The University of Edinburgh is joining forces with Kayser Space, under the auspices of the UK Space Agency (UKSA), to carry out experiments around astroid mining.

BioAsteroid launches Edinburgh University into biomining experiment

Dubbed BioAsteroid, the biomining experiment will use a collection of 12 automatic culturing devices fitted with a layer of material on which the bacteria will be grown in the KUBIK International Space Station incubator for three weeks, announces the UKSA.

The experimental apparatus flew to the space station in 2019 and is described as a miniature bioreactor which allows the scientists to study how microbes grow in space and what effect microgravity has on their growth.

“By studying biofilm formation of these organisms on the asteroidal material in microgravity,” said Professor Charles Cockell, University of Edinburgh, “BioAsteroid will investigate how space conditions ultimately affect microbe-mineral interactions, addressing questions on the biochemistry of the organisms, biofilm morphology and structure, fungal attachment and the ability of the microbes to break down rock, a key process for the future use of microorganisms in space exploration, including the mining of asteroids.”

The involvement of the UKSA is to further the commercialisation of research and business in space.

The project is reported to be the first European experiment to be fast-tracked to the ISS through the Bioreactor Express programme.

The Science Verification Test for BioAsteroid will take place later this month in Edinburgh, where the microbes will be grown for the first time on the actual flight culturing hardware. The experiment is scheduled to be launched to the ISS with SpaceX in October 2020.