Assessment of Scientific Payload Carrying Spirulina Onboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard Vehicle
The research team at ERAU and UTHSCSA analyzed the effects of suborbital flight stressors and various light conditions (red, white, no light) on the Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina), onboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle. Commercially available cyanobacterium species were cultivated and closely monitored in mother colonies several months before the suborbital flight mission. The aim of this study was to estimate the biomass production and growth as a potential dietary alternative for prospective human spaceflight’s life support system. Spirulina samples were flown in a NanoLab with adjacent avionics supporting the light conditions and sensors to monitor the temperature, relative humidity, and accelerations. The various flight parameters measured in the NanoLab were validated with the flight data gathered by Nanoracks, the flight integrator. Thus, we also assessed the effect of microgravity and different light conditions on the gene expression. Our data indicates that the Spirulina samples onboard the rocket had significant (p < 0.01-0.0001) downregulation of majority of the gene expression. However, when comparing different light effects, the red light had the most significant effect on most genes, especially for genes involved in magnesium (mgtE) and nitrate-nitrite (nrtP) transport. Finally, we used laser-scanning confocal microscopy to provide high-resolution imaging visualizations of the Spirulina under different conditions (ground, flight, and light conditions). Results indicate that flight samples exposed to red light had the most profound effect on gene expression and showed an enhanced behavior suggesting that photosynthetic organisms are influenced by light energy. Our findings indicate that Spirulina may be able to survive and grow under various light conditions and at lower temperatures than optimally cultivated conditions for several weeks.
