Yeast will be placed inside the satellite for a unique experiment. Because the biological mechanisms of yeast cells are similar to those of humans, this organic charge will help scientists study the effects of cosmic radiation on living cells in the lunar region.

Mission Purpose

The BioSentinel mission’s main job is to observe yeast’s vital signs to see how they behave when exposed to radiation from deep space. In particular, yeast cell growth and metabolic activity will be studied.

This is an extremely important experiment, because its results will allow scientists to evaluate the effects of radiation on humans going to the moon on future Artemis missions. The fact is that astronauts on Earth and in low Earth orbit are protected from the destructive effects of cosmic radiation. However, outside the Earth’s protective layer, for example, on the Moon, radiation exposure increases significantly.

It is also planned to send algae, plants and fungi into space. The Orion spacecraft will cross the Van Allen radiation belt beyond low Earth orbit. The protons and electrons of the solar wind with a charge of about three MeV (megaelectron volts) are found in such belts. Van Allen radiation fields are often found near planets with a strong magnetic field. Thanks to the Van Allen belts, biological cargoes will be fully exposed to cosmic radiation.

Learn more about NASA’s mission: Watch video

The start of the Artemis drone mission is near

NASA hopes to make the test flight of the unmanned Artemis 1 mission around the moon by the end of August. In general, three relevant dates are suggested – August 29 as the main date and September 2 and September 5 as alternative dates.

The test flight should demonstrate readiness of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to accomplish the manned Artemis mission.

The Artemis program was announced in September 2020. Its main goal is the return of American astronauts to the lunar surface 53 years later in 2025, the construction of a lunar station in orbit of a satellite and the preparation of conditions for possible colonization of the moon in the future.