SpaceX's 22nd Commercial Resupply Mission Will Bring Interesting Stuff and Animals Into Space!

SpaceX's 22nd Commercial Resupply Mission (CRS-22) which is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 3, will send water bears, squids and new solar panels to the International Space Station.

Tardigrades, also known as water bears will be sent to the International Space Station to research on how different environmental conditions affect tardigrade gene expression. The results could advance understanding of the stress factors affecting humans in space and support development of countermeasures.

The bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, will also be studied in the International Space Station. This investigation helps determine whether spaceflight alters the mutually beneficial relationship, which could support development of protective measures and mitigation to preserve astronaut health on long-duration space missions. 

A virtual reality tool, Pilote, will test the effectiveness of remote operation of robotic arms and space vehicles using virtual reality and interfaces based on haptics, or simulated touch and motion. It will be used to pilot the Canadarm2 and Soyuz spacecraft.

Not only that, NASA will send a 3D kidney cell model to study the effects of microgravity on the formation of microcrystals that can lead to kidney stones. This investigation can treat and prevent kidney stones for astronauts and for the 1 in 10 people on Earth who develop them.

The ISS Roll-out Solar Array (iROSA), which is also part of the CRS-22 cargo, will increase the energy available for research and other onboard activities in the International Space Station. 

The bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) examines the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Image source: NASA

Video source: NASA

Learn more at NASA's official article here 

Author: Wei Hao (Malaysia)