한국항공우주연구원

 The Results of Scientific Experiments Expected to be utilized
for Industry and Science Education

In the International Meeting Room of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on June 12, 2008, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology held a presentation on the results of the scientific experiments that Korea’s first astronaut Dr. Yi So-yeon carried out for 10 days on the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2008.

In this presentation, space experiment developers, who had received the results of the 18 scientific experiments conducted in zero gravity on the ISS by the Korean astronaut, presented the results of the space experiments conducted to date as well as the future expected accomplishments.

Professor Jo Byeong-sang of Konkuk University, in charge of the drosophila experiment, noted that about 699 genes, which are assumed to be related with space aging, were separated from about 32,000 genetic clones. And in the case of space foods, which was jointly developed by the Korea Food Research Institute and relevant enterprises, foreign astronauts had given unexpectedly high marks to the Korean hot pepper paste.

The experiment of growing crystals of metal-organic porous materials in microgravity reaffirmed that crystal growth in zero gravity delivers a better outcome. Images of Seoul, pictures of land and sea as well as cyclones (mid-latitude depressions), all taken from space by Dr. Yi So-yeon, were also presented.

Before the main presentation, Dr. Yi introduced the scientific experiments, while backup astronaut Ko San discussed the training for astronauts at the Gagarin Space Center. Experiment equipment and space food were displayed next to the presentation room to help participants understand the tasks carried out by Dr. Yi.

The 18 scientific experiments which Dr. Yi carried out in space were selected in December 2006 after evaluating research proposals which were submitted by industries, universities, and research institutes from different scientific fields in May 2006. The experiments consisted of 13 specialized experiments with major scientific value and 5 educational experiments chosen by their educational content.