Send your science experiments beyond LEO

A science platform for automated and complex space experiments.  SpinSat provides frequent and low-cost access to space which can provide simultaneous measurements at multiple gravity and radiation levels.

Participate on a SpinSat Science Advisory Team

Would you like to participate on an Advisory Team? If so, what team would interest you? Contact us at: ARC-SpinSat@mail.nasa.gov

• Biological Sciences (emphasis on radiation and gravity effects)
  • Human Biology (organoids and tissues on chips)
  • Model Organisms
    • Microbes
    • Plants Biology
    • Synthetic Biology
• Physical Sciences
• Heliophysics
• Astrobiology
  • Prebiotic Chemistry
  • Adaptation, Survival, and Habitability

Science Rationales

• Combined radiation/reduced gravity consequences: mammalian cells, human gene carriers (e.g.yeast), model organisms.
  • DNA damage: wound healing, cancer
  • Cell membrane damage: central nervous system
  • Oxidation: compromised defense to hazards & pathogens
  • Protein damage: impaired bone & muscle function
  • Measurement targets (subset): Gene expression; protein expression; metabolites, signalers, excretates; growth, kill curves; behavior, etc….

Example Science Experiments

• Comparison of organisms from across the tree of life in their responses to deep-space radiation and microgravity
• Evaluate deep space impacts on organ function using tissue chips or organoid of mammalian cells. 
• Determine cellular sensitivities and effects of deep-space and lunar radiation environments on:
  • fundamental metabolic responses
  • bioproduction of human-relevant nutrients
• measure evolutionary changes  for microbiomes living and evolving over 1000s of generations beyond LEO
• Measure plant stress response in plant seedling development and photosynthesis. 
• Measure changes in cellular morphology, viability, metabolism
• Evaluate effects on DNA integrity and its maintenance/repair
• Understand the role and importance of oxidative stress
• Evaluate synthetic biology-enabled production of anti-oxidants (nutrients/proteins) under deep space and lunar surface conditions
• Study changes in the genome
• Study targeted changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome
• Understand changes in pharmacological efficacy, specificity
•  Study plant germination, growth, tropisms, 2° metabolite production, and produced food quality

• Characterize the effects of plant-microbe interactions