A kidneys-on-a-chip experiment is being readied at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to fly aboard a SpaceX Dragon C19/Falcon 9 supply shuttle to the International Space Station. At an altitude of 250 miles, the chip technology will be used to study reduced gravity and other space flight conditions on kidney physiology.
The unmanned SpaceX mission CRS17, contracted with NASA, was slated for Friday, April 26, but is likely to be delayed until Tuesday, April 30 or later, depending on weather, launch window, and other conditions. The launch date will not be official until after the Flight Readiness Review
Three other organs-on-chips will be on-board for studies of lung host defenses, the blood-brain barrier, and musculoskeletal diseases. Developed by research groups nationwide, the four projects are part of the Tissue Chips in Space program. This will be the second time that National Institute of Health tissue chips have been flown into space. The first study was on aging and the immune system.
