When Andreas Mogensen boards the Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he will become the first non-American to pilot a spacecraft on a NASA mission through Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
He is scheduled to be launched for the International Space Station (ISS) on 25 August, along with three other astronauts. Over the next six months, he will conduct a series of space experiments for DTU. These experiments will provide DTU researchers with new knowledge about physical and mental health, the climate, weather phenomena, and improved uses of Earth’s resources. In addition, he will contribute to the Rumrejsen2023.dk communication project which aims to boost children and young people’s interest in science and technology.
The countdown for the launch has already begun. Until 25 August, Andreas Mogensen will be in isolation with his family to avoid catching any diseases, because if Andreas Mogensen were to fall ill, the space mission would have to be postponed. In addition, he needs to be in good physical and mental shape for the journey, which is not without dangers. The first few minutes during lift-off can be especially dangerous, says John Leif Jørgensen, Professor at DTU Space:
“Once the engines fill up with fuel and oxygen—and the tower releases the rocket—there’s no turning back. Andreas Mogensen will be pushed back into his seat. At first, the acceleration will feel like taking a ride in a sports car. But then it gets wilder and wilder. As the engine gets hotter and the spacecraft ascends, the g-force increases, and it will feel like he weighs 400 kg. The force is so intense that the Dragon spacecraft is designed so that the astronauts are in a fully reclined position. That way, the legs are positioned higher than the head and torso, so the blood will stay in the brain where you need it.”
Images of lightning and the Moon
This is the second time Andreas Mogensen is going to space. The first time was in 2015, where he took entirely new images of powerful lightning bolts that emanate from thunderclouds and reach a height of 50 kilometres. This was part of the THOR research project led by DTU Space. The project was part of the ground work for the ASIM mission, which launched for the ISS in 2018 with DTU Space managing the scientific aspect of the mission.
On the new mission, Andreas Mogensen is involved in several DTU projects. For one of the projects, DTU Space has given the Danish astronaut a camera system capable of capturing up to 100,000 images per second with an unprecedented level of contrast to photograph the amazing electrical activity that takes place during giant lightning strikes. The new images from the THOR-Davis follow-up project will add to the data from the ASIM instruments. Among other things, this will give DTU researchers more knowledge about how lightning affects the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and thus Earth’s climate.
However, Andreas Mogensen will not only be taking pictures of lightning bolts during his mission—he will also be taking pictures of the Moon. The idea is that images of the Moon taken from space may give us new knowledge about Earth’s energy balance. The images will provide important input to a project involving DTU Space, DMI (the Danish Meteorological Institute), and the German Institute of Space Systems (IRS).
Virtual reality and 3D printing
One of the projects will test virtual reality (VR) as a tool for improving the mental health of astronauts during space missions. A consortium headed by DTU has created a VR system that can transport astronauts to peaceful places—such as a rippling stream in a forest—and thereby improve the astronauts’ mental well-being on long missions.
In addition, Andreas Mogensen will lead an experiment in which DTU researchers investigate how astronauts’ movements affect the space station when they move around and bounce off the surfaces inside the space station. The tremors created by the astronauts are recorded using DTU Space camera systems, which have already been installed on the space station.
Finally, Andreas Mogensen will test what happens when you use a 3D printer in space in zero gravity. This is done with a 3D metal printer developed by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus’ space division. The printer is equipped with a nozzle that spouts a stainless steel wire. A laser beam melts the wire while the printer moves according to a preset pattern and builds the object or spare part for which the printer has been set. This will enable astronauts to manufacture complicated and very large objects far away from a conventional production facility.
The results will help DTU researchers learn more about how metals behave under different thermal and mechanical conditions and whether it will be possible to manufacture spare parts in space during future missions to, e.g., the Moon or Mars. Back on Earth, the new knowledge can be used to reduce the margin of safety that is often used when manufacturing, e.g., aircraft, cars, and bicycles.
The green transition
The DTU projects are just some of the many space activities in which DTU is involved. DTU Space has already supplied instruments for more than 100 space missions. On the International Space Station alone, DTU has installed eight instruments. Many of them support the green transition in Denmark with observations of the climate, forests, and seas.
One of the DTU instruments on the international space station is the NASA CLARREO PF, which will contribute very accurate measures of Earth’s energy balance from space. CLARREO PF is among the key missions in NASA’s climate satellite programme and will measure the amount of solar energy reflected back from Earth.
Another instrument with contributions from DTU is NICER, which uses Danish navigation technology as part of a NASA mission to gain new knowledge about extreme stars in the Milky Way.
“Andreas Mogensen’s mission on the International Space Station is one of the many large space missions that DTU is involved in these years. We’re very proud of this and look forward to seeing the results he’ll bring home. We hope to gain new and valuable knowledge about the universe, the climate, and life in space and on Earth. This will enable us to continuously expand the boundaries of our knowledge and develop new and improved technologies for the benefit of people,” says Rasmus Larsen, DTU Executive Vice President.
