On July 26, Northrop Grumman hosted a webinar detailing its 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The mission, set to launch in early August from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, will deliver over 8,500 pounds of critical research materials and supplies aboard the Cygnus spacecraft.

Patrick O’Neill, Public Affairs and Outreach Lead for the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, moderated the webinar.

“Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is filled with more than 8,500 pounds of critical research and supplies and will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket,” said O’Neill.

O’Neill invited an impressive lineup of researchers to discuss the investigations they will be conducting on the orbiting laboratory.

Davide Marotta, ISS National Lab program director for in-space biomanufacturing, and Dr. Meghan Everett, NASA’s deputy chief scientist for the International Space Station Program, were joined by six accomplished academics during the hour-long webinar.

Marotta opened the meeting by noting the remarkable diversity of research projects that will be launched in early August.

“We have live science projects, physical sciences, technology demonstrations, projects focused on inspiring the next generation, and more,” said Marotta. “So this will be a fantastic representation of the capabilities of the space station and the sort of research it can support.”

Marotta yielded the floor to Dr. Everett, who explained that the microgravity environment allows scientists to push their research beyond the boundaries of projects that are possible on Earth.

Everett said they are “very keen” on looking at new ways to cure diseases.

“One area that’s been in the press and the media a lot is Cancer Moonshot,” said Everett. “There are cell science and stem cell experiments that are specifically looking at how we can detect cancer earlier, and how we can provide new and novel treatments for cancer.”

Investigations related to drug discovery, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine will all be conducted on this mission.

Dr. Susan Margulies, Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation — Engineering Directorate, spoke on the ways in which the NSF is supporting this mission.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides roughly 25% of federal funding to the nation’s colleges and universities. The NSF focuses on high-impact, solution-oriented research that can lead to developments which will improve life on Earth.

“In the area of combustion engineering, or fire, we’ve benefitted from the studies in space to understand how fire moves in confined spaces — in particular, how it interacts both thermally as well as aerodynamically, and how fire spreads,” explained Margulies. “We’ve literally changed how we fight fires and prevent fires to help reduce deaths and property damage from structural fires.”

Margulies compared science to a “team sport” that everyone can get excited about and that is collaborative, rather than competitive.

Researchers from Florida International University, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Cedar Sinai Medical Center presented their research questions during the webinar.

The public was invited to actively engage in the webinar by using the hashtag #ISSNationalLab on social media to ask questions.

A recording of the meeting is available on the ISS National Lab YouTube channel.

The 13th Annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) will be held in Boston from July 29 – August 1, 2024.