BioSentinel: A 6U Nanosatellite for Deep-Space Biological Science

Abstract

BioSentinel is a 6U nanosatellite planned to launch in 2020 as a secondary payload onboard NASA's Space Launch System first exploration mission, Artemis-1, from which it will be deployed to a lunar fly-by trajectory leading to a heliocentric orbit. BioSentinel will conduct the first in situ measurements of biological response to space radiation outside low Earth orbit (LEO) in five decades; it will thus address strategic knowledge gaps related to the biological effects of space radiation. BioSentinel will measure the DNA damage and response to ambient space radiation in a model biological organism, which will be compared to information provided by an onboard physical radiation sensor and to data obtained in LEO (on the International Space Station) and on Earth. The spacecraft will operate in a deep-space environment with functions that include command and data handling, communications, power generation and energy storage, and attitude determination and control, including micropropulsion. The BioSentinel spacecraft advances multiple nanosatellite systems in order to function beyond LEO; by doing so, it provides an adaptable instrument platform to perform a range of human-exploration-relevant measurements in multiple space environments. BioSentinel's results will be critical for improving interpretation of the biological effects of space radiation exposure, and for reducing the risk to humans associated with long-term space exploration.