Current Topics in Microgravity - nationalacademies.org

Craig KundrotDirector, Biological and Physical Sciences DivisionScience Mission Directorate

Current Topics in Microgravity Biological & Physical Sciences in Space

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BPS Mission & Goals

Enable Exploration• Anticipate and investigate critical areas

for scientific knowledge and technology development

• Deliver results for cryogenic fuel management, fire safety, food production, crew health, etc.

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Pioneer Scientific Discovery• Proactively seek out new ways to expand

fundamental scientific knowledge

• Provide expertise and support to others seeking to utilize space

Decadal Survey

Artemis Missions

Midterm Assessment

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• Discover how biological systems respond to the space environment

• Identify the underlying mechanisms and develop physiological models for biological systems in space

• Developing cutting-edge biological technologies to facilitate spaceflight research

• Promote open science through the GeneLab Data System and Life Science Data Archive

• Provide mechanistic understanding to support human health in space

• Support the transfer of knowledge and technology of space-based research to the understanding of life on Earth to benefit life on Earth

Objectives

Databases and Biospecimen Sharing• GeneLab (genelab.nasa.gov)• Life Sciences Database Archive (lsda.nasa.gov)

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• Investigate fundamental laws of physics and physical processes, often using either microgravity or interplanetary distances as research tools

• Provide a mechanistic understanding of processes underlying space exploration technologies such as power generation and storage, space propulsion, life support systems, and environmental monitoring and control

• Develop cutting-edge technologies to facilitate spaceflight research

• Promote open science through Physical Science Informatics

• Support the transfer of knowledge and technology of space-based research to terrestrial systems to benefit life on Earth

Objectives

Database• Physical Sciences Informatics (psi.nasa.gov)

BPS Platforms for Research

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Lunar Features Enable Unique Research• Lunar orbit

‒ Deep space radiation• Radiation effects on microbes, plants, crew

‒ Closed habitat (pCO2, pH2O, T; infrequent influx of crew and materials, dormancy)• Microbiome of humans, plants, vehicle; biofilm production, biocorrosion

‒ Distance from Earth• Long range fundamental physics

• Lunar surface‒ Reduced gravity (1/6-g)

• Flammability, fire safety• Two phase flow (pool and flow boiling, packed bed reactors, cryogenic fuel management)• Soldering, brazing, welding; additive manufacturing• Food crop production

‒ Deep space radiation & albedo radiation (see above)‒ Lunar regolith and dust

• Granular materials processing, in-situ surface construction, cement/concrete production• Metal and/or O2 extraction from regolith• Dust mitigation

‒ Unattenuated solar spectrum and plant growth‒ Closed habitat (see above)

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Possible New Lines of Research• Combinatorial effects of altered gravity, space radiation, altered

atmospheres, etc. across a wide range of model organisms

• Multigenerational plant growth

• Synthetic biology for biomining (regolith) and waste processing

• Fundamental mechanisms in 3D Bioprinting

• Microbiome interactions between crew, plants, vehicle

• High melting point materials (1500 oC)

• Physics of 0-g and lunar-g advanced manufacturing, including additive manufacturing, welding, and freeze casting

• Non-linear, non-equilibrium behavior of soft matter sytems (e.g., foams, emulsions, gels, colloidal suspensions)

• Transcritical combustion

• Quantum links at Earth-Moon distance scale

• Optical lattice clock with 1x10-19 precision

• Change in approach: payload specialists in LEO

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Thank you

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