A neuron, or nerve cell, consists of a cell body, short extensions called dendrites, and a long arm called an axon that branches off into axon terminals. For messages to be sent from one neuron to another, an electrical signal travels down the axon, and the axon terminals pass an electrochemical signal to the dendrites of other neurons.

November 13, 2024

From Viral Villain to Gene Therapy Hero: Assembling 3D Brain Organoids in Space to Advance...

In the classic dichotomy of hero versus villain, everything is black and white. Heroes are brave, noble, and the epitome of...

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A view of the AstroRad vest in the Cupola module onboard the space station

November 13, 2024

Armor for Astronauts: Developing High-Tech Wearable Radiation Shields

Drifting weightlessly onboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Kayla Barron carefully pulls on an...

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View of the NREP through a window in the Japanese Experiment Module, nicknamed Kibō.

April 23, 2024

Sensors, Satellites, and Sidekicks: Chemical Fingerprinting From Space for Valuable...

Data from Orbital Sidekick has value in everything from the energy sector to the mining sector, agriculture, food quality and...

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NASA astronaut Christina Koch onboard the ISS with Orbit Fabs FlexTank (left) and the rigid tanker (right) during testing.

January 24, 2023

Fueling the Low Earth Orbit Economy: Orbit Fab’s Gas Stations in Space

A year before Orbit Fab completed tests on the International Space Station (ISS) for hardware designed to refuel spacecraft in...

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The seven member team that developed the UV XNode holding the UV detector and a model of the ISS in front of them.

July 7, 2021

Extreme Electronics: LEO as the Ultimate Technology Proving Ground

Computing advances continue to push the envelope for ever-smaller, ruggedized electronics that must thrive in extreme...

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Hewlett Packard Enterprises Spaceborne Computer 1 onboard the ISS.

May 7, 2021

On the Edge of the Edge: Taking Supercomputing to Space

On Earth, scientists are used to having high-performance computers at their fingertips. Such computing capabilities are critical...

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The Cygnus spacecraft as it leaves the ISS for the first SlingShot mission with Lynks payload attached.

December 1, 2020

Shooting to Higher Orbit: SlingShot’s Flexible Launch Model Offers Affordable, Fast Path...

The future low Earth orbit (LEO) economy depends on faster, more frequent rides to space. SEOPS, LLC is addressing this urgent...

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SPHERES Tether Slosh performed by European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst. 

September 8, 2020

It’s Getting Crowded Up There: Towing Away Trash in Space

No one likes trash—not in landfills and not in space. Yet the mounting problem of orbital debris continues to increase as...

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NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson works on the Oncolinx investigation onboard the ISS.

July 11, 2019

Attracting Entrepreneurs to Space: MassChallenge Grantees Move Early-Stage Innovations...

Imagine having the next revolutionary idea with the potential to improve disease treatment, to build better solar cells, or to...

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zblan cover upward notext

December 12, 2018

Exotic Glass Fibers From Space: The Race to Manufacture ZBLAN

Optical fibers are the thread that connects our modern digital world. Smaller in diameter than a human hair, these fibers can...

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Scientists with Swag: Team Penicillium Mold Growth show theyve got what it takes to send an experiment to space.

October 25, 2018

The Ultimate Science Fair: Participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

Rocket scientists, real meteorite pieces, big telescopes on loan from astronomical societies—and mixed in with it all,...

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An amputated flatworm fragment sent to space regenerated into a double headed worm, which is a rare spontaneous occurrence.

June 26, 2018

Space Worms: Unexpected Pioneers of Discovery & Commercial Services

Three years ago, a two-headed worm returned from the International Space Station (ISS), and in the summer of 2017, the worm...

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