space travel | March 17, 2023
With samples from the Zurich biotech startup Cutiss and supplies for the astronauts on board, a “Dragon” freighter has taken off for the International Space Station ISS.
The skin cells are exposed to microgravity and space radiation for four weeks.Photo: Keystone, Joel Kowsky/NASA via AP
The unmanned freighter of Elon Musk’s private space company SpaceX took off from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida on Thursday night, as shown by live images from the US space agency Nasa. “Dragon” is expected on the ISS on Thursday
The Zurich biotech startup Cutiss wants to use the mission to study the effects of space on skin cells and tissue cultures, as the company announced on Wednesday. This is important in order to develop strategies to protect astronauts during space flights.
In space, humans are exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation, which leads to changes in the structure and function of cells. Like other organs, the skin changes its physical properties, such as thickness and moisture, as well as its biological properties, which can affect wound healing.
The ISS orbits the earth at an average altitude of 408 kilometers. At the end of the mission, in about four weeks, the miniature laboratory on the Florida coast will return to Earth. The cells are then sent back to the company’s headquarters in Zurich, where the results of the experiments are analyzed in more detail.
The four-week mission will be carried out in collaboration with Spacepharma, a company specializing in space experiments and micro-laboratory technologies.
