Brain.Space, a four-year-old startup based in Israel, is ready to conduct the testing of its brain activity gear on astronauts in space.
The test will be carried out next week during a SpaceX shuttle flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a statement on Monday, the company said that a special electroencephalogram (EEG)-enabled helmet made by the firm will be used by three astronauts on the Axiom Space’s mission to the ISS. Axiom Space is a private space flight company.
The mission, which spans 10 days, will be the first-ever private trip to the space station. The mission will commence on April 3.
“We actually know that the microgravity environment impacts the physiological indicators in the body. So, it will probably impact the brain and we would like to monitor that,” Brain.Space Chief Executive Yair Levy told Reuters.
Levy added that while data on muscle mass, heart rate and skin resistance has been accumulated, there has not been any data on brain activity yet.
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Three of the four astronauts of the mission will be wearing a helmet consisting of 460 airbrushes that connect to the scalp. The astronauts will perform a series of tasks for 20 minutes each day. During those tasks, data will be uploaded to a laptop placed in the space station.
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The tasks will also include a “visual oddball”, something that helps in detecting abnormal brain activities and dynamics.
The astronauts will perform tasks that have previously been completed on Earth. This will help Brain.Space compare EEG data and analyse disparities in brain activity between space and Earth.
“Space is an accelerator. The idea is to revolutionise and make possible brain activity apps, products and services that’s as easy as pulling data from an Apple Watch,” Levy said, hoping that the space mission would help Brain.Space set itself up as a popular brain data platform.
