Fact Sheet
Text Size
Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images
Experiment/Payload OverviewBrief Summary
Don Pettit, Expedition 6 NASA ISS Science Officer, used his free time, usually Saturday mornings, while living aboard the International Space Station to shed the light of science on a variety of subjects for students of all ages. These demonstrations were chronicled and dubbed "Saturday Morning Science".
Principal InvestigatorNo Information Available
Payload DeveloperJohnson Space Center, Houston, TX
Sponsoring AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Expeditions Assigned|6|
Previous ISS MissionsSaturday Morning Science was a unique set of impromptu inspired simple experiments that had not been previously performed in space before.
Experiment/Payload Description
Research Summary
- Science of Opportunity was performed during ISS Expedition 6 by Science Officer Don Pettit to inspire and educate the next generation of space explorers.
- The demonstrations performed during Saturday Morning Science were straightforward so that students of all ages would benefit from the demonstrations.
Science of Opportunity was the brainchild of Expedition 6 NASA ISS Science Officer, Don Pettit. On ISS, crewmembers have access to world-class lab facilities in the unique environment of microgravity, the topics for Saturday Morning Science were spawned by living and working in the microgravity environment.
Science of Opportunity was done at the discretion of the astronauts onboard ISS using simple materials that would not impact ISS operations and was dubbed "Saturday Morning Science", by Expedition 6 ISS Commander, Ken Bowersox. During ISS Expedition 6, a number of scientific ideals and principles were demonstrated through Saturday Morning Science. The value of this science is the ability to provide observation-based insights for the reduced gravity environment. Some of the many experiments that were performed are described below:
- Noctilucent Cloud Observations in the Southern Hemisphere - Noctilucent clouds (glowing clouds that are seen at night) appear as a thin but distinct cloud layer well above the visible part of the atmosphere. They appear to be about twice the distance from the horizon than the visible thickness of the atmosphere. These clouds are located on the fringes of space and shrouded in mystery.
- Water Observations - Using a plastic bag, sugar, tea grains and water, the accretion (increase in the mass of a celestial object by the collection of surrounding interstellar gases and objects by gravity) of the particles in microgravity was observed.
- Studying Water Films - In microgravity, thin films were surprisingly robust and could withstand numerous mechanical durability tests without breaking. Blowing on the film created ripples that quickly dampened when the perturbations ceased. Oscillating the loop through tens of centimeters with a period of about 2 seconds distorted the film with patterns like seen in a soft rubber membrane when driven by a sound oscillator.
- Growing Plants in Zero-G - Using materials (ear plugs, underwear, toilet paper, drinking straw, basil and tomato seeds) readily available aboard ISS basil and tomato seeds were germinated and sprouted on ISS.
- Symphony of Spheres - Injected about an inch-and-a-half diameter bubble of air inside a three-inch diameter sphere of water. Several more droplets of air were injected into the air bubble. Basically what you have is a spherical pond. When a rock is thrown into a pond, the ripples move in an outward direction. Using this concept, a pulse was applied to the sphere of water the ripples continued to move in an outward direction. Since they are moving on a spherical surface, the motion contiues until they meet 180 degrees away from the pulse. As the ripples meet, a spurt of water is shot out, which collapses back down and sends a ripple back the other way. The surface waves damp out, leaving the spherical body waves that go on for 5 or 10 minutes.
Applications
Space Applications
The simple inspired demonstrations performed during Saturday Morning Science will provide insight into how fluids and other objects behave in microgravity compared to the gravity on Earth.
Earth ApplicationsThe simple demonstrations using everyday material for Saturday Morning Science will play a major role in inspiring the next generation to take the journey into space.
Operations
Operational Requirements
Saturday Morning Science activities did not have any specific requirements. NASA ISS Science Officer, Don Pettit typically performed these activities during his free time on Saturday mornings.
Operational ProtocolsThe scientific demonstrations performed during Saturday Science varied in subject. For some demonstrations the onboard ISS camera was used to capture images of the Earth. Whereas, other demonstrations utilized expended ISS supplies, such as ear plugs, a T-Shirt and socks.
Results/More Information
Several articles have been published on Saturday Morning Science. Although simple and sometimes crude, Saturday Morning Science often demonstrated phenomena that had not been seen in microgravity.
An article published in Sky and Telescope in October 2003 titled "Shooting the Heavens from Space" discussed the amazing views and images captured by astronauts as they live and work in space.
In April 2004, Sky and Telescope published an article titled "Building Planets in Plastic Bags" based on Water Observations performed as a Saturday Science Demonstration. The demonstration involved observing how salt grains clumped in water while in microgravity. During this demonstration, Pettit unknowingly demonstrated middle stage planetary accretion. A summary paper of the demonstration was published in Lunar and Planetary Science in 2004 concluded that although the demonstration lacked formal controls to identify the exact clumping mechanism, the mechanism is obviously electrostatic. Future investigations of this phenomenon will use realistic materials such as rock dust.
Related Web Sites
Publications
Results Publications
Related Publications
- DeLombard R, Kelly EM, Hrovat K, Nelson ES, Pettit DR. Motion of Air Bubbles in Water Subjected to Microgravity Accelerations. Proceedings of the 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV. ;AIAA 2005-722. 2005
Images
Electric blue noctilucent clouds viewed from ISS during Expedition 6 by Science Officer Don Pettit as a part of Saturday Morning Science activities.+ View Larger Image
As part of the Water Observations demonstrations these clumps of 1- to 6-mm salt (Sodium Chloride or NaCl) particles in air were formed on ISS Expedition 6. + View Larger Image
NASA Image: ISS006E18432 - View of surface tension demonstration during Saturday Morning Science, using water that is being held in place by a metal loop. Food coloring has been added to the water for demonstration purposes only. + View Larger Image
NASA Image: ISS006E20853 - Close-up view of earplugs strung together by NASA ISS Science Officer, Don Pettit, to create a sprouter for basil and tomato seeds used in the Growing Plants in Zero-G investigation of Saturday Morning Science during ISS Expedition 6.+ View Larger Image
Video screen shot of a 13 cm free sphere of water stabilized by a wire loop on board ISS during Expedition 6. + View Larger Image
Water bubble injected with many air bubbles aboard ISS during Expedition 6.+ View Larger Image
Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office