Studying sediment in zero gravity!

National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientists and engineers are bringing some of their most challenging research questions to the International Space Station (ISS). NSF, in collaboration with NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), will launch its first project to the ISS U.S. National Laboratory on Friday. By eliminating gravity, the team at ISS will study sediment stirred up in vials of water to better understand the dynamics of sediment and its cohesive and adhesive forces. The team feels this work could help us here on Earth, including predicting erosion, modeling the carbon cycle, and predicting locations of oil deposits. Over the next several months; projects studying fluid dynamics, fire, dusty plasma, and tissue growth. Stay tuned! The launch will take place at 5:40am EDT, Friday, June 29, 2018.