Astronauts prepare for International Space Station launch; biomedical, materials, physical sciences work planned

Four crew members will embark on a new long-duration science expedition when they launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. While on station, the crew will engage in a wide variety of research, including materials and physical sciences experiments and biomedical research.

Findings from these investigations will benefit humanity and drive commerce in low Earth orbit (LEO). The orbit around the Earth extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts Anne McClain (commander) and Nichole Ayers (pilot) will join JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi (mission specialist) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov (mission specialist) as part of Expedition 73 on the space station.

Below are some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that the Crew-10 astronauts will support during their expedition:

Several investigations seek to further fundamental science in the areas of transport phenomena and fluid dynamics.
An investigation from Lehigh University, in collaboration with ISS National Lab Implementation Partner Tec-Masters, will study particles in complex fluids to see how the particles move according to a thermal gradient (temperature changes over a distance). Results could help improve devices that detect the amount of a virus, called viral load, in blood or saliva samples.

Onboard the space station, the researchers can examine the particle motion without effects from gravity-driven buoyancy and sedimentation. Insight gained could aid in the development of viral load detection devices that provide quick results without the need for complex laboratory equipment and procedures.

Building on previous research, an investigation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute aims to use microgravity to study fluid flow in protein solutions to better understand why protein clumping occurs during pharmaceutical manufacturing. Protein-based therapeutics treat and prevent many conditions, from cancer to HIV, but protein clumping is a problem because it negatively affects drug quality.

Studying the complex motion of proteins in solution on Earth is difficult because the proteins interact with the walls of the container holding the solution, which affects their behavior. In microgravity, the liquid forms into a floating, self-contained sphere, allowing the team to study protein motion in new ways and create models to better understand the factors that lead to protein clumping.

A project from the University of Alabama-Birmingham will study the formation and microstructure of ceramic-nanomaterial composites in microgravity to produce novel materials that are lightweight, electrically conductive, and stable in high-temperature environments. The materials can be made into almost any shape or size, making them valuable for many industrial applications such as energy storage, electrical systems, and nanodevices.

A project from the University of Connecticut and Eascra Biotech, in partnership with Axiom Space, aims to use microgravity to improve the production of Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs). These nanomaterials, which self-assemble into a structure that mimics human DNA, could be used to treat diseases like osteoarthritis and cancer.

When JBNs are produced on Earth, gravity-driven forces can cause defects in the nanomaterials. However, in space, where these forces are greatly reduced, the team can manufacture JBNs that have a more uniform structure, which leads to better therapeutic outcomes. his project builds on multiple previous investigations on the station.

The Crew-10 mission, which is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, is scheduled to lift off no earlier than March 12, 2025, at 7:48 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.