To reward innovation in the use of microgravity to advance biotech, nanotech, combustion, metallurgy, and other fields, on January 19, 2009 The Heinlein Prize Trust announced the Microgravity Research Competition. Sponsored by the Trust and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the competition offers a $25,000 prize and transportation to and from Low Earth Orbit for the winning experiment aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Nine proposals have been submitted by Florida Tech, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Universities Space Research Association, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, College of Menominee Nation, University of Texas Health Science Center, Duke University Medical Center, and University of Alabama in Huntsville.

The proposed research areas would bring benefits to those on Earth as well as in space, with projects ranging from self-sustaining power sources, to treatments for diseases such as osteoporosis, to a means to restore land damaged by mining while producing valuable new products.

Florida Tech:  Investigating the use of Microbial Fuel Cells in Microgravity Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising field of earth bound research with considerable potential for use on long durational spaceflight. If MFCs could be used onboard long durational spaceflights, some of the heavy demand for fresh water and electricity could be alleviated. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology:  Osteocytes Space Testbed Experiment Onboard Dragon Commercial orbital spaceflight missions provide a microgravity platform to investigate bone regulatory pathways. Better understanding of these pathways may lead to novel countermeasures for both terrestrial diseases, such as osteoporosis, and space-induced bone loss. Universities Space Research Association:  Low-Gravity Colloidal Engineering Being able to track the time evolution allows scientists to see the underlying physics, which is of particular relevance to product manufacturers for the pharmaceutical, food, and cleaning industries (in terms of shelf life and mechanical and thermodynamic properties). Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University:  Investigation of Microgravity Effects on Osteoblast Biomarkers Using a Novel Bioreactor The result of the investigation will provide a basis for fundamental research into areas related to bone remodeling during deep space exploration and microgravity induced bone loss, as well as bone disuse degeneration and osteoporosis here on Earth. University of Alabama at Birmingham:  Organic/Inorganic Crystal Growth in Microgravity Using The Hybrid - High Density Protein Crystal Growth Experiment This initial flight opportunity will demonstrate the potential of microgravity in improving the diffraction characteristics of the challenging but critically important health-related protein crystallization projects. The commercial inorganic crystallization experiments will provide a cost offset to the space flight by providing immediate and substantial revenue. These commercial inorganic crystals will provide a niche market of specialized space grown crystals marketed to the custom jewelry industry. College of Menominee Nation:  Taconite Cloth A microgravity experiment on “tailing cloth” would help us characterize the unique properties of the tailing perhaps making the tailing a valuable and readily available commercial product. And, if the Taconite iron mine tailing becomes a useful commercial product the now barren lands can be ecologically restored to sustainability; a global warming solution. University of Texas Health Science Center:  Decoupling Diffusive Transport Phenomena in Microgravity The insight into nanoscopic diffusive transport gleaned from this study will be relevant for “on-Earth” applications including drug delivery, molecular sieving and particle filtration. Duke University Medical Center:  Using Spaceflight to Advance Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Vaccines This application focuses on Staphylococcus aureus, a common clinical pathogen which has become the commonest US infection from kindergarten skin lesions to intensive care unit medicine. Study of Staphylococcus aureus interactions with nematodes in space will allow understanding of the molecular mediators of bacterial invasion, and may identify protective strategies from therapeutics to vaccine production. University of Alabama in Huntsville:  Effects of Microgravity and Full Spectrum Space Radiation on Neurons Cell death and nitrotyrosine formation are seen in spinal cord injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and damage such as that encountered by astronauts during space travel.

“Decades of demonstrations have shown that the microgravity of space provides a unique window on biological and physical processes,” said Art Dula, Trustee of The Heinlein Prize Trust. “Because of substantial recent funding by NASA and the private sector, access to microgravity will soon be more commonplace. This opens an incredibly exciting opportunity for the research community,” Dula said.

The winning experiment will be launched into Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. NASA recently selected Falcon 9 / Dragon to transport cargo to the International Space Station.

The Microgravity Research Competition is open to U.S. universities and non-profits organizations with industry partners. The winning team will also get to witness the launch of their experiment from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

“SpaceX is excited to offer our Dragon spacecraft as a platform for in-space experimentation services to mainstream researchers,” said Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO and CTO. "We plan to fly ‘DragonLab’ missions starting in 2010 for this express purpose,” Musk said.

In space, there is no gravity-induced convection, sedimentation, hydrodynamic shear force, hydrostatic pressure, or mass transfer, according to the competition announcement. Experiments in microgravity can reveal novel mechanisms fundamental to cell processes, disease processes, and the adaptation of living systems to changes in physical forces, it said.

The announcement, available at www.labflight.com, provides an overview of microgravity's practical applications and details on the competition.

The application and judging process will be supported by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. The winner will be announced on April 18, 2009 at the Awards Banquet for the 2009 Rice Business Plan Competition hosted by the Rice Alliance.

“We very pleased to participate in this important competition,” said Brad Burke, managing director, Rice Alliance, “because of the important role of commercializing the promising technology research and innovations”.


About The Heinlein Prize Trust

The Heinlein Prize Trust is a non-profit foundation which promotes the commercial uses of space. It provides financial prizes to commercial space entrepreneurs, enhances public awareness of commercial space, and uses space to inspire students about opportunities of the next frontier. For more information, see www.heinleinprize.com.


About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient light, medium and heavy lift capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination. In addition, the Dragon spacecraft provides Earth to LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized instruments, cargo, and crew, including resupply to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2010.

SpaceX was recently awarded a Cargo Resupply Services contract by NASA. The $1.6B contract includes 12 flights between 2010 and 2015 with a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg to be transported to the ISS.

Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers over 650, with corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, California. For more information, please visit www.spacex.com.


About Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice Alliance) is Rice University’s flagship initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and the launch of technology companies.

Since inception, the Rice Alliance has assisted in the launch of more than 230 technology start-ups which have raised more than $500 million in early-stage capital.

The Rice Alliance is host to the Rice Business Plan Competition, the largest and richest business plan competition in world. Thirty-six graduate schools compete for over $700,000 in prizes each year.

Photo Caption: SpaceX DragonLab™ - a free-flying, recoverable, reusable spacecraft capable of hosting pressurized and unpressurized payloads.

Photo Caption: Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, and Art Dula, Trustee of The Heinlein Prize Trust