ISS
Without gravity, what happens to our cells in space?
There’s one force whose effects are so deeply entrenched in our everyday lives that we probably don’t think much about it at all: gravity. Gravity is the force that causes attraction between masses. It’s why when you drop a pen, it falls to the ground. But because gravitational force is proportional to the mass of …
Boeing slates Starliner test flight to ISS; SpaceX readies Crew-2 mission
Boeing’s next uncrewed Starliner test flight set for April 2 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Following a military mission delay for the U.S. Space Force, winter storms blanketed Texas, and a need for spacecraft and hardware processing time, NASA and Boeing are now targeting NET April 2, for the launch of Starliner’s second uncrewed flight test …
Why the International Space Station is riddled with bacteria
Forget Ridley Scott’s Alien. There may be a real-life horror story in space. As one national newspaper headline has warned, the International Space Station is ‘filled with germs’. But should such a revelation really make us scream? The story stems from a new NASA study (reported in Microbiome) which found that some bacterial pathogens, including …
Getting to sleep in space is hard – and not exactly restful for the mind and body
We’ve learned a lot about the effects on the human body of going into space by studying astronauts such as British astronaut Tim Peake, who spent six months aboard the International Space Station during 2015 and 2016. Muscles wither, bones become lighter just as they do during the process of ageing and the cardiovascular system …
Why are scientists trying to manufacture organs in space?
Gravity can be a real downer when you are trying to grow organs. That’s why experiments in space are so valuable. They have revealed a new perspective into biological sciences, including insights into making human tissues. Gravity influences cellular behavior by impacting how protein and genes interact inside the cells, creating tissue that is polarized, …
Preparing for surgeries in space and on Mars
Last year, it was reported that an astronaut in space had developed a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the neck. This was successfully treated with medication by doctors on Earth, avoiding surgery. But given that space agencies and private spaceflight companies have committed to landing humans on Mars in the coming decades, we may not …