The space shuttle disaster that claimed the lives of seven astronauts on Saturday also destroyed more than one hundred scientific experiments. Among the experiments lost when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry over Texas was an experiment spearheaded by astrophysics professor Neil Tyson.
Tyson's experiment — which tested whether bacteria could flourish on inorganic matter in space — was remarkable for its attempt to use science to bridge political and cultural divides.
The Planetary Society, where Tyson serves as vice president, sponsored the experiment.
The project tested the controversial "panspermia" hypothesis — the theory that life on Earth developed from microorganisms that traveled from other planets. Positive results from this experiment would have provided a foundation for future research.
The most unique aspect of the project had nothing to do with science.
The aim of the experiment was not only to conduct research but also to bridge the gap between Arab states in the Middle East and Israel, according to Amir Alexander, a science writer and web editor of the Planetary Society.
"This was the first time that the Planetary Society has ventured outside the confines of science," Alexander said. Tariq Adwan, a Palestinian biology student, and Yuval Landau, an Israeli medical student, were teamed together through the efforts of the Planetary Society and Seeds of Peace. They worked with a coalition of experts from America, Israel and the Palestinian area to design the project.
As supervisor to the team, Tyson accompanied the scientists during the pre-launch weekend at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Tyson's responsibilities included acting as spokesperson for the Planetary Society and facilitating interactions between the students and the press.
Once Columbia was launched on Jan. 16, payload specialists Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla supervised the tests. After Saturday's tragedy, however, the results from the experiment may never be recovered.
"There was no data that was sent down during the flight," Alexander said. However, reports have surfaced that remnants of the project have been recovered. "We don't know the condition of the experiment, and [all evidence] is currently under the custody of the U.S. government," he said.
Despite the tragic loss of the crew and the possibly unrecoverable data, the project still succeeded in its other goals, Landau said. "The project shows that people can cooperate in an area of common interest such as science," Landau added. "The research went beyond any political or religious lines . . . Tariq and I are now good friends."
The future plans of Tyson's organization remain uncertain in the aftermath of the disaster. This past week has been a period of mourning with no discussion of science or upcoming projects, said Landau.
"This was an enormous shock for the Planetary Society," Alexander said. "We were close to this mission because we were a part of it."
Tyson was unavailable for comment.
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