Those who follow space news are trying to understand if the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, passing through the Solar System, carries elements of life. Meanwhile, scientists at Samara University are confident that we are not alone in the Universe.
Key Element
This year, scientists at Samara University proved that an organic compound significant for the origin of life – lactaldehyde – can form in interstellar ices.
During experiments in ultra-high vacuum, a frozen icy mixture of carbon monoxide and ethanol was irradiated with a stream of high-energy electrons simulating cosmic rays. All of this occurred at extremely low temperatures, almost like in deep space, around -268 degrees Celsius.
"The results of this work provide science with new data on the mechanisms of formation of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium," says Associate Professor of the Department of Physics Ivan Antonov. "Lactaldehyde, as a precursor to lactic acid, is an important intermediate in biochemical processes related to the formation of sugars, sugar acids, and amino acids, which may play a key role in the origin of life."
Lactaldehyde from interstellar ices can be "picked up" by comets or meteorites. These small celestial bodies often bombard planets. This is how organic compounds could have once ended up on Earth, ultimately leading to the emergence of life.
See the Invisible
The University conducts extensive research work in various fields. For example, last year they tested a modernized version of an analog photonic computing system. It is capable of processing video data hundreds of times faster than computers can.
An optical neural network based on such a computer can analyze incoming video streams online and almost instantly find specified objects and images. Another use case is analyzing data from hyperspectrometers. These devices see reality in multi-channel spectral mapping and allow the detection of things invisible to conventional observation means.
The project was launched under the National Center for Physics and Mathematics program. The research is funded by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the State Corporation Rosatom. The experimental prototype from Samara scientists was presented in June at the Sarov Technopark.
Clouds Are No a Hindrance
In the near future, the "Aist-2T" small spacecraft will be sent into orbit from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. They are produced at the Progress Rocket Space Center. Such satellites are designed for stereoscopic imaging of the Earth's surface and creating a three-dimensional model of the planet. Along with them, they plan to launch the "Aist-ST" satellite, created by scientists and engineers of Samara University together with specialists from the Special Technology Center from St. Petersburg. It will become the first domestic ultra-small satellite with radar equipment.
"Aist-ST" will monitor the surface of our planet at any time of day and in any weather, regardless of lighting and meteorological conditions. With its help, for example, it will be possible to determine ice thickness from space when laying icebreaker routes in the Arctic and Antarctic.
A remote experiment on weighing cosmic dust will be conducted on board the satellite. For this, students and young scientists of the university have developed a special module. During the flight, it will measure the degree of contamination of the satellite's external surface due to the impact of its own atmosphere, which forms around the spacecraft.
The results of the experiment will help in the future improve the quality of optical and radar equipment on Earth remote sensing satellites.
From Orbit on the Garden Bed
On August 20, the "Bion-M" No.2 scientific spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Seventy-five mice, about one and a half thousand Drosophila flies, fungi, bacteria, cell tissues, and seeds of 25 rare plants from the Samara Botanic Garden spent a month in orbit.
A similar experiment was conducted in 2013. Then, seeds were also on board the "Bion-M" spacecraft. Upon return, they were planted in the Botanic Garden on a "space bed" for post-flight research. This helps scientists learn how being in space affects plant development.
Part of the equipment for the "Bion-M" No.2 orbital laboratory was developed and manufactured at Samara University.
Furthermore, prototypes of space electronics based on silicon carbide were tested on board the spacecraft. This semiconductor material in hardness is second only to diamond and boron nitride. It is considered the most promising for use in equipment operating in extreme conditions – under high temperatures, gravitational overloads, and radiation exposure.
The experimental data will allow predicting the functioning parameters of new semiconductor devices during flight. As scientists expect, equipment based on silicon carbide films could be an order of magnitude more reliable, accurate, and durable than analogs currently produced by the global space industry. They could be used in distant missions, for example, to Mars.
Aiding Medics
The University has patented an installation for testing aortic tissues. This is a joint project of the university and the Samara State Medical University. The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. Oxygenated blood flows through it from the heart to the other internal organs.
Data obtained using the unique installation will soon help doctors predict the risk of aortic rupture and the need for surgery. It will also simplify and improve the selection of an implant when preparing a patient for surgical intervention.
The equipment fits on a regular desk. The size of the "test subjects" is much smaller – these are small pieces of aortic tissue, up to 4 centimeters in length, removed during operations from different patients. In February, the project won a grant from the regional innovation fund.
Biologists are studying how behavioral reactions and mental abilities of rats change after taking antibiotics. Such research provides an opportunity to expand knowledge about how the brain and microbiota – the collection of microorganisms living in the intestine – are interconnected. These our tiny neighbors do not tolerate therapy with "heavy" drugs well. The results of the experiment are relevant in studying various human neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and depression.
Drone Modernization
In the last two years, the unmanned aviation industry has been actively developing in the region. The university is directly involved in this.
In May, university scientists developed a navigation software complex with artificial intelligence and a stereo vision system for unmanned aerial vehicles. The development, named "Navigator," allows drones in autonomous mode, without human involvement, to follow given routes, avoid restricted zones, and independently react to suddenly arising obstacles. For example, they will be able to evade birds.
The software complex helps drones land safely in an emergency. The neural network on board analyzes images from video cameras and determines if there are people, cars, or other obstacles at the intended landing site. "Navigator" ensures the safe joint operation of several drones within a given area, for instance, during mass crop treatment using UAVs.
The neural network system was created by order of the university's industrial partner – the company "Transport of the Future."
Quantum Communications
Recently, the University connected to the Inter-University Quantum Network. It unites a number of the country's leading educational institutions and Russian scientific organizations and should become an important infrastructure testing ground for developing new technologies.
Using quantum communications, it will be possible to create secure communication systems where the integrity and authenticity of transmitted information are guaranteed by physical principles, not mathematical algorithms. Such closed lines are needed primarily by government structures, data centers, critical infrastructure facilities, large transportation companies, and industrial enterprises. It is planned that by 2030, the length of the backbone quantum network in Russia will be 15,000 kilometers.
Work in an Alliance
Students and postgraduate students participate in many of the university's research projects. Some of them themselves become authors of breakthrough projects. According to Rector Vladimir Bogatyrev, there will be even more student projects next year.
In December, the University, among 10 leading universities and scientific organizations in the country, joined the participants of the all-Russian alliance "Sovereign Technologies in the Field of Drones and Near Space." The agreement on the creation of the association was signed in Moscow at the technological entrepreneurship forum. The initiator of the alliance's creation was Samara University.
"This event marks the transition from local university initiatives to systematic interregional cooperation in the field of technologies critically important for the country," says Bogatyrev. "A unified space is being created for the development and commercialization of technologies, the formation of inter-university student teams, the development of internship programs, support for student startups, and the implementation of accelerator programs. We are talking not just about cooperation, but about creating an ecosystem where each participant makes a unique contribution to the common cause. In the future, this alliance could become a model for creating similar industry associations in other strategic areas – from biotechnology to artificial intelligence."
Vladimir BOGATYREV, Rector of Samara National Research University:
University scientists implement more than 300 research projects annually. Among the most significant of them in the past year are the creation of small spacecraft, including the "AIST" series, participation in the development of promising engines and power plants, the creation of an analog photonic computing system, and applied solutions in the field of artificial intelligence. Next year, in addition to these traditional areas for the university, we will focus on developing competencies in robotics and unmanned aerial systems. We will emphasize the commercialization of our developments and further strengthening our position as a center for attracting talent and developing innovation.
Source: "Volzhskaya Kommuna" dated 29.12.2025 No. 206
