Virgin Galactic conducts final VSS Unity commercial suborbital spaceflight
Who were the individuals on board VSS Unity for its last flight, and what were their backgrounds?
The individuals on board VSS Unity for its last flight were:
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Tuva Atasever: A Turkish research astronaut whose flight was arranged through Axiom Space. He conducted seven experiments during the suborbital flight, including sensors to monitor brain activity, radiation dosimeters, and insulin pens designed to operate in microgravity.
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Andy Sadhwani: A principal propulsion engineer at SpaceX who previously did research at NASA and Stanford University.
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Irving Pergament: A New York real estate developer and private pilot.
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Giorgio Manenti: An Italian investment manager living in London.
The vehicle was commanded by Nicola Pecile, making his fourth flight, with Jameel Janjua, on his first spaceflight, as the pilot5.
How did the insulin pens experiment, developed by Axiom Space, perform during the flight compared to prior tests?
The insulin pens experiment, developed by Axiom Space, experienced some issues during the initial tests leading up to the flight. However, the issues were identified and resolved, resulting in a successful performance during the flight. Tuva Atasever, the Turkish research astronaut, mentioned that they iterated and made changes to the insulin pens, which led to their perfect functioning in microgravity during the actual flight.
What experiments did Tuva Atasever conduct during the suborbital flight, and what were the outcomes?
Tuva Atasever, a Turkish research astronaut, conducted seven experiments during the suborbital flight on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceplane3. The experiments included:
- Testing a smart and active personal dosimeter developed by two Turkish universities and adapted for spaceflight.
- Studying multiple aspects of human performance and physiology during all phases of suborbital spaceflight using a physiological monitoring system.
- Examining the ability to administer accurate doses from insulin pens in microgravity.
- Investigating the effects of suborbital spaceflight on gene expressions and their impact on the immune system response against cancer.
- Identifying the metabolic and transcriptomic changes that occur as a result of a suborbital spaceflight.
- Analyzing the effect of microgravity and radiation exposure on the concentration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells within peripheral blood.
- Isolating and analyzing extracellular vesicles after suborbital spaceflight to further investigate the potential of exosome therapies for future astronauts.
Atasever mentioned during a press conference that the experimental side of the flight was a huge success1. Specifically, he noted that the testing of insulin pens, an experiment developed by Axiom Space, had some initial issues but was resolved, and the pens worked perfectly in microgravity.
The outcomes of these experiments will contribute to a better understanding of the effects of suborbital spaceflight on human physiology, gene expressions, and the immune system, as well as provide insights into potential therapies for future astronauts.