International Space Station: How the ISS benefits people back on earth, NASA explains
Researchers and scientists are always on the lookout for anything fresh to study in which the International Space Station plays an important role in this endeavour. NASA has now detailed how the International Space Station benefits humans on Earth, in addition to being utilised for research and experimentation in space. Explore some of the ways the space station is benefiting humanity.
Developing medical scanning technology for the next generation
According to NASA, the NICER telescope team developed and patented an X-ray source that could be turned on and off in milliseconds to investigate neutron stars. Furthermore, when this information was discovered, a neuroradiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital was looking for ways to improve CT scans. The teams at Massachusetts General Hospital and NICER worked together to create a stationary ring of these tiny new modulated X-ray sources that can be positioned around the patient and discharged as needed. As a result of this method, the patient’s radiation exposure is reduced, and the image quality is improved even at lower radiation levels.
New medicines for disorders like  Duchenne muscular dystrophy
On board, the International Space Station, the crystal structure of a protein linked to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), an incurable hereditary condition, was studied, and clues for chemicals that could block it were discovered. TAS-205, one of the chemicals he developed using these suggestions, was created by a professor at the University of Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Japan. TAS-205 was shown to be safe for humans in a 2015 study, and a short clinical trial involving human patients was published in 2017 to support this claim. TAS-205 will be the subject of a three-year Phase 3 clinical study beginning in December 2020 and lasting until the end of 2027. Researchers believe the drug could help many people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy live longer lives (DMD).
Creating components needed to make animal-friendly artificial blood
The JAXA’s study in crystallising proteins in microgravity prompted the creation of artificial animal albumin in addition to showing potential in medication research. Although albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood, crystallising it on Earth is very challenging. Cat and dog albumin crystals were grown aboard the International Space Station in order to better understand the structure of these proteins and how they are created.
Applications of robotic arm technology in the automobile industry
NASA and General Motors (GM) developed a Robonaut prototype and tested it on the station, where it successfully performed simple tasks alongside astronauts. The team then reconfigured the hand-like portion of the Robonaut into a wearable device to help both astronauts and auto workers avoid hand fatigue and injury. Initially called Robo-Glove, the device now is commercially available as Ironhand, produced by Bioservo Technologies of Sweden.
 Student research in space
People born after November 2000 have always known life with humans in space: they grew up in a world with an International Space Station orbiting overhead. Call them Generation Station, those for whom space has always seemed accessible, a place where scientists from around the globe conduct research. Numerous students from around the globe have even sent their own research or code to the station.
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