PRELIMINARY ADVANCED COLLOIDS EXPERIMENT (PACE), THREE
INVESTIGATIONS
Research Area: Characterizing Experiment Hardware
Expedition(s): 25- 30
Principal Investigator(s): ● William V. Meyer, PhD, NASA’s Glenn Research Center,
Cleveland, Ohio
● Jacob N. Cohen, PhD, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett
Field, California
● Paul M. Chaikin, PhD, New York University, New York, New
York
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment
(PACE) is a technology demonstration that
sets the stage for the Advanced Colloid
Experiment (ACE) by testing the Light
Microscopy Module (LMM) in the
International Space Station (ISS)
environment.
PACE 100X OIL TEST TARGET (MEYER)
PACE 100X Oil Test Target establishes the
capabilities of the LMM that are used for
high resolution image magnification in
ACE.
PACE-2 3D PARTICLE TEST (COHEN AND
CHAIKIN)
PACE-2 characterizes the resolution of the high-magnification colloid experiments with the
LMM to determine the minimum size of the particles that can be resolved by ACE. There is a
direct relationship between magnification, particle size, test duration, and in-orbit vibration
that is quantified.
PACE-LMM-BIO (COHEN)
PACE-LMM-Bio is a NASA Rapid Turn Around (RTA) engineering proof-of-concept proposal in
preparation for ACE. In Bio, crew members image 3-D biological sample particles, tissue
samples, and live organisms. The goal of this experiment is to indicate the microscope’s
capabilities for viewing biological specimens.
EARTH BENEFITS
The PACE investigations set the groundwork for ACE, which will provide data that can advance
the understanding of phase separation (eg, shelf-life, product collapse) and how it competes
with crystallization to impact production (eg, when making plastics). A better understanding of
Expedition 29 commander Mike Fossum works on the
Fluids Integrated Rack/Fluids and Combustion Facility,
conducting a session with Preliminary Advanced Colloids
Experiment. Fossum is working at the Light Microscopy
Module in the U.S. Laboratory Destiny.