What Is BioSentinel and Its Mission in Deep Space
BioSentinel is a pioneering NASA mission designed to study the effects of deep space radiation on living organisms. Unlike astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), who benefit from Earth’s magnetic field shielding them from much of the harmful space radiation, BioSentinel ventures beyond this protective barrier. The spacecraft carries a biology experiment using yeast cells to understand how high-energy radiation in deep space damages DNA, which is crucial for preparing humans for long-duration space exploration.
The BioSentinel spacecraft, about the size of a cereal box, was launched aboard Artemis I, NASA’s powerful new rocket, as one of ten CubeSats. After traveling past the Moon, BioSentinel entered a heliocentric orbit around the Sun. Once positioned beyond Earth’s magnetic protection, the mission team remotely activated experiments involving two strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These yeast strains were exposed to the deep space radiation environment over a six- to twelve-month period to observe how radiation affects their DNA and growth.
How BioSentinel Studies Radiation Effects Using Yeast
To answer the question, what is BioSentinel, it is important to understand its biological approach. NASA chose yeast as a model organism because it shares many cellular processes with humans, including DNA repair mechanisms. One yeast strain used in the experiment is a natural type commonly found in nature, while the other strain has a known deficiency in repairing DNA damage. By comparing how these two strains respond to space radiation, scientists aim to gain insights into the risks radiation poses to human health during extended space missions.
BioSentinel’s onboard laboratory, called the BioSensor, uses microfluidic cards to house the yeast cells. These cards allow precise control of liquids to activate and sustain the yeast cells during the mission. The experiment measures yeast growth and metabolic activity using a three-color LED detection system and a dye that changes color to indicate cell activity. This setup enables the team to monitor how radiation impacts the yeast over time.
During the initial phase of the mission, from December 2022 to April 2023, BioSentinel conducted four two-week experiments. Unfortunately, no yeast growth was observed. The team concluded that the lack of growth was not due to radiation but likely resulted from the yeast expiring during the extended storage period before launch. Despite this, BioSentinel’s radiation detector continues to collect valuable data on the type and dose of radiation in deep space.
BioSentinel’s Ongoing Contributions to Space Exploration
BioSentinel’s mission has been extended to continue gathering critical data on deep space radiation. This information is vital because future astronauts will face higher radiation levels beyond low Earth orbit, especially during solar events such as flares and coronal mass ejections. These solar phenomena release bursts of energetic particles that can pose serious health risks to space travelers.
The mission builds on NASA Ames Research Center’s experience with small-satellite biology experiments using CubeSats. BioSentinel is a six-unit CubeSat weighing about 30 pounds. It carries yeast samples in microfluidic cards and collects data on radiation exposure and biological responses, which is transmitted back to Earth for analysis.
In addition to the deep space BioSentinel mission, identical experiments are conducted under different conditions for comparison. One experiment runs aboard the ISS, where microgravity is similar to deep space but radiation levels are lower. Ground-based experiments on Earth provide data under normal gravity and radiation conditions. Together, these studies help scientists understand how space radiation affects living organisms and improve risk assessments for human spaceflight.
Since its launch on November 16, 2022, BioSentinel has marked significant milestones, including two and three years of continuous radiation observations in deep space, now more than 48 million miles from Earth. The mission is led by NASA Ames with partners at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Funding and support come from various NASA divisions focused on exploration, heliophysics, and space technology.
By studying the biological effects of deep space radiation, BioSentinel is helping to pave the way for safer human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. Its data will be crucial for developing protective measures against radiation, ensuring the health and safety of astronauts on future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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Source: original article.