Noblis, the science, technology and strategy services to the federal government, announced the successful deployment of two research initiatives to the International Space Station (ISS): the Helix Horizons Astral DNA Storage Endeavor and the Synthetic consortia Integrated Production System (ScIPS). Launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft with support from Voyager Technologies and the ISS National Laboratory, these projects for data storage and sustainable life-support in space. Helix Horizons focuses on DNA-based data encoding to overcome radiation resilience, mass efficiency and long-term secure retention, with encrypted DNA messages and microbial cultures being analyzed by astronauts using onboard genomic sequencers.
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“By launching experiments in molecular DNA data storage and synthetic biology platforms in space, we are not only testing system performance in extreme environments, we’re validating architectures that could one day enable massive scalability with ultra-stable data archives and adaptive biomanufacturing for deep space missions,” said Mile Corrigan, president and CEO of Noblis. Meanwhile, “This experiment is the culmination of years of R&D, with cutting-edge use cases ranging from secure communication to long-term data archiving, applicable across the aerospace, defense and intelligence sectors.”, humanitarian relief, and bio-based production of fuels and materials. “The ScIPS platform represents an innovative approach to critical challenges in both space and here on Earth,” added Dr. Bradley Abramson, project’s principal investigator.