Research Database

This ongoing ESA study is exploring neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) as a possible countermeasure to protect crew from the deleterious effects of microgravity on muscle mass. Crew will conduct NMES sessions and draw blood to monitor physiological changes. The findings could also provide useful insights into muscle and bone health for Earth-based medical conditions, such as osteoporosis and muscle atrophy.

This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.

NUT is a project from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) aiming to shed light on the physiological adaptation mechanisms that human organisms put in place to cope with environmental conditions in space. In particular, the project aims to study the expression profile of different molecular markers before and after a space mission by discriminating the effects induced by microgravity and cosmic rays from those caused by confinement, isolation, and psychophysical stress.

Nano ISS Antenna (Ax-1) on the Axiom-1 (Ax-1) private astronaut mission (PAM) tests deployment of a folded antenna used to provide high bandwidth communications. Miniaturized satellite electronics and sensors can provide valuable scientific and navigation capabilities, but small, simple antennas cannot transmit large quantities of data, limiting the usability of small satellites.