Biostack experiment
The Apollo-era Biostack experiment was a bioscience experiment flown about Apollo 16 and Apollo 17. The goal of these experiments was to study the effects of high-energy cosmic rays on biological materials. The experiments contained various biological materials including bacterial spores, seeds, and the eggs of a variety of species.
Background
Heavy-ion high energy cosmic-rays were discovered in 1948 and it was discovered in rapid succession this type of radiation had a substantial propensity to interact with biological materials with physical manifestations. Balloon's provided the first mean's for scientists to explore this interactions.[1] Mice were studied for the increased speed with which their coats greyed, monkeys and mice were both studied for the damage to brain tissues, and both the eggs of Artemia Salia and the embryos of maize plants show evidence of damage at the cellular level.[1]
During the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong reported observing flashes of light whenever they had their eyes closed or when the inside of their spacecraft was dimly lit.[2][3] Every Apollo mission subsequently reported the exact same phenomenon.[3] It was surmised that the cause of these light emissions were the result of heavy-ion cosmic-rays interacting with the light detecting cells in the retina of a human eye.[2] This had been predicted in 1952 by XXX Tobias but the documentary evidence from the in-flight experiences of astronauts brought greater attention to the potential effects of cosmic-rays on biological materials in general but in particular astronauts.[1]
Cosmic-rays result in the transference of a large amount of energy in a highly localised area, and this aspect differs substantially from X-rays and Gamma rays which exhibit more diffuse effects. This necessitated in-situ experimentation with high-energy cosmic-rays and Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 were identified as opportunities to explore their properties.[1]
Experiment
The Biostack experiment consisted of layers of biological samples suspended with PVA, sandwiched between various types of radiation detectors. Each layer of biological sample would consist of a discrete type of biological specimen. Seven different species were used including bacterial spores, plant seeds, protozoal cysts and animal eggs.
Eight experiment units were built, with four identical units for each flight. One of these four units was designated the flight unit along with another designated a flight backup. The third of the four units would be used as a ground-based control. The fourth unit was kept in Frankfurt as a laboratory control. Since both flight units were used for their respective flights, the backup flight units were used for further experimentation on both flights. The backup flight unit on Biostack I was flown on a balloon from Fort Churchill, Canada and the Biostack II backup flight unit was irradiated at University of California, Berkeley.[1] Biostack I flew on board Apollo 16, which launched on April 16, 1972 and Biostack II flew on board Apollo 17 which launched on December 7, 1972.
Science
References
- ^ a b c d e Bücker, H. (1974-01-01), Sneath, P. H. A. (ed.), "THE BIOSTACK EXPERIMENTS I AND II ABOARD APOLLO 16 AND 17", Life Sciences and Space Research, Pergamon, pp. 43–50, ISBN 978-0-08-021783-3, retrieved 2024-02-09
- ^ a b Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report (PDF). Houston, Texas: Manned Spacecraft Center, NASA. 1973. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
- ^ a b Chapman, P. K.; Pinsky, L. S.; Benson, R. E.; Budinger, T. F. (1972-01-01). "Observations of cosmic ray induced phosphenes". Proc. of the Natl. Symp. on Nat. and Manmade Radiation in Space.