Journey into space
CHITRA PHADNIS
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A lab in space may sound strange. But it is there to give us a taste of what life on other planets would be like.
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The ISS is a good platform from which to observe the earth’s climate, weather, rocks, vegetation and pollution.
Over the last few months, the papers have been full of astronaut Sunita Williams and her stay in the International Space Station (ISS).
The ISS is a very expensive project, in which 16 countries are working to build a laboratory in space from where experiments can be carried out.
Building the lab has not been easy. The first bit of the ISS went up in 1998 and since then, space shuttles have made 15 trips there, carrying more bits to add to the lab. The building will be complete only by 2010, but astronauts have already gone to live there to carry out various studies.
A lab in space sounds strange, but there are reasons for it. If people have to travel and maybe even live on other planets, they must know what to expect; and the ISS gives us a taste of that. It is a little like putting your toe into the swimming pool to test the water before you jump in.
In space
This is why scientists have been growing plants and even worms on the ISS. The worms are the great-great-great (say that 28 times) — grandchildren of worms that were taken to the ISS six months ago and are now being tested on earth to see if their DNA, or their basic nature has changed in any way.
Even non-living things behave differently in space, and scientists can use studies on these for new material to build spacecraft that is better suited to space travel. Or simply improve satellite technology for better communication.
For those on earth, the ISS studies are yielding a wealth of information in geology, astronomy, physics, and life sciences. The very low gravity in space makes bones and muscles weak — which can help our understanding of the ageing process; protein cells grow differently — this can lead to new ways of curing diseases. The ISS is a good platform from which to observe the earth’s climate, weather, rocks, vegetation, and pollution; as well as providing a clearer view of the sun, the stars and the rest of the cosmos.
What’s to eat?
Meanwhile scientists on earth are busy creating new foods for future space travellers! Japan has just announced rice, noodles, ramen and fish sauce that can survive in space and, next year, a space shuttle will have an important cargo to deliver — yummy food for the space dwellers.
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