NASA Shows Potassium Chloride Crystals Forming 1 Million Times Weaker Gravity Shapes on ISS
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · Jul 22
NASA Shows Potassium Chloride Crystals Forming 1 Million Times Weaker Gravity Shapes on ISS
3 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Jul 22
Summary
Don Pettit shared July 18 images and video from the ISS showing potassium chloride crystals growing into hollow, stair-stepped “hopper” pyramids in microgravity.
Roughly 1 million times weaker gravity than at Earth’s surface lets molecular forces dominate, so the crystals grow from edges and corners instead of sagging, settling or breaking.
Scientists say that altered growth can create more ideal, lower-defect structures, offering clues for improving semiconductor and other advanced-material manufacturing on Earth.
ISS crews regularly use orbit to run experiments that are difficult or impossible on Earth, including recent Bose-Einstein condensate work and studies of moss spores exposed to space for 9 months.