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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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275 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Discontinuous pore fluid distribution under microgravity--KC-135 flight investigations

Designing a reliable plant growth system for crop production in space requires the understanding of pore fluid distribution in porous media under microgravity. The objective of this experimental investigation, which was conducted aboard NASA KC-135 reduced gravity flight, is to study possible particle separation and the distribution of discontinuous wetting fluid in porous media under microgravity. KC-135 aircraft provided gravity conditions of 1, 1.8, and 10(-2) g. Glass beads of a known size distribution were used as porous media; and Hexadecane, a petroleum compound immiscible with and lighter than water, was used as wetting fluid at residual saturation. Nitrogen freezer was used to solidify the discontinuous Hexadecane ganglia in glass beads to preserve the ganglia size changes during different gravity conditions, so that the blob-size distributions (BSDs) could be measured after flight. It was concluded from this study that microgravity has little effect on the size distribution of pore fluid blobs corresponding to residual saturation of wetting fluids in porous media. The blobs showed no noticeable breakup or coalescence during microgravity. However, based on the increase in bulk volume of samples due to particle separation under microgravity, groups of particles, within which pore fluid blobs were encapsulated, appeared to have rearranged themselves under microgravity.

manned↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) Cell Culture Unit (CCU) and incubator for International Space Station (ISS) cell culture experiments

The CCU and Incubator are habitats under development by SSBRP for gravitational biology research on ISS. They will accommodate multiple specimen types and reside in either Habitat Holding Racks, or the Centrifuge Rotor, which provides selectable gravity levels of up to 2 g. The CCU can support multiple Cell Specimen Chambers, CSCs (18, 9 or 6 CSCs; 3, 10 or 30 mL in volume, respectively). CSCs are temperature controlled from 4-39 degrees C, with heat shock to 45 degrees C. CCU provides automated nutrient supply, magnetic stirring, pH/O2 monitoring, gas supply, specimen lighting, and video microscopy. Sixty sample containers holding up to 2 mL each, stored at 4-39 degrees C, are available for automated cell sampling, subculture, and injection of additives and fixatives. CSCs, sample containers, and fresh/spent media bags are crew-replaceable for long-term experiments. The Incubator provides a 4-45 degrees C controlled environment for life science experiments or storage of experimental reagents. Specimen containers and experiment unique equipment are experimenter-provided. The Specimen Chamber exchanges air with ISS cabin and has 18.8 liters of usable volume that can accommodate six trays and the following instrumentation: five relocatable thermometers, two 60 W power outlets, four analog ports, and one each relative humidity sensor, video port, ethernet port and digital input/output port.

NASA Center ARC↗
NASA NTRS2004

Association between gravitational force and tissue metabolism in periparturient rats

Recently, interest in mammalian reproduction and offspring survival in altered gravity has been growing. Because successful lactation is critical for mammalian neonate survival, we have been studying the effect of gravity metabolism. We have shown an exponential relationship between glucose metabolic rate in mammary tissue of periparturient rats and an increase in gravity load. In this study we showed that changes in mammary metabolic rate due to gravity force were accompanied by a decrease in glucose metabolism in adipose tissue and by a reduced size of adipocytes. We assume that these changes are likely due to changes in prolactin or leptin levels related to altered gravity load.

NASA Discipline Developmental Biology↗
NASA NTRS2004

Load-dependent regulation of neuromuscular system

Roles of gravitational loading, sarcomere length, and/or tension development on the electromyogram (EMG) of soleus and afferent neurogram recorded at the L5 segmental level of spinal cord were investigated during parabolic flight of a jet airplane or hindlimb suspension in conscious rats. Both EMG and neurogram levels were increased when the gravity levels were elevated from 1-G to 2-G during the parabolic flight. They were decreased when the hindlimbs were unloaded by exposure to actual microgravity or by suspension. These phenomena were related to passive shortening of muscle fibers and/or sarcomeres. Unloading-related decrease in sarcomere length was greater at the central rather than the proximal and distal regions of fibers. These activities and tension development were not detected when the mean sarcomere length was less than 2.03 micrometers. It is suggested that load-dependent regulation of neuromuscular system is related to the tension development which is influenced by sarcomere length.

short duration↗