July 16, 22:00

Five Brazilian Scientists Working on NASA Projects

Researchers from Brazil are actively participating in NASA missions, studying Mars, volcanoes on Saturn's moons, and the function of 'mini-brains' on the Space Station. These scientists make a significant contribution to the American space agency's research.

Neurobiology Research

A biologist from Brasília, Alina Martins, became interested in space at around age 14 after watching the film 'Blade Runner' (1982). She was drawn to the final words of the android Roy Batty. This interest led her to co-direct a laboratory conducting advanced research for NASA.

Martins began engaging in space research in 2022 after meeting Allison Muotri, a neurobiologist from San Diego. They collaborated with chemist John Yates from The Scripps Research Institute. Their joint work involved analyzing samples of cellular material sent to the International Space Station (ISS). The study examined how the space environment affects dormant parts of DNA, potentially accelerating the aging of astronauts' neural cells.

Goals of Space Experiments

Allison Muotri emphasizes that the goal of all their space experiments is to understand the influence of space on the human brain and apply this knowledge to treat neurological diseases on Earth. Among the projects, they study mechanisms of accelerated aging, methods of radiation protection, the search for neuroprotectants, the development of new materials for brain-machine interfaces, and modeling conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, autism, Parkinson's, and dementia.

In 2024, Alina Martins became co-director of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) laboratory with Muotri. The laboratory was named 'Orion,' which held personal significance for her. Martins, 49, is responsible for onboard experiment technologies and the analysis of mini-brains returning from the ISS, noting that Americans view Brazilians as a missing 'spice' in research.

Team and Scientific Achievements

Of the ten scientists working on space projects, nine were born in Brazil. Luisa Coelho, a biologist from Florianópolis, 27, is one of the younger members of the team. She joined the project seven years ago while pursuing her master's degree at UCSD. Coelho began working with Muotri after seeing his work on simulating Neanderthal characteristics in organoids, which he calls 'mini-brains,' in a television report about him as a professor at the same university. Today, she is a mission specialist focusing on studying the brain's immune systems.

Muotri, 51, moved to the US in 2002 for postdoctoral research. He is known for his pioneering research, including discovering the link between the Zika virus circulating in Brazil and microcephaly in 2016. In 2018, he founded the field of 'neuroarchaeology,' creating Neanderthal mini-brains. His involvement in space research began in 2016 when he detected signs of accelerated aging in human cells in space. Despite warnings he issued to NASA, he decided to fund the sending of a mini-brain experiment into space in 2019, which confirmed his hypothesis. Since then, NASA has paid attention to and funded his work.

Long-Term Collaboration with NASA

Muotri's laboratory is the most Brazilian among research centers working with NASA in the US. However, there is another center closely associated with the presence of Brazilian scientists—the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, which has been operating since 1989. JPL is a traditional NASA center, established in 1936. In 1991, planetary geologist Rosalina Lopez became a member of the Galileo Project, which studied Jupiter and its moons. She observed the volcanic moon Io from 1996 to 2001, leading to the discovery of 71 active volcanoes, earning her a Guinness record. Afterward, she worked on the Cassini mission to Saturn and continues to study the volcanoes on Titan, the largest moon of the solar system's sixth planet, which are cryovolcanoes.

Scientists such as Ramon De Paula, an engineer who led the Phoenix probe mission to Mars, and Ivair Gontijo, an engineer who participated in the Curiosity mission to Mars, also worked at JPL. Planetologist Nilton Renno from São Paulo began working with probes aimed at Mars in 2007. He led research that resulted in the discovery of liquid water beneath the surface of Mars in 2008.

podrobno.uzJuly 15, 13:02

NASA recruits volunteers for one-year ground simulation of life on Mars

The Johnson Space Center in Houston has begun recruiting participants for the Moon & Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA) ground expedition. This unique program, scheduled to start no earlier than August 2027, involves the complete isolation of a group of four to six test subjects from the outside world for an entire year.

Objective and Candidate Requirements

The main goal of the expedition is to provide scientists with the opportunity to prepare for future real missions to the Moon and Mars. Organizers are looking for US citizens or individuals with a Green Card who meet specific criteria: age between 30 and 55, height no more than 188 centimeters, and physical and psychological endurance.

Candidates must have a higher education in exact sciences, engineering, or mathematics and possess significant work experience. The selection process includes a thorough medical commission and in-depth psychological testing.

Simulating Space Flight Conditions

For the entire year, volunteers will be housed in the closed Pavilion 220 in Texas. Here, scientists have recreated three interconnected spaces to model different phases of space travel. Initially, the crew will reside in a two-story cylindrical spacecraft approximately 63 square meters in area, simulating a long journey.

Upon arrival at the simulated planet, participants will move into a spacious single-story Martian habitat, which covers about 158 square meters and was created using a 3D printer. This house is equipped with living quarters, a kitchen, a laboratory, and a sand area for conducting both virtual and physical surface excursions.

Autonomy and Daily Routine

A compact rover designed for two people is provided for more detailed research. In this limited cabin, equipped with sleeping berths and a portable toilet, participants will spend several days in complete autonomy, allowing an assessment of their ability to cope with extreme crowding and temporary team separation.

Life in the complex will be strictly regulated according to a military schedule, similar to the routine of the International Space Station (ISS): eight hours of sleep, clearly defined working hours, physical exercise, and life support system maintenance. Furthermore, participants will be in a complete information vacuum, excluding access to the internet, social media, television, and regular phone calls.

Communication and Nutrition

The only ways to communicate with Earth will be through text news briefs and rare video calls with loved ones and psychological specialists. A delay of several minutes will be used to increase the realism of communication with Mission Control. During the simulation of passing the ship behind the Sun, the crew will face a complete two-week silence.

The volunteers' diet will consist exclusively of dry space rations, while fresh vitamins will be obtained from greenery grown in a small hydroponic farm. These 14 months of strict limitations and constant medical examinations will allow NASA to study aspects such as psychological exhaustion, group cohesion, and bodily function under stress, ensuring the safety of future space missions.

Funding Lunar Projects

Additionally, it should be noted that NASA previously allocated about $600 million to three private companies to prepare for the creation of a Lunar base. The task of these companies is to deliver necessary equipment to the Moon using unmanned vehicles.