Offworld Space Biology: Setting Up The Life Science Glovebox

Bioengineering cartilage tissues and manufacturing advanced materials kicked off the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew members also ramped up preparations for a spacewalk and conducted vision tests on Monday.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir split her day working on a pair of investigations — one focused on biotechnology and the other on space‑based manufacturing. She began her shift inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox, nourishing living cartilage cells.

Scientists are studying how these cells grow larger in weightlessness, research that could guide new treatments for arthritis or sports injuries. Later, in the Harmony module, she photographed colloidal crystals — microscopic particles floating in liquid — to capture how they naturally arrange themselves into orderly 3D structures in microgravity. The results could help the design and development of next‑generation materials and technologies for both Earth and space industries.

Astrobiology, Space Biology.