The recent series of SpaceLand Research and Educational Flights has once more demontrated how S.T.E.M. disciplines (namely Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) can be paired with Educational and Edutainment-related Space Tourism.
The 2008 and 2009 Lunar-gravity, Mars-gravity and Zero-gravity Flight Campaigns carried out by SpaceLand with crews of laymen after selection and training both on ground and underwater served three main purposes:
1. Better understanding of the role of neurotrophins and specifically of NGF (nerve growth factor) in the physiopathological manifestation of stress and in pathologies associated to nervous and immune system disregulations, also to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease) as commissioned by Italy’s CNR and Istituto Superiore di Sanità in collaboration with the group headed by L.Aloe and Nobel Prize Winner R. Levi-Montalcini of the European Brain Research Institute.
2. Contribute to develop of scientific foundations for a safe and productive human presence in space for extended periods of time, in preparation for space exploration of Moon and Mars, supporting international colony-forming programs for in-situ resource exploitation and science advancement).
3. Strenghten the potential of space tourism-related initiatives with a comprehensive program open to everybody, from 11 years of age up to 93 years of age, with a whole range of cultural added-values, targeting at space tourism as well as corporate incentives, team buiding and educational training and flight campaigns in Moon-gravity and Mars-gravity flight conditions.
Operational results from having flown the world’s youngest life-science test subject as well as the oldest man (93 year old) and the first disabled woman in weightlessness and lunar-gravity – mars-gravity are detailed on www.SpaceLand.it
