What experiments would you ask the Space Station staff to do

[LandingSpot]

If you were a scientist at NASA and could get the guys on the ISS to do any experiment (as we are seeing in the Astronauts Living in Space series), what would you ask them to do?

The mind boggles at what NASA must come up with and send up every 6 months!

Edited by LandingSpot on Wednesday 12th March 21:50

[Ganglandboss]

If you drop a cat in zero gravity, how does it react?

[Lemmonie]

wk?

[Ganglandboss]

Nah! They have sharp claws and it would probably scratch.

[shirt]

Ganglandboss said:

If you drop a cat in zero gravity, how does it react?

amusingly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9XtK6R1QAk

[Halmyre]

Shagging, obviously.

[Eric Mc]

You don't have to be a scientist at NASA to have an experiment carried out on the ISS. In fact, I would suggest that most experiments carried out on the ISS are not devised by NASA at all.

[Simpo Two]

Build a Mars rocket?

[Foliage]

Have a look at Chris Hadfields youtube channel, iirc he uploaded videos of experiments suggested by school children while he was on the ISS. Hes a cool guy.

He is an astronaut of our time, being extremely social media savvy.

[Bisonhead]

shirt said:

Ganglandboss said:

If you drop a cat in zero gravity, how does it react?

amusingly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9XtK6R1QAk

Highly amusing, thank you!

[IainT]

Anything that shows how utterly devoid of reality the movie Gravity! was...

[qube_TA]

IainT said:

Anything that shows how utterly devoid of reality the movie Gravity! was...

They'd be able to fly the space station to Mars using only a fire extinguisher if it had been accurate!

[IainT]

qube_TA said:

IainT said:

Anything that shows how utterly devoid of reality the movie Gravity! was...

They'd be able to fly the space station to Mars using only a fire extinguisher if it had been accurate!

I reckon the NASA boffins are missing a trick or two!

[thehawk]

Mammalian reproduction, from fertilisation through to birth. What the effects of zero gravity would have on that entire process. Maybe some experiments involving no/limited protection from solar radiation to see what sort of genetic defects are caused.

[Hyde]

Ganglandboss said:

If you drop a cat in zero gravity, how does it react?

qube_TA said:

They'd be able to fly the space station to Mars using only a fire extinguisher if it had been accurate!

Strap the fire extinguisher to the cat
How fast can they make it travel ?
Can they send a cat to Mars via this method ?

[V8LM]

thehawk said:

Mammalian reproduction, from fertilisation through to birth. What the effects of zero gravity would have on that entire process. Maybe some experiments involving no/limited protection from solar radiation to see what sort of genetic defects are caused.

All of biology has evolved under the pressure of gravity. Gravitation adaptation of animals and the effects of zero-G on muscle wasting are two interests of NASA.

See this from a colleague - http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/201...

Edited by V8LM on Monday 17th March 12:17

[BaronVonVaderham]

Given that fire/flames 'point up' whilst burning on earth?, what direction do they go in zero-gravity?

[Simpo Two]

BaronVonVaderham said:

Given that fire/flames 'point up' whilst burning on earth?, what direction do they go in zero-gravity?

(I think) flames mostly go up due to convection not gravity.

[BaronVonVaderham]

Simpo Two said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

Given that fire/flames 'point up' whilst burning on earth?, what direction do they go in zero-gravity?

(I think) flames mostly go up due to convection not gravity.

Was thinking along those lines but what happens to convection currents in zero gravity? I assume they still exist, but in my mind i have a picture of a match burning with a spherical flame with the head being dead centre.

[alock]

Flame puts itself out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q58-la_yAB4