Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #30788: How Space Radiation Affects Organic Molecules: A Study of Amino Acids in Orbit

Could the building blocks of life survive in space? That’s the question driving a fascinating experiment led by Dr. Hervé Cottin from Université Paris Est Créteil and Université Paris Diderot. This study investigates how amino acids and other organic compounds react to solar radiation in the unique environment of low Earth orbit.

Over five expeditions aboard the ISS (from 18 to 26), researchers exposed these organic molecules to real space conditions—cosmic radiation, vacuum, and microgravity—to see how they change over time. The idea is to simulate what might happen to such compounds on comets, asteroids, or Mars, and whether they could survive the journey to Earth or even catalyze life elsewhere.

Understanding photochemical processing is key to astrobiology—the study of life in the universe. This experiment tests the durability and chemical transformation of organic materials, helping us learn whether they can stay stable in space and possibly seed planets with the ingredients for life.

The research also supports planetary protection: making sure spacecraft don’t accidentally carry Earth-based molecules to other worlds. If amino acids can survive long exposure in orbit, we must be extra cautious with contamination protocols.

Results from this study help refine our models of prebiotic chemistry and guide future sample-return missions and the search for biosignatures on other planets. It's a mix of chemistry, biology, and space exploration all rolled into one groundbreaking project.

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