MESSAGE experiment is a part of the science research activities to be performed aboard the ISS RS by Frank de Winne, ESA astronaut of Belgian nationality in the frame of the ODISSEA Project. The European Space Agency and Belgian Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC) are customers of the preparation and implementation of the scientific program.

USED SCIENCE HARDWARE:

• MSS Container 1
  Thermal insulating container consisting of 3 numbered experimental bags (MSS Sample 1, 2, 3) and ice pack. Each numbered bag contains 2 Falcon tubes: one tube contains 2 capillaries filled with solid bacterial culture, the other one contains 2 microvials filled with liquid bacterial culture;
  
• MSS Container 2
  With 3 numbered experimental bags (MSS Sample 4, 5, 6). Identical to MSS Container 1;
  
• MSS Container A
  Passive Container containing 8 Petri dishes with solid bacterial culture and temperature data logger;
  
• MSS Container B
  Passive Container which returns MSS Samples 1-6 and ice pack;
  
• Freezer Kriogem-03M
  To provide specified temperature conditions.

PURPOSE:

Investigation of the impact of space environmental conditions on the microbial motility and genetic processes (gene expression, mutation, DNA repair and rearrangements, gene transfer, pathogenicity enhancement, etc…).

OBJECTIVE:

Growing a biological strain, Ralstonia metallidurans CH34.

EXPERIMENT RESULTS:

Incubated bacterial culture in Kits MSS-1, MSS-2 and MSS-3 (12 capillaries, 12 microvials and 8 Petri dishes).