Exotic Glass Fibers From Space - THE RACE TO MANUFACTURE ZBLAN ON PAGE 2 - Nasa
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MAGAZINE OF THE ISS NATIONAL LAB • UPWARD.ISSNATIONALLAB.ORG • DECEMBER 2018
Exotic Glass ON PAGE 2
Fibers From Space
THE RACE TO MANUFACTURE ZBLAN
VOLUME
3
ISSUE
3
THE ULTIMATE TOUGH ENOUGH ENCOURAGING
SCIENCE FAIR FOR SPACE GIRLS IN STEM
DECEMBER 2018
THE VIEW FROM
THE CUPOLA
BY CAROLINE SMITH, SEEKER
W
hen we launched Seeker Universe a little over a year
ago, we also established an exciting partnership with
the ISS National Lab, as a way to lean in on the content
that is most popular with Seeker’s online viewers. Of our more Caroline Smith is the
Chief Content Officer of
than 200 million monthly video views, roughly a third are Seeker
space related. Our audience just can’t get enough of space.
1 The View From the Cupola
FEATURES The world today has a deficit of relatable science communication. In addition, one of our goals at
2 Exotic Glass Fibers From Space: What currently exists is frequently too technical, dry, or lofty, and Seeker is to inspire the next
The Race to Manufacture ZBLAN public perception is often that science must be nerdy. At Seeker, we generation of leaders in science,
focus on science, curiosity, and innovation in a way that inspires and technology, engineering, and
The Ultimate Science Fair: entertains. We humanize the world of science, shedding light on the mathematics (STEM). To do this,
8 Participating in the Student minds that push boundaries and invent bold new solutions to make our we’ve made a conscious effort to
Spaceflight Experiments Program
world better. The public has an appetite to understand how the world broaden the public’s awareness
Tough Enough for Space: TABLE OF works, and we feed that in a way that is relatable and attainable. of how every aspect of our
CONTENTS
14 Accelerating Materials Testing world can be viewed through a
Working with the ISS National Lab, we are able to bring untold lens of science. In this issue of
With a New Permanent Platform
space stories to life across a variety of content formats, including Upward, several stories focus on
SPOTLIGHTS short, socially-optimized video, mid-form documentaries, and re- the ways that the ISS National
Encouraging Girls in STEM: publishing of articles from Upward. Our storytelling arc needs to Lab is addressing the urgency
19 Astronaut Reads American Girl Book on the ISS capture audiences specific to the platform where they’re consuming of supporting science literacy in
Seeker content. Across the board, regardless of platform, viewers today’s youth.
20 Igniting Interest Through Inquiry are keen to understand how the work onboard the ISS will directly
influence life on Earth. In this issue of Upward, for example, Read on to learn more about the
An Expanding Market of readers can learn about how the ISS is improving our ability to current, relevant research going on
21 Nontraditional ISS Users EDITORIAL BOARD make advanced materials and to transmit data using exotic optical in space, and to see more of what
Randy Giles
fibers, which will have a substantial impact here on Earth. our audience at Seeker craves,
Michael Roberts
Amelia Williamson Smith visit www.seeker.com.
Emily Tomlin Drawing this connection to the real world is particularly
important, because when it comes to space, our audience is ABOUT SEEKER: SEEKER IS THE #1
COPY EDITOR particularly fascinated by how activities in space affect our MOST ENGAGING SCIENCE BRAND
George Hale
everyday lives. They want to understand how space exploration ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORLD.*
PUBLICATION DESIGN affects them today. Our partnership with the ISS National Lab SEEKER AIMS TO SATISFY CURIOSITY,
MTN Advertising allows us to profile science experiments in space in a way that MAKE SCIENCE RELATABLE, AND
makes very clear the impact they will have on the Earth—on INSPIRE YOUNG AUDIENCES. WE
WEB DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Dameian Lott the lives of our viewers today and the lives of their children. ENCOURAGE OUR VIEWERS TO
Upward.ISSNationalLab.org
QUESTION, DREAM, AND CREATE. IN
Published 12/19/2018 DECEMBER 2016, SEEKER JOINED
FORCES WITH THRILLIST, THE DODO,
AND NOWTHIS TO FORM GROUP NINE
MEDIA, ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST
UPWARD ONLINE. For access on the go, visit: Upward.ISSNationalLab.org *Source: Tubular Labs, Inc., a company that provides video
DIGITAL-FIRST MEDIA COMPANIES.
intelligence and analytics to help measure performance over time.
THE VIEW FROM THE CUPOLA 1
DECEMBER 2018
Glass Fibers
Exotic FROM SPACE The Race to Manufacture ZBLAN
BY HAYLIE KASAP, Contributing Author
O
ptical fibers are the thread that connects our
modern digital world. Smaller in diameter than ZBLAN IS FRENCH?
a human hair, these fibers can transmit light The history of ZBLAN takes us
pulses of information at billions of pulses per second back to 1974 in Rennes, France,
when Professor Marcel Poulain
and over distances of several thousand kilometers, of the University of Rennes and
eclipsing what is possible with electrical cables. his brother Michel accidentally
discovered this series of heavy
These optical fibers are most metal fluoride glasses. Four
commonly made of silica (SiO2) years from their revolutionary
glass. While silica fibers are find, the brothers formed their
Fiber optic
cables used easily produced using well- own company Le Verre Fluoré,
in modern established methods, optical putting the duo at the forefront
communication. losses in the fiber requires the of specialty fiber production.
ISS National Lab
use of expensive repeaters to
boost the signal across long However, interest in ZBLAN
transmission distances. diminished in the 1980s because
no one could pinpoint how to
The fluoride glass optical fiber, ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF, commonly prevent microcrystals from
known as ZBLAN, at its theoretical best can have 10 to 100 times forming in the fiber during
lower signal loss than silica fiber. However, when ZBLAN is produced production. These crystals
on Earth, convection and other gravity-driven phenomena can cause greatly reduce the transmission
ability of the fiber, making it
imperfections because of the nonuniform distribution of the various
unsuitable for many applications.
chemical components within the fiber. These defects that occur during
the process of solidification result in the formation of microcrystals But ZBLAN was too great a
that render the fibers unusable for many commercial applications. revolution to disregard. That is
why the U.S. Air Force and the
To avoid the adverse effects of gravity, scientists have turned to U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
the ISS National Lab to produce ZBLAN fiber in microgravity. started the research back up
again in the 1990s, including
High-performance ZBLAN fibers would be extremely valuable back parabolic arc test flights on
on Earth, and several commercial companies such as Fiber Optics NASA’s KC-135 aircraft. On these
Manufacturing in Space (FOMS), Made In Space (MIS), and Physical flights, ZBLAN glass experiments
Optics Corporation (POC) are currently pursuing in-orbit production of were run during the 22-second
ZBLAN fiber. Initial results have been promising, and successful ZBLAN period of aircraft freefall.
fiber production on the ISS National Lab could pave the way for future Although these few seconds were
large-scale commercial manufacturing of ZBLAN in low Earth orbit. not enough to produce proper
fiber, they were enough to obtain
promising preliminary test results.
ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF
2 EXOTIC GLASS FIBERS FROM SPACE 3
DECEMBER 2018
WHY MICROGRAVITY? Because ZBLAN is made of five different elements (zirconium, barium,
To understand why microgravity is preferable over normal gravity for ZBLAN lanthanum, aluminum, and sodium) while silica fiber consists of only
production, it is important to understand what about Earth’s gravity causes one (silicon), phase separation (boundary layers in the microstructure of
defects in the fibers. The production process on Earth involves draw towers a material) is more prevalent due to zirconium, barium, and lanthanum
that can be up to several stories tall. At the top of the tower is a preform, being denser than aluminum and sodium. Microgravity helps minimize
a large-diameter rod of the glass mixture, which is heated up so that a this effect as well.
bead of glass falls, pulling a glass fiber behind it. Reaching the bottom
of the tower, the fiber is wound on a spool to continue the draw from the It’s sort of like your favorite ice cream with a bunch of toppings
preform. The whole process has been compared to that of pulling taffy. inside,” Snyder said. “If you let that ice cream melt on Earth, all that The FOMS Space Facility
When scientists talk about defects in ZBLAN optical fibers, they are heavy stuff sinks and the light stuff floats, and the same thing happens for Orbital Remote
Manufacturing (SpaceFORM)
mainly referring to crystallization and phase separation within the with fiber. In space, those density-related separations don’t happen.” experiment, supported by the
fibers. Due to convection-induced effects in molten ZBLAN glass, as ISS National Lab, NASA, the
well as other reasons researchers are still trying to determine, ZBLAN THE PATH TO ZBLAN PRODUCTION ON THE ISS Small Business Innovation
Research program, and
optical fibers made in Earth’s gravity are prone to having crystals form Before taking ZBLAN production to the ISS National Lab, POC used private funding, is scheduled
during the transition from a molten liquid state to a solid-like state. parabolic flight studies to test microgravity’s effects on ZBLAN to launch on SpaceX CRS-17.
production and optimize their hardware. “Results were encouraging,” SpaceFORM, which is
"ZBLAN is desirable for many applications because it has a very said Ranjit Pradhan, vice president of applied technologies at POC. covered by an issued
U.S. patent, is capable of
large wavelength transmission window; even the current fibers with “The cross section of the glass pulled during parabolic flights was producing up to 50 km of
defects from ground production are used for transmission of infrared ZBLAN ZBLAN significantly more homogeneous than glass pulled on the ground.” optical fiber in a single flight.
light,” said Michael Snyder, chief engineer and cofounder of MIS. produced in produced in FOMS
“In theory, if you could suppress most or all of the crystallization in microgravity normal gravity These promising results led to the development of POC’s Orbital Fiber
ZBLAN, the advantages of ZBLAN fiber, which include repeaterless NASA NASA Optic Production Module, which is scheduled for launch to the ISS on
transoceanic transmission of light, are huge compared to silica fiber.” SpaceX’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-17 mission in 2019.
POC will first operate the system in microgravity to identify any unknown
Using estimates for the theoretical loss limit of ZBLAN glass, a 2,000-km factors that could adversely affect the in-orbit production of high-
length of ZBLAN fiber could have the same optical loss as 10 km of quality ZBLAN fibers. Once optimization of the system is complete, the
silica fiber, which would be an extraordinary performance gain. company plans commercial operations for in-orbit fiber manufacturing.
MADE IN ORBIT. USED ON EARTH. The MIS Optical
Fiber Production
Diagram courtesy of Made In Space in Microgravity
(OFPIM) payload.
Made In Space
PREPARE ON LAUNCH MANUFACTURE RETURN TO
EARTH TO ISS ON ISS EARTH & USE
4 EXOTIC GLASS FIBERS FROM SPACE 5DECEMBER 2018
Close-up of optical fiber
manufactured in microgravity
NASA
Similarly, FOMS leveraged its knowledge of past
studies in the development of ruggedized hardware
to develop the Space Facility for Orbital Remote
Manufacturing (SpaceFORM), for which the company
has an issued U.S. patent. SpaceFORM is intended to
serve as not only a proof of concept but also a platform
for volume production of optical fibers in microgravity.
The MIS OFPIM payload atop the Additive Manufacturing The MIS OFPIM mission patch from
We were able to commercialize the hardware development and Facility with JAXA astronaut Norishige Kanai onboard the ISS. the SpaceX CRS-13 launch.
Michael Snyder (second from right),
scientific development on the materials side even before we were able chief engineer and cofounder of MIS, NASA Made In Space
to bring our hardware and experiments to an orbital platform, which is receives the 2018 ISS Innovation
quite exciting,” said Dmitry Starodubov, chief scientist at FOMS. “Our Award in Physical Sciences and
Materials Development. This shift from validation to production of fibers for characterization
ultimate goal is to scale up production and commercial revenue and to
ISS National Lab
and attenuation is an important step toward optimizing the OFPIM existing space trip cost, which
establish a sustainable manufacturing platform in orbit through use of
for commercial production of ZBLAN fibers in space for use back on is comparable to the price of
this technology.”
Earth. The fibers pulled in testing so far have not been long enough platinum per kilogram, by roughly
SpaceFORM, which is capable of multi-kilometer fiber production, is for critical evaluation, but according to MIS, preliminary visual analysis a factor of 10 in the near future.”
scheduled to launch to the ISS on SpaceX CRS-17 in 2019, after which of the fiber’s microstructure indicates an absence of the level of
As costs start to come down,
FOMS plans to conduct several in-orbit experiments aimed at testing and microcrystallization and flaws typically seen in terrestrially produced fiber.
in-orbit manufacturing will
optimizing their hardware. FOMS hopes to gain insight into the fundamental become more accessible to
physics of material processing in microgravity and the improvement pathways COMMERCIAL INTEREST AND THE
FUTURE OF SPACE MANUFACTURING smaller companies. And as
for the properties of the fiber produced in orbit. This knowledge will help in more companies get involved,
operationalizing a commercial in-orbit optical fiber manufacturing facility. The core technology needed to produce commercial quantities of
whether through the production
ZBLAN in microgravity is currently in development, and FOMS, MIS,
For MIS, successful parabolic flight testing led to the development of the of ZBLAN or other products, the
and POC are each fine-tuning their methods of drawing optical fibers
company’s initial demonstration optical fiber puller, which launched to the ISS cost of flying and returning cargo
in space. For now, the ISS is the ideal platform to support the current
on SpaceX CRS-13 in December 2017. As part of their multi-flight Optical will continue to be driven further
level of space-based ZBLAN production. However, depending on the
Fiber Production in Microgravity (OFPIM) experiment, this first investigation down, spurring an expansion
growth of the industry, the future could involve a new ISS module
from MIS focused on evaluating the puller’s temperature settings. of commercial manufacturing
specifically dedicated to fiber pulling or even a new station or other
of products in space that have
platform for optical fiber manufacturing in low Earth orbit.
The OFPIM hardware is high value back on Earth.
INNOVATION AWARD
entirely automated, which
At the annual ISS Research The ISS is a great learning tool for mastering production In terms of the future Earth
holds great promise for long- and Development Conference of ZBLAN fibers,” said Pradhan. “It offsets some of the risks in benefits of space-produced
The MIS term commercial use due in July, MIS won the
OFPIM payload to the minimal crew time developing these sorts of high-value optical materials for the ZBLAN, Pradhan said that “given
undergoing
2018 International Space commercial sector.” that ZBLAN performs closest
needed for unloading and Station Innovation Award
acoustics
plugging in samples—but to the theoretical best, space
testing. in Physical Sciences and However, before large-scale commercial ZBLAN production in space fibers could be used to wire up
perfecting the operation of Materials Development
Made In Space
can really take off, in-orbit manufacturing must become price different continents.” Trans-
the industrial process itself for their innovative work competitive. “We are thankful to the ISS Commercial Space Utilization oceanic telecommunication lines
takes iteration. To this end, on ZBLAN optical fiber Program Office for funding this unique opportunity,” said Pradhan. currently made of silica optical
a second investigation from production in microgravity.
The current round-trip costs of launching cargo to the ISS, performing fibers could be replaced with
MIS that launched on SpaceX CRS-14 in April focused on testing
experiments and procedures, and sending the cargo back down are high-performance microgravity-
several approaches for fiber-pulling techniques, and a third investigation
prohibitive without NASA and the ISS National Lab subsidizing costs. produced ZBLAN fibers.
on SpaceX CRS-15 in June further optimized the industrial process
According to Starodubov, though, this may not always be the case.
settings. A fourth investigation that launched on SpaceX CRS-16 "With such low optical loss,” said
earlier this month seeks to shift from pulling only test-length fibers “The ongoing revolution of the space industry is making orbital processing Pradhan, “the world could be
to pulling fibers reaching up to 100 m in length for analysis. amazingly affordable,” said Starodubov. “The costs will be dropping from the connected like never before.”
6 EXOTIC GLASS FIBERS FROM SPACE 7DECEMBER 2018
THE ULTIMATE R
ocket scientists, real meteorite pieces, big telescopes on loan from
astronomical societies—and mixed in with it all, students in grades 5 through
Science Fair
12 presenting their own experiments, each hoping to be selected as a finalist
to possibly have their experiment fly to the International Space Station (ISS).
This is the scene at Space Night in Burleson, Texas, a community event put on by the Burleson Independent
School District (ISD) designed to get families, students, and community members excited about science and
spaceflight research and to allow students an opportunity to present the experiments they are submitting for Step
1 Review as part of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education’s (NCESSE) Student Spaceflight
Experiments Program (SSEP).
Participating in the Student Burleson ISD began participating in SSEP during the 2014–2015 school year, a year after the new superintendent
Spaceflight Experiments Program Bret Jimerson came onboard with the mission of getting more students engaged in science, technology, math,
and engineering (STEM). “He wanted to unify everyone around an idea of STEM and progress and innovation.
That’s where SSEP comes in,” said Leslie Bender Jutzi, Burleson’s chief academic innovation officer.
BY JESSICA SCARFUTO, Contributing Author
Recognizing the power of space to inspire and engage students,
Jimerson’s first project for the district was SSEP, a program in which
they have participated and excelled every year since. With the
Burleson ISD
success of SSEP within their community, the Burleson ISD Academic students with
Innovation Department has expanded their program offerings to include SSEP National
options in robotics, drones, xeriscaping (a landscaping method that Program Director
reduces the need for irrigation), and additional space topics and and NCESSE
Scientists with swag: Members of SSEP Team Penicillium Mold Growth Center Director
show they've got what it takes to send an experiment to space. research opportunities, covering a wide range of age groups. Jeff Goldstein.
Burleson ISD
Burleson ISD
ENGAGING STUDENTS IN REAL SCIENCE
The primary mission of the ISS National Lab is to benefit life on Earth,
something that SSEP tackles through inspiring young scientists.
SSEP is unique because it engages students in every aspect of STEM MORE ABOUT SSEP
through a research competition in which the winners get to imagine, SSEP was started in 2010 by
design, and send an experiment to space—an immersive learning NCESSE in partnership with
experience that aligns well with Next Generation Science Standards. in-orbit commercial service
provider NanoRacks, LLC. SSEP
The thought of designing a spaceflight experiment is an irresistible lure is a partner in the Space Station
for students in grades 5 through 12, who are the primary focus of the Explorers consortium, a growing
program. Instead of the traditional model of doing well-established community of ISS National Lab
experiments in science class, students are challenged to research a partner organizations that aims
topic and come up with an experiment worthy of microgravity study. to leverage the space station
to engage learners in valuable
STEM education experiences. The
I think the idea of flying an program is offered to students
experiment to the International Space in grades 5 through 12, as well
Station is what draws them in initially, as undergraduates in colleges
but what we found from most of our and universities. Students can
students is that being treated as design experiments spanning
many research areas, including
professional scientists was a better
cell biology, the physiology and
experience for them than anything
life cycles of microorganisms,
in terms of actually flying the crystal growth, seed germination,
experiment,” said Stacy Hamel, and food studies. Since its
SSEP Senior Flight Operations inception, SSEP has engaged
Manager for NCESSE. more than 86,000 students in
the U.S., Canada, and Brazil in
Student principal investigator Gabriel McCarthy authentic research experiences.
working with penicillium mold in potato agar slants in
the Texas Christian University Microbiology Laboratory.
Burleson ISD
8 THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE FAIR 9DECEMBER 2018
Members of
SSEP Team FITTING INTO TIGHT SPACES
Penicillium Mold
Growth present Perhaps the most challenging part of the competition is that
their research students must come up with an experiment that can fit within the
at the 2018 parameters of the lab space available on the ISS. The NanoRacks
SSEP National
Conference in Fluid Mixing Enclosure (called “MixStix”), the mini-laboratory utilized
Washington, D.C. by SSEP, is essentially a silicone tube that can hold small amounts
Burleson ISD of fluids or solids in up to three separate compartments.
NanoRacks MixStix
For each SSEP mission, a call is A NEXT-GENERATION PROGRAM FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL LEARNING NanoRacks, LLC
put out for interested communities SSEP aligns powerfully with the new national Next Generation Science
to submit an implementation plan Standards (NGSS) because it stimulates critical thinking and problem
detailing how SSEP will be used solving within the sciences. NGSS was created by states to promote
science literacy in students in a way that extends beyond mere Students may use either one or two clamps to separate samples. Once
to meet strategic needs in STEM
knowledge of facts. Science is not just a subject—it is a field of study. in space, ISS crew members can open the clamps at different time
education for their community. Once
intervals to start and stop the experiment. The MixStix can hold up to
communities join the program,
The NGSS framework, published by the U.S. National Research 10 mL of samples or up to 8.2 mL total with the use of two clamps.
students are required to submit
Council, describes an approach to learning science that is “three-
proposals just like those written by dimensional.” Instead of expecting students to merely process existing “So, for example, students can load a seed and a substrate in volume Members of SSEP Team
practicing scientists. With the help Penicillium Mold Growth prepare
science knowledge, the NGSS challenges students to learn how to 1, water and a liquid fertilizer in volume 2, and a fixative in volume 3,” their MixStix sample to launch to
of their teachers, students split into think and act like a scientist and understand the fundamental nature said Hamel. Students then write a protocol for ISS crew members with the ISS National Lab.
small teams of typically three to five of science: that our understanding of the universe is continually being instructions on when to open the clamps and any other simple tasks Burleson ISD
students and learn how to do the revised as we advance in our ability to conduct new investigations. that may be needed, such as shaking the sample on a certain day.
most basic and often overlooked
part of science: experimental The three dimensions of NGSS include the following.
design and proposal writing. Ector County students,
1. Practices are focused on critical thinking—for example, how to including Deidre Morales A NEW APPROACH TO
Over a nine-week period, students ask questions, develop models, execute experiments, interpret (second from left), SCIENCE EDUCATION
come up with research questions data, and use other skills that are part of the scientific process. working with MixStix
Perhaps the most important
prior to sending to
and think of ways to answer the NanoRacks for launch to goal of SSEP is that for many
questions within certain parameters 2. Crosscutting Concepts are fundamental principles that apply frequently
to the diverse topics in the science classroom—for example, cause
the ISS National Lab. students, the program fosters true
set as part of the competition. Ector County ISD engagement in STEM subjects that
and effect, stability and change, and structure and function.
Students must also plan a ground goes beyond merely achieving high
control experiment that is conducted 3. Disciplinary Core Ideas are the overarching concepts within scientific test scores. Getting good grades,
simultaneously on Earth to knowledge that students should know to be good future citizens For tenth grader Deidre Morales from Ector County, Texas, designing her while important to many students,
understand how spaceflight affects and career professionals—for example, heredity, Earth’s systems, experiment to fit within the confines of the MixStix meant rethinking the entire does not necessarily lead to an
experimental outcomes. This allows and matter and its interactions. Within these core ideas, specific experiment in a more creative way. Morales wanted to study ways to get rid increased interest in a subject.
students to compare experimental topics are taught and built upon within each subsequent grade. of space trash, and while doing her preliminary research, she found a worm
results in microgravity with that degrades polyethylene (the most common plastic). However, the worm You have to make sure it’s
results from Earth- These three dimensions are equally important within each
did not fit in the MixStix, so Morales had to go back to the drawing board. relevant, and then you can get
based controls. performance expectation, or written standard for what a
student should be expected to know and be able to do at them engaged to the highest rigor
Typically, only a given grade level. Because the NGSS is fairly new to At the very last minute before proposals were due, she found a you like,” said Bender Jutzi.
one experiment instructors, science-based learning initiatives and lesson bacterium that had been discovered in Japan in 2016 that is known to
plans that embrace these three dimensions of science degrade plastic,” said Elizabeth Gray, the teacher facilitator for the project. As an authentic learning
flies from each
education are still being developed and are valuable competition, SSEP does just that.
participating
to and needed within the education community. The bacterium would fit in the MixStix, but first Gray and her students Through the hook of helping
community, so
needed to figure out how to get it to the United States. By reading through astronauts onboard the ISS, or
the competition is
SSEP meets this need by challenging students to perform the scientific literature, they were able to track down the lab in Japan, and someday on Mars, students learn
tough. Once students science from the brainstorming and proposal writing with the help of the Ector County ISD Innovation Department, they were able how to design an experiment, write
craft proposals, a local phases of a research investigation through its execution and to collaborate internationally to get the bacterium from Japan to Texas. a proposal, present their idea to
review board composed analysis—requiring students to practice the scientific method, local review boards, and, if selected
of experts within the internalize crosscutting concepts and predict “It took us five weeks to get it because we had to order it online and get to fly their experiment to the ISS,
community selects three finalists While studying swab sample how they will influence their experiment, and approval from the United States Department of Agriculture to make sure it present the outcomes of their
to be moved on to national review, growths, SSEP Team Penicillium learn about specific science topics within
Mold Growth students were in
would not be harmful to anyone,” said Gray. It was a unique opportunity that research at a national conference,
where a committee of experts disciplinary core ideas. The program is thus
awe of the microscopic world allowed the students to not only learn about a new bacterium but also learn typically held at the Smithsonian
assembled by NCESSE selects on the leading-edge of national approaches
that lives around them. about government policies and international collaboration in the sciences. National Air and Space Museum.
the winning experiment for flight. Burleson ISD to science education while also inspiring and
exciting students through the wonder of space.
10 THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE FAIR 11DECEMBER 2018
These are skills that many scientists do not learn until college
or even graduate school. “It’s definitely a novel approach
STEM Education
to science education, and it takes students from learners
to actual practicing scientists,” said SSEP’s Hamel.
For the students, it is exciting to be treated like a scientist, even though
it is hard work. For sixth-grade student researcher and SSEP principal
investigator Gabriel McCarthy from Burleson ISD, participating in SSEP through
had been a dream since he was in third grade. McCarthy’s career goal
is to become an astrophysicist, and he had been looking forward to
competing in SSEP since he first heard about the competition. Space Exploration!
In participating in SSEP and having his experiment “The Effects of
Microgravity on Penicillium Mold Growth” selected for flight, McCarthy not SSEP Team Penicillium Mold Growth,
only grew to understand just how much work goes into science, but he also including student Gabriel McCarthy
got to experience new opportunities that were never available to him before. (second from left), with teacher Laura
Smith in front of the Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum.
It helped me get a grip on how much work goes into a project and Burleson ISD
how many variables can be surrounding a project,” McCarthy said of the
Quest for Space is an easy-to-implement, cost-effective program that allows students in elementary, middle, and high school to run
experience. But for him, it was totally worth it. “The most exciting parts of experiments on the International Space Station. Our Next Generation Science Standard-aligned, project-based curriculum emphasizes
this experience were going to Washington, D.C., getting to present at the McCarthy also learned how different
teamwork, as students engage in hands-on learning about electrical engineering, software programming, and the physical science of
Smithsonian, being part of the launch party, and getting to work so closely concentrations of chemicals, like heat transfer. Teacher training and support are available to ensure successful implementation of the program in the classroom.
with Texas Christian University (TCU) and college professors,” he said. medications or nutrients, can
affect tumor cell growth and has Call or email for more info:
Working with local universities is a unique opportunity and often one been invited to participate in TCU’s With Quest for Space, the sky is not the limit anymore! (650) 701-7454
of the most valued experiences for students. McCarthy and his team Student Research Symposium this info@questforspace.com
worked with Clark Jones, a biology instructor at TCU, in his microbiology year for the second time. For a www.questforspace.com
lab while preparing their sample for launch to the ISS. McCarthy also had sixth-grade student, this is typically
the opportunity to work with Hana Dobrovolny, an assistant professor of an unheard-of opportunity.
biophysics at TCU, and to participate in TCU’s Student Research Symposium.
INSPIRING YOUNG SCIENTISTS
“Dr. Dobrovolny taught me more about cell growth, and it has
2017
Tango
IN A BOX
LAB • NOVEMBER
Although the draw of flying an
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ON PAGE
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Visit Upward.ISSNationalLab.org
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12 THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE FAIR 13DECEMBER 2018
TOUGH ENOUGH I
n microgravity, even seemingly indestructible
materials degrade. Just look at the Hubble
FOR SPACE
telescope, where its outer layer of insulation
and thin layer of aluminum encasing have become
so embrittled they are cracking and curling.
Without question, space is a harsh place where radiation,
temperature extremes, orbital debris, and atomic oxygen (the
presence of highly reactive single-oxygen atoms) flourish.
Accelerating Materials Testing A new permanent test bed is now available on the exterior of the International
Space Station (ISS) that allows investigators to analyze the durability
With a New Permanent Platform of materials one sample or experiment at a time in the extreme space MISSE-FF with the zenith MISSE
sample carrier open and the
environment. The remotely controlled platform, the Materials ISS Experiment
samples exposed to space.
Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) from in-orbit commercial services provider Alpha
BY ANNE WAINSCOTT-SARGENT, Contributing Author Space Test & Research Alliance, LLC, aims to accelerate the testing of
NASA
materials and components that have utility both in space and on Earth.
Research and development
BUILDING ON NASA’S LEGACY OF INNOVATION projects included in MISSE-9 will
advance both space exploration
MISSE-FF, which launched on the 14th SpaceX commercial resupply
and Earth-based innovations in
services mission in April 2018, builds on two decades of innovation by
solar technology, remote sensing,
NASA. When the space shuttle was operating, NASA flew eight MISSE
telecommunications, and other
missions to the ISS, the last of which returned to Earth in 2014. The
fields. MISSE-9 includes a suite
new MISSE design uses carriers to hold the experiments, which are
of investigations, with samples
launched and returned with each mission. Carriers from the current
including 3D-printed materials,
mission, MISSE-9, using the new MISSE-FF platform, are currently
sensors, sensor components,
scheduled to return to Earth in December 2018 and April 2019.
textiles, carbon-fiber laminates,
In contrast to earlier MISSE paints, coatings, polymers, and
Robotic missions, in which astronauts composites. Within the first few
installed MISSE payloads on
transfer of weeks of MISSE-FF operation,
the MISSE-9
the outside of the ISS during Alpha Space had already received
MISSE sample 1.2 million data packets (a unit of
a spacewalk and then later
carriers from
retrieved the experiments
the JEM Airlock data made into a single package for
to the MISSE-
the same way for return to transmission), including imagery of
FF on ELC-2. samples in various flight orientations.
the ground, MISSE-FF is a
NASA
permanent fixture on the
“We built the MISSE-FF platform
space station. The platform’s
in less than three years, and
individual experiment carriers are installed and removed using the robotic
now that it’s onboard the ISS,
Canadarm2. Approximately 40 percent of the platform is reserved for NASA
it’s running spectacularly,” said
experiments, with the remaining 60 percent available for commercial use.
Alpha Space founder Stephanie
Murphy, who brought together a
Our business model and the MISSE-FF platform significantly team of engineers with prior MISSE
broaden access to space and enable commercial enterprises to get experience to build the platform.
to low Earth orbit (LEO),” said Mark Gittleman, president and CEO of
Alpha Space. “We make it inexpensive and easy to test new materials, Murphy also leads MEI Technologies,
components, and technologies in space with help from NASA and the a government contracting firm
ISS National Lab, which, together with Alpha Space’s great team, established in 1992 by Murphy’s
enable our business model.” father as Muñiz Engineering,
Inc. MEI Technologies originally
won the contract to privatize
(Left) Preflight photos of the MISSE-9 experiment
the MISSE platform, but it was
decks in the Alpha Space clean room. Murphy’s idea to spin off Alpha
Kim de Groh, NASA's Glenn Research Center Space into a standalone firm.
14 TOUGH ENOUGH FOR SPACE 15DECEMBER 2018
DRIVING NEW UNDERSTANDING Kim de Groh at the NASA Glenn These established benefits are appealing to a broad customer base. “We’ve
Research Center with the MISSE-9
AND BREAKTHROUGHS experiment decks, shortly after attracted some really diverse initial clients,” said Murphy. “We’re in a lucky
Results from MISSE-9 investigations sample integration into the MISSE-9 place where we can invite new users to the ISS National Lab, but our An Alta Devices
will not be fully realized until after R2 (ram), W3 (wake), and Z3 expenses are still being subsidized through the ISS National Lab and NASA. solar cell.
(zenith) MISSE sample carrier decks.
the MISSE sample carriers housing It’s a short-term incentive to bring entities and entrepreneurs into the fold Aarohi Vijh
Kim de Groh, NASA's Glenn Research Center
the experiments return in winter that haven’t been there before.”
2018 and spring 2019 and samples
or components are analyzed, but Besides traditional materials testing (e.g., paint, coatings, fabrics, and
historical MISSE investigations materials for 3D printing), Murphy noted that Alpha Space has had strong
have a legacy of advancing interest from customers studying “exobiology,” or the behavior of living
understanding and innovation things in the external space environment; for example, biological firms
in several industries on Earth. focused on medical applications.
The materials of
For example, research on surface We’ve got people who want to fly biofilms and neurological cells the future and the
oxidation by atomic oxygen informs for radiation testing,” Murphy said. “Others have interest in flying plants component systems in
the design of fire-retardant and and seeds to test radiation exposures. They want to see if they grow which they are used are going
rust-resistant materials on Earth. plants on Mars and how radiation will affect their plant growth or to need to pass even more rigorous
Interactions between various materials PROVIDING FOUR SIDES OF EXPOSURE testing in extreme environments
seed germination.” This diversity of interest has led the company
and solar ultraviolet radiation in order to operate and remain
The MISSE-FF platform, which resembles a futuristic four-sided to embrace the slogan: “If it fits, it flies.”
could lead to better protective functional as they shrink in size and
cube, provides four sides of environmental exposure relative
designs for communications and to the space station’s orbit—in the wake, zenith, ram, and
power consumption but increase
weather satellites and may help nadir orientations. This is an important feature that provides A biofilm is an assemblage of microbial cells attached to a surface and enclosed in a in complexity and capability.
improve terrestrial structures, such advantages beyond the historical MISSE missions by allowing self-produced matrix of compounds that protect the microbes from the environment. The small satellite revolution is
as plastic siding for houses. testing related to specific aspects of the external environment. driven by advances in material
performance and technologies
In addition, because true space The wake orientation approximates the lunar environment because in AN UNPARALLELED PLATFORM FOR TECH DEMO proven in the harshness of space.
environmental conditions are this orientation, the facility itself shields the experiments. Materials Firms wishing to demonstrate or test their space technology components
difficult to replicate on Earth, MISSE placed in the MISSE wake orientation would be exposed mostly to and equipment in LEO are particularly drawn to the MISSE-FF platform. Like Joshi, Aarohi Vijh also sees
provides a valuable test platform that the plasma particles in LEO and to solar ultraviolet radiation. Two such technology demonstration experiments on MISSE-9 involve value in the MISSE-FF platform for
enables methods for correlating and testing glass-free packaging for solar cells and assessing the robustness his technology components. Vijh
extrapolating ground results. “That The zenith side faces the sun, and the nadir side is Earth facing. The of optical receivers for communication in the harshness of space. heads new product definition and
means that MISSE experiments zenith side supports solar-cell or radiation testing. Significant radiation technical marketing for Alta Devices,
can make ground testing more comes from this view because there’s no atmosphere that blocks or One experiment is from New Jersey-based Discovery Semiconductors, a solar technology company in
accurate and reliable,” said MISSE slows down radiation. The ram side provides a premium spot for atomic Inc., which makes fiber-optic modules and receivers for Sunnyvale, California. The company
oxygen exposure or analyzing the degradation rate of materials. telecommunications, the military, and now LEO space applications. was founded 10 years ago by two
researcher Kim de Groh from
NASA’s Glenn Research Center. researchers: Harry Atwater, of the
A big advantage of the new facility is the inclusion of “Demand for data bandwidth, which has been strong for terrestrial California Institute of Technology,
Most notably, of course, MISSE environmental sensors that provide us with information on the applications for many years, has started to migrate to space and Eli Yablonovitch, of the
missions have provided space- amount of exposure in each flight orientation, such as solar platforms,” said Abhay Joshi, owner of Discovery Semiconductors. University of California, Berkeley.
environment durability data that exposure, which we didn’t have before,” said de Groh, who has
enables the design of new, even Joshi previously flew his fiber-optic components on MISSE-7 and has
samples on MISSE-9 in the zenith, ram, and wake orientation.
more reliable spacecraft and continued with the current MISSE-9 mission. He hopes the latest tech
innovative new structures The MISSE-FF platform itself is permanent. To avoid astronauts demo—involving two indium gallium arsenide high-end space receivers—will ALTA DEVICES already supplies
for use in harsh having to do spacewalks to retrieve MISSE experiments enhance the technology readiness level (TRL) of his company’s components. its thin and flexible solar cells to
environments both on from the station, NASA required that the platform’s the automotive sector and to the
plug-in carriers all be robotically re-serviceable. unmanned aerial vehicle market,
and off Earth. Today’s Technology readiness level (TRL) is a system used to rate the maturity level of
The robotic Canadarm2 special-purpose dexterous especially for single-junction solar-
satellites that are a technology on a scale from one to nine, with TRL-1 being observation of basic
manipulator can plug in or remove MISSE-FF sample principles and TRL-9 being proven through successful operations. powered aircraft. Alta Devices
relied upon by holds the world record for solar
hundreds of millions carriers containing materials or other experiments.
efficiency, generating very high
of people for power per unit area. For small,
The carriers pick up power and data from the platform,
Earth observation, unmanned systems, Alta Device’s
which means that active experiments can be powered and The MISSE-FF platform is highly desirable because it allows me to
weather, and AnyLight™ power technology
commanded, and data can be read back to Alpha Space’s get some of my components up in space and see how they withstand
communications payload operations control center in Houston. Each of the provides unmanned systems as
vibration, shock, rocket launch, and re-entry, as well as the extreme
were developed with platform’s four sides has space for three carriers, and each much as five times more daytime
materials tested in space vacuum and temperatures of space,” said Joshi, whose receivers are
carrier provides 181 square inches of area exposed to space, endurance, and at one gram per
on earlier NASA-led MISSE used for communications and remote-sensing applications. “MISSE-FF is
NASA offering a large capacity. Each carrier also has more than 270 cubic watt of power, it has virtually no
and related exposure missions. an ideal platform to check the space worthiness of new devices.” impact on weight or aerodynamics.
inches of below-deck space available for experiments and extra electronics.
16 TOUGH ENOUGH FOR SPACE 17DECEMBER 2018
Vijh and his team are studying a special kind of solar cell based on gallium
arsenide (GaAs). GaAs solar cells were first developed in the early 1970s
and have several unique advantages. GaAs is naturally robust to moisture
and radiation, making it very durable. It has a wide and direct band gap
allowing for more efficient photon absorption and high-output power density.
Encouraging Girls in STEM: SPOT
LIGHT
Astronaut Reads American Girl Book on the ISS
To create glass-free packaging for these solar cells so that they BY TERE DARDON, Staff Writer
are lighter, less fragile, and better able to operate in space, Alta
Devices tapped into years of NASA performance data on various
plastics and polymers flown in space on MISSE missions. “In
developing our own packaging solution, it made it a lot easier to
A ccording to the National Science Foundation, studies have shown that by the time
children reach the second grade and are asked to draw a scientist, they typically
draw a man in a lab coat. Additionally, several studies have found that girls lose
look at what had already been done and proven,” Vijh said. THE STEM CONNECTION interest in science and math during their middle school years. These data underscore
MISSE has and will continue to the importance of highlighting women and girls in science—and one effective avenue
Vijh plans to continue to use the MISSE platform to evaluate his
serve as a vehicle for science, may be through popular children’s media, such as in books and TV shows, providing
firm’s innovative solar arrays. “It’s a very powerful statement to
make to our customers that our solar panels and packaging have technology, engineering, and powerful affirmation outside the classroom that girls can and do pursue science.
actually been on a space flight with a credible provider,” he said. mathematics (STEM) education,
with students collaborating on
Vijh sees applications on the ground as well. “The solar cells several NASA MISSE experiments.
receive very high environmental exposure in space—ultraviolet Under NASA’s two-year MISSE-X NASA astronaut Serena
rays and temperature cycling,” Vijh said. “The materials and our project (the predecessor to Auñón-Chancellor reads
MISSE-FF), Thibeault and de Groh an excerpt from the
manufacturing techniques that we’re qualifying on MISSE will American Girl book
carry over to applications on the ground in the automotive industry contributed to the development of Luciana: Braving the
and near-space applications such as high-altitude aircraft.” a STEM education teacher’s guide Deep onboard the ISS
(see: nasa.gov/sites/default/files/ as part of Story Time
best_misse-x_workbook.pdf). From Space.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Story Time From Space
On the NASA side, both de Groh and Sheila Thibeault, a member “All my prior missions on
of the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch in the Research MISSE-1 through MISSE-8 were
Directorate at NASA’s Langley Research Center, have experiments collaborative efforts with students
not only on MISSE-9 but also on MISSE-10, which recently at Hathaway Brown, an all-girl
high school,” noted de Groh. Recently, from inside the cupola onboard the ISS, like astronauts do on the space station. The
launched to the ISS on Northrop Grumman CRS-10.
NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor was fictional Luciana details some of the challenges
Over the last 20 years, de Groh
Thibeault served as an original founder of the MISSE project back in has mentored 31 young women
videoed reading an excerpt from the American involved in working together on a team to complete
1999, building the initial hardware used on MISSE-1 through MISSE-8. on MISSE projects. The students Girl book Luciana: Braving the Deep as part of a project—something all scientists face when
She also assisted with the redesign of MISSE to be remotely controlled, worked in small teams once Story Time From Space, a Space Station Explorers working collaboratively to advance science.
eliminating the need for spacewalks, and she and de Groh both a week after school and full education partner program. In the book, written During the reading, Auñón-Chancellor compared
advocated for a permanent MISSE platform on the space station. time during summer throughout by Erin Teagan, Luciana Vega™—American Girl’s the scenarios in the excerpt to her real-life
their high school careers. 2018 Girl of the Year™—dreams of one day experiences working as an astronaut on the ISS.
“I’m really excited about MISSE missions continuing under Alpha becoming an astronaut and traveling to Mars. The Story Time From Space reading of Luciana:
Space leadership,” said Thibeault. She recalls how her team Watching a female astronaut read a book about a Braving the Deep was officially released
often had to take the machining of the carriers to NASA Langley’s young girl who also aspires to become an astronaut during a special live downlink at the Riverside
machine shop, which was time consuming and involved some can provide valuable motivation for young girls Library and Cultural Center in Colorado. During
cost, and had to oversee quality control for incoming specimens to engage in science, technology, engineering, the downlink—which also aired live through
from external partners, which also took time and resources. Space represents a crucial and mathematics (STEM) activities and perhaps several NASA outlets—students were able to
economic sector for the United even strive toward a career speak with Auñón-Chancellor while she was
“Alpha Space is making our life easier,” Thibeault said. “I can focus on States, and Alpha Space is leading
my materials and the science and don’t have to worry about the platform in a STEM field. Having a onboard the ISS, asking her questions about
the way to help NASA and the relatable representation like what it’s like to live and work in space.
or the specimen holders, which is all being taken care of for me.” country achieve the very important Luciana really brings to life American Girl, an iconic brand since 1986,
While it is still early in the policy of commercializing LEO,” the idea that girls can be continually introduces dolls, books, and other
platform’s performance history, said Gittleman. “We are doing it actively involved in STEM. accessories that represent a variety of female
The MISSE-FF Alpha Space executives alongside traditional NASA space
platform,
In the book excerpt read by characters in stories that aim to instill important
believe the future is bright for science, which I think will enable Auñón-Chancellor, Luciana values in young girls. As American Girl’s 2018 Girl
developed by
Alpha Space, MISSE-FF as a permanent test improvements to the U.S. space- attends a youth astronaut of the Year, Luciana helped bring visibility to the
on the ISS. bed that will have a lasting industry supply chain while training camp, where she importance of encouraging girls in STEM and showed
Alpha Space/NASA impact on the quality of life simultaneously making LEO more grows hydroponic plants girls that science is not just for men in lab coats.
at home and in space. accessible than ever before.” American Girl
18 TOUGH ENOUGH FOR SPACE SPOTLIGHTS 19DECEMBER 2018
Igniting Interest Through Inquiry SPOT
LIGHT
An Expanding Market of Nontraditional ISS Users SPOT
LIGHT
BY DAN BARSTOW, Staff Writer BY PATRICK O’NEILL, Staff Writer
AND SARA CARNEY, Contributing Author
J ulissa Herrera loves science. As a current student at Evergreen Community
College in San Jose, California, she is working her way toward a career
P art of the role of the ISS National Lab is to expand the utilization of the orbiting facility
to nontraditional research partners, such as those representing commercial brands
or interests. Over the years, unique entities including Budweiser, Cobra Puma Golf,
in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics field. But not so Google, and Apple have all become part of the ISS National Lab community. While each
long ago, it seemed that Hererra was headed on a different path. company has had different interests in using the space station, each has helped to craft
case studies to entice others to take their research and development to new heights.
In high school, science was one of Herrera’s
least favorite subjects. The traditional science At the 2018 ISS Research and Development Specifically, Goodyear will examine whether silica
courses offered at her school did not appeal Conference in July, two additional companies particle formation in microgravity might reveal
to her. She was even at risk for dropping out. announced their intention to become part of new molecular structures of silica that could be
However, thanks to a unique opportunity to this burgeoning commercial space science used in tire production to improve performance.
design and test a science experiment on the community—Delta Faucet Company and Goodyear Goodyear’s investigation could pave the way
ISS, Herrera’s passion for science was ignited. Tire & Rubber Company, both with investigations (pun intended) for the development of consumer
Quest for Space, a Space anticipated to launch in the coming year. tires that are both more reliable and more
Station Explorers partner Delta Faucet is widely recognized within the home fuel efficient than those currently available.
program led by the Quest improvement community, as their kitchen and Both Delta Faucet and Goodyear represent a
Institute for Quality bathroom appliances are featured in thousands growing market of nontraditional users that are
Education, aims to help elementary through of households worldwide. Now, the company seeing the value in sending their research and
high-school students like Herrera who are not seeks to leverage the microgravity environment development to the ISS National Lab to advance
excelling at science in a traditional classroom onboard the space station to enhance their their consumer products back on the ground.
environment. Students selected to participate product line and save the consumer money, The hope is that as more of these partnerships
must express interest in the program and must all while promoting efficient water usage. are forged, the concept of “nontraditional
have previously failed a science course. Julissa Herrera speaks at the 2018 ISSR&D Conference users” falls by the wayside, revealing these
about her Quest for Space experience. Delta Faucet plans to conduct an experiment
Through the program, students design experiments in association with its proprietary H2Okinetic® companies as trailblazers of major commercial
ISS National Lab/Mauricio Hoyos
using two almost-identical kits: a spaceflight shower head technology—which controls water utilization of the ISS to benefit life on Earth.
unit and a ground-based unit. Students use the droplet size and speed to create a feeling of
ground-based unit in their classroom and write For Hererra, increased pressure for the end user while using
simple code to control the experiment and collect participation in the less water. It does this by enlarging the size of
data. Then, Quest for Space sends the students’ program ultimately the water drops and increasing their speed. But
code to the ISS to run the experiment on the meant a change in scientists do not fully understand how gravity
spaceflight unit, downlinking the data to allow scholastic trajectory. affects the formation of water droplets, which
students to compare space and ground results. In recognition of this could impact the performance of the technology.
Quest for Space experiments range widely in transformation, she By studying water droplet formation and water
discipline—from plant health to ant behavior, was awarded the flow in microgravity, Delta Faucet hopes to learn
bacterial growth, and radiation effects— 2018 Space Station how they might better control droplet formation
and allow students to gain experience in Explorers Exceptional and flow to improve their H2Okinetic® technology
Julissa Herrera is awarded the
software engineering, electrical engineering, 2018 Space Station Explorers
Student Award at back on the ground. Their goal—to both
mechanical engineering, project management, Exceptional Student Award. the ISS Research enhance the shower experience for customers
and teamwork. Students and teachers ISS National Lab/Mauricio Hoyos and Development while also conserving water and energy.
also receive technical support, educational Conference.
resources, and access to ISS data. Goodyear is also aiming to leverage the Commercial utilization panel participants at the 2018 ISS
Since 2010, Quest for Space has helped send microgravity environment of the space station to Research and Development Conference (from left to right):
The experiment that Hererra participated in more than 100 student-designed experiments potentially improve its product lines. Materials Jackie Wattles, panel moderator and reporter, CNNMoney;
used fans, heaters, and sensors to measure to the ISS. Hererra is just one example of the science research plays a critical role in the Blair Bigelow, co-founder and vice president of corporate
how heat flows in a contained environment. program’s impact. Her story illustrates how development of Goodyear’s tires, and the company
strategy at Bigelow Space Operations; Derek Shuttleworth,
manager of external science and technology for Goodyear
She quickly became motivated by the hands-on hands-on experiences with ISS research can not is interested in studying silica—a key material used Tire & Rubber Co.; and Garry Marty, principal product
learning approach and enthusiastically took on only help spark students’ passion for science to manufacture consumer tires—in microgravity. engineer at Delta Faucet Co.
the role of mechanical engineer for the project. but also significantly change their lives. ISS National Lab/Mauricio Hoyos
20 SPOTLIGHTS 21You can also read
