Aarons area of interest lies in astrobiology, specifically in the area of molecular biology as it relates to space habitation, adaptation, and space applications. He is interested in understanding the connection between the gravitational environment and cellular function at the molecular level, and how these effects translate into behavioral characteristics at the organismal level. Practical experience in designing and performing biological experiments for parabolic flights is of great value for him as he prepares for a career in astrobiology.
Photo: Tom Gordon
Olathe has a degree in biology and is enrolled in the Masters of Space Science program at ISU. Olathe will have a three month internship with Guelph University this summer, during which she will be working on a higher plant chamber to be integrated into ESA's Micro Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA). Olathe hopes to pursue a career in biological life support systems to support human space exploration and the application of this technology on Earth as well for food production, air quality control, and water purification. Olathe intends to publish the results from this parabolic flight experiment and hopes to make a significant contribution to the field of biological life support for space.
Aaron Gronstal and Olathe Clark both have a biological background and the team agreed that a microbiology experiment would be interesting. These students took responsibility for providing the scientific concept. Each reviewed the scientific literature in a different area of interest so that there would be at least two experiment options. After a general concept was selected by the team, both students developed the chosen experiment and wrote the experiment objectives and description.
Photo: Steven Wathiong
Last year, Steven completed a Master of Engineering at the Katolieke Universiteit Leuven and specialized in mechanics related to aerospace. Currently, Steven is undertaking a M.Sc. in Space Studies in which focusses on space engineering and science. Microgravity is one of the characteristics of space which has to be taken into account in the fields of engineering and space sciences. The parabolic flight gives him a unique opportunity to experience microgravity. Building the experimental bench for the parabolic flight experiment would broaden his knowledge and add additional value to my education. "Such a rare opportunity would give me more insight in space engineering and will help me to start a career in the space industry".
Steven Wathiong has a Masters in Civil Engineering and agreed to select the materials and instruments to meet the experiment objectives and design and construct the experiment rack. He had to make sure all safety and technical requirements, such as mass, power, dimensions, etc. were met and that the design was optimized for these parameters. He wrote the technical description of the experiment and filled in all of the associated sections of the proposal.
Photo: Tim Hill
Tom Gordon is from Australia, and can't wait to experience microgravity, like the astronauts, while contributing to the research for the astronauts. He has completed a degree in Astrophysics from the Australian National University (ANU), and then went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Scientific Communication. With these two qualifications and his current studies at the ISU, he has a strong passion and knowledge for science, and a goal to get everybody else as excited about it as he is. His responsibility for the flight is the design and running of the mandatory outreach program.
Photo: www.space.com
Frederic is the unnoficial 5th member of the micro-b team. He is the journalist that we have selected to come with us and cover the Parabolic Flight Campaign for ESA. Each team has to have a journalist as requested by ESA to raise the involvement and awareness of the program. Frederic has flown once before on the SPFC in 2000. You can read his report that he did after his first flight here. Frederic was very excited to be given the oppurtunity to join us on the flight. He excites us all with some of his stories of his last experience.
And this is how we have organized the whole thing with what each of us have to do.
Home
