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(Highlights: Week of July 29, 2013) - NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano completed the heat sealing of the bagged Payload Experiment Container (PEC) and Optical Reflector Materials Experiment III (ORMatE-III) for the Materials International Space Station Experiment-8 (MISSE-8) study. MISSE-8 samples have been in orbit for a little over two years and the PEC and ORMatE-III are manifested for return to Earth on SpaceX 3. MISSE-8 is attached to the outside of the International Space Station. It is a test bed for materials and computing elements that are being evaluated for the effects of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, direct sunlight, radiation, and extremes of heat and cold. Results will aid in the development of new materials for future spacecraft. The new advanced materials and components that are being demonstrated in MISSE-8 will improve the performance, increase the useful life, and reduce the costs of future space operations of commercial weather, communication and Earth observation satellites that we all now depend on, as well as enhance solar cell technology.

The Expedition 36 crew installed the Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions-3 (InSPACE-3) hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox and completed the first two science runs. A total of 42 science runs are planned. InSPACE-3 studies the behavior of magnetic colloidal fluids, which transition to a solid-like state by the formation and cross-linking of microstructures in the presence of a magnetic field. This technology has promise to improve the ability to design structures, such as bridges and buildings, to better withstand earthquake forces.

The crew retrieved the Space Bubble Detectors after a seven-day data collection for the RaDI-N2 Neutron Field Study (RaDI-N2). This investigation uses newly developed bubble spectrometers to measure neutron radiation levels in different areas of the space station. The spectrometers have been designed to only detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation. The objective of this investigation is to better characterize the station neutron environment and define the risk posed to the crew members' health and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future spaceflight.

The crew completed a cable connection activity and the ground team completed a functional checkout of the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility in preparation for the Ice Crystal 2 sample arriving on the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-4). Ice Crystal 2 examines the growth rates and stability of ice crystals in supercooled water, such as antifreeze glycoprotein, in microgravity. Results will elucidate the principles of the fundamentals of crystal growth mechanisms.

Other human research investigations continued for various crew members including Ocular Health, Space Headaches, Reaction Self Test, Repository, and Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect Against Changes in Bone Metabolism During Spaceflight and Recovery, or Pro K.