A space experiment by the University of Szczecin could help in a flight to Mars.

Within the next 50 years, the first human will fly to Mars, estimates Professor Ewa Szuszkiewicz from the University of Szczecin. And the success of this mission may be due to research commissioned by our university and conducted on the International Space Station by Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.

The second Pole in space after Mirosław Hermaszewski, who has been the center of attention for the past few weeks, has conducted more than a dozen experiments designed to advance science in our country. Among them was the project "Before We Go to Mars: Can Tardigrades Help Protect Other Organisms in Space?" led by a consortium of three universities: the University of Szczecin as the leader, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and the University of Silesia in Katowice. The experiment involved testing yeast modified with genes from Tardigrades—extremely resilient organisms. This will allow for the evaluation of the potential use of such yeast as biofactories, for example, to produce food or fuel for missions to the Moon and Mars.

"The results of the analyses will provide us with insight into how the tardigrade gene improved the functioning of yeast in microgravity conditions," said Prof. Ewa Szuszkiewicz from the Institute of Physics at the University of Silesia, project coordinator, during a Thursday press conference in the Senate Chamber at the University of Silesia. "The next step will be to incorporate ionizing radiation."

And this is crucial, because ionizing radiation is the biggest obstacle to a trip to Mars. It's deadly to the human body. Especially since the flight would take a long time—currently, we're talking about six to nine months, depending on the planetary configuration—and the astronauts would absorb a massive dose of radiation. Genetically modified yeast may bring us closer to understanding how to defend ourselves against radiation.

"In the era of private space agencies, there's a lot of momentum (for a flight to Mars - AS)," said Professor Ewa Szuszkiewicz. "Just like the rush to the Moon, which is now like a 100-meter race, everyone wants to be first. The idea of who will be first isn't clear or obvious. However, we won't stop the rush to explore space. Humanity is getting there. Poland must join this rush. We can't be left behind, we can't be left behind."

More on this topic in "Kurier Szczeciński" and eKurier of July 18, 2025.

Alan Sasinowski