CRIS-Crystal research in Space

CRIS was designed to study crystal growth in space by injecting an alum solution into a drying assembly. The resulting crystals were compared to those grown on Earth using the same solution and technique.

	This rack of glass microscope slides was designed to catch the injected alum solution and provide a surface on which the crystals could form. A fan and desiccant was used to improve drying.

This is an example of the control alum crystals grown on Earth. They are seen through a microscope using polarized light.	The crystals grown in space tended to be larger and to show more planes of color under polarized light.
	The space grown crystals also formed long chains of crystals as seen here. The different pattern of crystal formation is probably a result of both microgravity and the ideal drying conditions.

The crystals showed very angular shapes when viewed through a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (not to be confused with Space Experiment Module (SEM)).	Another SEM view obtained with the help of the Medical University of South Carolina, Pathology Research Division Electron Microscopy Core Facility.

RESULT

The CRIS experiment performed perfectly in all respects and produced crystals with observable differences from control crystals grown on Earth. Future flights might involve other crystal forming compounds.

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CRIS

CRYSTAL RESEARCH IN SPACE

This rack of glass microscope slides was designed to catch the injected alum solution and provide a surface on which the crystals could form. A fan and desiccant was used to improve drying.

This is an example of the control alum crystals grown on Earth. They are seen through a microscope using polarized light.

The crystals grown in space tended to be larger and to show more planes of color under polarized light.

The space grown crystals also formed long chains of crystals as seen here. The different pattern of crystal formation is probably a result of both microgravity and the ideal drying conditions.

The crystals showed very angular shapes when viewed through a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (not to be confused with Space Experiment Module (SEM)).

Another SEM view obtained with the help of the Medical University of South Carolina, Pathology Research Division Electron Microscopy Core Facility.

RESULT

GO ON TO EDGAR

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