2b. CESM_SantaMaria.pdf

This document is a detailed presentation about NASA's BioSentinel mission, a scientific space exploration project focused on studying biological responses to deep space radiation environments. The mission involves a CubeSat satellite launched as part of the Artemis I mission, designed to investigate how space radiation impacts living organisms by conducting experiments with yeast cells and measuring radiation exposure using sophisticated microfluidic and optical detection systems.

Key scientific objectives include developing autonomous life support technologies, studying space radiation environments beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and characterizing radiation dosimetry through a Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectrometer. The mission successfully deployed in November 2022 and has gathered significant data, including measurements of solar particle events and radiation dose rates. The project serves as a critical precursor for future missions like LEIA (Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications), which aims to further investigate cellular sensitivity to space environments and develop biological countermeasures for deep space exploration.