Saudi astronauts conduct educational experiment with elementary students
Proliferation experiment focused on the behavior of colored fluids and the way they change speed and shape
Rayyanah Barnawi and
Ali Al-Qarni are racing against time to complete 14 groundbreaking experiments aboard the International Space Station.
As part of their mission, they will conduct three interactive educational awareness experiments involving 12,000 students from 47 schools across the Kingdom, directly communicating with them through satellites.
The aim is to help develop a new generation of Saudi leaders, explorers, and scientists, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in terms of human capital development, research culture enhancement, and fostering innovation.
On Saturday, the pair conducted an experiment with elementary students in Saudi Arabia on the proliferation of liquified colors. Pupils were able to raise questions with the astronauts, who compared research results with those on the ground.
The experiment focused on the behavior of colored fluids, especially the way they change
speed and shape, whilst being stirred in decreased gravity.
This collaborative effort was made possible through the partnership between the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity,
Riyadh Schools, and Misk Schools. The Saudi astronauts are conducting six experiments aboard the ISS better to understand the impacts of being in space, microgravity, and a high radiation environment on the human brain and nervous system.
The astronauts will also do four experiments to investigate the inflammatory response of human immune cells in microgravity. More specifically, their research will focus on changes in mRNA decay, a process that can turn off inflammation. In addition, response to therapy is mimicked by utilizing the same cellular model.
To improve understanding of rain-seeding technology, which will contribute to increased rainfall in many countries, the two Saudi astronauts will also lead an artificial rain experiment in which water vapor will be condensed on plankton and salt atoms in microgravity, simulating the cloud-seeding process.
Results will help to devise new ways to provide suitable conditions for humans — including the work of artificial rain — to live in space colonies on the surface of the Moon and Mars.