What are the orbiting microgravity facilities?

Orbiting microgravity facilities are microgravity platforms that are real or true. This microgravity is not mimicked. The orbiting microgravity platforms are the:

 

·      manned orbiting systems

·      unmanned satellites

      

An example of the manned orbiting systems is the International Space Station (ISS) that accommodates man for living and working (e.g. experimental) purposes. The panels on the ISS are large solar panels to power it (Figure 1). The ISS is based on partnership amongst many space agencies: NASA of USA, CSA of Canada, ESA of European countries, Roscosmos of Russia and JAXA of Japan. Russian MIR space station is another of this type. These platforms orbit at about 400 km altitude; supply gravity force (g) of up to 10^-5 to 10^-6; experiment in diverse fields of research are possible; the duration of the experiments can range from months to years as the microgravity supply is constant; the limitation is the high cost.

 

Figure 1: The International Space Station. Source: 

Tarantola, A. (2022). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_satellite#/media/File:Estcube-1_2012-12-27.jpg

Due to the limited access (scarceness and high cost) to manned orbiting systems, unmanned miniaturizing and automating experiments are designed called autonomous microgravity laboratory satellites. These are called SmallSats (Figure 2). This does not require human intervention. This type of laboratory operates as Nanosatellites or CubeSats that are controlled by users on the ground by proprietary software that are installable on laptops and smart phones. The data and experimental results are normally transmitted to the ground-station. The flying of microgravity experiments as a stand-alone automatic satellites occur at above 300 km altitude; supply gravity force (g) of 10^-5 to 10^-6; experiments on plants, microbes and chemical reactions are possible; the duration of the experiments can range from weeks to years as the microgravity supply is constant; the limitation is that launch opportunities are limited.

Figure 2. A Nanosatellite. Source: Wikipedia (2023). https://golden.com/wiki/Nanosatellite-NMV8DXY

The benefits of the access to these platforms cannot be overemphasized over the socioeconomic benefits of the experiments.

 

Further reading

Oluwafemi, F.A., Neduncheran, A., 2022. Analog and simulated microgravity platforms for life sciences research: Their individual capacities, benefits and limitations. Advances in Space Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2022.01.007.

 

Oluwafemi, F.A., Neduncheran, A., 2021. Real and simulated microgravity platforms: Their individual capacities, benefits and limitations. 71^st International Astronautical Congress (IAC) – The CyberSpace Edition, 12-14 October, 2020. IAC-20-A2,5,10,x56924.

 

Tarantola, A. (2022). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_satellite#/media/File:Estcube-1_2012-12-27.jpg

 

Wikipedia (2023). Small satellites. https://golden.com/wiki/Nanosatellite-NMV8DXY