SpaceX Dragon to launch heart cell experiment and more to space station tonight – Space.com
By daniellenierenberg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. SpaceX is preparing for its fifth launch of the year: a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, which is scheduled to launch Friday (March 6) at 11:50 p.m. EST (0450 GMT on March 7), will bring a bevy of science material to the astronauts living and working in the orbiting laboratory.
This flight, dubbed CRS-20, marks the 20th and final mission for SpaceX under the company's first commercial cargo resupply services contract with NASA. Perched atop a Falcon 9 rocket will sit a cargo Dragon capsule filled with more than 4,300 lbs. (1,950 kilograms) of supplies, including more than 2,100 lbs. (950 kg) of science equipment.
The scientific cargo will support a host of experiments across Expeditions 62 and 63, focusing on a range of topics, from biological sciences (growing human heart cells in space), to water conservation methods, to particle-foam manufacturing and the addition of a new research platform on the ISS.
You can watch SpaceX's Dragon launch livehere on Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX, beginning at about 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV. You can alsowatch the launch directly from SpaceX here, beginning at 11:35 p.m. EST (0435 GMT).
Video: What's flying to the space station on SpaceX's CRS-20 mission?Related: SpaceX Dragon cargo ship launching tonight. How to watch live.
In its never-ending quest to create the best athletic shoe, Adidas has turned its sights to the International Space Station. The sportswear company has developed a performance midsole an additional shoe layer between the insole (next to your feet) and the sole (what touches the ground) that will enhance comfort.
To create its midsole, Adidas uses a process called particle foam molding, in which thousands of small pellets are blasted into a mold so they fuse together. To streamline the process and create the best shoe it can, Adidas is going to try this process in microgravity. The experiment, dubbed Adidas BOOST (Boost Orbital Operations on Spheroid Tessellation), will look at how the particles fuse together in space.
By removing gravity from the process, the team can take a closer look at individual pellet motion and location. The results of this investigation could show that the space station is a good platform for testing out new manufacturing methods and could lead to more-efficient means of packing and cushioning materials.
Related: Adidas launching new sneakers inspired by historic NASA spacesuits
Delta Faucet Co., a manufacturer of shower heads and other bathroom hardware, is launching a payload on CRS-20 that will seek to better understand how water droplets form. The company will use that knowledge to build a better shower head that lines up with Delta's ultimate goal: creating the sensation of increased pressure while using less water.
Conserving water is incredibly important, but one of the biggest drawbacks is that eco-friendly, low-flow shower heads do not perform as well as their less environmentally friendly counterparts. Users complain that the water pressure feels so low it's difficult to rinse off properly, which can result in longer showers and, ultimately, more water usage.
To help mitigate this issue, Delta has created a unique shower head, called the H2Okinetic, that controls the size and the speed of the water droplets with the help of an oscillating chip. That chip creates a better shower experience by breaking up the water flow into bigger droplets and shooting them out faster, giving the illusion of more water.
Related: Showering in space: Astronaut home video shows off 'hygiene corner'
"Water is a precious commodity," Garry Marty, principal engineer at Delta Faucet, said during a prelaunch briefing on Thursday (March 5). "We are trying to create a shower head to keep our customers happy while using less water."
He went on to explain that once the water leaves the pipes, it essentially doesn't have any pressure. What you're feeling are the droplets. With this new shower head, Delta Faucet is able to control the size and speed on each drop, revolutionizing the way a shower device delivers a shower.
"Lower-flow showers aren't really great to be under," Marty said. "But the more we understand, the more we can improve."
Marty added that, someday, humanity will be living on the moon or Mars and will need a way to take a shower. The lessons learned from this research go beyond conserving water and user experience, he said; it has implications for the space industry as well. But for now, the bigger concern is to better understand the fundamentals of water droplet formation.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. A team of researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, led by Chunhui Xu, are sending an experiment up to the space station to explore how effectively stem cells can be turned into heart muscle cells.
The data collected could lead to new therapies and even speed up the development of new drugs that can better treat heart disease.
The microgravity environment found on the space station is known to have a profound effect on cell growth. Through this research, the team aims to understand the impact microgravity has on cardiac precursors (cardiac cells created from stem cells) and how effectively they produce cardiac muscle cells, called cardiomyocytes.
Related: Heart cells beat differently in microgravity, may benefit astronauts
Ground-based research shows that when cells are grown under simulated microgravity conditions, the production rate of cardiomyocytes is greater than if they were grown under the effects of gravity. By sending the experiment to the space station, Xu and her team will be able to determine if their results are accurate.
"Our goal is to help make stem cell-based therapy more readily available," Xu said during the briefing. "If successful, the demand for it will be tremendous, because heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America."
In order to have a successful therapy, Xu said that the team will need to produce a large number of high-quality cardiomyocytes. To do that, the researchers need to first understand the mechanisms behind cell transformation.
Bartolomeo is a new research platform that will be installed on the exterior of the space station. Placed outside the European Columbus module, this science balcony will host as many as 12 research experiments at one time.
Built by Airbus, the platform will enable researchers to conduct more experiments on the station's exterior. During a prelaunch briefing, NASA and Airbus explained that Bartolomeos potential uses include Earth observation, robotics, materials science and astrophysics.
"All of your [research] dreams can come true with Bartolomeo," said Andreas Schuette, program manager of Bartolomeo at Airbus.
And parking spots on the washing machine-sized platform are all-inclusive, which means that researchers can pay one price to launch, install, operate and even return to Earth. By working directly with agencies like NASA, ESA, and SpaceX, Airbus is able to offer a cost-effective means of conducting research on the space station.
The company is also working with the United Nations in an effort to entice those who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to send payloads into space, Schuette told Space.com. The duo have teamed up with the United Nations Office for Outer Space (UNOOSA) to make that happen. (The agency works to make space more accessible.)
If all goes as scheduled, the Dragon will arrive at the International Space Station on Monday (March 9) at approximately 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT). From there, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Drew Morgan will use the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture and attach the spacecraft, before beginning the unloading process.
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
Read more from the original source:
SpaceX Dragon to launch heart cell experiment and more to space station tonight - Space.com
- 001 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2011]
- 002 Wow! UW Research labs [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2011]
- 003 cellalign [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2011]
- 004 Cardiac Stem Cells in End-Stage Human Failing Hearts: Are they functional? [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2011]
- 005 Designer Life: repair brain, heart with stem cells - Future Health keynote speaker [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 006 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy at Rostock University [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 007 Stem Cells: Mending a broken heart? [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 008 Cardiovascular Derivatives of Embryonic Stem Cells in Cardiac Repair and Drug Discovery [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 009 Stem Cell Therapy in Cardiac Disease [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 010 Cardiac Recovery Points to Adult Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 011 Oral Surgeon utilizes StemSave to preserve stem cells in wisdom teeth to combat cardiac disease [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 012 Stem Cells and Cardiac Regeneration [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 013 Dr Victor Dzau on Stem Cells for Cardiac Repair. [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 014 Cardiomyogenic differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem cells (KUM2/9-15c) [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 015 Heart Failure Patient After Adult Stem Cell Therapy [Last Updated On: September 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 5th, 2011]
- 016 Stem Cell operation in Cardiac Surgery-Al-Jazeerah [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2011]
- 017 Heart Disease Patient Describes His Stem Cell Treatment [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2011]
- 018 Cardiovascular Therapies: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - Douglas Boyd [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2011]
- 019 Adult Stem Cell [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 020 Heart repair using own stem cells after heart attack: Future Health keynote speaker [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 021 Stem Cell #8 Vas Cath Removal 04/28/11 [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 022 Adult Stem Cells Used To Rebuild Heart Tissue Video. More at http://www.stemcellfusion.com [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 023 Davos Question: Stem Cell Answer [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 024 Did you have a Heart Attack and Need to Recover your Cardiac Muscle? [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 025 Cardiac Tissue Can Regenerate [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 026 William F. Testimonial of Treatment Stem Cell [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2011]
- 027 Stem Cell Heart Surgery must see [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 028 Valentine's Day Stem Cell Wish: Mending Broken Hearts [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 029 Advanced Cell Technology OneMedForum 2011 [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 030 Human 2.0: The Helix of Our Future [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 031 heart cell generation from human ES and iPS cells (embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells).flv [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 032 Stem Cell Therapy and Stem Cell Treatment with Dell [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 033 UCD Med Student Receives Fulbright Award [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 034 Cardiomyocytes derived from mouse Embryonic stem cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 035 Immune Control of Stem Cell Mobilization [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 036 Better Drugs Through Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 037 stem cell derived cardiomyocytes [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 038 Stem Cells: Heart cells grown from mouse stem cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 039 Patel Stem Cell Heart Failure [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 040 Turning Adult Stem Cells into Medicine - Zannos Grekos, MD [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 041 Kevin's 2 Heart Transplants and Stem Cell Transplant [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 042 Breakthrough in Stem cell technology [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 043 Affordable Stem Cell Therapy in Guatemala (2hrs from Miami) [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 044 Cadiomyogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 045 Mark Mercola: Differentiating embryonic stem cells into adult tissues [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 046 Cardiomyocytic differentiation of endometrial stem cells. [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 047 Adult Stem Cell vs Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethics Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 048 Pt. 1--Dr. Ali Denktas--Stem Cells as Markers after Myocardial Infarctions [Last Updated On: September 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 27th, 2011]
- 049 Repairing Damaged Hearts with Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 050 Mouse GEN cells overexpressing Csx/Nkx2.5 and GATA4 behave like transient amplifying cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 051 20100804_axiogenesis.wmv [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 052 Beating Cardiomyocytes from E14 Cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 053 Heart cells grown from human embryonic stem cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 054 First US Patient In Stem Cell Transplant [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 055 Be still my beating stem cell heart [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2011]
- 056 Beating Human Heart Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2011]
- 057 Spontaneously and rhythmically beating engineered human heart tissue from pluripotent stem cells [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2011]
- 058 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy - How it works [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2011]
- 059 Doctors To Use 'Trained' Stem Cells To Heal Heart [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 060 Beating Heart Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 061 AM RADIO, DR. AMIT PATEL AND STEM CELLS SAVED MY LIFE - Video [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2011]
- 062 New heart built with stem cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2011]
- 063 Adult Stem Cells For Heart Disease: Today's Reality - Video [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2011]
- 064 H9 beating stem cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 065 Double Blind Trial of Stem Cells for Heart Failure - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 066 Repairing Damaged Hearts with Stem Cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 067 Cardiac differentiation of hES cells at 20x - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 068 SPRAY-ON STEM CELLS - Video [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2011]
- 069 Stem Cells: A smart use for wisdom teeth - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 070 VistaGen's Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 071 Stem Cell Research [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 072 The Power of Stem Cells - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 073 Beating iCellĀ® Cardiomyocytes - Video [Last Updated On: November 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 13th, 2011]
- 074 SCIPIO: Cardiac stem cells and postinfarction heart failure - Video [Last Updated On: November 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 15th, 2011]
- 075 Beating Cardiomyocytes in Cell Culture - Video [Last Updated On: November 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 15th, 2011]
- 076 Stem Cells Heal Heart Attack Damage. - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 077 C2CAM - 2011.11.15 - Dulce Base - Regenerative Medicine - Info - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 078 Latest Update on Stem Cell Research at UW - Dr. Timothy Kamp - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 079 Coast To Coast AM: Regenerative Medicine / Dulce Base 11-15-2011 Download Link - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 080 C2CAM - 2011.11.15 - Dulce Base - Regenerative Medicine - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
