Mission to International Space Station Launches Research on Brain Organoids, Heart Muscle Atrophy, and Cold Welding

The SpaceX CRS-31 mission to the ISS for NASA includes studies on in-space manufacturing, cardiac health, and a method to repair spacecraft damaged by debris

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — More than 25 payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, including technology demonstrations, in-space manufacturing, student experiments, and multiple projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), are bound for the orbiting outpost. These investigations, launching on SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA, aim to improve life on Earth through space-based research and foster a sustainable economy in low Earth orbit (LEO). 

The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than Monday, November 4 at 9:29 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Below highlights some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored projects on this mission. 

• Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) will build on its legacy of protein crystallization on the space station with a project, in collaboration with ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Redwire Space, seeking to crystallize model small molecule compounds to support the manufacturing of more effective therapeutics. Crystals grown in microgravity are often larger and more well-ordered than those grown on the ground and could have improved morphology (geometric shape).
• NSF is funding four investigations launching on this mission, including a collaborative project from Oregon State University and Texas Tech University focused on cardiac health. This experiment will use 3D-bioprinted cardiac organoids to study microgravity-induced heart muscle atrophy. Results could lead to an increased understanding of heart muscle atrophy, which occurs in several conditions, such as cancer, muscle disease, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, sepsis, and heart failure.
• Multiple projects sponsored by the ISS National Lab and funded by NASA focus on in-space manufacturing. One investigation by Sachi Bioworks, working with ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Space Tango, could help advance the development of new therapeutics for neurodegenerative conditions. The project will use brain organoids in microgravity to test the effects of a novel drug on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
• The Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology is launching a project, with support from ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Voyager Space, to test a heatless method of welding. Cold welding is a process that bonds similar metallic materials using force or pressure instead of heat. This method could one day be used to safely repair space platforms and ensure their long-term viability, which would help to address the growing concern of space debris. In this project, the research team will test remote-operated, cold welding to apply metal patches to simulated spacecraft hull samples.
• The Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP) will send 39 student-led experiments on its 18^th mission to the space station. SSEP aims to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers by actively involving school communities in the development of scientific investigations to be conducted in microgravity. More than 35 communities took part in this SSEP mission, engaging hundreds of students in grades 5-12, junior college, and undergraduate studies.

For additional information on ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations launching on NASA’s SpaceX CRS-31, visit our launch page. To learn more about the research and technology development sponsored by the ISS National Lab, including how to propose concepts for future space-based research, visit our website.

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab