Research Database

The capability of Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronauts (ALTEA) to measure the linear energy transfer (LET) of protons and helium and the kinetic energy of protons and heavy ions is to be upgraded by the addition of a new time of flight (TOF) system detector called the Light Ions Detector for ALTEA (LIDAL). LIDAL upgrades the ability of ALTEA to make measurements that can be converted, by dedicated software in real-time, into radiation risk coefficients - effectively enabling ALTEA to become the first ever dosimetric “risk meter” aboard the International Space Station.

In partnership with the ICE Cubes Service and developed by KP Labs, the Leopard Data Processing Unit (DPU) will be installed on the International Space Station, which will be part of the digital system enabling clients to remotely test and verify computational algorithms in real space conditions without needing to physically acquire hardware. Testing in space is a vital step for algorithms before they are used in satellites. Other exporation-enabling software will also be tested,  such as 3D mapping for spacecraft maneuvers and robotic exploration. This project aims to advance onboard data processing for space applications but also aims towards faster, more efficient satellite operations, potentially transforming data handling in space and on Earth.

Axiom Space is proud to partner with the Limitless Space Institute to perform experiments designed by students in Brazil and Nigeria on the Ax-4 mission. The projects are winners of a competition across schools in both countries to design experiments that could be performed in space. Students in Brazil will investigate what happens when two balls of differing mass collide in space. Students in Nigeria will examine how pendulum properties differ on Earth versus in space. This is the first time that students from Nigeria have had access to the microgravity environment to perform science and research.

The MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics Research Group) project from the TÜBİTAK UZAY portfolio on Ax-3 is interested in assessing 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 immune cells with the observed microgravity-associated gene changes by using an acoustic levitation device on the ground to mimic microgravity and explore the cells' changes in proliferation, survival, and stress responses at a cellular level. By better understanding the response of the immune system to the stress of microgravity, the project aims to identify potential space travelers who may be more suited to long duration spaceflight missions due to the resilience of their immune system.