A tiny satellite carrying living experiments designed in labs at NASA-Ames is slated to be launched into orbit around the earth early next month.
As currently planned, NASA’s GeneSat-1 satellite will hitch a ride aboard a Minotaur 1 rocket fired from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The plans call for launch on Dec. 11 between 7 and 10 a.m.
The only living passengers on the flight, and its principle payload, will be live organisms cultivated in the NASA-Ames labs at Moffett Field. A harmless strand of E. coli bacteria will be stowed in a miniature laboratory aboard the shoebox-sized satellite, and the mission is to study how space affects these microbes.
Although just 22 pounds, this mini-satellite has the ability to provide life support, deliver nutrients and perform analytical procedures to detect any genetic changes to the E. coli.
The bacteria will be monitored by NASA, with the help of Santa Clara University students, for roughly 96 hours. The students will also help control the spacecraft from the mission center at Moffett Field.
“We are monitoring the bacteria to shed light on the effects of near-weightlessness on microscopic organisms. Eventually we will be able to understand how the human body is affected,” said Bruce Yost, GeneSat-1 mission manager.
NASA estimates that the satellite will remain in orbit for about a year. By January 2008, the satellite will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere and burn up.
The primary reason to launch this satellite is to prove that biological research from space can succeed. If the E. coli survive the launch, then this study demonstrates a low-cost, effective and easy way to monitor the affects of space on living organisms.
The ability to understand how space flight affects the human body is the secondary purpose of sending this satellite into orbit.
“Future studies in space can be performed on bone tissue and muscle cells if this mission succeeds,” said John Bluck, of the public affairs office at NASA-Ames.
Graduate and undergraduate students from Santa Clara’s mechanical, electrical and computer engineering departments helped with the project. They were instrumental in developing the ground control systems, including work with the radio link and refurbishing the large antennae that communicates with the satellite once it is launched. Their efforts will help send controls and analyze data while GeneSat-1 is in orbit.
Several graduate students from Santa Clara also helped with the development of the actual satellite. Chris Kitts, head of Santa Clara University’s Robotics Systems lab, said the knowledge gained will be applied to their graduate theses.
“It’s a wonderful experience for the students,” said Kitts. “They are learning so much and it’s very cool.”
E-mail Amber Cleave at acleave@mv-voice.com
