Reagan, Shawn

Rogers, Jan

SanSoucie, Michael

Twigg, Pam

NASA Technical Reports Server

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Overview of Materials Science & Biophysics 
Research From The SLPSRA Program at MSFC
Jan Rogers
Michael SanSoucie
Pam Twigg
Shawn Reagan
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180007897 2019-08-31T17:12:51+00:00Z
Why Microgravity
• Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS)
‒ Dr. Aleksandra Radlińska, Penn State
• The International Space Station (ISS) provides a long-duration spaceflight 
environment for conducting microgravity experiments
• The microgravity environment greatly reduces buoyancy-driven convection, 
pressure head and sedimentation in fluids. 2
Penn State doctoral candidate
Juliana Neves with box 
containing MICS samples 
returned from the ISS
Microgravity Materials Science Community
• More than 40 current Grants and 
activities
• International Partners including:
• International collaborators 
including:
‒ Austria
‒ Belgium
‒ Canada
‒ Germany
‒ Japan
‒ Russia
‒ South Korea
3
Group photo during an ISS-EML International 
Working Group (IWG) meeting in Cologne, 
Germany
An Astronaut performing protein crystal growth 
experiments on the ISS.  
Materials Science Research
• A large variety of Materials Science research is either 
ongoing or planned on ISS
‒ Metals & Semiconductors research
• Isothermal Processes
‒ Current Experiments:  GEDS, FAMIS, DECLIC DSI
• Directional Solidification 
‒ Current Experiments:  SETA, CETSOL
• Crystal Formation 
‒ Current Experiment:  GTS
‒ Solidificaton Microstructure, Cement, Brazing and Freeze Casting 
Reference Experiments
‒ Thermophysical Properties research
• ESA Electromagnetic levitation (ISS-EML)
• JAXA Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF)
• Low to near zero fluid flow in levitated samples in microgravity
• Measurements of density, specific heat, surface tension, and 
viscosity
‒ On metals, semiconductors, oxides, and glasses
• Current ISS-EML experiments: ELFSTONE, ICOPROSOL, 
PARSEC, THERMOLAB, QUASI
• Current ELF experiment: Modeling and Simulation of 
Electrostatically Levitated Multiphase Liquid Drops
‒ Goal: measure the interfacial tension between molten iron and slag. The results 
of the project could help with more efficient production of higher quality steel
• Planned ELF experiment: MaterialsLab Thermophysical Properties 
Reference Experiment
4
Dendrites grown in Isothermal Dendritic Growth 
Experiment (IDGE).
ISS-EML image of molten iron-chromium-nickel 
steel casting alloy showing solidification of 
primary ferrite and subsequent conversion to 
secondary austenite.
Biophysics Research
• An example of biophysics research is 
protein crystal growth (PCG).
• Microgravity missions have shown that 
crystals of some proteins (and other 
complex biological molecules such as 
viruses) grown on orbit are larger and 
have fewer defects than those grown on 
Earth.
5
Lysozyme crystals grown on ISS during ops in 
July 2018/ Returned on SpaceX-15.
PCG hardware used in space.
• The improved data from the space-
grown crystals significantly enhance 
scientists’ understanding of the 
protein’s structure and this 
information can be used to support 
structure-based drug design.
• Our materials research programs 
study materials with these 
applications:
‒ Semiconductors
‒ Welding
‒ Casting
‒ Alloy development
‒ Glass processing
‒ New materials for optical devices, 
lasers, and photonics
‒ New materials needed for extreme 
environments (i.e. space or 
celestial surfaces)
• Our PCG research efforts are 
focused on understanding:
‒ The physics of improved protein 
crystal quality in microgravity
‒ Establishing protocols for setting up 
and optimizing crystallization 
experiments on ISS.
‒ High quality crystals can be used to 
help develop new pharmaceuticals.
Exploration & Earth Benefits From Research
6
Microgravity solidified Al-7% Si alloy shows a uniform dendritic network
Higher Temperature
Greater Efficiency
Longer Life
An aluminum-7wt% silicon sample 
directionally solidified on the ISS. The 
applications of this science are 
solidification castings that are used in gas 
turbine “jet” engines.
Bulk Metallic Glasses (BMG’s) are 
a new class of materials being 
studied on ISS.  These materials 
have many exciting properties, for 
example they do not get brittle in 
extreme cold.
Summary
• Ongoing and near-term operations on ISS including:
‒ ESA ISS-EML
‒ JAXA ELF
‒ MSRR
‒ Glovebox
‒ SUBSA
‒ CNES DECLIC
‒ PCG & Biofilms
• Future
‒ SLPSRA is planning a joint Materials Science 
Workshop with CASIS at the ISS R&D conference in 
Atlanta, July 29 – August 1, 2019. Workshop details 
TBD.
• We anticipate developing a new NASA Research 
Announcement (NRA)
• Acknowledgment:  NASA Space Life and Physical 
Sciences Research and Applications (SLPSRA)
7
Electrostatic Levitation Furnace 
(ELF)
Materials Science 
Research Rack (MSRR) 
ground unit. 


Overview of Materials Science & Biophysics Research from the SLPSRA Program at MSFC

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