{"id":795372,"date":"2025-04-17T09:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T14:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795372"},"modified":"2025-04-17T09:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T14:20:10","slug":"science-meets-art-nasa-astronaut-don-pettit-turns-the-camera-on-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=795372","title":{"rendered":"Science Meets Art: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Turns the Camera on Science"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Turns the Camera on Science\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rc02JNRyG6g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit is scheduled to return home in mid-April after a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72. Throughout his stay, Pettit contributed to research that benefits humanity and future space missions.<\/p>\n<p>Pettit also shared what he calls \u201cscience of opportunity\u201d to demonstrate how experimenting with our surroundings can help gain a better understanding of how things work. This understanding is perhaps enhanced when art, science, and microgravity come together.<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates electrostatic forces using charged water droplets and a knitting needle made of Teflon. This series of overlapping frames displays the unique attraction-repulsion properties of Teflon and charged droplets, similar to how charged particles from the Sun behave when they come in contact with Earth\u2019s magnetic field. Highly energetic particles from space that collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere create the aurora borealis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Don Pettit Aurora Borealis Timelapse\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ItZHeBIT8xc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit snaps an image of the hands of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, left, and Suni Williams inside the Life Science Glovebox, a facility at the International Space Station that separates the science from the scientists, thus protecting both from contamination.<\/p>\n<p>The freezers on the International Space Station are as crucial as its experiment modules, preserving samples for further analysis on Earth. The Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for International Space Station stores samples at ultra-cold temperatures. NASA astronaut Don Pettit used it to freeze thin ice wafers, which he photographed with a polarizing filter to reveal unique crystal structures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Space Station Research Tests Performance of Self-Healing Quantum Technology\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RN-UEdqpGvw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit films a time-lapse sequence of Canadarm2 retrieving Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-20-Commercial) samples at the International Space Station. This investigation exposed various experiments to the harsh space environment, such as vacuum, radiation, and extreme temperatures. Findings could help in many areas, from designing more durable materials to advancing quantum communications.<\/p>\n<p>A surge in International Space Station research supports NASA\u2019s exploration efforts at the Moon and beyond, requiring more energy to operate the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Don Pettit photographs new and old solar arrays side by side. The technology used by the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA) on the right was first tested aboard the station in 2017. By 2023, six IROSAs were deployed aboard station, providing a 20-30% increase in power for research and operations. Roll-Out Solar Arrays were also used on NASA\u2019s DART asteroid mission and now are slated for the Gateway lunar outpost, a vital component of Artemis.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-center padding-y-3 maxw-full width-full display-flex flex-align-center hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-blockquote\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block display-flex flex-column flex-justify-center padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:display-flex mobile:display-block\">\n<div class=\"blockquote-content\">\n<div class=\"display-flex\">\n<div class=\"blockquote-image hds-cover-wrapper margin-right-3\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-11\">\n<p class=\"blockquote-credit-name line-height-sm margin-0\">Don Pettit<\/p>\n<p class=\"blockquote-credit-title line-height-sm padding-0 margin-0\">&#8220;Space Squire&#8221; posted to X<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit helped his colleagues suit up for two spacewalks in January. The first spacewalk involved patching the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), a telescope that measures X-rays from neutron stars and other cosmic objects. Sunlight interference affected data collection, and the patches reduced this issue. On the second spacewalk, astronauts collected samples from the exterior of the International Space Station for ISS External Microorganisms. This investigation examines whether the orbiting laboratory releases microbes, how many, and how far these may travel. Findings could inform the design of future spacecraft, including spacesuits, to limit biocontamination during future space missions.<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit photographs \u201ccosmic colors at sunrise.\u201d From 250 miles above, the International Space Station\u2019s orbital path covers most of Earth\u2019s population, offering valuable data and a great opportunity for shooting breathtaking photography.<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit leveraged his stay aboard the International Space Station to photograph our planet with an artistic twist.<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit wrote on social media about his snapshot of the Mediterranean Sea from the International Space Station, \u201cSun glint off the Mediterranean Sea (infrared and converted to black and white). When the Sun reflects off the ocean, watery details unseen with normal lighting appear. Small centimeter differences in ocean height become visible, revealing hidden currents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit\u2019s photography could contribute to the study of transient luminous events, colorful electrical discharges that occur above thunderstorms. His imagery can be paired with data from the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) and Thor-Davis, a high-speed thunderstorm camera. The combined efforts of crew photography and instruments aboard the International Space Station help scientists better understand thunderstorms and their impacts on Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>More of Pettit\u2019s photography can be found on his X profile, @astro_Pettit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/station\/iss-research\/science-meets-art-nasa-astronaut-don-pettit-turns-the-camera-on-science\/?rand=772197\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA astronaut Don Pettit is scheduled to return home in mid-April after a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72. Throughout his stay, Pettit contributed&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":795373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-795372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-station"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=795372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/795373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=795372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=795372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=795372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}