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The ‘bioprinter’, developed by the German Space Agency, is one of a number of research projects and technology demonstrators heading to the station in late December. Other experiments cover topics including cancer drug delivery within the body, laundry in space, and microgravity manufacturing.
As a subcategory of 3D printing, bioprinting uses viable cells and biological molecules to print tissue structures. The new portable device, part of the BioPrint First Aid project, will use patients’ own cells to create tissue ‘patches’ to cover wounds.
On future missions to the Moon and Mars, bioprinting such customised patches could help address changes in wound healing that can occur in space, complicating treatment. Extracting an individual’s cells before a mission would enable more immediate response to injury.
“On human space exploration missions, skin injuries need to be treated quickly and effectively,” said project manager Michael Becker from the German Space Agency at DLR. “Mobile bioprinting could significantly accelerate the healing process. The personalised and individual bioprinting-based wound treatment could have a great benefit, and is an important step for further personalised medicine in space and on Earth.”
Personalised healing patches could also provide safer and more flexible treatment on Earth. Researchers plan to study the space-printed patches and samples printed on the ground at the Technical University of Dresden.
Operated remotely by Redwire Space, Turbine SCM is another project bound for the ISS. It will test a commercial manufacturing device that processes heat-resistant alloy parts in microgravity. Researchers expect more uniform microstructures and improved mechanical properties in superalloy parts processed in microgravity, versus those processed on Earth. The superior materials could improve the performance of turbine engines in industries such as aerospace and energy on Earth.
"We are continuing to leverage the space station as a vital platform to foster scientific discovery, validate capabilities for commercial infrastructure in low-Earth orbit, and prove out deep space exploration technologies," said Justin Kugler, general manager of Redwire mission solutions.
"Our payloads on this mission represent the breadth and versatility of our on-orbit manufacturing and R&D capabilities for delivering new industrial products, to support long-duration human spaceflight and benefit people on Earth.”
The 24th SpaceX cargo resupply services mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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