NG-21 Mission Overview
More than 20 payloads supporting diverse research investigations will launch to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) on Northrop Grumman’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission(Abbreviation: CRS mission) A CRS mission is a cargo resupply mission contracted by NASA to deliver supplies and research to the International Space Station on commercial spacecraft as part of the CRS contract with three commercial companies. As part of CRS missions, experiments currently return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that splash down in the ocean. contracted by NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration. The launch is planned for no earlier than early August. Below highlights ISS National Laboratory®-sponsored research flying to the orbiting outpost.
Bimodal Colloidal Assembly, Coarsening and Failure
Northeastern University
Principal Investigator (PI): Safa Jamali
This project aims to study the physics of tiny particles that stick together in a fluid, forming a colloidal gel. The research team will examine colloidal gels with particles of different sizes to see how the gels form, grow, and eventually break down. Understanding this is important because colloidal gels with different-sized particles are used in many products, from food to medicine, drug delivery, and wearable electronics. By doing the experiment in 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., the team can examine the separate roles that gravity and particle size play in colloidal gel behavior. Results from this investigation will allow the team to develop more accurate theories and computer models to predict how colloidal gels will behave in different applications. This project was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Implementation Partner(Abbreviation: IP) Commercial companies that work with the ISS National Lab to provide services related to payload development, including the translation of ground-based science to a space-based platform. (IP): Leidos
Establishing In-Space Production of Stem Cell Therapies
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
PI: Clive Svendsen
This project investigates whether human induced pluripotent stem cells (iSPCs) grow and divide better in microgravity than on Earth. Space-grown stem cells can mature into various tissues, which could one day be used to improve treatment for patients on Earth. The research team aims to establish methods for iSPC production and differentiation (development into specialized cell types) in space, enabling future large-scale in-space biomanufacturing of stem cell-derived products. These stem cell-based therapies may improve the treatment of heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and many other conditions.
IP: Axiom Space
Individual and Collective Behavior of Active Colloids in Microgravity
Florida International University
PI: Alicia Boymelgreen
This project studies the behavior of tiny particles, called active colloids, within liquid and gel mediums. The research team will explore the potential of these engineered particles to extract and use energy from their surroundings for self-propulsion. Results could help improve theoretical models to inform applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to cutting-edge photothermal therapies to treat cancer and other diseases. The project is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
IP: Space Tango
In-Space Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Clinical Application
University of Colorado-Boulder
PI: Louis Stodieck
In this investigation, BioServe aims to develop a novel stem cell expansion bioreactor (BICEP) and protocols for its use in space. BICEP will leverage BioServe’s proven hardware from past missions for various cell and tissue culture investigations while complying with federal and industry standards. Following validation in this first phase, the team plans to build upon this work through future investigations on the space station. This project was selected through NASA’s 2022 InSPA(Abbreviation: InSPA) InSPA is an applied research and development program sponsored by NASA and the ISS National Lab aimed at demonstrating space-based manufacturing and production activities by using the unique space environment to develop, test, or mature products and processes that could have an economic impact. Research Announcement and was sponsored by the ISS National Lab.
IP: BioServe Space Technologies
MSG Sphere Space Exploration – Phase 2
Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC. (in association with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group)
PI: Andrew Shulkind
This project aims to develop and test a new ultra-high-resolution, single-sensor camera to capture groundbreaking imaging of space from the ISS. The MSG Sphere Camera will provide exceptional fidelity, unprecedented resolution, a wide field of view, and an unmatched level of detail and sharpness. The project will test the camera in the harsh space conditions to advance the technology. The camera could revolutionize and create immersive experiences for viewers on Earth. This project builds on the team’s prior ISS investigation.
IP: Nanoracks
Onboard Programmable Technology for Image Compression and Analysis (OPTICA)
HySpeed Computing
PI: James Goodman
This project aims to demonstrate real-time streaming and analysis of ultra-high-resolution space imagery. An Earth-observing hyperspectral sensor and high-performance processor will be installed on the Nanoracks External Platform(Abbreviation: NREP) A platform that on the exterior of the ISS that provides power and a data connection and enables payloads to operate in the harsh space environment. This ISS National Lab commercial facility is owned and operated by Nanoracks. (NREP) on the exterior of the space station. NREP provides an ideal vantage point and supporting infrastructure for Earth imaging. Chosen for its high data rate, the hyperspectral sensor represents the new generation of high-data-volume sensors increasingly being utilized in the remote sensing industry. To demonstrate the advantages of this technology, data transmitted to the ground will be analyzed in real time for various Earth observation applications.
IP: Nanoracks
Photo-Thermal Bubble Enabled Nanoparticle Deposition Under Microgravity
University of Notre Dame
PI: Tengfei Luo
This project aims to understand the physics of bubble formation in microgravity to develop extremely sensitive biosensors for detecting trace substances in liquids. The research team will study how bubbles form when a light source interacts with a solution containing metallic nanoparticles. The light generates bubbles that can collect, concentrate, and deposit trace amounts of substances in the solution onto a surface, where researchers can collect the substances for analysis. This project builds on the team’s prior ISS project that used surface heating to generate bubbles on the surface of a liquid. Results from this research could lead to new sensor technology for detecting early cancer markers in blood. This project was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
IP: Space Tango
Rhodium Microgravity Mycelium
Swinburne University of Technology (Australia)
PI: Rebecca Allen
The Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge 2023, in collaboration with Rhodium Scientific, is studying mycelium, a type of fungus growth, in microgravity. This research aims to understand how space conditions affect mushroom root structures and growth rate, potentially leading to more efficient cultivation methods and new mushroom strains to grow on Earth and during future space missions. The project also offers students hands-on experience in space research, promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
Vascular Tissue Challenge Tech Demo 1
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
PI: James Yoo
This project investigates how bioprinted liver tissue constructs complete with vascular channels behave in space. Microgravity may improve the development and maturation of large bioprinted tissues and organs, which are difficult to maintain on Earth due to the challenges associated with vascularization. On the ground, the research team has used bioprinting to successfully construct liver tissue with vascular channels that maintain functionality over 30 days. They will now study the tissue construct in microgravity, which may induce changes in cell shape, size, volume, and adherence properties. The investigation aims to determine whether microgravity alters cell behavior, potentially improving tissue development and maturation.
IP: Redwire