Beyond eating floating food and introducing curious Earthlings to vacuum toilets, the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) have some serious work to do as their time on the ISS nears its end.
Since the space station opened, astronauts have conducted more than 3,000 experiments in the microgravity and high radiation of low Earth orbit. Experiments range from making sure fertility levels remain unchanged (in mice, not in the crew) to testing the feasibility of using lunar soil to make concrete that will help build a future lunar base. Here are four of the most impressive aspects of ISS research.
Artificial retina
Millions of people suffer from a degenerative disease that affects the retina (the layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye), and there is no cure, only treatments that slow its progression. But implants that mimic the function of the retina could be a solution, and US-based company Lambda Vision has successfully produced them by depositing layer after layer of a light-activated protein called bacteriorhodopsin. On Earth, solutions of bacteriorhodopsin tended to clot and deposit poorly, but much better results were achieved earlier this decade. In microgravity on the International Space StationLambda Vision is currently seeking to scale up manufacturing of its artificial retinas in space, claiming that these are among the first technologies with potential clinical use to be evaluated on the ISS.
Invisible Flame
When you light a match, the wood burns and reacts with oxygen to produce heat, light, and other substances such as carbon…
