British scientists have launched a crew of microscopic worms to
the International Space Station in a pioneering experiment that
could help unlock the secrets of long-duration space travel - and
support ambitions to reach the Moon and beyond.
The project is a miniature space laboratory designed to study how
biological organisms respond to the extreme conditions faced by
astronauts. It has been led by the University of Exeter,
engineered and built by the University of Leicester at Space Park
Leicester, and funded by the UK Space Agency.
It follows the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission to send four
astronauts on a 10‑day journey around the Moon and back ahead of
a future mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface for
the first time since 1972. Scientists believe the project could
help provide new insights into how biological systems
change in space and hence how astronauts can stay fit and healthy
while travelling to and from the Moon, as well as during
long-term stays following NASA's plans to build a base
there.
The experiment launched on NASA's Northrop Grumman
CRS-24 Mission from the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida at 12.41pm BST today heading for the ISS, where
it will be mounted on the outside of
the station by a robotic arm, so that researchers can
conduct tests on dozens of microscopic worms, called C. elegans
nematode worms, controlling the equipment remotely from Earth.
These worms, which are 1mm in length, are commonly used in
scientific research on Earth.
The mission addresses a critical challenge in humanity's
ambitions to explore the Moon and other planets: the harmful
effects of extended space travel on human health. Microgravity
can cause bone and muscle loss, fluid shift and vision
problems, while radiation exposure can lead to genetic damage and
increased cancer risk.
Space Minister said:
It might sound surprising, but these tiny worms could play a
big role in the future of human spaceflight. This remarkable
mission – backed by government funding – shows the ingenuity and
ambition of UK space science, using a small experiment to tackle
one of the biggest challenges of long‑duration space travel:
protecting human health.
As we prepare for a new era of exploration, including future
missions to the Moon, research like this will help astronauts
stay healthy and return home safely. It's a great
example of how we're driving innovation to grow
the economy and keep the UK at the forefront of future
technologies.
Dr Tim Etheridge, from the University of Exeter, said:
NASA's Artemis programme marks a new era of human exploration,
with astronauts set to live and work on the Moon for extended
periods for the first time. To do that safely, we need to
understand how the body responds to the extreme conditions of
deep space. By studying how these worms survive and adapt in
space, we can begin to identify the biological
mechanisms that will ultimately help protect astronauts
during long-duration missions - and bring us one step closer to
humans living on the Moon.
The experiment will also show that complex biology experiments
can be done in space at miniature scale and relatively
lower cost. The project builds on an earlier concept funded
by the UK Space Agency and has been developed in partnership with
the University of Leicester, which designed and built the
hardware, and Voyager Space Technologies, which is managing the
mission and launch.
The Petri Pod is a self-contained experiment housed in a unit
measuring approximately 10x10x30cm and weighing around 3kg.
It contains 12 experimental chambers, four of which can
be actively imaged using fluorescent and white light imaging
capabilities.
Each chamber provides a miniaturised ‘life support' environment,
by maintaining temperature, pressure and a trapped
volume of air for organisms to breathe when exposed to the vacuum
of space. The specimens receive food and water through an agar
carrier.
Initially, the experiment will spend time inside the ISS before
being deployed outside on an experimental platform, exposing it
to the vacuum and radiation of space along with microgravity for
up to 15 weeks.
During the mission, researchers will monitor the worms'
health using fluorescent glowing signals and white light optics,
captured via photographic stills and time-lapse video captured
with miniature cameras. The system will collect data on
temperature, pressure and accumulated radiation dose, with
information relayed to Earth.
Professor Mark Sims, project manager for the Fluorescent Deep
Space Petri-Pods project at Leicester, said:
FDSPP is Leicester's first major microgravity life sciences
project, and it has been both an interesting and challenging
instrument to design and build. The project builds
upon previous work with Tim Etheridge and the
University of Exeter.
Having now delivered the experiment to Voyager Space
Technologies, who provide the interface to NASA and its flight on
the International Space Station, the project team at Leicester
look forward to seeing the first images from orbit. We hope
this will contribute to our understanding of the microgravity
environment, and we're excited about the potential to
further develop the instrument concept in the future.
