SpacePharma is preparing to launch three sets of experiments to orbit on the AXIOM-1 flight.
One is ALEPH FARMS – Meat for Space, which tests a technology for growing meat products from animal cells. The second is CADW which examines whether a specific DNA damage pathway is activated by microgravity. And the third is AMORPHICAL which examines the influence of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate on the proliferation and differentiation of bone-forming cells and skeletal muscle cells under microgravity conditions.
The Ax-1 four-person crew will live aboard the U.S. segment of the ISS for almost eight days, participating in research and philanthropic projects. The crew will be – NASA astronaut and Axiom
vice president Michael Lopez-Alegria / mission commander; American entrepreneur and non- profit activist investor Larry Connor / pilot; Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy; and
finally impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe of Israel.
Space Applications
Each of these investigations could help support future long-duration space missions. The capability to grow meat from cells could provide a source of protein during spaceflight and in colonies on the Moon or Mars. A better understanding of DNA damage pathways could lead to the development of countermeasures and treatments for potential DNA damage in space. Insight into how microgravity affects bone and muscle development may help define nutritional needs on future missions.
Earth Applications
Cultivated meat could improve diets for people in places with limited resources on Earth and reduce the environmental footprint of protein production. Examining DNA damage pathways may identify potential targets for the development of drugs for a variety of disorders. Determining how to optimize bone and muscle cell performance in microgravity could provide insight into treating and preventing atrophy and inflammation on Earth.
These experiments are performed in a SpacePharma Advanced lab (SpacePharma ICE Cubes) with Labs-On-a-Chip (LOCs) and require a constant heating of the samples to 37C until the end of the experiment and afterwards, refrigeration at +4 C until arrival back on Earth. The SpacePharma 3.5U Lab is accommodated in the ICE Cubes Facility which, during on-orbit operations, provides power and data exchange via real-time interaction from the ground. During the mission, near- real-time daily communication windows between the SpacePharma 3.5U Lab and ground
(TM/TC) are provided for data and image downlink (microscope/spectrometer) and commands uplink. At the end of the mission, the lab is returned to Earth and shipped back to the Customer laboratory.
