The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory is finalizing more than a dozen payloads for launch to the orbiting laboratory aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Many of these payloads are aimed at improving human health on Earth, with several focused on drug development and screening. Research concepts include commercial companies leveraging microgravity to improve drug delivery systems, other government agencies funding transformative science, and academic inquiry to enhance fundamental knowledge of diseases on Earth.
SpaceX’s 17th commercial resupply services mission is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than Saturday, May 4th at 2:48 a.m. EDT. This will mark the 29th launch of ISS National Lab investigations since 2013. In that time, the ISS National Lab has sent hundreds of payloads to the space station to utilize the orbiting laboratory’s unique environment to push the limits of scientific innovation.
Below provides information about the launch and will be continually updated.