Announced: These are the Israeli scientific experiments that will reach space

by time news

From growing chickpeas to the effects of bacteria and viruses under micro-gravity conditions: The Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency reveal the Israeli scientific experiments that Eitan Steve, the second Israeli in space, will perform on the International Space Station

International Space Station. Here Steve will perform the experiments. Source: NASA

In about 66 days, if no special surprises are recorded, Axiom’s Ax-1 mission is expected to launch with the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 missile from the Canadian Space Center in Florida. Among the four crew members who will make their way to the International Space Station inside Dragon, SpaceX’s cabin, will also be Eitan Stiva, the second Israeli in space, and with him an expensive cargo of dozens of carefully selected Israeli startup experiments under the space station’s unique conditions. Today (Monday), the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency unveil these experiments, which are expected to save many years of research for hundreds of researchers and engineers from dozens of Israeli companies, universities and hospitals.

Savings of years

The ‘Sky’ mission includes about 35 Israeli scientific experiments and technological demonstrations, which will be performed at the International Space Station by Steve, and offered by startups, research bodies, academic institutions, scientists, and Israeli researchers. The experiments, selected from hundreds of proposals, passed NASA approvals and feasibility tests, engineering content targets, meeting schedules, signing a launch contract and securing funding. The experiments come from a wide range of fields including: astrophysics, medical equipment, disease research, communication and optics, radiation, ophthalmology, neurology, agriculture and more.

Stiva in the SpaceX training facility. Photo: Keren Ramon

In conversation with Giktiim Ran Levana, CEO of the Ramon Foundation and head of the Rakia mission, said that the Israeli startups that take part in the mission use astronaut hours at the International Space Station for their products, to prove the integrity of their product in space. Is the POC. The performance of the experiments gives them just that – proof that the product works in space. “

According to Livna, if the same startups wanted to do these experiments in the “normal” way, it would be a long and expensive process, “If an Israeli company wanted to perform an experiment on the space station through NASA, the process could take between 2-15 years.” The alternative option, ie to assemble the experiment and launch it on a satellite, could also take between 2-10 years. But it’s not just time. According to Livna, the cost of each of these options could have reached millions of dollars.

According to Livna, the ‘Sky’ mission will break a record of experiments per week compared to any other astronaut mission in a similar period of time: “The number is so large that the experiments are sent to the International Space Station in three different launches: in December And the rest will be launched in the Ax-1 spacecraft on which Eitan will fly into space. ” Livna added: “The diverse experiments that will be carried out as part of the ‘Sky’ mission include ‘blue and white’ experiments and international collaborations between Israeli researchers and institutions and the world’s leading international bodies, and testify to the global status of Israeli technology, entrepreneurship and science.”

From growing chickpeas in space to glasses for astronauts

On the way to wiping chickpeas in space. Source: Aviv Labs

The bulk of the dozens of experiments Steve will run on a fairly tight schedule is in my areas Medicine, And includes, among other things – Take Air – Crispr-based diagnosis of viruses and bacteria in space missions; Multidimensional examination of T cells under space conditions to improve the immune system; The impact of spaceflight and micro-gravity exposure on the blood-brain barrier as a possible platform for the treatment of Alzheimer’s; Performing a urine test and analyzing the results in real time on the space station; Examining the effect of spaceflight on a change in the microbiome population of the urinary tract and its clinical implications; Remote identification of the development of emotional distress and stressful situations; Demonstration of the use of the Veye device, which enables needle-free blood tests to be performed on missions to outer space before being sent to the International Space Station; Understanding and evaluating changes in visual function during space flight; Examination of anatomical and functional changes in eyes associated with space flight using advanced imaging means; Characterization of the changes occurring in cancer cells under micro-gravity conditions in space, with the aim of developing innovative treatments for childhood leukemia; Demonstration of the use of the iCapture device to perform retinal scans and monitor changes in eye structure caused by a stay in micro-gravity conditions in outer space; Human cognitive assessment in micro-gravity conditions using an advanced EEG system; Eye examination using a unique widget; Examining innovative eyewear technology for astronauts with a bearded vision (Presbyopia); Examination of the ability of cow cells to differentiate into cells that build muscle tissue – under micro-gravity conditions; The impact of spaceflight on the cardiovascular health of astronauts; The effect of micro-gravity on the aging of the immune system and Alzheimer’s disease; Characterization of the mechanism of genetic expression underlying the effect of space conditions on an increase in the violence of pathogenic bacteria; The effect of micro-gravity in space on the microbial bacteria present in the gut; Plastic degradation in space by the bacterium Ideonella Sakaiensis; And examining the applicability of amorphous calcium (ACC) in favor of prolonging human residence in space.

Falcon 9 missile with Dragon capsule on it before launch. Source: SpaceX

In my fields Optics and communication, Experiments will be performed in liquid space optics – the design of liquids for optical components under micro-gravity conditions; Demonstration of the deployment of a unique antenna under micro-gravity conditions in the space station; And future deployment of magnetic sensors from nano-satellites, to capture various phenomena in space.

NSL COMM folding antenna. Photo: Daniel Rockberger

In the field of eAstrophysics – Observations will be made from space on lightning elves and other atmospheric electrical phenomena in collaboration with ground stations around the world; Development of a mechanism for the protection of spacecraft systems from the damage of cosmic radiation; Examining a new generation of radiation protection suit; Demonstration and proof of propulsion using VAT technology in space; Tracking gamma-ray bursts using a high-precision sensor array (performed outside the space station).

in the field Agriculture An intriguing experiment will be performed on the possibility of germinating chickpeas under micro-gravity conditions, and a growth rate control will be performed for future colonies on the moon. Which means that even outside of Earth we can continue to quarrel where there is the most delicious chickpeas; Growth of the water-lentil plant under micro-gravity conditions; Testing of moringa and copper seeds, for use in long-term space missions and in the space station; And Nano Ghost testing, i.e. nanometric cells, derived from mesenchymal stem cell membranes, i.e. cells that have not undergone specialization for a particular type of tissue.

Months of preparations

Technically, Axium’s Ax-1 mission is considered “space tourism” in the sense of private funding for the mission, and passengers will reportedly pay about $ 55 million for the ticket. But here about the end of the resemblance to the missions of selfie tourists such as Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Remember, Branson and Bezos reached an altitude of 80 km and 100 km (respectively), closest to the Kerman line, which is the lower limit of space, hovered with their launch partners for about a minute under micro-gravity conditions – and returned to the ground. The problem is that other than these things, they did not really do anything significant in their flight, and therefore were not recognized as astronauts by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Ax-1 team has been in recent months, including Michael Lopez Allegria, a former NASA astronaut and mission commander; And Eitan Steve, at the facilities of NASA, the European Space Agency and SpaceX, in preparation for a stay at the space station – which is known to cruise at an altitude of about 408 km at a speed of about 28,000 km / h. The goal is to train the crew to use the equipment designed for the scientific cargo that will be launched into space, as well as accustom them to the lifestyle at the station itself. In response to the announcement of the experiments, Steve himself said: “The scientific part of the ‘Sky’ mission has enormous significance for me. Her forward. Along with supporting the research and development of the industry, I hope to influence the sons and daughters of the younger generation – the scientists of the future. The experiments I will do will be accessible to children of a variety of ages, in the hope of inspiring them to do scientific work in various fields – such as medicine, agriculture, physics and more. “

Yaniv Avital

Giktiim website editor. Do you have an idea for the article? A secret tip? leak? Waiting for you at [email protected]


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