The connection between cryogenics and space travel is deeper than most people realize. Cryogenic technologies are present in almost every aspect of modern space travel: from the engines that propel rockets into orbit, to the instruments on satellites, to biological research on the International Space Station (ISS).
Although Consarctic® is primarily active in the biomedical field, we share a fundamental understanding of the physics and technology of extreme cold with the aerospace industry. In this article, we highlight the fascinating parallels between biomedical cryopreservation and aerospace.
Liquid oxygen (LOX, -183°C) and liquid hydrogen (LH2, -253°C) are the most powerful chemical rocket propellants. They are used in the main engines of Ariane 5, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and SpaceX's Falcon 9.
The storage and handling of these extremely cold liquids requires technologies that follow the same principles as the storage of liquid nitrogen in biomedical applications: Vacuum insulation, specialized materials (austenitic stainless steel, aluminum alloys), pressure control and evaporation management.
Many scientific instruments on satellites and space probes have to be cooled to extremely low temperatures in order to achieve their full sensitivity. Infrared telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) operate at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273°C).
Both passive cooling systems (solar shields that use space as a heat sink) and active cryocoolers are used in space. The challenge is to maintain stable cooling for years without the possibility of maintenance.
Biological experiments are regularly carried out on the International Space Station. Cell cultures, tissue samples and other biological materials have to be cryopreserved on board so that they can be analyzed in the best possible condition when they return to Earth.
The Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) offers storage facilities at -80°C. Special passive cryogenic systems are used for temperatures below -140°C, taking into account the station's limited power and space resources.
With the plans for manned Mars missions, a fascinating question is coming into focus: How can biological resources - medical stem cell reserves, seeds, microorganisms - be transported cryopreserved over the months or years of an interplanetary journey?
Biomedical cryotechnology has built up decades of experience in the reliable long-term storage of sensitive biological materials. Principles such as controlled freezing with the controlled rate freezer, optimized gas phase storage and seamless temperature monitoring are directly transferable to space applications.
Aerospace has driven innovations in vacuum technology, insulation and miniaturization that benefit biomedical cryogenics. The high-quality vacuum insulation in the Consarctic® stainless steel tanks is based on principles originally developed for space applications.
Whether in a laboratory in Berlin or on a space station in Earth orbit - the controlled application of extreme cold is one of the most versatile and powerful technologies that mankind has developed.
Are you fascinated by the combination of cryogenics and innovation? Discover how Consarctic® translates this fascination into concrete products and solutions for science.