Experiment

Experiments for JFY 2008

*JFY: Japanese Fiscal Year

In March 2008, the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS), the first element of Kibo, was delivered and installed on the International Space Station (ISS) on the STS-123 (1J/A) Mission. The ELM-PS carried JAXA’s two International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs), RYUTAI Rack and SAIBO Rack. During the 1J/A stage, these racks remained in the ELM-PS awaiting the arrival of the Pressurized Module (PM).

The STS-123 (1J/A) Mission also delivered plant samples of Japanese researchers to the ISS for conducting a life science experiment using an experiment facility of European Space Agency (ESA). JAXA began the life science experiment using the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) in Columbus (European Laboratory Module) on March 30, 2008.

In June 2008, the second element of Kibo, the Pressurized Module (PM), was delivered and installed on the ISS on the STS-124 (1J) Mission. JAXA’s two experiment racks, RYUTAI and SAIBO Racks, were removed from the ELM-PS and installed in the PM. The samples of JAXA’s life science experiment conducted in the EMCS were returned to the ground on the STS-124 (1J) Mission.

During the 1J stage, the PM, RYUTAI and SAIBO Racks went through checkouts and performance tests. In August, JAXA initiated experiment operations using these racks. The results of the experiments will be published in a year.

During the JFY 2008, three ISS crew members support the experiment operations aboard the ISS, including science programs of NASA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA), ESA, Russian Federal Space Agency (FSA) and JAXA, using their limited timelines.

Experiments scheduled for JFY 2008 (as of September 2008)

	Experiment	Principle Investigator
Science Fields	Role of Microtubule-Membrane-Cell Wall Continuum in Gravity Resistance in Plants (Resist-Wall)	Osaka City University Takayuki Hoson
	Reverse genetic approach to exploring genes responsible for cell-wall dynamics in supporting tissues of Arabidopsis under gravity conditions. (Cell-Wall)	Tohoku University Kazuhiko Nishitani
	Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni Exp)	Tokyo University of Science,Suwa Hiroshi Kawamura
	Pattern Formation during Ice Crystal Growth (Ice Crystal)	Hokkaido University Yoshinori Furukawa
	Gene expression of p53-regulated Genes in Mammalian Cultured Cells after Exposure to Space Environment (Rad Gene)	Nara Medical University Takeo Ohnishi
	Detection of Changes in LOH Profile of TK mutants of Human Cultured Cells (LOH)	RIKEN Fumio Yatagai
	Control of cell differentiation and morphogenesis of amphibian culture cells (Dome Gene)	University of Tokyo Makoto Asashima
Manned Human Space Technology Development Fields	Bisphosphonates as a Countermeasure to Space Flight Induced Bone Loss	University of Tokushima Toshio Matsumoto
	Passive Dosimeter for Lifescience Experiments in Space (PADLES)	JAXA Space Environment Utilization Center
	High Definition Television transmitting system (HDTV)	JAXA Space Environment Utilization Center
	Varidation of On-orbit Digital Holter ECG Monitering	JAXA Human Space Technology and Astronauts Department
Education Culture	Space Poem Chain	JAXA Space Environment Utilization Center
	Pilot missions for utilization for culture and humanty and social sciences	Tokyo University of the Arts Kyoto City University of Arts University of Tsukuba