Materials Science Research Rack Heats Up For Valuable Space
Station Science Have you ever wondered how we develop new
materials or find out what properties we can change in existing
materials to improve them? Scientists and researchers at NASA
are doing just that through materials science research using the
Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR ) aboard the International
Space Station Materials science research is the applied study of
the properties of matter and substances. This type of research
in space benefits from the microgravity environment, and it
allows researchers to isolate chemical and thermal properties of
materials from the effects of gravity. The MSRR is about the
size of a large refrigerator and contains two furnace inserts
that can heat materials to temperatures of 2,500 degrees
Fahrenheit. Cartridges are placed inside the furnace insert one
at a time for processing. Once a cartridge is in place, the
experiment can be run from the ground. Processed samples are
returned to Earth as soon as pos