SpaceX CRS-18 Mission Overview

The International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) U.S. National Laboratory is sponsoring dozens of investigations launching onboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft that are aimed at improving life on Earth through space-based research. The SpaceX commercial resupply services (CRS)-18 mission is slated for launch no earlier than July 24 at 6:24 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Below are highlights of ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that are part of the SpaceX CRS-18 mission to the space station.

BioFabrication Facility
Techshot, Inc.
Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Eugene Boland

This project seeks to complete the Preliminary Design Review for Techshot’s BioFabrication Facility(Abbreviation: BFF) The BFF is a 3D bioprinter on the ISS capable of printing human tissue from bioinks mixed with living cells. This ISS National Lab commercial facility is owned and operated by Redwire Space., a space-based, automated tissue and organ printing system. The system will be capable of culturing a defined heterogeneous cell population to bioprint tissues and organs that can then be implanted into patients. Once completed, this system will function as a bioprinter capable of personalized medical treatment for either Earth-based patients or astronauts on future long-duration spaceflight missions. Utilizing a bioprinter to print tissues and organs for transplantation is significantly less invasive than using organs from donors.

The 3D printing of biomaterials is a large and rapidly growing field. Per a 2015 Industry Analytic Research Consulting analysis, the 3D printed materials market in healthcare exceeded $280 million and is estimated to continue to grow over the next six years. This includes all aspects of medical materials, including metals, plastics, ceramics, biomaterials, cells, tissues, and organ substitutes. Advances in tissue engineering for 3D bioprinting are gaining importance, and the tissues generated by bioprinting will become available for transplantation in the near future. However, high costs and technical hurdles could hinder the market growth. As a target therapy, development of cardiac repair or replacement tissues 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. may provide a cost competitive solution. Techshot has begun investing in this business opportunity, which it believes can improve outcomes for patients.

Commercial Service ProviderImplementation Partners that own and operate commercial facilities for the support of research on the ISS or are developing future facilities.: Techshot

Crystallize an Oncologically Important Protein to Promote Therapeutic Discovery
MicroQuin
PI: Scott Robinson

This project seeks to utilize the 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. environment on the ISS to crystallize a membrane protein found to play a key role in tumor development and survival of cancer cells. The protein is also involved in the disease progression of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes. Crystallization of the protein on Earth has proven difficult, hindering structural determination. Crystals grown in microgravity are often larger and more well-ordered than Earth-grown crystals, which can lead to improved datasets for structural determination. The research team aims to crystallize the protein by itself and co-crystallized with MicroQuin’s breast cancer therapeutic. Knowledge gained from this research could enable MicroQuin to both enhance its current breast cancer therapeutic and adapt the therapeutic to create a pipeline of new drugs to treat other types of cancer. Results could also help improve understanding of the target protein’s role in other diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes and aid in the development of treatments for these conditions.

Commercial Service Provider: BioServe Space Technologies

Microgravity Crystallization of Glycogen Synthase-Glycogenin Protein Complex
Dover Lifesciences
PI: Dr. David S. Chung

The crystallization of proteins for structural determination is an important tool for drug discovery. This study aims to utilize the microgravity environment on the ISS to crystallize glycogen synthase 1 (an enzyme present in muscle) and glycogen synthase 2 (a critical enzyme for glycogen synthesis in the liver) together with the enzyme glycogenin. Glycogen synthase works in concert with glycogenin, which is necessary for the proper orientation and function of glycogen synthase. A better understanding of the structure of glycogen synthase in complex with glycogenin could aid in the development of drugs that inhibit glycogen synthase, which could be used to treat obesity, rare genetic disorders, and cancer. Protein crystals grown in microgravity are often larger and more well-ordered than Earth-grown crystals, which can lead to improved datasets for structural determination.

Commercial Service Provider: Bionetics

Microgravity Crystal Growth for Improvement in Neutron Diffraction
University of Toledo
PI: Dr. Timothy Mueser

This investigation seeks to utilize the microgravity environment onboard the ISS National Lab to produce larger and higher quality crystals of three medically relevant proteins for neutron diffraction, with an aim to improve the structure determination of the proteins. The three proteins being crystallized are Salmonella typhimurium tryptophan synthase (TS), cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and a protein complex of a bacteriophage RNase H and single stranded DNA binding protein. Improved structure determination of these proteins could help control Salmonella contamination in the food industry (an estimated 94 million cases of Salmonellosis are reported globally each year), aid in the development of compounds to help monitor treatment progress in patients with heart or liver disease, and provide insight into how DNA repair could be optimized to prevent diseases caused by damage to DNA.

Commercial Service Provider: Bionetics

Monoclonal Antibody Stability in Microgravity-Formulation Study
AstraZeneca
PI: Reza Esfandiary, Ph.D.

Monoclonal Antibody Stability in Microgravity-Formulation Study (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). PCG 19) examines the stability of monoclonal antibody formulations in microgravity. These formulations degrade over time and sometimes must be discarded, increasing cost and limiting the parts of the world where patients can benefit from them. Storing formulations in microgravity may reveal processes that lead to degradation and, ultimately, to methods for slowing it down. This study may provide insight into why some antibodies degrade faster than others and could lead to advances in stability.

Commercial Service Provider: Bionetics

Non-Newtonian Fluids in Microgravity: Slime in Space
Nickelodeon
PI: Dr. Mark Weislogel

This project aims to develop educational videos and other digital content on slime experiments in space. Slime is a non-Newtonian fluid, a material in which its viscosity (resistance to flow) changes based on the amount of shear stress applied to it—for example, through squeezing or stirring. The videos will show International Space Station (ISS) crew members conducting slime experiments related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts commonly covered in elementary and middle school. The content is meant to spark an interest in microgravity research and help students learn about STEM topics such as fluid flow and materials engineering. The content will be shared online and on Nickelodeon’s television and streaming platforms.

Commercial Service Provider: Bionetics

Pushing the limits of Silica Fillers for Tire Applications
Goodyear
PI: Dr. Derek Shuttleworth

Silica is a key material used in the production of consumer tires, and results from this study could inform future efforts to improve the silica deposition process to improve tire performance through the development of new manufacturing techniques on the ground. In this study, the research team will evaluate the creation of novel silica forms and structures, or morphologies, using traditional techniques to form silica fillers in microgravity. The space environment may yield novel silica morphologies that are not available on Earth. A breakthrough in the research of the effect of silica morphology on rubber compound properties could lead to significant improvements in fuel efficiency and transportation cost savings, and perhaps more importantly, benefit the environment.

Commercial Service Provider: BioServe Space Technologies

Quest Institute Multi-Experiment, NextGen-2
Quest Institute
PI: Danny Kim

This project consists of an experimental platform carrying five individual student experiments exploring the scientific principles and space applications of magnetism. The students who designed the investigations can interact and customize various activities related to magnetism in space and will run similar tests on the ground. This series of investigations on magnetism advances understanding of concepts that could support the design and implementation of future microgravity research. This work also inspires students to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields, creating the next generation of researchers and explorers. Increased knowledge in the areas of magnetism, use of electromagnets, the Earth’s magnetic field, and heat transfer also has potential applications in several research and industrial settings on Earth.

Commercial Service Provider: Space Tango

Rotation-Induced Characteristics of a Sphere
Adidas
PI: Dr. Henry Hanson

This investigation seeks to examine the behavior of free-flying soccer balls in microgravity. Researchers will measure the spin speed, wobble, and spin axis of balls with different shapes and textures and compare the data to Earth-based experiments. Aerodynamic performance of a soccer ball is influenced by the surface texture and panel shape. Mechanical properties, contact, and impacts also are affected by texture and panel configuration. In the ball engineering process, it is important to know how all characteristics are influenced by a change to one aspect to preserve design freedom and consistent performance. Current aerodynamic research on soccer balls uses wind tunnel experiments to link aerodynamic forces and surface characteristics. With microgravity, some of the physical constraints of wind tunnel experiments are removed, providing the opportunity for new data to fill in the gaps in knowledge of spherical aerodynamics. Results could improve the understanding of interaction between free-flying objects and their environment.

Commercial Service Provider: NanoRacks

Rodent Research-17 (RR-17)
ISS National Lab
PI: Dr. Michael Roberts

Rodent Research-17 (RR-17) uses younger and older mice as model organisms to evaluate the physiological, cellular, and molecular effects of the spaceflight environment. Some responses to spaceflight in humans and model organisms such as mice resemble accelerated aging. This investigation provides a better understanding of aging-related immune, bone, and muscle disease processes, which may lead to new therapies for use in space and on Earth. This payload represents  Rodent Research Reference Mission-2, which will provide investigators with biological specimens from mice flown on the ISS to support fundamental biological and biomedical inquiries related to the effects of age on health after exposure to microgravity.

Commercial Service Provider: BioServe Space Technologies and Taconic Biosciences

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 13
National Center for Earth and Space Science
PI: Dr. Jeff Goldstein

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) creates and oversees national initiatives addressing STEM education, with a focus on Earth and space. Programs are designed to provide an authentic window on science as a human endeavor and to inspire and educate. One of NCESSE’s initiatives is the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), in which student communities from around the country have the ability to propose flight experiments for the space station. This program allows students to learn engineering and scientific principles in a team environment. On this mission, 38 student communities will launch MixStix investigations to the ISS National Lab, covering research concepts ranging from the life sciences to materials and physical sciences. In total, this mission will reach more than 23,000 students and teachers.

Commercial Service Provider: NanoRacks

The Effect of Microgravity on Human Brain Organoids
University of California San Diego
PI: Dr. Alysson Muotri

Organoids are small, living masses of cells that interact, grow, and can survive for months. They serve as a useful model system to understand how larger systems respond and adapt to changes in the environment. This investigation specifically explores how brain organoids respond to the unique environment of space. Preservation of cognitive and neuronal function is essential for any space mission; thus, it is essential to understand and characterize cellular interactions in microgravity as well as neuronal adaptations to the stressful environment.

Adding to our understanding of brain cells and their cognitive function is fundamental to protecting human health for space exploration, as it paves the way for additional investigations examining changes neurons experience during spaceflight, including studies of pharmacology, disease, aging, and more. Neuronal organoids are used for a vast range of studies on brain function, including research on the effects of disease and aging and studies to gain a better understanding of drug molecule actions. The results of this investigation are expected to advance organoid technology, enabling a wide variety of new experiments using organoids in microgravity as a test platform for stress on the brain.

Commercial Service Provider: Space Tango

The Effects of Microgravity on Microglia 3-Dimensional Models of Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis
National Stem Cell Foundation
PI: Dr. Andres Bratt-Leal

This study will examine 3D neuroglial cell cultures derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis to analyze the migratory capability of iPSC-derived microglial cells in microgravity.

Exposure to microgravity and radiation, as it occurs on the ISS, causes significant mechanical unloading of mammalian tissues, resulting in rapid physiological alterations. While many studies have focused on the impact of microgravity on the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems, microgravity is also known to have a significant impact on the central nervous system. Research using a variety of tissue types has demonstrated that microgravity increases proliferation and delays differentiation of stem cells. Cell-cell interactions are critical for neuronal communication, but to date no studies have yet evaluated these effects in human cells in microgravity. Taking advantage of the potential of the iPSCs to differentiate into any cell type of the human body, this study will retrospectively evaluate cell-cell interactions and migratory capabilities of iPSC-derived microglial cells from patients with Parkinson’s disease (dopaminergic neurons) and multiple sclerosis (cortical neurons), versus co-cultures of the same cell types from healthy control subjects. The cells will be maintained on the ISS for one month.

This research will provide valuable insights into the mechanisms by which neuronal cells mature in 3D cultures, factors influencing migration of glial cells in organoids, and changes in gene expression that may play a role in these disease processes and may well have an impact on the discovery and development of biomarkers and therapeutics for Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

Commercial Service Provider: Space Tango

The Effects of Microgravity on Microbial Nitrogen Fixation
Magnitude.io
PI: Ted Tagami

Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements found in living organisms, alongside carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and is required for almost all biological metabolic processes. This education investigation will study two species of soil-dwelling bacteria to understand microgravity’s effects on microbial nitrogen fixation (the process by which microbes convert nitrogen in the air into nitrogen compounds that living organisms can use). One species of bacteria is a free-living strain known as Azotobacter vinelandi, and the other is a symbiotic strain known as Rhizobium leguminosarum found growing in nodules on the root systems of leguminous plants. In addition, Escherichia coli, which is not capable of nitrogen fixation, will be included as a negative control. As humans extend the duration of manned spaceflight missions, the need for space-based agriculture has gained importance. Given the significance of the relationship between plant growth and diazotrophs (microbes that fix atmospheric nitrogen), this project aims to further our understanding of microbial nitrogen fixation by investigating any potential effects of the microgravity environment on the process.

Commercial Service Provider: Space Tango