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"Atomic oxygen reacts with organic materials on spacecraft exteriors, gradually damaging them." "In the first few shuttle flights, materials looked frosty because they were actually being eroded and textured," says Bruce Banks, a senior physicist with Alphaport, supporting the Space Environment and Experiments branch at Glenn. In the early days of NASA's space shuttle missions, the presence of atomic oxygen caused problems. The atmosphere in low Earth orbit is comprised of about 96% atomic oxygen. But in space, where there is plenty of ultraviolet radiation, O 2 molecules are more easily broken apart to create atomic oxygen. O 3 is ozone, such as occurs in Earth's upper atmosphere, and O (one atom), is atomic oxygen.Ītomic oxygen doesn't exist naturally for very long on the surface of Earth, as it is very reactive. The oxygen that we breathe is called O 2-that is, it is comprised of two atoms of oxygen. It can texture the surfaces of polymers to invite bone cell adhesion, leading to a variety of medical advances.Īnd this powerful substance can be created out of thin air. It can improve glucose monitoring devices for diabetic patients, using a fraction of the amount of blood that was previously required for testing to manage their disease. It can also completely sterilize surgical implants intended for human bodies, dramatically reducing the risk of inflammation. A scientific method developed by researchers at NASA's Glenn Research Center uses atomic oxygen to save and restore works of art that would have been irreparably damaged. It may seem like magic, but it is science. With a touch of freshly sprayed clear varnish, the painting returns to its glory. Over the course of hours or days, slowly but surely, the grime dissolves away, and the colors begin to re-emerge. The painting is placed in a vacuum chamber and an invisible, powerful substance called atomic oxygen is created inside the chamber. A masterpiece appears to be irrevocably destroyed.īut all is not lost. The beautiful paint, painstakingly applied in a multitude of colors, is obscured by layers of dark soot. Imagine a priceless painting that has been all but ruined by a ravaging storage room fire. Bruce Banks, supporting the Space Environment and Experiments branch, is pictured in the lab. Beneficial uses of atomic oxygen are researched at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.