A SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft carrying more than 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo is on its way to the International Space Station after launching at 5:07 a.m. EST Tuesday from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy for the companys 24th commercial resupply services mission for NASA. It is scheduled to autonomously dock at the space station around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, and remain there for about a month. Coverage of arrival will begin at 3 a.m. on NASA Television, the agencys website, and the NASA app.
Among the science experiments Dragon is delivering to the space station are:
Bioprinting bandages
Bioprinting uses viable cells and biological molecules to print tissue structures. The German Aerospace Center studyBioprint FirstAiddemonstrates a portable, handheld bioprinter that uses a patients own skin cells to create a tissue-forming patch to cover a wound and accelerate the healing process. On future missions to the Moon and Mars, bioprinting such customized patches could help address changes in wound healing that can occur in space and complicate treatment. Personalized healing patches also have potential benefits on Earth, providing safer and more flexible treatment anywhere needed.
Improving delivery of cancer drugs
Monoclonal antibodies, used to treat a wide range of human diseases, do not dissolve easily in liquid and so typically must be given intravenously in a clinical setting.The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space Protein Chystal Growth 20 (CASIS PCG 20
