Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply mission is carrying interesting cargo: Many science experiments, including a space-friendly cookie oven, are headed to the International Space Station (ISS) this weekend.
The Cygnus resupply mission is scheduled to launch to the space station at 9:59 a.m. EDT on Saturday, November 2 and arrive at the orbiting laboratory on Monday, November 4 at approximately 5:45 a.m. EDT, NASA said in a press release. Prelaunch coverage will be available to stream on NASA Television and the agency’s website starting Friday, November 1.
Coming along for the ride are roughly 8,200 pounds of crew supplies, hardware, and research. Microgravity baking appliances, AI companion communications, and dark matter-hunting equipment are a handful of the cool science experiments that will be monitored by astronauts at the space station, Space.com reported.
Bake in Space
Nothing beats a warm, chewy, and chocolatey cookie. Astronauts will now be able to get their sugar fix in space, thanks to the Zero-G Oven. This space-friendly equipment will enable astronauts to bake cookies at the space station for the first time. They will study the process of baking food in a microgravity environment.
But, the benefits may go beyond these treats: on long-haul space missions, ovens similar to the Zero-G model would allow astronauts to create healthier meals. Right now, astronauts depend on pre-prepared food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Autonomous Buddies
Picking up a rock. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, what if you were trying to pick up a rock on Earth with a robot you are controlling from the @Space_Station? That’s exactly what @astro_luca will attempt as a part of the @ESA ANALOG-1 experiment. Read: https://t.co/0A5haEUZqg pic.twitter.com/9HDppxJly4
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 21, 2019
What if astronauts could remotely control moon and Mars rovers from orbit? The European Space Agency (ESA) is conducting an experiment called ANALOG-1 aboard the space station to see if this is a possibility.
The project, which is headed to the orbiting laboratory this weekend, will investigate how effectively a space station astronaut can operate a rover on a lunar-like terrain on Earth. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will conduct the experiment at the orbiting laboratory and use the rover to remotely move rock and soil samples.
Dark Matter…
Eight years ago, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer – 02 (AMS-02) launched to the space station. NASA wants to conduct repairs to the orbiting laboratory device and it’s sending equipment to do so via the Cygnus resupply mission.
The AMS-02 was placed outside the orbiting laboratory to search for dark matter evidence. With this scientific tool, astronauts can further study this mysterious substance and how it may impact various conditions in space.
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