December 2023
Welcome to Space Station Spotlight, a new monthly newsletter from the ISS National Laboratory. Here’s where you can find all the latest R&D happenings on the space station, see what our partners are up to, and learn how you can elevate your research to new heights by leveraging the unique space environment.
What’s new at the ISS National Lab?
Take a look back at some of the cutting-edge research that took place on station in 2023. Results from these investigations help to improve the lives of people on Earth.
The ISSInternational Space Station National Lab and NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration work together to utilize the orbiting laboratory to its fullest capacity. Read about successes from this year, including how the ISS National Lab is bolstering demand for space-based R&D.
After spending more than a month in space, a Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, completing SpaceX’s 29th 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. for NASA, with valuable research tucked inside.
Astronauts on station worked on a host of science experiments and technology demonstrations, including a Boeing project to test the effectiveness and durability of an innovative antimicrobial coating in space.
Partner News
Redwire’s meniscus print makes PopSci’s Top 50 Inventions of 2023. Earlier this year, Redwire Corporation successfully bioprinted a meniscus using live human tissue. The achievement was highlighted as part of Popular Science’s36th annual “Best of What’s New Awards” for health innovations.
Axiom Space will launch four astronauts to the ISS in January. The all-international crew will spend 14 days on station conducting dozens of experiments, many of which are sponsored by the ISS National Lab. Read more here.
Blue Origin returned to flight.The Washington-based aerospace company returned to flight after a hiatus of more than a year following an engine anomaly. The mission carried 33 scientific payloads and 38,000 Club for the Future postcards.
Funding Opportunities
Two NSF-funded solicitations for fundamental science are closing in January. These research opportunities are seeking proposals that leverage the ISS National Lab to advance research in the areas of Transport Phenomena and Tissue Engineering.
Results
The latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab, is online. Delve into exciting results from space-based R&D—download the current issue and past issues here.
Read the Upward feature “Cultivating the Cosmos” to see how studying the growth of cotton plants in space could lead to the production of more resilient plants and more effective use of resources.
Workforce Development and STEM Education
Native American seeds take flight. An ISS National Lab-sponsored project from the Choctaw Nation blends cultural heritage with science education and space exploration. For the project, five varieties of Choctaw heirloom seeds were sent to station through the Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope program.
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