NASA Science on Health, Safety to Launch on 31st SpaceX Resupply Mission

New science experiments for NASA are set to launch aboard the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The six investigations aim to contribute to cutting-edge discoveries by NASA scientists and research teams. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will liftoff aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Science experiments aboard the spacecraft include a test to study smothering fires in space, evaluating quantum communications, analyzing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, examining health issues like blood clots and inflammation in astronauts, as well as growing romaine lettuce and moss in microgravity.

Developing Firefighting Techniques in Microgravity

Putting out a fire in space requires a unique approach to prioritize the safety of the spacecraft environment and crew. The SoFIE-MIST (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction – Material Ignition and Suppression Test) is one of five investigations chosen by NASA since 2009 to develop techniques on how to contain and put out fires in microgravity. Research from the experiment could strengthen our understanding of the beginning stages of fire growth and behavior, which will assist in building and developing more resilient space establishments and creating better plans for fire suppression in space

Combating Antibiotic Resistance

Resistance to antibiotics is as much of a concern for astronauts in space as it is for humans on Earth. Research determined that the impacts of microgravity can weaken a human’s immune system during spaceflight, which can lead to an increase of infection and illness for those living on the space station.

The GEARS (Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) investigation scans the orbiting outpost for bacteria resistant to antibiotics and these organisms are studied to learn how they thrive and adapt to microgravity. Research results could help increase the safety of astronauts on future missions as well as provide clues to improving human health on Earth.

Understanding Inflammation and Blood Clotting

Microgravity takes a toll on the human body and studies have shown that astronauts have had cases of inflammation and abnormally regulated blood clotting. The MeF-1 (Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth: The MOON Study (Megakaryocyte Flying-One)) investigation will conduct research on how the conditions in microgravity can impact the creation and function of platelets and bone-marrow megakaryocytes. Megakaryocytes, and their progeny, platelets, are key effector cells bridging the inflammatory, immune, and hemostatic continuum.

This experiment could help scientists learn about the concerns caused by any changes in the formation of clots, inflammation, and immune responses both on Earth and during spaceflight.

Building the Space Salad Bar

The work continues to grow food in the harsh environment of space that is both nutritious and safe for humans to consume. With Plant Habitat-07, research continues on ‘Outredgeous’ romaine lettuce, first grown on the International Space Station in 2014.

This experiment will sprout this red lettuce in microgravity in the space station’s Advanced Plant Habitat and study how optimal and suboptimal moisture conditions impact plant growth, nutrient content, and the plant microbiome. The knowledge gained will add to NASA’s history of growing vegetables in space and could also benefit agriculture on Earth.

Mixing Moss with Space Radiation

ARTEMOSS (ANT1 Radiation Tolerance Experiment with Moss in Orbit on the Space Station) continues research that started on Earth with samples of Antarctic moss that underwent simulated solar radiation at the NASA Space Radiation Lab at Brookhaven National Lab in Upton, New York.

After exposure to radiation some of the moss samples will spend time on the orbiting outpost in the microgravity environment and some will remain on the ground in the 1g environment. ARTEMOSS will study how Antarctic moss recovers from any potential damage from ionizing radiation exposure when plants remain on the ground and when plants grow in spaceflight microgravity. This study leads the way in understanding the effects of combined simulated cosmic ionizing radiation and spaceflight microgravity on live plants, providing more clues to plant performance in exploration missions to come.  

Enabling Communication in Space Between Quantum Computers

The SEAQUE (Space Entanglement and Annealing Quantum Experiment) will experiment with technologies that, if successful, will enable communication on a quantum level using entanglement. Researchers will focus on validating in space a new technology, enabling easier and more robust communication between two quantum systems across large distances. The research from this experiment could lead to developing building blocks for communicating between equipment such as quantum computers with enhanced security.

Related resources:

• SoFIE-MIST (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction – Material Ignition and Suppression Test)
• SoFIE (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction) | Glenn Research Center | NASA GEARS
• Space Station to Host ‘Self-Healing’ Quantum Communications Tech Demo – NASA
• MeF1 (Megakaryocyte Flying-One)
• ARTEMOSS

NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomenon under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth.

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New Report Shows NASA’s $75.6 Billion Boost to US Economy

NASA’s work, including its Moon to Mars exploration approach, is advancing science and technology for the Artemis Generation, while also driving significant economic growth across the United States, the agency announced Thursday.

In its third agencywide economic impact report, NASA highlighted how its Moon to Mars activities, climate change research and technology development, and other projects generated more than $75.6 billion in economic output across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in fiscal year 2023.

“To invest in NASA is to invest in American workers, American innovation, the American economy, and American economic competitiveness,” says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our work doesn’t just expand our understanding of the universe — it fuels economic growth, inspires future generations, and improves our quality of life. As we embark on the next great chapter of exploration, we are proud to help power economic strength, job creation, scientific progress, and American leadership on Earth, in the skies, and in the stars.”

Combined, NASA’s missions supported 304,803 jobs nationwide, and generated an estimated $9.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes throughout the United States.

The study found NASA’s Moon to Mars activities generated more than $23.8 billion in total economic output and supported an estimated 96,479 jobs nationwide. For investments in climate research and technology, the agency’s activities generated more than $7.9 billion in total economic output and supported an estimated 32,900 jobs in the U.S.

Additional key findings of the study include:

• Every state in the country benefits economically through NASA activities. Forty-five states have an economic impact of more than $10 million. Of those 45 states, eight have an economic impact of $1 billion or more.
• The agency’s Moon to Mars initiative, which includes the Artemis missions, generated nearly $2.9 billion in tax revenue. These activities provided about 32% of NASA’s economic impact.
• The agency’s investments in climate change research and technology generated more than $1 billion in tax revenue.
• Approximately 11% of NASA’s economic impacts are attributable to its investments in climate change research and technology.    
• NASA had more than 644 active international agreements for various scientific research and technology development activities in the 2023 fiscal year. The International Space Station, representing 15 countries and five space agencies, has a predominant role in the agency’s international partnerships.
• In fiscal year 2023, NASA oversaw 2,628 active domestic and international non-procurement partnership agreements, which included 629 new domestic and 109 new international agreements, active partnerships with 587 different non-federal  partners across the U.S., and partnerships in 47 of 50 states. 
• NASA Spinoffs, which are public products and processes that are developed with NASA technology, funding, or expertise, provide a benefit to American lives beyond dollars and jobs. As of result of NASA missions, our fiscal year 2023 tech transfer activities produced 1,564 new technology reports, 40 new patent applications, 69 patents issued, and established 5,277 software usage agreements. 
• Scientific research and development, which fuels advancements in science and technology that can help improve daily life on Earth and for humanity, is the largest single-sector benefitting from NASA’s work, accounting for 19% of NASA’s total economic impact.

The study was conducted by the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

To review the full report, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3NEtUIq

-end-

Meira Bernstein / Melissa Howell
Headquarters, Washington
202-615-1747 / 202-961-6602
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / melissa.e.howell@nasa.gov

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Roxana Bardan

Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition

The latest book marks our third effort to review available literature regarding the role of nutrition in astronaut health. In 2009, we reviewed the existing knowledge and history of human nutrition for spaceflight, with a key goal of identifying additional data that would be required before NASA could confidently reduce the risk of an inadequate food system or inadequate nutrition to as low as possible in support of human expeditions to the Moon or Mars. We used a nutrient-by-nutrient approach to address this effort, and we included a brief description of the space food systems during historical space programs.

In 2014, we published a second volume of the book, which was not so much a second edition, but rather a view of space nutrition from a different perspective. This volume updated research that had been published in the intervening 6 years and addressed space nutrition with a more physiological systems-based approach.

The current version is an expanded, updated version of that second book, providing both a systems approach overall, but also including details of nutrients and their roles within each system. As such, this book is divided into chapters based on physiological systems (e.g., bone, muscle, ocular); highlighted in each chapter are the nutrients associated with that particular system. We provide updated information on space food
systems and constraints of the same, and provide dietary intake data from International Space Station (ISS) astronauts.

We present data from ground-based analog studies, designed to mimic one or more conditions similar to those produced by spaceflight. Head-down tilt bed rest is a common analog of the general (and specifically musculoskeletal) disuse of spaceflight. Nutrition research from Antarctica relies on the associated confinement
and isolation, in addition to the lack of sunlight exposure during the winter months. Undersea habitats help expand our understanding of nutritional changes in a confined space with a hyperbaric atmosphere. We also review spaceflight research, including data from now “historical” flights on the Space Shuttle, data from the Russian space station Mir, and earlier space programs such as Apollo and Skylab. The ISS, now more than
20 years old, has provided (and continues to provide) a wealth of nutrition findings from extended-duration spaceflights of 4 to 12 months. We review findings from this platform as well, providing a comprehensive review of what is known regarding the role of human nutrition in keeping astronauts healthy.

With this latest book, we hope we have accurately captured the current state of the field of space food and nutrition, and that we have provided some guideposts for work that remains to be done to enable safe and successful human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition – 2nd Edition

Download 2nd Edition PDF

Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition – 1st Edition

Download 1st Edition PDF

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Robert E. Lewis

October Transformer of the Month: Nipa Phojanamongkolkij

Dr. Nipa Phojanamongkolkij does not always do things the traditional way. As a systems engineer (SE) at Langley Research Center working closely with the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Nipa pushes boundaries and draws connections where few others would think to look. When she envisioned a way to use ChatGPT to help SE teams working on the Advanced Air Mobility Mission, she presented her initial idea to her team wondering, “Is this crazy?” Her idea evolved into a successful prototype, which is now used for air traffic management in the Airspace Operations and Safety Program. She has also leveraged natural language programming and NASA’s database of lessons learned to create a bot for flagging potential risks and mitigations in real time. Nipa’s journey in becoming the digital transformer she is today involves her ability to combine engineering principles and business outcomes with creative, human-centered approaches. 

Nipa received an MS and PhD in industrial and systems engineering from Arizona State University after moving to the United States from Bangkok, Thailand, where she received her BS degree in electronics engineering. She joined NASA 15 years ago after honing her data analysis and process improvement skills in the business sector at Pepsi Corporation. Her previous experience molded her focus on demonstrating benefit and return on investment. In addition to a business-oriented mindset, Nipa credits much of her success at NASA to her abilities as an active listener, which helps her understand customer needs and address paint points.  

One cross-cutting challenge Nipa noticed within the agency’s approach to SE was the issue of silos, particularly in handling requirements and research data. Many engineers stored information in documents on individual computers or SharePoint folders, making it difficult to share data and draw connections across missions, directorates, and centers. As a systems engineer, Nipa and her team work to pull these disparate elements into a connected digital format using methodology called model-based systems engineering (MBSE). “You can think of it like a gigantic database where you have everything connected—a table of research papers, a table of requirements, and a table of concept of operations documents,” she says.  

However, using and leveraging this system requires specialized knowledge of the MBSE discipline and modeling language. To centralize system concept, architecture, and requirement data while democratizing access to it, Nipa conceived a way to leverage ChatGPT as an intermediary between the user and database. In fiscal year 2023, she received funding for her idea as a Digital Transformation Prototype Test, “Requirement Discovery Using Embedded Knowledge Graph with ChatGPT.” Nipa and her team developed a web-based dashboard that translates user questions into database queries and turns the database responses back into readable answers for the user. Nipa and her team curated the research used to create the database, reducing the chances of AI hallucination and misinformation. Using ChatGPT as a translator, general users benefitted from the system without needing to know how to formulate graph database queries.  

Requirement creation through this system was seven times faster than traditional processes and yielded results comparable to those created by subject matter experts. In some cases, the approach even resulted in more creative requirements than human-generated ones. Nipa’s prototype allowed SEs to more efficiently analyze connections between existing requirements, predict new connections, and generate new requirements, streamlining critical processes for her team. The approach could benefit SEs across NASA centers, directorates, and missions and holds exciting potential for other use cases, such as generating candidate requirements and analyzing project risk. According to NASA Digital Engineering Lead Terry Hill, “The future of engineering is understanding how to do it from a data-centric perspective. Enabling the use of new and evolving technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models will aid our engineers to accomplish greater things and augment our workforce.” 

Nipa and her team were recognized for their innovative work, receiving a Systems Engineering Technical Excellence Award (SETEA) in 2024 under the “Advancement of SE” category. Nipa’s out-of-the-box thinking has also positioned her as a trailblazer amongst her peers. “Nipa was ahead of everyone in terms of understanding what Digital Transformation is,” says Ian Levitt, Concepts Team Manager at Langley Research Center and co-lead on the Requirement Discovery Prototype Test. “She is extremely smart as well as practical, which is a rare combination. She has wonderful insights and helps me see more clearly what I am trying to do.” As a leader in the Digital Transformation community, Nipa recognizes the importance of collaboration, noting that her transformative work would not have been successful without her team. Their trust is what makes her ideas possible, along with Digital Transformation’s willingness to take chances on innovative, cutting-edge ideas. “They’re at the forefront of technology, so they’re receptive to high-risk projects,” she says. “That’s why I enjoy working with the Digital Transformation team.” 

In turn, Nipa is excited to continue building community and momentum around transformation initiatives. Her team’s work inspired one group at Johnson Space Center to replicate their requirement discovery approach, and she has received multiple inquiries for demos on their prototype. Seeing how her work inspires and impacts others at the agency is one way she measures success. Whether she is connecting data sources or people, Nipa continues to push toward a more unified NASA, exemplifying what it means to be a digital transformer.  

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Maya L. Kikuchi

NASA Invites Media to 2024 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium

Media are invited to attend the 2024 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium Monday Oct. 28 to Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Organized by the American Astronautical Society in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, the annual symposium gathers leaders from across government, industry, policy, and academia to discuss the current landscape of space exploration and chart a path forward amid the challenges that lie ahead.

The theme of this year’s event is “Expanding Exploration: From Vision to Reality,” focusing on NASA’s and Marshall’s plans for the future and the broader discourse about exploration and discovery, technology, the workforce, and other elements of the space ecosystem.

Media members interested should register with the astronautical society as a media representative under these guidelines for in-person or online attendance.

Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey will deliver opening remarks on Oct. 28, followed by panels on Artemis, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails will deliver a keynote address to close out the first day.

Panels on, Oct. 29, will focus on space nuclear propulsion, science, and lunar logistics and mobility. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, Office of Space Launch director at the National Reconnaissance Office, will provide the luncheon keynote.

The third and final day of the symposium Oct. 30, will include discussions on nuclear propulsion, space technology, and human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free and Wayne Hale, who retired in 2010 as the deputy associate administrator of strategic partnerships at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will lead a discussion and present awards at the closing luncheon.

To arrange interviews with NASA Marshall speakers, contact Hannah Maginot, 256-932-1937, or Molly Porter, 256-424-5158.

For more information on NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/marshall

Hannah Maginot
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
hannah.l.maginot@nasa.gov
256-932-1937

Molly Porter
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
molly.a.porter@nasa.gov
256-424-5158

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