Microgravity is a unique environment to develop and enable new technologies and perform meaningful scientific research. For Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), the Italian Air Force (ItAF) in coordination with Italy’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) are looking at this commercial human spaceflight mission as an opportunity to further strengthen Italian competences in space by carrying out experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). ItAF’s expertise in defense and security will be leveraged to support the scientific and technological community by fostering new capabilities in microgravity research and through technology and biology demonstrations, to include aeronautics, electronics, communication, and medical science.
The Italian research portfolio consists of experiments led by ItAF and the Italian Space Agency (ASI – Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), which will involve Italian universities, research centers, and companies wishing to leverage microgravity for biological and technological testing and development. Experiments include projects related to spaceflight safety with the intent of fostering the national capabilities to conduct operations in space. The Italian research portfolio also include activities to investigate and mitigate the physiological effects of spaceflight on humans, understand biological changes related to health and disease on Earth, and conduct commercial activities to improve cuisine and materials development in space for long-term space habitation.
ITALIAN RESEARCH STUDIES:
Italian Space Operations Centre (ISOC) services for ISS
Developed by ItAF, the ISOC system provides an updated space object catalogue and state-of-the-art algorithms for space-related events, such as collisions, and will be operated in space for the first time during the Ax-3 mission. The ISOC command and control software is the core of the ItAF Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Center, a European hub for assessing reentry and fragmentation of space objects. This project is a proof-of-concept experiment aimed at demonstrating how astronauts could be able to obtain near real-time conjunction analysis with limited support from Earth ground segments or even autonomously. Operators will be able to screen dangerous approaches and estimate orbital maneuvers. The Ax-3 crew will have the capability to monitor solar activity and report onboard events potentially related to space weather by means of a dedicated experimental service of the ISOC web portal.
Smart Flight Suit 2 (SFS2)
SFS2, designed and produced by Spacewear, is an innovative Suit for astronauts, built with over 200 pieces in order to provide maximum comfort of movement, equipped with safety bumpers in the most exposed physical parts, fireproof but breathable, and capable of detecting biomedical data. Fabrics and devices are certified therefore SFS2 represents a unique example in the current panorama which will be tested for a minimum of 8 hours. The suit is able to maintain body temperature at normal levels both under physical exertion and in cooling contexts and is able to monitor biomedical data via integrated devices and transmit them in real time or store them, depending on the operation of the bluetooth function. In addition to providing a form of active and passive safety, it is a prelude to further developments in the implementation of comfort and operational safety in space, with implications that can also be used on planet earth.
Evaluation of Endothelial Function in Personnel Exposed to Microgravity During Orbital Flight Activity
This first-of-its-kind study will include a pre-flight, on-orbit, and upon re-entry ultrasound brachial artery evaluation using the “flow mediated dilation” technique complemented by blood samples for specific endothelial function markers — this will involve long-term follow ups. This study will add a new layer of knowledge about the interaction between the space environment and humans for a better understanding of the physiology of endothelium disfunction as a preclinical marker of future cardiovascular disease and an indicator of artery health in long-duration space missions.
βeta-Amyloid Aggregation Update
Led by ASI, this project builds on previous work in microgravity to investigate the aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins, which are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Researching proteins in microgravity provides an opportunity to better understand the mechanisms of Aβ protein aggregation and the formation of amyloid plaques, which could lead to insights into how to prevent or reverse formation in Alzheimer's patients. The research could also help identify potential risks for neurodegeneration for long-duration spaceflight, as microgravity can influence the normal folding and unfolding of proteins.
Light Ion Detector for ALTEA, Anomalous Long-Term Effects on Astronauts (LIDAL)
The ASI-sponsored LIDAL detector system has been measuring the ions composing cosmic radiation (from protons, up to iron) on the ISS since January 2020, when it was installed in the Columbus module — more than two terabytes of data have been acquired since installment. The project aims to develop the first, real-time radiation risk meter on the ISS to keep the crew informed about risks from cosmic radiation and space weather events.
Ovarian Research In microgravity cONditions (ORION)
ORION is a continuation of an ASI project to study the effects of microgravity on ovarian cells and investigate the mechanisms of hormone production and modulation in space. This research will help understand fundamental mechanisms of fertility that could translate into findings to improve the success of fertility treatments on Earth, as well as begin research to understand reproduction off Earth.
PROtection MEdiated by antioxidant nanoTEchnOlogy against neuronal damage in space II (PROMETEO II)
ASI’s PROMETEO II project is a follow up study aimed to investigate how exposure to microgravity and space radiation affects cellular response to stress, as well as the protective effects of specific antioxidant nanoparticles on neuronal cells. The results could help develop countermeasures for future spaceflight missions and build on efforts to develop therapeutic tools to treat neurodegenerative diseases on Earth. The European Space Agency is providing the use of the KUBIK facility of Columbus model of the ISS, for this ASI national contribution.
AstRNAuts
A multi-Organ signature of circulating (small) noncoding RNAs as early predictors to study the astronauts’ physiologic changes occurring in microgravity conditions.
AstRNAuts is a project led by ASI aimed to characterize distinctive molecular signatures of circulating biomarkers that are altered upon exposure to space, which will be monitored before and after the Ax-3 mission. The project is of great scientific interest to understand how space missions affect the human body in space, as these biomarkers could be used to monitor astronauts’ health status and develop point-of-care devices for diagnosis and prognosis of diseases.
NUT
Profile of the alterations induced by stress conditions in short-duration space missions compared with the effects observed in submarine missions.
NUT is an ASI-led project to better understand the physiological adaptation mechanisms that human organisms put in place to cope with environmental conditions in space. In particular, the project will study the expression profile of different molecular markers before and after a human spaceflight mission by discriminating the effects induced by microgravity and cosmic rays from those caused by confinement, isolation, and psychophysical stress.
Radiation Shielding Textiles
In partnership with the Italian race car engineering and manufacturing company Dallara, this project will measure the shielding capacity and effects of radiation on various advanced aerospace materials for spaceflight. The materials could be used to make components of future space stations, spacecraft, and spacesuits to help shield humans and hardware from space radiation.
Remote monitoring of the health status of astronauts
This project helps monitor the health status of an astronaut before, during, and after a human spaceflight mission. The Italian healthcare company GVM Assistance will utilize its telemedicine services to monitor in real-time an astronaut’s health, such as their cardiovascular system, and carry out on-orbit video consultations in microgravity. With the integration of GVM Assistance medical devices, it will enable the detection of bioparameters necessary to monitor the health of the astronaut, in which they will use the GVM Assistance Space Health application to connect with the GVM Assistance Medical Operations Center. By evaluating the trend of bioparameters during various moments of the mission, ground teams will be able to verify some of the effects of microgravity on the human body.
Mental Economy
The Italian company Mental Economy has developed a training protocol for optimal mental performance "for all those who employ high neural energies in highly stressful and competitive contexts" - athletes, racecar drivers, special forces military staff, and others. Mental Economy Training™(MET) is the technique developed to enhance "neural efficiency" (or the ability for high mental performance with low energy expenditure). The goal of this project is to investigate whether specific skills and cognitive abilities (concentration, focused attention, reactivity, stress management, memory, and others) are affected by spaceflight and how MET™ could be implemented for future crew.
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