NASA's BioSentinel yeast failed after Moon, halting DNA repair study
Technology
NASA's BioSentinel, launched in 2022 to see how yeast cells handle deep-space radiation, ran into trouble when its yeast didn't grow after leaving the moon.
This glitch, likely from before launch, meant the team couldn't study DNA repair in space as planned.
BioSentinel data aid astronaut safety planning
Even with the experiment setback, BioSentinel hasn't gone quiet.
The tiny spacecraft is over 48 million miles from Earth and is still tracking space radiation levels.
Its data are helping scientists prepare for future astronaut missions by showing how intense space can get and what we'll need to keep people safe out there.