Tyler Hatch, Research Aerospace Engineer, Fluids and Combustion Division,NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA met. Dr. Chongrak Watcharinrat Rector of Kasetsart University On the occasion of traveling to Thailand to perform a mission to set up a payload creation system forLiquid Crystal Experiments in Space
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Kasetsart University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the study of liquid crystals or Liquid Crystals in space.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattaporn Chattham Principal investigator in the Space Research Collaborative Program said that Dr. John B Mcquillen, Director of the Fluids and Combustion Division, NASA Glenn Research Center, assigned aerospace engineer Mr. Tyler Hatch to Thailand. To set up a payload generation system for liquid crystal experiments in space
Via NASA Headquarter in Washington, D.C. It was planned and approved to connect this payload to Leidos’ KERMIT microscope, which is now aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Tyler Hatch will be coordinating with Leidos engineers to set up the connectivity system. payload
The research team from Kasetsart University led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattaporn Chattham and Asst. Prof. Dr. Apichart Pattanapokratana from the Department of Physics. The Faculty of Science and Engineers from GISTDA, led by Dr. Nattawat Hongkanchanakul and Dr. Sittiporn Channamsin, will design and build according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by NASA and Kasetsart University.
In addition, the press release of the research cooperation project. Liquid Crystal or the study of liquid crystals in space. At the celebration of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Kasetsart-NASA Memorandum of Understanding Celebration Ceremony at Kasetsart University on February 18, 2022.
The design now details the payload generation. in the connection of electronic devices And part of the hardware to test in NASA’s first standard of sending equipment to the International Space Station, known as the SRR, or Science Requirement Review.
After that, it goes to the Preliminary Design Review or PDR, which is the next standard. Out of the five standards NASA has set to allow equipment to be docked on the ISS.
In addition to the integrated payload planning, Tyler Hatch also gave a special lecture titled “Liquid Crystal Research via NASA Projects and Space Biology Research Discussion” on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 11.00-12.00 in room. Sumin Samutkhup Conference, 3rd Floor, 45th Year Physical Science Building, Faculty of Science Kasetsart University Interested persons can register to listen at https://bit.ly/3eUNd2b
They were also invited to speak with 200 high school students in the “Inspiration Talk” program titled “The Way to Becoming a NASA Engineer” at the Space Inspirium Museum at GISTDA Space Innovation Park, Sriracha on Thursday, September 22, 2022. 13.00
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Kasetsart University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the Study of Liquid Crystals in Space is the first MOU that NASA has signed with Southeast Asian countries.
Thailand acts as the builder and tester of the experimental equipment set. To be sent up to the ISS and NASA is responsible for transporting this kit onto the ISS for NASA astronauts to conduct experiments under control.
A team of researchers from Thailand will be responsible for the scientific part of the experiment, and GISTDA will be responsible for building and testing the kit. There will be a team of engineers from NASA to supervise with a team of Thai engineers to create all the equipment.
This trial will be the first time that Thailand will be able to build a large device. To be used by astronauts to test and experiment in space, the construction of such equipment must comply with the safety criteria of human-controlled experiments in space. And this experiment will be the basis for the Thai aerospace team to be able to build on their own rockets into space in the near future.
In the Liquid Crystal Experiment on the International Space Station Thai researchers will study Liquid Crystals, which are complex fluids, to understand their thermal properties in detail under zero gravity.
Interested in studying It is the creation of thin films of liquid crystals to study the deficiencies or defects in the liquid crystal structure caused by the effects of instantaneous thermal changes. The deficiencies studied are always present in LCD screens.
Understanding the deficiencies that are the main problem of LCDs is a topic of concern to scientists around the world. That a team of Thai researchers had the opportunity to study these deficiencies under gravity. It will be able to eliminate the effect of gravity, one of the force factors in creating this deficit.
It will also allow us to better understand the nature of these deficiencies. This will enable the removal of these deficiencies from the LCD technology used in everyday life. This will enable the development of LCD technology to go even further.
Therefore, it will be an extension of technology.LCD screen industry which is worth more than 300 billion dollars per year. can be developed to be more effective than the everyday use of all of us.