The Israeli startup scene just can't get enough of deep space and the research opportunities it offers. Last October, Israel Hayom reported that Rehovot based slaughter-free meat startup Aleph Farms was collaborating with technology companies and space agencies to integrate its innovations into existing space programs and ultimately cultivate its meat in space-based BioFarms.
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Now two more startups are looking to space to develop their technology.
On Wednesday, StoreDot, which develops extra-fast charging battery technology for electric vehicles, announced that in conjunction with the Israel Electric Corporation, it had been approved by NASA to conduct the first space-based research and development program into new battery materials.
As part of the Israel Space Agency and The Ramon Foundation's pioneering RAKIA mission to the International Space Station in February 2022, StoreDot's XFC technology will undergo two weeks of rigorous testing in zero gravity conditions.
In a specially-devised experiment, coin cells of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC battery will undergo hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, with the results collected by means of a computer contained within the enclosed unit. Once the experiment, which was designed in collaboration with and funded by the IEC, is returned to earth, StoreDot's team of scientists will undertake extensive analysis of the data, as well as examine the battery itself to note any physical or chemical changes that have taken place during the experiment.
StoreDot will use the experiment to gain new insights into the chemical reactions that cause silicon to expand during the fast-charging process. This will be achieved by using zero gravity conditions to identify irregularities in the silicon surface of the anode. Importantly, the findings from the research will be incorporated into the first engineering samples of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC battery for EVs, which will be available for testing by the end of 2022.
StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf said, "We are incredibly proud to join forces with the IEC, The Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency on this historic mission. StoreDot remains steadfast on pushing the boundaries of battery materials research and development and this project marks the next exciting stage in that journey.
"This will be the first time XFC has been tested in the zero gravity conditions of space and we believe the results could be absolutely game-changing. Not only in terms of advancing XFC technology, but also, potentially, by opening up entirely new avenues in materials research that will have implications that extend far beyond the battery industry," Myersdorf added.
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From batteries to brainwaves: Health tech startup Myndlift announced Wednesday that it also had been selected to participate in the RAKIA mission to the International Space Station.
Myndlift utilizes neurofeedback, a non-invasive methodology that measures brainwave activity and trains the brain using visual and auditory cues. This form of therapy has consistently been shown to improve brain health in high-performers. An extensive review of EEG-neurofeedback studies for optimizing performance in healthy individuals found evidence linking neurofeedback success and gains in sustained attention, executive functioning, working memory, and more.
Sustained attention and multitasking are critical for astronauts, whose work requires them to monitor and respond to multiple events simultaneously over an extended period, raising the specter of performance decline due to information overload and associated anxiety. Myndlift, which utilizes the Muse headset together with an additional electrode, has passed a rigorous review process and been selected for the opportunity to be utilized by Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe, who is scheduled to be part of the mission.
Myndlift believes that its solution might help Stibbe function at his best. If the technology proves feasible and effective, it might be useful to astronauts on longer, expeditionary missions to farther locations, such as Mars.
Aziz Kaddan, CEO of Myndlift, explained, "We believe that neurofeedback is an under-utilized tool due, in most part, to its expense and the cumbersome equipment. By creating a remote-first neurofeedback tool and platform, we have enabled people worldwide to use this training methodology from their homes, and now from space."
