Four astronauts will begin a new six-month science expedition onboard the International Space Station (ISS) through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program with the launch of SpaceX’s 6th crewed mission to the orbiting laboratory. The astronauts are set to launch to the orbiting research outpost no earlier than 1:45 a.m. EST on Monday, February 27, 2023, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg join United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev for the flight on the SpaceX Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft.
During their mission, which is part of Expedition 69, the Crew-6 astronauts will perform dozens of investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory. These projects span a wide range of disciplines—from life and physical sciences to advanced materials, technology development, in-space production applications, and even student-led research. Results from these studies will bring value to humanity, further our ability to explore, and enable a robust market in low Earth orbit.
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Below are a few highlights of ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that will be supported during this six-month mission:
- A variety of research from federal funding institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will launch over a series of NASA-contracted resupply missions to the space station. Two investigations from the ISS National Lab and NIH Tissue Chips in Space initiative will launch in the coming weeks, both studying heart muscle tissue in microgravity to better understand heart disease and test new potential therapeutics.
- Over the next six months, several private-sector partners will leverage the ISS National Lab to advance scientific knowledge for application to products on Earth. These partners range from Fortune 500 companies seeking to improve therapeutic manufacturing processes to innovative startups aiming to advance drug manufacturing technology and develop platforms to test new therapies.
- The space station is an ever-evolving research platform, and multiple projects aim to validate new facilities and capabilities for space-based research. One such study will test an updated bioprinter capable of printing human cells and tissues in microgravity that may one day be used to treat patients on Earth.
SOURCE: PR Newswire