Grants and Contributions

Astronauts are returning to Earth with a 35% reduction in elasticity, equivalent to more than 30-40 years of aging, in their carotid arteries. Inflight ultrasound imaging and blood sampling in baseline and during glucose tolerance testing will be conducted to monitor effects of hypogravity and increased radiation. The novel results that will come from this research can provide insight into mechanisms to protect vascular health in astronauts through appropriate exercise and, or nutritional modifications and give guidance to the population on Earth to adopt physically active lifestyles with appropriate nutrition that will enhance the quality of life as we age.

Space flight is hard on the body. Low levels of gravity, exposure to radiation, increased stress – these factors affect an astronaut in ways that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Researchers are working to better understand the effects of space flight on the human body so they can find ways to keep astronauts as healthy as possible.

Human bodies are best suited to life on Earth. When astronauts travel to space and live in a weightless environment, their cardiorespiratory systems adapt – sometimes in ways that can affect their health. For example, the fluids that circulate in their bodies decrease in volume, which means their blood pressure is lower than on Earth.

Researchers are working to understand more about how astronauts' cardiorespiratory systems decondition when they are in microgravity. CARDIOBREATH looks at what can be done to protect astronauts' blood pressure regulation, by examining how astronauts' cardiovascular and respiratory systems interact with their blood pressure control during missions on the International Space Station.

The project is a pioneering initiative aimed at advancing space radiation dosimetry technology while providing valuable training opportunities for students. The project's focus on advancing space radiation dosimetry directly contributes to astronaut health and safety during space missions. Furthermore, CNP-TEPC's capabilities position it as a potential replacement for existing ISS dosimetry equipment, with applications extending to terrestrial radiation monitoring in diverse environments, including nuclear power plants, medical facilities.

Astronauts face several health challenges while exposed to the harsh space environment. The immune system is one of the most severely affected systems. The main objectives of this study are to use Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate the effects of microgravity on Tumor-Associated Macrophages density within tumours, and to investigate the effects of microgravity on macrophage recruitment to sites of inflammation. The findings from this project will contribute to the understanding of how the immune system ages here on Earth.

The project seeks to advance the readiness of the Photometric Observations of Exoplanet Transits (POET) mission. POET is a proposed mission to detect extrasolar planets and to characterize their atmospheres. The main objectives of the proposed project, which is a pre-cursor to POET, are to: (1) validate the astronomical use of the shortwavelength infrared camera in a near-space environment (a high-altitude stratospheric balloon), and (2) train junior members of the POET team in conducting a space-like mission. The validation of commercial infrared cameras for accurate observations would pave the way for their adoption in space and could lower the cost for space-based remote sensing.

Satellites are critical infrastructure in our technologically advancing world. Daily, we use satellites to navigate, predict weather, and communicate. A successful cyberattack against space infrastructure could be devastating to modern society. To prevent such an attack, satellites encrypt their communications using keys loaded before launch. If those keys are compromised after launch, there is no way to load new keys. QEYnet is developing a solution to this problem using quantum key distribution (QKD). In QKD, keys are sent to the satellite using photons. Due to the laws of quantum mechanics, any attempt at eavesdropping on a QKD system can be detected, making the keys highly secure. QEYnet has developed a lowcost,
space based QKD receiver. A test flight of this technology will enable evaluation of
system performance in the target environment, demonstration of on-orbit rekeying, demonstration of key distribution between locations on Earth, and customer trials with this cutting-edge technology.

Lunarwell turns dirty lunar ice into clean water with the help of sunlight and the Moon's vacuum

LunaPure is an entirely self-sustained system that relies on the controlled application of natural elements of the lunar environment to convert dirty lunar ice into drinkable water.

Lotic seeks to contribute its proprietary EC-AOP technology to the challenge, aiming to enhance the clarification of Lunar Water, leveraging our innovative solution for sustainable lunar exploration.