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Group photo from the V-STARS test campaign, with the floating platform used by participants during the experiment shown on the left
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V-STARS pioneers neuroscience at ESA’s Orbital Robotics Lab

11/12/2025 374 views 8 likes
ESA / Education / ESA Academy Experiments programme

As part of the ESA Academy Experiments Programme, Team V-STARS carried out the first experiment with human participants in the Orbital Robotics Lab, investigating how microgravity affects the perception of verticality.

One of the V-STARS experiment participants from behind, preparing to start the experiment and receiving an introduction from the team
One of the V-STARS experiment participants from behind, preparing to start the experiment and receiving an introduction from the team

The V-STARS team, a collaboration between Birkbeck, University of London, and the University of Kent (UK), was selected to join the ESA Academy Experiments Programme in February 2025. After obtaining ethical approval from the United Kingdom and authorisation from the ESA Medical Board, the team was permitted to carry out their experiment in the Orbital Robotics Lab (ORL), located at ESTEC, the ESA site in the Netherlands.

The campaign involved test subjects seated on the ORL’s floating platform, wearing VR headsets while performing gravity-related perceptual tasks. The project investigates the use of Vestibular Stochastic Resonance - a phenomenon in which controlled noise enhances the sensitivity of a sensory system - to improve perception and potentially accelerate adaptation to microgravity. Over two weeks, the team tested more than 20 participants and has now returned to their universities to analyse the results.

One of the V-STARS experiment participants, sitting on the floating platform and wearing a VR headset to perform the gravity-related perceptual tasks
One of the V-STARS experiment participants, sitting on the floating platform and wearing a VR headset to perform the gravity-related perceptual tasks

The V-STARS team was the first group to use the ORL facility for neuroscience research with human participants. This all-female team of five stands out not only for their pioneering work, but also for the diversity they bring to the programme. Their academic backgrounds span astrobiology, business and political science, cognitive science, neuroscience, and psychology - representing Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels. Together, they showcase the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration.

You can follow the team’s journey on LinkedIn and Instagram.