Birkbeck students secure European Space Agency Funding for Human Spaceflight research
The students have successfully secured funding from the ESA for their innovative project aimed at enhancing human spaceflight through brain stimulation.
A multidisciplinary team of students from Birkbeck, has successfully secured funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) for an innovative research project exploring the impact of non-invasive brain stimulation in spaceflight conditions. The team, named V-STARS (Vestibular Stochastic Techniques for Adaptive Responses in Spaceflight), is composed entirely of women - a significant milestone in a sector where women represent only 20% of the workforce.
The team, lead by Birkbeck PhD student Maryam Haq, consists of another PhD student in the School of Psychological Sciences, along with an MSc Astrobiology student, a BSc Psychology student, and a PhD student from the University of Kent. The project is set to make history as it marks the first time a student-led project from Birkbeck has received ESA funding and it will be the first human experiment ever conducted on the ESA robotic weightlessness platform.
Space presents a real challenging environment for human survival, with factors like microgravity impacting astronauts’ cognitive functions. The V-STARS project aims to explore whether non-invasive brain stimulation can enhance astronauts’ ability to adapt to weightlessness, ultimately optimising their performance and well-being during space missions. To simulate microgravity, the team will conduct experiments using the ESA’s Orbital Robotics Lab (ORL) platform, a cutting-edge robotic system that can create a floating sensation.
The project is particularly noteworthy because it is led and conducted entirely by women, an achievement that highlights the increasing role of women in space research.
Professor Elisa Raffaella Ferrè, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Birkbeck said: “I am particularly proud to be part of a team composed entirely of women. Women have historically been underrepresented in the space sector, but their contributions have been key across all areas, from engineering to astronaut training. By securing ESA funding and leading the first human experiment on the ESA ORL platform, the V-STARS team is not only pushing the boundaries of space neuroscience but also paving the way for greater women representation in space exploration”.
This groundbreaking research could have far-reaching implications, potentially enhancing astronaut training and adaptation strategies for future long-duration space missions, including those to the Moon and Mars.