ISS National Laboratory

Imagine a spacecraft hurtling through deep space when suddenly, it’s struck by a rogue piece of space debris. In the harsh vacuum of space, traditional repair methods falter. Enter ASTROBEAT, an innovative experiment sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory, poised to advance spacecraft repairs using cold welding—a technique akin to patching a tire while soaring through space.

In October, we think pink, and for a good reason—one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and each year, 2 million women are given this frightening diagnosis. Biotechnology startup MicroQuin leveraged the International Space Station National Laboratory to grow 3D breast and prostate cancer cell cultures to learn more about how these cancers develop and grow. However, the research team found something incredible that could lead to a way to treat not just breast and prostate cancers but all cancers.

When SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station takes flight, students across the U.S. and Canada will watch their experiments launch to space with it. The mission includes 39 student-led projects from 38 communities as part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). SSEP is an ISS National Laboratory® educational partner program aiming to equip the next generation of scientists and engineers by integrating the scientific research process into classes.

After seven months of living and working onboard the International Space Station, astronauts of NASA’s eighth rotational SpaceX crew mission (Crew-8) splashed down safely off the coast of Florida. The mission, which is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, included NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. During their mission on station, the three NASA astronauts supported dozens of research investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory®.