The Light Ion Detector for ALTEA (LIDAL) is a new instrument designed to measure flux, energy spectra and Time of Flight of ions in a space habitat. It was installed in the International Space Station (Columbus) on January 19, 2020 and it is still operating. This paper presents the results of LIDAL measurements in the first 17 months of operation (01/2020-05/2022). Particle flux, dose rate, Time of Flight and spectra are presented and studied in the three ISS orthogonal directions and in the different geomagnetic regions (high latitude, low latitude, and South Atlantic Anomaly, SAA). The results are consistent with previous measurements. Dose rates range between 1.8 nGy/s and 2.4 nGy/s, flux between 0.21 particles/(sr cm2 s) and 0.32 particles/(sr cm2 s) as measured across time and directions during the full orbit. These data offer insights concerning the radiation measurements in the ISS and demonstrate the capabilities of LIDAL as a unique tool for the measurement of space radiation in space habitats, also providing novel information relevant to assess radiation risks for astronauts.

Long-duration manned space missions require that astronauts be equipped with analytical devices suitable for performing on-site clinical-chemistry analysis. In the frame of the “IN SITU Bioanalysis” project, an analytical device for measuring the steroid hormone cortisol (an indicator of chronic stress) in saliva has been developed. The device performed a Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) for cortisol employing disposable plastic cartridges produced by FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing technology, which encapsulated a sealed fluidic element containing the LFIA strip and the reagents required for the analysis. Detection was performed by chemiluminescence (CL) using a dedicated CL reader equipped with a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli successfully used the “IN SITU Bioanalysis” analytical device during the mission “VITA”, a 6-months space mission onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in the framework of a dated bilateral agreement between the Italian Space Agency (ASI—Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) and NASA. The experiments proved the feasibility of CL-LFIA ultrasensitive (i.e., at the sub-ng/mL level) quantitative bioassays in space. In perspective, the “IN SITU Bioanalysis” analytical device could be adapted to the measurement of other biomarkers of diagnostic and prognostic relevance, even in a multiplexed fashion (i.e., detection of multiple biomarkers in a single analysis) to develop panels tests for diagnosis and follow-up of pathologies or monitoring health status of astronauts.

Energy balance maintenance is crucial to preserve astronaut’s wellness and quality of life during long-duration spaceflight and nutritional intervention can effectively counteract the detrimental effect of microgravity on skeletal muscle mass and metabolism. NutrISS (Nutrition monitoring for the International Space Station) is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) biomedical experiment investigating the changes in body composition during long-term spaceflight. The goal of this proof-of-concept study is to monitor the body composition of astronauts and, if needed, to provide nutritional advice during the mission. It has been executed on the ISS, from July 2019 till January 2020 and sponsored by ESA. The payloads selected for the mission “BEYOND” result from a public-call funded and coordinated by ASI, in the frame of its national mission of promoting and fostering the culture of space across the Country and providing access to the ISS as a laboratory in space to the Italian research community. The utilization support services is ensured by Argotec/Telespazio (UTISS Team). An astronaut underwent to baseline data collections, i.e. body composition, anthropometric evaluation and energy and metabolic assessment carried out by the scientific team. Body composition, estimated through resistance/reactance to a low-intensity current has been assessed with a Bio-Impedance Analyser (BIA) device manufactured by Akern and modified by Kayser Italia. To maintain the participant in near-neutral energy balance, the science team monitored monthly the astronaut body mass during the entire space flight period. Advice on energy intake was given to the astronaut when needed.

The PERSEO project (PErsonal Radiation Shielding for intErplanetary missiOns), funded by the Italian Space Agency, has led to the development of a first technological demonstrator of a radiation shielding garment, to be used in a pressurized space habitat, that can be filled at need with on-board water and used for personal protection in case of solar particle events. The collaboration, including academic partners and companies active in space research and technology development, designed and manufactured the prototype that has been successfully tested on board the International Space Station by the European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli in November 2017, during the VITA mission. The effectiveness of the garment in terms of reduction of the radiation dose to sensitive organs (subject to the occurrence of short-term non-cancer effects following acute exposure) has been evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations with an anthropomorphic phantom. The successful outcome of the experimental session on board has demonstrated the practicality of use and wearability of the prototype, and, in perspective, the feasibility of a personal radiation shielding strategy, complementary to habitat shielding and based on the use of available resources, of fundamental importance also in view of future manned interplanetary missions.

As manned spaceflights beyond low Earth orbit are in the agenda of Space Agencies, the concerns related to space radiation exposure of the crew are still without conclusive solutions. The risk of long-term detrimental health effects needs to be kept below acceptable limits, and emergency countermeasures must be planned to avoid the short-term consequences of exposure to high particle fluxes during hardly predictable solar events. Space habitat shielding cannot be the ultimate solution: the increasing complexity of future missions will require astronauts to protect themselves in low-shielded areas, e.g. during emergency operations. Personal radiation shielding is promising, particularly if using available resources for multi-functional shielding devices. In this work we report on all steps from the conception, design, manufacturing, to the final test on board the International Space Station (ISS) of the first prototype of a water-filled garment for emergency radiation shielding against solar particle events. The garment has a good shielding potential and comfort level. On-board water is used for filling and then recycled without waste. The successful outcome of this experiment represents an important breakthrough in space radiation shielding, opening to the development of similarly conceived devices and their use in interplanetary missions as the one to Mars.

An advanced modeling algorithm based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been developed to solve multiple dipole modeling (MDM) problems in space applications. MDM is a method to represent spacecraft units as a set of equivalent magnetic dipoles able to reconstruct, in the far-field distance, the same magnetostatic field. This procedure allows preparing a magnetic model of the spacecraft during design and development phases. Moreover, it allows refined prediction of magnetic cleanliness for space missions with equipment susceptible to magnetic fields. Indeed, owing to the increase of missions requiring magnetostatic cleanliness, such characterization becomes increasingly important. To validate the PSO procedure, synthetic data have been initially used, generated using a software simulator. Algorithm performance has been tested through measured data acquired using the Mobile Coil Facility located at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in The Netherlands. Starting from measured data, the algorithm iteratively identifies the values of the unknowns, positions, and magnetic moments of the equivalent dipoles that best match the measured field. Since the problem is ill posed, several solutions are possible. To develop a reliable algorithm, some test cases have been analyzed where the expected solution is known. This allowed improving the algorithm leading to satisfying results.

A technique for designing a low-RF reflectivity thermal blanket is presented. Multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets are employed to stabilize the temperature on spacecraft unit but they can be responsible of passive intermodulation products and high-mutual coupling between antennas since they are realized with metallic materials. The possibility to replace the last inner layer of a MLI blanket with an ultra-thin absorbing layer made of high-impedance surface absorber is discussed.

An advanced modeling algorithm based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has been developed to solve Multiple Dipole Modelling (MDM) problems in space applications. Multiple Dipoles Modelling is a technique to represent spacecraft units as a set of equivalent magnetic dipoles able to reconstruct, in the far-field distance, the same original magnetostatic field. This procedure allows preparing a magnetic model of the spacecraft during design and development phases and foreseeing the magnetostatic state of the spacecraft during operation in the final orbit. This latter aspect plays an important role in mission with equipment susceptible to magnetic fields since the spacecraft behaviour with changing environment can be predicted and taken into account during design and development [1]. During the last decades, the MDM problem has been addressed in different ways by many authors for several applications. A main difference resides in the mathematical approach for implementation of the optimisation technique used as solver, which can be of deterministic [2]-[3] or stochastic [4]-[9] nature. For space applications mainly deterministic methods have been applied; nevertheless, due to the highly nonlinear nature of the problem, classic deterministic methods are not always the best choice for this application (problem of local minima and need of suitable initial guesses.). Therefore our research has been driven towards the investigation of an advanced stochastic method.

A novel approach to improve the circular polarization properties of a small elliptically polarized (EP) radiating element is presented. The enhancement in circular polarization is obtained by mounting the radiating element close to an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC). To explain the antenna operating principle, two different typologies of radiating element have been initially considered, i.e., a small spiral antenna and a dipole. Both antennas are EP, but the excited current distribution on the AMC screen are circular and linear, respectively. We inferred that only a circular current distribution determines the XPD improvement in correspondence of the AMC resonances. The prototype of the small spiral antenna in the vicinity (lambda(0)/18) of the AMC screen has been manufactured and tested. Measurements confirmed a remarkable improvement in spiral cross polarization discrimination (XPD) in correspondence of the two AMC resonances. The dual-band behavior of the AMC could be exploited in applications where multifrequency operation is required. The low profile structure is characterized by an overall thickness of 1.1 cm, which corresponds to similar to lambda(0)/12 at the centre of the operating hand. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1782-1786, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25345

In this work, we present a novel approach to the same issue, by using a squared shape FSS. In this case, the AMC does not act as a polarizer since the response to TE and TM mode is the same. Conversely, the improvement in axial ratio (AR) is achieved by suitably exciting the AMC surface, i.e. by applying a properly rotating field obtained by using, as a source, an Archimedean spiral antenna. Measurements have shown a 20 dB increase in the cross polarization discrimination (XPD) with respect to the antenna radiating in free space.

In this paper, we present a novel multi-frequency highly directive Fabry-Perot antenna. The innovation consists in the possibility of simultaneously tune the frequency both for impedance matching and gain enhancement.

Recently, the development of wireless communication has led to a great demand of compact and wideband antennas. Current research is oriented towards a novel kind of antennas, whose design is based on the interaction between a radiating element and an high impedance surface (HIS), acting as an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) as well as an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) surface. In this paper we present a couple of low profile antenna suitable for 4G communication services. The low-profile attribute is obtained by employing an AMC surface as a substrate for the radiating element. In particular, the antenna behavior in close proximity of two distinct AMC ground planes has been investigated, in order to tune the operating frequencies within two different frequency bands. The measurements reveal that the use of an AMC screen with miniaturized periodicity enhances the operational bandwidth allowing the coverage of WiMax band. Details of the proposed antennas are described and experimental results of the prototypes are presented and discussed.