Jul 31 2001
From The Space Library
A research team announced the results of a NASA-funded study using microgravity to investigate the properties of everyday materials. Led by Jennifer A. Lewis, the team of researchers had pioneered a new approach to stabilizing particles in fluids, a process they termed nanoparticle haloing. By suspending movement of fine particles in fluids such as paint, Lewis and her colleagues had succeeded in manipulating the complexion of the liquid. Perhaps of greater significance, they had been able to ensure that the fluid did not break down as quickly as it would have done otherwise. The researchers believed that nanoparticle haloing would have wide application, such as in making the fluids more useful and long lasting. As Lewis said, “This designer capability will assist us in developing improved materials.” NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) made the project possible, offering grants for studies that might benefit from the use of a microgravity or low-gravity environment to examine the fundamental states and characteristics of materials. (NASA, “Suspended in Space: Researchers Make Important Discovery About Materials,” news release 01-154, 31 July 2001.)
Russia launched the Coronas-F solar observatory satellite aboard a Tsiklon 3 rocket. The launch took place from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. Engineers had designed the satellite to monitor light intensity, solar bursts, and several solar radii. The satellite carried 13 separate instruments, to gather data as the spacecraft orbited while pointing toward the Sun. The Coronas-F satellite was Russia’s second attempt to place in orbit such a complicated research craft. The Coronas-I, launched in 1994, had operated for only a couple of months before a control failure had caused it to lose its functionality. (Spacewarn Bulletin, no. 573.)
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