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DNA Sequencer Traveled To Space

July 19, 2016 By Jennifer Licata

A DNA sequencer has traveled to space, sent by NASA.

A DNA sequencer has traveled to space, sent by NASA. It could tell us whether there is alien life out there, or not. The device was sent to the International Space Station in a Space X cargo ship. The sequencer was sent by NASA to help the crew to monitor their health.

This new type of sequencer, called „The biomolecule sequencer” was crafted in the UK by Oxford Nanopore Technologies. It’s purpose is to establish whether DNA sequencing can be done in microgravity. Furthermore, the device could find microbes and causes of illnesses.

The sequencer may help to detect life elsewhere than on Earth. NASA pointed ou that every commercial flight to the ISS is a great event. These flights are essential to supporting the overall mission.

The equipment will allow for new experiments to be tried out in space. An international docking adapter will also be tested on this occasion.

The sequencer is called miniON. It’s almost 10 cm long and weighs 120 grams. Most sequencers are the size of a microwave oven. The device will work as an experiment interface, for samples from space.

In the past, there were visible fungi growing on the station, and astronauts would like to know what kind of fungi it is. Whether it’s benign, or something of concern, microbiologists will be able to recommend how to treat the issue.

The gadget reveals the order of chemical building along a DNA strand. The strand has information that is normally passed on by heredity, from one generation to another.

The sequencer is used by more than 1,000 scientists and could help astronauts find life on other planets in real time. However, researchers say that future development is necessary for that kind of app to be a reality. The DNA sequencer will stay on board for future use. Until now, astronauts were supposed to send DNA samples on Earth for sequencing. The whole process used to take a couple of months and could alter the state of the sample.

Earlier this week, NASA created controversy when it cut out the transmission, while an unidentified object was heading towards the camera on ISS. Are you interested in the latest NASA developments? What’s your opinion on space exploration? Please leave a comment below!

Image Source – Wikipedia

ISS Gets Inflatable Chamber

March 29, 2016 By Clayton Meason

The International Space Station will receive an inflatable module during the next resupply module.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – There is some pretty cool stuff going on aboard the International Space Station. According to NASA, the ISS will receive its very own inflatable chamber, which will be delivered during the upcoming resupply mission.

Yes, you heard it right. The astronauts will have a new toy to play with. During the next resupply mission, the guys from the ISS will receive their very own inflatable research chamber, which, according to NASA’s engineers, will have at least 3.6 meters in length.

The inflatable thingamabob will host various scientific experiments and, if we understand correctly, it will be the first brick laid on the path towards building sustainable outer space dwelling.

As we mentioned before, the inflatable chamber called B.E.A.M or Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, will be delivered during the next resupply mission, sometime during this year. B.E.A.M will be transported aboard the ISS in a deflated state.

Before mounting B.E.A.M on the ISS, the inflatable chamber will measure 1.6 meters in length. Once onboard the station, B.E.A.M will be affixed over an airlock, using ISS’s robotic arms. The astronauts said that the whole process (mounting and inflating) would take about 45 minutes, during which, the guys will kick back and relax for a while.

After the inflatable chamber is mounted, the astronauts will use it for various experiments, including general ops, radiation control and temperature.

According to Rajib Dasgupta, B.E.A.M’s project manager, the astronauts will make four trips to the inflatable space chamber. The longest trip will take about three hours although Dasgupta said that there’s no reason an astronaut can stay in there longer than 3 hours.

However, the boys in space are on a tight schedule, so they will have to cut short their visits to B.E.A.M.. When asked about how long the chamber will be used, Dasgupta answered that the inflatable chamber will remain attached to the ISS for two years, although the engineers declared that B.E.A.M can be utilized for at least five more years.

After two years of testing, the inflatable module will be jettisoned into space. But that’s not the end of the story. According to NASA, B.E.A.M is an experiment meant to determine how an inflatable structure behaves in space.

If the test returns encouraging results, then NASA might be rethinking the whole Mars trip and colonization process. We guess that it’s better to bring along some inflatable homes than build new ones using various materials.

Moreover, both the project manager and the astronauts declared that there isn’t much difference between ISS’s modules and the inflatable chamber.

Photo credits:pixabay

Musk’s Crew Dragon Passed the Parachute Test with Flying Colors

January 31, 2016 By Angelina Stapp

Crew Dragon uses 4 main parachutes and special drague parachutes.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Recently, Elon Musk and his company, SpaceX, wrote another page in the history book of space exploration. According to NASA, Musk’s Crew Dragon passed the parachute test with flying colors. If all goes well, we should see the Crew Dragon transporting astronauts to the ISS by the end of 2017.

Since NASA decided that space travel could be made feasible if civilian constructors are employed, everyone went over their head in order to secure a contract with the space agency. Although NASA had lots of contestants to oversee, it would seem that only two companies were selected to participate in the upcoming space project.

Boeing managed to raise some Hell with its space capsule, but it seems that Musk’s project take the cake, so to speak. What is Musk’s view on space travel? Sustainability and a very low price. According to the scientist, who is also the head of SpaceX, once we figure out how to reuse our space gear, we can look forward to more space missions.

This is what Elon Musk wanted to prove when he first began to talk about the Crew Dragon shuttle, a new type of spacecraft which will be carried into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Moreover, despite the fact that even the carrier rocket is an impressive feat of engineering, it looks like Crew Dragon is by far the most impressive piece of technology.

Musk, the head of SpaceX, declared that in order to talk about crew safety, new fail-safe systems for shuttles and rockets must be designed. His company made the first step towards making the journey safe into space, by introducing a parachute system to the Crew Dragon space shuttle.

The parachute system is not an entirely new approach to landing protocols, as SpaceX introduced this concept over two years ago. However, since it was first introduced, the space company made extensive modifications to the deployment system and its sensibility.

A new test performed on the 27^th of January, 2016, proved that SpaceX means business. Musk’s Crew Dragon passed the parachute test with flying colors. The space module features drogue-type parachutes which work alongside the 4 main parachutes. Here’s the video on Crew Dragon’s successful drop using the parachute system.

Apart from the parachute landing system, Musk is also experimenting with another type of engine, dubbed the SuperDraco hover engine. The tests began in November, last year, and the numbers look good. According to Musk, the hover engine will prove to be an asset for the astronauts who will attempt to land on Mars.

Musk’s Crew Dragon passed the parachute test with flying colors. If all goes well, Musk’s rockets will be space-ready by 2017, when they are scheduled to bring a full crew complement aboard the ISS.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

A New Hope of Growing Life on Mars

January 30, 2016 By Troy G. Bennett

Two species of Antarctic fungi survived after they were exposed to Mars-like conditions.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – According to a new report, coming in directly from the International Space Station, the astronauts were successful in cultivating plants in Mars-like condition. There is a new hope of growing life on Mars thanks to nasty-looking fungus found in the most desolate places on Earth.

Rosa de la Torre Noetzel is an astrobiologist working for Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology. Recently, the scientists published a paper about a species of fungus which was capable of withstanding the life in outer space.

In her long study, the Spanish scientist noted that approximately 18 months ago, the Space Shuttle Atlantis brought on board the space stations several samples harvested from two different species of fungi: the Cryomyces minteri and the Cryomyces antarcticus.

These species of fungi belong to a larger family of fungi called the cryptoendolithic fungi. What makes these plants so special? According to the scientific literature, this family of fungi only grows in one place on Earth, more specifically the McMurdo Dry Valleys, which are located in the Antarctica Victoria Land. Moreover, it seems that these seemingly fragile plants can withstand quite a beating.

In fact, the cryptoendolithic fungi are the only species of plants that can withstand low temperatures and are usually found inside rocks, lodged in nooks and crannies.

In order to test out if these types of plants can withstand the harsh Martian conditions, NASA decided to bring some samples on board for further testing.

According to De Torres, there is a new hope of growing life on Mars. Her statement was based on the result supplied by the ISS experiment. For a period of 18 months, the fungi were exposed to various stressors in order to test their resilience. According to the same astrobiologists, approximately 60 percent of the cells belonging to the fungi remained intact when the experiment was over.

How was the experiment performed? The fungi were locked into cells and then placed on a platform. This platform containing the fungi samples was placed outside the command module by one of the astronauts aboard the ISS.

For a total period of 18 months, the cryptoendolithic fungi were exposed to Mars-like conditions, such as an atmosphere consisting of 95 percent carbon dioxide, 2.7 percent nitrogen and 0.15 percent oxygen. Moreover, the astronauts applied a pressure of 1000 pascals.

To top it all up, the scientists even exposed the plants to UV radiation, galactic radiation and to temperatures between -21.5 degrees Celsius and 59.6 degrees Celsius.

After the experiment was over, the scientists discovered that the fungal cells were not only safe and sound, but the plant also doubled its metabolism. Other samples of fungi were brought for the experiment, but it seems that only the two sample brought from McMurdo survived the encounter with the Martian conditions.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

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