The BioSentinel satellite will be launched aboard the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis I mission (to land humans on the moon that will prepare humanity for a journey to Mars) and will perform the first long-term biological experiment in deep space. reported at NASA.
There will be yeast inside the BioSentinel satellite. Because the biological mechanisms of yeast cells are similar to those of humans, this organic charge will help scientists study the effect of cosmic radiation on living cells in the lunar region.
BioSentinel’s main mission is to monitor yeast vital signs to see how they behave when exposed to radiation from deep space. BioSentinel will specifically examine yeast cell growth and metabolic activity.
It is also planned to send algae, plants and fungi into space. The Orion spacecraft will cross the Van Allen radiation belt located outside low Earth orbit. In such belts, the solar wind has protons and electrons with a charge of about three MeV (megaelectronvolts). Van Allen radiation fields are often found near planets with a strong magnetic field.
Thanks to the Van Allen belts, the biological cargo will be able to experience the effects of cosmic radiation to its fullest. After the return of the Orion ship, all organic matter on the ship will be examined by scientists.