The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry important research in the areas of life sciences and technology development to the International Space Station (ISS) on its 27th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission. Approximately 20 payloads launching on this mission are sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory. These investigations aim to improve life on Earth and foster commerce in low Earth orbit. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than 8:30 p.m. EDT on March 14, 2023, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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Here is a quick look at some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads on SpaceX CRS-27:
- Two exciting investigations are using tissue chips—small systems that mimic human physiology—in space to improve understanding of heart disease and develop new treatments. These projects were funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (one of the 27 centers and institutes within the National Institutes of Health) through a multiyear partnership with the ISS National Lab on the Tissue Chips in Space initiative.
- Teams of researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University each seek to examine how engineered cardiac tissues weaken in microgravity to better understand the progression of heart disease and develop better ways to treat it in patients on Earth. Both teams have previously launched tissue chip investigations to the space station, and these latest projects will build on prior knowledge gained.
- Multiple projects will test technology in the harsh environment of space. Projects that leverage external platforms on the outside of the space station are subject to extreme temperature variances, heightened levels of atomic oxygen, and radiation spikes, putting materials through the ultimate durability test. One such project from American technology company L3Harris will build on a previous ISS investigation from 2021 utilizing the Aegis Aerospace MISSE Flight Facility. Through this project, L3Harris seeks to test 3D-printed radio frequency (RF) circuits, RF communications systems, and other materials for developing smaller, more cost-effective satellites.
SOURCE: PR Newswire