ISS National Lab enables record-breaking year of space-based scientific results

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), January 9, 2025 – The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory pushed scientific boundaries and set a record in scholarly output over the past year. Results from these investigations address real-world challenges and benefit Earth’s economy.

In fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024), more than 50 peer-reviewed articles related to ISS National Lab-sponsored research were published, bringing the all-time number to nearly 450. These findings lay a robust foundation for ongoing scientific advancements that promise significant benefits for humanity. Several groundbreaking results were featured in three new issues of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab, highlighting the broad impact of research in space to improve the lives of people on Earth.

The following list details some of the most transformative investigations, underscoring their potential to drive further innovation and valuable applications.

Top ISS National Lab-Related Scientific Results Highlighted in 2024

• Biomedical Advances:  3D Printing of Human Heart Tissue
  • Orbital Sidekick validated its cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging technology to monitor ecological changes and potential environmental disasters from space. This validation was a crucial step for the company to offer real-time global monitoring services that provide customers with a powerful tool to solve their most pressing challenges.
• Materials Science: Manufacturing Optical Fibers
  • Orbital Sidekick validated its cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging technology to monitor ecological changes and potential environmental disasters from space. This validation was a crucial step for the company to offer real-time global monitoring services that provide customers with a powerful tool to solve their most pressing challenges.
• Global Monitoring: Advanced Hyperspectral Imaging
  • Orbital Sidekick validated its cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging technology to monitor ecological changes and potential environmental disasters from space. This validation was a crucial step for the company to offer real-time global monitoring services that provide customers with a powerful tool to solve their most pressing challenges.
• Agricultural Innovations: Genetic Studies in MicrogravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment.
  • Clemson University research into cotton genetics under microgravity conditions uncovered new methods to enhance crop resilience and productivity, with potential applications that could benefit global agricultural practices.
• Neurological Insights: Studying Brain Organoids
  • Axonis Therapeutics grew brain organoids in space to test a new therapeutic for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal cord injury. The ability to self-assemble brain organoids from mature cells in space in just a few days compared to months on Earth highlights the unique benefits microgravity offers for biological research.
• Educational Outreach: ISS Mimic by Creatorspace
  • ISS Mimic, an educational product developed by Creatorspace, allows students to build a 1:100 scale model of the ISS that mimics the real-time movements of the space station using actual telemetry data. This product aims to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in schools, libraries, and museums.
• Fluid Dynamics Research: Bubbles Behavior Study
  • An experiment from researchers at the University of Notre Dame investigated the fluid dynamics of bubble formation in microgravity. The research sought to gain a better understanding of how bubbles form and grow to improve biosensors that could be used for early and asymptomatic cancer detection.
• AstroRad: A Wearable Radiation Shield
  • Tested by crew members on the ISS, the AstroRad vest is designed to protect astronauts from radiation during missions to the Moon and Mars. Feedback from the tests led to design tweaks improving the vest’s fit and mobility, enhancing astronaut safety.
• Orbital Oncology: 3D Tumor Cell Cultures in Space
  • MicroQuin grew 3D cultures of breast and prostate cancer cells in microgravity to better understand cancer cell behavior. The findings provided significant insights into cancer cell survival mechanisms and could lead to a therapeutic to treat all types of cancer.
• Preventing Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis: Tissue Chips Studies in Microgravity
  • A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study explored the potential of utilizing tissue chips in space to better understand the underlying causes of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). The findings provided valuable insights into the biological mechanisms of PTOA, potentially leading to innovative therapeutic strategies.
• Testing New Technology: Astrobee Robots on Station
  • NASA’s free-flying Astrobee robots on the ISS have assisted with more than 150 investigations, many of which were sponsored by the ISS National Lab. One such project tested specialized microphone technology designed to identify anomalies in equipment by interpreting changes in sound. Another tested a new method to rendezvous with tumbling objects in space for satellite recovery efforts. The Astrobees are also helping inspire the next generation of scientists through MIT’s Zero Robotics program.

Laying the Groundwork for Future Innovation
Results from ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations reflect the value of leveraging the unique environment of space to conduct high-impact research that cannot be replicated on Earth. These efforts advance our understanding of fundamental science and drive innovations that address practical challenges across healthcare, technology development, and beyond.

For detailed information and behind-the-scenes stories on results from ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations, subscribe to Upward.

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