SpaceX CRS-29 Mission Overview

SpaceX’s 29^th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) will launch from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 10:01 p.m. EST. This mission will carry several investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory®, ranging from life and physical sciences to technology demonstrations, student-led inquiries, and more. Below highlights ISS National Lab-sponsored research and technology development investigations launching on SpaceX CRS-29:

Boeing MicroActive Protection
Boeing
PI: Jason Armstrong

This project aims to test an antimicrobial coating to inhibit microbiological growth on the surface of materials in several locations on the space station. 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. causes changes in some microbes and in the human immune system, creating potential risks to crew health and the function of spacecraft systems as well as the possibility of contamination of other planetary bodies. Results from this investigation may provide insights to mitigate risks from microbes in future space missions.

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.: Boeing

Green Onyx-Duckweed Pack
Nanoracks
PI: Dov Shachal

This project intends to study the viability of a future packaged food product for astronauts. Both the packaging and the edible liquid contents inside the packaging will be tested as part of the experiment. The packaging consists of a mixture bag partitioned into two sections, with one section containing Duckweed and the other containing smoothie/yogurt. The bag features a nozzle at the top that would allow an astronaut to squeeze the bag to ingest the contents. For this experiment, a crew member will attach a flask that simulates an astronaut’s mouth to the mixture bag. The crew member will then mix the two materials within the bag and squeeze the contents into the flask. Photos and video taken during the experiment will allow the research team to determine how useful the packaging is, how well the contents mix in the bag, and how easy the packaging is to use.

Implementation partner: Nanoracks

Growing Hope: Choctaw Heirloom Seeds
Oklahoma State University (in collaboration with Boeing)
PI: Kathryn Gardner-Vandy

This educational outreach project will send 500 grams of heirloom seeds from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) to the space station. CNO is the third largest Indian Nation in the U.S. Five different strands of seeds heavily used by CNO will be sent to the orbiting laboratory: Isito (Choctaw Sweet Potato Squash), Tobi (Smith Peas), Tanchi Tohbi (Flour Corn), Tvnishi (Lambsquarter, a leafy green similar to spinach), and Chukfi (Peas). The seeds will spend several months on the space station and will then be returned to CNO. Students at the Jones Academy, CNO’s boarding school for Native American youth, will plant the space-flown seeds alongside seeds that remained on Earth. The students will make predictions about the growth of the seeds and then observe the plants as they grow to test their hypotheses. This project is part of CNO’s Growing Hope initiative and aims to inspire Native American students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Implementation Partner: Boeing

Melanized Microbes for Multiple Uses in Space
Naval Research Laboratory
PI: Zheng Wang

This project aims to identify new melanin variants that could be used to produce novel biomaterials with applications both on Earth and in space. Melanin has a broad range of commercially relevant physical properties that can be altered during its synthesis by changing the environment. This project will examine how microgravity and cosmic radiation may benefit melanin production and lead to new melanin variants with novel properties. Potential applications of melanin-derived biomaterials include drug delivery systems, biological imaging, organic electronics, protective coatings, and energy storage devices.

Implementation Partner: MEI Technologies

Rhodium Scientific Microgravity Bioprospecting-2
Rhodium Scientific
PIs: Heath Mills and Schonna Manning

This project aims to study natural substances produced by algae in space. Under stress, microorganisms can generate natural substances, like plastic or vitamins, that can be used in commercial products. This process, known as bioprospecting, has been observed in extreme environments on Earth. Microgravity can induce the same type of stress in microorganisms, making it an ideal platform to evaluate the types of materials produced by different organisms. In a previous spaceflight experiment, researchers from Rhodium Scientific and the University of Florida sent bacteria and yeast to space to examine how gravity affects their ability to produce therapeutics and nutrients. In this next iteration, researchers from Rhodium Scientific and Florida International University in Miami will send algae to the space station to analyze the substances produced. Identifying and quantifying the substances formed by algae in microgravity may lead to the discovery of new therapeutics and other commercially valuable materials.

Implementation Partner: Rhodium Scientific

The Effect of Microgravity on Human Brain Organoids
University of California, San Diego
PIs: Alysson Muotri and Erik Viirre

This project seeks to establish a brain organoid (miniaturized and simplified organ) model for use on the ISS for biomedical discovery and personalized medicine applications. Developed from stem cells, the brain organoids will be gene-edited and used to study neurological diseases in microgravity. This investigation intends to demonstrate how exposure to microgravity affects survival, metabolism, and features of brain cells and, therefore, cognitive function. These organoid models could aid in the study of diseases that represent a significant health burden, such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease. This project builds on prior research to observe the response of brain organoids in microgravity.

Implementation Partner: Space Tango

Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory (PIL)
Redwire Space
PI: Rich Boling

This project seeks to advance Redwire’s Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory Bio-crystal Optimization Experiment (PIL-BOX), which aims to develop a platform to crystallize small organic molecules in microgravity to improve drug therapies and other commercial products on Earth. PIL-BOX allows pharmaceutical and institutional researchers to leverage microgravity to generate new forms and formulations of protein crystals for both new and existing compounds for drug development. Essentially a laboratory in a box, PIL-BOX can be configured in multiple ways to support a variety of investigations. This initial experiment, the first in a series of PIL-BOX investigations, seeks to validate the PIL-BOX Fluidics Cassette (FC), which is capable of supporting crystallization processes that require the manipulation, combination, and mixing of fluids. The PIL-BOX FC contains a multi-fluid loop system that utilizes bags, pumps, and valves to control fluid handling operations, making it highly configurable and scalable.

Implementation Partner: Redwire Space

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program – Mission 17
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education
PI: Jeff Goldstein

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) provides yearly opportunities for students in communities around the world to leverage the orbiting laboratory for research using Mixstix testing tubes. In total, 39 student investigations are launching as part of this SSEP mission. More than 2,000 proposals were submitted from students for this opportunity, and investigations flying include a variety of plant biology and life science concepts.

Implementation Partner: Nanoracks

DreamUp STEM Program
PI: Frank McKay, Kathleen Fredette

The DreamUp STEM education program provides yearly opportunities for students worldwide to launch experiments into space as part of an effort to excite and engage the next generation of scientists and engineers. The experiments are facilitated by RTI International through the STARWard STEM program, iLead schools, and the Ramon Foundation. In total, there are 14 student experiments flying on this mission that will utilize the microgravity conditions of the space station to conduct research using Mixstix testing tubes.

Implementation Partner: Nanoracks

Tissue Engineered Liver Immune Chips in Microgravity
University of California, San Francisco
PI: Tobias Deuse

This project (funded by NSF) aims to investigate the relationship between immune system aging and healing, as well as the biology of aging during microgravity exposure and during recovery. The research team will use a 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. design that enables exploration into the effects of immune system aging on the ability of liver cells to regenerate. Then the team will look for possible ways to slow the aging process and enhance the liver healing process. This investigation builds on prior tissue chip research funded by the National Institutes of Health from the University of California, San Francisco.

Implementation Partner: BioServe Space Technologies

Wicking in Gel-Coated Tubes
University of California, Santa Barbara
PI: Emilie Dressaire

This project (funded by NSF) aims to leverage microgravity to understand the role of the mucus lining in the transport of liquid plugs through the human airway. Liquid plugs are used to deliver medication to the lungs. In microgravity, researchers can study capillary transport processes in isolation from other forces resulting from gravity. Results from this investigation could improve modeling of drug delivery to the lungs for treatments such as surfactant replacement therapy (a treatment for infants with respiratory distress syndrome).

Implementation Partner: BioServe Space Technologies