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First African in Space
Invitation to participate in a unique research project.
Call for proposals for scientific experiments to be done in space by Mark
Shuttleworth, soon to be the first African in space. Deadline for proposals is
21st
September 2001.
Brief
Mark Shuttleworth, SA's first Internet billionaire, is also destined to be the first African in space. Currently training at Star City, outside Moscow, Mark hopes to be on the April 2002 Soyuz mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Mark is training as a cosmonaut, and plans to conduct scientific experiments in space.
Mark has assembled a high-powered panel of experts amongst the academic fraternity in Africa, to supervise the scientific programme. Luminaries, such as Professors Malegapuru Makgoba, Tim Noakes and Dr. Romilla Maharaj, head up the team that will assess submissions from researchers who want their experiments to be conducted on the ISS.
Help us do great work!
Mark is looking for proposals on experiments that can be performed during a flight in April 2002. Help choose, design and implement a world-class science program. This is an enormous opportunity for Africa, as the experiments will be performed in a $95 billion laboratory that has been specifically designed by the world's most technologically advanced nations. Many countries are working to send experiments to the to the ISS at an enormous expense to their academic communities. South Africa will get this unique opportunity to perform world-class science in this laboratory at no cost to the taxpayer. This document is a call for proposals from scientists in Africa and around the globe to suggest experiments that Mark can conduct during his flight in space.
The experiments need to be:
· Relevant and of direct benefit to Africa.
· Self-contained and simple, since they will have to be planned in a very short time. Proposals must be submitted by 14 September 2001.
· Very light - all the equipment will have to fly with Mark and there are severe weight restrictions on the Soyuz. (Weight limitations - 10kg travelling up, and 5 kg on the return flight).
· Related to Mark's interests and skills.
· Capable of answering pertinent scientific questions.
· The results of the experiments must become part of the public domain.
· We will accept suggestions and work with corporate scientists, if they are willing to make the results of this research public.
· The experiments must take advantage of the unique environment in space.
· The experiment should be able to be completed within a standard Soyuz replacement mission (Six days on the ISS).
· The length of time of the experiments is limited to four hours per day for eight days.
· All equipment has to be certified by them well in advance, and all onboard equipment has to be planned for.
· Exact times and rehearsals are required, which is a hugely complex task.
· The length of time that it will be necessary to train Mark in the methodologies will determine the level of technical sophistication of the tests.
Areas of Science
We are open to suggestions in any field of science. Here are some of the fields that are currently very active in space research and space science:
1. Biotechnology
This combines elements of microbiology, proteomics, genomics, technology to address such diverse fields as disease control (cancer, AIDS), medicine design and testing, environmental care, waste management and quality of life improvement.
2. Earth Sciences
Space provides a unique platform from which to study the complex interactions of Earth's environment. We can study pollution, deforestation, agriculture, climatology, global warming, species migration, and other aspects of man's interaction with the planet.
2.1 Oceanography
From space we can observe the oceans and assess a wide variety of factors such as the movement of ocean currents, bioproductivity, plankton production, fish populations, iceberg formation and the interaction of weather with the oceans.
2.2 Geophysics
From space we can observe large-scale physical processes on earth, such as volcanic activity, tectonic plate movement, atmospheric chemistry and the impact of mankind on the planet
3. Biomedical Research
In space it is possible to identify and isolate some unique characteristics of human physiology and biology. We can study some of these factors with unprecedented accuracy in a microgravity environment to assess such things as the effectiveness of human adaptation to space flight, and the ways in which genetics affect our metabolism
4.Astrophysics
In space we can observe the universe around us without the effects of atmospheric interference. Space telescopes and other space-based cosmological experiments are pushing back the frontiers of knowledge about the fundamental laws and history of the universe.
5. Technology
The unique properties of space (near-perfect vacuum, microgravity, constant radiation) provide an environment for advanced technological research in materials design, crystal production, fluid physics and other cutting edge areas of science
Equipment Constraints
Designing a space experiment is a challenging exercise! There are many technical constraints on the nature of the equipment that can be used, the timing of the experiment during the flight, the weight and size of any equipment or specimens, the chemical and biological composition of any samples to be carried to and from the ISS, electromagnetic emissions, and so on.
In particular:
1. It should be possible to conduct the experiment using scientific equipment already on the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2002. Further details regarding the equipment can be investigated on
http://markshut.temp.veriohosting.com/index.htm
2. Any additional equipment that needs to be taken to the ISS must be fully declared and specified by 30 September 2001. The equipment will need to pass a rigorous certification process. If such equipment is needed to conduct the experiment then it should preferably consist of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware that is available for sale in an ISS partner country.
Budget
Mark will cover the cost of the experiments and donate the results of the science into the public domain. However, this will impact on the selection of experiments to keep within the overall project budget. If you are able to contribute towards the cost of the equipment, design, implementation, processing and analysis of the experiment then you will improve the chances of having your experiment fly to the ISS. To a certain extent, we can draw on the expertise of Russian scientists who have designed and built the science equipment on the ISS, which will reduce the costs of experiment design and implementation where they use existing equipment.
Timing
Proposals must be submitted by the scientific community by no later than
14 September 2001. All proposals will be appraised by the Selection Panel consisting of Mark Shuttleworth and leading academics during w/c 17 September, and successful bids will be announced on 21 September 2001.
First African in Space
Project Manager: Barak Geffen.
c/o Interactive Africa, 3 Port Road, V&A Waterfront , Cape Town
Tel: +27-21- 4186666 / fax +27-21-418 6333
Mobile: +27- 82 - 600 8522
e-mail: barak@interactive.africa.com
Find out more about the Foundation for Education Science and Technology at FEST
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