Aerospace

Boeing, Partners Announce Next Student-Designed Experiment Bound for International Space Station

The winner of this year’s Genes in Space competition, a biology-based research contest sponsored by Boeing, is 17-year-old Isabel Jiang. The announcement was made in Seattle during the International Space Station Research and Development Conference. Next year, astronauts working out of the U.S. National Laboratory on board the International Space Station will conduct Jiang’s experiment.

Students in grades 7 through 12 are encouraged to create biological experiments for the Genes in Space competition that address practical issues in space travel. 194 schools from 31 states submitted work for the national competition. At the conference, the authors of the top five proposals discussed their concepts with a group of academics, technologists, and scientists.

The Boeing-built X-37B came back to Earth after 908 days in space. New world record. (Opens in a new browser tab)

From a competitive field of 820 entries from 1,177 students, Jiang’s experiment was chosen. Her research aims to comprehend the processes that lead to the reactivation of dormant viruses in outer space.

I’m eager to observe the results of [my experiment] in space and utilize that knowledge to guide future medical choices, said Jiang.

Virgin Galactic brings commercial space to the Dubai Airshow(Opens in a new browser tab)

She added that she is eager to investigate a subject that has not previously been researched in space and to see how her findings will be used in medicine here on Earth.

Jiang’s study, together with two programme technology demonstration trips, will be the eleventh Genes in Space student experiment carried out by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. In 2015, Genes in Space was established as a result of a partnership between Boeing and miniPCR bio. Since then, the programme has been supported by the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and New England Biolabs.

Aerospace

When Ratan Tata was denied entry to the airfield at the Aero India show, he waited

During our visit to Aero India 2019, we had the unexpected opportunity to see Ratan Tata at the event, which was a thrilling moment for us. However, there was a surprising hiccup when the security staff didn’t allow him to enter due to a lack of a security pass.

Despite this, he remained calm and patiently waited for about 20 minutes until a member of the Tata team brought him the required pass, after which he calmly proceeded inside. It was a humbling sight, showcasing his composed demeanor even in such situations.

Ratan Tata ji is not only a renowned industrialist but also a trained pilot, holding a pilot’s license. In 2007, he became the first Indian civilian to fly the F-16 Falcon during the Aero India show in Bangalore—a proud moment for the nation.

His passion for aviation extended beyond flying, as he played a key role in shaping India’s aerospace industry. Under his leadership, Tata ventured into manufacturing and maintaining aerospace components while upholding its legacy of quality. Notably, Tata’s collaboration with Airbus to develop and manufacture the C295 aircraft is a testament to its growing influence in the sector.