Student-built SCAMPI aquatic ecosystem experiment reaches the ISS
SCAMPI, a student-built payload with shrimp, algae and microbes in a closed aquatic habitat, launched to the ISS to study ecosystem behaviour in microgravity.
The story in focus
A student-built experiment called SCAMPI launched to the International Space Station on 13 October 2026 aboard the SpaceX CRS-35 mission. The payload houses shrimp, algae and microbial populations in a closed aquatic habitat and will study how microgravity affects the ecosystem's living and non-living components.
- The SCAMPI payload launched on SpaceX CRS-35 on 13 October 2026 at 12:33 CEST.
- Fifty-one university students from European and United States institutions conceived, designed, built and tested the experiment.
- An astronaut will install the payload in the ICE Cubes Facility inside the European Columbus module.
What the experiment will do
SCAMPI carries a sealed aquatic ecosystem containing shrimp, algae and microbial populations, designed to examine how ecological systems function outside Earth's gravity. Once aboard the station, the payload will be installed by an astronaut in the ICE Cubes Facility, a commercial service by Space Application Services located in the European Columbus module.
Students and young researchers will then monitor the ecosystem and collect data on how microgravity influences interactions between its living and non-living components. ESA says the work aims to improve understanding of closed ecological systems, which could one day support astronauts on long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Late-load preparation and return
Because the payload carries living organisms, final refurbishment and preparation took place at Kennedy Space Centre in the days before launch. Supervised by the ESA Payload Integration Manager, the student team refreshed the sealed ecosystem, inspected the aquaria, verified the biological components and confirmed the payload was in its flight configuration before handing it to NASA for integration and transport to the station.
After the scientific campaign, the payload is expected to return to Earth, where students will perform genetic and biological analyses on the returned shrimp, algae and microbes. Comparing flight samples with ground-based counterparts is intended to show how prolonged exposure to microgravity affected the populations.
Who built it
ESA says 51 university students from institutions across Europe and the United States took part. The consortium was led by Politecnico di Torino and École Polytechnique and included The Spring Institute for Forests on the Moon, ISAE-SUPAERO, IPSA, École d'Ingénieurs de PURPAN, Utrecht University and TU Delft. ESA's Education Office, Human and Robotic Exploration Directorate, and Technology, Engineering and Quality Directorate supported the mission.
Who took part in building the SCAMPI experiment?
ESA says 51 university students from European and United States institutions conceived, designed, built and tested the payload. A consortium led by Politecnico di Torino and École Polytechnique included several partner institutions, with ESA and Space Applications Services support.
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