Research partnerships with the Mason Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Overbey Lab at UATX invite community-driven experiments on an upcoming Blue Origin mission
October 28, 2024 : The
Space Exploration & Research Agency (SERA) today announced research
partnerships with Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Austin (UATX)
for its upcoming mission with Blue Origin to bring underrepresented nations to
space. The mission’s crew of citizen astronauts will help conduct biomedical
experiments during the spaceflight chosen and designed by the global public.
Historically,
scientific research in space has been confined to narrow academic disciplines
and limited to a few select countries. More than 80% of astronauts have come
from just three countries. SERA is aiming to break down structural barriers to
space and make spaceflight and scientific research more accessible and
inclusive.
Earlier this
year, SERA formed a strategic partnership with Blue Origin to purchase six
seats
onboard a Blue
Origin New Shepard rocket. Five of the seats are allocated to partner nations
that have never
had an astronaut or very few. The sixth seat will be open to a person from any
partner nation.
Anyone can apply and be selected by the voting public.
Now, SERA is
announcing research partnerships with the Mason Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine
and the Overbey Lab at the University of Austin (UATX), preeminent institutions
in space research, that will empower the public to participate in scientific
research during the mission. Each of the six seats will be allocated a series
of both autonomous and astronaut-tended experiments. These experiments will
focus on the effects of microgravity on human physiology, cell biology and
fluid dynamics, to better understand the human experience in space.
Select
experimental parameters will be predetermined to ensure scientifically
meaningful insights. The public will use the Mission platform to put forward
specific proposals to test their own hypotheses. The platform also includes an
AI assistant trained on academic papers relevant to microgravity and the
experiment themes to help those without traditional experience in space science
to research and structure their submissions. Proposals will be evaluated by the
partners to curate finalists for each seat, which will then be voted on by the
public.
Earlier this
year, SERA announced that India, Nigeria, and the Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) will each be allotted a seat on the mission, marking a
significant milestone for nations that have historically lacked access to
space. This opportunity will pave the way for further scientific research,
innovation, and advancement within these regions. The remaining seat
assignments for underrepresented countries will be revealed later this year.
SERA’s first
achievement toward making space accessible to all was demonstrated on June 4,
2022, when the
company sent Victor Hespanha, a 28-year-old civil engineer from Minas Gerais,
Brazil, to space
on NS-21, Blue Origin’s fifth crewed flight. He became the second Brazilian to
fly to space.
“Expanding the
horizons of space discovery goes beyond the astronauts themselves,” said Sam
Hutchison, Co-founder of SERA. “Building an inclusive space ecosystem also
means pushing research forward and investigating topics that have been
previously overlooked by national and corporate space interests – and bringing
our entire community along for the ride.”
“We are elated
to enable a broader range of countries, people, and cultures expand into space,
and then to deploy cutting-edge biomedical experiments during the SERA flights
that can help prepare for future missions,” said Dr. Christopher Mason,
WorldQuant Professor of Genomics and Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell
Medicine.
“Scientific
discovery is not restricted to the ivory tower. To become a multi-planetary species,
all explorers will need to bring their sense of curiosity and an appetite for
discovery,” said Dr. Eliah Overbey, professor of bioastronautics at UATX.
“Our future in
space should reflect the diversity on Earth,” said Phil Joyce, SVP, New
Shepard. “This program is an important step in making space accessible to new
and emerging spacefaring nations, advancing science, and inspiring people
within—and beyond—their borders.”
More information
on the mission, including additional partner nations, will be announced over
the coming months. To sign up for updates on SERA, visit www.sera.space.
About SERA
The Space
Exploration & Research Agency, formerly known as the CSA, was founded to
build a global community dedicated to space exploration and research. Its
mission is to create a space agency for everyone.
More
information: https://www.sera.space/
About UATX
The University of Austin prepares
thoughtful and ethical innovators, builders, leaders, and citizens through
fair-minded open inquiry and sustained civil discourse.
Contact:
For More Information Contact
Sweta Bharti,
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