Tobias Niederwieser News

CU Boulder space yeast experiment featured on NPR

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 21:21:14 +0000

CU Boulder space yeast experiment featured on NPR Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/06/2022 - 14:21

The Artemis 1 spacecraft is in orbit around the Moon this week, carrying 12,000 varieties of yeast as part of an experiment led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

The yeast cells will help scientists answer a critical question in space exploration: How might human bodies fare in the extreme environment of deep space, where astronauts could be exposed to the equivalent of thousands of chest X-rays’ worth of radiation on every voyage.

NPR interviewed Luis Zea, a former Smead Aerospace research professor who is leading the project, and Tobias Niederwieser, a research associate in BioServe Space Technologies and engineer on the team.

Listen to the piece at NPR...

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Smithsonian Magazine: The quest to build a functional, energy-efficient refrigerator that works in space

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 21:45:55 +0000

Smithsonian Magazine: The quest to build a functional, energy-efficient refrigerator that works in space Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/27/2021 - 15:45

Tobias Niederwieser and Robby Aaron working on one of the FRIDGE units.

Smithsonian Magazine interviewed BioServe Research Associate Tobias Niederwieser for a new article on refrigerators aboard the International Space Station and other spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit.

Niederwieser led work on BioServe's ISS FRIDGE, which has been delivering space-rated refrigerators for astronauts to store experiments and tasty food treats from home while in orbit.

The article cover's the efforts by BioServe and Purdue University to overcome the unique challenges to creating successful technology for use in space.

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Niederwieser named to Space and Satellite Professionals "20 Under 35"

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 20:17:45 +0000

Niederwieser named to Space and Satellite Professionals "20 Under 35" Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/17/2020 - 14:17

Congratulations to BioServe Space Technologies Research Associate Tobias Niederwieser, who has been named to the 2020 Space and Satellite Professionals International "20 Under 35" list recognizing young space and satellite professionals!

Niederwieser earned his PhD in aerospace engineering sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2018. He began working at BioServe while completing his doctorate and has continued there as a full-time employee.

He was responsible for key elements of the development of the Space Automated Biproduct Lab (SABL) incubator, of which three are currently operational onboard ISS and have been for over five years. Niederwieser also took a leadership role in the development of the Animal Enclosure Module-ECLSS (AEM-E), a life support system for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft and is currently hard at work on the ISS FRIDGE (Freezer / Refrigerator / Incubator Device for Gallery and Experimentation), units for NASA to be used on the ISS - amongst other things - as the new crew refrigerator.

All 20 honorees will be celebrated at SSPI’s virtual Future Leaders Celebration on October 6 during Satellite Innovation 2020 Virtual. Also at the Celebration, the three top-ranked members of the “20 Under 35” will be named as this year’s Promise Award winners.

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New FRIDGE could bring real ice cream to space

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 17:34:39 +0000

New FRIDGE could bring real ice cream to space Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/23/2020 - 11:34

Jeff Zehnder

Two FRIDGE units on a workbench at BioServe Space Technologies.

Astronaut ice cream, the crunchy, freeze-dried, pale imitation of the real thing may have met its match – the International Space Station is getting a real freezer.

BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder is designing and building a space-rated refrigerator for astronauts to store experiments and, more importantly, tasty food treats from home.

“The main food for astronauts right now is mostly freeze-dried or dehydrated. The benefit is it is shelf-stable for years. Refrigeration is fairly new in space, and it's really a plus for nutrition for astronauts,” said Tobias Niederwieser, a BioServe research associate leading the project.

Officially called the Freezer Refrigerator Incubator Device for Galley and Experimentation, or FRIDGE, it is a far cry from the Amana or Frigidaire in your kitchen. Standard electronics don't fare well in space for a litany of reasons, with the fierce vibrations of launch and the higher radiation levels experienced once in orbit being primary culprits, so BioServe is designing specialized units.

“There are no rotating parts, no fans, which is really big for reliability,” said Robby Aaron, an aerospace master’s student working on the project. “A normal fridge on Earth is also hot in the back. We can’t have that in space. Warm air doesn't rise in microgravity; it stays stationary and can cause things to overheat, so you must get rid of heat some other way. ISS has a water-cooling system we’ll be tapped into to directly dump the waste heat and keep the system cool.”

Compared to a regular refrigerator, FRIDGE is much smaller, roughly the size of a microwave oven, a requirement so it can fit into the pre-existing connections and rack housings aboard the space station.

Niederwieser and Aaron working on one of the FRIDGE units.

NASA has ordered eight FRIDGE units. Two will be used for astronaut food, and the remaining six will serve as home for active experiments that are temperature sensitive, or as storage for experiments either right before or after rocket transport to and from the ISS or aboard the station while awaiting active research.

The first two units are scheduled for delivery to NASA this summer, with a planned launch on the NG-14 resupply mission on September 7.

The FRIDGE units have temperature settings of -15° to 48°C (5.0° to 118.4°F). Why such a broad range? FRIDGE is an adaptation of BioServe’s pre-existing space incubator, SABL, the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab. Three of these units have been operated continuously onboard the ISS since early 2016 and have thus far supported over 30 cell cultures and other biological experiments. The team improved the design to work for an broader temperature range, enabling the new unit to reliably maintain any set point between freezing and incubation temperatures.

“Having SABL operational, on orbit, continuously for four years without any repairs we think was a big selling point for NASA looking at this proposal,” Niederwieser said. “This is proven technology. When something's in space, it has to work.”

The future of rocky road depends on it.

Astronaut ice cream, the crunchy, freeze-dried, pale imitation of the real thing may have met its match – the International Space Station is getting a real freezer.

BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder is designing and building a space-rated refrigerator for astronauts to store experiments and, more importantly, tasty...

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