KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 30, 2024 – Approximately 565 pounds of science and technology payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday morning as NASA completed SpaceX’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission, including research into a new vision loss treatment and optical fiber manufactured in space.
The return of the SpaceX Dragon capsule will bring back more than 40 ISS National Lab-sponsored studies to advance human benefit and commerce in low Earth orbit. Payloads returning to Earth for analysis include:
Three studies by startups that are past winners of the Technology in Space Award funded by Boeing and the Center for Space Science Advancing, manager of the ISS National Laboratory: Oculogenex tested a new gene therapy aimed at preventing and possibly restoring vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Encapsulate used the microgravity environment of the space station to validate an automated tumor-on-a-chip system that grows patient-derived cancer cells to test chemotherapy drugs. Such a system could help doctors screen chemotherapy drugs against the patient’s own cancer cells and determine the best treatment for the patient. Building on previous findings, LambdaVision studied whether a powdered protein called bacteriorhodopsin could be dissolved in solution in microgravity to fabricate an artificial retina layer by layer. Using powdered protein could significantly reduce the mass of material sent to space for fabrication, allowing production to be ramped up at low cost. Flawless Photonics’ technology development project aimed to validate the company’s technology for manufacturing high-value optical-quality glass materials such as ZBLAN in microgravity. ZBLAN performs up to 100 times better than silica fiber, which is commonly used to connect today’s digital world, but gravity-induced defects prevent fiber manufactured on Earth from reaching its full potential. This project aims to demonstrate that manufacturing in microgravity mitigates these defects, resulting in higher quality fiber than can be produced on Earth. Preliminary results show a significant improvement in the amount of optical fiber manufactured in space. Between mid-February and mid-March, the company produced a total of more than 7 miles (11.9 km) of optical fiber on the space station. The kilometers of glass fiber pulled in space will now undergo independent analysis to determine whether they have superior performance characteristics. The National Stem Cell Foundation continued to investigate the mechanisms behind neuroinflammation, a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases. To carry out this study, the research team created 3D brain models derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis. This marks the completion of the Foundation’s sixth expedition on the space station. The results of this research could ultimately lead to improved diagnostics and new treatments that will benefit millions of people around the world. Researchers at the University of Connecticut conducted a project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation that sought to produce new materials in space for biomedical applications on Earth, such as repairing damaged cartilage and reducing arthritis. Janus base nanomaterials (JBN) are composite materials that can be used as drug carriers in the human body. Through this project, the research team sought to advance JBN production in space. Currently, there is no way to repair damaged cartilage, which could significantly improve patient care for orthopedic injuries and osteoarthritis, such as arthritis. The project, awarded through the ISS National Laboratory’s Education-Focused Call, allowed Oklahoma State University, in collaboration with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Boeing, to study the effects of spaceflight on Choctaw traditional seeds. The seeds were exposed to microgravity and space radiation for several months while aboard the space station. Upon return, Choctaw students will plant the seeds from the spaceflight along with the seeds left on Earth. They will make predictions about the growth of the seeds and observe the plants as they grow. The goal of this project is to inspire Native American students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
These are just some of the investigations that returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule on this mission: For more information about the ISS National Lab payload aboard SpaceX CRS-30, visit our launch page.
Download high-resolution photo for release: SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft
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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique laboratory that enables research and technological development not possible on Earth. At ISS National Laboratory®, a public service enterprise, researchers leverage this multi-user facility to improve the quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, increase the science literacy of the future workforce, and grow sustainable and scalable markets in low Earth orbit. Through this orbital national laboratory, ISS research resources are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives by U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for Advancing Space Science™ (CASIS™) manages the ISS National Laboratory under a cooperative agreement with NASA, facilitating access to the permanent microgravity research environment, powerful vantage points in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and diverse conditions of space. For more information about ISS National Laboratory, please visit our website.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts donations from corporations and individuals to support the advancement of space science for the benefit of humanity. For more information, please visit our donations page.
