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<\/a>The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was bolted into place on the International Space Station<\/a>\u2019s Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 8:01 a.m. EDT while the spacecraft were flying about 261 miles above the South Pacific Ocean. Cygnus will remain at the space station until its departure in mid-December. Following departure, the Saffire-V<\/a> experiment will be conducted prior to Cygnus deorbit and disposing of several tons of trash during a fiery re-entry into Earth\u2019s atmosphere approximately two weeks later.<\/p>\n The spacecraft\u2019s arrival brings close to 8,000 pounds of scientific investigations<\/a>, technology demonstrations, commercial products, and other cargo. Highlights of the items aboard Cygnus include:<\/p>\n Improving how we \u2018go\u2019 in space<\/strong><\/p>\n A new toilet<\/a>\u00a0is headed to the space station.\u00a0Its features improve\u00a0on\u00a0current space\u00a0toilet\u00a0operations and\u00a0help NASA prepare\u00a0for future missions, including those to the Moon and Mars.\u00a0The Universal Waste Management System (UWMS<\/a>) demonstrates a compact toilet and the Urine Transfer System that further\u00a0automates\u00a0waste management and\u00a0storage. The smaller footprint of the UWMS supports a possible increase in the number of crew members aboard the space station, as well as planning for future exploration missions.<\/p>\n Energy and water from waste<\/strong><\/p>\n The investigation\u00a0Elucidating the Ammonia Electrochemical Oxidation Mechanism via Electrochemical Techniques at the ISS (Ammonia Electrooxidation<\/a>)\u00a0examines\u00a0a process for\u00a0ammonia oxidation in microgravity.\u00a0An electrochemical ammonia removal system could serve as an innovative water recovery system on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars and provide vital drinkable water in remote and arid areas on Earth.<\/p>\n Adding\u00a0radishes\u00a0to the space salad<\/strong><\/p>\n A new crop of vegetables is headed to the space station. While previous experiments have grown different types of lettuces and greens aboard the orbiting laboratory, the Assessment of Nutritional Value and Growth Parameters of Space-grown Plants (Plant Habitat-02<\/a>) investigation adds radishes to the mix, cultivating seeds to see how different light and soil conditions affect growth.\u00a0Findings could help optimize growth of the plants in space, as well as provide an assessment of their nutrition and taste.<\/p>\n Identifying targeted cancer treatments<\/strong><\/p>\n The Leveraging Microgravity to Screen Onco-selective Messenger RNAs for Cancer Immunotherapy (Onco-Selectors<\/a>) investigation tests drugs\u00a0based on messenger\u00a0ribonucleic acids\u00a0(mRNA)\u00a0for treating leukemia.\u00a0In normal gravity, the drugs to be tested are onco-selective, meaning they can distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones. Researchers expect any drugs that also demonstrate this trait in microgravity could make good candidates for safer, more effective, and affordable medicines to treat leukemia and other cancers. This could improve survival rates for thousands of people every year.<\/p>\n Spacewalks\u00a0in virtual reality<\/strong><\/p>\n The International Space Station\u00a0Experience (ISS Experience<\/a>)\u00a0is creating an immersive\u00a0virtual reality series documenting\u00a0life and research aboard the space station.\u00a0Partnering with\u00a0the\u00a0ISS National Lab<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0TIME<\/a>, a team from\u00a0Felix and Paul Studios<\/a>\u00a0launched a\u00a0customized 360-degree camera<\/a>\u00a0to the space station\u00a0in December 2018\u00a0that crew members have used to record a few hours inside the station every week.\u00a0Felix and Paul and partner NanoRacks further modified an additional camera to withstand the extreme conditions of space and are launching for use in filming a spacewalk. The new camera will be mounted to the Canadarm2\u00a0to capture a spacewalk from start to finish as well as footage of Earth and the exterior of the space station.<\/p>\n These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help to keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars<\/a> through NASA\u2019s Artemis<\/a> program.<\/p>\n In addition to science and research, this launch will also support commercial space endeavors. Est\u00e9e Lauder\u2019s New Advanced Night Repair serum will be photographed in the space station\u2019s iconic cupola window as part of NASA\u2019s efforts to enable commercial activities at the space station and develop a robust\u00a0low-Earth orbit economy<\/a>. The imagery will be used on the brand\u2019s social media platforms.\u00a0These opportunities can help catalyze and expand space exploration markets for many businesses.<\/p>\n Learn more about space station activities by following @space_station<\/a> and @ISS_Research<\/a> on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook<\/a> and ISS Instagram<\/a> accounts.<\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Norah Moran <\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was bolted into place on the International Space Station’s Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 8:01 a.m. EDT while the spacecraft were flying about 261 miles above the South Pacific Ocean. Cygnus will remain at the space station until its departure in mid-December. Following departure, the Saffire-V experiment will … Continue reading