'OneNASA' Brings Benefits to Agency's Astrobionics Program

Biological and medical technologies across NASA are stronger now, thanks to a NASA-wide teaming effort called 'astrobionics.' The program develops new technology and hardware for space- and ground-based research, as well as providing the latest information about its work across the agency.

Astrobionics supplies biological technology know-how to NASA scientists, engineers and managers. It functions as an integrated program/project team providing a NASA-wide technology capability in support of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The NASA team brings people together to collaborate not only within NASA, but it also links NASA people with peers in other government agencies, academia and industry. Astrobionics assists such key NASA programs as fundamental space biology, bioastronautics, astrobiology and biomolecular systems research.

John Hines, manager of the astrobionics group at NASA Ames Research Center.

"Particularly in biological technologies, there are a lot of commonalities that cross many disciplines at many NASA centers," said John Hines, manager of the astrobionics group at NASA Ames Research Center. "Because many groups and areas can use the same technologies, and there are not enough resources to conduct all these activities, this 'OneNASA' effort facilitates teaming and leveraging while breaking down historical barriers that blocked collaboration among centers."

"We've created project teams to identify common technology needs across multiple programs and across multiple NASA centers," Hines said. "The scope of the program includes project management, technology and product definition, technology development and application. "

The program presently includes participants at Ames, Johnson Space Center, Houston; the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. (JPL); and NASA Headquarters, Washington. In addition, discussions recently began about the future use of the astrobionics effort at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio; and Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

"A primary example of the 'OneNASA' concept within astrobionics is the Biomolecular Systems Research Program (BSRP)," said Hines, who also is BSRP program manager. "BSRP is the agency's lead for research into molecular and nano-scale biological technologies and represents the NASA element of a collaboration between NASA and the National Cancer Institute. The program manager is at Ames. The deputy, Darrell Jan, is at JPL, and the enterprise scientist is at Headquarters. BSRP hopes to expand to support research at Johnson, Marshall and Glenn, in addition to Ames and JPL. Products resulting from the BSRP can be used in a variety of biological and medical applications."

To develop a particular technology, astrobionics works either entirely within NASA or with external partners. After researchers have decided that a potential technology has merit, astrobionics may develop working prototypes for testing. Successful technologies then can be transitioned to flight and other applications hardware developers for final implementation. By its very nature, the astrobionics sequence of steps creates liaisons between programs and projects and supports the 'OneNASA' concept. The collaborations that result can be helpful to all parties by providing cost sharing and other benefits.

Recently, astrobionics began a new project, the Technology Integration Agent (TIA). TIA helps researchers and managers to define requirements, assess potentially useful technologies and integrate them into ongoing and future projects. TIA has a database of its assessments for participating users. TIA includes a team of scientists and technologists who find new technologies and know-how and decide if these could be useful in ongoing or future space efforts. TIA people reside at Ames, JPL, Johnson and Headquarters.

Astrobionics may build new hardware that scientists can use to conduct research during space flight. This hardware should be reliable, safe, automated and tailored to dovetail with the unique environments onboard spacecraft. The effort could include a development cycle that starts at a requirements definition and goes step-by-step to final certification, documentation and testing.

For example, the astrobionics team is developing advanced technologies to monitor astronaut health during space flight and ground tests. The monitoring program is called the Smart Healthcare Management System. One of its systems, Lifeguard, measures human vital signs. It was recently delivered to Johnson Space Center for use during human tests in an underwater laboratory off the Florida coast.

The astrobionics group also is developing advanced, shoebox-sized biological payloads for use in small autonomous satellites that are part of the Fundamental Space Biology Program. Scientists intend to use these payloads for genetics studies of the effects of microgravity and space radiation on biological specimens such as yeast, various cells and nematodes.

"The interesting thing about these biological payloads is that you have to do all your analysis in space, and transmit data back to Earth because no samples will be returned," said Hines.

To foster collaborations outside of NASA, the astrobionics program uses a number of tools and procedures to carry out partnerships. To formalize cooperation with other government agencies, program participants use memoranda of understanding and agreements. To work with industry, the program utilizes Space Act agreements and other kinds of agreements and contracts. To work with academia, the astrobionics team makes cooperative agreements, grants and contracts.

More information about the astrobionics program is on its Web site at:
http://astrobionics.arc.nasa.gov/

by John Bluck
NASA Ames Research Center