NASA SpaceX Crew-12: How ISS Research Could Benefit Life on Earth

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission has ended, with the crew scheduled to return home in early October. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fezyaev will return from the International Space Station after supporting research that benefits life on Earth and prepares humans for deep-space missions.

Here’s a look back at some of the crew’s achievements and the key microgravity experiments conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Why Microgravity Research Matters

The crew looks out the window of the Dragon spacecraft on its way to the space station, offering a unique vantage point for observing both Earth and space. Research in microgravity allows scientists to study phenomena from new perspectives, including changes in cell behavior and material structures.

Watch: Research in microgravity

Crystal Growth for Cancer Treatments

Jack Hathaway floats next to hardware used for crystal growth experiments in the orbiting laboratory. Microgravity reveals new details about crystal structures and may help researchers improve the quality and stability of medicines.

In this research, cancer-targeted treatments will take shape, helping scientists better understand their properties and advance cancer treatment around the world.

Learn more about Space Pharmaceutical Research Institute (ADSEP-PIL-15).

Cold Atom Lab and Quantum Research

Jessica Meir works with cables that deliver the light used to cool, trap, and study atoms within the Cold Atom Lab. Microgravity allows scientists to observe extremely cold atoms for longer periods and study phenomena in the quantum realm.

Recent upgrades to the facility will increase the number of atoms produced and provide more data to advance quantum technologies, including solar cells and components used in mobile phones and computers.

Learn more about Cold Atom Lab.

Bone Regeneration Research in Space

Sophie Adenot holds a small container housing a wood-based bone scaffold designed to mimic the structure of real bone and support the growth of bone cells.

Microgravity can accelerate bone loss, creating a unique opportunity to test how effectively scaffolds promote bone regeneration. Insights from this study could help protect future space explorers and provide new treatment options for patients with osteoporosis, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide.

Learn more about Greenborn.

Studying Soft Materials in Microgravity

Jessica Meir will set up hardware to study soft materials made from tiny particles suspended in water. In microgravity, scientists can examine how these particles interact and form structures differently than they do on Earth.

Understanding these interactions could help researchers fine-tune the texture, stability, and performance of materials used to grow plants, 3D print objects, and make medicines.

Learn more about colloidal solids.

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Space

Jack Hathaway has equipment on the space station to test for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some bacteria can survive antibiotics, starvation, and disinfection, creating concerns for closed environments such as spacecraft.

Sequencing DNA in microgravity can reveal how resilient microorganisms adapt to space. This research may help scientists identify ways to manage antibiotic-resistant bacteria during exploration missions while also advancing efforts to combat antibiotic resistance on Earth.

Learn more about CS-05A: Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS).

Fresh Food and New Space Station Experiments

Expedition 74 crew members smile as they view fresh produce delivered by NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Supply Service 24 mission. Cargo flights deliver vital supplies, fresh produce, sweet treats, and new science to the space station.

The Cygnus XL spacecraft also conducted research projects involving instruments that could improve space weather modeling and studies that could help protect the stability of the gut microbiome during future exploration missions.

Growing Artificial Cartilage in Space

Jessica Meir is working on research into how artificial cartilage tissue develops in microgravity. The study could help scientists produce medical implants that more closely resemble natural cartilage.

For millions of people with cartilage damage, tissue grown in space could offer a treatment option that does not require transplanting cartilage from another part of the body.

Learn more about biomimetic tissue engineering of cartilage in microgravity using Aggregate Rejuvenation, Tension, and Self-Assembly (BEM-CARTS).

3D Printing Metal Parts in Orbit

Sophie Adenot installs a metal 3D printer in the orbital complex. Small metal parts have already been 3D printed in microgravity and returned to Earth, where their quality will be evaluated against parts made on land.

Producing metal parts on demand in space could allow future crews to manufacture or replace essential components far from Earth, reducing their reliance on spare parts and resupply missions.

Learn more about metal 3D printers.

Producing Intravenous Fluids in Space

Sophie Adenot works to produce intravenous (IV) fluids on demand in microgravity. Commercially available IV fluids expire after about 16 months and add weight while taking up valuable space during long-term missions.

This system could provide critical medical resources when supplies are limited and improve access to IV fluids in remote areas and terrestrial emergencies.

Learn more about Intravenous Fluid Generation – Mini (IVGEN Mini).

Stem Cell Research for Blood and Immune Diseases

While Maia conducts stem cell research in space, Jack Hathaway takes a selfie. Microgravity helps generate large numbers of clinical-grade stem cells that retain the ability to transform into other cell types.

The cells used in this experiment could help rebuild the blood and immune system after chemotherapy, potentially advancing treatments for leukemia and other blood diseases on Earth.

Learn more about Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion in Space: The Pathfinder Study (InSPA-StemCellEX-H2).

Bone Marrow, Bone, and Muscle Health

Jack Hathaway has an experimental vessel containing bone marrow cells to study how microgravity affects bones and muscles. The study uses structures that mimic parts of bone marrow, with some samples exposed to vibrations that simulate movement.

Tracking changes in these cells could reveal new ways to combat bone and muscle loss during spaceflight and support bone health on Earth.

Learn more about 3D bone marrow analogs.