![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() LOCAD proved the airlock to be pretty clean in general, but showed that the handle to the airlock entrance harbored gram negative bacteria. The LOCAD team has also conducted several tests in the US Quest airlock, the conduit from the interior cabin to the outside of the space station where the crew "camps out" overnight and depressurizes before venturing outside. We've used it successfully during EVA tests on the ground." "The crew will need a way to monitor themselves before and after EVA ," says Maule. On the other hand, they don't want to bring unwanted alien life forms back into the spacecraft. In years to come, spacecraft cleanliness will be a critical issue for another reason: "One of the key scientific goals for NASA's future Constellation missions beyond low Earth orbit will be to prepare to search for life on Mars," says Maule.Īll humans carry stowaway microbes around with them on their skin, microbes that shouldn't be allowed to contaminate Mars samples. "But Magnus called to Houston to say, 'Tomorrow I'm going to give those brackets a good cleaning.' That's just what we want - the intuitive reaction 'I need to clean that.'" "The fungi posed no immediate health concern to the crew," says Maule, LOCAD-PTS project scientist. LOCAD ratted out some hand bracket fungi. You guessed it - fungi are thoroughly enamored with an oft-sweaty surface. To keep themselves from floating up off the bicycle seat while pedaling, the sweaty space cyclers hold onto hand brackets. She went to the "gym," where station astronauts ride a modified exercise bike and a treadmill to combat the muscle weakening effects of microgravity. She thought of a place that would surely be a fungi factory – the spot where crewmembers put their feet to brace themselves while working on their laptops.Ī determined fungi-finder, Magnus tried another location. So just a couple of weeks ago, astronaut Sandy Magnus decided to play hard ball. That sounds like great news, but it didn't help the LOCAD scientists prove the abilities of the new cartridge. First, they tested Node 1 and found it virtually fungi-free. In June and September 2008, a station crew tested a second type of LOCAD cartridge, designed to detect fungi. Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. ![]() #WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |