After successfully completing its first crewed flight from New Mexico on May 22nd, Virgin Galactic just announced that it will fly a new passenger. Kellie Gerardi, a space communicator and researcher for the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), will go to space on a dedicated research flight. Once in zero-G, she will conduct science experiments and test new technologies.
Kellie Gerardi joined the IIAS in 2017 and has since then completed an intensive training program including high-G training, high-altitude training, pressurized spacesuit training, biometric analysis, and instrumentation operations. While she has flown before in a series of simulated microgravity research flights, this will be her first time actually leaving the Earth to fly to space as a payload specialist.
Once in space, Kellie will experience real zero-G as she will unbuckle from her seat to conduct the necessary experiments. According to Virgin Galactic, she will receive training so that she will be fully prepared for the mission, although 10 years of experience will play their part too.
The experiments will focus on the Astroskin Bio-Monitor wearable sensors system, a bio-monitoring instrumentation developed by Canadian company Carré Technologies, which is designed to measure the biological effects of launch, weightlessness, re-entry, and landing on spaceflight crew members.
Another experiment will test a free-floating fluid arrangement, which will be used to inform novel technologies such as humidifiers for spacecraft life support systems and syringe designs with which medication is administered in space.
The insight gained from these applications will be used to advance the research and knowledge that Kelli has gained from her previous microgravity flights performed on Earth in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
This is not the first dedicated research flight that Virgin Galactic is performing. Alan Stern, principal investigator on New Horizons Pluto probe, was also chosen last year under NASA's Flight Opportunities program to conduct experiments while in space.
Once in space, Kellie will experience real zero-G as she will unbuckle from her seat to conduct the necessary experiments. According to Virgin Galactic, she will receive training so that she will be fully prepared for the mission, although 10 years of experience will play their part too.
The experiments will focus on the Astroskin Bio-Monitor wearable sensors system, a bio-monitoring instrumentation developed by Canadian company Carré Technologies, which is designed to measure the biological effects of launch, weightlessness, re-entry, and landing on spaceflight crew members.
Another experiment will test a free-floating fluid arrangement, which will be used to inform novel technologies such as humidifiers for spacecraft life support systems and syringe designs with which medication is administered in space.
The insight gained from these applications will be used to advance the research and knowledge that Kelli has gained from her previous microgravity flights performed on Earth in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
This is not the first dedicated research flight that Virgin Galactic is performing. Alan Stern, principal investigator on New Horizons Pluto probe, was also chosen last year under NASA's Flight Opportunities program to conduct experiments while in space.
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