for Research
said Roberts . “ This is useful for fundamental understanding of root cause of disease , which may help cure or prevent disease onset .”
At the University of Central Florida , Dr . Joshua Colwell leads research on the origin and evolution of the solar system and small bodies such as planetary rings , asteroids and comets . He is also assistant director of the Florida Space Institute ( FSI ), located in Central Florida Research Park . FSI champions space-based research and development , as well as the growth of Florida ’ s space economy .
In addition to advances in life sciences , Colwell explained that companies also look to space as the next frontier for securing natural resources – driving another avenue for research . Asteroids are a potential source for mining raw materials , and may even serve as fueling stations for future spacecraft . But before we see a large spacecraft land on an asteroid , scientists such as Colwell must explore how the microgravity environment could be navigated , so that a craft and robotic mining technologies can stay tethered to the asteroid surface .
In March 2016 , Colwell completed an initial study of nanorocks , which he had aboard the ISS for a year and a half of observation and
testing . The nanorock study looked at the behavior of loose materials in the low-gravity environment of the ISS , providing a sense for what the movement might be like on the surface of an asteroid . It also delivered valuable insight into how planetary rings evolve through low-speed collisions of small particles in space . The ISS was central to the study , as it provided a lab environment unlike any on Earth .
Dr . Jamie Foster , an associate professor with the University of Florida , who has been forging a new path into microbe interaction and immune system research using baby squid , said her initial study aboard the ISS provided an important proof of concept for research that continues to this day on the ground . Using mini bioreactors in her Earth-based lab to try and simulate a microgravity environment , however , does have its limitations . Foster is considering future opportunities to send the tiny squid to space , once more . “ Gravity masks things we can ’ t quite figure out here on Earth ,” said Foster .
Space aboard the ISS lab continues to be in high demand . As Roberts explained , CASIS carefully evaluates each research request for its value to the nation , people and the Earth . There must be a clear benefit , such as investigating a new drug that could improve lives .
Open market competition among companies that build and launch rockets and spacecraft has already lowered the cost of flying materials to low Earth orbit and will eventually make space research a more affordable endeavor . When considering the future , Roberts believes that companies may build their own space stations to use as private research labs – creating more opportunities for new avenues of research to take flight . florida . HIGH . TECH 2017 47