2017
Space milestones
IN SITU Bioanalysis reaches the ISS
The payload launches on 14 August aboard SpaceX CRS-12, following development and preparation activities also conducted at Kayser’s facilities in Livorno. The project brings new opportunities for biological analysis directly in orbit to the International Space Station, reducing the need to return samples to Earth to obtain scientific data.
Kayser delivers the IRES-C electronics
Kayser develops and delivers the sensor front-end electronics and internal low-noise voltage converter for IRES-C (Infrared Earth Sensor), originally developed by Selex Galileo. The highly reliable, two-axis infrared Earth sensor is used in the attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS) of three-axis-stabilised spacecraft. It precisely measures roll and pitch angles relative to the centre of the Earth’s disc.
Commercial ISS logistics consolidate
Commercial resupply missions provide continuous support for ISS activities. SpaceX CRS-12 transports materials and experiments, offering access to orbit for new biological research instruments as well.
A new milestone for multi-messenger astronomy
The merger of two neutron stars is observed through both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation detected by numerous space and ground-based observatories. The joint observation opens new possibilities for studying these cosmic events.
Missions & Payloads
Multi-Trop
Plant biology experiment using seeds and substrates prepared to distinguish and compare the effects of gravitational, water and nutrient stimuli on root growth. It is housed in hardware reused and adapted for the new mission. It is launched on 15 December 2017 aboard SpaceX CRS-13. Operations conclude on 21 December and allow comparison of root responses to water and nutrient stimuli, with subsequent three-dimensional analyses using micro-CT. Kayser adapts the hardware, develops the electronics for autonomous activation and provides integration, logistics and operations support through the Livorno control centre.
SpaceX CRS-13
Dragon capsule cargo mission to the International Space Station. It transports experiments, scientific hardware and supplies for the orbital laboratory.
SpaceX CRS-12
Dragon capsule cargo mission to the International Space Station. It transports over three tonnes of experiments, materials, equipment and supplies, and returns samples and scientific hardware to Earth.
SEAM
3U scientific CubeSat weighing approximately 3–4 kg, developed under the European FP7 programme. The name derives from Small Explorer for Advanced Missions. The aim is to demonstrate a nanosatellite platform with extremely low magnetic interference, or magnetically clean, to measure electric and magnetic fields in the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere precisely. The instrumentation includes magnetometers and other sensors, also mounted on deployable booms. The satellite is launched on 28 November 2017 from Vostochny as a secondary payload of the Meteor-M No. 2-1 mission, aboard Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat. An anomaly in the Fregat stage prevents it from reaching the planned orbit: SEAM is lost without being able to carry out its scientific mission.
SOYUZ-2.1b
Rideshare launch carrying SEAM among its secondary payloads, a 3U scientific CubeSat designed to measure electric and magnetic fields in the Earth’s ionosphere. An anomaly in the Fregat stage prevents it from reaching the planned orbit and causes the loss of the satellite.
ASI Biomission
Programme of four Italian biomedical experiments: CORM, MYOGRAVITY, NANOROS and SERISM. The research concerns, respectively, retinal cell protection using coenzyme Q10, the effects of microgravity on muscle cells, the use of ceria nanoparticles against oxidative stress, and the role of the endocannabinoid system in stem cell differentiation and bone metabolism. The experiments reach the ISS on SpaceX CRS-12 on 16 August 2017 and are placed by Paolo Nespoli in ESA’s KUBIK-5 incubator. The campaigns conclude by 24 August; the samples are then stored in the MELFI freezer pending analysis on Earth.