NASA’s Europa Clipper mission risks becoming one of the most expensive and difficult in the history of the space agency. By the time of launch, more than $5 billion had been spent on the project, and the future of the probe hung in the balance several times. And this is despite the fact that many consider this flight an “adventure” because no one knows how to react if extraterrestrial life is going to be found.
Imagine: the probe does find what it was flying for under the icy crust of Europa. What’s next? The idea of sending people to Europa sounds heroic, but it is a huge risk.
Is it possible to simulate the reaction of the human body to extraterrestrial microorganisms? Or predict how a person will behave in the unknown? Can virtual training replace the experience of a real expedition?
Let’s figure out how much technology allows us to prepare for the most important test in the history of space exploration. But first, a little background.
Why Europa Clipper is looking for life in space use
October 13, Sunday – from launch pad 39A in Florida, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Europa Clipper apparatus on board launched to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Source: www.nasa.gov
When scientists first saw Jupiter’s moons, the images of Europa attracted attention: the surface of the satellite was covered with a thick ice crust. This discovery gave rise to the assumption that if there is water hidden under the ice, then there may be life!
This hypothesis was explained when #NASA reported that the Hubble telescope recorded emissions of water vapor from the surface of Europa.
Scientists immediately explained: the probe will be able to study the composition of the ocean without even breaking through the ice crust, but simply flying through the emissions of water vapor. These geysers, in their opinion, are an excellent opportunity for analysis. Samples will help find “biosignals” that are important to us – and all this at a distance, without landing on the surface of Europa.
Since no need to land significantly simplified the mission, NASA saw this as a prospect and focused on a simpler and more economical approach.
This is how the preparation began.
The project was initially estimated at $2 billion. Then the amount more than doubled, which caused a negative reaction in the US Congress. At some point, the program was under threat of closure.
To save the project, NASA decided to cut the budget, abandoning the landing module and revising the list of instruments. They even changed the launch rocket – instead of the expensive and light SLS, they chose the massive Falcon Heavy from Elon Musk’s #SpaceX.
By the way, the probe itself also turned out to be heavier than expected – almost 6 tons. The increase in mass meant that its path to Jupiter would be longer. Now Europa Clipper will have to make a couple of circles around the Earth and Mars to accelerate to the required speed.
Thus, due to compromises and reductions, the mission received a “second wind”. But was it possible to avoid such problems?
Constraints Drive Innovation: Holiverse, Boundless Bio, Envisagenics, and 35 More Genetic Engineering Startups Are Working on Personalized Medicine
Constraints really do drive innovation. We looked at the situation from a different angle and asked ourselves: is it possible to model something in virtual reality? To just go and see the result without serious preparation, without any deep knowledge, without large expenses.
It would seem, what does modeling have to do with NASA’s mission or with humanity’s desire to conquer space?
At first glance, studying the genome and applying the information obtained to astronauts is not obvious, but it is virtual tests that give us new opportunities. For example, you can check in advance how an astronaut’s body will survive the long journey to Europa, a satellite of Jupiter, and whether it will cope with space radiation and other tests.
Whether it’s new drugs, exercise, nutrition, or even changes in clothing for astronauts, all of this can be simulated in virtual reality. Moreover, you could actually see how a specific person’s body will react.
Now imagine the opportunities that arise for tech companies.
However, most are still following the beaten path. For example, TwinStrand Biosciences is searching for rare mutations in genes, Touchlight Genetics is developing its own unconventional approach to genome analysis for drug testing, and Boundless Bio is fighting cancer by understanding the complex mechanisms of extrachromosomal DNA.
There is no doubt that these companies, working individually on each problem, are trying to give the world more knowledge about genetics. But they seem to work with fragments, not with the whole picture, which contradicts personalized medicine. After all, in order to really adapt to each person, you need to understand both genetics and its connection with lifestyle, nutrition, stress, and the environment.
The only ones who have advanced the most in the issue of an integrated approach are the #metaverse Holiverse. Lado Okhotnikov, its CEO, has proposed a unique approach, with the help of which they plan to use genetic data to create exact digital copies of a person in virtual reality.
The uniqueness is that among dozens of startups working on sequencing the human genome, Holiverse also has its own virtual platform on which an ecosystem for integrated health management is being deployed.
This approach can change the very concept of research and development. It will allow companies to quickly test hypotheses without exposing people to risk in reality. This is why Lado Okhotnikov’s Holiverse metaverse attracts attention.
Thus, what was intended to be used for entertainment becomes the basis for scientific and technological breakthroughs. This allows not only NASA, but also any other technology company to reach a new level in terms of testing, development and implementation of their innovations.
News By Businessnewsrelease.com
