images

Thomas Pesquet in ISS

by

Nasa/Novapix

Reference

e-is050-33115

Date

2017-03-02

Working with the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace, Japan's facility that can suspend metals in mid-air as they melt and solidify using static electricity. Looking at how metals melt and solidify without the container interfering with readings is interesting for researchers on Earth, but of course it is hard to melt a metal on Earth without the sample touching anything – less of a problem in space. There is a similar facility in Europe's Columbus laboratory that uses electromagnets to suspend the metals. Both great research tools to develop the metals of the future.