is based on the recognition of a target molecule by affinity receptors fixed on a solid surface. Consequently, one of the main concerns when developing such a system is the behavior of the biological receptors in a space environment. In this paper, we describe the preparation of an experiment planned to be part of the EXPOSE-R2 mission, which will be conducted on the EXPOSE-R facility, outside the International Space Station (ISS), in order to study the resistance of biochip models to space constraints (especially cosmic radiation and thermal cycling). This experiment overcomes the limits of ground tests which do not reproduce exactly the space parameters. Indeed, contrary to ground experiments where constraints are applied individually and in a limited time, the biochip models on the ISS will be exposed to cumulated constraints during several months. Finally, this ISS experiment is a necessary step towards planetary exploration as it will help assessing whether a biochip can be used for future exploration missions.     

Total solar irradiance absolute level from DIARAD/SOVIM on the International Space Station

Current measurements from DIARAD/VIRGO, PMO6V/VIRGO and ACRIM3 radiometers are of the same order of magnitude, but differ from TIM/SORCE by about 4.5 W m⁻². This difference is higher than the sum of the claimed individual absolute uncertainties of the instruments. In this context, the SOLAR payload on the International Space Station embarks the SOVIM package. We give the results of the differential absolute radiometer DIARAD/SOVIM and discuss its associated uncertainties. Compared to DIARAD/VIRGO, all possible efforts have been made to improve the absolute accuracy. Substantial progress has been made in the aperture area and electrical power measurements. The measured TSI value from the left channel of DIARAD/SOVIM during three days of June 2008 is 1364.50 ± 1.38 W m⁻² (Total) or ±0.49 W m⁻² (if we combine the individual contributions in quadrature). The right channel gives 1364.75 W m⁻² with the same uncertainties. These values are about 1.2 W m⁻² lower than DIARAD/VIRGO and about 4 W m⁻² higher than TIM/SORCE. The difference between the left and right channels measurements is as low as 0.25 W m⁻² which is within the improved uncertainty limits.