We designed, built, tested, space-qualified, launched, and collected telemetered data from low Earth orbit from PharmaSat, a 5.1-kg free flying "nanosatellite" that supported microbial growth in 48 microfluidic wells, dosed microbes with multiple concentrations of a pharmaceutical agent, and monitored microbial growth and metabolic activity using a dedicated 3-color optical absorbance system at each microwell. The PharmaSat nanosatellite comprised a structure approximately 10 x 10 x 35 cm, including triple-junction solar cells, bidirectional communications, power-generation and energy-storage system, and a sealed payload 1.2-L containment vessel that housed the biological organisms along with the fluidic, optical, thermal, sensor, and electronic subsystems. Growth curves for S. cerevisiae (Brewer's yeast) were obtained for multiple concentrations of the antifungal drug voriconazole in the microgravity conditions of low Earth orbit. Corresponding terrestrial control experiments were conducted for comparison.

We report the first telemetered spaceflight science results from the orbiting Space Environment Survivability of Living Organisms (SESLO) experiment, executed by one of the two 10 cm cube-format payloads aboard the 5.5 kg Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses (O/OREOS) free-flying nanosatellite. The O/OREOS spacecraft was launched successfully to a 72° inclination, 650 km Earth orbit on 19 November 2010. This satellite provides access to the radiation environment of space in relatively weak regions of Earth's protective magnetosphere as it passes close to the north and south magnetic poles; the total dose rate is about 15 times that in the orbit of the International Space Station. The SESLO experiment measures the long-term survival, germination, and growth responses, including metabolic activity, of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to the microgravity, ionizing radiation, and heavy-ion bombardment of its high-inclination orbit. Six microwells containing wild-type (168) and six more containing radiation-sensitive mutant (WN1087) strains of dried B. subtilis spores were rehydrated with nutrient medium after 14 days in space to allow the spores to germinate and grow. Similarly, the same distribution of organisms in a different set of microwells was rehydrated with nutrient medium after 97 days in space. The nutrient medium included the redox dye Alamar blue, which changes color in response to cellular metabolic activity. Three-color transmitted intensity measurements of all microwells were telemetered to Earth within days of each of the 48 h growth experiments. We report here on the evaluation and interpretation of these spaceflight data in comparison to delayed-synchronous laboratory ground control experiments.

The mission of the PharmaSat biological microsatellite is to investigate the efficacy of anti-fungal agents in the spaceflight environment. The satellite uses autonomous, in situ bio-analytical and sample management technologies in order to culture and characterize the growth of multiple samples of yeast, which are exposed to differing levels of an anti-fungal agent during their growth cycle. The satellite uses a 10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm Cubesat-class structure with body-mounted solar panels, an ISM-band transceiver, and a simple PIC-class microcontroller for the main flight computer. PharmaSat was launched on May 19, 2009 from Wallops Flight Facility as a secondary payload on a Minotaur launch vehicle. During the first week of operation, the primary biological experiment was conducted, and data from this experiment was downloaded thereby achieving mission success. The PharmaSat design and mission control architecture inherits many features and design strategies from the GeneSat-1 mission, which was previously developed by the same design group at NASA Ames Research Center and Santa Clara University. This paper presents the PharmaSat mission, the design of its spacecraft and ground segment, and initial flight results.

The Genesat-1 technology demonstration mission validated the use of research quality instrumentation for in situ biological research and processing. After its launch from Wallops Flight Facility as a secondary payload off a Minotaur launch vehicle on December 16, 2006, all primary science and engineering test objectives were completed successfully within one month of operation. Since that time, additional trend analyses and experiments have been performed to further quantify the performance of the bus; such quantification is of particular interest for at least five heritage-based missions currently in development, three of which are set to launch in 2008 and two slated for 2009. This paper revisits the GeneSat-1 mission system and presents results from the extended mission.

The mission of the GeneSat-1 technology demonstration spacecraft is to validate the use of research-quality instrumentation for in situ biological research and processing. To execute this mission, the GeneSat-1 satellite was launched on December 16, 2006 from Wallops Flight Facility as a secondary payload off of a Minotaur launch vehicle. During the first week of operation, the core biological growth test was successfully executed, and by the end of the first month of operation all primary science and engineering test objectives had been successfully performed. In its current phase of operation, a variety of secondary technology characterizations tests are being performed, and a wide range of educational, training, and public outreach programs are being supported. This paper reviews the GeneSat-1 mission system, discusses the government-industry-university teaming approach, and presents flight results pertaining to the primary scientific and engineering experiments.

The mission of the GeneSat-1 technology demonstration spacecraft is to validate the use of research-quality instrumentation for in situ biological research and processing. To execute this mission, the GeneSat-1 satellite was launched on December 16, 2006 from Wallops Flight Facility as a secondary payload off of a Minotaur launch vehicle. During the first week of operation, the core biological growth test was successfully executed, and by the end of the first month of operation all primary science and engineering test objectives had been successfully performed. In its current phase of operation, a variety of secondary technology characterizations tests are being performed, and a wide range of educational, training, and public outreach programs are being supported. This paper reviews the GeneSat-1 mission system, discusses the government-industry-university teaming approach, and presents flight results pertaining to the primary scientific and engineering experiments.