Self-assembly technology for future space habitats, cancer research and air-purifying devices on space stations are among investigations directed at the International Space Station on the first fully-fledged astronaut mission. private to the laboratory in orbit
HOUSTON, March 17, 2022 (Axiom Space PR) – Axiom Space, a leader in human spaceflight currently building the first commercial space station, today announced further details of groundbreaking research planned for the upcoming Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) – including including self-assembly technology for satellites and future space habitats, study of cancer stem cells and air purification.
Ax-1, the first fully private astronaut mission in history to the ISS, is a crucial first step to Axiom Station, the first private space station. Axiom’s multinational crew of four private astronauts will conduct more than 25 different experiments aboard the space station, made possible by Axiom’s full integration into NASA’s process for science and technology activities. The data collected in flight will impact the understanding of human physiology on Earth and in orbit and establish the utility of new technologies that could be used for future manned spaceflight pursuits and humanity on Earth.
“As a first step on the path to building a diverse and thriving economy in low Earth orbit, Axiom has partnered with leaders from academia and industry to bring new users and new insights into research. to the space station,” said Christian Maender, director. manufacturing and space research for Axiom Space. “The collection of biological and technological tests during the Ax-1 mission represents an array of research that will inform everything from human health considerations to new infrastructure and designs for our future homes away from Earth, beginning with Axiom Station.”
The Ax-1 crew members are Michael López-Alegría, commander; Larry Connor, pilot; and Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, Mission Specialists.
Select Ax-1 Mission Investigations
TESSERAE, IN COLLABORATION WITH MIT MEDIA LAB SPACE EXPLORATION INITIATIVE AND AURELIA INSTITUTE
TESSERAE (Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments) is a multi-year research program exploring self-assembly methods for construction in space. Named after the small tiles in ancient Roman mosaics, TESSERAE modular tiles can join together to create a larger structure. TESSERAE tiles are flat-packed for launch; once activated, they form a robotic swarm of self-contained, self-assembling units used for on-demand construction, with future applications ranging from an extra room on a space station, to parabolic mirrors, to a base on d other worlds. Prototypes launched on the Ax-1 mission include a full suite of sensing and electro-permanent magnets that monitor diagnostics – provide insight into the quality of bonds between tiles – and drive conformations. This large-scale demonstration will build on previous microgravity assessments from the TESSERAE experiment to explore a new frontier for in-orbit construction of satellites and future space habitats.
MODELING OF TUMOR ORGANIDS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT, IN COLLABORATION WITH UC SAN DIEGO AND THE SANFORD CONSORTIUM FOR REGENERATION MEDICATION
Using a model human cancer stem cell nanobioreactor (a vessel that accelerates cell growth conditions) and a cancer stem cell reporter system, this study will take advantage of accelerated aging aspects of the environment. of microgravity to assess early precancerous and cancerous changes in tumor organoids. This cell biology project focuses on the identification of biomarkers for early detection and supports future goals of cancer stem cell research on the ISS. The Ax-1 crew will study cell samples under a high-resolution microscope to determine cell cycle activity in cancer growth.
JAMSS PHOTOCATALYST, IN COLLABORATION WITH JAMSS, TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
The Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) photocatalyst air-purifying device will be launched on Ax-1 for a technical demonstration to verify the performance of the upgraded filter. This experiment will also deploy a control device without photocatalytic LEDs, to evaluate the JAMSS photocatalytic filter. With an upgraded air filter, the JAMSS device will be able to purify the air on the ISS and remove odors from the cabin, using the power of light to safely convert volatile compounds from the air. air into carbon dioxide and water with the aim of improving the quality of life for living and working in space. JAMSS will be the only Japanese company to conduct research on the Ax-1 mission.
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR SPACE HEALTH, A CONSORTIUM OF BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, CALTECH AND MIT
The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) conducts biomedical research on each of the crew members before launch and after they return to Earth. Various data will be collected, including physiological data, a battery of cognitive tests, balance and perception tests, and visual acuity tests. Improving human health and performance is one of the goals of TRISH’s Enhancing eXploration Platforms and ANalog Definition (EXPAND) program, which compiles private spaceflight health data into a centralized research database and expands understanding of the impact of space on human health and how to prepare humans for the demands. long-distance, long-duration space travel, including to the Moon and possibly Mars.
Research supported by the crew
Connor, Stibbe and Pathy, each with a long history of philanthropic involvement, have also partnered directly with research organizations in their region on a range of human health and technology surveysfrom aging and chronic pain to the first in-space demonstration of two-way holoportation, a mixed reality application using special lenses to project images via a hologram.
About Axiom Space
Axiom Space is driven by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human being, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-classified space infrastructure, Axiom today operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in orbit. earth that will support human growth off the planet and bring incalculable benefits back home. You can find more information about Axiom at www.axiomspace.com.
