November 2024

Welcome to Space Station Spotlight, a 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 to elevate your research to new heights by leveraging the unique space environment.

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What’s new at the ISS National Lab?

Seen here is a up-close view of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket in the vertical position at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2023, in preparation for the 27th commercial resupply services launch to the International Space Station.

SpaceX CRS-31 carried more than 25 ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads to station.

These include technology demonstrations, in-space manufacturing, student experiments, and multiple projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Learn more on our launch page.

The Nanolab Astrobeat module hull and core side by side.

An investigation on cold welding to advance spacecraft repairs launched on SpaceX CRS-31.

The investigation will evaluate cold welding in space by testing metal patches on simulated spacecraft hulls, offering a safer and potentially more reliable method for in-orbit repairs.

SpaceX CRS-31 prepares for launch in November 2024.

A project to test new orbital debris clean-up technology flew to the ISS on SpaceX CRS-31.

Startup Kall Morris, Inc. is demonstrating the ability of its Responsive Engaging Arms for Captive Care and Handling (REACCH) system, which has four 1.5-foot tentacle-like arms, to capture and hold objects in microgravity.

Partner News

NASA extended contracts with three companies to provide ISS cargo transport through 2030. NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contracts with Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, and SpaceX, which were set to expire at the end of 2026, were extended.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft used its thrusters to boost the orbit of the ISS for the first time. To maintain its altitude in low Earth orbit, the space station needs routine boosting, which is typically done by Russian spacecraft. This is the first time SpaceX’s Dragon performed the maneuver.

Sierra Space is developing a second cargo spaceplane, a crewed spaceplane, and inflatable habitats. The company also developed a new in-house mission control center to support its Dream Chaser spaceplane operations. The inaugural Dream Chaser, Tenacity, is expected to launch to the ISS no earlier than May 2025.

The Exploration Company raised $160 million to support development of its Nyx cargo spacecraft. Nyx is designed to carry cargo to and from future commercial space stations in low Earth orbit and cislunar space.

Texas A&M University broke ground on a new $200 million Space Institute. The institute will be located at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Exploration Park in Houston and will provide facilities to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

The first wooden satellite was sent to the ISS to be deployed for testing. The four-inch satellite was developed by Japan’s Kyoto University and logging company Sumitomo Forestry. Typical aluminum satellites produce aluminum oxides when they burn up in the atmosphere, which can harm Earth’s ozone layer, and wooden satellites could offer a sustainable solution.

Investment

An image captured during in-orbit microscopy showing a human brain organoid model of iSPC-derived neurons and astrocytes expressing a neuron-specific AAV vector-delivered gene.

Axonis completed an oversubscribed $115 million Series A financing campaign. The startup, a Technology in Space Prize awardee, leveraged the ISS National Lab to derisk a viral vector for its novel neurological gene therapy. Axonis will use the funding to advance another of its therapeutics, which treats epilepsy and pain through clinical proof-of-concept in patients.

GITAI raised $15.5 million in venture capital to advance robotic in-orbit servicing technology. The startup utilized the ISS National Lab to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of its S2 robotic arm system to TRL 7, moving it closer to commercialization. GITAI has now raised about $83 million in total venture funding.

Results

The November 2024 issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab, is online. Explore valuable findings from space-based R&D—download the current and past issues here.

Axonis Therapeutics used space-grown brain organoids to advance a new neurological treatment. The startup developed a gene therapy for conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal cord injury and reprogrammed a virus to carry the therapy to neurons. However, the viral vector needed to be tested in a mature human brain model, which is difficult on Earth. Read the Upward feature “From Viral Villain to Gene Therapy Hero” to see how Axonis quickly grew 3D brain organoids in space to test its therapeutic.

An ISS National Lab journal publication highlights groundbreaking physical science research in space. A paper published in Gravitational and Space Research highlights how researchers have leveraged microgravity to study transport phenomena—fundamental physics processes involving momentum, energy, and mass transfer—in new ways. The insight gained could lead to revolutionary advances in pharmaceuticals and other commercial applications.

The Ring Sheared Drop system containing concentrated solution of human serum albumin (the main protein constituent of blood).

Workforce Development and STEM Education

You can empower the next generation of innovators! This Giving Tuesday, support the ISS National Lab’s efforts to send STEM kits to Title I schools! Your donation will provide students with hands-on learning to spark curiosity and empower the space leaders of tomorrow. Together, we can expand access to STEM education and prepare future scientists for success. Click here to learn more and donate today

Save The Date

The 2025 ISS Research and Development Conference will be held in Seattle July 28-31. Join us for the 14th annual ISSRDC, the only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the ISS is advancing science and technology development.

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