![]() They are a lot like a well-organized airplane hangar, where the vehicle is maintenanced, checked-out, and stored before flight - a “some assembly required” environment. Integration facilities are not as spotless, and though they have large equipment, don’t feel quite as futuristic or industrial. Assembly facilities are larger than city blocks, squeaky clean, and crowded with massive tools and equipment that construct the rocket itself. During the HIF visit, I remembered being inside the United Launch Alliance assembly facility in Decatur, Alabama. ![]() Integration facilities are different from rocket assembly facilities. With the experiment taking place in a totally self-sustaining environment, the only job of the astronauts is to move the experiment from one place to another on the station. Researcher Siobhan Malaney introduced the “lab-on-a-chip” platform of the experiment. The experiment hopes to learn about the muscular atrophy that occurs in microgravity and obtain data for possible treatments. After a certain amount of time in microgravity, the cells will be frozen and returned to Earth for study aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. ![]() A third bio-experiment by Micro-gRX and Florida Hospital will study muscle cells from eight donors of athletic-build in weightlessness. Another experiment, CASIS PCG 16, will study the Parkinson’s disease-linked LRRK-2 protein and how microgravity affects its growth and function, partnered with the Michael J. These areas of study are critical to human spaceflight, as they explore astronaut capabilities and functioning in space. One of them, Vection, will study the perception of visual cues by the human eye in microgravity, and is partnered with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). I couldn’t help but to think of replicators from Star Trek, especially the kind shown in The Original Series!īiological phenomena will also be studied by NG-10 flown experiments. The Refabricator is also helping to pave the way towards the type of self-sustaining spacecraft needed for long-duration voyages to Mars. Ultimately, a conceptual spinoff from this experiment could be 3D printing food and medical-grade tools. The Refabricator is designed to recycle these bags and other plastics into useful materials. According to presenters Diane Risdon of NASA Marshall and Allison Porter of Tethers Unlimited, the contractor who designed the Refabricator, astronauts frequently note the nuisance posed by disposable plastic bags on the station. 3D printing has undergone years of testing on-station, but this is the first model intended for operational and practical use. The mini-fridge size machine will recycle plastic trash on the space station into usable tools and equipment. The first experiment discussed was a new device called the “Refabricator,” which will be the first bonafide 3D printer onboard the ISS. Living in Florida, it was also nice to enjoy some autumn foliage and weather. From the cottage, I could look out the window and see the lights of the launchpad across the water! The Eastern Shore of Virginia feels remote and peaceful - a perfect place for an orbital launch facility. Luckily, I have a friend on Chincoteague who kindly hosted me for the week. The closest place to stay is Chincoteague Island, Virginia, just across the bay from Wallops Island. Others flew into Baltimore/Washington, and many drove from home. I ended up flying into Norfolk, Virginia and renting a car for the remainder of the distance. The airport options are limited, besides a small airport in Salisbury, Maryland. The first part of the Wallops experience is getting there. This article is drafted from my real-time social media posts shared along the way to form a narrative of the whole event, including new details and in-depth information about the experience of attending a NASA Social and seeing the launch up close. It is not enough for us to experience these events alone. Wearing the NASA Social badge carries the responsibility of sharing everything we learn and experience with our followers.
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