Fly a sealed biological payload to study the effects of microgravity on seed germination, bacterial growth, or protein crystallization. Monitor conditions with temperature, humidity, and optical sensors.
Fly a sealed biological payload to study the effects of microgravity on seed germination, bacterial growth, or protein crystallization. Monitor conditions with temperature, humidity, and optical sensors.
This is a intermediate-level project with an estimated timeline of 16-22 months using a 2U form factor.
Microgravity changes how biological processes work at a fundamental level from the way fluids behave inside cells to how organisms sense direction and regulate growth. A biology payload flies a sealed experiment chamber containing a living system seeds, bacteria, yeast, or protein solutions and monitors what happens when gravity is effectively removed. Onboard sensors track temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the chamber while a small camera captures time-lapse imagery of the biological sample. The resulting data is compared against an identical ground control experiment running simultaneously on campus. This project is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring biology students to design the experiment and define success criteria, mechanical engineers to build the sealed chamber and thermal control system, and electrical engineers to instrument and automate the monitoring. The main engineering challenges are keeping the biology alive through launch vibration and thermal extremes, ensuring the sealed chamber maintains a stable environment, and automating the experiment since no crew interaction is possible. For universities with strong life science programs, this is a compelling way to connect space engineering with biomedical or agricultural research.
Sealed bio chamber with optical window for imaging. Use BME280 (temp/humidity/pressure, I2C, ~$10) + OPT3001 lux sensor for growth monitoring. Candidate experiments: seed germination rate comparison (ground vs orbit), bacterial growth curves, or simple crystallization. Chamber must be hermetically sealed consider medical-grade polycarbonate with O-ring seals. Heater element maintains temperature within ±2°C. Camera captures time-lapse imagery every 30-60 minutes. Fluid handling adds significant complexity start with dry/solid experiments.
Biology payloads are well-documented in CubeSat literature but add biocontainment complexity. NASA GeneSat-1 (2006) was 3U and flew E. coli. More recent student missions have simplified to seed germination (no fluid handling). Key challenge: maintaining viable biology through launch vibration (20-2000 Hz, up to 14 g RMS) and thermal extremes before deployment. Must comply with NASA biological safety requirements if using CSLI launch. Interdisciplinary team needed (biology + ME + EE). Cost: $1,000-$3,000 for chamber, sensors, and control electronics. Complexity: intermediate but requires careful biosafety and contamination planning. 2U needed for sealed chamber plus optics plus environmental control.
This project spans 3 disciplines, making it suitable for interdisciplinary student teams.
Ready to take on this project? Here's a general roadmap that applies to most CubeSat missions:
Connect with a Blackwing chapter for mentorship, platform access, and a path to orbit.