Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA)¶
IM-4 · manifested · NASA payload
A small CubeSat-derived biology lab. Its BioSensor wets dry yeast in 16 microfluidic cards and tracks growth and metabolism optically for about 10 days. Two radiation detectors fly with it: a charged-particle (LET) spectrometer and a miniature fast neutron detector. It asks how lunar radiation and partial gravity together affect cells, and tests yeast strains engineered for stress tolerance and nutrient production.
PI: Andrew Mark Settles and Sergio Santa Maria (NASA Ames)
Built by: NASA Ames Research Center (management, BioSensor, science); NASA Johnson (ARES LET spectrometer); Southwest Research Institute, Boulder (Mini-FND neutron detector) (NASA center)
| Technology | space biology instrument with radiation detectors |
| Moon Base need | DN-012 L, #0308 (The study's reading. NASA says LEIA's radiation data are 'an important contribution to risk assessments for future crewed missions'. Its two detectors measure charged particles and fast neutrons on the surface near the South Pole, which is DN-012 L's subject (surface radiation, including neutrons); the fit is partial, since DN-012 L asks for long-term data and neutrons up to 100 MeV, and LEIA works about 10 days. Its engineered-tolerance yeast touches tech gap #0308 (radiation countermeasures) only loosely. IM-4 is not on NASA's Moon Base phases page; its 2027 date falls in Phase 1 ('Now through 2028' in the Users Guide's figures), which is the study's reading.) |
| Route onto CLPS | PRISM; Second PRISM selection, announced 2 June 2022 together with Lunar-VISE. NASA's Space Biology Program had funded LEIA's start: in September 2021 the project chose two Ames teams for the yeast experiments. NASA then awarded the CP-22 delivery to Intuitive Machines on 29 August 2024 ($116.9 million for six payloads).; 2022-06-02 |
| Timeline | first funding 2021 (Space Biology Program initial funding; the project chose its science teams in September 2021); first flight test 2006 (first Ames biology CubeSat); BioSentinel ISS unit 2020-21; BioSentinel deep space 2022-11-16; selected 2022-06-02 (PRISM); CP-22 task order 2024-08-29; launch 2027 (NASA); the team plans a landing in late 2027, in one of three October-December windows; landing not in public sources |
| On the Moon | not yet flown |
| FO | none |
Flights before the Moon¶
- Earth orbit or deep space: Ames' earlier biology CubeSats (GeneSat-1 2006, PharmaSat 2009 with yeast, O/OREOS 2010, EcAMSat 2017): the microfluidic payload line the BioSensor comes from, 2006-2017. Autonomous biology in small satellites, including a yeast drug-response study on PharmaSat. Same center and payload line; earlier instruments, not LEIA's.
"Since 2006, Ames has developed and launched a variety of biological missions using small satellites known as CubeSats."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"PharmaSat (2009 / 3U): drug dose response"
— NTRS 20220010857, slide on biological CubeSat missions
- ISS or MISSE: BioSentinel ISS Control Experiment (planned launch on SpaceX CRS-21, ISS Increments 63/64), 2020-12 (planned launch). The same BioSensor design and yeast strains in low Earth orbit, as a control for the deep-space unit. Yeast viability on the ISS unit was lower than expected after long sealed storage. The team's lesson was late loading of the biology and more desiccant; LEIA's BioSensor adds housing changes for later biology load and better humidity control.
"Investigation Title [nasa.gov]: BioSentinel ISS Control Experiment"
— NTRS 20205003485, Investigation Summary Form, 2020"63/64 (planned launch on SpX-21)"
— NTRS 20205003485, increment operations"Lower (than expected) yeast viability on ISS unit"
— NTRS 20230001939, page 9, lessons learned"Improved humidity control for prolonged organism viability in case of post-load launch delay."
— NTRS 20240013666, LEAG 2024 poster, 'A Heritage BioSensor'
- Earth orbit or deep space: BioSentinel 6U CubeSat on Artemis I (heliocentric orbit), 2022-11-16. The BioSensor that LEIA's is based on, with the same two yeast strains, plus JSC's Timepix-based LET spectrometer, the counterpart of LEIA's ARES LET. NASA says many BioSentinel lessons shaped LEIA's design and operations; LEIA's data will be compared with BioSentinel's. Same Ames team (Santa Maria was BioSentinel's PI).
"is based on the BioSentinel CubeSat"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"launched to deep space in 2022 aboard Artemis I"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"is similar to the LET instrument currently"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"Heliocentric Nov 16, 2022 (SLS Artemis I)"
— NTRS 20230001939, page 2"Sergio R Santa Maria"
— TechPort project 14653, contacts: Principal Investigator (BioSentinel)
Heritage hardware¶
- design heritage (ISS detector): The Mini-FND is a miniature version of a fast neutron detector aboard the ISS. Who built the ISS detector is not stated in these sources, so it is counted as heritage, not an earlier flight.
"This is a miniature version of a radiation detector aboard the International Space Station."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA
- ground tests: Pre-flight vibration tests showed that the drill of ESA's PROSPECT, on the same lander, can disturb the BioSensor's optical readings when wells hold bubbles; the team plans damping and scheduling around the drill.
"Significant data anomalies by vibrations form PROSPECT’s ProSEED drill"
— NTRS 20240015227, page 5 (ASGSR 2024)"ProSEED to BioSensor space vibration dampening"
— NTRS 20240015227, page 23, mitigation steps
Funding before the lunar flight¶
- SMD PRISM (PRISM-2), funded by the Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office, for payload development, launch and operations; and NASA's Space Biology Program (Biological and Physical Sciences), which gave the initial development money and funds ground biology. No amounts are public; the work is done in-house at Ames, Johnson and SwRI. (SMD PRISM; SMD Space Biology; FY2021 on): amount not in public sources
"NASA’s Space Biology Program, within the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences, provided initial funding for payload development"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"PRISM, which is supporting LEIA’s payload development, launch, and mission operations, is funded by the Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"Funding NASA PRISM-2 NASA Space Biology"
— NTRS 20220010857, LEIA overview slides, 2022
- A small Ames task order for safety and mission assurance software support to LEIA (80ARC021F0129, Bastion Technologies). Linked by name: the description names LEIA. Support work, not hardware. (NASA Ames support contract; 2021-2022): $32,092
"SAFETY AND MISSION ASSURANCE SOFTWARE ASSURANCE SUPPORT FOR LEIA"
— USAspending.gov, award LEIA, 80ARC021F0129; amount 32092.0, 2021-09-17 to 2022-02-13
How it got onto CLPS¶
"These payload suites mark the second selection through the agency’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) call for proposals."
— NASA Selects New Instruments for Priority Artemis Science on Moon - NASA, 2 Jun 2022"June 2022: The LEIA suite, including BioSensor, ARES, Mini-FND, and the biology experiments, was selected for delivery to the lunar surface through the CLPS initiative."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"LEIA was competitively selected for CLPS delivery through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) call for proposals."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive $116.9 million to deliver six NASA payloads"
— NASA Awards Intuitive Machines Lunar South Pole Research Delivery - NASA, 29 Aug 2024
On the Moon¶
Manifested on IM-4 for Mons Mouton. NASA called it, in 2023, the first biology payload to be delivered through CLPS.
"It is currently scheduled to be the first biology payload delivered through NASA’s CLPS initiative."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA
FO's role¶
Grade: none. No FO flight of LEIA, its BioSensor, its detectors or the Ames, JSC or SwRI teams behind them. Its flight lineage ran through the ISS and Artemis I (BioSentinel), not FO. FO has flown other yeast and radiation-biology work by other teams: Montana State's Candida yeast hardware (TechPort 106658, selected for suborbital testing) and Kennedy's microfluidic DNA-damage monitor on parabolic flights in 2011-2013 (12183). Same topic, other teams: not counted. LEIA studies yeast under lunar gravity; no reduced-gravity flight test of its BioSensor is in the sources. The study's earlier traceback grade (none found) stands.
"No FO flight of LEIA or its Ames team."
— earlier finding of this study (not a public source)"Monitoring Radiation-Induced DNA Degradation"
— TechPort project 12183, title (FO, KSC, PI Howard G Levine)"Candida albicans"
— TechPort project 106658, title (FO, Montana State University)
Who built it¶
"PIs: Dr Andrew Mark Settles, Dr. Sergio Santa Maria."
— CLPS CP-22 Science - NASA Science"NASA Ames manages the LEIA mission and leads the mission’s science, systems engineering, and operations."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston provides the ARES LET spectrometer."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"The Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, is developing and providing the Mini-FND."
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA
Moon Base need¶
"an important contribution to risk assessments for future crewed missions"
— What is the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications? - NASA"Measure the radiation environment on the lunar surface at the south pole."
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: DN-012 L: In situ lunar surface radiation environment measurements and space weather monitoring"Neutron spectrum measurements"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: DN-012 L: In situ lunar surface radiation environment measurements and space weather monitoring"other potential mass-efficient countermeasures for ionizing and"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: ESDMD #0308: Radiation Countermeasures"box with a date range: Phase 1 "Now through 2028""
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base phases
Open questions¶
- PRISM's and Space Biology's spending on LEIA: not in public sources.
- SwRI's Mini-FND and JSC's ARES costs: not in public sources.
- Has the LEIA BioSensor flown or been tested in partial gravity (parabolic flight)? Not in the sources read, though partial gravity is one of LEIA's two variables.
- The exact launch date of the BioSentinel ISS unit: the form gives only a planned flight (SpX-21).