TAMU-SPIRIT

Chitosan in Space: Assessing Biopolymer Durability Under Vacuum and Radiation

The experiment will evaluate the durability and environmental stability of chitosan-based, insect-derived biopolymers and chitosan-regolith “biolith” composites during prolonged exposure to low-Earth orbit conditions. Chitosan, derived from the deacetylation of chitin in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) exoskeletons, offers a renewable and sustainable resource that integrates agricultural waste streams into closed-loop life-support systems.

PI: Dr. Justin W. Wilkerson, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Co-PI: Dr. Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Department of Entomology

Dexterous Robotics Avionics and Component Testing and Validation

The experiment will perform tasks to gather key knowledge about the performance, lifetime, and fidelity of actuator components, associated motor controller electronics and control software in a space environment. This work will de-risk the development and delivery of space-rated robotic manipulators in an ongoing collaboration between Texas A&M’s Robotics and Automation Design Lab and a commercial space station provider.

PI: Dr. Robert Ambrose, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Grape Seeds in Space

This material exposure experiment for three species of grape seeds will evaluate the effect of radiation on the viability of the seeds. The seeds will be exposed to varying radiation types then germinated on Earth to produce grapes for nutritional quality analysis.

PI: Dr. Justin Sheiner, Department of Horticulture Sciences

In-Orbit Thermal Insulation of Printed Aerogels and Microgravity Printability of Magnetic-Responsive Resins

Researchers will be conducting two experiments. The first being the characterization the thermal insulation of printed polymer-based aerogel panels. The second being the evaluation of magnetically responsive resins for on-orbit 3-D printing to study the effectiveness of magnetically immobilizing resins in a microgravity environment.

PI: Dr. Emily Pentzer, Department of Chemistry

Co-PIs: Dr. Peiran Wei, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station; Dr. Jung-Bin Ahn, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

The Spaceflight Endothelial and Coagulation Biology Experiment (SECoBE) Initiative: Engineering Demonstration and Microbial Survivability

This experiment is the first of a proposed biological research campaign to advance the biomedical understanding of radiation-induced vascular injury. For the first mission, desiccation-tolerant microbial spores (e.g., Bacillus subtilis or Deinococcus radiodurans) will be measured for metabolic recovery, fluorescence-based viability and correlation of linear energy transfer/dose histograms — resulting in a robust experiment design to be reused for future SECoBE experiments.

PI: Dr. Jeffery C. Chancellor, Director of Aerospace Medicine in the College of Medicine

Co-PIs: Dr. Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, College of Medicine; Dr. John Ford, Department of Nuclear Engineering; Dr. Walter Cromer, Aerospace Medicine in the College of Medicine; Dr. Travis R. Hein, Department of Medical Physiology; Dr. Mariappan Muthuchamy, Department of Medical Physiology

Shape Memory Alloy Torque Tube-Based Morphing Radiator

The experiment will advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of a radiator design utilizing a shape memory alloy torque tube as an actuator to expose an emissive surface. The acquisition of on-orbit data will allow researchers to better model the system’s TRL in a space setting. 

PI: Dr. Darren Hartl, Department of Aerospace Engineering

Co-PI: Thomas Cognata, NASA’s Johnson Space Center

Shield-2

As a follow-up to an experiment that flew on MISSE-22, this endeavor will advance “smart skin” technologies for robotic systems in extreme environments by focusing on radiation shielding and post-flight mechanical performance of custom silicone elastomers and demonstrating a novel nanoscale radiation dosimeter based on fluorinated carbon nanotube thin films.

PI: Dr. Kalyan Raj Kota, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Co-PIs: Dr. Robert Kelley Bradley, Lamar University; Dr. Merlyn Pulikkathara, Prairie View A&M University; Dr. Masoumeh Ozmaeian, MatterMind Analytics LLC; Justin Carter, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Solar-Induced Hot Electron Current Measurements via Quantum Dot Upconversion

Researchers will study microcrystal energy production capabilities using a university researched and fabricated microcrystal doped with manganese ions to induce high-energy, electron ionization energy transfers. The sun will serve as an incident source to study the quadric relationship between current density and light intensity.

PI: Dr. Dong Hee Son, Department of Chemistry

Co-PI: Ian Murray, Department of Chemistry

A: The first flight will deploy the TAMU-SPIRIT flight facility itself, along with three (3) Pallet Carriers (PCs) that will be pre-installed on TAMU-SPIRIT.  Each Pallet Carrier can accommodate multiple experiments, and the individual experiments will be selected, in part, to maximize the Pallet Carrier capabilities

A: Yes, because the TAMU-SPIIRIT-1 experiments will be hosted on Pallet Carriers that are pre-integrated into the TAMU-SPIRIT flight facility on its launch and deployment, the launch environment, thermal extremes and experiment dimensions and mass will be more constrained than on subsequent missions. Details are contained in the Quick Reference Guide TAMU-SIRIT-1 Addendum on the webpage.

A: The plan is to fly four (4) Science Carriers (SCs) or Payload Carriers (PCs) on TAMU-SPIRIT-2 and all follow-on flights, and at the same time to return experiments/Carriers that have completed their orbital durations.  Each SC or PC can accommodate multiple experiments, and the individual experiments will be selected, in part, to maximize SC and PC capabilities

A: No, due to the orientation of TAMU SPIRIT, we are unable to use the ISS's camera to view SC/PC.  On SC, four cameras are mounted on a trolley that can capture photos of the SC's deck. There are no cameras on the PC.  

A: Yes. Our SC camera systems have extensive flight heritage and are rated for space use.

A: Aegis provides both active and passive radiation sensors. We have one overall active sensor and one passive dosimeter per face for each mission.

A: We do not have any specific microcontroller recommendations as these are usually provided by our PIs and are not a standard service we offer. Aegis utilizes the BeagleBone Black Industrial (modified with fluid-filled capacitors replaced, etc.) for the majority of its computers.  It utilizes a Texas Instruments Sitara AM3358, which is not radiation-hardened, but features improved environmental characteristics.  We also use different packages of this processor on our custom computer boards.  The Aegis electrical team recommends using lead-based solder for experimental PCBs, if it is not significantly more expensive (when having them custom-made, at least), as it improves connection reliability.

A: The PI and Investigator team qualifications and history are a factor in the technical merit score of the proposal, and the knowledge and history of the PI to their experiment is critical to the selection of proposals.  Student proposals must have a faculty PI and the students are welcome to be Co-Is if their experience and knowledge base is applicable to the experiment.

A: You can certainly include a project concept in your notice of intent, and we can provide some feedback to you. The scope of experiments that can be flown on TAMU SPIRIT is quite expansive, so many project concepts are feasible. The major limitation for projects in this first mission will be the additional structural loads and environmental conditions the experiment must survive during launch.

A: The responsibility to provide funding for the development costs of the experiment lies entirely upon the PI and experiment team (point five in the Proposal Narrative section of the Call for Proposals). Given that these development costs are outside of the TAMU-SPIRIT provides, there is no maximum or minimum experiment cost.  Note that proposals will be evaluated on their Technical Merit, which includes risk associated with experiment funding as stated in the Proposal Evaluation Plan.

A: This is possible, but would add some complexity.  TAMU-SPIRIT experiments will be unattended during their duration on orbit, except for systems that can be controlled via switches (heaters, etc.), and would be unpowered for periods of time during installation and de-installation.  An experiment could be integrated into an atmospheric “bottle”, but if that atmosphere requires temperature control, heaters or fans would need to be built into the experiment (in addition to the experimental control system).

Q: Beyond the October 22nd selection date, could you provide an outline of the expected timeline for our sample delivery to SPIRIT, testing, data availability, and deliverables?

A: For experiments chosen for the first flight (TAMU-SPIRIT-1), the completed experiments are to be delivered to Aegis Aerospace in Houston by 9/1/26. Aegis will complete all integration of the experiments into the pallet carriers, complete thermal and vibration testing, and conduct all safety reviews with NASA. The completed TAMU-SPIRIT flight facility, with the initial, pre-integrated 3 Pallet Carriers (and their experiments) will be delivered to the cargo launch provider ~late March 2027 for a launch a few weeks later. Cargo launch dates that far out are not yet scheduled, so this date may move. If the launch occurs in early April 2027, TAMU-SPIRIT and its experiments will arrive at the ISS, be removed from the cargo vehicle and installed on ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3, powered up and checked out. Individual experiments will then be powered on and checked out. This process could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Nominally, experiments should be ready for operation a few weeks after launch - using the planning dates above, this could be late April 2027. Experiments are nominally operated for 6 months, although PIs can request longer (12-month) operational periods. Aegis Aerospace will operate the experiments in cooperation with the PIs, and will coordinate upload commands and download data with the PI. The experiments will be de-integrated from TAMU-SPIRIT and returned to Earth on subsequent cargo spacecraft, Aegis Aerospace will process the returned Carriers and then return the experiments to the PIs.

Q: Could you guide us to any references for equivalent space X-ray dose that may be applied during testing?

A: No X-ray testing (e.g., for structural defects) is conducted pre-flight once the experiment is turned over to Aegis Aerospace. If the X-ray dose is important to the experiment once on orbit, the PI would need to supply X-ray dosimeters as part of the experiment.

Q: The Payload Carrier experiment dimensions had some inconsistencies. In the quick reference guide, it says 16.6” x 8.6” x 9.87” while the addendum says it needs to be 16.6” x 8.6” x 3.5”. I wanted clarification to see if the dimensions for the addendum are specifically for SPIRIT-1 or if this was a typo.

A: The addendum dimension is correct. The 3.5" height is correct for the TAMU-SPIRIT-1 mission only; the limit on height for the initial mission is to ensure adequate clearance from the trunk walls of the launch vehicle during robotic manipulation of the facility. There are also some dimensions shown in Figure 7: PC dimensions that reflect the overall size of the PC, and are slightly larger than the 16.6” x 8.6” dimension that is the footprint of the mounting plate attached to the top of the PC.

Q: We noted that there are only three Pallet Carriers scheduled for the initial flight and want to know if student samples will be considered for space on the Pallet Carriers. We do not know the difference between Student experiments and those for general TAMU system proposals. The call for proposal states "Experiment Position 12 will be reserved for experiments from Texas A&M University System students" is this one of the three pallet carriers that will be sent in the upcoming flight?

A: Our plan is to dedicate one of the three Pallet Carriers on TAMU-SPIRIT-1 to student-initiated experiments, pending the evaluation of the experiment proposals.

Q: Is imagery available on Pallet Carriers?

A: The Pallet Carrier does not have an onboard imager. Experiments that need high-resolution color imagery of materials coupons or samples may be best accommodated on a Science Carrier (SC), which has an onboard high-resolution camera system. Multiple SCs will likely be flown on the TAMU-SPIRIT-2 mission, approximately 6 months after the initial TAMU-SPIRIT-1 launch.

Q: How long after submission will we be notified, and when will the process for creating our proposal begin?

A: Proposal preparation should be underway. The Call for Experiment Proposals was released on August 22 and TAMU-SPIRIT-1 proposals are due on September 22.