Orbital ATK, an aerospace manufacturer, is planning to set new horizons with its Cygnus. The company is looking forward to team up for a resupplying mission containing several researches and supplies this March 24.
According to Physics, Orbital ATK announced that it will launch its Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station this week from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For this resupplying mission, Orbital ATK shared that the Cygnus shall carry significant researches such as those that involved magnetic cell culturing.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also highlighted in an official press release the highlights of the researches on board the Cygnus spacecraft. There were six key researches on board which ranges from microgravity up to plant habitat.
One of the studies on board the Cygnus targets the usage of microgravity in designing better drugs for cancer patients. Oncolinx, a known antibody-drug conjugate developer, teamed up with different scientists to study on this potential cancer drug. The said study shall also be more effective as it will only target cancer cells compared to other existing drugs that also harms healthy cells. Another study also used microgravity and looked into culturing cells in 3-D in space. Scientists aimed on deploying cell samples in space as cells cultured on Earth only grow in 2-D. These researchers wanted to have 3-D samples or models in order to have a better grasp of the growth and functions of the cells in the living organisms here on Earth.
Another promising research on board Orbital ATK's Cygnus is the study on "Advanced Plant Habitat". Just like the other researches carried by the Cygnus, this study will also make use of the microgravity to conduct a plant bioscience research in space. Through this study, researches aim to know how they can increase the efficiency and reliability of technologies targeted on increasing plant growth.
The Cygnus project by the Orbital ATK shall be the seventh cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The company is also continuously doing joint projects with the NASA in other fields of space exploration.
