Highlights of the payloads on 21st SpaceX Cargo Mission

NASA launched the 21^st SpaceX cargo resupply mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which carried a variety of critical research and technology demonstrations to the International Space Station. This is first time when the upgraded version of Dragon cargo spacecraft carried more science payloads to and from the space station.

 Such payloads are as follows:

1. A mixture of meteorite samples and microbes are headed to the space station. Certain microbes form layers on the surface of rock that can release metals and minerals, a process known as biomining. Previously, ESA (European Space Agency) examined with BioRock how microgravity affects the processes involved in biomining. ESA follows up on that work with BioAsteroid, which examines biofilm formation and biomining of asteroid or meteorite material in microgravity. Scientists are trying to find out how the basic physical processes that control these mixtures, such as gravity, convection, and mixing.  Microbe-rock interactions have many potential uses in space exploration. Microbes could break down rocks into soils for plant growth or extract elements useful for life support systems and production of medicines.

2.  It has been found that Microgravity can change the workload and shape of the heart but it is unknown that if a person lives more than one year in space then this changes will become permanent. This kind of changes in the heart lead to take many months to readjust Earth’s gravity. Cardinal Heart studies how changes in gravity affect cardiovascular cells at the cellular and tissue level. The investigation uses 3D engineered heart tissues (EHTs), a type of tissue chip. The experiment will provide new understanding of heart problems on Earth, help identify new treatments, and support development of screening measures to predict cardiovascular risk prior to spaceflight.

3. HemoCue tests the ability of a commercially available device to provide quick and accurate counts of total and differentiated white blood cells in microgravity. Doctors commonly use the total number of white blood cells and counts of the five different types of white blood cells to diagnose illnesses and monitor a variety of heath conditions on Earth. Verification of an autonomous capability for blood analysis on the space station is an important step toward meeting the health care needs of crew members on future missions.

4. SUBSA-BRAINS examines differences in capillary flow, interface reactions, and bubble formation during the solidification of brazing alloys in microgravity. Brazing is a type of soldering used to bond together similar materials, such as an aluminum alloy to aluminum, or dissimilar ones such as aluminum alloy to ceramics, at high temperatures. The technology could serve as a tool for constructing human habitats and vehicles on future space missions as well as for repairing damage caused by micrometeoroids or space debris.

5.  The Effect of Microgravity on Human Brain Organoids observes the response of brain organoids to microgravity. Small living masses of cells that interact and grow, organoids can survive for months, providing a model for understanding how cells and tissues adapt to environmental changes. Organoids grown from neurons or nerve cells exhibit normal processes such as responding to stimuli and stress. Therefore, organoids can be used to look at how microgravity affects survival, metabolism, and features of brain cells, including rudimentary cognitive function.

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