Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31756: Weird Liquids in Space: Studying Non-Newtonian Fluids on the ISS
- Agnirva.com
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
Have you ever played with slime or cornstarch mixed with water? If so, you’ve experienced a non-Newtonian fluid—liquids that don’t behave the way we expect. On Earth, gravity affects how these fluids move and react. But in space, things get wild.
NASA’s experiment on Non-Newtonian Fluids in Microgravity takes this curiosity into orbit. Conducted during Expedition 59/60 on the International Space Station, the study explores how these unconventional fluids behave without the pull of gravity.
Non-Newtonian fluids can thicken or thin depending on how you stress them. Some become more solid under pressure (like silly putty), while others do the opposite. This behavior makes them useful in protective gear, medical applications, and even food technology.
In space, the lack of gravity removes a key variable. Scientists can study how internal forces, rather than weight, influence flow and stability. This helps create better models for handling liquids in spacecraft, where fluids need to be managed precisely in low gravity.
Students were deeply involved in this project. Educational teams developed and monitored experiments, turning the ISS into a high-tech classroom. Videos from space showed strange movements—blobs forming, twisting, and reacting in fascinating ways.
These observations help researchers design systems for fluid transport in microgravity—critical for everything from fuel lines to water purification. Plus, they inspire students by showing that even something as common as slime can reveal secrets of the universe.
It’s a perfect example of how curiosity-driven research can turn everyday materials into tools for exploration.
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