The Smart Flight Suit 2, developed by Italian company Spacewear, is a suit for spaceflight specially designed to monitor an astronaut's physiological status, which can help keep the crew healthy in space. The suit, which will be tested by the crew during the Ax-3 mission as a technology demonstration, contains sensors that monitor the heart's beating patterns, body temperature, and movement. The goals of this project are to test the comfort and behavior of the suit's fabrics in space, validate the function of the inbuilt sensors, and validate the utility of the suit within a microgravity environment (e.g. how easy is it to don and use during spaceflight).
The CORVUS Project aims to engage all ages of the public by presenting a Hungarian astronaut conducting various educational experiments and sharing insights on daily life in space from onboard the ISS. It aims to inspire a deeper understanding of how space research impacts Earth and showcasing the importance of space exploration for humanity.
Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
Bioengineered liver and kidney tissue constructs will be sent to space to assess the impact of microgravity on vascularization of thick tissues. If successful, this platform technology and approach could lead to the in-space bioengineering of ‘building blocks’ of tissue that can serve as a bridge to transplants in patients awaiting a limited supply of donor organs. This project is part of the Axiom Space collaboration with Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the ReMDO to develop an In-Space Biomanufacturing Hub for regenerative medicine.
Developed by Extremo Technologies and implemented onboard the International Space Station in partnership with the ICE Cubes Service, the Space Volcanic Algae project from POLSA/ESA investigates the potential of red microalgae for use during for long-duration space exploration missions. These algae are hardy and thrive in extreme environments, and could be used for oxygen production, waste management, and toxic compound decomposition in space. The study will analyze the genes that control oxygen production and metabolism in space-grown algae, comparing them with ground controls. Data from these experiments will enhance our understanding of extremophiles - organisms that thrive in extreme environmental conditions - and identify adaptations essential for oxygen production and other biochemical processes. The insights could also lead to improved industrial applications on Earth.
This is an educational activity to provide Hungarian children an opportunity to ask crew questions and inspire interest in space exploration, STEM subjects, and environmental awareness. Hungary's second astronaut, Tibor Kapu, answered student questions while onboard the International Space Station during the Ax-4 mission. More than 1,000 questions were submitted by children around the country; aiming to inspire interest in space exploration, STEM subjects, and environmental awareness.
Recordings are publicly available for educational, training and outreach purposes only, courtesy of the SpaceBuzz Hungary Public Foundation.
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investifated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
This POLSA/ESA project aims to test methods for extending the shelf-life of pharmaceuticals during long-duration space flights by studying the effects of cosmic radiation on drug stability. The experiment will launch sample packages to the ISS to be stored under different conditions for 1, 2, and 3 years. After return, samples will be analyzed and compared to ground control samples. The findings could improve drug preservation and storage on Earth, especially in challenging environments.
This project seeks insights into the impact of microgravity on producing stem cells and stem cell-derived products in space. Using space to evaluate the steps used in terrestrial manufacturing to reprogram skin cells (fibroblasts) into stem cells capable of producing a variety of tissue types (heart, brain, and blood), could support regenerative medicine uses on Earth. Axiom Space is contributing to the NASA-funded In-Space Production Applications project through the Ax-2 mission.
The aim of this HUNOR project is to create an interactive 3D video tour of the ISS, with a special focus on the everyday activities of the HUNOR crewmember and mission. The tour, available in VR and compatible with VR headsets, will provide a personal perspective on life in space, including tasks like eating, working, and moving in microgravity.
This project aims to validate a system that simulates how clothing affects heat transfer in different gravity environments, including microgravity, where heat convection is altered. The research will involve monitoring physiological and cloth responses to exercise on orbit and could inform suit development for future space applications. This technology could be used on Earth to enhance clothing technology for extreme environments, and imrpove body thermal management in industries such as healthcare and sports.
This experiment aims to demonstrate that astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes can be supported for short duration stays in microgravity. This will be achieved by demonstrating accurate blood glucose testing, data transmission, and insulin viability on International Space Station. This research will help enable people with diabetes to participate in future space missions, thus expanding the eligibility of crew and expanding access to space to more people. This project is a partnership with Burjeel Holdings PLC, a UAE-based healthcare services provider.
The ESA-led Surface Avatar project is focused on developing robotic assets for space exploration, building infrastructure on planets and asteroids, and optimizing processes for data connections and communications relays.It is also looking at how well an operator responds to haptic (touch) feedback while controlling the robots. The applications of this project are also useful in scenarios such as arctic exploration, search and rescue in disaster zones, and under-sea maintenance.
Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments is a multi-year research program exploring self-assembly methods for in-space construction. Named after the small tiles in ancient Roman mosaics, the modular tiles join to create a larger structure. They pack flat for launch and once activated, form a robotic swarm of autonomous and 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 home base on other worlds. The prototypes launching on the Ax-1 Mission include an extensive suite of sensing and electro-permanent magnets that monitor diagnostics
The goal of this protocol is to preserve the very important research data collected from astronauts on a commercial spaceflight mission for future scientific advancement.
Following on from research on previous Axiom missions, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) will gather human physiological and cognitive data on how humans adapt to space, collected from commercial spaceflight participants. Understanding how humans adapt to microgravity helps us develop countermeasures or optimize training regimes for new users of microgravity.
This project will help establish new pharmacogenomic and personalized medicine capabilities for spaceflight.
The Telemetry system for SpaceHealth (TESH) project from HUNOR aims to study the complex changes in astronauts' cardiovascular and balance systems during space travel. By integrating the data from various medical devices with mission-specific data and applying emerging data science techniques to analyze the information, this project could advance real-time health monitoring and predictive healthcare technologies on Earth.
This project will investigate lightning activity at the top of thunderstorm clouds that extend into the stratosphere to better understand the role of thunderstorms on atmosphere dynamics and chemistry. Using a special camera that responds to local changes in brightness, the Thor-Davis cameras can image lightning at up to 100,000 frames per second, giving accurate pictures of what happens during a lightning strike. The proximity of these images taken from the ISS, versus weather satellites in higher orbits, helps investigators get more accurate altitude-related measurements. Other goals from this project include understanding the relationship between electrical activity and convective thunderstorm activity, effect of lightning on atmospheric greenhouse gas composition, and impact of lightning that extends beyond the tops of clouds on greenhouse gas circulation.
The UHU experiment aims to study Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) - electrical phenomena associated with thunderstorms which produce bursts of light reaching altitudes of up to 100 km. By recording various TLEs from orbit, coordinating ground and space-based observations, and measuring electrical parameters, the research can understand more about the nature and causes of TLEs. This could improve our knowledge of thunderstorms and atmospheric processes, which could enhance weather forecasting, improve safety in storm-prone areas, and advance our understanding of atmospheric electricity.
The UYNA experiment will investigate novel medium entropy and high entropy alloys (MEAs and HEAs, respectively). These types of metal alloys are characterized by their high strength, toughness, and resistance to corrosion and are of interest for potential applications in many industries, including space, aviation, automotive, energy, and medicine. The data from this experiment will help to improve the understanding of the formation and properties of MEA/HEA alloys, which could lead to the development of new and improved materials for a variety of applications.
The changes to joint loading that occurs when humans enter microgravity can cause damage to their structure and function. This project will investigate the effects of short duration spaceflight on cartilage/tendon/ligament thickness, joint fluids, and blood flow via ultrasound evaluation of lower extremity joints before and after flight. The project aims to develop this method as a non-invasive assessment of cartilage and joint health that could optimize exercise protocols for future spaceflight crew and reduce injury upon returning to Earth."
Urinalysis in Space (Ax-1) performs urinalysis using an iPad and a proprietary kit on the Axiom 1 (Ax-1) private astronaut mission (PAM). The investigation focuses on a test commonly used to measure kidney function and provides immediate results, eliminating the need to return samples to Earth for analysis.
Algae have many properties that make them ideal organisms to support humans during long-duration spaceflight missions. Not only could they serve as a nutritional source included in astronaut menus, algae could also remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for spacecraft environmental control systems, help regulate spacecraft temperatures, recycle certain wastes, and even act as a source of fuel. The data generated from this experiment will be used to advance the development of microalgal life support systems for space missions and could impact the design of future carbon dioxide capture, oxygen conversion, wastewater treatment systems, and provide fertilizer options for other agricultural crops grown in space.
The VITAPRIC investigation will study plant germination, microgreen production, and leaf development in space. The project will investigate the impact of low selenium concentrations on the production of vitamins, proteins, minerals, and other nutrients by the plants, and aims to improve food production options for long-duration space missions. The results could also impact agricultural practices on Earth, particularly in resource-poor or urban farming environments.
The Vokalkord experiment will focus on developing an artificial intelligence system to detect over 70 types of disease by analyzing respiratory, speaking, and cough sounds. This project further develops the software for use on Earth as a tool to identify and diagnose lung cancers, voice and vocal cord diseases, infectious diseases, and even cardiovascular and eye disease.
Conducting on-board training (OBT) while crew are in space allows training for new and complex tasks and helps remind crew of previous training done on the ground. The ESA-sponsored Virtual Reality - On-Board Training (VR-OBT) project aims to perform training activities on the ISS via a virtual reality Head Mounted Display (HMD), which enables visualization and interaction with complex 3D models. This technology demonstration will evaluate the compatibility of VR equipment with the ISS environment, test how well real-time space-to-ground collaboration can occur, and compare the efficiency of training delivery via VR relative to standard training methods.
This experiment seeks to determine whether influenced voice pattern and listening capabilities of the participant might be able to be detected by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm. Vocal characteristics of an International Space Station crewmember can change in a zero-gravity environment, and after undergoing cognitive function changes. Electroglottograph measurements of vocal fold vibration provide a quantitative indication of vocal fold function. Scripted voice audio recordings (reading, singing, vowel enunciation, audio pitch matching) allow for tonal analysis. These data allow the investigator to test and analyze vocal performance and voice pattern changes in space and then evaluate how space journey influences the human voice.
This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of spaceflown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
The Wireless Acoustics project will test a commercially-available acoustic monitor for user experience, comfort, and effectiveness of capturing the acoustic levels within the ISS. The device will be worn while engaging in activities and compared to a nearby stationary sound level meter. This study will evaluate any improvement in this system compared to legacy systems, and could help inform the future design of spacecraft.
Tardigrades are known for their resilience and abvility to survive extreme environments. This project will investigate whether a tardigrade gene, integrated into a yeast gemone, can protect the yeast from the negative effects of microgravity. After genetic editing is done, yeast will be launched to and grown on the ISS, then returned to Earth for post-flight analyses. The implications of this research could be used when considering the design of sustainable ecosystems in space, on the Moon, and on Mars.
The microgravity effects on metal particles dynamics in fluids (gMETAL) project from TÜBİTAK UZAY will investigate how the lack of gravity impacts the mixing of solid particles in a gas (two-phase mixture formation) within a contained environment. This mixing is important to understand how metal particles and an oxidizing gas can react in a combustion chamber for efficient combustion and maximum heat release. Applications for this research include the development of zero-carbon energy generation technologies on Earth by burning metal particles in air; or for development of propulsion systems or energy generation on Mars, for example, by reacting metal particles with CO2 collected from the Martian atmosphere.
This set of experiments investigates the inflammatory response of human immune cells in microgravity, specifically the changes in mRNA decay – a process that regulates gene expression changes in cells and can influence the effects of inflammation. In this experiment, a type of white blood cells will be sent to the ISS and, in parallel with experiments on the ground, cells will be treated with a substance that stimulates an inflammatory response. The changes in mRNA expression and decay will be studied and compared between experimental conditions to learn about mRNA expression changes, which could lead to better understanding of the immune system and uncover biomarkers or potential therapies for inflammatory diseases both in space and on Earth. The project is funded by SSA, where one of their astronauts will perform the experiments at the ISS.
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