SpaceX CRS-22 Mission Overview

SpaceX’s 22^nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) is slated for launch no earlier than June 3 at 1:29 pm ET from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ISS U.S. National Laboratory is sponsoring more than a dozen payloads on this mission, including several projects to improve disease modeling and drug development, multiple physical science investigations, as well as student-led experiments—all aiming to bring value to our nation and drive a 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 are highlights of ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that are part of the SpaceX CRS-22 mission to the space station.

Effect of Environmental Stressors on Oral Biofilm Growth and Treatment
Colgate-Palmolive
Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Carlo Daep

This project aims to examine the molecular characteristics of a healthy and diseased oral microbiome (community of microbes in the mouth). The investigation will use a microfluidic device that simulates biofilm growth on an enamel surface (dental plaques) using saliva from three groups: healthy patients with no signs of gum or tooth disease, those with periodontitis (a gum infection), and those with active caries lesions (cavities). The research team will identify unique plaque pathologies depending on oral health status, examine gravity’s effects on biofilm formation and oral dysbiosis (an imbalance in the oral microbial community), and compare responses to common oral care agents. Results from this investigation could aid in the development of oral care therapy for the Colgate-Palmolive global oral care business, representing an average total of more than $7 billion in annual sales.

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.: Teledyne Brown Engineering

Kinetics of Nanoparticle Self-Assembly in Directing Fields
University of Delaware
PI: Dr. Eric Furst

The number of advanced materials manufactured by the assembly of colloidal particles is growing. Assembly can be controlled by applying external fields (such as a magnetic field) that affect the motion of the particles and their organization during assembly. Performing self-assembly research 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. is advantageous because on Earth, the particles sediment due to gravity with a sedimentation rate that increases as they form large and complicated structures. The colloidal particles examined in this experiment could serve as building blocks for advanced materials that control the propagation of sound and heat in electronics. This investigation is funded through a National Science Foundation grant focused on transport phenomena.

Implementation Partner: Zin Technologies

Lyophilization in Microgravity
Eli Lilly & Company
PI: Jeremy Hinds

This project examines the influence of gravity on the physical state and properties of lyophilized materials of interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Lyophilization (i.e., freeze-drying) is a common method for formulating pharmaceutical drug products with improved chemical and physical stability and is applicable to both small and large molecule pharmaceutical products.

Implementation Partner: Zin Technologies

Moth Chrysalis and Termites in Space
Higher Orbits
PI: Michelle Lucas

For this investigation, a team of student researchers from Lexington, KY will examine the effects of microgravity on southeastern drywood termites, and another team of student researchers from Spring Grove, IL will examine microgravity’s effects on chrysalis formation and life cycle development in the cabbage moth. Both insect species are expected to experience a period of stress while transitioning to the microgravity environment, but with time could adapt and exhibit normal behavior, including chrysalis formation and pupation by the moths. Observing the growth and development of these organisms under microgravity conditions may uncover information relating to complex biological systems responsible for cellular organization and tissue development.

Implementation Partner: Space Tango

Structure of Proximal and Distal Tubule Microphysiological Systems
University of Washington
PI: Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb

Kidney dysfunction can precipitate serious medical conditions, including proteinuria (a condition in which a person’s urine contains an abnormal level of protein), osteoporosis, and the formation of kidney stones. This project aims to develop physiologically relevant proximal and distal tubule tissue chipA tissue chip, or organ-on-a-chip or microphysiological system, is a small engineered device containing human cells and growth media to model the structure and function of human tissues and/or organs. Using tissue chips in microgravity, researchers can study the mechanisms behind disease and test new treatments for patients on Earth. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a multiyear partnership with the ISS National Laboratory® to fund tissue chip research on the space station. systems that model the human kidney to better understand proteinuria, the body’s use of vitamin D, and kidney stone formation. Results could lead to the development of improved treatment options for patients with kidney diseases on Earth. This project is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, one of the 27 institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health.

Implementation Partner: BioServe Space Technologies

Targeting the Roots of Cotton Sustainability
University of Wisconsin, Madison
PI: Dr. Simon Gilroy

Each year, 25 million metric tons of cotton are grown around the world, and each kilogram requires thousands of liters of water to produce. This project will examine how cotton plants respond to the stress of microgravity and the resulting effects on growth and root behavior. Despite the central role of water stress in limiting cotton yields, the physiological traits and molecular causes of cotton’s response to limited water availability remain poorly understood. Removing gravity allows researchers to study the underlying genetic elements of root system development, which could eventually lead to the production of cotton plants that use water more efficiently. This project is funded by Target Corporation through the ISS Cotton Sustainability Challenge, in coordination with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (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).), manager of the ISS National Lab.

Implementation Partner: Amentum

The Impact of Nanostructure Geometry on Photo-Thermal Evaporation Processes
University of Notre Dame
PI: Dr. Tengfei Luo

This project seeks to study how metal nanostrucutres interact with light to create a high degree of local heating and evaporation of the surrounding liquid. Specifically, the investigators seek to understand the fundamental relationship between nanostructure geometry (i.e., particle size and shape and inter-particle spacing) and the process of bubble formation when excited with light. In the microgravity environment of the ISS, buoyancy-driven convection is eliminated, allowing the research team to observe bubble dynamics in detail and with unprecedented clarity. A better understanding of this evaporation process could lead to several important applications, such as the development of new highly selective cancer therapies and new methods of water desalination and purification.

Implementation Partner: Space Tango

What is the Effect of Microgravity on the Germination of Daucus Carota Sativa?
DreamUp
PIs: Hutch Siegen and Sophia Siegen

The goal of this student-led experiment is to hydroponically germinate a nantes half long carrot seed in a MixStix on the ISS and compare results with a ground-controlled experiment on Earth. Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants without soil and has three key advantages for spaceflight: 1) mass efficiency, 2) volume efficiency, and 3) water efficiency. The team of student researchers hypothesizes that the carrot seed in microgravity will germinate on a similar time scale as a seed in the controlled experiment on Earth. Investigations of this nature are critical as we explore deeper into space and need to develop successful techniques to grow and cultivate food products.

Implementation Partner: Nanoracks

What is the Effect of Microgravity on Vigna Radiata (Mung Beans)
DreamUp
PIs: Quentin Gauge, Patrick Adamson, Noah Breitstein, Connor Morris, and Grace Stumpf

This experiment from student researchers seeks to sprout adzuki beans on the ISS in an effort to provide new food development alternatives for astronauts as we travel further into space. Several experiments have previously been conducted on the ISS that have grown other edible plants such as lettuce, soybeans, and corn; however, adzuki beans could be another attractive food for future astronauts, given its high nutritional value. Should adzuki beans germinate and subsequently sprout in the space-based environment of the ISS, it could lead to further experimentation on food products similar in nature for astronauts to consume.

Implementation Partner: Nanoracks