NASA International Space Station Lead Increment Scientist’s Weekly Highlights: Week Ending May 23, 2011

(Highlights: Week Ending May 23, 2011) — The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer – 02, or AMS-02, continues to collect data from 40 million cosmic rays daily. The AMS-02 uses the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe’s origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and measuring cosmic rays.

The Materials on the International Space Station – 7, or MISSE-7, was successfully retrieved and returned to Earth aboard shuttle Endeavour. During its one-and-a half year on-orbit mission, MISSE-7 tested a variety of next-generation solar cells and electronic devices and provided real-time downlink of science data. MISSE-7 also continuously exposed cutting-edge material samples that will be analyzed in ground laboratories to determine how well they survived the space exposure effects of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet exposure, particle irradiation and extreme temperature cycles. or MISSE-8, the next in the experiment series, was successfully installed and will remain outside the station for two years.

Space station and STS-134 crewmembers participated in the Education Payload Operations – Sesame Street 2 Demo. This was developed in collaboration with the educational program, “Sesame Street,” in an effort to engage children in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, activities. Education Payload Operation records video education demonstrations performed on the station by crewmembers using hardware already onboard.