Experiment arrives at the ISS to see if astronauts can keep things cool

A science experiment that arrived at the International Space Station on Friday will help engineers build heating and air conditioning units to keep astronauts alive on missions. The physical mechanics of boiling and condensation of liquids, the process central to heating and cooling systems, work differently in space as the …

[Eclectic Man]

Tea

I thought the Russians had installed a samovar in the ISS? They tracked a puncture by following an errant tea-bag, according to https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/22/space_in_brief/ . And tea requires boiling water (usually), and a tea-pot and cups and saucers.

Clearly things are different in space, but I do hope the astronauts and cosmonauts can still enjoy a nice scone with jam, cream and a cup of Earl Grey of a Sunday afternoon.

[Neil Barnes]

Re: Tea

In the absence of gravity, the question of whether the cream or the jam goes on first is presumably moot?

[anothercynic]

Re: Tea

That'll upset both Devon and Cornwall...

[Chris Leeson]

Tea for more than two

"That'll upset both Devon and Cornwall..."

So, there is no downside?

[JessicaRabbit]

Re: Tea for more than two

Very clever. You deserve far more upvotes than you've received (up to now).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tea

"In the absence of gravity, the question of whether the cream or the jam goes on first is presumably moot?"

Certainly, given that "up" and "down" are usually associated with gravity, then it implies that whether something is on top or underneath is also relative to which way "up" (or "down") is !!

Personally speaking, I mix the cream and jam together FIRST, before applying this to the scone as then you are emulating what happens once the scone is inserted into the "human food inlet" as the various ingredients are masticated and chewed before being swallowed :-)

[The Oncoming Scorn]

Re: Tea

You Total Barbarian!

Do you eat blended baby food to save time?

[IceC0ld]

Re: Tea

Personally speaking, I mix the cream and jam together FIRST

FFS

some people just want to see the earth burn :o)

[JDX]

Re: Tea

The jam/cream controversy is always in the frame of reference of the underlying substrate (scone) so no, gravity isn't a factor.

[Zack Mollusc]

Re: Tea

It should be possible to cook scones in microgravity, with said scone not touching a baking tray whilst cooking. How would one then define the top and bottom of the scone? Why has NASA left this problem unaddressed when they claim to be working toward humans living long periods in orbit/transit?

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: Tea

At last, we get to the truly vital questions about space travel that cannot go unanswered! Have a pint on me.

Next up, beer in space. We know liquids form a vaguely spherical blob, but what happens to the bubbles?

[Snowy]

Re: Tea

Nothing, the gas would just say where it was.

[Eclectic Man]

Re: Tea

Normally the cooked scone is divided into two 'halves'. The hardened outer shell being considered to the 'bottom' and the softer, fluffier interior to be the 'top'. I am given to understand that a properly cooked scone can be pulled apart readily. Badly cooked scones need to be cut with a knife (or chisel*). Sweet scones are easier (in my experience) than cheese scones, where the addition of cheese makes rising much more difficult to control.

*The 'Scone of stone' (https://discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Scone_of_Stone) may not be particularly 'fluffy' inside.

[Snowy]

Re: Tea

Much more "fluffy" than Dwarven bread.

https://wiki.lspace.org/Dwarf_Bread

Ooops Scones are bread, I'm shocked!!

[Bitsminer]

...controlling the flow of cryogenic propellant in space...

Musk has talked about this in various interviews. This is a big issue for anyone with plans to refuel rockets with cryo fuels like LOX or methane on-orbit.

Not to mention keeping the stuff cold.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ...controlling the flow of cryogenic propellant in space...

Sterling cycle, Gifford-McMahon and Pulse Tube cryocoolers have been on spacecraft for decades. As have heat pipes. Seems odd these experiments are being done.

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/cryocoolers/

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: Not to mention keeping the stuff cold.

Keep the propellant tanks behind a sun shield, allow the tanks to radiate via IR into the cold vacumm of space (~2 or 3K as I recall) until thermal equilibrium. Voila.

Although, that might too cold, but you get the idea.

[John Brown (no body)]

I'm a little surprised...

...that it's taken this long and this many iterations of various crewed space stations and long(ish) term missions that they are only just getting around to thinking it might be a good idea to study the physics of heating and cooling the living environment.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm a little surprised...

Agreed. See my reply above.

[Julz]

Re: I'm a little surprised...

Came here to say the same. What have they been doing up until now?

[spold]

Re: I'm a little surprised...

...being in space - it's a breeze

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm a little surprised...

Perhaps they're going from "this works, but we don't really know how" to "this works because it does blah blah blah"

Or perhaps they're hoping to make it more efficient by fully understanding/tweaking the processes involved

[JDX]

Tea

So they could also solve a lot of this by making nice cups of tea, and observing the results.

Of course you can't have a "really hot cup of tea" on the ISS so certain avenues of science are very difficult.

[The Oncoming Scorn]

Re: Tea

Do they have chatty doors?