Going for a Spin: Experiment to Experience Lunar Gravity From Rotating Capsule After Feb. 4 Launch
John Z. Kiss and Colleagues, Working with 4SPACE, Explore Fluid Dynamics in Blue Origin’s Unique New Shephard Vehicle.
The Space biologists John Z. Kiss and Karl Hasenstein, working with 4SPACE, LLC., have designed an experiment in fluid dynamics that was conducted in lunar gravity aboard a rotating Blue Origin capsule during its suborbital journey.
The mission, NS-29, scrubbed on its first launch attempt the morning of Jan. 28. It lifted off a week later at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, from Blue Origin’s West Texas spaceport. The mission lasted just over 10 minutes and produced about two minutes of lunar gravity.
The experiment was conceptualized by 4SPACE, which then presented the opportunity to Kiss, professor and provost at Florida Tech. Hasenstein at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was brought in to support the project and build the hardware. Christopher P. McKay from NASA Ames participated in the experiment. Together, the team worked to detail the payloads that would bring the most exciting research through this unique Blue Origin lunar gravity mission.
A portion of the fluid dynamics experiment.
The experiment compared the effect of lunar gravity on aqueous solutions of different viscosities and their interaction with surfaces at different angles. As the U.S. works toward returning to the moon, research like this will be critical.
The project represents a powerful hybrid of private and public involvement led by 4SPACE, an innovative new space company that sponsors science payloads in combination with payloads for commercial applications.
Chantelle Baier, the visionary CEO of 4SPACE, is a key supporter of this mission and familiar with Kiss’s scientific acumen. “John is a science advisor to 4SPACE and has played a lead role in recommending science payloads,” Baier said. “We are excited about what we’ll learn from this experiment and thrilled the findings will bring us that much closer to realizing our spacefaring future.”
While water distribution in plants and its percolation through soil is gravity-dependent, we don’t know whether the reduced lunar gravity, which is one-sixth of Earth’s gravity, is sufficient to maintain these processes in plants. Equally important is the effect of gravity for the distribution of water in lunar soil.
“While we know a great deal about biology and fluid dynamics in microgravity, we know little about these processes in terms of the lunar gravity environment,” Kiss said. “This project presented a unique opportunity to test fluid dynamics in lunar gravity to gain insights into the cultivation of plants, which is important for bioregenerative life support on the Moon.”
During the experiment, which is Kiss’s ninth to fly into space, acceleration, temperature, time, and images of the fluid distribution were recorded
What made this mission even more interesting is how lunar gravity was created.
Enter Blue Origin’s New Shepard capsule. Using its reaction control system to impart a rotation on the capsule, the entire vehicle acts as a centrifuge that creates lunar gravity for the payloads for about two minutes.
“If we’re going to stay on the moon and ultimately go to Mars, we need plants there to support the crew,” Kiss said. “And the exciting thing is, the way we’re doing this now is we’re working with more private companies, like 4SPACE and Blue Origin, to get us there.”
