Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) serves as an important milestone for Türkiye as the country reflects on changes and progress made in the past 100 years during its centennial anniversary. Türkiye is moving forward to pursue opportunities in space exploration that will contribute to important advancements in economic development, education, technology, and human research.
Led by TÜBİTAK UZAY (TÜBİTAK SPACE TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE) and the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), the Turkish research portfolio has a strong focus on advanced technological development of novel hardware and capabilities to further advance Türkiye’s goals as a space-faring nation.
TURKISH RESEARCH STUDIES:
CRISPR GEM – Extremophyte
Investigation of CRISPR Gene Editing Efficiency in Plants Under Microgravity (GEM) and salt stress responses of extreme halophyte model Schrenkiella parvula in space environment
CRISPR is a groundbreaking genetic editing scientific technique that can be used to increase, decrease, insert, or remove genes from organisms. In this TÜBİTAK UZAY-sponsored project, researchers will investigate the downregulation via the CRISPR technique of three genes involved in the stress response of Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress, a member of the mustard family). The second part of the investigation will evaluate the salt stress tolerance of two plants — one salt-sensitive and one salt-tolerant — that will be germinated and grown on the International Space Station (ISS). This work builds on previous microgravity research showing how microgravity affects the growth, movement, and genetics of plants. The project could also provide valuable insights into plant adaptation in extreme environments and help develop more resilient crops for agriculture.
Vokalkord
The Vokalkord experiment will focus on developing an artificial intelligence system that runs on mobile devices to detect over 70 types of diseases, including infectious diseases, voice and vocal cord diseases, and even cardiovascular diseases by analyzing breath, phonation, and cough sounds. Testing the tool in microgravity will allow researchers to continue validating the system as an easy-to-use telemedicine system that could be used in the future to monitor the health of spaceflight participants.
UYNA
Innovative research on novel space alloys
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.
gMETAL
Microgravity effects on metal particles dynamics in fluids
The gMETAL project will investigate how microgravity impacts the mixing of solid particles into a gas (two-phase mixture formation) within a contained environment. This project 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, as well as the development of propulsion systems or energy generation on Mars.
The MESSAGE
Microgravity associated genetics research
This study will assess microgravity associated changes in gene expression in human immune system T-cells collected from an astronaut. After flight, the project will use CRISPR gene editing technologies to knock out genes in T-cells found to be upregulated by space travel. The researchers will also aim to produce an immune cell response with the observed microgravity-associated gene changes by using an acoustic levitation device on the ground to mimic microgravity and explore the cellular changes in proliferation, survival, and stress responses. By better understanding the response of the immune system to the stress of microgravity, this project aims to identify potential astronaut explorers who may be more suited for spaceflight missions due to the resilience of their immune system.
Metabolom
Analysis of changes in metabolome/transcriptomes of astronauts on a space mission
Spaceflight can be a stressful experience as the human body adapts to changes in microgravity, such as physical demands, nutritional changes, and lack of sleep. The physiological changes can be monitored by profiling the "'omics" of the body — the changes in gene expression (genomics), protein expression (proteomics) or metabolites (metabolomics). A better understanding of an astronaut’s individual response to spaceflight can help to develop personalized countermeasure procedures that can optimize the safety and performance of each astronaut.
This project aims to gather data during the Ax-3 mission to better understand the effects of short-duration space travel on the human metabolism, regulation of the immune system, and related genes under microgravity stress. This project will inform Turkish researchers working on gravitational physiology, aviation, and space medicine on best practices for astronaut care, as part of Türkiye’s developing national space program.
Pranet-Algalspace
Propolis extract is a natural product from bees, called "bee glue," used for hive construction and maintenance, which is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. The first part of this research project, called Pranet, is a STEM project led by 13 and 14-year-old students aiming to investigate the effect of propolis extract on bacteria in microgravity. If the experiments prove that propolis extract can exhibit anti-microbial properties in space, this could open avenues for future research on new and natural product-based cleaning agents for future spaceflight applications.
The second part of this project, called Algalspace, includes conducting a comparative study of Antarctic and temperate microalgae cultivation under the conditions in space. The information gathered will help make a valuable contribution to studies aiming to provide sustainable bioregenerative life support systems for space missions.
UzMan
Microalgal life support systems for space missions
Algae have many properties that make them ideal organisms to support humans during long-duration spaceflight missions. The use case of algae includes serving as a nutritional source in astronaut menus, removing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen for spacecraft environmental control systems, helping regulate spacecraft temperatures, recycling certain wastes, and even acting 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.