NASA ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON THE RUSSIAN BION-M1 MISSION (2010)

© M.G.Skidmore, R.D.Boyle, P.S.Espinosa, K.A.Souza
© Государственный музей истории космонавтики им. К.Э. Циолковского, г. Калуга
Секция "К.Э. Циолковский и проблемы космической медицины и биологии"
2008 г.

At the invitation of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP), NASA's participation in the Russian Bion-M1 mission will continue the 30+ year history of collaborative research between NASA and IMBP. The Bion-M1 mission is dedicated to the study of the impact of space environment on biological systems. A coordinated program is being developed to fully integrate US and Russian scientific goals to take maximum advantage of this spaceflight opportunity. NASA will provide up to four rodent habitats known as Animal Enclosure Modules (AEMs). The primary focus of NASA scientific research is the effect(s) of spaceflight on the body’s immune system, with secondary emphases on other areas of life sciences.

NASA and the IMBP will share access to flight and ground equipment, facilities, specimens, measurement techniques, data collection tools, and procedures. IMBP, and potentially other Russian institutes involved in the Bion-M1 mission, will likely provide critical laboratory space and logistical support for NASA investigators as they work together as a research team in this open collaboration.

Performing animal research in space requires a unique set of pre-, in-, and post-flight capabilities. These capabilities are quite similar to those required to support human access to space. They include: preparation and installation of samples/equipment into the spacecraft within hours of launch (late access), in-flight data downlink as required to monitor payload function, in-flight command uplink to control payload function, spacecraft life support systems to maintain the well-being and maintenance of the animals, and rapid retrieval of the payload from the landing site to limit the re-adaptation process that begins immediately upon return to Earth’s gravity (early access). These capabilities require sophisticated systems to be developed and maintained at some considerable expense. It is noteworthy that these animal research capabilities are always directly associated with comparable manned spaceflight systems. In the case of Bion-M1, the analogous system is the Soyuz crew delivery vehicle for ISS.

The effort to adapt the Shuttle-based AEM hardware for flight on the Bion-M1 mission has also been extensive. Examples of AEM modifications envisioned for Bion-M1are: i) a different AEM external structure that will meet Bion-M1 requirements while still retaining critical functions of the Shuttle configuration, ii) an electrical system redesign to meet the new requirements, iii) develop a video system to provide in-flight monitoring, and iv) replace lighting with light emitting diodes in the visible and infrared spectra. let’s keep this animal monitor out of the written text

The longest AEM flight on the Space Shuttle has been approximately half the length of the planned 30-day flight of Bion-M1. Preliminary testing has shown that the AEMs are capable of providing a stable habitat, such as water, food, air exchange, filtration, lighting, and waste management, compatible for rodent health for 35 days or more.