When the commercial space company’s Dragon spacecraft launches on Saturday, it will be filled with experiments examining everything from bone and eye health to the dexterity of robots.
SpaceX plans to launch its next replenishment mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday and plans to have some fascinating science experiments in tow.
When the commercial space company’s Dragon spacecraft launches along with its Falcon rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the United States, it will be filled with research projects ranging from the study of astronaut bone and eye health to the dexterity of robots and how to devote plants to deal with stress, NASA announced this before the start.
It will also include an experiment on “Plant Growth, Ant Colonization, and the Life Cycle of Saltwater Shrimp,” developed by a group of Central Florida Girl Scouts, the US space agency confirmed.
It is the 23rd replenishment mission to the ISS conducted by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and its launch is scheduled for 03:37 am local time (07:37 GMT) on Saturday.
One experiment will use metabolites produced as by-products of winemaking to see if “substances like antioxidants that are formed when food is broken down can protect bones during space travel,” according to NASA.
Another experiment sponsored by the European Space Agency, the European Astronaut Center and the Institute for Space Medicine of the German Aerospace Center will use a small device to record images of the retina of the astronauts’ eyes in order to transfer them to the space-associated neuro-eye- Syndrome (SANS.) To investigate).
The disease is “associated with long-term weightlessness” and affects more than two thirds of astronauts, said the study leader Jürgen Drescher in the press release.
“Currently, vision problems that can manifest themselves through SANS are being alleviated by providing crew members with glasses or contact lenses,” explained Drescher. “Multi-year missions to Mars can exacerbate these symptoms, and there is a need for a mobile device for imaging retina.”
This technology could eventually be used both in space and here on Earth, he added.
An experiment by space robotics startup Gitai Japan Inc. will test the dexterity and maneuverability of a robotic arm in the Bishop Airlock, a printing environment.
Gitai’s chief technology officer, Toyotaka Kozuki, said in the press release that the robot “could be an inexpensive and safer source of work in space and open the door to real space commercialization.” On Earth, it could be used to aid in disaster relief efforts or nuclear emergencies where sending people to help could be dangerous.
Other experiments on Saturday’s mission include an investigation aimed at testing the strength of materials like concrete, 3D printed polymers, fiberglass composites and more in space, as well as a study of how plants can help deal with microgravity stress in space .
NASA said the Dragon spacecraft will also carry supplies and hardware for the crew currently stationed on the ISS.
In addition to serving as a taxi service to the ISS, SpaceX recently won a number of major NASA contracts, including one to explore Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europe.
