Northrop Grumman CRS-17 to Deliver Research on Skin Health, Cancer Treatment, and Nanoparticles to the Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), February 15, 2022 – Northrop Grumman will launch a variety of critical research and supplies on its upcoming 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station). The launch, which take place at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is scheduled for no earlier than February 19 at 12:40 p.m. ET. The ISS National Laboratory is sponsoring more than 15 research and technology development payloads as part of this mission. These payloads, which represent diverse fields of study, intend to bring value to our nation through space-based research and enable a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.. Below highlights some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations launching on Northrop Grumman CRS-17.
Last year, consumer goods company Colgate-Palmolive launched the first private-sector oral health care investigation to the ISS. Now, on this mission, the company’s skincare brand PCA Skin, will launch an investigation to collect data on the changes to skin health biomarkers that occur in the stressful environment of microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment.. Exposure to microgravity has been shown to cause skin to thin and become dry, mimicking the skin aging process on Earth. Results from this experiment could help better identify areas for early intervention in skin health and help guide the development of groundbreaking skin care innovations across all of Colgate-Palmolive’s skin care brands, such as PCA Skin, eltaMD, and Filorga.
MicroQuin is a Boston-based company launching an investigation evaluating 3D cell culture to characterize the three-dimensional development of breast and prostate tumor cell lines compared with healthy cells. In microgravity, cells form into 3D structures that more closely resemble cell growth and behavior in the human body. Results could help MicroQuin refine its cancer therapeutic and develop additional drugs for targeted treatment of breast and prostate cancer. This project originated from the Technology in Space PrizeA prize that provides grant funding for business startups participating in the MassChallenge startup accelerator program to conduct innovative research and technology development utilizing the ISS National Lab. The prize is funded by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which manages the ISS National Lab, and Boeing., an annual collaboration between Boeing and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to fund innovative startups through the MassChallenge Startup Accelerator.
The University of Notre Dame will launch a physical science investigation to better understand bubble dynamics on nanostructured surfaces. The project involves heating metal substrates with nanoparticle features submerged in a liquid and studying the resulting bubble dynamics. The research team will examine how the bubbles form, grow, and detach from surfaces that have different nanoscale features. In microgravity, where gravity-driven buoyancy is absent, the team can study these heat-generated bubbles in ways not possible on Earth. Results could lead to improved medical diagnostics and potential new methods for water purification.
These are just a few of the investigations sponsored by the ISS National Lab that are launching on this mission. To learn about all ISS National Lab-sponsored research launching on Northrop Grumman CRS-17, please visit our mission launch page.
Media Contact:
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
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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 Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve 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, Inc. (CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation. Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 issnationallab.org.
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