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²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù is once again pushing the boundaries of space exploration during its fourth mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). Ax-4 is a significant research-focused mission, with studies predominantly sponsored by international government partners. With around 60 research activities representing 31 countries, including the USA, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe, this mission underscores the global significance and collaborative nature of advancing microgravity research. With the greatest number of projects to be performed on an ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù mission to date, let's dive into the company’s Ax-4 research portfolio and learn about how the projects contribute to ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù's era-defining goals.

Human Research

²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù has teamed up with Burjeel Holdings, a UAE-based healthcare provider, to address a novel challenge: supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes during short-duration missions. The goal of this research is to demonstrate accurate blood glucose monitoring, data transmission, and insulin viability in microgravity. By collecting glucose meter readings, calibrating continuous glucose monitors, and sharing data with medical teams on Earth, this project could enable astronauts with diabetes to participate in future human spaceflight missions, expanding crew eligibility for those who have previously been medically disqualified. Moreover, the findings could improve remote diabetes management and enhance telemedicine capabilities worldwide.

Another human research project focuses on understanding the impact of microgravity on the human brain for long-duration space missions. In partnership with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, a neuroimaging study using high-field magnetic resonance imaging will investigate how spaceflight affects the brain's representation of the body, neural vascular physiology, and the blood-brain barrier. The results could identify cognitive and performance risks for astronauts, paving the way for safer missions and inform on more effective ways of working in space.

Continuing research from previous missions, ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù is collaborating with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to gather comprehensive data on human physiology, cognitive and behavioral performance, genetic data, and more. This research helps understand how humans adapt to space, particularly during commercial astronaut missions, and can inform ground-based studies on eye or movement disorders and the cognitive impacts of isolated environments, among other things.

Microgravity can alter joint loading, potentially damaging its structure and function. ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù is also partnering with National Jewish Health on a project that will use ultrasound to evaluate the effects of spaceflight on cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joint fluids. The goal is to develop non-invasive methods to assess joint health, optimize exercise protocols for astronauts, and reduce injury risks when humans return to Earth.

Technology Demonstrations

Additionally, the Ax-4 mission includes technology demonstrations to enhance astronaut readiness. One such project, in partnership with Booz Allen, tests astronaut readiness using wearable devices with innovative software and analytics to process data. By tracking performance before, during, and after space missions, the data collected will help demonstrate how well astronauts are prepared for their tasks. This technology could also benefit industries that rely on skilled human performance.

Life Science

The Cancer in low-Earth Orbit (LEO)-3 investigation — a collaboration between Aspera Biomedicines and the (SSCI) at UC San Diego — builds on previous ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù and SSCI collaborative missions that studied cancer growth in space. This iteration of LEO, however, will focus on the efficacy of a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigational drug (IND)-approved therapeutic, Rebecsinib, in a variety of patient-derived tumor organoid models. 

Cancer in LEO-3 will establish the use of patient-derived tumor organoids for cancer stem cell-inhibitor drug testing in space. To do so, it will test Rebecsinib on tumor organoids, miniature tumors created from the cancer stem cells of consenting patients. These tumor organoids are derived from the cells of patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia, metastatic ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, and glioblastoma multiforme.

By examining how microgravity and radiation in LEO affect primary patient-derived tumor organoid growth compared to terrestrial environments, SSCI researchers will gain insight into the fundamental mechanisms of cancer progression under conditions of stress. Understanding cancer behavior in space could lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for metastatic cancers, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment on Earth. This project is part of a broader collaboration focused on utilizing microgravity to better understand stem cells, cancer, and aging, with the ultimate goal of developing improved disease prediction and therapeutics for patients.

Another related investigation called the Space Associated Stem Cell Hallmarks of Aging (SASHA) in astronauts, led by the Jamieson team at SSCI, will focus on how space travel affects blood stem cell aging in astronauts. Specifically, it will examine the roles of two enzymes, APOBEC and ADAR1, which are linked to inflammation, stem cell aging, and pre-cancer initiation. By studying how these enzymes affect stem cells and the acquisition of mutations during spaceflight, SSCI’s Sanford Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR) Center team will augment findings from two prior missions, rounding out essential insights into accelerated stem cell aging under conditions of extreme stress. Insights gained from the SASHA study will provide valuable data on aging and inflammation, key factors in many diseases.

²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù is not only enhancing our understanding of human health and performance in microgravity but also driving innovations that will benefit life on Earth. These important investigations remind us that the quest for understanding is not confined to our planet but extends to the expanse of space, where the answers to some of our most pressing questions may lie. As we look forward to the future, ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù continues to lead the charge in making space accessible and beneficial for all, paving the way for humanity's permanent presence off-planet.